I am a foot soldier in a war against an alien race. This is my story.

Read Part one here

Read Part two here

Read Part three here

This is a message to the citizens of the planet Earth. I am speaking to all races and creeds, to the people of all nations and religions. Our petty differences and disputes – they mean nothing now. We must unite under a common cause or face the prospect of annihilation.
My name is Jamie Wallace and I am a soldier in an inter-galactic war which our Earth based governments have gone to extraordinary lengths to hide from the public. Well, I’m here to tell you the truth…your leaders have been lying to you all for decades, and they are not keeping you safe.

My story is one shared by countless thousands – an invisible army of tortured survivors thrust into a bloody war we never asked for, against an enemy we didn’t know existed. But despite all the horrors I’ve been through, I am one of the lucky ones.

After my abduction I was thrown into the midst of a prisoner uprising – a rebellion which saved me from hideous torture and a violent death. But it was a case of ‘out of the pot and into the fire’ as I joined a mob of desperate prisoners and fought back against our alien captors – a monstrous and sadistic reptilian race known as the Astri.

Our rebellion was successful as we fought and killed the entire ship’s crew of Astri soldiers and torturers before taking control of the bridge. But victory came at a high price as dozens of human and alien prisoners died during the battle, including our leaders – a long-suffering but philosophical human called Gideon and his mysterious alien friend named Abel.

Unfortunately, these two were the only ones who knew how to pilot the Astri ship and so we survivors were left stranded in deep space, having transmitted a desperate SOS message we didn’t think anyone would ever receive.

The next few days were a time of fear and desperation as we split the survivors into two groups – one of which tried in vain to operate the baffling Astri ship’s controls, a task that proved to be impossible due to our limited understanding of their advanced technology. Meanwhile, the second group were tasked with exploring the huge Astri slave ship to find the food and water we needed to keep our band alive.

Natasha and I were assigned to this second group. We’d first met during the madness of the uprising onboard the slave ship. She’d saved my life and we’d fought side-by-side, developing a close bond in the process.

Natasha was a brave young woman, no doubt about it. She’d fought and survived against the odds, but Natasha had been the Astri’s prisoner for several months before the rebellion and had suffered unspeakable physical and psychological torture at their hands.

The horrors she’d suffered through had changed Natasha. She’d developed a deep-seated hatred of the Astri and wanted to see their entire race wiped out. I could understand where her anger came from but it scared me to see how far she had fallen.

Unfortunately, our exploration of the huge Astri transport ship only exacerbated her anger as well as my own, as we discovered yet more evidence of Astri atrocities. Within the dark, winding corridors and multiple torture chambers we found many more victims – some human and others being members of various alien races.

Some of those were already dead – strapped to metal gurneys, their ribcages cut open and internal organs removed. Natasha grimly told me how the Astri liked to perform unnecessary surgery upon their captives without using anaesthetic.

Other victims had been mutilated in equally horrific ways, their heads and limbs removed with surgical precision. Sometimes their dismembered corpses had been carefully stitched together in grotesque displays – ‘Astri art’ is what Natasha called it.

But worse still were the living victims, those on the edge of death who had been purposefully kept alive by the Astri to prolong their torture. We saw human beings who were barely recognisable as such – their bodies desecrated and mutilated in ways I could never have imagined.

I witnessed heads severed from their bodies, the brains still functioning as eyes filled with madness scanned the room. They tried to scream but could not, as their tongues had been removed or their mouths stitched shut. But the Astri’s ghoulish experiments didn’t end there.

As we explored deeper into the guts of the spaceship, Natasha and I bore witness to fresh horrors – abominations resulting from the enemy’s twisted science…human bodies chopped up and stitched back together with those of alien species. These poor wretches clung to life but had no understanding of what had been done to them, screaming in horror and unimaginable agony when we found them.

There was only thing we could do for these torture victims – put them out of their misery. We went from cell to cell, firing bullets into the heads of those who begged for death – the final relief from their tortuous existence.

