Hailstorms of debris swung across the sky. The sunlight from above began to fold in on itself. The outer hull of the Legendary Malevolent lay scattered across the wasteland. Buildings crumbled into seas of dust that lapped over themselves. The air was brittle and stale, full of HCR (Highly Concentrated Radiation) levels that spanned across the entire wasteland. Life among the dead was hell by all standards. Yet some could still live under its black wing of shadows. All though the Cell’s of Burnwood knew only of the rumors of what lurked among the wasteland. The very things that thrived within them, they believed that it was Ghosts, demons, and/or even memories of the past. The very things that came back into the present, they believed that they were remnants of what was had been haunting the life of those who still existed. Those of which existed in the flesh of a cell. The things out in the wasteland would not stop until the deed had been done, until their vengeance was done.

Within the Burnwood City Capital of Negi, inside the Citadel.

“Get a Viper ready for dispatch Samuel. We leave in five. And contact Gang, I need to have that prototype ready and COMLINK ASAP.” General Rafiel looked at the sky, watching the shield flicker on and off.

“You really think he will still help us, after you called him a raggedy Jackass? He won’t…”

“I don’t give a damn what he thinks, we need him and I need that prototype online.”

“He…”

“Just do it! And get the Viper and Roadhog set for dispatch.” Samuel left his sight and headed towards the Vehicles.

Citadel Yarrow came down into the War Klux where Rafiel and his men ran about the place taking hold of any weapons they could find. He looked for General Rafiel, finding him by a Viper, he walked over to him. “General Rafiel…”

Rafiel turned around, facing Citadel Yarrow. “Citadel Yarrow, what are you doing down here in the War Klux. I thought you were in the Javlin with the others. Is Amelia…”

Citadel Yarrow raised his left hand. Smiling faintly. “She is fine…” Rafiel took a light sigh of relief as Citadel Yarrow continued. “…no worries General. But, why are your men taking so much equipment?”

“Sir, the cities shield is failing. The generators need a new power source. That ship out in the wasteland…”

Citadel Yarrow gave Rafiel an awkward look. “You mean to tell me that you are going out into the wasteland?”

General Rafiel knelt his head down for a moment, rubbing his brown beard.

“Sir, it’s the only way we can protect the city. We have to try to gather supplies and some sort of energy source from that ship. You of all people know what it holds.”

Yarrow looked straight into General Rafiel’s eyes. “You do know what happened last time we sent a scavenger team out into the wasteland. They never returned. What makes you think that you can come back with anything let alone yourself?”

“It’s worth the risk sir. If we don’t try something then that shield will fail and everything outside this city will converge on top of us, no one will survive. That shield is the only thing…” Rafiel pointed towards the sky where the shield flicked. “… that is keeping us in here, safe, and those things out there, out. I don’t expect you to comply with what I am doing Citadel Yarrow, but I’m not about to lose everyone I still hold dear to my heart, cause the Resine war was one thing that nearly killed me, yet I would of much rather have been because it left scars that can never be healed. I won’t let these people die! Not today, not ever!”

Citadel Yarrow put his Cenidime hand onto General Rafiel’s shoulder. “Son…”

General Rafiel shrugged his hand off. “Keep your filthy hands off of me. I respect you sir and that’s all I have left for you, but I know exactly what and who you are. Don’t get in my way or I will run you over, with little to no regrets.”

Citadel Yarrow made a sour face, grinning faintly, biting down on his tongue as he backed away. “You know nothing about me General, all you know is that I’m the highest ranking personnel in this entire city. You might want to watch your mouth, but enough of that. Go get those supplies, but don’t expect the city to open those doors if doing so will endanger us. GOD have mercy over your soul, what’s left of it anyways. General Rafiel… or should I say, Cell 55321, O and don’t let the metal boys get in your way at all. I think they might just have a bone to pick with you, not a very nice one either I might add. Goodbye though Rafiel, it just might be the last time I get to meet an admirable soul or… Cell like yourself.” Citadel Yarrow smiled and walked out of the War Klux

A soldier came just to the side of General Rafiel as Citadel Yarrow walked out of the War Klux. “Isn’t that the greatest guy you know general? I don’t know where we would be if he wasn’t here.”

Rafiel snarled his nose. “You have no idea where we would be if he wasn’t here.” Rafiel walked away towards a small group of soldiers, leaving the soldier behind.

“What’s that suppose to mean sir?”

