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- Jan 27, 2011
*Tuesday, August 24, 3487. Location: Deseus, Daften Continent, Oman City. Time: 9:13am. Standard day on Deseus*
All around Oman City, the colonists in the Human Expansion Project awoke and went about their daily activities. Some ran the farms to help grow the crops, others worked in the factories to manufacture goods like chrome-steel and various plastics, and other still filled the other (perhaps less glorious) jobs that needed to be filled. From grocery vending to accounting to vehicular maintenance, it was like Earth had followed them here. Hover-cars traversed high in the sky, buildings were built taller instead of wider, leaving no danger to any animals on the ground intact and minimizing the environmental impact they had on the planet. It had been only a few years since the program's initiation, but already several major cities had been established on the surface, and more were being constructed with each passing day. The whole thing seemed like something their ancestors would have considered impossible: Flying cars, 100%-efficient renewable energy sources, and zero population growth among other things. Yes, it seemed like the humans really made a name for themselves; now able to traverse even the darkest reaches of space and colonize other worlds without damaging them like they had in the past. How far they had come from their admittedly barbaric and wasteful past selves.
The research crews initially were sent across the galaxy and beyond to investigate planets for habitation. Thanks to faster than light travel, or FTL travel for short, distances that would take trillions of years to cross could be covered in a minimum of five years; this naturally meant that humans would try to explore as much of the Milky Way as they could. It wasn't that Earth was bad; in fact, almost every environmental issue their ancestors had caused had been solved. It was merely the human drive for knowledge that led them to explore the stars for different worlds were they might even be able to live on. And with the progression of faster-than-light travel technology, they found that it was very much possible to do so. One research crew led by Dr. Marcus Stanislaus Braun stumbled across a very much Earth-like planet, down to the nearest molecule of air. Every test was conducted to determine its viability, and to their joy, it was deemed a more-than-suitable place for human inhabitants. More than thirty times the size of their home planet, the problem of natural heating was offset by increased proximity to its parent star. The oceans and other various water bodies were also determined to be almost purely fresh water with minimal salt contamination, a strange but very welcome occurrence. It did mean, however, that salt would have to be shipped back from Earth to this new colony; a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but still annoying nonetheless. The atmosphere? Same 78-21-1 mix as the Earth's, and with a comfortable surface pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch, the populace wouldn't have to be using pressure suits to survive, unlike the poor saps that colonized Io. The crust? Extremely high amounts of osmium, iridium and several other precious metals deemed "rare" on Earth; the core was also determined via deep-penetrating resonant sonogram that it was a nickel-iron mix, meaning the steel industry would do quite well here. in almost every respect, this was Earth, only much, much larger and rich with ground, ripe for development. Within a year, several thousand volunteers had signed up for this new home and traveled to the planet named "Deseus". It would take several more years to get people settled in. But even then, there was an obstacle that would reveal itself to the humans trying to live on this strange new world.
Only a year after the humans had finished setting up colonies around this new planet, had they realized that they were not alone here. To say the local species was strange would be an understatement; almost all of them humanoid to a very large degree, they appeared to be anthropomorphized versions of their Earthly counterparts, and many of them seemed to be representations of mythological figures. There were mermaid-like creatures, strange part-insect ones, and a sighting of one that looked like a Minotaur. Initial surveys of these strange new creatures showed them to possess very high levels of intelligence and some members even possessed the capacity to speak English. They weren't openly hostile, unless a male or female of a species happened upon his/her mate conversing with a human. But even then, most of the conflicts were resolved peacefully. Soon enough, the project shifted from helping the humans adjust to the Super-Earth planet to integrating the humans and newly-deemed "Mamono" populations together. Most of them seemed relatively inviting in welcoming the humans to the planet, especially the females and others even allowed them to be studied in their natural environment, leading several groups to try and catalogue the various species of the planet in an attempt to understand them further. Further down the line, inter species marriages were taking place; it seemed like everything was getting better for betterment's sake. However, things would soon begin to change....For the worst.
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*Friday, July 3, 3586. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Wahiba Sands Central Information Center, designation 'Echo Base'. Time: 1:56pm. Human disappearances continue to climb*
"Sir, Lieutenant Cowell from Nizwa just reported in; another six disappearances. Only males again: Four married, two single" First Comms Officer James Anderson said as he removed the black comm-visor from his head, turning a brown leather swivel seat to face the Base Commander. The Comm Officer was a stout man, about five-six but fairly built, his entire form in a bright blue bodysuit with red accents on the shoulders, wrists and neck. He rubbed his tired eyes as he waited for the Base Commander’s response. Anderson's duties included fielding all military-level between installations and ensuring the security and maintenance of the milnet, which had been going crazy due to the high volume of disappearances throughout the human towns. The Base Commander, one Dennis Ray Collins, pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, staying silent for a few moments. His black locks were frazzled from trying to get results, but the abductions were just stressful nonsense. “This is just what we need” he groaned; a much taller man, he was a bit more on the lean side. His black and grey uniform cleanly pressed, his entire being screamed military upbringing. It normally took a lot to get under his skin, being a fairly neutral tempered man, but this was just too much. It was up to him to defend these people, and he was failing.
The abductions had been going on for almost three years now; husbands and men alike seemed to be abducted, never to be heard from again and the searches for their bodies turned to be just as fruitless. Some cities had been picked clean of residents, turning the settlements into nothing more than futuristic ghost towns. Even with the addition of extra security from troop deployments on Earth, the number of humans on the planet was decreasing. It was like nothing they were doing was working and this latest six brought the total number of abductions up to over fifty thousand; the human population was only about three hundred thousand strong on this planet, what with it still being a trial colony, so having a sixth of their total number abducted did not bode well. “What do we do, Sir?” Anderson then asked, along with everyone else as they turned to Luckily, though they were about to receive a fresh batch of over thirty thousand soldiers from the United Nations Space Corps, as the military forces here were spread quite thin. This would only be the first of three installments of troops to help defend their towns. Additional military bases had been quickly and efficiently assembled to accommodate the massive influx of military strength, so the troops would be good to go as soon as they landed.
And as if on cue, a voice played over the intercom, “Ground Control, Echo Base, this is the SSC Harbinger. We’re in geosynchronous orbit with your location, requesting permission to deploy shuttlecraft”. Harbinger was a Halcyon-class interplanetary transport cruiser, able to transport almost one hundred thousand people and various-sized cargo pieces comfortably. Anderson then asked the Commander, “Orders, Sir?” Collins just nodded and said, “Bring ‘em down. We need the bodies. Let’s get to work people, we have colonists to protect”. Anderson smiled and turned back to face the console, opening up the channel and replying, “Copy your last, Harbinger. You’re cleared to deploy shuttlecraft. Transferring you to a UNSC operator”. A short, red-haired man dressed in a similar fashion to Anderson soon took over, as his job was now truly beginning. The holoboards was soon alight with activity; requests for approach vectors were heralded, screens lit up with profiles of the units aboard each individual shuttle, and unit deployments were handed down from the Commander to the various shuttles. After about an hour of all this, the red-haired air traffic controller simply said, "No fucking way". This made Collins turn towards the Comm Officer and reply, "What is it, Anderson?" James then turned, removed his headset and said, “Sir, you’re not going to believe this. Three Delta Force regiments are here”. Collins was noticeably shocked; Delta Force? Why would the baddest of the military badasses be deployed here? Did the brass think the situation was that terrible? “Well, holy shit, Command’s really throwing us a bone here” Collins then replied, seeming stuck at what to say. However, he soon got his shit together and ordered the regiments be split up among the standard soldier ranks; each Delta Force soldier was a one-man army in and of him or herself, so having even a few of them in the forces meant to protect the towns would be a significant force multiplier. “Let’s just pray to god this is enough” Collins commented lowly. All across the planet, the large shuttles landed in the bases near towns, troops in standard UNSC infantry armor poured out and set themselves up. Among these newly organized platoons were Delta Force soldiers, dressed in very intimidating Devastator armor, seeming ready to go at the drop of a hat. Larger transports also touched down, deploying ATLAS mechanized war suits as supplemental armor. None of them expected just what it was they were supposed to protect the colonists from.