By the time it was over we were both sickened but also seething with anger. If I had a living Astri before me in that moment I would have gladly inflicted torture and violence upon it, making it suffer as I sought vengeance on behalf of their many victims.

We found sufficient supplies to keep our party alive. But – although we had sufficient food and water – we had no idea how long the power and life support systems would last, and so every hour that passed was marked by an almost unbearable tension.

But then, after several days adrift in deep space, we saw a needle-shaped ship appearing upon the monitors in the bridge, the control panels suddenly coming to life as the ship’s sensors detected the incoming vessel.

I vividly recall the look of cold terror in Natasha’s eyes as we watched the smaller ship dock with ours. You must understand that we had no idea who was aboard the spaceship and suspected it was an Astri vessel bringing an assault force to reclaim their property and punish us – the rebel hijackers.

Natasha clutched a tight hold of her pistol, the fear behind her eyes replaced by a stern defiance as she turned to me to give her orders, a fiery intensity entering her voice as she spoke.

“If it’s the Astri we’ll fight them to the last man…But promise me this Jamie. If the bastards are going to overwhelm us – just put a bullet in my head. I’m not going back to the cages. Never again.”

I looked into her intense eyes and knew that she meant it, and frankly I couldn’t blame her. I made no effort to talk Natasha out of her desperate plan, instead merely nodding my head in the affirmative.

Within minutes we’d mobilised all of our ramshackle army, hastily building barricades in the docking bay and arming ourselves with salvaged Astri weapons as we waited for the interlopers to come.

I felt a rush of adrenaline as the mystery ship docked with a heavy metallic clunk. Moments later and the airlock was sealed before the shutter door slowly slid open. I kept my finger poised on the trigger, ready for whatever horror emerged from the other side.

I think we all expected a squad of Astri shock troopers to burst through the breach. I’m just relieved that no-one got trigger happy and opened fire prematurely, because the single being that emerged from the airlock was not an Astri, far from it.

The figure that stepped out was not a human, but nor was it a red-scaled reptilian which would have marked it out as an enemy. The being was humanoid – tall, slim and standing about seven foot tall. His skin was pale and entirely hairless, although he wore dark robes to cover his elongated body. His egg-shaped head held two large and dark eyes which surveyed us all with fearless curiosity. When his slit mouth opened he spoke to us in a song-like voice and somehow we all understood his words without the need for a translator.

“Citizens of Earth, I come in peace.” he said whilst raising his four fingered hands in a passive gesture. “My name is Uriel and I am a representative of the Galactic Confederation. I am unarmed and come to you as a friend.”

Natasha and I glanced at each other, sharing a look as we considered our next action. It was possible that this was a trick but I didn’t believe so. The being before us appeared peaceful and genuine as so I decided to trust him.

Slowly and carefully, I lowered my weapon before ordering my comrades to do the same. Natasha looked reluctant to comply, her finger still on the trigger and a fiery intensity remaining present in her dark eyes. I had to repeat my order and shoot her a stern look before she eventually complied.

The alien who’d introduced himself as Uriel shaped his slit-like mouth into what might have been a smile before saying – “My new friends, I cordially invite you onboard our ship where we will provide you with subsistence and medical attention. After your people are rested, we can discuss our next steps.”

There was still some reluctance amongst our number and so I led the way, holstering my weapon and walking forward towards the strange being, smiling as I greeted my saviour and entered into a new alliance.

Our rescuers were good to their word and provided us with fresh clothes and food tailored to our needs, allowing us time to rest and wash and providing medical assistance to any who needed it. The interior of their spaceship was in stark contrast to the Astri’s. Instead of dark, featureless twisting corridors we were treated to aesthetically pleasing colours and light, and instead of torture chambers and cells we were greeted with comfortable cabins and friendly aliens of various species working in unison for a common cause. This was the Galactic Confederation, the antidote to the cruel and twisted Empire of the Astri.

