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"General Fa, there is a Creeper wave advancing toward Canidera. A Klienestov, leader rank, is leading the assault. We're on our way to assist."

"Roger that."

Yukiomaru watched the infested ships surrounding the mountain-sized creature advanced toward the distant star. The Drach'n Fleet only fell further and further behind.

Yukiomaru's eyes were fixed on the screen, but his memories searched for his fault in the ambush that destroyed one of his escorting ships and crippled the entire fleet.

Aggressor was there at the main battle, met with nearly a hundred ships from the UDAS and from one of the fleets of the Guardians. No one suspected that a second Klienestov would appear, not even Velsh'nark's commander. From what Yukiomaru understood of the Guardians' history, two Klienestov's participating in an assault has happened in over ten thousand years and never had a assault like this go so far beyond their territory.

While the armada remained to fight Aggressor while the Drach'n Fleet chased after the second Klienestov when it used the battle as a distraction to sneak around the armada. Through a few solar systems before it disappeared, only to reappear among the fleet. It destroyed one of the ships and severely crippled the others before Yukiomaru was able to even fight back.

I was overconfident, thought the fox. His teeth were bare while he suppressed a growl. I underestimated its ability to set up an ambush. Through the screen, Yukiomaru watched the defense fleet of Canidera crumble under the waves of infected ships and the creature itself.

"General!" Yukiomaru shouted when he saw the ships blossom in fire. "Don't underestimate this creature. It's far too strong to use anything less than your main weapons."

There was no response. Several ships vented smoke and atmosphere from blasts that came from within the ship while the ships drifted lifeless in space. The surviving ships retreated to the polar caps of the planet, but it left the defense satellites exposed.

"They didn't even slow it down," muttered Yelena, watching the battle in horror.

Yukiomaru closed his eyes, struggling to keep his rage from clouding his mind. The image of the fleets and defenses burning in orbit gave the kit a sense of déjà vu. Reopening his eyes, Yukiomaru watched the remainder of the fleet struggle against the infected capital ships. They managed a few kills but the fleet was quickly destroyed, while the Klienestov destroyed the newly built shipyards.

"Fury, arm all missiles and the main cannon," Yukiomaru ordered. Drach'n Fury and the surviving ships of the fleet were almost in range. "Drach'n Fleet, focus all weapons on the Klienestov and fire on my command."

"Are you sure we should invest all our weapons on the first salvo?" asked Yelena, taking her eyes away from the battle.

"I won't underestimate this thing again," Yukiomaru said turning to his commander. "I want this thing dead. The other infections are can be mopped up after it's dead."

"Yes sir," Yelena said, her eyes reflecting the fires that burned the defenses. "I don't want to see the planet become infected though."

"I'll make sure it won't," said Yukiomaru, turning his gaze back to the battle.

The Klienestov's stubby tail was turned toward the fleet while he focused on the planet. It was smaller than Aggressor but it's already proven that it is capable of destroying planets.

Drawing closer and closer, Yukiomaru waited until the ships were close. Several infected ships took notice but Yukiomaru ignored them until they were close enough to the massive creature.

"All ships, fire," commanded Yukiomaru.

He watched thousands of missiles rocket forward toward the Klienestov before thin projectiles of the main cannons followed. Before they could impact, the creature turned with surprising speed. Vines shot from its body and blocked most of the missiles before they could even do any harm to the creature itself.

The white streaks fired from the ships' main weapons easily buried themselves into the flesh of the main creature. The projectiles exploded after sinking into the botanical flesh, leaving gaping wounds. A few missiles impacted upon the creature's main body afterwards but did little damage.

"Break off and engage the Creepers," said Yukiomaru, gazing at the wounded creature. "We'll take the Klienestov." The creature was still reeling from the attack while the ships of the Drach'n Fleet rocketed forward to engage the infected ships. "Blast the thing with artillery fire. Fire is the only thing that'll kill it. We're going to push it into the sun."

"Yes sir," said Yelena, relaying the order. Small explosions impacted on the creature, pushing it back further but it'd take a lot to push it into the sun.

"Fury, set a course for the star," Yukiomaru ordered. The creature's ugly head of colored vines turned toward the ship. Luring it would be easier than the fox originally thought.

"It's returning a salvo of missiles," informed Fury.

"Fire defensive lasers, don't let a single one touch the hull again."

Dozens of missiles were easily destroyed and the creature chased after Drach'n Fury as it sped toward the planet. Yukiomaru remembered Velsh'nark mentioning something that they can feed off of its light but he doubt they'd survive a collision into the fire.

In high orbit over the sun, Drach'n Fury turned to face the creature. With a single order, the ship nose opened like the jaws of a real dragon, revealing the main weapon. The cannon fired and streaked straight for the creature that couldn't dodge it in time. A large portion of its neck blew apart; nearly severing it's head.