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*Thursday, March 22nd, 3640. Location: Deseus, Ilias Landmass, Onyx Town. Time: 7:42am Human forces attempting to hold off Mamono incursion for civilian evacuation*
“This is Hunter-One-Actual! We are getting overrun! I repeat, we are getting overrun! Request immediate air support! We have colonists that need evacuation!” Eighteen-year-old Delta Force Field Captain Jackson Whitelock was shouting into a radio over the sounds of gunfire. “Watch the left flank!” another soldier shouted as what looked like shadows darted back and forth. "They're surrounding us!" "Calm the fuck down and keep up the pressure!" "Watch your sectors!" A scream for help was heard from another soldier as the poor bastard was dragged away by the shadow figures deep into the surrounding forest. “Roger, Hunter One Actual. Ospreys are five minutes from your position, just sit tight!” was the traffic controller’s response. Jackson cursed, but replied, "Roger, we'll hold off as long as we can! Over and out!" GARDIAN shields had been deployed around the town to keep the creatures from abducting any of the colonists, leaving the soldiers to fend off the horde of attackers. They wouldn’t last long if they got attacked though, so the soldiers there had to fend them off for as long they could. It turned out Mamono were indeed responsible for the abductions; these half-human bastards had abducted the human males and taken them as husbands. The Mamono had also taken to abducting human women as well, but this was a far less prominent occurrence, as the males were quite obviously the primary target. A fair few turned out to be consensual relations, the pair having fled to hide where no one would find them, but a larger part were men being forcibly raped. And several captures of specimens and subsequent analysis by scientists trying to figure out why the Mamono were behaving so differently only led to them being raped as well. The policy had now shifted from trying to integrate Mamonos and humans to protecting those already in the colonies at any cost; the Mamono that were legally married to humans fell into protected category, as some had been killed by 'wild' Mamono to obtain mates. But all the others would face indiscriminate extermination should they prove to be hostile and approach any human settlements, which a lot of them seemed to be and do. This way had been going on for quite a few years now, and seemed to only get more and more intense as entire towns, their people and armed forces were ousted due to conflict. The number of occupied human cities was diminishing, as were the number of humans.
What made this battle worse was that these particular Mamono – glimpses of which revealed them to be Wolves – were fast and efficient pack-hunters, able to circumvent even the most hardened soldier's defenses and take him for themselves. Several men had been abducted already, but the humans seemed to be holding out; they’d “euthanized” several of the Wolves already, but this pack was particularly large and aggressive. “Hunter-One-Actual, this is Osprey Two-Zero. Designate target area” a voice then played over the radio; the soldier picked it up and replied, “Attack all targets north of orange smoke! You’re cleared hot!” Jackson then unhooked an L83A1 Target Marker and threw the metal canister over the boulder he’d been using as cover; orange flumes began billowing out, and two of the twin-rotored aircraft soon hovered above the battle scene. “We see it, engaging hostiles!” 30mm autocannons loaded with HE rounds soon erupted from the belly of the gunship, shredding the environment and enemies with equal prejudice. Howls could be heard as the massive guns ripped the Wolves to pieces, trees and ground being chewed to bits by the relentless barrage from the gunships. Two other Ospreys soon touched down and opened the bay doors, letting the civilians clamber inside. "Hunter-One-Actual, this is Osprey Two-One! All civilians are boarding now! Hold them off as long as you can!” Jackson replied heatedly, “Roger! Base Control, request ARCLIGHT incendiary strike!" “Acknowledged. ARCLIGHT bomber inbound. ETA three minutes”. Jackson then added, "Proceed to Killbox Three-Bravo! Attack direction west! Danger close! Burn it down!”
The battle raged on, gunfire and screams echoing across the increasingly destroyed landscape. "ARCLIGHT, two minutes out". A few more soldiers were abducted, but the Wolf presence was starting to noticeably lessen. “ARCLIGHT, one minute out” the bomber’s voice spoke over the radio; Jackson then shouted, “The heat’s coming! Get down!” “ARCLIGHT strike away. Impact in 5….4…..3…..2……Impact!” All surviving soldiers ducked; a whistling was heard before a series of massive airblasts rocked the area, setting the forest to the north ablaze from the incendiary liquid within. Poking their heads up, they could see the plumes of black smoke; no way anything survived that. But that didn't mean they wouldn't regroup and perform a counter-offensive strike. “Let’s go! Move out!” the field commander shouted; as soon as the soldiers were on-board, Onyx Town was soon left empty, echoing with the ghosts of this event, just like so many had been and were becoming across the planet. Just as they left, they could see even more Wolves attack from a different direction, only to find the town itself empty and without any prey to take for themselves. "Take that, you rotten fucks!" Jackson shouted as the bay doors finally closed, leaving his regiment of five and about thirty other civilians to rest. “Sir, just what the hell is going on?” one civilian asked Jackson as Onyx Town faded from view, to which the Delta Force soldier replied, “I don’t know, but with the way things have been……I wouldn't be surprised if we had to leave this planet altogether”.
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*Location: Evugid Continent, Zipangu Region, Diamond City. Time: 7:59am Non-abducted human population on Deseus down to 62% original size. Situation critical*
Over in Diamond City, the situation was FUBAR; all of the soldiers - thirty UNSC standard infantry and six Delta Force - except one were all abducted by these strange, humanoid creatures, along with all the male and female colonists. The one lone soldier, a standard grunt by the name of Zachary Cole Williams, UNSC Private First Class, stood with the M5A3 assault rifle shouldered, watching with unflinching determination as a single female came forth. Her slim yet curvaceous body clothed in what appeared to be a traditional red-orange Chinese qipao decorated with artistic depictions of golden leafy vines, a slit at the side to reveal a well-formed, creamy-fleshed thigh and a cutout at her chest revealing an ample amount of cleavage. Her blond locks fell down to her back, while at the top of her head sat two ears, like those of a fox. Her golden brown hues focused on him and him alone as she drew closer, two fluffy, blonde-colored tails flowing elegantly behind her; the young man thought she was going to kidnap him and do unspeakable things to him. And with these thoughts in mind, the mind killer known as fear began to creep within him, making his once unbreakable resolution start to falter under her eerily calm gaze.
"S.....stay...back...." Zachary stuttered, feeling the fear well up within him, his eyes - hidden by the visored helmet he wore - widening in fright and making his grip on the gun shaky; before long, her ample chest was but mere inches from the muzzle of the rifle. But for some reason, the young soldier just couldn't pull the trigger; he tried to mask his fear, saying "Ge...get away....I'll shoot....". The fox-woman, the ears and tail being the only fox-like traits about her, smiled and giggled before replying sweetly, "No you won't darling......If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done so already..." A forefinger then raised up slightly and its tip pushed the barrel down and away, leaving the fear-frozen man standing there. Another sweet giggle was heard as her slender arms wrapped around him and pulled him close, her bountiful chest pressing against his own and her melodic voice adding, "Sshhhh, it's alright.....There's no need to be afraid, sweety. I can show you pleasures no human woman could even fathom. All you have to do....is give in and be mine and mine alone. And in return, I'll happily be your woman". As if to add more comfort, her soft-furred tails wrapped around them both, her magic radiating from them in waves, working to soothe this man and convince him of her sincerity.
Zach instantly felt the tension melt away, his once vice-like grip on the weapon loosening and letting the rifle drop with a clatter from his hand. The woman smiled and said, "That's a good boy; but I wanna see this pretty face of yours...." Her delicate hands reached up and gently lifted the helmet from his head; beneath lay the face of a man who came from good genes. Strong jaw, taut cheekbones, bright vibrant hair and eyes blue as the skies above, a perfect ten in her eyes. A satisfied smirk now crossed her lips as she casually cast the helmet aside, "Just as I thought....A child born from parents of the higher echelons of society......Yes, you are perfect....Let's find somewhere more private, shall we? Wouldn't want any of these lesser peons to steal my prize, and surely you won't want anyone other than me, right?". Zachary simply nodded, now completely entranced by this woman's beauty and words, the fear that once mercilessly gripped his heart now gone. "Excellent....Off we go, then" was her final statement; a bright flash of light encased them and when it faded, they had vanished to locations unknown. Never to be seen or heard from again.
