Thorne
“Good morning, Thorne,” Praxis said soothingly. Well there’s my wake bell. I manage a groan.
“Good morning, Praxis.” Praxis is the ship AI for the Halacon. “What do you want now?”
“Commander Hyde wishes to see you,” Praxis added with a tone of annoyance. Praxis is a “smart” AI. Basically he can adapt, like learning to have emotions. I’d be just fine with the tech junkies not making it so the AI’s have emotions, and then it would be a lot less difficult to ignore them. Sometimes it’s annoying as a three year old who won’t shut up. As I climb out of bed my closet opens automatically, revealing my armor, which shines like a diamond. My feet want to be doing anything but walking on the cold marble floor. It even sends chills up my spine. After I get dressed in my snug armor, a layer of bright yellow shielding surrounds the metal plating as it activates. A gummy, smooth gel layer inside the suit changes the temperature to my liking. If I had closed my eyes, I probably wouldn’t know sea blue the suit was on. After I finish up, I move to where all the action is. I step through the doorway, and the sound hits me like a sledge hammer being swung by a silver-back gorilla. The titanium hull vibrates as the vivid blue, 100,000 year old alien engines hum while pushing the Halacon through space. A-12 Pumas drives across the hanger. Then there’s the steady pounding of soldier’s boots on the black glossy floor, like a marching band playing the longest drum roll ever.
I grab my AR15 from my locker. The AR stands for Assault Rifle and the 15 stands for how many bullets it can crank out in a second. As I make my way to the subway system, a grass colored drop ship enters the hanger, kicking up a gale force wind. I see my fire teams’ latest grab, an alien artifact. It glows a brilliant orange as it’s loaded onto a Puma. “Marine, make sure you’re careful with that. It took a lot of work to get it here,” I sternly bark.
“Yes sir!” he responds, followed by a salute. It really did take a lot blood, sweat, and tears to get that artifact. My team had to fight through a whole army of Breakers to get it. Breakers, in case you didn’t know, are aliens hell bent on destroying humanity. Giant eight foot tall reptiles with armored suits equipped with deflector shields that glisten light blue when anything strikes it. Not to say my armor doesn’t have shields of its own. I wear a Mark VII version of the original Apollo Armor, sleek and effective; almost like the guy you would trust to watch your back on the battlefield, 24/7. 
As I continue my way to the subway system, I see marines in a live fire drill. Their drill sergeant yells over the gunfire at a panicking marine. I can see why, as the bullets speak for themselves as they zip by and miss their black circles of a target. As I move into the subway system the noise lessens and the once black glossy floor slowly shifts to white, seemingly screaming order and conduct. I walk up to the pearl white subway door. I analyze the symbol I’ve see every day since I was a recruit first stationed on the Halacon at age 23. Assault rifles crossed over a razor sharp saw blade-like shape with an eagle overlaid, looking upwards, holding a banner that reads “E.D.C.” which stands for Earth Defense Corporation.
The doors slides open and I step in. The subway system carries me at 250 miles per hour, and I can’t even feel it move. It isn’t as much of a subway as it is a bullet going through a barrel of a gun.
In seconds, I’m at the bridge. This place is the throne of the ship, controlling all the activity inside its grey, titanium walls. As the solid metal doors swing open, a different sound greets me. The sound of typing and communication networks full of requests coming in from drop ships trying to unload their cargo.
“Hello, Commander,” I add with a respectful tone as I walk over to the light orange hologram table. That’s as far as I got. Then the power goes out, the backup generators kick on, and the first sounds of gun fire start. “It’s them,” a Marine shouts over the coms “It’s the Breakers! They’ve come for the artifact!” The com goes dead, and that’s when the door blows open.
The heat coming through the door has already kicked up the temperature at least 20 degrees. I throw on my helmet and its florescent blue systems come online. It registers 15 standard Breakers, all wearing the same dark hue of purple colored armor. Commander Hyde is already firing at the squad. Soon ballistics and plasma glint as they fly through the gloomy red emergency lights that came on as the generators kicked in. Two of the Breakers fall as their shields glow and snap with a burst of electricity. The one in the middle throws down a small, circular device that looks to be on a tripod. A bright flash illuminates the room, and now I see what the device’s purpose is. A rounded shield now protects the Breakers who are tending to their wounded.
This was the first time I actually noticed the Breakers having any hint of emotion. It didn’t last long. Under the cover of their bubble like shield, they gently moved the wounded into the subway car. The bullet-ridden doors close and the subway is gone in a flash, carrying the alien squad.
I walk over to the commander who is desperately trying to make contact with any other forces on the Halacon. “Can anyone hear me?!” she yells into the microphone. “Coms are dead. Thorne, I want you to move to the armory and get heavy armor onto the field. The marines won’t last long without some serious firepower.”
“Yes ma’am!” I reply. I jump on the next subway car with extreme haste. It speeds along through the tube encased in the ship. I set a marker for the armory. As the subway screeches to a halt, I jump out of the subway car, and see truly how much destruction has enveloped the Halacon. Burnt and twisted metal leftover from plasma-scorched Pumas is strewn all across the floor. Alien vehicles sit, purple flames spewing out of the erupting, overcharged, and unstable reactors. Both sides have taken losses, but the members of the Halacon are outgunned. I need to get to the armory.
Fast.
Without thinking I jump from the subway platform. Using my suit’s jump jets I set a course straight for a Breaker tank. I push my jets to the max, roaring across the battle field, and slam into the tank with such force its violet body pops and snaps under my weight. When the dust settles, I see the enemy is startled by their new armor clad combatant. It doesn’t take long for them to change target. I whip around and sprint to the nearest cover. I can feel the burning plasma sizzling over my head. I check my motion tracker and count thirty enemies between me and the armory. I lob two mat black grenades over my head, feeling the explosion reverberate through the hull. I count again. Twenty-five Breakers left. Now at least it’s a fair fight. “Praxis, I need all known Breaker combat strategies and weapons uploaded to my helmet,” I demand.
“Download complete Thorne. Would you like me to run all possi-“
“Negative. I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“Alright. Now go knock some heads together.”
“Will do.” And with that I jump out of my cover, guns blazing.

