We fight!

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Federation system: Ambepher system

Sector :arch sector.

planet: Dremel

Status: invasion

Alert: Uth'er Dan forces detected!

Threat Level: ?

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The air on Dremel was thick with dust and the acrid stench of burning mineral deposits. High above, the sun of the distant system cast a harsh red glow across the barren, resource-rich planet. A colony world built on the promise of prosperity, now turned into a battleground.

Lena's boots crunched against the ash-drenched soil as she hurried through the crumbling remains of the mining outpost. Her hands, once clean and steady, now trembled from the weight of the pulse rifle she gripped. She had been a miner before the war, a simple worker on a simple planet. Now she was something else: a Pioneer, a soldier in the Ascendant Legions.

"Report to the command station, Pioneer Lena!" the crackling voice of Lieutenant Shaw echoed through her helmet comms, pulling her from the fog of panic that had settled over her mind.

The hum of the transport craft above her head vibrated through the ground, a constant reminder of the Uth'er Dan's invasion force. The skies were darkened by swarm carriers, their monstrous insect-like forms blotting out the sun, their chitinous exoskeletons gleaming in the artificial light of the planet's dying atmosphere.

Lena quickened her pace, eyes scanning the horizon. Her world—the one she'd fought to protect—was crumbling. The Uth'er Dan were relentless, a nightmarish tide of horrors that had descended upon the resource-rich world with one goal in mind: destruction. The planet's valuable xenonite deposits would fuel their dark cause. And humanity? They were nothing more than a nuisance to be eradicated.

Her comms flickered again. "Lena, where the hell are you?"

"I'm on my way," she barked, forcing her legs to move faster, even as a sense of hopelessness gnawed at her. The military outpost—once a thriving hub of human engineering and innovation—now lay in ruins, the walls scorched by energy blasts and the sound of distant artillery echoing in the air.

She reached the command station, a squat, reinforced structure at the heart of the colony. The walls had once been covered with sleek, advanced tech; now, they were scorched and cracked, the interior shrouded in smoke. Inside, the few survivors huddled in corners, eyes wide with terror. The Pioneers, humanity's last line of defense on this forsaken planet, were readying for the final assault.

Lieutenant Shaw, a tall, grizzled officer whose once-clean uniform now looked like a rag, stood at the station's tactical map, fingers tapping furiously against the holographic interface. "Lena, get in here, now."

Without a word, Lena stepped forward, sliding her rifle over her shoulder and pulling the helmet from her head. She wiped the sweat from her brow and scanned the room. Every face was tense, every soldier bracing for what they knew was coming. The Uth'er Dan had landed in full force. They weren't coming for a peaceful occupation. They were here to exterminate, to eradicate.

"They've breached the eastern perimeter," Shaw continued, his voice low. "We've got thirty minutes, maybe less, before they reach the heart of the settlement. We need to make a stand here—there's no retreat. I need you to take the northern gate, hold it for as long as you can."

Lena swallowed the knot in her throat, her hand instinctively gripping her rifle once more. "And the civilians?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Shaw's gaze hardened. "There are no civilians anymore. Only soldiers. If they aren't armed, they're as good as dead."

The words stung, and for a moment, Lena's mind reeled back to the days before the invasion. To the days when she was just a miner, when the planet was peaceful and its future bright. Now, in the midst of the bloodshed and chaos, she had been reborn into something far darker.

The Pioneer army had been called upon to fight, to die for the Federation's greater good. But the Federation, in all its grand ideals, had abandoned these outlying worlds long ago. Now, they were on their own.

"Move out, Lena!" Shaw barked.

She nodded, her mouth dry, her heart racing. "Understood."

As Lena stepped back into the open, the sound of distant explosions filled the air. The ground beneath her shook as if the planet itself was buckling under the strain of the invasion. From the corner of her eye, she saw the sky darkening with the Uth'er Dan dropships descending. Each ship was a grotesque blend of insectoid chitin and advanced, twisted technology, their spindly legs stretching toward the ground like skeletal arms of death.

With a grim determination, Lena sprinted toward the northern gate, her footsteps muffled by the roar of artillery in the distance. Her mind raced. How much longer could humanity last against such an overwhelming force?

Her fingers brushed the cold metal of the rifle's stock, the weight of it a reminder of her purpose. She had sworn an oath to protect this world. She had sworn an oath to fight. To die.

But now, in the face of the relentless Uth'er Dan, the question wasn't just about survival. It was about humanity's place in the universe—a universe that was growing darker by the day.

The swarm came. And it came with a fury that none had prepared for.

Lena's heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted through the dust-choked air, her rifle bouncing against her shoulder. The distant roar of the Uth'er Dan forces drew closer, a reminder of the inevitable wave of destruction approaching. The northern gate loomed ahead, a dim silhouette against the ashen sky. The gates had once been a symbol of protection, the last line of defense between humanity and the vast emptiness of space. Now, it was nothing more than a barrier for the inevitable flood of enemies who would breach it with ruthless efficiency.