“Nothing private, just get back to your station. Prep yourself for the wasteland expedition.”

Just outside the War Klux

Citadel Yarrow came to a few security guards. “My fellow brothers…” They turned around in surprise.

“Citadel Yarrow, what are you doing out here in the streets of Burnwood?”

Yarrow smiled. “I’m just wondering about the place… hey I have a job for you boys. What do you say? I think I know who you’ve had some thick ends with latly. But first you must alert the others, let them know.” Yarrow slowly pulled out a small pad that projected an image of who they were looking for.

The security guards came closer towards Citadel Yarrow as he pulled out a bag of Reds. One of the Security Guards left the small huddle and ran down the streets.

Back Inside the War Klux

“Alright men, we won’t have too long before the city shields fail. So lets…”
A woman jumped in the small huddle of men, slamming down a Plasic Rifle. “Sorry I’m late gentlemen, so what did I miss this time?”
General Rafiel looked up at the women smiling. “Crystal, how nice of you to join us. Where’s Jennifer?”

The women smiled. “I’m Jennifer, huh-uh.”

Crystal came behind General Rafiel leaning on him with her right shoulder. “What’s happening Rafiel, did you get us confused again? We told you what to look for…” Crystal pointed at her right eye. “Remember, I have the gold eye, left one anyways. While my sister has both blue eyes as I just have one. Ge-whizz your getting old. Pretty soon I’ll have to start changing your diapers. Ooof, I don’t wana think about that. Yuck!”

The men laughed out loud. “That’ll be the day.” One of the men said.

General Rafiel flapped his right hand as he looked away from everyone. “All of you are just horrible; I’m only twenty th…”

Jennifer laughed. “Well Rafiel, twenties the new forty and you sure do look it.”

“Whatever you…” Rafiel blinked his eyes a few times, in shock. He saw her out in the distance. She was dancing alongside the ships exit door. Her smooth blond hair swung from side to side as she twirled round and round. He couldn’t see her face, but he could see everything else.

Samuel tugged at Rafiel. “Sir…” He snapped his fingers in front of Rafiel’s eyes getting no response. “Hey!” As Samuel tried to get Rafiel’s attention the whole team of men and women began to notice that he was in a trance. “Hey wake up!” Samuel pushed Rafiel once more.

The short image of her had vanished, Rafiel was pushed back into the real world. He twirled his head a bit and refocused his vision. “Sorry… sorry… I just thought I saw something.”

Samuel rested his arms underneath Rafiel’s chest, keeping him from falling. “Sir, what did you see?” Samuel asked as he set Rafiel back onto his feet. “Sir was it…”

“No, no, it was nothing just another random trance. It was nothing.”

“Okay, are you sure though. Are you going to be okay Rafiel.”

“I said I’m fine Damn it! You don’t ask twice sergeant, gah man! Let’s get back to the problem at hand.”

Samuel quickly backed off, walking to the other side of the table. “Yes… sir.” He said with a low pitch voice.

General Rafiel came back to the planning table, as the rest of the squadron came together, gathering in all around. He dug his forefinger into the middle of the table, as a bright blue hologram appeared before them. “Now we are here in the War Klux.” He took in a breath as he drove his finger out towards the wasteland towards the ship, continuing his speech. A red line followed close by as he created a path. “We can take the old platform lined roads through the old city. Follow them until we come to the Oasis crossing, then once we reach here. We use the Viper and Roadhog vehicles to clear a direct path across the water, out onto the other side of the Oasis. From there on out, we have two guard-men. Rafiel looked up at two men, pointing his finger at each of the two. “Runt and Hound-Dog you’ll do the easy lifting for this job.”

“Awe what! Come on General, don’t do this to me. You know I’m more than qualified to do the heavy lifting. Plus, you know Hound-Dog always picks on me.”

Hound-Dog smirked, patting Runt on the back. “It’s okay Runt, I won’t bite you too much.”

“My name isn’t Runt either, it’s Wisk Mistin…”

“Precisely why we named you Runt in the first place, small kitty name for small kitty boys.” Hound-Dog laughed.

Rafiel looked at both of them with a serious face. “Alright you two, cut the chit-chatter. We have to remain focused on the objective at hand. Now, once you two knuckle heads set up a base perimeter around the bridge. Me and the rest of the team will head out towards the crashed ship and scavenge whatever it is that we can find. Hopefully it will be a quick hit and run job, but just in case it isn’t. Make sure each and every one of you is loaded with a gun. You all got that?”