*Location: Daften Continent, Tzir Forest. Time: 2:43pm*
"Oh shit....oh shit, oh shit, oh shit" was all Patrick Svenson, former Assistant Director of Interspecies Studies, was saying as he ran with all the energy he could muster into the dense jungle of Tzir Grove. He was a lithe man, but not all skin and bones; his platinum hair was messy and frazzled, his once pristine laboratory uniform - a white lab coat, white button-up shirt with red necktie, black slacks and polished black leather shoes - covered with grime, tears and scuff marks. His skin was lacerated in a few places from crashing through thorn-saturated brush; the adrenaline seemed to be in infinite supply for him, even now his blood screamed in his ears, his mind pushing him on and on. His eyes, a light shade of green with hints of blue, were wide and scanning endlessly, searching his surroundings so as to hopefully catch any threats before they caught him. He'd taken off from the nearby town of Delia after his research laboratory had been assaulted by tall, dark-skinned females in loincloths with huge swords. They'd said something about letting the hunt commence; those words alone made him realize they were an Amazoness tribe. Even now, he could still hear his co-workers scream as they were taken away; he'd hid in a locked supply closet until the coast was clear, then made a break for it. He'd since lost count of how many days he'd been running; however, that didn't even make him think of stopping. He just prayed he could lose any pursuers in this thick brush; then he'd be in the clear.
He then felt himself trip over something; he landed with a loud grunt as he fell onto his face and just laid there for a moment, not moving the slightest. "Ergggh...." he groaned out as he pushed himself; however, the panic rose in him again as he felt something thick wrap around his ankle and start to pull on him. "O...oh god, oh god! Someone! Anyone! H...help!" young Patrick shouted, his hands clawing at the dirt below him in a fruitless attempt to get away. His cries would go unanswered, but his struggling would not cease; even as he was lifted off the ground and into the air, his body thrashed, trying to free itself from the captor. He was then turned, his body hanging upside down around to face an enormous specimen of flora; its large pink petals were each about the length of an old-day SUV and the hemispherical base pod had to be at least seven feet wide and about five feet deep. Thorn-covered roots grew out, evenly spaced around the circumference of the stalk. "What on Earth....." Patrick said, pausing as the strange flower stood before him; he craned his neck forward to look and see that a vine from the base of the pod was what was holding onto him. His eyes widened in shock as the petals began to part; was this how he was going to die? Being eaten by a carnivorous plant? His eyes then closed shut as whimpers escaped his lips and tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he continued to try and break free; he didn't want to see his own death coming at him, it was just too much to handle.
As the minutes passed, nothing happened to him; it wasn't until he heard "Alraune.....?", the voice itself soft and non-provocative, that he opened his eyes. What stood before him was something he'd never seen before....Inside the flower was not rows and columns of razor-sharp teeth, but a beautiful woman. The woman's expression was one of concern and puzzlement, as if wondering why he was struggling; her violet hues, though, were captivating and comforting, seeming to assure the researcher that no harm would come to him. It wasn't long before his struggles stopped; he then broke his stupefied stare to look at the rest of her body. Her skin green as the leaves of a tree, every inch of her just under five and a half foot figure was sinfully curvaceous, a good portion of it covered in leafy vines as well. She seemed to be standing in amber liquid, the level reaching about midway up her nicely plump thighs; in fact, her body seemed to be covered in it, as her flesh was quite shiny and reflected the late afternoon sunlight, giving her a very healthy looking glow. Her C-cup breasts were exposed to him, revealing emerald-green nipples and areola and what hat looked like a beautiful rose laid in her waist-length green-yellow locks. "Alraune...." the plant-woman said; this time, a subtle yet very intoxicating scent began to fill the air, flooding Patrick's nostrils and slowly making the rest of his tension disappear and replace it with a growing lust.
Two more vines then appeared from the base of the pod and began to undress him; strangely, even though his clothing was tattered and torn, she took it off of his body with the utmost care and precision. Within minutes, everything he'd been wearing had been neatly folded and placed beside her pod; the two new vines then proceeded to turn the man right side up and draw him into her flower, Patrick felt the warm liquid coat his legs as he was placed in front of her, the level reaching just above his knees. The woman then drew closer to him, pressing her naked, slippery form gently against his body as she ground her hips on his slowly stiffening manhood. Her slender arms wrapped around his shoulders as she then drew in for a heated kiss, her soft mounds pressing against his chest and her hardened nipples rubbing on his now nectar-soaked skin; Patrick could feel what was easily the sweetest liquid he'd ever partaken in coat every inch of his mouth. When the kiss was over, she pulled back to look up at him, a smile now very much present on that cute face of hers. Patrick then embraced her and kissed her again, submitting to her unspoken desire and will. The petals then shook and came to life, drawing up and sealing them inside for the rest of his days.
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*Saturday, August 10, 3644. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Zipangu Region, Thunder City Command Base. Time: 6:42pm Human population down to 23% of its original size. Colonization of Planet Deseus deemed failure. Planetwide Evacuation at 99.9% completion….*
Two years........for two whole freaking years this war against the Mamono had gone on; the humans that had not been captured were escorted off the planet in droves via shuttle. Evacuation sites had been pre-established, where the shuttles would land under heavy guard and quickly take off. One such location was the Thunder City Command Base, where the last set of colonists was ready to be evacuated. Jackson Whitelock himself, now twenty years old and a Delta Force Lieutenant for his valorous defense of Onyx Town, stood in full Devastator armor, Reaper rifle charged and at the ready. He saw the fear in these people's eyes; he felt bad for these people. They just wanted to experience life on a new planet, and all this shit happened. They came here hoping to experience being on a different world, but this was a cruel reminder that the galaxy could be very unforgiving and that humanity was still new to all this. A lot made to this particular evac station, but the soldiers present knew that there were still a lot missing. Rumors even circulated that a fair chunk abandoned a chance to return home to actually live with these things...Course, those were just rumors, but deep down they knew at least five to ten percent actually chose that. Why they did was anyone's guess; that just meant their names would be crossed off from the registry and all personal data expunged and cleaned out. Like they never even existed...Officially.
Soon, the final civilian and infantry shuttles took off, the roof panels sliding back into place and leaving the remaining six Delta Force soldiers to wait for their own ride. They would be on lock-down until evac arrived to pick them up. "Well, holy shit, can't believe that's the last of 'em. A lot more than I thought there would be" a fellow Delta Force soldier commented, a Graver Machine Gun resting on his armored shoulder and his eyes following the shuttle as it soon disappeared into orbit. "Yeah, well, once we're off this rock, first round's on me" Jackson replied; he already wished he was home. Hell, he wished he was home two years ago after being in this mess. Oddly enough, he'd re-enlist after this tour was over, just not if he had to come back here. "Hell no, Whitelock, I'm buying the first round. After how much ass you kicked at Onyx Town, you deserve it" A third Delta Force added, clapping Jackson on the back. Still, there was a bit of a solemn tone; a few weeks ago, their Squad Captain got ambushed on a solo op. He was never found, not even with aerial scans. But to lift their spirits a little, a voice played over the radio, "Delta Force, This is Viper-Two-Two. We'll be there in five, just sit tight" Whoops of joy were heard from the soldiers, each getting antsy at the thought of finally getting out of here.
However, their victory party was cut short when a loud "BANG!" resonated at the front metal door, forcing all of them to turn sharply. There was a huge dent that hadn't been there, before; naturally, all of them readied their weapons. "Bolsov, Williams, get into the ATLAS suits. Now" Whitelock commanded; a nod from the soldiers was all that he received before the mechanized armor was online, weapon systems at the ready. This was the only two they had, and Bolsov and Williams were the best pilots Delta Force had to offer. More bangs were heard, the dent in the giant chrome-steel door growing larger and larger with each hit. The tension grew so thick one could cut it with a knife, each soldier's finger resting on the trigger ready to pull at a moment's notice. But then, the banging stopped.....No low strength hits, it just stopped. That didn't make them any less uneasy, heads turning trying to see where whatever the hell that was could have going. After a few minutes, Jackson took the opportunity and activated his earbud, saying "Viper-Two-Two, we need you here double-time...."
