Colonel Johnston planted the flag just as the main cruiser touched down. The battle regained fearsome momentum as the humans tried to hold the hill and the Arvians tried to push them off.

The hill was already covered in blood when I reached it. It wasn’t soaked,though, thats the wrong word. The gravity on Mars isn’t enough to break the surface tension of the droplets so it appeared we were fighting on an everchanging mass of rubies.

My gun chattered constantly like a housewife at a tea party, except that this sure as Hell wasnt my idea of a party. My gun sent out streams of death as I heard the Colonel over the radio.”Duke! Get over here! We need to hold the high ground! On the Double!”

I started in that direction when I heard a scream from one of my teammates. I looked over my shoulder and Ashley cowered on the ground beneath a massive Arvian, her gun a useless pile of scrap.

I heard the Colonel yell at me again but I saw the Arvian start toward Ashley.

Shit. Things just got more complicated.