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A note to the reader. The species isn't defined, that way you can decide on how you want to make it.

Shepherd Said.

Shepherd said, 'Run.'

So I ran.

Shepherd said, 'Duck.'

So I ducked while running.

Shepherd said, 'Stop.'

So I stopped and took cover behind a buckled over wall.

Shepherd said, 'Twelve tangos, closing in on you in assault formation. Use suppressing fire, and call for back up.'

So I used suppressing fire and muttered a request for reinforcements into my shoulder radio.

Shepherd said, 'Two down, ten to go.'

I sprayed a few more shots over my cover, blind firing.

Shepherd said, 'Close one, Danny-Boy, close one. Don't bother calling again. NetLink is down. Check your ammo.'

So I checked my ammo. Counter said 51, plus 2 in the barrels. Four more packs of 300 round belts.

Shepherd said, 'Try 97, plus 6 in the barrels. The counter froze up last reload. And you forgot pack number 5 that's still in your case carrier.'

So I smacked the counter a couple of times, making it flicker in protest. After a few more slaps, it recounted and showed the updated rounds.

Shepherd said, 'Roll left, and shoot forwards.'

So I rolled left and shot forwards, lacing a ragged line across two charging tangos.

Shepherd said, 'Run.'

So I ran.

Shepherd said, 'Go north, into that building.'

So I ran north, into the building.

Shepherd said, 'Duck and brace.'

So I fell to the ground and readied myself.

Shepherd said, 'RPG.'

So the side of the building blew up in my face.

Rockrete shattered and flew everywhere. Something heavy slammed into my back. I gasped for breath.

Shepherd said, 'Gunny's in the east room.'

So I got up, head still reeling and ears still popping from overpressure, and tried to make my way to the battered door.

Shepherd said, 'Incoming fire, .50 mill.'

So automatic fire sprayed around me, tracers burning lines into my retinas.

Shepherd said, 'Into the room.'

So I ran into the room, bashing the crumpled door down with my shoulder.

Shepherd said, 'Two tangos, above you.'

So I aimed up and lit a few bursts into the ceiling.

Gunny looked at me strange, until blood leaked through the holes and onto his face. Then he just looked surprised

Shepherd said, 'Shoot at the door you entered.'

So I put fire into the doorway. It caught a tango that couldn't stop his forward momentum in time. He screamed for a bit, and I saw his legs scrape along the ground, being dragged away by another tango.

Shepherd said, 'Tell Gunny to use his grenades.'

So I told Gunny to throw a grenade.

Gunny threw a HE through the door.

More yelling and screaming commenced, but it was silenced by a loud bang.

Shepherd said, 'Five tangos, opposite side.'

So I turned around and shot the wall until the ammo counter glared red, showing zero. Again Gunny looked at me funny, until the dust settled and groans of the dying could be heard through the holes in the wall. Again, he looked surprised.

Shepherd said, 'Use flack rounds, Danny-Boy. You're gonna need 'em.'

So I ejected the old clip, and slid in a new one, the fractured looking heads a bright green.

Shepherd said, 'Deep breath, Danny-Boy, death-gas is leaking.'

So I pulled my gas filter out and strapped it on my face. Gunny got the hint, and started to put his on too.

Shepherd said, 'Too late, Danny-Boy, too late. Use the Benzinyte injection.'

So I used the Benzinyte, stabbing the triple needle into my thigh, and pulling the injection ring.

I looked at Gunny, and he looked back, not sure that he should too.

Shepherd said, 'You'd better get him to do it, Danny-Boy. We'll miss him if you don't.'

So I pulled out my enviroment checker, and showed Gunny the high level of toxins in the air.

As he pulled out his own kit, Shepherd said, 'Too late, Danny-Boy, too late. Tangos coming through the back door.'

So I started to fire into the walls, the flack rounds spreading out and blowing giant chunks out of plaster and people alike.

I could barely hear the yells and screams over the steady _thud-thud-thud_ing of my rifle.

Gunny finished applying the dose into his own leg, and pulled his own rifle up to fire.

Shepherd said, 'Gunny's going to die, Danny-Boy, if you don't push him to the ground.'

So I jinked my rifle to my chest and lunged at Gunny, toppling him over.

He struggled for a moment, but seconds later more fire blasted through the area we had just occupied seconds before.

The barrels of my rifle was right in our faces, glowing a dull orange from the sustained fire. I could smell the hot, chemical stink of spent propellant, even through the filter.

Shepherd said, 'The buildings coming down now.'