Natasha and I were recognised as the leaders of our small party and were invited to a meeting in what looked like a conference room located in the guts of the ship, sitting around a circular table with an assortment of exotic and bizarre aliens.

The being called Uriel was present and seemed to be chairing the meeting, but he was the only one present from his species. The rest of the motley crew included a werewolf-like creature with six eyes from the same race I’d encountered during the rebellion. Beside the wolfman sat a small and stumpy being covered in thick brown hair and with wide, wandering eyes. And most bizarre of all was a black eel-like creature contained within a six-foot-long exoskeleton as presumably it could not survive outside of its natural aquatic environment.
Our alien hosts supplied us with electronic devices which we inserted into our ears, allowing us to understand what was being said and communicate with our new allies. Uriel opened the discussion by welcoming Natasha and I whilst congratulating us on our victory onboard the Astri spaceship.

“Your successful rebellion has struck a blow against the enemy, but it has not significantly reduced their capacity to operate inside your solar system. The problem is here…”

He tapped his long fingers on a control panel to reveal a holographic display in the centre of the table. Suddenly I saw a representation of a gas giant which I recognised as being Jupiter and noted the smaller rocky satellites orbiting the planet which were surely its moons.

Uriel zoomed in on one moon in particular – a rock which should have been uninhabited, but when the image sharpened I noted the ugly metal structure built into the moon’s surface.
“The Astri’s Alpha Facility – their forward operating base for this system, located upon the moon that the Earthlings call Europa. Recently we deployed a substantial flotilla in an attempt to destroy this base, but the Astri detected our assault and deployed countermeasures to destroy our fleet in orbit.

We understand that the Earth-based governments also made an attempt against the base, using a diplomatic mission as cover for a biological attack. This operation also ended in failure and the human leaders on Earth have since submitted to the Astri pirates, providing tribute to the enemy by handing over their own citizens for mutilation and murder.”

My jaw dropped as Natasha and I shared a look of shock and disgust. We’d heard rumours of government complicity in the Astri atrocities, but now the awful truth had been revealed.
“It is clear that another conventional attack will not succeed.” Uriel continued, “Therefore, we must resort to unconventional tactics.”

The holographic image suddenly changed, showing what I guessed was a 3-D image of the base’s interior, revealing elevators, tunnels and chambers deep below the moon’s surface.
“Our allies have taken considerable risks to bring us these schematics. We have identified the command centre which co-ordinates the base’s orbital defence systems. If we neutralise this system we will be able to attack the facility from deep space with impunity.”

He paused to zoom in, focussing upon a chamber located deep below the ground.
“This is our target. It cannot be hit from orbit, but we have a secret weapon which the Astri cannot defend against – teleportation.”

The image showed a group suddenly materialise deep inside of the base and behind enemy lines.
“We can insert a small assault team here and neutralise the Astri defences, allowing us to carry out our final assault.”

I was just about following the briefing. Talk of teleportation and orbital assault were clearly beyond my understanding, but the basic strategy the alien had described seemed sound. I still had one question however.

“That all sounds good on paper, but why do you need us?” I asked.

Uriel smiled through his slit-like mouth before answering.
“Our assault team will be greatly outnumbered once we teleport into the facility. We have the element of surprise on our side, but our projections predict this will not be sufficient. Therefore, we need a distraction to divert Astri forces away from the control room.
The vast majority of the prisoners held in the base are human. You both have already led a successful prisoner rebellion and can do so again. We’re asking you to set your people free so they can join the fight and defeat our mutual enemy.” The alien paused before continuing. “I realise we’re asking a lot of you, given all you’ve already suffered…”

He didn’t even get a chance to finish his sentence before Natasha interjected.
“We’ll do it.” she said firmly.

I glanced across at my companion in shock, astonished that she’d committed us both to this dangerous mission without even consulting me. But deep down I knew she was right. We were the only ones who could carry out this part of the operation and we had to go in to save our fellow humans. We were soldiers in this war now and there was no turning back.