"Fury, get us next to that thing and ram it. Push it into the fire."

"Yes sir."

"All personnel, brace for impact," Yelena yelled over the ship's speakers.

The ship's countermeasures to the shifting gravity were hardly able to keep up as the ship maneuvered around the creature. Ramming the creature threw Yukiomaru off his hindpaws and on to the ground.

"Shields?" he demanded, standing once again.

"They're close to collapsing but nothing has made it through yet," answered Fury, his tone of voice expressing some concern. He hasn't expressed any tone since Yukiomaru was attacked until now.

"Disengage and hit it with missiles again," Yukiomaru ordered, struggling to stay standing. "Get us clear the gravity field."

With another violent shudder, the ship pulled away from the creature and fled from the star. It strained greatly on the ship while it vibrated heavily but it soon smoothed out. Through the screen, Yukiomaru watched the creature struggle while the heat from the star already started to turn its flesh into ash. It didn't take long for its body to burst into flames that slowly consumed the mountainous Creeper.

"It's trapped in the gravity field," Yelena muttered, her relief obvious. They all watched while the fire consumed it until the fireball smashed into the sun's surface. A column of fire and smoke shot up but it quickly disappeared behind the normal flames of the sun.

"Admiral," Fury said, his voice resuming its lack of tone. "The Creeper fleet is focusing on the planet."

The screen changed to the planet, and the battle that had raged over it. It would seem that all the Creepers at once had turned toward the planet at once. The survivors of the Drach'n fleet, and those who escorted them, destroyed nearly all of them when the Creepers dropped their defenses.

One ship, an infested capital ship, survived however entered the atmosphere with the fires hardly affecting the infection. It was hard to see through the clouds but it definitely crash-landed.

"Get us back to the planet," ordered Yukiomaru, any sense of relief already vanished. "Where did that ship land?"

"Near the capitol," answered Fury. "I can't get much information through the clouds but the civilians near the city are under attack."

"I want reports on the battle over the planet," Yukiomaru demanded, turning to his commander. "Blanket the crash site with Leathilium missiles and use whatever means necessary to destroy the source. Any soldier capable of fighting is ordered to meet me in the capitol to defend and evacuate the civilians."

"Yes sir," Yelena responded, relaying the orders.

"Do you intend to bomb the city?"

Yukiomaru turned to the entrance of the bridge to see Jun standing there, hanging on to the edge of the doorway as if he was still having trouble standing from the collision.

"If we can't stop the infestation at the city, then we'll have no choice but to bomb the entire area," Yukiomaru answered. The sight of Jun reminded the young fox of the time they spent on the mountains that now risked infection. "We'd risk all of our lives if we were to do anything else."

"We're going with you then," said Tang, stepping up behind her brother.

"No you're not," the Admiral said sternly.

"Yukiomaru," Tang began, stepping into the bridge. "We've already failed. The planet is infected and we haven't heard from the main armada in over an hour. Jun's and my parents are down there and we're going to help get them out alive. We have our own ship docked in the hangar so you don't have a say."

Yukiomaru bared his teeth for a moment, unable to suppress a small growl. She was right however, they weren't under his command and they have failed. His growls suppressed, Yukiomaru turned back to the view of the planet. Ships, shipyards, defense platforms and everything else that were once in orbit were now burning.

"Don't go anywhere near the infection," Yukiomaru demanded after turning back to the pine marten. "Once you retrieve your family, get off the planet and get away from this solar system. Yelena, order all military personnel to escort evacuees. I'm evacuating the entire planet until we're sure that the battle is won."

"We're not going to try to hold the line anymore?" she questioned but received a deep growl from the fox in return. "Yes sir."

"You have the ship until I return," said Yukiomaru. Without another moment wasted, Yukiomaru walked passed the martens but they quickly followed him.

Walking through the corridors, Yukiomaru saw some signs of the ambush that nearly claimed all their lives. The dead were still only pushed to the side, most killed by their infected comrades. Those who were infected were already burned.

It didn't take long for Yukiomaru to reach the hangar, where dozens of fire teams were mobilizing. Sitting at the head of one of the many ships in the hangar, Yukiomaru watched as the blast doors opened and revealed the blue planet beneath them. Blossoms of fire were already showing through the clouds.

It would seem that the past two battles were the easy part, Yukiomaru thought. The real battle still lies in front of me.

Yukiomaru felt anxious about the battle about to begin, more than he felt when he was with the armada to intercept Aggressor. All the skirmishes he's been in before have never been like this, not even when he was on the Stealth world.

