Cyprus

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  Recli stormed down the landing ramp, and Cyprus hurried close behind. A six-legged HWND stood stoically behind a row of weathered tents; beside it was the Novawolf M-42 it came with. She frowned as she studied the mech's design. What kind of Hokkonian had four arms?

  Then she spotted the Myrd standing over a human man, their expressions a strange combination of fear and relief. Behind them she recognized General Sseroch and Geld, then another Reloc holding a large weapon.

  There was something about the twisted apprehension on Myrd's face that made her pulse quicken. What exactly had been happening before they landed?

  "Lord General Sseroch," Recli hissed, "already playing with my hostages?"

  "Your hostages?" He wore an indignant look as he tried to hide his guilt, "It was my soldiers who captured them."

  "It was your soldiers who failed miserably" Recli hissed, stomping down the ramp.

  Sseroch's forked tongue tasted the air and he took a step back, "Well it was our breaching supplies-"

  "Arugh!" Recli snarled, dramatically swiping at the air with his clawed fist, "Do not make me regret this alliance Sseroch."

  The other Relocs stiffened, as did Sseroch who looked ready to turn tail and run.

  "We don't have time for you to test my patience, the Hokkonians will be here within a matter of minutes." He looked at the other Relocs, "Form a perimeter! I want this camp locked down when our guests arrive."

  There was a collective mumble of 'affirmatives' and 'yes sirs' before the mech suits scattered.

  Recli pointed a jagged talon at Sseroch, "Get my kin, and tell them to bring every Shadari soldier we have."

  The general seemed surprised at this request, "Are you sure? Do we want to reveal their numbers so soon?"

  The roar of ship engines brought everyone's gaze to the sky, where the unmistakable outline of Novawolfs, "Just do it!" The shadari roared with gaping jaws.

  The old general flinched and hurried off into the sands. His lanky robotic limbs creaked as he began to climb the nearest dune, and she watched as he vanished over the other side.

  Recli stalked towards the Myrd, and Cyprus hurried to catch up. She wasn't sure what his plan was, but the last thing she wanted to do was get separated in the impending chaos.

  The human was scrabbling in the sand, speaking something indiscernible to the Myrd, who glared at Recli with courageous defiance. Cyprus frowned when she recognized the stillness of the human's legs, and her eyes flicked to the Reloc still hauling the strange weapon.

  Did that thing paralyze him?

  A loud shriek tore across the barren camp, causing Recli to pause. They both glanced back at the ship and Cyprus was shocked to see Kyrin standing on the loading ramp.

  No, not standing, she couldn't stand. She was holding herself up, clutching desperately at the metal lip that outlined the perimeter of the ship's exit. Cyprus could see the physical strain on her face as she fought to suspend herself.

  "Jericho!" Her muscles trembled before she collapsed into a heap of tangled hair and limbs. She began to crawl her way down the ramp, dragging her useless legs behind in a horrific display of desperation.

  Cyprus' eyes widened when she realized who Kyrin was trying to reach, and she whipped her head over to the human, "Jericho..."

  She glanced up at Recli, who had an amused expression on his face as he watched Kyrin drag herself through the sand. Did he know all this was going to happen?

  "Jericho!" Kyrin wailed, struggling to pull herself forward with torpe-ravaged muscles.

  All Cyprus could do was watch. She wanted to run and help but then what? Physically drag the woman over to a HWND pilot? Not to mention the Hokkonian ships getting closer. She glanced at Jericho, whose face was knit with confused horror.

  Jericho only seemed a few years younger than herself. His face was bruised and bloodied, but he was still very handsome. He had sharp features, with thick eyebrows and thin lips. His red hair was cut short and neat, and despite the thick Pilot's jacket, she could tell that he was well built.

  As Kyrin got closer, Jericho began to push away, "No, you can't be here."

  Cyprus winced at the harsh apprehension in his tone, and she didn't blame his look of horror. Kyrin really did look like a ghoul. Even the restrained Myrd looked uncomfortable, and he tried repeatedly to break free from the steel bands as Kyrin crawled past.

  "Get away from me!" Jericho howled, "Get away! Kyrin is dead, Arthros said it himself!"

  Kyrin's sobs twisted into strangled screams of rage, "He's lying to you, it's me, it's really me."

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  Suddenly, Recli's intention became clear. Arthros lied to recruit Jericho, fooling him into believing Kyrin was dead. How did the lizard know, and what did he expect to achieve? One look at Recli's smug expression was enough to confirm her suspicions

  The human looked aghast, "No, he wouldn't."

  They risked almost everything just for this moment. She lost her ship just so Kyrin could rattle one of Arthros' pilots? She would have berated the lizard for his stupidity if she wasn't worried about losing her head.

  Kyrin continued her pathetic crawl forward, her entire body shuddering from hysterical sobs. "Arthros took you from me, he's an evil liar!"

  Jericho faltered, Kyrin was almost at him, "No, you're not- no! Kyrin is dead. Arthros wouldn't lie. You're not real!"

  Kyrin stretched out an arm and grabbed hold of his leg. As her scabbed hand gripped his boot, the color drained from Jericho's face. He worked his jaw but couldn't form any words.

  "But Arthros..."

  "Jericho!" the Myrd snapped, his muscles trembling from his exhaustive attempts at breaking free, "this is exactly what they want. Use your head, Arthros wouldn't lie to you! Look at her, she's a junkie!"

  Kyrin collapsed onto Jericho's legs, burying her face into his trousers as she sobbed. Jericho just stared at her, his face frozen in shock and uncertainty.

  "But... she..." He swallowed hard.

  "Alright, that's enough, the Hokkonians have landed." Recli hissed.

