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Act 1/Part 2

[Milky Way Galaxy/ Valor Controlled Territory/ Outer Colonies/ Pegasus Cluster/ Destroyer Cruiser "Ares"/ Hanger Bay-B, Star Cycle 534, Year 3,528]

Arjun pulled the harness over his chest plate as he watched Jonathan walk into the drop ship from the large ramp where multiple squads could come in at the same time. He took his place beside Arjun and did the same by making sure the harness was secure over his body with several clicks and adjustments.

"So we agreed that if its gorilla spiders you're paying for dinner on your credit chip right?" Arjun said as he looked at his friend.

"Fine but if it's another pirate ambush then you pay, alright?"

"Agreed." Arjun laughed afterwards and more and more of the seats in the drop ship began to fill up.

The capitol ship Ares started to slow down as it pulled up to the damaged remains of Crimson which had huge chunks of its hull completely torn apart. The Valor military ship was easily three times the size of the pirate cruiser that now completely darkened the smaller vessel as it pulled up alongside it. The Valor star ship resembling that of a trireme; an ancient boat used by the Greeks. The large assortment of rail cannons, nuke launchers and other ship-to-ship weaponry were mostly found across its sides allowing for almost any pirate ship to have a death sentence if it attacked it at broadside. One of the hanger bay doors opened and three of Valor's eagle class combat carriers slowly landed onto the derelict pirate ship with whatever access point they could dock with as a ship that small could not be safely docked with a much larger Valor warship.

Arjun removed his harness along did every other marine in the holding area when the ship's A.I reported that it was safe to proceed. The ramp lowered down and Arjun could see that they had docked with what has been the ship's hanger bay and in a few moments he joined the next set of marines that walked down the ramp into the completely destroyed bay. Small fires littered the area, dried blood was splattered against the walls and floors but Arjun was quick to notice a very important detail, there was not a single body and for how much blood was spilled he know there must have been a huge body count.

"Alright Echo team sync up." Captain Winter Feather ordered.

Arjun entered his squad's serial number into his built in data pad that was located on his right arm and soon he saw the faces of his squad mates appear on the left side of his HUD with their vital signs under their portraits, a few of his squad mates were macrial but the rest were humans.

"Ok let's move out and check for life signs, Bravo squad will be holding the landing area." Captain Winter Feather ordered. Arjun took his place in the middle of the squad's formation with his combat rifle now in both of his hands after he slapped in a fresh magazine while keeping the safety turned on, something he had to remind himself to do now that he was trying to get a cleaner image.

"God this place looks like it's been through hell." The squad's medic spoke as they went deeper through the hallways which were pitch black as only emergency power was keeping the ship together but thankfully SPBA helmet's came with night vision.

Exposed circuitry was everywhere along with countless blast marks and bullet holes that littered the hallway where it looked like a fierce firefight took place not too long ago but with the amount of stained blood that covered the make shift barricades it was a certain that the defenders must have been overrun. Arjun still saw the lack of bodies to be very concerning but he decided not to bring it up as it would have been obvious enough.

"This is Charlie squad...still nothing on our end just a lot of dead signatures on our radar, we are going to check them out..." the sergeant of Charlie reported over the comm channel.

"Err... Rodger that Charlie, Foxtrot is making their way to the bridge...still no contacts, over." Responded another squad leader to the update.

Arjun watched his footing as a pipe was jetting out of the ground that was still producing steam that covered that hallway's floor like a dense fog. He looked down to watch for any objects he could trip over when he accidently bumped into the backside of the squad member who was in front of him as the squad had come up to a complete stop. Arjun looked past his squad mates and saw the combat engineer of Echo was kneeling in front of a reinforced steel door that was smeared in bloodied hand prints as if the defenders tried to claw their way out like trapped animals.

"Looks like the pirates sealed this next room up really good..." the human engineer spoke as while examined the blast door that would have led into the next room.

"Well we have a non-marine life sign in that room and I want it open now corporal." Captain Snow Feather ordered.

Arjun checked the lower left hand corner of his HUD and saw that just beyond the sealed up door was a single life sign that was indicated by a green dot on his radar, his fellow marines were shown as yellow squares.

With a blowtorch built into the engineer's wrist the human began cutting away at the bulk head as the rest of the squad took up positions to defend the area, Arjun took his place beside two macrial marines off to the left side of the hallway.

"Primary lock is cut..." The engineer spoke with all his attention on the reinforced door.

"Charlie Squad here...we found some of the crew....I think I'm going to be sick." Charlie's squad leader reported.

Arjun did not want to think about the state of the crew's bodies as Charlie had saw their fair share of combat and to think what they saw was making them ill was horrifying.

"Secondary lock is cut...." The engineer spoke once more with sparks flying past him as he kneeled.

"Foxtrot here." The voice belonged to Jonathan, "Bridge took serious amounts of damage but it looks salvageable...for the most part at least."

The engineer stepped away from the reinforced bulkhead and with one foot he kicked it down that send echoes down the corridors on the wrecked star cruiser. The captain motioned with a hand gesture for three of the squad's marines to move into the room including Arjun who was now on point. Just like everything else this room was no different as only the marine's night vision allowed them to see where they were going and although the room was the site of a bloodbath he could tell this must have been the ship's cafeteria at one point.

"Sir!" one marine called out as he kneeled beside a wounded pirate that was slumped up against the door that led to the kitchen.

"Let's get a medic over here! Higgs, Fiaz, go see if you can't get some light on in this area, and try not to fuck it up this time like last mission."

Arjun motioned with his head for the macrial marine to follow him as the two headed towards the back of the room.

"This is Charlie squad...have you girls seen anything... odd?" the squad leader spoke.

"Bravo here, all is quiet at the drop point why?"

