“Get Down!” he shouted as an explosion ripped through the deck. The year is 2537. The human race has spread to planets in different galaxies, but now, once again, we must fight to survive. The evil Legion, an alien race bent on annihilating the human race, has emerged. Our hero’s name is Robert Sokolov. Born on the planet Reach, he joined the USMC at the age of seventeen to fight the Legion as a private. He would soon be a hero.



Robert donned his helmet on the run as he made his way to the bridge, his comrades fighting all around him. The Legion was using small crafts to hold boarding parties. The engineers typed furiously on the control panels to lock down the area. Robert stopped as a marine blocked a doorway and spoke to him.
“It’s not safe to go this way! The Legion has overrun this area.”


Suddenly the marine seemed to jump towards him, and it took Robert a few seconds to register that he had been hit from behind. He peered over the dead soldier to find an Alien Partisan with a freshly discharged plasma rifle. It flexed its four mandibles and charged forward for a melee attack.



Robert sidestepped quickly, but not quickly enough. He was knocked to his feet and his rifle skidded away. The Partisan unsheathed a knife, with what appeared to be a grin. As it brought its arm down for death-dealing blow, our hero shoved his sidearm up into its mouth and squeezed the trigger. The alien’s brains exploded out of the back of its head and its body fell to the ground lifelessly with a dull thud. The sharp teeth from the mandibles left a gash on Roberts arm, but he paid it no heed and rose to retrieve his rifle.



Robert continued on through the armory with another squad of marines, the officer in command being staff sergeant Pete Stacker. They fought through the masses of Legion using guerrilla tactics and plenty of grenades. When they reached the bridge their spirits went downhill. Dozens of Legion fighters and battleships could be seen through the five foot thick glass at the front of the bridge.



Fleet Admiral Zaoh greeted them with a grim look.


“We won’t be able to last much longer out here. We’re going to have to head towards that orange planet.”


The squad was silent.

“Get the Primary thrusters on line! Be ready for a rough ride!”
Engineers started running every which way, shouting and typing swiftly.



Suddenly a Legion Dervish, leading a squad of Cossacks, came rushing in, plasma weapons already charged. The next moment, a wave of blue and green plasma was discharged, killing many. Robert chucked a grenade and dodged behind a control panel. What was left of the marines opened fire and Robert snuck up behind the enemy. One of the marine’s bullets hit the fusion core of one of the plasma weapons, and a wave of plasma energy washed over Robert; then everything went black.



Robert woke sometime later with an aching head and realized that they had landed. They had survived! Robert got up and looked around, but his gun was nowhere in sight. Suddenly, the Dervish from earlier popped out from behind the computer and readied to attack. Caught by surprise, Robert punched it in the face. The punch ripped off the alien’s helmet and sent it sprawling into a computer that exploded when hit by the alien projectile. It was obviously dead.


A few seconds later, Sergeant Stacker and some other marines entered the room, but Robert was busy staring at his hands. Then he remembered the wave of plasma. It must have given him super strength! The Sergeant gripped Robert’s shoulder and said, “Come on boy, quit gawking. We’ve got to finish this fight…”






In a short time the remaining survivors, 118 total, fit for battle, were gathered in the control room to form a plan.

“Listen up, Marines, if we have any hope for surviving, we must defend this position! If we’re lucky, it will take the Legion a few hours to react, but then they’ll be swarming all over the place,” First Sergeant Avery Johnson ordered. “Fire teams Zulu, Bravo, and Charlie, get some ammo from the armory and follow me. Stacker, take your squad to the airlock, and hold that position as long as you can. I’ll send out a call for help.”


Suddenly Corporal Anderson questioned, “Wouldn’t it make more sense to send Bravo squad topside armed with snipers? Then they could retreat inward towards the armory when the area gets hot.”




“Good call, Marine,” Johnson replied, “You heard the boy, get moving!”



As Robert rose from his seat he noticed that the gash on his arm was no longer bleeding. In fact, there was no trace of it. He also had amazing regeneration powers. He went into the armory and picked up an assault rifle, then paused. He set it down and chose the cut down version instead. An s.m.g. would be better in such close quarters.


As they were walking down a hallway towards the airlock, suddenly there was a huge THUMP and an explosion of blue plasma forced its way through the feet of titanium A plating of the USS Jaguar and rushed down the hallway. Stacker stood shocked as the plasma rushed towards him. Then Robert dove and pushed the stunned sergeant around a corner. The plasma melted the floor where the sergeant stood moments before.



“Thanks.” Stacker stuttered, out of breath.


“No problem, sir, now let’s get moving.” Robert replied.


The squad continued down the hallway and finally reached the airlock. Everyone took up a defensive position and loaded their guns. There was another thump, and then a moment of silence. Then a sealed doorway burst open and the Legion swarmed in, firing.


Two men fell immediately under the hail of fire. The marines quickly returned fire, tearing up the Legion forces, but they just kept pouring in. More men went down. And finally the fighting became a melee battle. Robert bashed in heads with the butt of his gun and sent them flying. Bolts of plasma singed his amour, but he shrugged them off. The bashing and slashing went on for a few minutes until the Sergeant yelled, “Retreat to the armory!” and the soldiers ran, occasionally turning to fire a few shots back at their enemy. Now, with their backs turned, they were easy targets and men were shot in the back.



When they reached the armory, they saw it had been overrun, but they broke through.


This was Robert’s shining moment as he turned, screaming, “Ooh-rah!” Everything seemed to go in slow-motion as Robert dodged and ducked, but still taking many hits as he charged. Robert hit the leading Alien juggernaut with a BAM and sent it tumbling back. Robert fired shots, punched, and kicked as he forced the Legion back.



“Fall back, the rescue ships are here!” Johnson called.



But Robert knew if he let up, the men would be slaughtered and simply replied, “Go, I’ll hold them.”



The sergeant yelled at him again, but Robert paid him no heed. He kept on fighting as he was slowly pushed back. Then suddenly a sharp sword, made of pure energy, was forced through a gap into his armor, through his heart, and through his back. Then he was forced against a wall and the Aliens rushed past. But Robert knew his job was done, the other Marines had gotten out. One casualty was better then one hundred.



One of the Legion Generals approached him and laughed, then spoke in a guttural language. Robert just stared up at the enemy as he lay on the ground. Then, he pulled out a small round object and said, “Here’s a goodbye present from Earth.” He then pulled the pin and laughed, blood gushing from his mouth, as the explosion enveloped them both.