  He bent down, wrapped his claws in the back of Kyrin's shirt and threw her aside like a child's doll. Kyrin's broken body landed in a cloud of sand several feet away, lying in a tangled heap, silent and unmoving.

  Jericho's eyes widened, "Kyrin!"

  Cyprus started to run after her, but Recli stopped her with a single clawed hand, "Running away?"

  She stared up at the lizard, and a chill ran down her spine. He looked at her with a hungry look, as though she were no longer a person but a delectable meal. His lips pulled back into a sinister smile, and his tongue lolled out between teeth.

  "I'm going to take Kyrin to safety." She stammered, unable to maintain eye contact.

  Recli began to laugh, "Probably for the best, a pathetic creature like you wouldn't survive a second on the battlefield. Go, run and hide as you do best. Let me handle this."

  Her heart hammered in her chest, and she ground her teeth in tentative frustration. Did he expect her to stay and fight? Now he was just being cruel. "I'm not a warrior."

  The lizard sneered, "You don't have to remind me, your culture's reverence for weakness exhausts me."

  Stars exploded in her vision as he struck her across the face with the back of his clawed hand. The force of the blow knocked her off her feet, and she landed hard in the sand. Her ears rang as she watched Recli stalk away, she tasted blood on her lips and winced at the immediate swelling beneath her eye.

  She groaned and spat out the sand that filled her mouth. Through her swimming vision, she watched as two HWNDs leapt from their carriers. They were different than she was expecting, one of them massive and clearly non-humanoid. Its armor was thicker, more bulbous, and it walked on two oversized limbs.

  The second HWND was much smaller and equally beast-like. It hovered several meters off the ground, maintaining its flight from rigid wings that extended from its spherical body.

  She would have recognized those physiologies anywhere. An Aopriordian and an Ordanian. This was no regular Hokkonian division.

  Behind the HWNDs was a much smaller, humanoid mech. It sat on top of a Novawolf, unpowered and devoid of identifiable colours.

  Cyprus pushed herself up and grimaced at the pounding headache that pulsed behind her eyes. She watched as Recli laughed before the approaching HWNDs and looked around for Kyrin.

  She found the girl still limp several meters away, and she wondered if Recli's carelessness broke her neck. With significant effort, she staggered to her feet and clutched her head. She blinked repeatedly to clear the fog from her eyes and stumbled forward.

  To her left, she saw Jericho's pained expression, his confusion physically manifesting as he dragged himself forward. She saw real concern on his face as he struggled between Kyrin and the Myrd, still fighting against his restraints.

  She felt a flicker of guilt, and part of her itched to release them both. She wanted to kill Hokkonians, not other aliens. Certainly not other humans. If she released the Myrd, maybe he could escape with Jericho.

  She glanced at the gathering HWNDs. Their stoic forms stood unmoving on the perimeter of the camp, probably waiting for some signal or for the arrival of Arthros.

  One of the Relocs in the perimeter shouted at Recli, "Lord General Sseroch has arrived and is waiting for your signal. Do we attack, sir?"

  Recli flexed his massive arms as stared daggers at the two HWNDs still not advancing. "We do nothing until he arrives."

  The Reloculan had a puzzled look on his face, "Sir?"

  In response to his question, multiple booms could be heard in the distance. Many of the surrounding Relocs paled as more ships appeared through the pale clouds. They all adjusted the grip on their weapons with looks of weary determination.

  She didn't blame them, one HWND seemed impossible. An entire division?

  Recli turned to face the snake-like soldiers. "Today is the day, you get your revenge," He howled, "Today is the day that will determine the rest of your lives."

  A collective cheer went up around the camp, half lost in the whistling wind.

  "On my signal, Fight like it is your last day," Recli flexed his entire body, great muscles rippled beneath his scales, "And if you wish to survive stay out of my way."

  It was now or never. She glanced back at Recli, whose attention was on the increasing number of HWNDs gathering on the perimeter. He wasn't watching.

  She sprinted over to Jericho and the Myrd but skidded to a halt when the alien stood up. He was rubbing the raw skin on his four wrists with a snarl and saw the loose restraints in Jericho's hands.

  The Myrd's eyes widened when he saw her approaching, and he pounced. In a blur, his hand was around her throat, flesh-tearing teeth bared.

  "I was coming to help you," She gasped, clawing at her neck.

  The alien gurgled a laugh, his voice thick with an alien accent. "You expect me to believe that? I know who you are."

  "Graito, wait," Jericho grunted, crawling forward. "Arthros will want her alive."

  The Myrd's grip tightened, cutting off the blood supply in her neck. He was going to kill her. This is what she got for being compassionate.

  This was war, you idiot.

  "Graito, stop," Jericho said.

  The alien wouldn't stop, there was murder in his four eyes and determined loyalty. She was a target; why shouldn't he kill her?

  I failed you, Kyrin; I'm sorry. I don't even know if you're still alive.

  Her vision darkened.

  The roar of engines could be heard overhead, and the ground shook as more HWNDs arrived. Right before she thought her windpipe would be crushed, the pressure was lifted. She dropped to her knees, clutching her throat as she coughed.

  "It's your lucky day," Graito snarled.

  He grabbed her by the back of the neck and squeezed hard enough to bruise. With his two other arms on his left side, he bent to pick up Jericho.

  "They've made it," Jericho murmured.

  The HWNDs stood on the perimeter of the camp like metal giants. The new arrivals were all humanoid and the only difference between them was their size. The courage of the Relocs faltered, and many of them took shuffling steps backward. It became clear just how foolish their robotic suits really were.

  There was simply no comparison.

  A loud, magnified voice reverberated from the HWNDs, "I am Arthros One, Commander of the Eighth Division; release my Pilots, or we'll kill you all."

  Recli let out a raucous laugh and stepped between the HWNDs and the Reloculan camp. "Come and get them."

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