"Shit” The commander cursed loudly, turning towards the rest of the group.

“Piernov! Get your ass up here!”

The group roused awake slowly, tired eyes opening to the shouts of the commander. Dick was first to get up, groaning something fierce, kicking at Bill to wake up. Piernov was next, stumbling his way up to the commander.

“What do you see Piernov?” The commander asked, and Piernov rubbed the sleep from his eyes, doing his best to focus on the dark shapes in the distance, dust clouding the back of the shapes.

“I see aliens. I think”

“You think? You got to know Piernov, we dont have time”

“Sorry sir.. But they look, like.. Small humans?”

“Humans?” The commander asked, his eyes narrowing at the distant dark shapes. He stayed silent as the rest of the group moved up, their guns cocked and ready, aiming it down the rails. Rick was staying behind with Chris, talking about something, eyes fixed on the backs of the group.

Suddenly, the commander spoke up with a fast tone.

“Is their skin almost shiny? Is their mouth huge and do their hands look like big claws?”

Jimmie leaned over the rail, narrowing his eyes, staring intently. Seconds later, they opened up as he said.

“Yes sir, and it looks like they have a tail just as huge as their bodies.”

“Fuck! What the fuck is the Kivats doing here? How the fuck is there Kivats in this sector”

The commander yelled, kicking at the side of the alien ship. Jimmie looked sideways at the commander, surprised by the sudden outburst. Rick then yelled out from behind.

“What’s a Kivat?”

“Fucking psychos! They don’t care about anything but bloodshed, and this must be their fucking ship. FUCK!”

The group looked worriedly towards the commander. Bill set up his gun on the railing, glancing sideways at the commander. The commander continued kicking the side of the ship until he suddenly stopped, raising his hand lighting fast and yelling out.

“Command, command, we reque- we need immediate evac, over.”

And then stood silent; the group stood silent. Jimmie took his eyes away from the commander, aiming down his sight at the distant shapes. Calculating the distance to be about five kilometers, the distance closing. Jimmie could probably hit from here, it would be a hard shot.

The commander nodded into the radio, then suddenly screamed, tearing at his earpiece and throwing it away from the alien ship. Cursing loudly.

“FUCK FUCK FUUUCK! Fucking command! Fuck, it should be impossible for their to be three races fighting in one sector. But FOUR?! What the fuck have we gotten ourself into” He breathed heavily, his head hung low, his cursing going up in a crescendo, only to fall down into a silent murmur.

Dick looked worried for a moment, but quickly turned to Piernov, asking.

“How far away?”

Piernov looked away from the commander and towards Dick, opening his mouth, but getting interupted by Jimmie.

“About five kilometers, four and a half in maybe fifteen minutes” Jimmie answered for Piernov, taking Dick’s attention, and getting a nod in response.

“How many?” Dick asked while looking around.

Jimmie kept his eye down the sight, trying to count the numbers, but the darkness and sheer force of mass made it difficult.

“Five hundred and sixty-seven from what I can see. There might be some hiding behind others” Piernov responded in Jimmie’s stead, eyes glancing over at Dick.

“Five hundred!” Bill shouted exasperated, eyes practically popping out of his skull. “What the fuck are we supposed to do against that many?”

Dick turned to him, then to the commander, asking with a neutral tone.

“Sir, our orders?”

Those words seemed to take the commander out of his stupor, his head slowly gazing up to Dick, then out at the enemy moving towards the group. He pondered for a moment, then spoke.

“I-we... We either run, risking getting shot out in the open, or we stay and fight.”

He looked around sheepishly, looking quiet unsure of himself, looking troubled. Jimmie glanced to him, and felt. Pity, which surprised Jimmie. The commander then stopped as his eyes, met Dick and said.

“We-we do a vote. Those who want to fight says yes, those who doesn’t says no-“

But before the commander could finish, Rick yelled out.

“Sir, we won't make it with Chris! We have to stand and fight”

The commander froze, mouth opened as he looked towards Rick. Rick looked back, eyes pleading. The group turned from Rick, to looking back at the commander, waiting for his answer.

None ever came.

The group just silently watching him, watching him look around nervously with his eyes.

Until Jimmie spoke up.

“I’ll stay behind, keep them busy while you escape.”

The group turned in unison towards Jimmie, something that looked a bit funny to him as he smiled slightly. He noticed that Chris mouthed a soundless “no”, looking worried. Rick seemed shocked, a face full of confusion. Bill seemed equally shocked while Piernov didn’t really react. Dick’s eyes narrowed, brows furrowing and lips curling down as he asked.

“Why?”‘

And Jimmie tilted his head, as he had to think about that. Yeah, why did he say that?

His eyes wandered to Chris, his smile still stuck on his lips.

“I got a debt to repay”

Dick glanced over at Chris, then quickly back to Jimmie, his face still looking angry. But before he could speak, the commander said with a shivering voice.

“You would do that?”

