[Shian]

Rules:

1) Anyone who's a member of the board can add to the story.  

2) Authors can only add to the story after another author has made an addition OR 24 hours have passed.

3) Each addition can be no less than 20 words (ie: no 1 sentence additions).  There is no upward limit except that it must fit within one post.  

4) Content should be in the mostly PG13/R range.  ie: no gratuitously hardcore violence or sex.  (I couldn't find a content guideline for this forum, but hopefully this will fall whatever guidelines there are.)  

5) You may not kill off any character that is not your own creation without permission.  You CAN however leave them in a dire situation, and leave it to the next person to deal with it.

6) The first person who makes it all a dream, I'm coming after you with a baseball bat.  (ie: no sudden, total reboots)

7) The creator of this thread reserves the right to add additional rules, should the need arise.  


If anything needs to be discussed, please do it outside this thread - either make a discussion thread or PM me.  Keeps things from being confusing in the long run.

Enjoy!

[Shian]

It was getting close to midnight as Kara looked out across the darkened landscape from her vantage point on the tower.   The typical noise and bustle from the settlement was quiet now, lending a deceptive peacefulness to the surrounding terrain. 

She disliked sentry duty.  It was long and tedious and it took far more effort than it should to keep her attention from wandering because she knew the moment it did, something (or more accurately, someTHINGS) would show up and all hell would break loose.  Until that happened, it was a lot of staring at tree and rock, which was made her wonder if a little hell-breaking might actually be an improvement.

Halfheartedly, he checked her weapon for the umpteenth time.  It hadn't changed, it was still cheap and one of these days she was going to replace it with something better but for now it would have to do.  Of course, she thought as she picked a bit of the evening's rations from between her teeth, "one of these days" never seemed to be "today".  Maybe if...

Something moved on the edge of her vision. 

Kara snapped alert and rushed to the tower edge, staring off into the night.

Damn, there WAS something out there.

[Shian]

She was pretty sure that whatever it was, it was human-shaped, which ruled out most of the nastier wildlife, but in the dark and at this distance, she couldn't make out much more. 

Kara brought her weapon to bear, focusing on the moving shadow and called out "Who goes there!"

At her challenge, the figure staggered out from the treeline and into the open area around the tower.   She recognized him immediately. 

"Oh no," she muttered.

[Sonya the fox]

A shadow in the darkness of the trees watches the fortification, watches the male step into the light, barely suppressing devious laughter, "Yes, that's right, return to your friends, help me conquer your precious home.  Go and sew the seeds for me."

Another figure approaches the first in the darkness and drops to one knee immediately on arrival, "My lord, preparations are almost complete, it won't be long now before your plans can be carried out."

The first shadow, the Lord, turns and smiles, putting one clawed hand on the kneeling one's head and patting it, "Excellent work.  Go and see to it that no mistakes are made, I want this to be perfect."

"Yes my lord."  The second figure rises and disappears amidst the trees, allowing the first to resume watching the tower, grinning in anticipation for coming events, "Soon, yet too long.  Must remain patient."

[Shian]

Even at this distance and in the low light, Kara recognized Aben almost immediately.  There was blood on his face and armor and it looked to be his, and he moved as if drugged or in a trance.  

Something was obviously very wrong.  What was he doing out there?  He wasn't on the last patrol was he?  If so, where was the rest of the patrol?  Did he go alone?

Aben had almost staggered his way to the gate when he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Kara lowered her rifle and called out over her shoulder "Open the gate!"

"What ?"  a voice shouted back from below.

"Open the damn gates!  Aben's out there!  He's hurt!"

"Can't do that!  Marcus gave orders-"

"I don't care!"  She looked around helplessly.  Aben hadn't moved and continued to stare unfocused at the world around him.  "Johan, please!"

"Kara.... Kara,  you know this stinks of a trap."

"I know but... But..."  Damn Johan, why do you have to be reasonable!

"Look, I'm sending word to Marcus, but until he gives the order-"

"I know! I know... Gate stays closed," she sighed.  It wasn't fair; Aben looked in bad shape.  He needed help now and all she could do is stand there and watch.

"...Johan," She called out again, "tell Marcus there are two outside the gate."

"Two? Someone else is out there now?"

"Yeah,"answered Kara as she threw a rope over the side of the watchtower, "Me."

[Shian]

The figure hidden in the trees smiled silently as the little drama played out among the humans.  The Lord was right, there was always one who put emotion ahead of clarity.  Such behavior was a weakness to be exploited with the proper planning.   