During the next few days Natasha and I were subjected to intensive training in preparation for the attack. We weren’t exactly novices since I was a combat veteran and Natasha had survived months of abuse in the Astri torture chambers. Nevertheless, we had to learn to use advanced Confederation weapons and how to fight effectively against Astri warriors.
This was done through the use of full immersion VR technology, which literally placed us in a replica of the Astri’s moon base where we had the opportunity to fight scarily realistic digital representations of enemy warriors.

It was after one particularly intense and draining training session when Uriel came to see me, addressing me as I was removing my headset and equipment.

“How is your training progressing?” the alien asked, his large dark eyes focussed upon me with a curious intensity.

“Good.” I repeated, not really knowing what more I could say.

“The attack will commence tomorrow.” Uriel said suddenly, “Our assessments show you are as ready as possible for combat. Unfortunately, there is no effective way to prepare you for teleportation. It is not a pleasant process, but I can assure you that the necessary safety protocols are in place.”

I gulped in dismay, feeling a cold terror run through me as I considered the alien’s words, but I maintained my tough front, replying with typical bravado.
“Well, I’m looking forward to killing a lot of Astri.”

Uriel produced what I believed was a frown before he asked his next question.
“You have hatred for the enemy?”

“Of course!” I shot back in surprise, “Didn’t you see what they did to the prisoners?”

“Yes indeed.” Uriel replied, “We have documented the atrocities committed as evidence against the Astri Empire. Sadly, these are scenes we have witnessed all across the galaxy as we take the fight to the enemy.”

“They’re animals!” I cried, “Worse than animals. Violence is the only language they understand.”

“Yes.” Uriel said thoughtfully, “You were the Astri’s prisoner for only a short space of time, isn’t that right? Your female companion suffered worse at their hands.”

I thought of Natasha and the anger rose up inside of me.
“You can say that again! They tortured her for months, murdered her friends. You would understand if you’d suffered what she had…”

For the first time I noticed a glimmer of emotion in the alien’s eyes before he answered.
“The Astri killed my entire family. They executed them one-by-one and made me watch.”
My jaw dropped. I was astonished by Uriel’s admission and couldn’t find the words to respond.

“Our enemy has carried out many heinous acts and it is easy to succumb to blind hatred as we fight back against them. But have you ever considered the Astri perspective?”

“What the hell do you mean?” I shot back in dismay, “You want me to feel empathy for these blood-thirsty psychopaths?”

“In order to effectively fight the enemy we must first understand them.” Uriel said calmly, “We have learnt much from the few Astri prisoners that have fallen into our hands. Our neural technology has permitted us to monitor their brain waves, to even tap into their memories…”

He nodded at the headset I held in my hands. “If you will indulge me I would like to share one last simulation with you before the mission. I believe you will find the experience helpful in the battle to come.”

I was reluctant to comply given how exhausted I was after the intense training of the past few days. However, I was intrigued and thought that whatever Uriel wanted to show me must be important. And so I nodded my head in the affirmative, putting my headset back on and linking up my equipment before I was thrown into yet another virtual scenario.

I found myself falling, the ground coming at me fast. There was no time to do anything as I rapidly descended from a height, but thankfully thick vegetation broke my fall before I hit the forest floor with a heavy bump. Glaring up through the foliage, I saw a dropship briefly hover in the sky above before it moved on, slowly flying off into the horizon.

I soon realised that I’d fallen from the aircraft – or more accurately I was tossed out like a piece of garbage. My avatar had been dropped into the middle of what looked like a tropical rainforest, but this wasn’t the weirdest part. I looked down at my hands and saw claws, and my torso was covered in red scales.

To my horror I realised Uriel had put me inside an Astri’s body. I’d no idea why he’d done such a thing, but I guessed this was what he wanted to show me. Something else was wrong however. I wasn’t a fully grown Astri like the seven-foot-tall warriors I’d previously fought with. Instead it seemed I was a mere child – not fully developed.