Hound-Dog looked at him with a grin. “Sir, do you really believe in those stories about the Catacombs? I mean, with the disappearances of the past scavenger groups. You don’t actually think…”

“Look Hound-Dog, you either do what I say or walk right on out of here. I don’t know what to believe right now, all I know is that I would rather be prepared for anything rather than make a mistake and come home dragging you and the rest of my team in body bags. Just because I thought the rumors were a hoax.”

Hound-Dog put up both hands. “I’m in General; you don’t have to tell me twice. I was just wondering.”

“Good, now gear up and let’s head out.” The men and women broke formation from the small group, taking hold of a few Signer rifles, plasma pistols and robo-drones.

General Rafiel swiped his hand across the holographic scenery, everything phased out and scattered. He took in a deep breath as he tried to forget the past, he tried to forget her. He knew what was at stake, but he just couldn’t focus on it. Samuel patted Rafiel on the back giving him a grim look.

“It’s going to be okay Rafiel, just… try not to think about her too much.”

The General swerved his head left to right. “I can’t get her out of my head. I know it’s the past, but she has always haunted me. Before I could resist her but now… it’s only as if she is closer to me.”

“Look man, you got to let that stuff go before it takes you man. Hear me out alright. Put the past back fast before you turn up last… and uh.”

Rafiel chuckled. “Man you make no sense whatsoever, get your ass out of here man. You are better behind a gun than behind a podium trying to speak sense over nonsense.” Rafiel pushed Samuel away from him towards a rack of guns.

Samuel pointed at Rafiel with his middle finger. “F you man, F you.” Samuel backed away from Rafiel as he laughed, being shoved to the side by a group of Security Officers. Who walked up to Rafiel with their Neon Gray face plated visors reflecting his face.

Everyone in the War Klux stopped doing what they were doing as the Security Officers came to a Holt. Crystal and Jennifer were seated in the Viper loading their Signer Rifles. Crystal clenched her teeth, feeling unsettled and ready for a fight. She looked to her sister for reassurance. She slowly started to sit it from her seat.

Jennifer pressed her palm against Crystal’s shoulder. She whispered softly. “It’ll be okay. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. We don’t need another brawl with the Canns.”

Crystal sat back down, gripping her Rifle even harder. “But they…”

Hound-Dog cocked his BBM (Battle Bolster Machine-Gun) as he walked by Crystal. “Kid, you have a lot to learn yet. Just be ready for anything. These Canns can pull a fast one quicker than you can even blink.”

The Security Officer’s moved closer towards Rafiel. One in particular with a gold visor loomed over him. The Officer was almost twice his size, decked out with heavy armor and muscularity, making it appear like his body was fit to burst. “General Rafiel, Cell name… 55321, state your business in equipping your Unit with heavy weaponry. You know you are un-authorized for using this high level equipment. You have five seconds to respond or be arrested.”

“We have clearance to these weapons under the Code of conduct, level five operations. That being the endangerment of the city, Burnwood.”

“Withdrawal your ID.”

Rafiel looked at Hound-Dog for a brief moment and nodded his head. Then he looked back at the Security Officer. “Look I don’t have time for this, the cities only defense against the wasteland is failing and you want me to take my time and go through a security check with you boys?”

Crystal looked at Hound-Dog with a confused face. “Hey, what’s he doing? Doesn’t he know that…”

Hound-Dog smiled for a brief moment, he looked at Runt and nodded. “Make sure you have your gear strapped.” He turned behind him and looked at crystal and Jennifer. “Strap yourselves in, because we’re going to have a bumpy ride out of here.”

Samuel saw what Hound-Dog and the twins were doing. He took Runts arm and alerted the rest of the soldiers. “Get in the Roadhog, now!” As he hopped into the ship his eyes lit up and he smirked. He turned towards Runt.

Who froze and looked at Rafiel and back at him. “But…”

“Do it!” Samuel belched out loud and yanked Runt into the Roadhog.

The Security Officers began to notice the men and women mobilizing around them, getting into the vehicles. Then they looked back at Rafiel. “You are disobeying the high Counsel. You will be arrested for…”

“Taking out a hired killing machine.” Rafiel said as he pulled out two plasma pistols from his waist sides.

The Security Officers propped out their Rifles and shot General Rafiel in plain sight. Crystal and Jeniffer cried out loud, spraying plasma rounds at the Security Officers. As did the rest of the team after they saw their beloved General be killed right before them.

