"Contact"

I woke abruptly to Ryan's urgent cry over the comms, "Contact!"

We had not managed much sleep, and I did not need sleep. It was comfort and boredom more than anything.

That single word sliced through the night's calm like a knife, instantly dispelling the fog of uncertainty and sloth that clung to my mind.

Sprite: Unknown assailants. Unknown numbers. Aquatic or Amphibious.

Keep me informed. Can you give me a pick-me-up?

Sprite: I thought you didn't like it when I altered your ….

Shut it. Just stim me. No time for coffee.

Because I was expecting it, I felt the energy surge from whatever Sprite did. God Bless her. Those auto-stim injectors were a godsend. I still preferred a quiet, relaxing coffee, but the cocktail of StimEnergy was an excellent instant pick-me-up. They were expensive and dangerous if used regularly but perfect in an emergency.

In an instant, I was on my feet, my heart racing, adrenaline pumping through my veins as I reached for my energy rifle. It was a standard legion kit. Nope, not tonight. I sent it back to my Inventory and summoned my pair of Flintlocks. The familiar weight of the weapon in my hands sent a rush of clarity and focus that cleared the last vestiges of whatever malaise was sitting on my mind. I was out of my tent thirty seconds after the call had gone out.

The night around our beach encampment was dark. The alien moons were a sliver of light in the vast sky, barely touching the edges of our concealed position with their dark blue-silver glow. They sent a shiver of fear and reinforced just how far from home we were.

The air was heavy with the scent of not quite salt from the ocean, mixed with the charged tang of the energy matrix concealing the walls from prying eyes. Damn, this was supposed to be a quiet night so we could get back on mission, but from the tension in Ryan's voice, I knew it was going to be anything but.

Sprite: Information, defence, scouting. The military protocol would be to get Ryan's report and then have everyone report in.

"Ryan, report!" I bark into the comms. I needed to step up; I was supposed to be the leader. My voice is too steady despite the pounding of my heart.

I sprinted towards Ryan's position, the sand slightly wet and giving under my boots. Dallas and Cory were on my heels, behind me, weapons ready, while Phillip and Jamie quickly checked our defences. They all had Legion regulation rifles, the Fulminata Gladius, something like Energy Sword. The stupid Translator database and stupid Roman names were still driving me nuts.

"Peremeter breech and multiple lifeforms incoming from the ocean. The water was masking their thermal profile from our long-range sensors. Marking in the AI, your HUDs should pick them up."

A sudden, violent splash from the water's edge drew our attention, breaking the night's deceptive quiet. Thanks to Sprite, I already had a marker in my HUD, but despite My Enhanced Perception, I still could not see anything.

My shield engaged with a thought, and a shimmering cocoon of energy wrapped around me as I raised my Flintlock. Its targeting system was scanning the darkness for threats. We were behind our defensive walls, which had reduced integrity to maximise their stealth profile.

"Watch personal shield energy. All back recharge at 30%, call it, and reengage when they are back past 70%." Dallas sounded much calmer and collected than I felt.

I put my helmet on. I think they were called Cassis. They provided better sensors and extra energy. Through the enhanced vision of my helmet's sensors, I spotted it—an alien lifeform emerging from the sea, its dark scales catching the light, making it a moving shadow against the water. It was massive and clearly predatory, unlike any creature I'd encountered, reptilian or a scaled mammal, and it was heading straight for us.

Identification: Offline. Error. Upgrade Required for full integration.

I felt the pain and distraction from the skill engaging. Crap. Not now.

Shit, Sprite, can you stop my skills from pining off automatically. I can't deal with the headache in the middle of battle. Crap, just feed other people's identification failures to my HUD.

Sprite: OK.

"Engage with caution," I ordered, the squad forming around me, weapons trained on the approaching threat. The auto-turrets come alive, their AI targeting the alien with deadly precision, filling the night with the sound of energy fire. It was Aliens and Star Wars. Laser-like beams of energy and auto-turrets. If I had time, I'd be geeking out and watching the display of firepower.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

A drone flew over the swell with a large flood light, illuminating the shallows and beach before us.

Ryan was already engaging, his figure outlined by the flashes from his rifle—the blue flash of energy that was not quite a laser but super cool. I admired his courage, standing firm and acting decisively in the face of the unknown. It showed the difference between training and experience.

That was what made him and made all of us who we are—soldiers in the truest sense, ready to face whatever comes out of the dark.

I understood the training - everything, Rufas and his total BS and then Xarius and his exacting process, coalesced now. Rather than waiting for Xar, I could see where we all fit. I knew my position was temporary and a bit of a figurehead, but I would do my best to keep us all alive.

