"Central this is Stike-1, engaging hostiles"
It was as though the world had come to a halt. Neither of us nor them moved a muscle. By the time I was able to comprehend what was going on, Bullseye fired his reaction shot, his sniper rifle booming in the background. The round struck, and one of the aliens staggered, It's weapon exploding into multiple pieces spraying luminous liquid splattering onto the metal wreckage.
"Engage, engage, engage!"
Titan let out a fierce war cry, charging forward as his heavy weapon came to life, lighting up the night with a storm of bullets. The air was filled with the acrid smell of gunfire and the alien shriek of our adversaries.
As the creatures fell, their glow dimming until it was nothing more than a dark heap on the ground. Suddenly, a blast of energy ripped through the night, catching Titan off guard. He grunted, thrown off his feet by the impact, but rolled and was back on his feet in an instant.
"Medic!" I called, eyes fixed on Titan. Medusa was already there, her hands moving with practiced efficiency as she patched up Titan, her medical drone providing her with the necessary tools.
"Bullseye, make sure nothing interrupts her"
Returning my attention to the enemy, I primed a grenade, letting it fly into the midst of the invaders. The explosion rocked the clearing, sending alien bodies flying, their luminescence sputtering out in the aftermath.
I fired a shot at the final foe, whose exposed head made it a simple target in its partial cover.
As the battle began to wane, the forest was once again plunged into silence and the gravity of our situation seeped back into our consciousness. We were panting, a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion coursing through our veins.
The alien beings' mangled remains were scattered all over the clearing, their luminous glow fading in the face of our victory. As a striking reminder of the preceding deadly clash, the night air was thick with the pungent smell of burning flesh and gunpowder.
"Talk to me big guy, how you feeling?"
"Once I catch my breath, Ill be fine"
"Take as much time as you need. Bullseye, we need to secure the site." I stated, examining the eerie silence of the surrounding woods.
"Strike-1 to Central come in"
"This is central"
"8 hostiles down no casualties, although Titan was hit. Proceeding with primary mission objective"
While Medusa worked on stabilizing Titan, Bullseye and I approached the alien ship. The twisted metal hummed with an uncanny energy, the surface cool and sleek beneath my fingertips. The ship was a stark contrast to the natural beauty of the wilderness, its alien design a blight on the landscape
It seemed like entering a another universe as you entered the ship. The air was dense with an odd aroma, a mix of ozone and something unidentified that coiled in the back of my throat. The hallways were a labyrinth of alien technology, with walls that shone with the same ghostly light that had identified our adversaries. Every surface of the ship seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, the strange technology a silent testament to the vastness of the universe and our place within it. The silence within the ship was absolute, the only sound being our boots echoing off the metal flooring.
In the heart of the ship, we discovered what appeared to be a control center. Strange symbols flickered across holographic screens, their meanings as alien as the beings we'd just encountered. I reached out, my fingers passing through the hologram, its cool light dancing on my skin.
"We need to get this back to HQ," I said, pulling a small device from my pack. With a press of a button, it whirred to life, capturing images and readings of the alien tech.
As we explored, we discovered more than just technology. The bodies of the aliens were taken for study, their features a grotesque testament to the diversity of life in the universe. Their fluorescent blood was collected, the luminescent liquid contained within sterile tubes.
When we emerged from the ship, Medusa was waiting. "Area's secure, no sign of other hostiles," she reported, her voice a quiet echo in the still night.
"Sir, I'm good too" Titan remarked.
"Good," I nodded, taking one last look at the alien ship before turning back towards the Skyranger. "Let's get out of here."
The Skyranger's engines hummed beneath us as we flew through the early morning light. The cool colors of dawn painted the sky, casting long shadows across the wild landscape below.
The events of the night weighed heavily on us as we made our way home, so it was a silent journey. We had taken our initial position and won our first battle, but at what price? Titan was injured, the burn from the energy burst a cruel reminder of the risks we were facing. In addition, our understanding of our enemy was still developing. But amid all the uncertainty, one thing was clear. No longer were we the only living things in the universe. We had to decide if we could live in it and survive.