However, a final thud had sounded and the once-indestructible door now had a truck-sized hole in it. A group of four very large, muscular women holding giant metal clubs walked in, small horns growing out of their foreheads; these were a group of Oni, all of the Delta Force soldiers just froze in fear. What the hell were these things?. The one in the middle, possessing dark-red skin and dressed in what appeared to be animal skins, took a deep breath through her nose and said with a wide, toothy smile, "Well, well, lots of strong males here. Fine children we will have". This was all it took for Jackson to say, "Delta Force! Open fire!" Machine gun and rifle burst out; however, the Oni women didn't seem to be fazed. "Take them, sisters!" the one in the middle shouted. "Bolsov! Williams!" Jackson shouted; the two ATLAS mechs charged in, tangling directly with two of the women. Within moments, the heavy-locked back door was forced open and they now had an exit "Come on, come on!" Jackson said, waving his remaining crew through the back door. Jackson would not follow; instead he turned back around and went to assist the ATLAS pilots, who were currently getting their asses kicked. Jackson's armor pounded heavily on the ground as he strode in, firing his rifle to try and get the Oni's attention. It worked on one of them, who noticed a relatively unprotected human and went to reach for him; however, Williams then clocked her in the back of the head and rendered the woman unconscious. "THAT WAS MY SISTER!" another shouted, and jumped on top of the ATLAS. "Big mistake, dyke. This one's for Marcus!" Williams growled; a button was pushed and the entire mech's surface became electrified, shocking the Oni until she let go and slumped to the floor. This made the other Oni stop and strongly reconsider; they grabbed their unconscious siblings and pulled them out of danger. "Quick! While they're regrouping!" Jackson said and led them toward the rear entrance. Bolsov's ATLAS, a heavier "Prime" variant whereas Williams' was an "A" variant, crashed through the wall, opening the entrance up even further.
The shuttle had landed in a large grassy field, having been instructed to take a secondary landing zone as the first was compromised. It was just finishing boarding the Delta Force members and was about to take off; the other soldiers though saw the two mechs and Jackson striding towards them. "Hold up, hold up, here they come!" one of them shouted; it only took a minute to get Bolsov and Williams out and into the shuttle. The first of them quickly rushed aboard when a loud shrieking was heard, the suits having been abandoned as they tried to get aboard as fast as possible. More Wolves seemed to stride out from nowhere. HUNDREDS of them, and they were soon all over the shuttle, trying to claw their way inside. What was worse, one of the Oni from before was charging at them. Jackson then did the unthinkable; after shoving Williams and Kinsey inside the shuttle, he boarded one of the ATLAS suits and activated it, the mechanized battle titan roaring back to life and going to work. Within moments, the Wolves were thrown clean off, the mech's massive strength more than a match for them. The shuttle now was out of the Wolves' and Oni's reach, but that wasn't the challenge; the real challenge would be the Oni that was gaining on them, clearly running straight for Jackson. "Whitelock! What are you doing, comrade!" Bolsov shouted at him through his earpiece; Jackson just said, "Saving your asses! Now go!" Warrant Officer Williams then replied, the desperation very much evident in his voice "No! We're not leaving you behind! Viper-Two-Two, hold your position! Delta Squad, fire!" Bolsov's gun erupted from the backhatch of the shuttle, soon to be joined by the rest of his squad. The Oni, unfazed by the aerial barrage, slammed into the ATLAS, trying to pin it down and tear out the human inside for her own pleasure. "This isn't up for....discussion, Bolsov! Pull out! I'll be fine! No sacrifice, no victory! Viper-Two-Two, ignore Officer Williams...nrgh... and get them the hell out of here! That's an order!" Kinsey's lip's quivered beneath his armored mask; he never thought someone would willingly leave themselves behind like this. Not to those monstrosities. And that sentiment was shared by the pilots and other Delta Force soldiers before they shot off into orbit, now out of the range of any Mamono wishing to capture a male. As their radios faded out, leaving the weakening signal behind, Jackson' voice played, "An...If one of.....tell Kayla....I'm sorry. Tha....I lo..." The signal then faded to static, and before long a tear opened in space and the shuttle began its years-long journey back to their home world with the other escapees.
Jackson threw off the Oni, who seemed to be getting more and more frustrated at his resistance. Jackson then used his trump card: Twin medium-range booster rockets that allowed him to make a huge leap out of danger's path. Activating these would destroy the ATLAS upon landing, given how beat up it was from the Oni woman's strength, but at least he'd put some distance between them. Huge plumes of flame and acrid smoke erupted from the mech's back, propelling it high into the air after a huge leap upward and away from the scene; the Oni could only choke for a short moment, then bellow in frustration as her prize disappeared into the distance. Jackson sailed far away, easily over thirty miles, before crashing into the center of a destroyed town. The ATLAS was definitely a goner, he thought to himself as he clambered out and examined his surroundings. He didn't know which one this was, but he didn't care; this was home for now. And he'd make it work; taking out the Reaper rifle, Breaker sidearm and Flash Knife stored in a side compartment, along with several modifications and magazines of ammunition for each weapon, and placing them into their respective compartments of his Devastator armor, he then made tracks into a nearby bunker and set up what he would call a temporary home.
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*Saturday, August 14, 3648. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Jacinto Ruins. Present day, four years following planetwide evacuation*
Jackson had long since lost track of time that he'd been on this planet; a couple of years he knew, but just how long was a mystery to him. He laid down on his bed, the front door sealed tight so that those abominations couldn't get their hands on him. He'd had to move around a lot, because if he stayed in one place for too long, the Mamono seemed to come snooping around. He'd settled into the highest room at the top of a surprisingly intact twenty-story building, which he'd turned into his own personal headquarters. Traps that he'd lifted from the abandoned armory in his current town were placed along the hallways leading towards his room; he had enough food, water and ammo to last him a short while. In fact, he was just walking in with the latest raid to the armory a few miles down the road; the Mamono had become cunning, and learned of his tendency to stay in the well-armored vaults. But now he was here in a high-rise apartment, at the very top; yes, there was a lack of defensibility, but he needed to change where he would hide, lest they discover a pattern and intercept him.
All of this running, all of this having to hide and survive wore him out. Now devoid of his Devastator armor - which lay against the wall opposite the room in standby mode - his true human form was revealed: A six-foot-four, well-toned body with various impressions on his skin from how often he had to wear his armor. His untrimmed hair, once a vibrant brown but significantly dulled from his exertions, reached down to his shoulder blades. He stood in the room, left only in a pair of hand-washed underwear; naturally, living here meant none of the electric appliances could be used, since it might alert wondering Mamono to his location. His black bodysuit hung over the back of a chair, its surface riddled with holes and stains from lack of maintenance. It could still be used, but some of its functionality was lost; the thermoregulating matrix in the suit was heavily degraded, making it less effective at monitoring his body temperature. He'd managed to make a bit of progress in fixing it, but he couldn't find the necessary to make a full repair, but at least it would work for now. He'd just finished maintenance on his armor and was now working on the Reaper; for that he did find the right tools, which was great because this armor he wore and the gun he carried were the two things - along with his training and learned tactical ability - that kept him out of those freaks' clutches for this long.
Once he finished his maintenance, he decided to rest for a little bit; it was stuffy so he cracked open a window and let the breeze blow in a little. The tired soldier then fell back on the bed, his dulled green eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. "Boy one hell of a mess I landed myself in" he commented blandly; he wondered if anyone missed him back on Earth. His parents, his friends......All of them he left behind to save his squad-mates. Whether it was blind stupid heroism or an unbreakable sense of duty, he'd thrown himself into the lion's den to make sure his squad got out alive. He looked over at the holopad that was on the desk; this was something he found on a prior trip and used to help put his thoughts on something solid and keep his mind sane. After typing in a few things about his recent outing for more supplies, he hit 'Save' and then put it back down; was it even worth doing this? Who was going to read it? No one. Even still...There was something comforting about putting his thoughts and such onto something solid. It freed up his brain and spirit to focus on other things, namely survival and potentially finding a ride off this damned planet.
"Tch...That ain't gonna happen anytime soon" he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair; needless to say, despite his hard-wired habit of trying to keep himself presentable, he was definitely looking rugged. Heavy stubble covered his squared jaw, and his eyes were dark from massive lack of sleep and overdependence on recovered stimulants and caffeine pills to stay awake. Giving a defeated sigh, he then went to retrieve the Breaker sidearm he'd kept with him; most important task of the day, he thought. If he was going to make it out of here, he needed his tools to be in top shape. He looked over the weapon's form as he sat in another chair, examining it for defects; this thing had saved his ass a few times, but it was a bitch to find spare parts for. Luckily, they were built to last, so maintenance was something that could be put off for a surprising length of time. But before long, his eyes began to tire, a hand coming up to rub at them; the dulled hues peered around the room, his mind deciding it was secure enough for him to get some sleep. Thankfully, the bed held up well enough and was fairly damn comfortable; whoever the previous owners were had good taste, that much was certain. And as he laid down, the light slumber came quick, the pistol loaded and hidden beneath his pillow with his hand loosely holding the grip and finger on the trigger.
For the young man was still paranoid that one day he might be found...Not knowing what was to come very soon.