Sprite: Concentrate fire, Target eyes, head, and torso.

Phillip was one of the better shots so that he would be our precision shooter.

"Phillip, snipe eyes, Head and Torso. No skills until we have a baseline." I called out.

As we opened fire, the creature roared, opening its mouth, a sphincter-like hole in its head. The sound waves vibrated through the ground, a primal sound of rage and pain. The shock wave they made was visible as it passed over the sea and sand.

Sonic Feedback Loop: Confusion 2secs. (-2 Secs Mitigated).

I felt the effects of the skill, slowing my thoughts, but luckily, Sprite could coordinate and override my sluggish thinking for the duration.

Sprite: I can't keep that up. It takes way too much energy and concentration. I'd do 5 seconds max before I had no reserves. I'll be good in 10.

Our shots sent bright pulses that lit up the night, energy blasts meeting thick scale and muscle. It was a testament to our training and enhancements that we didn't falter, even as the beast charged.

We did not use skills until we had their measure. Using all our big-shot skills on our first contact would be pointless.

"Incoming!" Jamie's warning was almost unnecessary. We could all see another creature, a slightly different yet still massive form, hurtling towards us with incredible speed. We spread out, a practised maneuver that gave us all a clear shot without risking crossfire.

Shit. Training works. I needed more. I was definitely the weakest link despite my stats and skills. I was not as practised and precise as the rest of the team, who knew instinctively where they needed to be. It took me time to coordinate with them.

The aliens were upon us now, and the fight became a blur of motion and light. My pistols became an extension of my body as each shot was aimed precisely, born from countless hours of training. Well, it seemed countless. Again, despite being a total dick and traitor, Rufas had done me some good with his rat bastard methods.

The firing stopped as it got too close. Dallas dropped his Fulminata and pulled his pilum, the short javelin, from his Inventory.

There was a huge difference between my booming shots of destruction and the rapid, precise shots of the team. Again, with them, it was training and practice, which I was sorely lacking. This made it evident that despite my position in the team, I was not really part of it.

The creature's roars filled the air, a sound of fury and defiance that sent shivers down my spine. But there was no room for fear here, only action; I fell into my routine of fighting; this time, I was keeping a bit safer as I didn't have active skills to rely on.

Dallas moved, and the team fired as he cleared their lines. Stab, fall back with the team firing as one, a dance of death.

The first creature fell, and I put two more shots into it, calling reload as I switched energy packs.

I wasn't sure if it was dead, as I didn't receive any notifications.

No notifications, what's going on? Why not?

Sprite: We will get them when we connect back to the system and verify them. There might be a local way to manage that, but you would not receive compatible rewards. There is not enough System Presence to manage loot or energy transfers for experience.

The second creature fell shortly afterwards, yet before we could move in to examine the corpses, Dallas called out, "Incoming". I

It was another wave.

I felt excitement and dread as I saw three more creatures approaching through the surf. I still had not had a good look at them; their features were dark and indistinct, and they were difficult to make out in the chaotic lighting, shadows from the drone, and flashes of light from our weapons.

"Concentrate on Left to Right. Bring them down one at a time. Luke, you are with me to hold them off." Dallas started moving forward.

"Shit what?"

"Worst shot and most likely to survive friendly fire."

I laughed, "Fair enough." I stepped up and grabbed my monofilament blade."

"Nice Legion gear. The standard issue?" Dallas smiled with a hint of disappointment.

"I'll…" I got no further as we engaged the next three. The beach became a kill zone, and we took them down quickly.

Soon, four rushed up out of the deeps, and it continued.

Sprite: This feels like it is running almost like a preprogrammed core gone wrong, with waves of similar creatures with no real coordination. I would bet they are summoned rather than naturally occurring.

Like a dungeon overflow?

Sprite: Not quite, but close enough.

So we just have to fight through the waves.

Sprite: Looks like it.

It was a familiar feeling. I was in the zone of attack and defence, yet there was a disconnect this time. It was not a direct challenge, and at no stage did I feel real fear. Not that there was no danger, yet my squad didn't have my Tier or Stat advantages, yet there was a definite imbalance. Training and skills were being deployed to counter anything these unknown beasts threw at us. They had two sonic attacks and, if they got close, a grapple and entangle ability. After I broke it the first time, we didn't let them get close, concentrating fire to bring them down.

As the battle raged, I realised I didn't have what it took to be a commander or part of a team. It was not just about giving orders or making decisions. There was a lot of it, but it was also about standing with your squad, fighting the same fight, sharing the same risks, and making the call to keep going into danger.

Tonight, we faced the unknown together, and I knew we'd face it as one, whatever happens. Yet somehow, I felt that I had lost more than I had gained.