I felt small, vulnerable and frightened. Who would have thought Astri could feel fear? I nervously explored my surroundings, walking forward awkwardly upon stumpy legs. The atmosphere was stifling and the vegetation thick. I heard the harsh buzzing of what I assumed were insects and used my claws to cut through the foliage.

It seemed like I was deep in a jungle but the plants and trees were strange and unfamiliar to me – multi-coloured and potentially deadly. My progress was slow but finally I fought my way out to a clearing. Looking up to the sky above I was astonished to see two suns shining down upon me – one large, the second much smaller. I realised then that I wasn’t on Earth but instead on an alien planet. I wondered whether this was the Astri home world, recalling how they had once lived in a jungle type environment.

I didn’t have much time to ponder this however, as my attention was drawn by movement close to the treeline. I turned around, instinctively on edge as my instincts told me I was in danger. However, I lowered my guard when I saw another Astri child just like me – a red-scaled reptilian with fear in his eyes as he nervously emerged into the clearing.

For a moment I thought I’d found a friend but then I saw the crude spear in his claws, a homemade weapon fashioned from a tree branch with a sharpened end. The Astri youth roared before he charged me, quickly closing the gap as he came at me with his spear.
I reacted on instinct, discovering that my alien avatar had physical attributes well beyond my own. Waiting to the last possible moment, I ducked and avoided my enemy’s thrust, simultaneously slashing out with the large claw on my right foot.

I sliced the Astri across his arm, making the youth squeal in pain, his dark blood falling on the grass below. The other Astri glared back at me, pain and anger in its yellow eyes as it prepared to launch a second attack. But suddenly all hell broke loose as the ground we stood upon began to shake violently before it collapsed completely, throwing me off my feet.
As I lay helpless on the grass I witnessed a hole emerge in the ground in front of me and watched as a huge creature emerged from its subterranean lair. I recoiled in horror at the sight of the monster – a huge spider-like being with a sharp stinger attached to its mighty tail.

I crawled backwards in a frantic attempt to escape but thankfully I wasn’t the beast’s target. Instead, the predator went for the other Astri, striking him before he had a chance to react and burying its stinger deep into his back. I watched in impotent horror as the young Astri screamed and was dragged down into the hole by the monster, still alive and facing what could only be a horrific fate.

I didn’t wait around for the beast to come back for seconds however, soon getting up on my clawed feet and running as fast as my stumpy legs would carry me, heading for what I naively thought was the safety of the forest.

I don’t know how long I ran for but I was exhausted and utterly lost by the time I finally stopped, now finding myself deep in the alien jungle. I looked around and saw a ravine leading down to a narrow river and heard war cries and the sounds of pitched battle.
I should’ve run but confess that I was curious, electing to climb down into the ravine to get a closer look. There I found a scene of bloody anarchy as a dozen or more Astri youngsters fought one another with claws and improvised weapons – stabbing, biting and tearing as they went for the kill.

I noted how all were roughly the same age and size as my avatar. They were also a mix of males and females. Don’t ask me how I could tell the difference but somehow I could. Both sexes were just as vicious as the other however, fighting for their lives as they spilt the blood of their compatriots across the forest floor.

I stood in shocked awe for a time as I watched the bloodbath play out, but I was brought back to reality when a female Astri jumped me from behind, knocking me off my feet. A brutal struggle ensued as she viciously tore at me with her claws and teeth. I felt the pain of each blow and responded in kind, biting deep into her exposed throat, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth as my fangs bit down into tough flesh.

Once I withdrew my teeth I saw the female Astri slowly bleeding to death on the ground, a fatal bite wound in her throat.

Stunned and in shock, I staggered away from the battle and towards a small watering hole running off from the stream – an apparently calm body of water where I hoped to find some respite. I approached the shoreline with the intention of drinking and washing my wounds, but my instincts failed me and I didn’t see the dark shape below the waterline until it was too late.