"We came back to the area where we found some of the dead crew...but now they are... gone."

One marine from Arjun's squad laughed and he saw it was Williodison that had answered, "Gone? Bodies just don't get up and run I think one of the Charlie boys is playing a joke on you."

"Yea whatever, asshole,... Charlie out."

Arjun looked back and saw the pirate was in really rough shape, the medic was slathering medi-gel packets across his chest where he had a massive gash that looked like he was brutally ripped into.

"Err...Arjun can you come here for a moment?" Williodison asked.

"Yea sure." Arjun answered half distracted as he watched his footing from the several blood pools that caused him to raise an eyebrow at as they looked fresh and not faded stains on the ground like all the others.

Arjun walked up to the young private who had his weapon draw and was shaking tremendously and moved backwards as Arjun himself came closer. The brown skinned human turned the corner around a pillar and saw what didn't seem real at the time. There was a grotesque body on the ground; its entire form was wrapped in heavy linen bandages with its most notable features that its arms and legs were replaced with rusty blades that have been attached in some Frankenstein surgery.

"What...the fuck is that." Arjun said not even knowing what it was as he kicked it in the chest with his boot.

"Dude doesn't touch it!" The macrial spoke in fear.

"Come on man that thing is dead .... And these pirates are getting more fucked up each day...maybe it's a costume or a hologram." Arjun said before pressing a button on the side of his helmet so he could make contact with his squad leader. "Sir, can you come here for a minute_?_" he asked.

"This better be important Fiaz." Winter Feather answered gruffly.

"Well sir, I think we can cross the spider theory off the list."

The platoon captain marched over with his rifle slung over his shoulder with both Arjun and Williodison turning to face their commanding officer who stopped a few feet away with his arms crossed.

"Alright privates...what did you find?" He asked.

"Well sir you're not going to believe it but-"Arjun spoke as he turned around but the linen wrapped corpse was gone, "-The fuck..."

"Well what is it?" the captain repeated himself, and although the helmet filtered out emotion Arjun could tell he was more than ticked off.

Williodison couldn't form any complete sentences as his teeth chattered, "W-we saw...it didn't we?" He asked rhetorically.

"I think so..." Arjun said now confused.

"Well when you two start getting your shit together let me know." The vulphus said before sending an order of his own to the other squads, "Everyone I'm calling it there is nothing here, we found the pirate who sent the distress call but he's too shaken to offer any real help here so let's rendezvous at the drop site so we can properly interrogate him."

"Copy that." Charlie squad's leader reported.

"Rodger wilco." Jonathan said.

The Echo leader waited for a good ten seconds for Bravo team to respond until he himself talked, "Bravo team are you there?"

No answer came.

"I repeat Bravo team are you there?" he asked once more.

Only static answered the sergeant's call.

"They must have run into technical problems...I told Eric to fix that damn comm-link a week ago. "Winter Feather muttered to himself before turning to his squad that gathered near him," Jake take the pirate, Arjun and Williodison will escort you to Bravo Team. The rest of us will go to the engine core and rig it to self-destruct so no pirates can re salvage this ship. "

"Copy that." Jake, the squad's medic, answered. "Arjun, Will, let's go."

Arjun walked away from where the linen monster was sitting only moments ago while checking over his shoulder to make sure it was gone and when he exited the cafeteria he set his focus on making it down the blood stained corridor.

[Milky Way Galaxy/ Valor Controlled Territory/ Outer Colonies/ Pegasus Cluster/ Rebel Cruiser Crimson Star Cycle 534, Year 3,528]

"Bravo squad do you read?" Arjun asked what felt like the hundredth time.

Arjun looked at the pirate who must have been no older than he was and looked like he saw a ghost as not only were his hands trembling even with the restrictions of the hand cuffs that Jake had placed on him earlier but his face was so pale and gaunt it looked like he himself was one of the dead.

"So, you going to tell us what happened to you and your pirate friends?" Arjun asked.

"Arjun I don't think he's going to answer you he keeps mumbling to himself-"Jake spoke when he was interrupted

"They-They came out of the walls....we tried fighting but they...they wouldn't die." The pirate spoke with his words filled with fear until he suddenly jerked himself towards Arjun his eyes as wide as they could be, "I can still hear their shrieks!"

The pirate collapsed to the ground grasping at his head where immediately Jake began to tend to the rebel who was slapping his head with his bony hands to the point where blood was coming out of his nose.

"Bravo do you copy?" Arjun asked again trying to distance himself from the clearly mentally unstable individual.

Jake held the pirate down to keep him from harming himself any further as his face now was covered in his own blood and fluids. Arjun watched the pirate spat out whatever blood was in his mouth before speaking again, "First they get in your head you see and make you turn on your friends...then they make you kill yourself." The pirate explained as he used his hand to make an action that he was shooting himself in the head, "Then they turn you into one of them..."

"One of what?" Arjun asked almost he wouldn't answer the question. As the pirate began to open his mouth Arjun's helmet buzzed with static over the communication channels, "Bravo is that you?"

The answer of Bravo team consisted of only low pitched gurgling noises that sounded like it would come from a wild animal than any sentient species in Valor. Arjun and the rest of the small three man team heard several loud bangs coming from the cafeteria and they all instantly knew what it was... gunfire.

"Echo squad! What's going on!?" Arjun yelled over the communication channel.

The reply back was only static in the beginning but unlike Bravo there was a response this time "Coming out of the walls! What the hell are these things!?" Arjun saw in his HUD the portraits of each of his squad mates turn into static as well as clearly hearing their suit's flat line with a loud beep for every death. "Contacts! Lots of contacts!"

"We're on our way Echo!" Arjun announced while motioning for Will and Jake to follow him back towards their squad.