All around Oman City, the colonists in the Human Expansion Project awoke and went about their daily activities. Some ran the farms to help grow the crops, others worked in the factories to manufacture goods like chrome-steel and various plastics, and other still filled the other (perhaps less glorious) jobs that needed to be filled. From grocery vending to accounting to vehicular maintenance, it was like Earth had followed them here. Hover-cars traversed high in the sky, buildings were built taller instead of wider, leaving no danger to any animals on the ground intact and minimizing the environmental impact they had on the planet. It had been only a few years since the program's initiation, but already several major cities had been established on the surface, and more were being constructed with each passing day. The whole thing seemed like something their ancestors would have considered impossible: Flying cars, 100%-efficient renewable energy sources, and zero population growth among other things. Yes, it seemed like the humans really made a name for themselves; now able to traverse even the darkest reaches of space and colonize other worlds without damaging them like they had in the past. How far they had come from their admittedly barbaric and wasteful past selves.
The research crews initially were sent across the galaxy and beyond to investigate planets for habitation. Thanks to faster than light travel, or FTL travel for short, distances that would take trillions of years to cross could be covered in a minimum of five years; this naturally meant that humans would try to explore as much of the Milky Way as they could. It wasn't that Earth was bad; in fact, almost every environmental issue their ancestors had caused had been solved. It was merely the human drive for knowledge that led them to explore the stars for different worlds were they might even be able to live on. And with the progression of faster-than-light travel technology, they found that it was very much possible to do so. One research crew led by Dr. Marcus Stanislaus Braun stumbled across a very much Earth-like planet, down to the nearest molecule of air. Every test was conducted to determine its viability, and to their joy, it was deemed a more-than-suitable place for human inhabitants. More than thirty times the size of their home planet, the problem of natural heating was offset by increased proximity to its parent star. The oceans and other various water bodies were also determined to be almost purely fresh water with minimal salt contamination, a strange but very welcome occurrence. It did mean, however, that salt would have to be shipped back from Earth to this new colony; a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, but still annoying nonetheless. The atmosphere? Same 78-21-1 mix as the Earth's, and with a comfortable surface pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch, the populace wouldn't have to be using pressure suits to survive, unlike the poor saps that colonized Io. The crust? Extremely high amounts of osmium, iridium and several other precious metals deemed "rare" on Earth; the core was also determined via deep-penetrating resonant sonogram that it was a nickel-iron mix, meaning the steel industry would do quite well here. in almost every respect, this was Earth, only much, much larger and rich with ground, ripe for development. Within a year, several thousand volunteers had signed up for this new home and traveled to the planet named "Deseus". It would take several more years to get people settled in. But even then, there was an obstacle that would reveal itself to the humans trying to live on this strange new world.
Only a year after the humans had finished setting up colonies around this new planet, had they realized that they were not alone here. To say the local species was strange would be an understatement; almost all of them humanoid to a very large degree, they appeared to be anthropomorphized versions of their Earthly counterparts, and many of them seemed to be representations of mythological figures. There were mermaid-like creatures, strange part-insect ones, and a sighting of one that looked like a Minotaur. Initial surveys of these strange new creatures showed them to possess very high levels of intelligence and some members even possessed the capacity to speak English. They weren't openly hostile, unless a male or female of a species happened upon his/her mate conversing with a human. But even then, most of the conflicts were resolved peacefully. Soon enough, the project shifted from helping the humans adjust to the Super-Earth planet to integrating the humans and newly-deemed "Mamono" populations together. Most of them seemed relatively inviting in welcoming the humans to the planet, especially the females and others even allowed them to be studied in their natural environment, leading several groups to try and catalogue the various species of the planet in an attempt to understand them further. Further down the line, inter species marriages were taking place; it seemed like everything was getting better for betterment's sake. However, things would soon begin to change....For the worst.
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*Friday, July 3, 3586. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Wahiba Sands Central Information Center, designation 'Echo Base'. Time: 1:56pm. Human disappearances continue to climb*
"Sir, Lieutenant Cowell from Nizwa just reported in; another six disappearances. Only males again: Four married, two single" First Comms Officer James Anderson said as he removed the black comm-visor from his head, turning a brown leather swivel seat to face the Base Commander. The Comm Officer was a stout man, about five-six but fairly built, his entire form in a bright blue bodysuit with red accents on the shoulders, wrists and neck. He rubbed his tired eyes as he waited for the Base Commander’s response. Anderson's duties included fielding all military-level between installations and ensuring the security and maintenance of the milnet, which had been going crazy due to the high volume of disappearances throughout the human towns. The Base Commander, one Dennis Ray Collins, pinched the bridge of his nose in agitation, staying silent for a few moments. His black locks were frazzled from trying to get results, but the abductions were just stressful nonsense. “This is just what we need” he groaned; a much taller man, he was a bit more on the lean side. His black and grey uniform cleanly pressed, his entire being screamed military upbringing. It normally took a lot to get under his skin, being a fairly neutral tempered man, but this was just too much. It was up to him to defend these people, and he was failing.
The abductions had been going on for almost three years now; husbands and men alike seemed to be abducted, never to be heard from again and the searches for their bodies turned to be just as fruitless. Some cities had been picked clean of residents, turning the settlements into nothing more than futuristic ghost towns. Even with the addition of extra security from troop deployments on Earth, the number of humans on the planet was decreasing. It was like nothing they were doing was working and this latest six brought the total number of abductions up to over fifty thousand; the human population was only about three hundred thousand strong on this planet, what with it still being a trial colony, so having a sixth of their total number abducted did not bode well. “What do we do, Sir?” Anderson then asked, along with everyone else as they turned to Luckily, though they were about to receive a fresh batch of over thirty thousand soldiers from the United Nations Space Corps, as the military forces here were spread quite thin. This would only be the first of three installments of troops to help defend their towns. Additional military bases had been quickly and efficiently assembled to accommodate the massive influx of military strength, so the troops would be good to go as soon as they landed.
And as if on cue, a voice played over the intercom, “Ground Control, Echo Base, this is the SSC Harbinger. We’re in geosynchronous orbit with your location, requesting permission to deploy shuttlecraft”. Harbinger was a Halcyon-class interplanetary transport cruiser, able to transport almost one hundred thousand people and various-sized cargo pieces comfortably. Anderson then asked the Commander, “Orders, Sir?” Collins just nodded and said, “Bring ‘em down. We need the bodies. Let’s get to work people, we have colonists to protect”. Anderson smiled and turned back to face the console, opening up the channel and replying, “Copy your last, Harbinger. You’re cleared to deploy shuttlecraft. Transferring you to a UNSC operator”. A short, red-haired man dressed in a similar fashion to Anderson soon took over, as his job was now truly beginning. The holoboards was soon alight with activity; requests for approach vectors were heralded, screens lit up with profiles of the units aboard each individual shuttle, and unit deployments were handed down from the Commander to the various shuttles. After about an hour of all this, the red-haired air traffic controller simply said, "No fucking way". This made Collins turn towards the Comm Officer and reply, "What is it, Anderson?" James then turned, removed his headset and said, “Sir, you’re not going to believe this. Three Delta Force regiments are here”. Collins was noticeably shocked; Delta Force? Why would the baddest of the military badasses be deployed here? Did the brass think the situation was that terrible? “Well, holy shit, Command’s really throwing us a bone here” Collins then replied, seeming stuck at what to say. However, he soon got his shit together and ordered the regiments be split up among the standard soldier ranks; each Delta Force soldier was a one-man army in and of him or herself, so having even a few of them in the forces meant to protect the towns would be a significant force multiplier. “Let’s just pray to god this is enough” Collins commented lowly. All across the planet, the large shuttles landed in the bases near towns, troops in standard UNSC infantry armor poured out and set themselves up. Among these newly organized platoons were Delta Force soldiers, dressed in very intimidating Devastator armor, seeming ready to go at the drop of a hat. Larger transports also touched down, deploying ATLAS mechanized war suits as supplemental armor. None of them expected just what it was they were supposed to protect the colonists from.
