The day the Missles hit changed everything. On the 42nd of Menae, it was a pretty normal day. I was in school when it happened. One minute we were mixing chemstat solutions, and the next we were all watching the feed.

Luckily we were not there, but students and teachers alike stood in shock as massive Cylinders fell from the skies onto the local transit centers. Upon hitting the ground these Metalic tubes created the biggest explosions I had ever seen.

This was our first contact, this was the day we met the “hoo-mens”

I was going about my life, hefting a large piece of space junk through the grey wasteland. I had to keep situating it between my four arms to keep it from hurting. I had just put it down and turned to get another one when something red darted past me, crating a large cloud of dust. I looked to the source, only to see a large foreign space shuttle lowering to the ground, creating waves of dirt.

I sighed exasperatedly. “Here we go again.” I mutter under my breath.

I spun around and slid across the ground as fast as I could, just as the sirens started going off. The loud muffled voice of the warnings for the invasion filled the air.

This wasn’t the first time an invasion like this had happened. They happened around once a week. Once a week they had to find a new place to live, to inhabit and make liveable.

Liveable, for a week, maybe two if they were lucky.

It was getting old.

I sped towards the shimmering gold space craft, which was currently lowering a ramp for us to get into. I quickly ascended the ramp, which was lighting up as I went by. I hefted myself onto a cushion that was attached to the wall and buckled myself in, several others doing the same.

After a few moments of more of us piling into the ship, I caught sight of the earthlings, carrying guns and other sorts of weaponry. Just then, the ramp started to raise, blocking my view of the foreigners.

As we lifted off, someone next to me faced me. “It’s my 546th time. What about you?”

I shook the upper half of my body, scoffing. “You don’t want to know.”

Then, I was forced against the wall, black spots clouding my vision until it was all I saw.

Brief intro. Not found how to format text here yet so conversation tags are in square brackets for more clarify. Setting Earth ruled by sentient AI called Corona. Alien command is extraterrestrial, the characters are clones wanting to destroy Corona.

                                  --------

“Incoming terrestrial vessel. There is an anomaly onboard.” [Alien command AI]

“Can you be more precise?” Lydia felt helpless. She suspected Tully did too. Not one, but two were incoming, and a machine was taking the lead.

“Biometric scans indicate the terrestrial vessel contains a replicant.” [Alien command AI]

“Go on,” said Tully.

“It matches your biometrics bar some internal genetic restructuring.” [Alien command AI]

Tully 679, this is unheard of. “More than alien versus alien, a mad AI and us incapable of doing anything to alter our destinies?”

Correct. It means Tully 680 is online. Peck addressed the A.I. What is its intention? [Peck, augmented AI implant in Tully]

“Scans reveal ineffective deception fields. They intend to transgress the shield via wired drone and destroy this facility.” [Alien command AI]

“They?” queried Lydia.

“Biometric scanning revealed a secondary augmented A.I. symbiont.” [Alien command AI]

“Looks like you're on version two point one now too, Peck.”

The presumption will be that we stay in this facility. [Peck, augmented AI implant in Tully]

“There is a weakness. The drone can be destroyed by pulsed modulation of the EMF. Its creation assumed the field wall does not flux. Scans suggest the replicant is suppressing thoughts. With the drone down, the augmented A.I. can be erased. Negotiation may be possible.” [Alien command AI]

“Why not terminate both before entry?” Tully was curious.

“Outside the oaf can monitor data. From within, it remains isolated.” [Alien command AI]

Tactical Tully 679. [Peck, augmented AI implant in Tully]

“This threat is now negated and now designated your responsibility. The Alien ship has decelerated and now scanning this planet from lunar orbit.” [Alien command AI]

Lydia was now leaning on a console staring at the screen, “Scanning for what?”

“Unknown.” [Alien command AI]

Tactical appraisal. [Peck, augmented AI implant in Tully]

“Searching for something. Probability suggests the defence grid has not held parity with expected pre-system entry data.” [Alien command AI]

For something that pre-dates Earth civilisation, you seem ahead of everything. [Peck, augmented AI implant in Tully]

“Not simply A.I. as was previously inferred.” [Alien command AI]

Are you in constant communication with your creators? “Classified.”

Tully smiled, “That would be a yes, then.”

An alarm sounded. Lydia turned her head to another data feed. “Our friends are here, Tully.”

“Confirmed. EMF modulation will be initiated in one minute. Counting down initiated.” [Alien command AI]

                                      ###

Tully 680, we are here. Begin deployment of the unit. I will handshake our com link to Corona. [Tully 680 Clone AI]

Tully 680 felt uneasy; he recognised this place, more déjà vu. “It's a trap.”

Nonsense, continue activating the drone pod. [Tully 680 Clone AI]

Tully 680 fired it up, hooking the cable into their transport ship. It would uncoil automatically during transit. But, for now, it hovered expectantly in front of him.

Begin. [Corona. Sentient AI command]

The vehicle - it must have been a vehicle, though one without wheels; it was shiny and metal and still rumbled softly with engines even as it smoldered in the crater - the vehicle let out a whine and a piece of it slid aside, revealing a hollow interior. I fluttered backwards, I couldn't help it, but I steeled myself. Someone needed to know what was going on. I dedicated my compound eyes to taking everything in - the curved symbol on top of the vehicle, the way the ground beneath and around it was burned, the hissing of gases from the hollow interior, and the stark white creature that emerged, one slow, shaky step at a time.