"N-Negative Fiaz...get to the drop ship! - Oh gods what is that thing! Open fire! Open fire!" The voice of the captain was cut abruptly

The bullet fire from the cafeteria started to dissipate as the agonizing screams of Echo squad grew louder and louder_, "How is it still moving! Get away from me!"_ one marine cried out before he was suddenly silenced. In a fleeting moment the entire squad was nothing more but a few muffled screams with the last few rounds discharging in the distance.

"_Echo squad come in."_ Arjun said trying to hold onto some hope_. "I repeat Echo squad are you there!?"_

"They are dead and we will be too! You can't escape them!" the pirate interrupted.

"Somebody shut him the hell up." Arjun ordered as he pointed at the deranged individual.

Williodison started to pace back and forth, "I didn't sign up for this!" he panicked, "I don't want to die! What the hell could they have been fighting! Pirates can't kill marines that quickly!"

Jake placed his hand on the hyperventilating marine to try and help him calm down while Arjun took a few steps forward, "look we still have to see if Bravo is alright still and we can't sit here with our thumbs up our asses anyway" Arjun explained.

Jake looked at the macrial and forced him to look back into his visor, "it's going to be ok now I need you to go help Arjun link up with Bravo squad so we can get reinforcements from Ares, ok? You aren't going to let some dumb punk pirates scare you, you are a marine Will, remember that."

"Thanks Jake..." Williodison responded after taking in a deep breath, "Alright...Let's go Arjun"

"I'll stay here and look after our guest; he's in no shape to go any further." Jake stated as he looked more at the giant gash on the pirate's chest.

Arjun was joined by his only form of backup who was still shaking as he could see the macrial was unable to hold his combat rifle straight. "You sure you're ok Will? "He asked.

"Y-yea I'll be fine." He answered in a stutter.

Arjun was only a couple more steps ahead of the freighted macrial "Bravo, are you there?" Arjun asked hoping maybe it was hundredth time the charm.

"Maybe the pirates here are jamming us? Can you raise the carrier?" Williodison asked trying to keep himself calm.

Arjun wanted to slap himself for not trying to raise the capitol ship itself, "This is Echo squad, Ares come in we have taken casualties and require immediate backup."

The only answer he had gotten was more of the static he was getting very sick and tired of hearing. "Fuck." Arjun said under his breath, "Looks like we will have to knock on the door to get the cavalry in here."

The two marines slowly and carefully moved down the hall way a couple steps at a time checking every nook and cranny with their night vision and radar trackers.

"So..." Arjun said trying to lead into the macrial so he would answer him.

"What is it?" the alien answered with his focus on moving down the corridor inch by inch.

"How long have you two been going out?" Arjun asked trying to help put the mind of his squad mate at ease as he was no help to him as a nervous wreck.

"thr-three years." He answered. "I'm planning to surprise her on the cruise with an engagement ring...you don't think a single cruise would cost that much right?" Will said with a small chuckle afterwards.

"Well I hope to look forward for an invitation. You'll make a great husband" Arjun smiled

Both Arjun and Williodison suddenly checked the area they cleared behind them as they heard a terrible inhuman howl but as they saw nothing following them from behind they lowered their guard and went back to their original path.

"Why did you join the marines?" Arjun asked.

"Thought it would be nice to see the galaxy you know? I send her some pictures I take when I'm out on patrol but I just want a large enough credit chip to take her some place nice for once."

"Yea us grunts don't really get to see much of anything do we?" Arjun chuckled that made Will smile as well.

"What about you?" Will asked.

"What about me?"

"Why did you join the marines?"

Arjun looked at the macrial as they got closer and closer to Bravo's last reported position, "No specific reasons come to mind, but what other jobs lets me blow shit up for living eh? But I'm really just here to fill out my two year service...then I'm not sure, I'll deal with it once it comes up."

Both Arjun and Williodison saw the massive Valor drop ship that they used to ferry the several squads over onto the derelict star cruiser. The hanger bay showed no signs of recent battles but the lack of the guard presence was also chilling.

"Ok let's look for Bravo they could not have gone far-"Arjun ordered when the drop ship lit up in an orange inferno from an explosion that threatened to destroy the already frail hanger bay.

The two marines were flown onto their backs with Arjun hitting the wall behind him leaving a huge dent in the metal wall. Will was the first to stand back up and he gave out his hand to help Arjun back onto his feet who took it acceptingly.

"Thanks." Arjun groaned afterwards.

Will pointed his weapon at the destroyed and flaming wreckage when he turned his head back to Arjun, "Check your radar... do you see what I see?"

Arjun looked at his HUD and saw Bravo's life signs but there was one problem, it showed them as K.I.A but their signatures were moving. "What in the fuck." Arjun said as he pointed his weapon as well.

Out of the smoldering wreckage came forth Bravo squad, all of them walked through the fire as if they if wasn't there, each of their forms twisted and dark. They moved very sporadic as if some presence was using them like puppets as how a puppet master would in controlling its pawns.

_"_Bravo Squad, are you ok?" Will asked.

The Bravo marine that just finished stepping down from the wreckage raised its combat rifle at the two and pulled the trigger without a thought and soon the rest of Bravo began firing at the two. The air exploded into noise as the high powered assault weapons fired off their ammunition.

Arjun quickly fled back into the hall way, "_God Dammit Bravo squad stand the fuck down! You are firing on friendlies!"_ he ordered before diving face first to the ground to duck under the live ammunition

Williodison was about to join Arjun when the lead Bravo marine hit his mark and shot the macrial straight in the backside that went clear through his kinetic shielding and his power armor in a spray of crimson, the brown furred marine's form crumbled to the floor and Arjun could hear his vitals' flat line.

