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The breeze brought only the sense of dry death with it, even more so than the winds that blew across the deserts on Velmaria. The city was nothing but a ruin, eroded to the point of a dull grey that accompanied the unnatural yellow tint of the atmosphere. The tallest buildings were missing several floors that were blown away in the nuclear blasts, or eroded away after years of neglect. There was no sound and no movement other than the wind coming from the city.

Standing before it, a mere speck among the ruins, was the salamander whose ancestors destroyed this city, and the whole planet. The city was massive, the largest thing he's ever seen compared to the small cities on Velmaria, and it was nothing but a ruin.

What majesty was this before we set it to fire? Oliver thought to himself, staring at the skyscrapers. How many died here? What did my ancestors do_?_

Hours earlier, he stood on the bridge of Shame of Redemption with his sister who led their fleet. This ship, like most others in the fleet were refurbished stolen ships back when the Velmarian pirates still raided the UDAS territory.

"Why aren't we going to just bombard it?" Oliver demanded to know from his sister. He stood gesturing at the brown planet outside their ship.

A ship had crashed landed on the planet's surface and was the only source of infection from the alien parasite that they've found. The ship was sturdy enough to survive the impact, but the Creepers were finding it difficult to venture far from the crash site because of the uninhabitable environment of the nuclear wasteland.

"We've already done enough damage to the planet," Olivia replied calmly, staring at the planet through the large windshield. "Lord Fa has granted our people to make a new home on the planet, as long as we clear out the infections. I don't intend to start by dropping more bombs on Lutracha."

"The planet won't suffer from one more bomb," he tried to explain to his sister. "This is the only source of infection that we've found after a week of surveying the planet. It's best to just destroy it and get it over with."

Oliver was taught about what happened to Lutracha through his father and teachers when he was a hatchling and he has always been indifferent. If anything he felt a small sense of pride that his race could accomplish such a feat.

"What would one more bomb be to a planet that has had thousands fall on it?"

"That was thousands of years ago," Olivia answered, glancing her brother in his eyes. "The planet has been trying to recover since then and one bomb could set it back significantly."

"We don't know that! Why are we taking an unnecessary risk with our lives, for a planet that is already destroyed?"

"Maybe we should bleed for Lutracha!" Olivia snapped back at him. The outburst caught the salamander off guard. "Millions have died from our bombs on this planet, like the one you want to drop now. My shame is greater than my life and I will risk everything to redeem us. If we are going to call this planet our home for the first time in over ten thousand years, then we're going to do everything in our power to protect it; even if that means from ourselves."

Oliver stared at his sister wide-eyed as her snarl was replaced with her cool demeanor. Ever since Olivia ran away from their father, he had only cared to protect her. He only went along with her because he was curious on why should felt so determined to save her people from her father's claws. Now she's taking responsibility for the accomplishments of her people and putting them to shame. He did not, could not, understand her.

Why risk our lives without a reason?

"I will lead the assault myself," Olivia declared, staring at the planet once again. "Two teams to go in and you'll lead the second team. Clear the ship..."

Olivia reminded him of their mission objectives but Oliver still couldn't find an answer his question. It was illogical to send down a team for a mission that can be executed much faster and efficiently from orbit.

The dead city had a thousand silent voices, which chilled the salamander to the bone. For the first time in his life, he could feel no pride in the accomplishment of his race; it was replaced by a sense of guilt.

This wasn't even a military city, he came to realize.

"Sir Theta!" one of his soldiers shouted to him.

Turning away from the city, Oliver saw the rest of his team landing in their drop ships. Beyond them was the outskirt ruins of the city, and the ship that had crashed onto it. The ship itself was about the size of a building, making its size not as shocking to Oliver as the city was.

"Right, let's get this started," he said, redirecting his attention away from the city. Leading five dozen soldiers toward the ship, he ordered them to breach at each air dock. It was similar to how the pirates operated before the UDAS retaliated harshly against the last raid, which destroyed a medical ship.

Oliver entered the ship with a squadron that included eleven others. Inside the ship was dark, save for a few small patches of dull light that came through the breaches in the ship's hull. The ship still had power but it was fluctuating erratically leaving only some of the distant lights flashing. Without environment gear, the reptilian race depended on their weapons' lights to guide their way into the ship.

Leading his squadron, Oliver marched down the corridor and kept an eye out for any unusual movement. He could hear the gunfire echoing from different parts of the ship so he knew to stay alert, even if he was unfamiliar with the borrowed weapon he carried in his claws.