Vel
Being a Breaker, I’ve never liked humans. Complete insults to our cause. When we showed peace, they destroyed our ships and killed my brothers in arms. Now it is time for my revenge.
“Vel, are you okay?” my friend Júl asks.
Startled, I respond “Yes. Just thinking about the upcoming mission.”
“Ah yes. Go in, steal back the artifact and get out. Simple enough.”
“I know it seems that way, but something doesn’t feel right.”
“We’ll find out soon enough” Júl says, ending the conversation. Our sleek Prowler waits, hidden in the dark vacuum of space, ready to move in on the human ship on command. Suddenly, the Prowler lurches to one side as the lights go out in a flash. The ship starts spinning out of control, speeding towards the human ship. A jaw wrenching collision throws Júl and me out of the Prowler and onto the cold, black, unforgiving floor. I look up to see a squad of humans with guns leveled at our heads.
“Told you I had a bad feeling.” I say to Júl.
“Nah.” He replies, “This is just target practice.” He roars, weapon at the ready, and charges.

Thorne
My heads-up display labels the weapons the Breakers are using, who’s commanding them, and possible movements they’ll make. All except two of them have aqua-blue armor which glitters in the red light of the ship. They carry purple plasma rifles. One of them has over charged his rifle, so in the middle of the energy tongs, the ball of energy looks like a green apple, ripe for the picking. I set my sights on him, not wanting to be hit by a ball of heat-seeking, sizzling plasma. The Breaker discharges the shot. I swiftly move to the right, barely missing the shot by a few mere inches. I unleash a barrage of bullets from my assault rifles. The Breaker’s armor glows blue, struggling to hold out against the onslaught of enraged bullets. The shields go out with an electric snap. I pick up a magnum and take aim. Yet I can’t seem to pull the trigger. As the alien reels back getting ready to return fire, I pump one shot into its head. As it falls, one other Breaker runs over with a sorrow look on its face. It kneels down, and its’ body shudders with obvious pain and anger. The Breaker quickly stands up and charges at me with startling speed. I step to one side, sweep his three section legs out from under him, and he flies into a pine wood crate, which shatters on impact. It takes a second to realize that he is knocked out. Still 24 Breakers left standing. This is taking too long, but as if on cue. “Thorne.” Commander Hyde says “How would you like some extra fire power?” The wall next to me pulls apart to present a glittering gray railgun. I drop the magnum and pull the railgun off the wall. I pull the cartridges for the gun off the wall and stuff one into the barrel.
“This will do.” I respond. And with that I move into the next section of the ship.