"Will!" Arjun shouted but Bravo squad sluggishly marched towards Arjun with their weapons firing.

Arjun hid behind part of the wall that blocked the enemies' line of sight of him near the entrance of the hallway. _"_Jake! Will has been shot get the fuck over here!"

"What? I'm on my way! Did you find Bravo?!" Jake answered.

"I'm fighting Bravo!"

"I-I'll be right there!" Jake answered but Arjun heard in his tone that he himself didn't believe his answer and although if Arjun was not being shot at by them themselves he wouldn't believe himself either.

Arjun peaked around the corner and saw that Bravo squad was slowly continuing their way to him; they had no structure to their formation and going against every single protocol when advancing it was like they did not care for their own lives.

_"_Bravo you are firing on Echo squad! Stand do-"Arjun exclaimed when one Bravo marine suddenly flipped around and faced the corner Arjun was hiding behind with its weapon raised.

Arjun shot first in a series of trigger pulls out of shock and panic that blew the human's head clean off its shoulder but instead of falling to the ground the remains of the marine lunged at Arjun trying to swipe at him like a mad animal. With all his strength Arjun threw the still living body of his fellow marine against the wall behind him that disoriented it, with his weapon raised Arjun emptied the rest of the magazine into the marine's chest before it finally decided to stay dead.

"What in the fuck!" Arjun said as his heart pounded at the thought he just murdered one of his own allies.

The rest of Bravo almost turned the corner where he was hiding but a series of shots coming from Jake sent them backwards but as the flurry of rounds penetrated Bravo squad he quickly saw that even with entire chunks of their bodies missing the undying marines still sluggishly moved forward groaning in animal like noises.

Arjun joined the medic's side and both of them reloaded their weapons and fired as much ammunition into Bravo squad as they could until they were nothing more than bloodied ribbons of flesh and bone.

"That...that is just not real." Jake said almost in shock, "Just what exactly are we fighting here-"Jake said when he was suddenly impaled from behind that splashed his warm blood onto Arjun's chest plate.

The medic looked down at what had gone clean through his armor and saw it was some kind of giant rusty knife and as he looked behind him he saw's his attacker's face was completely covered in linen bandages. The monster without making a sound decapitated the medic with its other blade that was attached to its left arm before throwing the lifeless corpse away.

Arjun's eyes widen but before he had time to think about Jake's death the linen covered abomination was on him in seconds. He raised his combat rifle to block the monster's attack but the creature easily broke through his defence with its blade arms slicing straight through the gun like a hot knife through butter. Arjun fell to the ground from the force of the impact, his gun joining him as well in pieces.

Before the monster could raise its arms for a fatal blow Arjun quickly pulled a combat knife from his thigh's pocket and with both hands gripped tight around the handle he plunged the blade straight into the creature's right leg that distracted it long enough for the marine to leap back onto his feet and slug the monster right in its wrapped face with a swift punch.

"Not so tough now are yea?!" Arjun boasted before he had to quickly duck as the monster quickly retaliated by thrusting its arm blade forward that would have split his skull open.

He tore the knife free from the leg of the abomination so he could then shove it in the wrapped terror's forehead that made a sickly crunch noise. Unfortunately to Arjun the monster did not seem to care about what would be a mortal blow to any 'normal' person allowing for it to shove its knee into the marine's chest that knocked the wind out of him.

As the monster got ready to impale Arjun straight through his visor several bullets punctured the thing's backside where Arjun could see the wounded pirate holding Jake's sidearm as he emptied the entire thing.

"That was for the Crimson you sack of shit." The pirate said without fear as the monster walked up to him, its blade feet making loud sounds as metal touched metal.

With each step the creature took the pirate held his ground looking directly into where its eyes should have been as its entire body was wrapped in the now bloodied heavy linen bandages. With its right arm the creature impaled the pirate in the right shoulder and lifted him up into the air with its other blade proceeding to gut the pirate open like a fish.

"Hey ugly!" Arjun shouted to get the monster's attention as it threw the pirate's body away. It turned around almost immediately to find that the marine now had a fully reloaded combat rifle. Hundreds of rounds shredded into the monster's body as bits of bandages and gore flew across the room and when Arjun was almost at the end of the magazine the limb bladed monstrosity was nothing more than a bloody smear on the ground.

Arjun marched over to the remains of the abomination where the only part of it that was still identifiable was its top half that was missing its left arm. The marine kneeled down and began to undo the bandages around its face that he really had to tug at as the farther he went as the greasier and sticker it was. Arjun tugged as hard as he could on the last of the bandages that covered it's head that was completely covered in whatever sticky embalming fluid that held it's form together and with the final tug he saw it's face... it's face was a human skull staring back at him... with its soulless eye sockets.

Suddenly the undead reached out with its only intact arm to swipe at Arjun who was quick enough to fall back and quickly get back onto his feet. The undead tried to lunge at the marine with its arm but was only met when the human smashed his armored boot onto the monster's skull crushing it underneath his weight before pulling out his own side arm and expending two whole magazines into its backside.

"And STAY DEAD!" Arjun shouted then he spat on the undead's body before giving it several kicks in the side out of pure anger.

He looked back at the remains of Williodison, Jake and the entirety of Bravo squad and yelled "Just what the fuck is going on here! This was supposed to be an easy patrol!" Arjun smacked his foot again into the mangled mess that was the undead that flipped it over, "And what the fuck are you even supposed to be!"

Arjun took slow steps to the fallen macrial still in heavy disbelief of his sudden passing, "I'm sorry to do this man." He said under his breath as he rummaged through his squad mate's armor to pick his remaining ammunition.