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*Thursday, March 22nd, 3640. Location: Deseus, Ilias Landmass, Onyx Town. Time: 7:42am Human forces attempting to hold off Mamono incursion for civilian evacuation*
“This is Hunter-One-Actual! We are getting overrun! I repeat, we are getting overrun! Request immediate air support! We have colonists that need evacuation!” Eighteen-year-old Delta Force Field Captain Jackson Whitelock was shouting into a radio over the sounds of gunfire. “Watch the left flank!” another soldier shouted as what looked like shadows darted back and forth. "They're surrounding us!" "Calm the fuck down and keep up the pressure!" "Watch your sectors!" A scream for help was heard from another soldier as the poor bastard was dragged away by the shadow figures deep into the surrounding forest. “Roger, Hunter One Actual. Ospreys are five minutes from your position, just sit tight!” was the traffic controller’s response. Jackson cursed, but replied, "Roger, we'll hold off as long as we can! Over and out!" GARDIAN shields had been deployed around the town to keep the creatures from abducting any of the colonists, leaving the soldiers to fend off the horde of attackers. They wouldn’t last long if they got attacked though, so the soldiers there had to fend them off for as long they could. It turned out Mamono were indeed responsible for the abductions; these half-human bastards had abducted the human males and taken them as husbands. The Mamono had also taken to abducting human women as well, but this was a far less prominent occurrence, as the males were quite obviously the primary target. A fair few turned out to be consensual relations, the pair having fled to hide where no one would find them, but a larger part were men being forcibly raped. And several captures of specimens and subsequent analysis by scientists trying to figure out why the Mamono were behaving so differently only led to them being raped as well. The policy had now shifted from trying to integrate Mamonos and humans to protecting those already in the colonies at any cost; the Mamono that were legally married to humans fell into protected category, as some had been killed by 'wild' Mamono to obtain mates. But all the others would face indiscriminate extermination should they prove to be hostile and approach any human settlements, which a lot of them seemed to be and do. This way had been going on for quite a few years now, and seemed to only get more and more intense as entire towns, their people and armed forces were ousted due to conflict. The number of occupied human cities was diminishing, as were the number of humans.
What made this battle worse was that these particular Mamono – glimpses of which revealed them to be Wolves – were fast and efficient pack-hunters, able to circumvent even the most hardened soldier's defenses and take him for themselves. Several men had been abducted already, but the humans seemed to be holding out; they’d “euthanized” several of the Wolves already, but this pack was particularly large and aggressive. “Hunter-One-Actual, this is Osprey Two-Zero. Designate target area” a voice then played over the radio; the soldier picked it up and replied, “Attack all targets north of orange smoke! You’re cleared hot!” Jackson then unhooked an L83A1 Target Marker and threw the metal canister over the boulder he’d been using as cover; orange flumes began billowing out, and two of the twin-rotored aircraft soon hovered above the battle scene. “We see it, engaging hostiles!” 30mm autocannons loaded with HE rounds soon erupted from the belly of the gunship, shredding the environment and enemies with equal prejudice. Howls could be heard as the massive guns ripped the Wolves to pieces, trees and ground being chewed to bits by the relentless barrage from the gunships. Two other Ospreys soon touched down and opened the bay doors, letting the civilians clamber inside. "Hunter-One-Actual, this is Osprey Two-One! All civilians are boarding now! Hold them off as long as you can!” Jackson replied heatedly, “Roger! Base Control, request ARCLIGHT incendiary strike!" “Acknowledged. ARCLIGHT bomber inbound. ETA three minutes”. Jackson then added, "Proceed to Killbox Three-Bravo! Attack direction west! Danger close! Burn it down!”
The battle raged on, gunfire and screams echoing across the increasingly destroyed landscape. "ARCLIGHT, two minutes out". A few more soldiers were abducted, but the Wolf presence was starting to noticeably lessen. “ARCLIGHT, one minute out” the bomber’s voice spoke over the radio; Jackson then shouted, “The heat’s coming! Get down!” “ARCLIGHT strike away. Impact in 5….4…..3…..2……Impact!” All surviving soldiers ducked; a whistling was heard before a series of massive airblasts rocked the area, setting the forest to the north ablaze from the incendiary liquid within. Poking their heads up, they could see the plumes of black smoke; no way anything survived that. But that didn't mean they wouldn't regroup and perform a counter-offensive strike. “Let’s go! Move out!” the field commander shouted; as soon as the soldiers were on-board, Onyx Town was soon left empty, echoing with the ghosts of this event, just like so many had been and were becoming across the planet. Just as they left, they could see even more Wolves attack from a different direction, only to find the town itself empty and without any prey to take for themselves. "Take that, you rotten fucks!" Jackson shouted as the bay doors finally closed, leaving his regiment of five and about thirty other civilians to rest. “Sir, just what the hell is going on?” one civilian asked Jackson as Onyx Town faded from view, to which the Delta Force soldier replied, “I don’t know, but with the way things have been……I wouldn't be surprised if we had to leave this planet altogether”.
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*Location: Evugid Continent, Zipangu Region, Diamond City. Time: 7:59am Non-abducted human population on Deseus down to 62% original size. Situation critical*
Over in Diamond City, the situation was FUBAR; all of the soldiers - thirty UNSC standard infantry and six Delta Force - except one were all abducted by these strange, humanoid creatures, along with all the male and female colonists. The one lone soldier, a standard grunt by the name of Zachary Cole Williams, UNSC Private First Class, stood with the M5A3 assault rifle shouldered, watching with unflinching determination as a single female came forth. Her slim yet curvaceous body clothed in what appeared to be a traditional red-orange Chinese qipao decorated with artistic depictions of golden leafy vines, a slit at the side to reveal a well-formed, creamy-fleshed thigh and a cutout at her chest revealing an ample amount of cleavage. Her blond locks fell down to her back, while at the top of her head sat two ears, like those of a fox. Her golden brown hues focused on him and him alone as she drew closer, two fluffy, blonde-colored tails flowing elegantly behind her; the young man thought she was going to kidnap him and do unspeakable things to him. And with these thoughts in mind, the mind killer known as fear began to creep within him, making his once unbreakable resolution start to falter under her eerily calm gaze.
"S.....stay...back...." Zachary stuttered, feeling the fear well up within him, his eyes - hidden by the visored helmet he wore - widening in fright and making his grip on the gun shaky; before long, her ample chest was but mere inches from the muzzle of the rifle. But for some reason, the young soldier just couldn't pull the trigger; he tried to mask his fear, saying "Ge...get away....I'll shoot....". The fox-woman, the ears and tail being the only fox-like traits about her, smiled and giggled before replying sweetly, "No you won't darling......If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done so already..." A forefinger then raised up slightly and its tip pushed the barrel down and away, leaving the fear-frozen man standing there. Another sweet giggle was heard as her slender arms wrapped around him and pulled him close, her bountiful chest pressing against his own and her melodic voice adding, "Sshhhh, it's alright.....There's no need to be afraid, sweety. I can show you pleasures no human woman could even fathom. All you have to do....is give in and be mine and mine alone. And in return, I'll happily be your woman". As if to add more comfort, her soft-furred tails wrapped around them both, her magic radiating from them in waves, working to soothe this man and convince him of her sincerity.
Zach instantly felt the tension melt away, his once vice-like grip on the weapon loosening and letting the rifle drop with a clatter from his hand. The woman smiled and said, "That's a good boy; but I wanna see this pretty face of yours...." Her delicate hands reached up and gently lifted the helmet from his head; beneath lay the face of a man who came from good genes. Strong jaw, taut cheekbones, bright vibrant hair and eyes blue as the skies above, a perfect ten in her eyes. A satisfied smirk now crossed her lips as she casually cast the helmet aside, "Just as I thought....A child born from parents of the higher echelons of society......Yes, you are perfect....Let's find somewhere more private, shall we? Wouldn't want any of these lesser peons to steal my prize, and surely you won't want anyone other than me, right?". Zachary simply nodded, now completely entranced by this woman's beauty and words, the fear that once mercilessly gripped his heart now gone. "Excellent....Off we go, then" was her final statement; a bright flash of light encased them and when it faded, they had vanished to locations unknown. Never to be seen or heard from again.