Samuel punched the igniter switch on the Roadhog’s console system, the engines screamed to life. “Hound-Dog, fly outta here!”

Hound-Dog felt a warm tear rolling down his cheek as he sat inside the Viper. Then Samuel yelled over the mike once more. “Hound-Dog did you hear me!?!?! Get out of here, now!”

Hound-Dog activated the Vipers controls and weapons system. The Viper ship began to lift off the ground as a bright orange after burn flame pushed from the belly of the vehicle. He locked onto the Security Officers and fired the Viper cannons. “Eat this you Tin Canned Machines!”

Bullet rounds slung out of the Viper like lightning, pouncing off of the Security Officers armor. Like little pebbles the bullets shot off into another direction. While the Security Officers calmly walked forward in between both Vehicles and began firing at them. Their bullets penetrated the hulls of the two ships.

Samuel ripped off the mike as he slammed on the Roadhog thrusters. He ran right through the group of Security Officers and sent them flying. Hound-Dog fell in behind him as they scuttled off from the War Klux. They left the city grounds within seconds, coming into air-traffic. A small dozen ships flew towards them opening fire.

General Rafiel eased his way into the co-pilot seat of the Roadhog. Runt and two other soldiers became memorized as they watched him pass by.

Runts face lit up like a light. “Sir how did you… I saw you…”

Rafiel only looked at him for a fraction of a second. “Long story, but here’s this…” He tossed Runt a small pentagon chip. “It’s a simple way of cheating death, but…” The Roadhog took a hit from the oncoming ships. “Not now, I got to go.

Rafiel settled himself into the co-pilot seat and activated a holographic projector of the entire city. Blue lines popped up all over the place.

Samuel jolted the stick and drove the Roadhog underneath the oncoming fire. “Welcome back from the dead sir, now if only we could…” He yanked the stick upwards as he tried to maneuver the enemy ships. “Use that thing to fake our own deaths.”

Rafiel swiped his fingers across the holographic screen. “Yeah…” The vehicle took another blow. “Dang it! Keep this boy steady, I need to be able to see a way of this an having you jerking and getting hit everywhere. I can’t do that gosh…”

Rafiel’s COMLINK Hub came online as a voice came through in his ear. “Hey you there?” He tried to reach out to his old friend as the COMLINK buzzed. “Hey is anyone there?”

The COMLINK still hummed until a deep voice jumped over the silence. “Yeah it’s me, the Jackass! You’re lucky that Hologram worked Rafiel. It was only a Mark I model. You know you can’t just…”

“Look, it worked, I’m breathing and I’m sorry for what I called you. But I really need your help before me and my team are killed. Now can you help me or not?”

“Uh… what is it you need from me?”

“I need a way out of the city…”

“You mean to tell me that you are going to the wastelands!?!?! That’s suicidal. What have you done this time? It’s not another one of those Man vs Cann things again. I can’t get caught doing this again.”

The Roadhog took another blow. As Samuel barrel rolled the ship around two oncoming ones. “Look, I don’t know how many more tricks I can do to shake these guys off General. We need to get out of here, also Vipers shields are down. We don’t have much time left.”

Rafiel yelled into the COMLINK. “Gang, just tell me, can you get us out!?!?!”

A silent hum ran over the COMLINK for a few seconds. The feed lit up with a voice on the other side. “Yes. I’ve already mapped out a route for you and your team. I’m uploading it to you now. But you only have a minute to get out, I can’t keep the blast doors deactivated for long.”

“Sounds good enough to me, link this COMLINK to the rest of the team ASAP.”

“Go ahead, your all set.”

“Team, it’s me General Rafiel. I don’t have long to explain…” Everyone listened in on the channel feed as he spoke. “We have less than a minute to get out of the city, Gang is uploading our NAV’s now. Use that to guide us out of here. There isn’t much time left. Now go!”

Both Samuel and Hound-Dog received the COMLINK message. They had confirmed the command and executed them without question. Both ships dived down below towards the city towers and structures. They were still under fire as few dozen ships tailgated them.

Rafiel accessed the turret controls. “Samuel, take us below near the city until we come about the blast doors. I’ll try my best to keep these flying rocks off our six.”

“Copy that.”

Rafiel patched into the COMLINK to Hound-Dog. “Hey Hound-Dog you keep on our tail, don’t let up that distance between us. Use your turret to cover your Viper. I’ll try and provide additional assistance.”