In an instant, a new horror emerged from the water, grabbing me in its mighty jaws before I could react. Suddenly I was under the surface, teeth biting deep into my torso as my lungs filled with water. I felt the immense pain and thought the beast would rip me in half. Instead, it spun me in the water like a crocodile would do to its prey, and my pain became so great that I lost consciousness.

I awoke some time later, coughing out water from my lungs as I tried to sit up, only to reel in agony. The beast had nearly bitten me in two and I’d lost a lot of blood, but somehow I was still alive and back on the shoreline. But I knew I wasn’t safe.

I heard rustling in the bushes behind me and realised the predator was returning to finish what it had started. Fighting the pain, I prepared to defend myself…but then it all ended.
I gasped for breath, grabbing at the headset and ripping it off my face. Looking down, I searched for wounds on my body only to find I was unharmed. The sweat was pouring from my every pore and my head was pounding. Everything I’d experienced had seemed so real and yet it was merely a simulation.

And when I looked up I saw Uriel watching over me, his black emotionless eyes observing my reactions with cool indifference. I angrily tore the various appendages from my body while confronting my alien companion.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded.

“That was a digital representation of the early memories of a captured Astri warrior.” he replied dispassionately.

“Why did you show me this?” I asked next.

“To help you understand. An Astri upbringing is not an easy one. They are taken from their mothers as soon as they’re able to walk and unceremoniously dumped into the savage jungles where they have to fight tooth and nail to survive. They are not permitted to return to civilisation until they have killed a fellow Astri youth. Only 20 – 30% of Astri children live through this brutal initiation, and this is only the beginning of their induction into a world of pitiless, never-ending violence.”

“My God.” I exclaimed, astonished by the brutal realities of Astri society.

“Please remember this experience when you go into battle.” Uriel continued, “The Astri may well be monsters, but they are also products of their environment. We cannot let hate consume us, otherwise we are no better than they are.”

I nodded my head thoughtfully, finally understanding the message Uriel had so bluntly delivered. The alien had given me much to think about, but my focus had to be on surviving the coming fight.

I can’t even begin to understand the technology used to teleport our team into the enemy base. All I can say is that the process was horrific and isn’t something I ever want to experience again. One moment I was standing in my combat gear and holding my rifle onboard the Confederation ship and suddenly I was engulfed by an all-encompassing light, temporarily blinding me and burning my skin.

But the light and heat didn’t just surround me – it entered me, creeping through my pores and deconstructing my fragile body from the inside out. I screamed in absolute terror as it felt like my flesh was being shredded into a million pieces.

For a moment everything went black, and it was the most terrifying feeling in the universe, because for a time my consciousness existed but my physical body didn’t. I was trapped in the nothingness between point A and point B and for a chilling moment I believed I could be stuck in this hellish limbo forever. But thankfully this didn’t happen.

The process of my re-materialisation was equally horrific, as all my pieces were merged back into one, the light fading as I found myself inside of a dark tunnel. My head was still spinning and I felt the bile rising up my throat. To my shame I vomited all over the metal gangway, keeling over as my whole body shook.

It was Natasha who came to my aid, placing a firm hand on my shoulder before helping me back up to my feet. Adjusting to my surroundings, I saw that our whole assault team had made it through the teleportation process. Our squad was indeed a small one – consisting of Natasha and I, Uriel, a warrior from the werewolf race who we called Axel, and three automated war machines which seemed to do most of the fighting within the Confederation military.

I looked to Uriel and noted how the alien carried no weapon. When I questioned him on this point, his answer was typically philosophical and fatalistic.

“I am a diplomat, not a soldier. I have a role to play in the fight to come. If the enemy take my life, then so be it.”

Our party was split into two, with Uriel leading the group heading for the subterranean control room while Natasha and I followed a single aerial war machine which led us through the twisting tunnels and towards our objective. I looked to Natasha as we ran, noting the dark look behind her eyes and knowing she wanted to inflict brutal vengeance upon the Astri enemy. I saw the hatred in her heart and it terrified me.

We eventually reached the end of the final corridor and waited while our robotic drone forced the door open, revealing a vast chamber on the far side. I was hit by a familiar stench of unwashed bodies and slow, creeping death.