As Arjun stood up from the mess of corpses not wanting to leave their bodies where they were without a proper send off when his helmet buzzed with static, "This is Foxtrot is anyone reading this!?" The voice belonged to one lieutenant Jonathan Highcastle, "We encountered hostile forces and need assistance!"

Arjun quickly answered, _"_John where are you!?"

"We fell back to our drop ship but where pinned down and we can really use Echo squad's help!"

_"_I'm all that's lefts John! These...things jumped us and Bravo shot as us!" Arjun said in disbelief giving one last whack at the undead's body.

"Bravo Squad too?!" John said with disbelief, "So they are...?"

"Dead."

"Fuck." The lieutenant answered.

"Hang on 'J'" Arjun ordered_. "I'll get you out of there then with 'Ares' we are going to nuke this place to hell and back."_

"We are at our hanger bay on the east side, meet us there! Foxtrot out!"

[Milky Way Galaxy/ Valor Controlled Territory/ Outer Colonies/ Pegasus Cluster/ Rebel Cruiser "Crimson Dawn" Star Cycle 534, Year 3,528]

Private Arjun Fiaz found himself on a catwalk that overlooked the hanger bay where the remaining men of Foxtrot took cover behind makeshift barricades that consisted of supply crates. The drop ship that they flew in on was still operational for the most part; the squad had grouped around the ramp that came out of its midsection like a long tongue. With his rifle gripped in both hands Arjun raced over before leaping off the shaky catwalk that could barely support the marine's weight into the cover where the marines fought in their last stand.

A shambling mass of former marines and the remains of the pirate crew walked towards the Valor gun line firing their weapons without any finesse or training, just spraying ammunition at their targets hoping that they would make their marks. One by one the converted creatures started to fall to the amount of firepower Foxtrot was able to put out with such few soldiers, limbs were blown clean off their attackers but even reduce to nothing but a torso and a single arm they continued to drag themselves across the hanger in a blood raged frenzy.

"I'm out!" one vulphus yelled out as her combat rifle went dry.

"Better make this count!" A macrial to her left answered throwing the humanoid gryphon his last spare magazine.

One shambling horror Arjun recognized was the corpse of Captain Winter Feather that held its rifle in one hand firing off spurts of ammunition in the direction of wherever it's recoil took his arm. Arjun looked through the scope of his combat rifle so his cross hairs aligned with the former captain's head before letting a burst of his weapon to go right through the captain's helmet that took off entire chunks. The zombie like marine jerked it's head back from the force of the impact but it continued to press on firing until it's magazine went dry before two macrial marines to the left of Arjun finally put the captain to rest with their combined fire.

"That's the last of them!" Jonathan yelled as he fired off his side arm that sent a turned pirate into nothing more but a red smear on the floor.

"Sir... we have new contacts..." one marine said out loud still looking through the scope of his weapon.

Towards the back of the hanger were a small group of purple armored aliens, their bodies were covered in thick purple robes that were adorned with various skulls of all sizes. Red metal masks covered their upper faces and their right arms were removed to instead be replaced by a crude looking firearm.

Just as about the sniper was going to fire off a round, a rail road sized spike was fired from the leading enemy soldier that flew through the air impaling the sniper through his chest and pinning him to the drop ship. The human marine began gave his last breath where his death caught the lieutenant's attention.

"Everyone get down!" Jonathan ordered as a volley of spikes were launched that lit up the body like a pincushion and nailing several more red hot spikes that dug into the hull of the drop ship.

Arjun took a quick peak over the cover and noticed something devastating about the new enemy they were advancing at a quick pace but only moving from cover to cover...these weren't the mindless creatures they were custom too. Several more spikes flew past cover but in a horrific noise one of the enemies hit their target where several small spikes had found themselves all over a nearby macrial like a thousand needles.

"Close quarters!" Jonathan ordered with his sword drawn from his scabbard in his left hand and side arm in the other.

The hostile soldiers were right up against their barricades that Arjun could hear their heavy footsteps and when he saw Lieutenant Highcastle stand up with weapons in hand he did the same along with the rest of the men and women beside him.

Arjun emptied the last of his magazine into the closet robe wearing alien but the high powered rounds did nothing but bounce harmlessly off their metal endoskeletons that were hidden by their thick leather robes.

Jonathan snapped a trio of rounds into the face of his attacker but to no effect the alien ignored the fatal blow and swung at the human leader with its spike thrower arm. The marine caught the attack in a parry with his blade before cutting the mechanical undead down as his nanobyte-long sword ripped through its body like paper.

Before Arjun could check his surroundings his HUD pointed at one of the purple robe wearing undead to bring to his attention that he was about to meet the business end of the undead's wrist mounted blade. The swift attacker dug its blade straight through Arjun's right shoulder than went clean through his power armor that pinned the human to the ground like fresh prey. The undead was even more grotesque than Arjun saw; the mechanical components were so integrated into its sickly, rotten, flesh he did not know if the undead was a machine to begin with with flesh draped over its robotic skeleton or a once organic being that had been completely torn apart and refurbished with crude machinery.

To Arjun's aid a vulphus marine fired a concentrated amount of firepower into the side of the mechanical horror but without taking its soulless gaze off of him the undead raised its opposite arm towards the gryphon marine before firing a single spike that pinned her head to the opposite end of the hanger leaving the body behind. The cybernetic undead loaded another spike into its arm before pointing its weapon straight at Arjun's forehead who tried fruitlessly to shake off the undead but to no avail the creature made no wince at the desperate attacks until a nanobyte blade was shoved clean through the monster's neck before being jerked to the left leaving the undead's head hanging from its neck by wiring and bits of muscle.

Jonathan finished off the undead with another sweep of his long sword that cut the undead to size leaving only a mangled mess of flesh and steel with sparks coming from its joints as it tried to drag itself across the ground before finally giving out.