The ships movements were unsettling when it rocketed out of the hangar and dove for the planet. The clouds were turning black from the smokes of the fire. Entering the atmosphere was unsettling when only fire greeted them, and when that passed, only smoke.

When they were below the smoke, the single fighters were seen scattering and the other drop ships remained at Yukiomaru's ship's flanks. In the distance, the fox noticed the field of fire where an occasional explosion sprouted. Drach'n Fury had already bombed the crash site of the infected ship but the fires were already spreading to the outskirts of the city.

"Take us into the park to establish a command center," Yukiomaru ordered. "Find out who's in command of the military forces on the planet. Maybe the General survived the battle. Military forces are to repel the enemy while the civilians are being evacuated."

With smoke blowing in the wind, the ships landed in a large field and the armored soldiers poured out. Yukiomaru stepped out among them and looked at the tall city and the smokes blowing around those buildings.

"Fury, scan the planet to make sure there are no other infections," Yukiomaru requested. "All fire team commanders, report in." Yukiomaru spent several minutes organizing the squads and giving them commands such as securing and evacuating buildings that haven't been infected, searching those that have begun to be infected and marking those that are lost to be destroyed.

Missions were assigned and Yukiomaru decided it was time for him to assist in repelling the assault wave. Escorted by Captain Redding, Captain Dewitt, and several other of his best infantry soldiers, Yukiomaru left the park and entered the city.

The streets were populated with civilians and soldiers but the deeper Yukiomaru and his team went, the fewer there were. Once the obstacle of the nearest tall buildings were out of the way, Yukiomaru could see that several on the far side of the city were burning.

A couple of civilians fled from the battle near the fox, but one fell as if wounded. Her friend helped her back to her feet and they continue to flee but it brought a startling realization to the fox's young mind.

"Captains," he said. "Have all squadrons defending evacuation ships to check every survivor for signs of infection. Anyone who shows the slightest sign of being infected is not to be permitted to go with the survivors. Hold them until they can be confirmed clean."

"Yes sir," answered Captain Dewitt.

Yukiomaru watched as someone who was obviously infected chase after the survivors the fox just saw. With one small explosion, the infected civilian fell from a single shot from the silent wolf. Over the fallen civilian, another squadron of armored soldiers ran forward.

Gunfire was heard nearby and in the distance with a lot of confusion over radio transmissions. That battle wasn't going smoothly but at least it was going steady. The young fox hoped that they'd gain the advantage before things turned for the worst.

"Yuki!"

He turned to see Jun and his sister running up to him.

"Did you find your parents?" asked the Admiral, turning to the two martens.

"No," answered Jun. "But we think we heard something about them helping in an evacuation in a city a dozen kilometers from here."

"We haven't been able to get in contact with them or anyone who'd know," said Tang. "Can you check for us?"

"I'll send out a priority to find Lord Fa and your mother but I need to stay focus on the battle," Yukiomaru answered.

"Admiral!" Captain Dewitt shouted, turning to the fox. "We received a message from the armada. They're burning near the Black Line, the Guardians retreated and Aggressor is on his way here."

"There were over a hundred ships!" yelled the Admiral but his voice was instantly drowned out at the sound of a colossal explosion. The earth shook violently and a shockwave hit the city that threw them all to the ground.

Yukiomaru stood back and looked toward the gust of wind that continued to push against the city. Through dust, fire and smoke rose the hills of the outskirts but Yukiomaru instantly recognized it as the much larger Klienestov, Aggressor.

"All units, fall back!" yelled Yukiomaru. His golden eyes burned with rage. "Leave the capitol now! Abort mission! Tang, Jun, get out of here!"

One of the nearby buildings collapsed under the shaking ground, sending up more dust and smoke. And from behind it all, the creature roared a horrific sound that shook the ground again. All this was very familiar to Yukiomaru, he was sure that he's seen it before. That only filled him with more rage because he knew he should have prevented this from happening.

Eyes locked on to the target, Yukiomaru's growls rolled from his chest. Aggressor looked straight back at him with his formless head and it roared again.

Before the fox kit could react, a dozen of alien infections jumped at him and pinned him against a building. Yukiomaru coughed out blood from the impact and struggled against the infected aliens that Aggressor brought with him. He watched the massive creature slowly step into the city, knocking over another building.

Continuing his struggle, Yukiomaru managed to evade the vines that attempted to pierce through his flesh and beat off some of the much larger creatures but it was no use.

Bits of pieces flew off the heads of some while crude projectiles pierced through their heads. Yukiomaru turned to see Captain Redding firing, each shot going through one of the Creepers' heads. Behind him were still the martens.

"I told you all to get out of here!" yelled Yukiomaru. Before his last word was said, he watched Redding take a bullet through the helmet and the wolf fell to the ground. Infected soldiers started head toward the martens, Yukiomaru's friends.