We slowly crept into the chamber, looking up at the masses of human prisoners contained within cages stacked up to the ceiling high above. We stayed in the shadows, praying that we wouldn’t be detected before our task was completed.

The hovering war machine made its way to a control station where it began the process of disabling the security system and releasing the prisoners, while meanwhile Natasha and I kept a lookout.

The attack came like a bolt out of the blue, the Astri guard leaping out at us with a blind fury in its cruel yellow eyes.

He went for Natasha first, thrashing out and knocking her off her feet before she had a chance to shoot. A moment later, the Astri stood over Natasha with its war spear poised against her throat. I reacted on pure instinct, aiming my gun and pulling the trigger.

A barrage of needle-like rounds tore through the red-scaled Astri, almost cutting it into two and throwing its body backwards. I charged forward, reaching out to pull Natasha up.
“Are you okay?” I exclaimed with concern.

“I’m fine.” she replied firmly, “but those bastards will have heard the gunshots. We’re running out of time!”

As if on cue, sirens started to blare and red lights flashed. The base was now on alert but thankfully our robotic guide finished its work and each and every cage door automatically swung open, much to the shock and surprise of the emaciated and tortured prisoners within.
The first brave few emerged, with one thin and heavily scarred naked man walking towards us – a glimmer of hope visible in his bloodshot eyes.

“You’re humans!” he stuttered in near disbelief, “Are you here to rescue us?”

Natasha responded by pulling a knife from her belt and handing it to him.
“You’re going to need to fight for your freedom. Now’s your chance for revenge!”

The freed prisoner smiled through his cracked lips and eagerly accepted the blade. Others soon followed, filing out of their cages one-by-one as they joined the resistance. Just then, a shutter door at the far end of the chamber shot open and two Astri guards emerged, opening fire with their rifles as they came.

Natasha and I returned fire whilst ducking for cover, but the freed prisoners charged forward like a human wave, screaming with a berserker fury as they flung themselves at the two Astri. The guards continued shooting, killing several before they were overwhelmed, stabbed and beaten by dozens of vengeful prisoners who literally ripped their abusers to pieces.

As Natasha and I watched on, we were suddenly shaken by a mighty explosion from below our feet. A moment later we heard Uriel’s monotone voice through our earpieces as he said – “The central command has been neutralised. The Astri’s orbital defences are down. Reinforcements will be with us shortly.”

I looked to Natasha and we shared a smile, and for the first time I truly believed we were going to win this fight.

The reinforcements arrived soon after as Confederation ships entered Jupiter’s orbit and numerous fighting drones were deployed throughout the Astri base. It seemed the enemy were totally unprepared for the attack and they proved unable to defend the base once their security systems were down. There were pockets of resistance as surviving warriors fought frantic battles against the robotic invaders, but their outposts were all gradually overrun.
Meanwhile, Natasha and I led a group of liberated prisoners as we moved deeper into the facility in search of other survivors. Natasha showed a frightening zeal whilst dispatching wounded Astri soldiers, her eyes lighting up as she pumped bullets into their limp bodies. It seemed that her lust for vengeance had consumed her and I began to fear there was no way back for my friend.

And Natasha’s anger only grew as we descended deeper underground, navigating the dark twisting corridors and discovering fresh horrors and further evidence of the enemy’s atrocities.

In one vast chamber we discovered a substantial amphitheatre – a circular arena of seats looking down upon what could only be described as a killing zone, the ground covered in blood and viscera which stood as a lasting reminder of the slaughter which had occurred here. And it got worse.

On the next level down we discovered several artificial habitats containing savage alien beasts. In the first was a crocodile-like predator swimming in a tank of murky green water, greedily feasting upon severed limbs and assorted body parts from its many human victims.
Next, we observed an enclosure from a viewing platform above it, watching in sickened horror as dozens of small spider-like creatures burst through the ribcage of a still living man, feeding on his innards as he screamed in absolute agony and blind terror.