"Look out!" Arjun shouted as he pulled his sidearm out with his good arm.

Jonathan jerked to the side as the private fired off a couple rounds that hit the robe wearing undead behind the lieutenant as it was about to fire off one of its lethal spikes. Although the rounds did not faze the undead it did distract it long enough for the sergeant to spin around and slice the head clean off. In retaliation the near machine undead lashed out with its open claw and began choking the sergeant as it lifted him off the ground. Jonathan's sword fell to the cold, metal hanger floor but not before the private quickly tossed his pistol away and picked up the nanobyte blade for himself. With all the strength he had left in him Arjun swung at the arm that held his friend in place severing it with a mighty blow.

John dropped to the ground coughing and wheezing for air but the headless and one armed undead was still fully functional needing only it's ranged weapon to dispatch the Valor marines. A macrial marine fired the rest of his magazine into the robed undead causing it to face its attacker and raise its weapon towards him. Out of breath and trying to overcome his wound Arjun rushed into the undead dropping his weight on it causing the undead to miss fire into the celling.

"Move!" The macrial yelled as he reloaded a fresh magazine into his combat rifle.

Arjun rolled off the undead before the alien placed his boot on the alien's waist and fired burst after burst of his weapon until the undead finally stopped moving and then some.

"I-I think that's all of them..." Arjun said clutching his wound.

[Milky Way Galaxy/ Valor Controlled Territory/ Outer Colonies/ Pegasus Cluster/ Rebel Cruiser "Crimson Dawn" Star Cycle 534, Year 3,528]

The macrial medic from Foxtrot was kneeling in front of Arjun who was sitting on the ramp of the drop ship. The kangaroo like alien had her helmet off. "Once we get back to the ship they can properly do a better job." The medic spoke softly, "Just don't exert yourself in the meantime."

"Thanks Jess." Arjun answered before standing up.

The few remaining marines were going around the blood splattered hanger grabbing and policing what weapons and ammunition they could carry. The closet marine that was walking back with a few combat rifles in hand was the giant marine Marco. Arjun opened his mouth to speak but he decided against it he saw even with the helmet on that he was in no mood to talk on what happen to their friends and nothing he could say would make him feel any better.

Jess moved to a marine near the side of the ramp who was rocking back and forth curled up where she could help comfort the human who could not mentally cope of what was happening.

"I almost miss fighting pirates." Marco said out of the blue that caught the private's attention, "At least they knew how to die properly"

Arjun tried to answer on what has been happening but he was at a loss of words until Marco walked up the ramp and deposited his weapons into the holding area, "Maybe the pirates have some kind of drug that turns people into these...zombies and it backfired...."

"It would have to be some real top secret shit for a weapon that effective." Marco answered as two vulphus marines passed him on the way down.

"I'm going to go check on John, can't imagine how he's feeling." Arjun said wanting to change the conversation not wanting to think this is what the pirates where now capable of.

"Alright." Macro answered briefly before joining the two vulphus marines back out into the graveyard of a hanger.

Arjun held his helmet under his good arm and made his way up the ramp where he saw one marine was badly wounded and was laid out into a stretcher in the middle of the holding bay, his right leg was chewed apart by several fist sized holes and the marine himself was heavily sedated. Arjun Fiaz walked past the semi-conscious man and found the lieutenant inside the cockpit with the pilot in his chair.

"Ares this is Foxtrot do you read? We have hostile unknown contacts and have suffered heavy casualties, we need immediate reinforcements." John said into the drop ship's communicator as he stood over the macrial pilot.

"Still nothing, sir." The pilot answered.

"Looks like we will have to make a house call then... get us moving." He ordered.

"Rodger that."

Arjun joined his friend in the cockpit, "So... how many of us made it?" he asked almost regretting the answer he will get.

John looked back to Arjun, "Not enough."

"Should we get the...bodies for funerals?" Arjun said carefully not wanting to push any buttons.

"I don't think any of their families will want to see..." John said before choking up inside his helmet

John turned back around and began talking to the pilot on trying again to raise the ship while they powered up the engines. Arjun only counted a small handful of the marines around him that meant out of a force of sixty marines that were sent in to capture the one ship they were all that was left. Arjun took his place back in the holding area in the completely sparse room where the few surviving marines took their seats. Macro was directly opposite of him thumbing fresh rounds into a magazine to keep his mind focused and not to wander too far. Jess was the last to enter the drop ship holding the frantic marine's hand that was in no shape to do anything; he looked like a frantic animal looking over its shoulder to watch out for lurking predators. Arjun never liked seeing empty seats on the ride home from a mission but to see this many gone at once...he shook his head to keep out any dark thoughts and tended to his combat rifle.

The drop ship's gravity engines lifted the rather large carrier into the air shaking the hanger in the process and soon the space craft was out the hanger bay and flew towards the still open hanger bay of the Valor carrier 'Ares'.

"Ares, come in this is a level seven emergency" The pilot said into the comm relay. "The mission was aborted I repeat this was a mission failure we require medical assistance on landing."

The drop ship landed gently instead the hanger bay they were originally assigned to dock in once the assignment was over. The ramp opened to reveal the Valor cruiser and the small team of marines exited the ramp where they all turned off their night vision as the ship had its lights still intact.

Suddenly the ship's artificial intelligence came on giving a recorded message, "Warning, hostiles have boarded the cruiser all military personal report to your posts ...this is not a drill."

The entire squad had their faces go white when they found out the enemy had already began taking over their ship. "They don't have enough to take over a whole god damn cruiser do they?!" panicked the already shaken marine.

"Arjun." John said as he pointed at him, "I need you to go to the bridge and join the command crew to make sure they are safe."