They're going to be infected, thought Yukiomaru, time slowing down. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left the battle. I shouldn't have fallen into that ambush. I should have stayed on my ship! Jun, you're my only friend. I'm not going to let you die!

"Noooo!" He yelled with all his breath, quickly turning into a violent growl.

With a high kick to the abdomen of the infected soldier, he freed one of his arms. The fox grabbed the hilt of his sword hidden in his uniform. One swift motion pulled the blade free and brought it across the front of the small fox, slicing through the several infected bodies.

Only one still held on to him but Yukiomaru twisted to bring the creature closer before elbowing it in the throat hard enough that he heard the spine crack. With speed not seen before, Yukiomaru kicked one of the infected soldiers, that was targeting the martens, sending it flying through the air and beheaded the other in a gory display.

Fire everything you have left Fury!

Yukiomaru turned toward Aggressor but the thousand infected creatures distracted him. Glaring, Yukiomaru put away his sword and pulled free his primary weapon, his spear. Without hesitation, Yukiomaru charged toward Aggressor and his army. The kit's mind fogged with his rage and only he could see were the creatures trying to stop him but they all fell to his spear.

The ground rocked while fire bloomed on either side of the fox that followed shortly after the whine of projectiles crashing to the ground. The glowing tip of the spear had pierced through another Creeper's flesh, and the fox kicked the head of an adjacent alien. It was then he realized how close he was to the mountain-sized creature.

Now Fury!

Yukiomaru watched as the creature lean its massive and shapeless vines of a head down toward the young fox as if to eat him up. He threw his spear as hard as he could up at the throat of the creature, and it sunk in easily. Aggressor hardly seemed to notice until the spear self-destructed with a force greater than most missiles.

Covering his eyes from the blast, Yukiomaru heard the whine of more missiles hurtling toward the surface. Aggressor roared up at the sky as if in pain but was pelted by the missiles directly. Each one didn't explode in a ball of fire, but instead a ball of ice that froze Aggressor's head and body. Several missiles impacted inside the mouth of the creature, freezing down the creature's throat.

A higher-pitched sound followed the missiles as Drach'n Fury fired its main cannon. The streak impacted on the creature's head, delaying its explosion until it was well sunken in.

The fox was thrown back at the wave of fire that ignited. All the ice crystals instantly burst into flame from the point of impact and melted the giant creature wherever the ice had sunken in. Landing on his back, hard, Yukiomaru struggled to look up. Aggressor rolled over like a dying animal, its head completely missing. The stubby legs of the creature twitched and kicked but to no avail since the fires continued to burn and melt its flesh, turning it all into black ash.

Jun!

Yukiomaru hurried up, despite the pain of bruises that now covered his body. He was lucky that none of the leathilium compound fell on him otherwise he would have been frozen in place only to be melted as well by the intensely burning substance.

Returning to where he left the martens, Yukiomaru was relieved to see that they were okay. Tang was helping the armored wolf back to his feet, despite the blood dripping from his helmet; whatever wound he sustained, it wasn't fatal.

The surviving Creepers were fleeing from the spreading fires but they didn't pose a threat now and Yukiomaru was in no condition to start hunting them down one by one.

"Jun!" Yukiomaru shouted while he slowly approached, now realizing the abuse his body has taken.

"Yuki!" he replied from a couple dozen meters away. It was clear to see his smile however as he started to run toward Yukiomaru. Tang also saw a smile and even through his armor, Redding's pose expressed that he was also relieved.

Pain shot through his shoulder when an unexpected tension gripped him. Yukiomaru turned and faced directly into the face of the hatchling that he killed over that strange planet. It smiled at him.

"Impressive work Yukiomaru Alexander," it said. They eyes were covered in a pale green, the only sign of its infection. "No one else alive can claim they killed two of our Generals. Aggressor invaded thousands of planets for the past fifty thousand years and you burned him alive in your second battle with him, the way those bright colored fools have been attempting to do since they first fought him fifty thousand years ago. Very impressive."

Redding was telling the truth. What are these Creepers?!

Yukiomaru felt the ground shudder beneath him and before he knew what was going on, a white flower sprung up from the ground and encased him in a flower bulb.

"Noo!" he heard Jun scream.

Yukiomaru reached for his sword but the flower's scent quickly overwhelmed his senses. All light was blocked out, and the sounds of the world started to fade with the pain of his body. His mind was filled with a haze that made his movements sluggish and Yukiomaru felt his eyelids grow heavy.

Admiral Yukiomaru Alexander, the fox child who saved his friends and the planet from an ensured defeat, and killed the most devious enemy to have had ever existed in the galaxy, lost consciousness inside a flower bulb.