Jimmie looked over at the commander, a shivering wreck, a shell of a man, scared out of his mind. And Jimmie felt pity, he recognised that fear.

Jimmie nodded.

The commander's eye’s lit up, a spark coming back to him as he spoke up.

“You heard him, leave as much ammo and grenades as you can. Rick and Bill, you carry Chris. Bill leave your gun to Jimmie, you too Rick. Piernov and Dick, we three take the rear guard, if any aliens get past Jimmie, we shoot them, covering our escape.”

He then turned back to Jimmie, his voice growing a little dimmer.

“Thanks.” Then quickly shouting out. “Go go go! We have to hurry to have a chance!”

The group still stood still for a moment, but was shaken from their daze as the commander hurried to action. Bill and Rick grabbing Chris stretcher while leaving their guns and ammo where they stood. Chris croaked out “no” and “you can't”, but his voice was still weak and it didn’t carry. Piernov emptied his mag while the commander did the same.

But Dick stood still, staring at Jimmie with his narrowed expression. Jimmie looked back, his smile faded. Then Dick said.

“You’ll die”

“I dont fear death” Jimmie answered quickly, Dick asking, sounding like he wanted to hear the answer.

“What do you fear”

Jimmie had to pause at that, everyone running around in controlled chaos. Until the commander stopped and asked Dick.

“Dick, come on!”

But Dick didn’t look, he simply stared at Jimmie, waiting for his answer.

Jimmie thought, thought back on his life.

And he came to a conclusion.

“I fear, I fear to have never done anything, to have lived my life weak”

Dick narrowed his eyes even further.

“And what’s weak to you”

To which Jimmie smiled.

“To have never fought for those I call, friends”

And Dick’s eyes opened wide, he kept silent for a moment; the commander shouting at Dick, but the words just going through one ear and out the other.

Then he smiled too, and said.

“I’m staying too, someone’s gotta keep you company.”

Bill and the commander screamed out in unison.

“No!” Followed up by Bill saying. “If you are, so am I”

But Dick quickly retorted.

“I am, and no, you’re not Bill. You're the strongest of us, you got to carry Chris”. Dick held his eyes firmly on Bill, then slowly, moved to the commander.

“Go. And make sure to cover up the stairs as you go. We don’t want them swarming us too quickly”

He said with a slight chuckle, no one joining him, only getting deathly stares. But as the seconds ticked by, Dick grew silent, then angry as he screamed.

“Fucking go! Your going to kill Chris if you stay here”

Which made them move, slowly at first, glancing back in hopes that he’d join up. But quickly after noticing that he wouldn’t, making sure to bring any spare debris they could find to block off as much of the staircase as they could.

Jimmie looked out over their battlement, then out into the darkness, seeing the distant aliens moving closer. Being about four and a half kilometers away. Jimmie then felt Dick leaning in next to him, and Jimmie asked.

“Do you think they’ll get away?”

Dick didn’t look to Jimmie, but smiled nonetheless.

“Of course they will. We’ll make sure to give the aliens a light show they’ll never want to leave”

Jimmie chuckled for a moment, then laughed loudly, joined in by Dick.

The two eventually stopped, letting the silence take over. Jimmie let it linger, then whispered.

“Thanks Dick.”

And Dick turned to Jimmie with a wide smile, saying.

“I got you. You know, I’ve believed in you since day one”

Jimmie glanced over at Dick, one brow raised in surprise, then asked.

“I thought you hated me”

“That I did, but you know... You reminded me of my son” Then went silent, his smile slowly fading. Jimmie stopped looking, staring back out at the distant aliens.

“You know Jimmie, I hope this doesn’t sound cheesy, but... I’m proud of you.” He glanced over at Jimmie, seeing Jimmie looking out into the darkness.

The two going silent again. And Dick followed his eyes, staring out at the night sky. Filled to the brim with stars, distant explosions and the colour of emptiness.

The two stared up, maybe for their last time.

And time continued on. On its everlasting journey.

The aliens were closing in, Jimmie and Dick shook themselves from thought, going to their respective weapons. Dick choosing Bill’s heavy gun, placing his rifle near his feet. And Jimmie going to the middle of the ship, placing Rick’s rifle by his feet, and his own on the railing. Peeking down at the pile of ammo by his feet.

And as they stood by their respective weapons, meters apart. Jimmie spoke up, eyes looking down his sight.

“Dick, you were right about lonewolfs”

Dick was poking at his own scope, measuring the distance as he looked down it, and responded.

“Right on what?” Jimmie smiled at the question, answering.

“A lonewolf might be strong, but adding that strength to a group will make the group capable of anything.”

Dick smiled while he looked down his sight.

“Nice to hear Jimmie. Now focus, I’ll take the aliens that tries to go around, you just kill anything that comes close.” Then he looked up, up at Jimmie, meeting his eyes as they looked at each other.

“Dont shoot unless I say so, we want to give the aliens a chance at least.”

And Jimmie smiled, then laughed, joined in by Dick.