"Why just me?!" Arjun asked out loud pointing his combat rifle at the different doors scanning for any undead.

"The bridge will obviously be the most defended place on the ship. Whatever these bastards are they don't know how fast Valor can lock down one of our ships."

Arjun nodded in agreement before he went in the opposite direction of the rest of the squad and the first set of doors automatically opened for him, but as the doors opened he immediately hid as he saw a patrol of the undead march past down the hall way, a whole squad of the blade limbed undead marched in two single files and at the end of the line was a much larger version of them as its was head almost touched the celling. The larger one was covered in black bandages along with having plate mail cover various parts of its body that was just as dark.

Arjun waited for the squad to walk down the hall way before he moved up into the 'T' junction, he turned his head where the undead where going down and was happy that he himself didn't have to go down the same route.

"Arjun are you there?" Jonathan said over the communication channel.

"What is it?" Arjun answered as he looked around the corner and saw three of the robe wearing undead guarding an elevator shaft.

"We found most of the security detail." John spoke with anger in his words, "The bastards got them when they were asleep."

In a stroke of good luck the three undead immediately walked away from their guard post and proceeded down the hallway following the previous squad as they thundered down with their heavy footsteps. The service elevator opened up once Arjun was close enough for it to register his power armor's A.I and he stepped inside and ordered with a voice command to take him to the bridge. Arjun checked his holographic ammo counter on his rifle and it read a full sixty rounds and not before too long the doors opened to reveal the command centre of the drop ship.

"John, the service elevator is still operational. I though you said they locked this place down." Arjun asked as the thought came to him.

"What?" John sounded completely caught off guard, "They must have hacked the cruiser somehow, that would explain why all the doors are our end have all been unlocked."

Arjun walked into the bridge with his combat rifle at the ready. The entire floor was almost completely covered in the dead as something terrible must have ripped through the entire blockade and as Arjun looked at the main entrance to the bridge he knew he was right. The main door to the bridge was burst inwards as something powerful must have forced its way inward. Arjun did his best to step around the bodies of his fellow marines while passing through the many barricades that had been hastily set up in order to defend the ship.

"I'm on the bridge, looks like everyone is dead." Arjun said carefully stepping over one macrial who was missing most of her lower half.

"What about the captain or the command crew?" Answered John

"Nothing so far." Arjun said as he passed by a marine who had his head smashed into one computer terminal. "What about on your end?"

"We picked up four marines who were held up in their dorms, were heading to the armory to get them suited up- Shit! Take cover marine-" The comm channel immediately shut down leaving only a tiny buzzing noise to take its place.

Arjun started to hear some form of language from up ahead; the dialect was mechanical in nature like the filtered voice of a marine only a lot more deep. He gripped his rifle even tighter with both hands as he slowly walked up the stairs before he noticed a lone figure sitting around the mutilated bodies of the command crew.

"Ah...there you are." The being spoke as it slowly stood up; it's long, thin and skeletal tail revealing its full length as it uncurled into length.

Arjun pointed his weapon at the undead that easily dwarfed the human marine by several meters, the undead wore the same time of purple robe its minions had but it's clothing was much more ornate in various words most likely from its language that were stitched into it.

"What the fuck are you?" Arjun asked as each step the being took shook the bridge.

The massive being could have been two or three Macros standing on each of their shoulders. Arjun could easily tell the metallic undead was not of any race Valor had encountered it was more of a rat like creature in shape standing upright.

"I serve the Malefic and you too will serve him.." The alien spoke in its metallic accent.

"You guy's speak our language now?" Arjun said still pointing his weapon at the thing. The private quietly accessed his communication channel to try to reach John. "I think I encountered their lea-" Arjun whispered before he was interrupted.

"You will find your communications blocked hero...it was child's play to lure you onto the space craft allowing my forces to easily commandeer this vessel."

"Hero? Lure me? What are you going on about!" Arjun demanded.

The mechanical undead laughed, "You-you don't know? The Malefic had told us you would have at least been somewhat aware of your gift."

"I didn't get the memo." The marine answered with his weapon still raised. " and whatever you are trying to do here you are going to fail."

A large staff appeared in red smoke in the undead's open palm that looked like it must have been used recently on the entire bridge's security force. Fresh blood dripped from its serrated blades, red energies crackled around the hilt and blades in eldritch forces.

"We have already won, hero, our Malefic has ordered for your presence and I will return you human to him alive or dead. You will be remade into a perfect being just as all of are in the Blood Cabal."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'm going to be working for some steam punk nut bags." Arjun retorted.

The undead laughed it its mechanical language, "It's a shame you must do this the hard way hero." With its hand holding its staff out the weapon extended itself to reveal into a much more formidable weapon with a large curved blade at the end of it "None can stand against the Malefic."

Necro lord Morbent was the first to attack swinging his massive poleaxe at the marine who just missed the initial attack but the butt of the staff still made its target that sent Arjun flying back down the stairs. The human slowly rose to his feet as the undead lord leaped onto the lower floor and picked Arjun up like a toy with his claw tightening around his body.

"You will die just like your allies human, alone and afraid." Morbent said as his grip hardened. "Organic perfection will be brought to your people."

Arjun lifted his rifle as best as he could as his body struggled to get free but with one hand just enough wrapped around the trigger he fired a burst into the chest of the Necro Lord that caused the undead to be disoriented long enough for Arjun to fall back onto the ground.

The marine quickly forced himself to get up and find some cover but the large undead commander followed Arjun hunched over and carrying his weapon in both of its skeletal claws. His heavy footsteps echoed through the bridge "You are weak human, you run fearing death but we in the cabal no nothing of fear. You age and die but... we are immortal." Morbent preached as he split the computer terminal in half with his mighty staff that Arjun was hiding behind trying to catch his breath.