*Location: Daften Continent, Tzir Forest. Time: 2:43pm*
"Oh shit....oh shit, oh shit, oh shit" was all Patrick Svenson, former Assistant Director of Interspecies Studies, was saying as he ran with all the energy he could muster into the dense jungle of Tzir Grove. He was a lithe man, but not all skin and bones; his platinum hair was messy and frazzled, his once pristine laboratory uniform - a white lab coat, white button-up shirt with red necktie, black slacks and polished black leather shoes - covered with grime, tears and scuff marks. His skin was lacerated in a few places from crashing through thorn-saturated brush; the adrenaline seemed to be in infinite supply for him, even now his blood screamed in his ears, his mind pushing him on and on. His eyes, a light shade of green with hints of blue, were wide and scanning endlessly, searching his surroundings so as to hopefully catch any threats before they caught him. He'd taken off from the nearby town of Delia after his research laboratory had been assaulted by tall, dark-skinned females in loincloths with huge swords. They'd said something about letting the hunt commence; those words alone made him realize they were an Amazoness tribe. Even now, he could still hear his co-workers scream as they were taken away; he'd hid in a locked supply closet until the coast was clear, then made a break for it. He'd since lost count of how many days he'd been running; however, that didn't even make him think of stopping. He just prayed he could lose any pursuers in this thick brush; then he'd be in the clear.
He then felt himself trip over something; he landed with a loud grunt as he fell onto his face and just laid there for a moment, not moving the slightest. "Ergggh...." he groaned out as he pushed himself; however, the panic rose in him again as he felt something thick wrap around his ankle and start to pull on him. "O...oh god, oh god! Someone! Anyone! H...help!" young Patrick shouted, his hands clawing at the dirt below him in a fruitless attempt to get away. His cries would go unanswered, but his struggling would not cease; even as he was lifted off the ground and into the air, his body thrashed, trying to free itself from the captor. He was then turned, his body hanging upside down around to face an enormous specimen of flora; its large pink petals were each about the length of an old-day SUV and the hemispherical base pod had to be at least seven feet wide and about five feet deep. Thorn-covered roots grew out, evenly spaced around the circumference of the stalk. "What on Earth....." Patrick said, pausing as the strange flower stood before him; he craned his neck forward to look and see that a vine from the base of the pod was what was holding onto him. His eyes widened in shock as the petals began to part; was this how he was going to die? Being eaten by a carnivorous plant? His eyes then closed shut as whimpers escaped his lips and tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as he continued to try and break free; he didn't want to see his own death coming at him, it was just too much to handle.
As the minutes passed, nothing happened to him; it wasn't until he heard "Alraune.....?", the voice itself soft and non-provocative, that he opened his eyes. What stood before him was something he'd never seen before....Inside the flower was not rows and columns of razor-sharp teeth, but a beautiful woman. The woman's expression was one of concern and puzzlement, as if wondering why he was struggling; her violet hues, though, were captivating and comforting, seeming to assure the researcher that no harm would come to him. It wasn't long before his struggles stopped; he then broke his stupefied stare to look at the rest of her body. Her skin green as the leaves of a tree, every inch of her just under five and a half foot figure was sinfully curvaceous, a good portion of it covered in leafy vines as well. She seemed to be standing in amber liquid, the level reaching about midway up her nicely plump thighs; in fact, her body seemed to be covered in it, as her flesh was quite shiny and reflected the late afternoon sunlight, giving her a very healthy looking glow. Her C-cup breasts were exposed to him, revealing emerald-green nipples and areola and what hat looked like a beautiful rose laid in her waist-length green-yellow locks. "Alraune...." the plant-woman said; this time, a subtle yet very intoxicating scent began to fill the air, flooding Patrick's nostrils and slowly making the rest of his tension disappear and replace it with a growing lust.
Two more vines then appeared from the base of the pod and began to undress him; strangely, even though his clothing was tattered and torn, she took it off of his body with the utmost care and precision. Within minutes, everything he'd been wearing had been neatly folded and placed beside her pod; the two new vines then proceeded to turn the man right side up and draw him into her flower, Patrick felt the warm liquid coat his legs as he was placed in front of her, the level reaching just above his knees. The woman then drew closer to him, pressing her naked, slippery form gently against his body as she ground her hips on his slowly stiffening manhood. Her slender arms wrapped around his shoulders as she then drew in for a heated kiss, her soft mounds pressing against his chest and her hardened nipples rubbing on his now nectar-soaked skin; Patrick could feel what was easily the sweetest liquid he'd ever partaken in coat every inch of his mouth. When the kiss was over, she pulled back to look up at him, a smile now very much present on that cute face of hers. Patrick then embraced her and kissed her again, submitting to her unspoken desire and will. The petals then shook and came to life, drawing up and sealing them inside for the rest of his days.
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*Saturday, August 10, 3644. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Zipangu Region, Thunder City Command Base. Time: 6:42pm Human population down to 23% of its original size. Colonization of Planet Deseus deemed failure. Planetwide Evacuation at 99.9% completion….*
Two years........for two whole freaking years this war against the Mamono had gone on; the humans that had not been captured were escorted off the planet in droves via shuttle. Evacuation sites had been pre-established, where the shuttles would land under heavy guard and quickly take off. One such location was the Thunder City Command Base, where the last set of colonists was ready to be evacuated. Jackson Whitelock himself, now twenty years old and a Delta Force Lieutenant for his valorous defense of Onyx Town, stood in full Devastator armor, Reaper rifle charged and at the ready. He saw the fear in these people's eyes; he felt bad for these people. They just wanted to experience life on a new planet, and all this shit happened. They came here hoping to experience being on a different world, but this was a cruel reminder that the galaxy could be very unforgiving and that humanity was still new to all this. A lot made to this particular evac station, but the soldiers present knew that there were still a lot missing. Rumors even circulated that a fair chunk abandoned a chance to return home to actually live with these things...Course, those were just rumors, but deep down they knew at least five to ten percent actually chose that. Why they did was anyone's guess; that just meant their names would be crossed off from the registry and all personal data expunged and cleaned out. Like they never even existed...Officially.
Soon, the final civilian and infantry shuttles took off, the roof panels sliding back into place and leaving the remaining six Delta Force soldiers to wait for their own ride. They would be on lock-down until evac arrived to pick them up. "Well, holy shit, can't believe that's the last of 'em. A lot more than I thought there would be" a fellow Delta Force soldier commented, a Graver Machine Gun resting on his armored shoulder and his eyes following the shuttle as it soon disappeared into orbit. "Yeah, well, once we're off this rock, first round's on me" Jackson replied; he already wished he was home. Hell, he wished he was home two years ago after being in this mess. Oddly enough, he'd re-enlist after this tour was over, just not if he had to come back here. "Hell no, Whitelock, I'm buying the first round. After how much ass you kicked at Onyx Town, you deserve it" A third Delta Force added, clapping Jackson on the back. Still, there was a bit of a solemn tone; a few weeks ago, their Squad Captain got ambushed on a solo op. He was never found, not even with aerial scans. But to lift their spirits a little, a voice played over the radio, "Delta Force, This is Viper-Two-Two. We'll be there in five, just sit tight" Whoops of joy were heard from the soldiers, each getting antsy at the thought of finally getting out of here.
However, their victory party was cut short when a loud "BANG!" resonated at the front metal door, forcing all of them to turn sharply. There was a huge dent that hadn't been there, before; naturally, all of them readied their weapons. "Bolsov, Williams, get into the ATLAS suits. Now" Whitelock commanded; a nod from the soldiers was all that he received before the mechanized armor was online, weapon systems at the ready. This was the only two they had, and Bolsov and Williams were the best pilots Delta Force had to offer. More bangs were heard, the dent in the giant chrome-steel door growing larger and larger with each hit. The tension grew so thick one could cut it with a knife, each soldier's finger resting on the trigger ready to pull at a moment's notice. But then, the banging stopped.....No low strength hits, it just stopped. That didn't make them any less uneasy, heads turning trying to see where whatever the hell that was could have going. After a few minutes, Jackson took the opportunity and activated his earbud, saying "Viper-Two-Two, we need you here double-time...."