A human female, one of the defenders of those cursed walls, had managed to clamber to the ground, no doubt seeking to aid her fallen comrade. 

Yes, this should prove most interesting to watch.

[Trerro]

-Fzzzt-

Johan looked at his communication device, and saw nothing but swirling color. He had heard about this. Devices would malfunction in "impossible" ways and no one was entirely sure why.

"Damnit, not now!" came Johan's voice from the top of the wall. "I can't get through!"

[Sonya the fox]

The figure in the dark folds its ears back in annoyance at the development.  From observation, the two outside the wall will either be allowed in or locked out....and the latter can't happen.

The figure summons two of its subordinates to it and has them take aim at the pair outside the wall, giving orders to 'not' hit them, but seem like they're trying.

"This should get their attention."

[Shian]

The moment her feet hit the ground, Kara knew it was a bad idea but that didn't stop her from rushing to Aden's side and ignoring Johan's protests.  

She was probably going to get court marshaled for this.

Aden hadn't moved from where he'd stopped, almost catatonic and unaware of anything around him.

"Aden?  Say something!  Can you walk?"

No response.

"Aden?"

Still nothing.  

Before she could ask again, the ground near them exploded in a burst of green flame.  A second burst of eldritch fire erupted almost as close, leaving a charred scar in the dirt.

Kara swore under her breath, where were they?  All she could tell was the shots were coming from the woods, but not exactly where.  There was too much cover, while she and Aden were completely exposed.  

"Come on, man, "she  muttered, pulling Aden's limp arm across her shoulders and hauling him to his feet, and praying she wasn't making any damage worse, " We can't stay here!  Move!"

It was like hauling a bag of wet sand; Aden did nothing to help her as she half-carried, half-dragged him towards the gates as more green flame burst around them.  It was only sheer luck (so she thought) that they hadn't been hit yet.

"Almost there, almost there, almost-"

Without warning, Aden let out a cry and flailed at her, pushing her away as he dropped to his knees again, clutching his head.

"Aden? What-"

"DON'T!"  Aden's voice snapped.  He tried to speak again, but somehow, he couldn't.  Kara saw his face was taunt with fear and strain.  As she looked closer, a sheen of liquid silver seemed to float across his eyes.

--------------

The male was fighting it, the observer noted.  How... unexpected.  

The observer remained calm, only a twitch of a tail betraying the irritation of a possible flaw in the plan.

Well, it was doubtful them male would fight it long.  These creatures, so reliant on their little metal toys, they were so ill-equipped to deal with natural power.   The male's spirit will falter and he'll be docile again in no time and the plans will continue.

But, perhaps the plan would need a slight modification.  It's best not to underestimate the prey.

--------------

"Lanning! Kale!  Where are those shots coming from?" demanded Johan.

"Can't tell!  The scanners-"

"On the fritz?  Damnit!  What is it with these things?"

Johan peered through his weapon's sight and returned fire almost blindly.  Those things could vanish into the local flora like ghosts.  It was like trying to track smoke at times.  

"Sir, should we send someone out to get our men?"

Johan frowned.  Everything felt wrong about this whole business.  They were sensor-blind and alone now that the comm was down.  He had to make a decision now.

[Sonya the fox]

The figure observes and ponders, then rests a paw on the one on her right, "Maybe they just need a little more encouragement, I want that male inside those walls.  Give the female a light hit in the shoulder, careful not to injure her."

The two look at each other for a moment, "Just do as I say, they can't serve their purpose dead."

The figure then turns to the other one, "And give that one up on the wall a good scare, how close to hitting him can you get?"

Panic to cloud the judgement, the plan though hinges on getting that male inside where he can do his part.

[Shian]

For a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, Kara stared almost paralyzed, not knowing what to do.  

Ever since they had come to this world, they'd practically been at war with some kind of native population.  These creatures used things neither she nor the rest of the unit had ever seen before.  She refused to call it "magic", even though she couldn't explain it any other way.  And now it was doing something horrible to a member of her squad right in front of her eyes.

Which was when a flash of green filled her world as the bolt hit her square in the shoulder, slamming her to the ground.

----------

"Haden's down, Sarge!"

"I know Lanning," Johan snapped. He'd seen Kara drop with the latest assault.  Another casualty on this stupid mission.  He knew Marcus would be recommending that the science settlement pack up a head home and that the damned powers-that-be would spout some bullcrap about cost efficacy and untapped resource and they'd be stuck here to lose more men for no damn good reason.