But when Natasha and I reached the bottom level of the hellish facility we found something we never could have anticipated. The room we entered stood in contrast to the bleak and dark metal corridors we’d travelled to get here. Instead of darkness we were confronted by bright lights and white walls, walking into what looked like a hospital ward and noting the incubator-type, transparent cribs lined up in rows of three.

And inside of the incubators were Astri infants – squealing little, red-scaled reptiles staring up at us with their big yellow eyes. I remembered my time in the VR simulation and what Uriel had told me about the Astri youth, saying they were thrust into battle as soon as they were old enough to walk.

But these infants appeared to be newly born, unable to look after themselves and so still needing protection from a hostile universe.

I stood in the doorway, awestruck and taken aback by this latest unexpected development. But Natasha didn’t miss a beat, confidently marching into the room and proceeding to the nearest incubator. Before I got a chance to stop her, the woman lifted her gun and fired a single round, the bullet smashing through the transparent covering and exploding inside the infant’s head, killing it instantly in a horrific and bloody manner.

“Jesus!” I screamed in shocked dismay, “Why the hell did you do that?”

Natasha simply shrugged her shoulders and answered in a matter-of-fact tone. “They’re Astri. Our enemy.”

“But they’re only babies!” I protested, “They’re harmless!”

“They may be babies now, but they’ll grow up to be cold-blooded murderers.” Natasha shot back, “I won’t allow that to happen.”

She moved onto the next crib, raising her gun once again. I heard the high-pitched screams of the Astri infants and couldn’t bear it. As I remembered my time in the simulation I realised that the Astri weren’t born evil. They were made into monsters, and these children could not be blamed for the sins of their fathers.

I slowly raised my own gun, aiming at my companion as I spoke firmly.
“Don’t do it Natasha. Put your gun down and walk away!”

I saw the hurt in her eyes as she glared at me, and I heard the raw anger in her voice as she spoke.
“You damn traitor! It’s either them or us, don’t you understand? This is a war of extermination!”

I doubled down, tightening my grip on the gun as I repeated my order.
“Put the gun down Natasha!”

“Fuck you!” she screamed back.

A second later she fired, killing a second Astri infant. And in an instant she swung around, and I knew I was her next target. I acted on pure instinct, pulling the trigger and feeling the kickback as it fired. The round tore through Natasha’s chest, propelling her body backwards.
I ran forward, reaching out to catch her as she fell, but it was already too late. The spark disappeared from Natasha’s eyes and her life force was extinguished.

I cradled my comrade’s dead body in my arms and was near maddened by the screaming of Astri babies as the tears rolled down my cheeks. And when I looked up I saw the alien Uriel standing in the doorway, a hint of sympathy now apparent in his large black eyes as he observed the bloody scene.

He didn’t utter a word to me. What was there left to say? The battle was over, but had the heavy price we’d paid for victory been worth it? That’s the question I continue to ask myself as I record this message for broadcast.

Nevertheless, I’m here to tell you that the threat few on Earth knew existed has been lifted – for now at least. The Astri’s base on the Europa moon is now in the hands of the Galactic Confederation and therefore the enemy will be unable to abduct human beings for the first time in generations.

Thousands of lives have surely been saved, but the war is far from over. The Astri Empire is still powerful and dangerous, and there is no guarantee that their forces won’t return to our solar system. Denial and complacency are no longer an option in a universe full of deadly threats. And if our governments aren’t prepared for this fight then we’re going to need new leaders.

But this is a matter for the citizens of Earth. I will not be returning to my home planet, not for a long time anyway. My fellow survivors and I have joined the Confederation forces and will continue the fight against the Astri Empire in every corner of the galaxy.

But I will never forget Uriel’s lesson. We will not lower ourselves to their level and we’ll never lose our humanity. There will be no victory parades for our unknown army, not statues or commemorations…but to those listening, please remember us and know that we are fighting and dying for your freedom.

Credit: Traveller

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