As Xavier stepped inside the academy, he felt the weight of the building close in on him. All around were signs of fighting. The flickering light of a damaged glow-globe showed evidence of laser fire. Walls were singed black where stray shots had struck, whilst he stumbled across bodies bearing gaping wounds scattered throughout. Xavier fought down the urge to vomit as his senses were assaulted by the sight and smell of death that began to stain the air. It seemed inconceivable to him that these bodies were once the same living, breathing people he had walked past daily. He tried his hardest not to imagine the fear and pain they must have felt. The whole scene was like something out of a nightmare and Xavier fought the urge to turn and run.

He locked his eyes to Isais. If the bodies bothered the hardened soldier in any way, he didn’t show it.

Weighing Alau’s pistol in his hand, Xavier gripped it tighter, trying not to picture the way her hand would hold it during weapons training. His heart ached, deep and awful. It was a simple blaster, he told himself. Just a blaster. Useless at distance but up close it could kill just as well as any other weapon. Xavier vowed once more that before the night was over, he would use the weapon.

As they pushed further into the academy, his horror turned to disappointment. He wanted to come across a group of Vruhr, desperate to inflict some small measure of justice upon them. Every dead body they came across only strengthened his need further. They walked past classrooms, tables, and chairs upturned. Slowly but surely, they approached Xavier’s own training room. He stopped in his tracks and hesitated. With a shaking breath, he stepped forward.

Desks and chairs had been pushed against the door in a feeble attempt at a barricade. The door had been forced open anyway. Inside there were yet more bodies. Xavier’s disgust was lifted momentarily by the sight of Vruhr fallen amongst them. Even unarmed, his peers had proven worthy of their military training.

He wanted to turn and walk away then. To never see the faces that haunted that room, to never know which of his classmates had lost their lives there. He entered the room. A hand gripped him, and he jumped.

“Your sister’s class?” Isais’ voice was hushed, pressed against his ear.

“Mine,” Xavier replied in a low tone.

“That’s not what we came here for. Let’s go.”

He pulled Xavier back and shut the door to the classroom. Xavier let him, following Isais further into the academy. Of the other three soldiers, he had neither seen nor heard anything. They turned another corner and froze. Standing in the middle of the hallway were a team of Vruhr soldiers and in their midst, being held by two of the creatures, was Paavo.

Xavier’s hands fell to his side and he took an involuntary step back before catching himself. His mouth was suddenly dry, his hands dropped to his side and he merely stared. The Vruhr were taller, up-close. Slim, but powerful. Awe-inspiring and awful in equal measure.

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One of the aliens stepped-forward, moving its hands in small gestures that grew gradually more animated. It took Xavier some moments to realize they were trying to communicate. He looked at Isais, who in turn merely stared wordlessly, his smooth helmet adding to the human leader’s illusion of uncaring.

So it took Xavier completely by surprise when Isais shot at the Vruhr. One moment all was still, an uneasy deadlock, the next Isais’ rifle was raised, and a familiar blue spark was erupting from the end of the weapon. One of the Vruhr holding Paavo fell, whilst in the same moment the human commando threw his head back, his helmet connecting with the face of the second Vruhr holding him. The Vruhr staggered and Paavo twisted again, reaching for the creature’s weapon. Without warning, a great spray of red erupted, covering the walls and the floors.

What happened next seemed to Xavier to happen slowly, as if he were viewing it from a dream. Paavo’s body fell to the floor, the pulsing blade that had ruptured his chest was pulled back by a Vruhr soldier, its black armor splattered with blood. From somewhere else there was a shout and Xavier saw Ladislav appear. A huge hand grabbed one of the Vruhr as Ladislav rammed his own blade through its plated back. Dropping his blade, he pulled a pistol and fired into the remaining aliens. Many of them spun to meet the new threat, but many more fired at Xavier and Isais.

Xavier rolled to the floor, watching in horror as a dozen laser bolts sped towards him. A blue ripple lit up the hallway and the laser beams dissipated. Xavier blinked. Another wave of shots struck at the invisible barrier.

“Get back! The shield won’t hold much more!” A voice shouted from somewhere behind him.

At that, a Vruhr leaped at him. Throwing himself to his feet, Xavier ran in close to his enemy, throwing a fist which the Vruhr dodged easily before lunging at him. Xavier was thrown to the floor, the pistol spun from his grip. He rolled again, narrowly avoiding the Vruhr’s laser fire. Bursting to his feet he shoulder-charged the alien. Wrapping his arms around its waist, he felt the aftershock of the Vruhr’s body hammering into the wall of the corridor. It rained blows down on his back, the butt of its rifle caught him a blow behind the ear and he staggered, his grip falling away. He righted himself, found his gaze inches from that of the taller creature, the noise, and the blood all around fading into the background. Xavier knew then that he was to die. With visions of Alau and his dead friends clouding his mind, Xavier lunged again.

Somebody shouted. He thought he heard his name. The Vruhr’s fist struck him. A fresh pain exploded in his face, then another in his stomach. He blinked away tears and swung, the Vruhr staggered back and raised its rifle. Xavier squeezed shut his eyes, but a loud noise accompanied an explosion and he was knocked backward. He hit the floor hard, rolled and opened his eyes to take in the devastation the grenade had caused. More Vruhr lay dead or dying, their silence even in the throes of death far more chilling than any scream. Arching his neck, Xavier saw his pistol and he reached for it. Rising to one knee, he sighted the Vruhr with the pistol’s barrel.

It was then that a second light struck, far brighter than that of the grenades. Almost immediately after came the roaring sound and intense heat. A great pain tore through his body, and then he was being flung backward. His back struck against something hard and the wind rushed from his lungs Something heavy scrambled at his shoulder and he lashed out in panic, just as the floor beneath his feet disappeared.