Vel
Ten dead marines lie dead before Júl and me. “Now that wasn’t hard, was it?” Júl explained.
“You’re not going to let that go are you?” I say.
“Nope.” As we make our way through the ship, we find the spoils of the battle that raged through this area. Fire engulfed vehicles. Scorch marks from grenades are on the ground. Bodies lay everywhere. I kneel down near a commanding officer who wears dark red armor which is charred and burned, and rest his plasma rifle on his chest. A stinging hatred and guilt flows through my body. They will pay for what they have done.
I turn to see that Júl is on the coms. “Good, we’ll be there as soon as we can.” He turns to face me, “I just got confirmation that we have the humans pinned. There seems to be a problem. An armored human going by the name of Thorne is breaking our hold on the ship. But no matter. We’ll have the artifact in a matter of minutes.” Yet something told me this was not true.

Thorne
The railgun has helped a lot. I managed to reach the main battle in front of the armory. I sprint over to a marine. “Why isn’t the armory door open?” I shout over the gun fire.
“Stray plasma hit the key pad, sir. And the manual release is on the opposite side of this fight.” The marine responds with shakiness in his voice.
My helmet marks the release switch, which is 100 meters away. I start running like a cheetah. I fire my rail gun left and right, the explosive shells flying through the air with deadly speed. Jumping over barricades like a jack rabbit, I see dumfounded enemies crouching on the other side. Plasma is splashing over my armor; draining its’ shields, which flare yellow with every shot it absorbs, yet I still push on like a charging rhino. I roll a grenade near some fusion coils and listen as they make a satisfying explosion. Only twenty meters left. The constant barrage of plasma is draining my shields fast. I don’t have a lot of time. I barrel into two Breakers who are too slow to get out of the way. I am a gorilla that can take anything that is thrown at him. Five meters left. An over charged plasma bolt strikes my back. I fall.
Hard.
Pain spreads over my back like a wild fire running rampant across dry grasses. That’s when everything goes black.
I open my eyes to see blood on the inside of my helmet. I turn to see the Breakers thrusting their guns in the air, triumphantly. The switch, blinking a bright red, is in arm’s reach. I reach out with all the strength I have left in me. The sound of the door swooshing open and marines rallying are sweet to my ears as everything fades to black.
I wake up with a marine setting down a regeneration field, which emits a green orb and heals anything inside it. A warm, soothing sensation envelopes my body as my strength instantly returns. Have to love alien tech. I stand up and take in what is happening. Marines in Pumas pepper enemies with the heavy machine guns mounted on the vehicle’s backs. The troops cheer as they drive the Breakers back. A marine walks over holding my shotgun and SAW, which seems like its radiating power. From the drum mag to the custom attachments, it reminds me of the battles I’ve fought with it and the friends I have lost. “Command ordered me to get these to you when you came around.” The marine explains.
“Good. Now let’s get these aliens off our ship.” I respond while c***ing my shotgun with a satisfying CHU-CHUNK! I jump on a Puma and floor it. It shoots forward taking me straight into the battle. We’re going to win this.

Vel
Things aren’t looking good. The humans managed to open their armory. Now they’re pushing us back with tremendous force. We’re at the extraction and our Prowlers are in transit, but there may be no one to pick up if they don’t get here quick. Our turrets have been taken out. Breakers fall left and right. This going to be my last stand, on a human ship. Of all the ways to die, I’ll die on a human ship. Júl suddenly jumps over a lime green barricade, and unleashes a barrage of deadly plasma at the humans. Five of them fall. Suddenly, an armored human jumps over a barricade and lobs a grenade. It generates a clanging noise them comes to rest, landing right under Júl who has just enough time to see it’s under him, possibly his death. An explosion of bright orange flames and shrapnel envelope and push him away like a hand swatting a fly. He flies back a good five meters and lands, his body motion less. That’s when I realize we’re the last ones left. I work my way over to Júl, firing bursts at the armored human whose shields flare yellow as he ducks behind cover. His armor is burned and his skin charred. A Prowler hitches up to the air lock. I throw down a shield and pull Júl onto the Prowler. The pilot asks as soon as we get on, “Where’s everyone else?”
“Dead.” I reply with a tang of guilt. I set a regeneration device on Júl to stabilize him. His breathing returns to normal. He’ll be ok. The Prowler’s engines push us away from the dreaded human ship. I read the name of it on the side of its metal hull. The Halacon. I know this won’t be
the last time I see that retched ship. Or that armored human.

Thorne
As I help clean up after the battle, I realize that somehow, maybe, this could have been avoided. 2,354 good people died in the invasion. They will be remembered as great heroes in the battle. Who knows how many the Breakers lost. I hope this war eventually ends. I don’t really know how much more killing I can take. The battle did a massive amount of damage to the ship and crew. Yet life goes on as the titanium hull vibrates, as the vivid blue, 100,000 year old alien engines push the Halacon and her crew through space.