I got up and tugged Gunny to his feat, then pushed him ahead of me through a large hole in the wall I had blown open. I kept telling him to run.

He seemed completely bewildered as to the reason we were leaving cover behind, until a low crumbling sound eminated from the collapsing building. That got him sprinting.

Shepherd said, 'Run west.'

So I ran west, Gunny turning and following behind.

Shepherd said, 'Mortar barrage.'

So I dove into a shell hole in the pavement, curled into a ball and coverd my head with my arms and hands.

Gunny tumbled in seconds later.

Shepherd said, 'Impact.'

So the explosions started.

Shepherd said, 'Grab Gunny, he's thinking of running. If he moves he dies. Only this hole is safe.'

So I grabbed Gunny and yelled at him to stay put.

Gunny screamed at me, and punched me in the face, but I held on tight.

A minute later, the barrage stopped, and Gunny sagged in relief.

Shepherd said, 'Tangos, Danny-Boy, many, many tangos. Lots and lots of tangos. Too many, even for you. Run, Danny-Boy. Run to the frontlines.'

So I ran, with Gunny hard on my heels.

Weapons of hundreds of callibers zinged past me. Missiles screamed and grenades boomed, and still I ran. The air was filled with the noise of complete pandemonium.

Shepherd said, 'Gunny's gonna lose his leg. Get ready to grab him.'

So I ran, slowing just enough so that he was next to me. Not a second later, a bullet connected with the back of his right knee, blasting the leg in half.

He jerked forwards from the force of it, but I caught the back of his collar, yanking him up onto my shoulders.

My rifle clanked against my chest armor, and Gunny clanked against my back, screaming in pain.

Shepherd said, 'Almost there, Danny-Boy. Just another hundred steps.'

So I ran.

Shepherd said, 'One! Two! Three!-' Rapidly counting out my steps.

So I kept running. My legs burned, and the enemy fire was still pouring around my like an inverted hail storm. Gunny had stopped making noises.

Shepherd said, '56! 57! 58!-' Still counting.

So I kept running. My arms ached, and a shot slammed into my left lower back. I nearly fell from the blow.

Shepherd said, 'Nearly there Danny-Boy, just ten more steps.'

I lurched forwards, as fast as I could, burning with fatigue and pain.

Shepherd said, 'Duck.'

So I dropped Gunny to the side and sprawled flat, covering my head.

Shepherd said, 'Tank.'

And a low building to the front and left of me exploded outwards as the armored vehicle through it.

Shepherd said, 'More tanks.'

More buildings fell, and suddenly the air was filled with the booming of cannons, and the stutter-whine of automated minigun turrets.

Friendly infantry suddenly swarmed around me, coming out of the rockrete work like a angry mound of Gormagon fire-termites. Their war cries could be heard for miles.

Shepherd said, 'Call for a medic, Danny-Boy. You've been shot, and Gunny might not make it.'

So I struggled back up and called out for a medic.

A woman wearing the white and red of a medic scrabbled to a halt next to me and started working on Gunny.

Shepherd said, 'This is it, Danny-Boy. Today is the day. Today is the day is the day is the day.'

I called for a medic again, and a man and another woman slid to a stop and helped the first with Gunny.

I grabbed another medic as he ran by, and asked for help.

He asked what was wrong with me, and when I told him I was shot, but didn't remmeber where, he looked at me a little funny. Just like Gunny had before.

After a few more time of telling him this, he seemed to relise I meant it. That or the blood that started seeping from my mask convinced him.

Shepherd said, 'It's too late, Danny-Boy.'

The medic started looking me over, searching for my wound.

My brain suddenly felt numb, as if I had stood up too fast after sitting for too long. I couldn't keep standing, so my legs just gave out, and the world rushed up to meet me.

Shepherd said, 'This is where you die, Danny-Boy. This is where we both die.'

So I said, 'I know, Shepherd, I know...' The blood in my throat gurgled my voice. 'I'm so sorry, Shep... so... sorry...'

Shepherd said, 'It's okay, Danny-Boy, it was a fun ride while it lasted, wasn't it?'

The medic flipped me over and started to inject bio-foam into the ragged entry wound on my lower back. He couldn't hear my voice over the thundering noise of the surrounding battle.

'Yeah, Shep,' I burbled out. 'It... was fun...'

Shepherd said, 'Okay now, Danny-Boy, We can die now. We can sleep the long sleep. We can die now, Danny-Boy.' Then he just kept repeating, 'We can die.'

So I died.

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