“I got ya.”

Gang jumped in on the COMLINK. “Rafiel, you have less than thirty seconds until those blast doors close. You have to hurry!”

“Samuel, use those turbo thrusters!”

Rafiel fired the turret, raining a hailstorm of rounds upon the ships behind them. He couldn’t hit any of their ships as they quickly maneuvered his shots. He kept pressing down on the trigger though. The plasma rounds flew past the ships continuously missing until one of the rounds got a lucky shot. One of the ten rock like ships took a blow to its right engine compartment, exploding into a deep blue and red fireball. As the one ship fell, five more replaced it. They retaliated with more heavy artillery rounds, ejecting targeting missiles at them.

“Oh… and I thought I was just getting better with this thing.”

Samuel yelled over the COMLINK. “Evasive maneuvers, we have inbound Targeting Missiles. Hound-Dog break formation…”

Rafiel barked at Samuel over the mike. “No! Maintain coarse, we can make it. If we break formation now then we won’t get out of the city.”

“Sir but those missiles will rip us to shreds.”

“If we don’t make it then we will be torn to shreds Regardless! Maintain the coarse!”

Gang broke out over the COMLINK again. “Ten seconds left until the doors shut! You won’t make it, your over ten Clicks out!”

“We will make it, we have to!”

The Viper took an extensive blow to one of its thrusters, it began to lose altitude. “Hound-Dog here, we just lost one of our thrusters. We won’t be able to make it to the gates, sir we…”

“Shut your dang mouth, we are all going to make it. Blast the doors open if you have to, we are going to…”

“Only six seconds left!”

The Blast Door Security Sector…

“Hey Jix, I got something for you to fix over here.”

“This better not be another one of your idiotic jokes man, I swear if you still trying to my three letter words. I’ll kill ya this time.”

“No, really come here and look at this. The computer software has been hacked, the doorway to the Wasteland is like totally exposed. And I don’t want to be the one who is to blame if anything gets in.”

Jix walked over to the holographic computer. “What the hell is this?”

“See what I mean man… the door is...”

“No man, this idiot hacked my yahoo account. Damn… I was just getting to know that girl too. Now she is gone…”

Yupi slapped him upside the head. “No you jackwad, no one care about your daw gawn yahoo account besides. What the heck is that anyways? We don’t even have yahoo here? What’s your problem?”

“What’s my problem huh? What’s your problem; you always hit me and think you know everything. Well you know what I think…”

Two ships spud right through the blast doors as they began to close. The entire security deck rumbled and shook out of place. There was little time to react as plasma fire spewed all over the place. Destroying the security deck and sealing the city blast doors for good.

Outside of the Burnwood Collon City, Within the Wastelands

The two ships whizzed through the gate doors just in time.

Gang tried to speak through the COMLINK but it was very broken up and fuzzy. “You… made it… good… now get…” The COMLINK built up more interference as they flew further and further into the Wasteland.

Rafiel tried to understand what Gang was trying to say. He flipped through different channels but it was no use. “Gang come in… Gang do you read me…”

“Sir!”

“What is it Sam…” The missiles behind both the ships made impact and exploded into clumps of fire and metal. Both the Viper and Roadhog were skyrocketed into the ground.

“Mayday, mayday, mayday we are going down! Everyone hold on to something!”

The ships slammed into the ground being separated as one fell a few hundred feet from the other. Making contact with the Wasteland, Rafiel and his team had just begunt their journey into the forbidden grounds of their past homeland.

Coming Up Next… Venture forth with General Rafiel and a handpicked squadron of soldiers, men and women alike. Who are sent out to scavenge parts from the fallen ship, The Malevolent. They are forced to find a new power source for the shield Generators before they fail. In great desperation, they have to overcome the past. The very lands that they once called home, now nothing more than an empty graveyard. A land filled with ghosts, those who did not make it out alive or even those who were bombarded with the aftermath of the devastation. Those who lived had underwent a catastrophic change, fueled only by rage and hate. A hate for one man that still lives even among them, crippled, confused and disoriented. This squad of men and women alike will have to endure the many obstacles that lay ahead of them. They will also be confronted with the once all powerful nemesis that they forever remembered as the destroyer of their home world. But, a time for such anger upon one man shall not take place within the wastelands. For there is a much greater threat that lurks in the old ruins of the Ringworld Riliton.