"Fear this!" Arjun said as he fired another salvo into the lord but a red barrier absorbed the impact like some kind of force field. "Oh shit."

"Your technology is nothing compare to the Malefic's blessings!" Morbent cackled as he pointed his staff at Arjun where the bladed end of the weapon glowed in intense red light.

Arjun quickly rolled behind another set of computer terminals as an arc of red colored lighting fired from the end of the weapon causing several explosions throughout the bridge as entire rows of terminals overloaded. The marine fired another burst at Morbent but again the red barrier deflected the impact. With every step the cybernetic undead took the bridge shook under his weight but Arjun held his ground firing round after round from his rifle but each blow was fruitless.

"Look around you mortal." Morbent spoke as he struck out against Arjun with his staff that split the terminal in halves but the marine had already moved to another position, "Everyone is dead and soon you will join them!"

"Nah I'm pretty good with my odds." Smugly said Arjun

Private Arjun Fiaz pulled the pin from a fragmentation grenade and threw it so it just landed in between the undead's feet. Morbent looked down and before he could react the explosion engulfed him as his shield lit up like the sun but Arjun moved out of cover with his combat rifle drawn and fired series after series of shots into the undead's force field, he took more and more steps reloading magazine after magazine trying to force as much fire power at once onto the undead's protective barrier. He discarded his combat rifle after the entire magazine had been used and pulled out his firearm and fired the remaining ammunition he had in it that finally shattered Morbent's shielding.

In anger Morbent struck his staff on the ground that sent tendrils of red energy to all the bodies of the marines in the bridge, "Servants of the Malefic here my call and put an end to those would defy his name!"

Much like the puppet marines of Bravo squad the former security teams on the bridge behaved the same way with their twitchy limbs and unnatural movements as they all sluggishly moved towards Arjun like the zombies they were. Arjun's pistol went dry before he could put a dent in the zombie's numbers forcing the marine to back himself up into a corner.

"Marines engage all hostiles!" Jonathan yelled as he had his combat rifle at the ready.

The undead horde began to fall to the concentrated fire power as several marine squads moved into the bridge firing their orchestra of weaponry ranging from combat to laser to plasma rifles.

"Your late." Said Arjun as John came to his side.

"Traffic, those blade guys don't make great left turn signals."

Necro lord Morbent grew in anger and his right hand glowed in energy before he summoned forth several portals in front of him, "Children and creations of the Malefic! Heed my call and defend your master!"

Out of the swirling red vortexes came forth squads of the arm grafted, cybernetic, undead along with their taller cousins who had their arms and legs replaced with metal swords.

"You have your guys deal with them I'll get the big guy." Arjun said to John.

"Like hell you are!" John said as he watched Morbent cleave through several marines at once with a single sweep of his staff. "We're going to concentrate nova rifles on it while you cover them with Romeo squ-

"John, I can do this." Arjun said in complete seriousness for once.

"Arjun now is not the time for your antics, you try this shit on other patrols and you almost get yourself killed!"

"John I know... but you said it yourself that I can be a good soldier, I can handle this clown just fine."

"Dammit....alright, I'll cover you now go!" the Lieutenant ordered

Arjun took the combat rifle from a fallen marine's body and slipped a fresh magazine into it as he charged into Morbent who was now at the top of the stairs again. The Necro lord waited for Arjun to step up to the same level as he was before speaking, "Your fighting is meaningless, for every one of your soldiers that fall another one of the lord's will rise! Your bravado will be your undoing hum-" Arjun fired a few shots into the chest of the Necro lord that failed even to penetrate his armored robe let alone his mechanical form. But the failed wounds did not stop his attack as Arjun fired to the last round while Morbent thundered up to him with his staff wielded in both hands.

Bullets bounced off the undead's exoskeleton but as Morbent closed in he swung his staff directly at his midsection where Arjun desperately reached out to grab the weapon in which instead of meeting death he grab hold of it. The marine began to see the giant Necro lord was struggling to pull it free from his own grasp.

"I had enough of your bullshit!" Arjun yelled in anger

"You accursed hero! The Malefic was right about you."

"Fuck you, and fuck your Malefic!" Arjun yelled back at him.

Arjun gained his footing and with a mighty tug he pulled the staff away from Morbent and swung it around so that the curved blade at the bottom of the staff slashed the undead across the chest that split his robe open revealing the Necro Lord's twisted body of flesh and metal.

"This is for Will!"." Arjun yelled as pure adrenaline coursed through his veins completely numbing any pain he felt. The human swung the massive staff around that tore off Morbent's right leg that caused the Necro Lord to fall to the ground onto his hands "For Jake!" Arjun continued spinning the poleaxe and cleaving off the undead's arms. "..and for everyone on this whole goddamn ship!" Arjun yelled one last time before impaling Morbent through his spine with his own weapon that caused embalming fluid to pour from his massive wound. The Necro Lord rolled on his back side as his control on his minions lessened and soon his undead horde just fell to the ground on spot like the strings holding the puppets when suddenly cut.

Morbent laughed, "You think yourself victorious human? My death will only confirm the Lord's suspicions and you will be hunted down like the insect you truly are..."

Jonathan clutched his side while making his way over to Arjun, "Did...did you just pick that up?"

"You goddamn bet I did, impaled the bastard straight through! I hope my suit recorded that because it's going straight to the extranet!" Arjun said casually as he flexed his arms in pure self-satisfaction.

"Then can you explain this..."John pointed to seven marines all standing in a line doing their best to pick up the giant staff but even with all of them trying their hardest they couldn't even make the weapon budge.

"Er..." Arjun answered not knowing what to think of it. "I'm just that strong?..."

"I think we need you to get checked out."

_ _