There were vines covering the inside of the ship but Oliver had heard that it was very common for the infection to be there. The few ships he's been on that were infected only had those wights, or what the UDAS is calling Combat Infections, on them. Bridging Albatross was the first ship that Oliver was on that became infected with those creatures.

Crossing through one of the cafeterias within the ship, Oliver spotted the first combat infection. A former UDAS soldiers charged at him, but was quickly riddled with bullet holes from the squadron. The creature fell and stopped moving, but did not bleed; the host of the alien being long dead from previous wounds.

Taking a look around the cafeteria before they continued, Oliver saw no more combat infections. The room was dimly lit by a few breaches in the ship, but their weapons were their main source of light. The room was covered in a heavily foliage that was an obvious sign of the ship's infection.

The doors around the cafeteria suddenly slammed shut, causing the squad to halt. Oliver looked back to see their escape route cut off. Before he could issue a command, one of his soldiers screamed out in pain. Glancing at the soldier, he saw him holding his forehead with blood swelling from the obvious wound. Another projectile pierced through the soldier's shoulder before a volley hit the squadron.

"Get those doors open," shouted Oliver, kneeling down and searching for the enemy. "Where are they? How did this parasite create a trap?"

Some of his soldiers fired randomly up at the ceiling, drawing Oliver's attention to the foliage growing around the cafeteria room. Among the vines were bloomed flowers with needle-like appendages that were firing down on the squad.

A few curse words escaped Oliver before he ordered the team to fire at the ceiling. The projectiles tore apart the vines and flowers but not without suffering more causalities.

Oliver stood firing at another flower on the ceiling when he realized that no one else was around him. Glancing back he noticed that the team had already opened the doors and retreated through it. Cursing again, he ran back through the door, leaving those too injured to retreat on their own behind, and escaped the trap.

"Who shut the doors behind us?" demanded Oliver, after catching his breath for a moment.

"There were vines on the door, holding it shut," replied one of the soldiers. "The ship itself is infected and working against us."

Oliver thought on that for a moment. The whole ship had vines spreading throughout the ship and each one could potentially try to kill them at any moment. They'd have to disinfect the entire ship, but in order to do that they'd have to clear it of the combat infections that are more mobile and could threatened extermination teams.

"Take out your blades," ordered Oliver, unsheathing a large blade that was strapped to his back. The blade was secured on his arm, running the length of his arm intended for close combat. "Go through slow and hack apart this infestation. Be careful for any more surprises."

Before he could say the last word, one of the fallen soldiers in the cafeteria appeared in the doorway, with vines visibly crawling under his scales. Oliver jumped back briefly, seeing the wide-eyed soldier struggle with the infection. Instinctively, he swung his blade out at the infected soldier. The blade sunk into the soldier's flesh easily and nearly cut him in half, leaving the vines to struggle in the open wound.

Looking toward the wounded, he noticed that they to were struggling with a growing infection.

"Kill them," he ordered, firing his borrowed gun at the nearest injured soldier who was obviously infected. A few hesitated, and those injured objected but soon the team was down to nine members, and the corridor slippery with blood.

Oliver led his team through the cafeteria slicing apart the vines and wires that looked threatening. They continued moving forward, being wary of the combat infections and the cluster of vines that were capable of targeting them.

Moving through the ship, they didn't run into any more combat infections. They did cross a few teams but they were on their own mission while Oliver and his team were heading specifically for the observation deck. When they arrived a courier, who they didn't expect, greeted them.

"Sir Theta," approached a horned lizard. "Empress Olivia Theta has been trying to reach you. We've taken the ship and the teams are working on securing it. She is requesting you to meet her at the landing zone."

"How'd you get here?" asked Oliver, before shaking his head. "Does she know that the vines can attack themselves?" He was surprised that someone else had already made it to the observation deck, and that they were waiting for him to arrive.

"Yes," answered the courier. "We've also discovered that they required the engine room for fuel so we removed that and the infection has been dying all around the ship. The combat infections have all been dealt with as well."

Without another word, Oliver turned and left the deck, leaving his squad wondering what to do and the courier left without an answer. Traveling through the ship, he didn't feel safe without the squad and the vines still clinging to the walls. Soon enough he was outside near the landing zone, where several ships and soldiers were going here and there to perform different tasks.