The hell with orders.

"I know I'm going to regret this but... Lanning, get a spanner and a med!  We're getting our people back!"

"But- um... yes sir!"

"Go!"

Johan flinched as another blast erupted against the wall near him.  The enemy seemed to be taking a personal interest in him.  Lucky him.

He snuck a look over the wall in time to see Kara getting to her feet.  Good, she was okay, at least for now and...

And what the hell does that idiot think she's doing now?

[Trerro]

Kara ducked behind a tree, staring at her own communicator. "The pattern... it has to..."

Her eyes went wide as she realized what she was looking at. The swirling colors weren't random at all, they were a very crude map of the surrounding forest! The pattern also had a slight swirl to it, centered on...

She stared incredulously, trying to process what she was reading. "That. That's where they got... the crystals... but that... that can't be right!"

Was it true, was the city's power source... talking to her?

This could explain everything! The strange orders, the increasingly paranoid leadership... but Aben was trapped back there, and maybe there was a direct way to help him. Would killing that creature free him... and was killing even possible with what she had?

Kara was the first to notice the map, but would certainly not be the last. She needed to decide quickly...

[Shian]

They didn't start shooting until I came down, Kara thought.  And now, they seem more interested in where I went and the walls than in him. 

Kara unslung her rifle and charge deeper into the overgrowth.  The dig site where they found the crystals was a few clicks north east of her position, but there were a whole lot of hostiles around. 

Aden, she thought, I'm sorry, but if I'm right, you're safer there than with me.

She glanced at the comm screen again.  This time there were new tiny livid orange blotches amid the swirling pattern that made the map.

If those were hostiles... oh shit, there were a lot of them. Which one was the important one?  How could-

Movement!  Kara flattened herself against a tree and readied her rifle.  They were close, two of them.  They HAD to know she was there, right? 

Cautiously, she peered out.

[Sonya the fox]

"Damn it, where the hell is she going?!"  Johan peered over again at where Kara had gone.  Something isn't right, first Aden turns up alone at the gate, then Kara goes off on her own into the woods, now the firing has stopped altogether, leaving no trouble with his men getting Aden back inside.  Something isn't right...

"We're in!  Shut the gates!"
"Get him to medical, make sure he's okay."
"Wait, where's Haden?"
"She took off into the woods."
"Is she mad?"
"I don't know, but we can't go after her at night, those...things...will get us for sure"

What is going on in that head of yours, Kara?  Marcus is gonna have their heads when he finds out what's happened...

----------

The shadowy figures of the forest follow after the female, their goal at the gate having been accomplished they now needed to know just what this girl was planning.

There she is, all alone and pressed against a tree.  Perfect.  Now to bring her in and find out, at worst all she can do is aid them like the male friend of hers already is.  Questions first, of course, always questions first.

----------

They had to be looking in her direction, but it's so dark at night all she could make out was their vauge shape, they almost looked...animal-like?  Wait, there's a third one!  She pressed closer to the tree, this one was definitely moving her direction, and there was something different, an air of command, could this be one of their leaders?  Did they have leaders?  There was so much that was unknown about these creatures...

She slid back behind the tree when she felt something tingle in her mind, then it was gone and the next time she looked around there was only the third figure, neither of the other two.  Where did they go?!  This is bad, she's out here alone with no backup and no doubt surrounded by now, but the one she could see was giving off a faint glow now, and it...she...no, that can't be right.  They weren't anywhere near old Earth, this couldn't be...

A fox?

Just then something bright and blue hit Kara in the back, making her give off a groan as she slumps to the ground along the tree, the last thing she sees being that fox-creature standing over her and many paws dragging her away before blackness envelopes her sight...

[Shian]

"They...stopped?"  Johan murmured to himself as he peered into the dark growth beyond the walls.  Moments after Aden had been brought in, the onslaught of weird energies ceased.

He pondered this for a moment.

"Kale, put extra guards on Aden while the Meds check him out."

"Yes sarge...  You think something up?"

"Probably, but hopefully I'm wrong."

Kale hurried off, leaving Johan lingering with the remainder of the night watch atop the wall.  He paused to massage his tired eyes; one soldier down, one MIA, and a feeling that he'd just walked into a trap.

His comm buzzed.  Well, at least that was working again. 

"Johan here."

^Sergeant, what am I hearing about the gates?^

Sergeant Grant Johan steeled himself; it was Commander Marcus.  There was no way this was going to go well.