However, a final thud had sounded and the once-indestructible door now had a truck-sized hole in it. A group of four very large, muscular women holding giant metal clubs walked in, small horns growing out of their foreheads; these were a group of Oni, all of the Delta Force soldiers just froze in fear. What the hell were these things?. The one in the middle, possessing dark-red skin and dressed in what appeared to be animal skins, took a deep breath through her nose and said with a wide, toothy smile, "Well, well, lots of strong males here. Fine children we will have". This was all it took for Jackson to say, "Delta Force! Open fire!" Machine gun and rifle burst out; however, the Oni women didn't seem to be fazed. "Take them, sisters!" the one in the middle shouted. "Bolsov! Williams!" Jackson shouted; the two ATLAS mechs charged in, tangling directly with two of the women. Within moments, the heavy-locked back door was forced open and they now had an exit "Come on, come on!" Jackson said, waving his remaining crew through the back door. Jackson would not follow; instead he turned back around and went to assist the ATLAS pilots, who were currently getting their asses kicked. Jackson's armor pounded heavily on the ground as he strode in, firing his rifle to try and get the Oni's attention. It worked on one of them, who noticed a relatively unprotected human and went to reach for him; however, Williams then clocked her in the back of the head and rendered the woman unconscious. "THAT WAS MY SISTER!" another shouted, and jumped on top of the ATLAS. "Big mistake, dyke. This one's for Marcus!" Williams growled; a button was pushed and the entire mech's surface became electrified, shocking the Oni until she let go and slumped to the floor. This made the other Oni stop and strongly reconsider; they grabbed their unconscious siblings and pulled them out of danger. "Quick! While they're regrouping!" Jackson said and led them toward the rear entrance. Bolsov's ATLAS, a heavier "Prime" variant whereas Williams' was an "A" variant, crashed through the wall, opening the entrance up even further.
The shuttle had landed in a large grassy field, having been instructed to take a secondary landing zone as the first was compromised. It was just finishing boarding the Delta Force members and was about to take off; the other soldiers though saw the two mechs and Jackson striding towards them. "Hold up, hold up, here they come!" one of them shouted; it only took a minute to get Bolsov and Williams out and into the shuttle. The first of them quickly rushed aboard when a loud shrieking was heard, the suits having been abandoned as they tried to get aboard as fast as possible. More Wolves seemed to stride out from nowhere. HUNDREDS of them, and they were soon all over the shuttle, trying to claw their way inside. What was worse, one of the Oni from before was charging at them. Jackson then did the unthinkable; after shoving Williams and Kinsey inside the shuttle, he boarded one of the ATLAS suits and activated it, the mechanized battle titan roaring back to life and going to work. Within moments, the Wolves were thrown clean off, the mech's massive strength more than a match for them. The shuttle now was out of the Wolves' and Oni's reach, but that wasn't the challenge; the real challenge would be the Oni that was gaining on them, clearly running straight for Jackson. "Whitelock! What are you doing, comrade!" Bolsov shouted at him through his earpiece; Jackson just said, "Saving your asses! Now go!" Warrant Officer Williams then replied, the desperation very much evident in his voice "No! We're not leaving you behind! Viper-Two-Two, hold your position! Delta Squad, fire!" Bolsov's gun erupted from the backhatch of the shuttle, soon to be joined by the rest of his squad. The Oni, unfazed by the aerial barrage, slammed into the ATLAS, trying to pin it down and tear out the human inside for her own pleasure. "This isn't up for....discussion, Bolsov! Pull out! I'll be fine! No sacrifice, no victory! Viper-Two-Two, ignore Officer Williams...nrgh... and get them the hell out of here! That's an order!" Kinsey's lip's quivered beneath his armored mask; he never thought someone would willingly leave themselves behind like this. Not to those monstrosities. And that sentiment was shared by the pilots and other Delta Force soldiers before they shot off into orbit, now out of the range of any Mamono wishing to capture a male. As their radios faded out, leaving the weakening signal behind, Jackson' voice played, "An...If one of.....tell Kayla....I'm sorry. Tha....I lo..." The signal then faded to static, and before long a tear opened in space and the shuttle began its years-long journey back to their home world with the other escapees.
Jackson threw off the Oni, who seemed to be getting more and more frustrated at his resistance. Jackson then used his trump card: Twin medium-range booster rockets that allowed him to make a huge leap out of danger's path. Activating these would destroy the ATLAS upon landing, given how beat up it was from the Oni woman's strength, but at least he'd put some distance between them. Huge plumes of flame and acrid smoke erupted from the mech's back, propelling it high into the air after a huge leap upward and away from the scene; the Oni could only choke for a short moment, then bellow in frustration as her prize disappeared into the distance. Jackson sailed far away, easily over thirty miles, before crashing into the center of a destroyed town. The ATLAS was definitely a goner, he thought to himself as he clambered out and examined his surroundings. He didn't know which one this was, but he didn't care; this was home for now. And he'd make it work; taking out the Reaper rifle, Breaker sidearm and Flash Knife stored in a side compartment, along with several modifications and magazines of ammunition for each weapon, and placing them into their respective compartments of his Devastator armor, he then made tracks into a nearby bunker and set up what he would call a temporary home.
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*Saturday, August 14, 3648. Location: Deseus, Evugid Continent, Jacinto Ruins. Present day, four years following planetwide evacuation*
Jackson had long since lost track of time that he'd been on this planet; a couple of years he knew, but just how long was a mystery to him. He laid down on his bed, the front door sealed tight so that those abominations couldn't get their hands on him. He'd had to move around a lot, because if he stayed in one place for too long, the Mamono seemed to come snooping around. He'd settled into the highest room at the top of a surprisingly intact twenty-story building, which he'd turned into his own personal headquarters. Traps that he'd lifted from the abandoned armory in his current town were placed along the hallways leading towards his room; he had enough food, water and ammo to last him a short while. In fact, he was just walking in with the latest raid to the armory a few miles down the road; the Mamono had become cunning, and learned of his tendency to stay in the well-armored vaults. But now he was here in a high-rise apartment, at the very top; yes, there was a lack of defensibility, but he needed to change where he would hide, lest they discover a pattern and intercept him.
All of this running, all of this having to hide and survive wore him out. Now devoid of his Devastator armor - which lay against the wall opposite the room in standby mode - his true human form was revealed: A six-foot-four, well-toned body with various impressions on his skin from how often he had to wear his armor. His untrimmed hair, once a vibrant brown but significantly dulled from his exertions, reached down to his shoulder blades. He stood in the room, left only in a pair of hand-washed underwear; naturally, living here meant none of the electric appliances could be used, since it might alert wondering Mamono to his location. His black bodysuit hung over the back of a chair, its surface riddled with holes and stains from lack of maintenance. It could still be used, but some of its functionality was lost; the thermoregulating matrix in the suit was heavily degraded, making it less effective at monitoring his body temperature. He'd managed to make a bit of progress in fixing it, but he couldn't find the necessary to make a full repair, but at least it would work for now. He'd just finished maintenance on his armor and was now working on the Reaper; for that he did find the right tools, which was great because this armor he wore and the gun he carried were the two things - along with his training and learned tactical ability - that kept him out of those freaks' clutches for this long.
Once he finished his maintenance, he decided to rest for a little bit; it was stuffy so he cracked open a window and let the breeze blow in a little. The tired soldier then fell back on the bed, his dulled green eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. "Boy one hell of a mess I landed myself in" he commented blandly; he wondered if anyone missed him back on Earth. His parents, his friends......All of them he left behind to save his squad-mates. Whether it was blind stupid heroism or an unbreakable sense of duty, he'd thrown himself into the lion's den to make sure his squad got out alive. He looked over at the holopad that was on the desk; this was something he found on a prior trip and used to help put his thoughts on something solid and keep his mind sane. After typing in a few things about his recent outing for more supplies, he hit 'Save' and then put it back down; was it even worth doing this? Who was going to read it? No one. Even still...There was something comforting about putting his thoughts and such onto something solid. It freed up his brain and spirit to focus on other things, namely survival and potentially finding a ride off this damned planet.
"Tch...That ain't gonna happen anytime soon" he muttered, running a hand through his messy hair; needless to say, despite his hard-wired habit of trying to keep himself presentable, he was definitely looking rugged. Heavy stubble covered his squared jaw, and his eyes were dark from massive lack of sleep and overdependence on recovered stimulants and caffeine pills to stay awake. Giving a defeated sigh, he then went to retrieve the Breaker sidearm he'd kept with him; most important task of the day, he thought. If he was going to make it out of here, he needed his tools to be in top shape. He looked over the weapon's form as he sat in another chair, examining it for defects; this thing had saved his ass a few times, but it was a bitch to find spare parts for. Luckily, they were built to last, so maintenance was something that could be put off for a surprising length of time. But before long, his eyes began to tire, a hand coming up to rub at them; the dulled hues peered around the room, his mind deciding it was secure enough for him to get some sleep. Thankfully, the bed held up well enough and was fairly damn comfortable; whoever the previous owners were had good taste, that much was certain. And as he laid down, the light slumber came quick, the pistol loaded and hidden beneath his pillow with his hand loosely holding the grip and finger on the trigger.
For the young man was still paranoid that one day he might be found...Not knowing what was to come very soon.