The wind howled across the desolate landscape, carrying with it the acrid stench of burning debris. The ruins of the nearby outposts were little more than twisted metal and broken stone, once proud structures now reduced to smoldering remnants. In the distance, Lena could make out the flicker of enemy ships, their bright blue engines streaking through the sky like shooting stars, only they weren't falling to the ground—they were coming down, fast, and with an intent to kill.

She quickened her pace, her breath coming in shallow, jagged bursts. The feeling of dread settled deeper in her gut with every step, tightening like a vice around her chest. The faces of the civilians—those she had known, worked alongside, and helped build this world—flashed in her mind. The children laughing outside the daycare center, the elderly man who had shared stories of his time as a miner, the families who had trusted her to make this colony their home. All of them gone. The Uth'er Dan were merciless, and they wouldn't stop until nothing remained.

The gate was barely operational now. Half of the security systems were offline, and what remained was flickering like a dying light. Still, it was the only line of defense left. It had to hold. But as Lena approached, she could see the desperate efforts of the few remaining soldiers stationed there. They worked in frantic unison, checking weapons, reinforcing the barricades, and scanning the horizon for any sign of the enemy's approach.

She slammed into the checkpoint, her pulse racing, and found Shaw already there, barking orders into his comms. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with the sharp urgency of a man who knew time was running out. His gaze flicked to Lena, his eyes shadowed with both recognition and regret.

"You're here," he said simply, his voice grim but relieved. There was no time for pleasantries, no time for explanations. "The north is the last stronghold. We don't have a choice. We hold it, or they wipe us out."

Lena nodded, her jaw tight. She didn't have the luxury of asking questions, not anymore. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and turned to the soldiers, who stood at attention, their faces drawn but determined.

"Positions!" Shaw shouted, rallying them. "Hold the gate at all costs. No matter what, we can't let them through. This is our last stand. The last chance we have."

The soldiers nodded, their weapons clicking into place, their boots heavy on the cracked earth. Lena could feel the weight of their gazes on her—expectant, waiting for her to lead them, to be the spark that would ignite their defiance.

For a moment, Lena didn't move. The enormity of the situation hit her hard. They were up against the full might of the Uth'er Dan—a race of invaders who had already decimated entire worlds. And here she was, a former miner, tasked with leading the charge in a battle she knew they couldn't win. But there was no room for doubt now. The enemy was here, and if they didn't fight, if they didn't resist, then all would be lost. There was nothing left to do but make the last stand, and whatever came after would come.

"Let's make sure they remember what it means to mess with humanity," Lena muttered under her breath, more to herself than anyone else.

The sound of engines whirring in the distance cut through the air, followed by a terrifying shriek as one of the Uth'er Dan's assault ships soared overhead, its massive wings cutting through the sky like the claws of some ancient predator. Lena's heart skipped a beat. The invasion had begun.

"Positions!" Shaw barked again, this time more forcefully. He turned to Lena. "You're with me. Let's hold this gate until we can't hold anymore."

Lena nodded and followed Shaw to the front, where the thick steel doors of the gate had been reinforced with metal plating, though it looked like it would do little against the oncoming storm. The soldiers had already set up makeshift barricades, and machine gun turrets hummed ominously, their barrels pointing toward the horizon.

The ground beneath their feet trembled again. This time, the shockwave was more intense, rattling the gate's frame. From the corner of her eye, Lena saw the first wave of Uth'er Dan infantry—dozens of them, their insect-like bodies crawling across the cracked earth with terrifying speed, their long, segmented limbs digging into the ground with mechanical precision.

"Fire!" Shaw shouted, and the silence that had once enveloped them shattered in an instant. The crack of pulse rifles, the whine of energy bolts, and the deafening roar of machine guns filled the air. The first wave of Uth'er Dan fell, their bodies twitching with unnatural movement as the energy pulses tore through their armor. But more kept coming—hundreds of them, streaming forward from the shadow of their ships, advancing relentlessly.

Lena raised her pulse rifle, her hands steady despite the chaos unfolding around her. She squeezed the trigger, sending a burst of charged energy into the approaching swarm. The first creature dropped, its hide scorched and smoking. But then another, and another, took its place. The wave was endless.

She fired again, her aim true, but the barrage of Uth'er Dan forces was overwhelming. For every one they took down, two more replaced it. And as they approached, their insectoid bodies clattered against the earth with a grinding sound that sent a chill down her spine.

"Shaw!" Lena shouted over the deafening gunfire. "This isn't going to hold! We need reinforcements, now!"

But the look in Shaw's eyes told her everything she needed to know. There would be no reinforcements. The rest of the fleet had already been overrun, their ships scattered and lost. They were on their own.

"We hold," Shaw said simply, his eyes cold and resolute. "We fight until the end."

The northern gate trembled as a massive impact shook it, the sound of metal groaning under the weight of the assault. Lena's heart raced. It was now or never. They could either die trying, or they could die with the knowledge that they had fought for every inch of the life they had once built.

Lena took a deep breath, tightening her grip on her rifle, and readied herself for the battle that would be the last thing she ever fought for.

We fight