It had only four limbs, and they were all thick, and a smooth, round head with no eyes or antennae - though I couldn't tell if the whiteness was its skin or some kind of all-encompassing clothing. It struck me that the vehicle might be a cocoon, and this creature had reached the end of its metamorphosis by arriving on our world. But it had no wings. There were many digits on its two upper limbs, and I could only assume that a body built so thickly was strong and durable. But it could not fly.

I looked up towards the sky, where the vehicle had come down from. Would a flightless creature build a vehicle that could fly for it?

The creature was walking towards me, slowly. I let myself touch the ground, folding my wings so I would not seem threatening with my eyespots. If this was a kind of metamorphosis, then this creature would no doubt be disoriented. I told myself I had nothing to fear, that it must think me as strange as I thought it.

I held out one of my mid-limbs. "Hello."

It put a limb to its waist, and a small object came away in its hand. It held the object out towards me - metal and angled, a thin cylinder on top of a flat rectangle.

There was a flash, and I jolted backwards, pain shooting through my body as I landed several feet away. My mid-limb was gone, bleeding from a stump at the joint. I screamed, as much from alarm as pain. What had it done to me?

The creature took another step towards me. Energy shooting through me, borne of alarm, I leapt up from the ground, flapping my wings furiously and darting into the trees, hoping to lose it among the branches, hoping beyond hope to reach home with my warning in time.

Billy peeped out of the window at the armies that were storming their houses. Mum and Dad had left him alone, giving him very specific instructions about what to do while they were gone. While they mostly told him to ‘wait at home and stay out till we come back’, they’d told him that if they weren’t back, he’d have to wait till the next morning and call Gramma.

It had been three hours since then, and his parents weren’t back yet. He swiftly crouched behind the couch when one of the creatures looked his way. All they needed was one sign of life, and they’d attack. They called themselves ‘humans’, and they called his family and friends ‘aliens’, with a tone of contempt which made it seem as though the Grokans were the one terrorising the humans on their planet, and not the other way around.

“Burn the freaks down!” One of the humans said, as it pulled out his neighbour by her long straggling hair. Poor Mrs Lorag. She was so old, her once luscious green locks had turned completely yellow. But the vile humans seemed indifferent. Her pointed ears were twitching, and her wonderful golden eyes were swimming with tears. And in front of his eyes, the foul creatures put a weird, black object with a tube and a handle against her knee, and pressed something. There was a loud bang, and Mrs Lorag fell to the ground, crying and howling with pain, tears running down her cheeks, while the humans laughed. Billy was furious. He couldn’t do anything about it, unfortunately. Unless he wanted to get hurt too.

Billy thought he knew what this was about. They’d been covering alternate life in astronomy at school, which included a very interesting section on invasions. According to the book, exactly a thousand years ago, the inhabitants of a planet by the name of ‘Kornix’ had journeyed to the planet Earth (the home of the humans) and invaded it, destroying the lives of millions of humans. The invasion lasted nine years, nine months and nine days, until Intergalactic Peacekeeping Forces from the UU (United Universes) decided to intervene, forcing a retreat of Kornix troops overnight. The damage had been done, and their invasion left behind a broken, dying planet, inhabited by people battling disease, poverty and suffering. People who were dropping dead like flies. People who wanted vengeance.

The humans apparently were still investigating the possibility of life outside their planet at that time, while the inhabitants of all the planets in their galaxy, Inktvisinkt, knew everything there was to know about all the life across all the universes. But when the humans’ belief about extraterrestrial life was finally confirmed, they immediately set to developing a plan to destroy the species that had brought such tremendous ruin to their once wonderful planet. And while it had taken a thousand years of research to do it, the humans had finally come to take their revenge.

These ones were from Mars, Billy could tell, from their dark complexions and tall statures. He supposed the ones from Venus and Saturn would arrive soon fro backup, since the population of his home planet, Orixalia, was clearly more than the humans had anticipated.

It seemed him that they didn’t care that they were massacring the wrong species. So blinded were they by their hate and pain, that they didn’t care who they killed, as long as they eventually got to the ones they were searching for. And if that was what they wanted, so be it. Billy knew his fellow Orixalians would fight back.

As though on cue, he heard rhythmic bouncing down the street. A sea of Orixalians were bobbing towards the mass of humans, clad in their army colours of black and violet. Leading the army were his parents, looking ready to spill blood. They had their sabres out and poised for an attack.

The humans seemed to be prepping their weapons too. The two armies stood facing one another, bloodlust and hatred swimming in their eyes.

“Fellow Orixalians, gather arms!” Billy’s father’s booming voice sounded. “Our planet has been invaded, and now, we must drive these heartless humans out! It’s time we fight back! It’s time for war.”

I was putting my son, Sarek to bed one night, telling him his favorite story, of how Eldredth the Two Eyed gave peace to our planet when he vanquished the Oola race for good, when all of a sudden, the house shook, and his favorite model space ship fell off his shelf and broke.

He looked up at me, his three eyes wide with fright. I tried calming him down, but another rumble shook all calm out of him. I looked out of his window and saw something unimaginable. It was a spaceship, unlike any that our race has.

It didn’t make sense, we haven’t been at war with another planet for centuries now. This spaceship wasn’t even one of any race that we have encountered so far.

Out came a lot of four-limbed aliens, who were completely white, except for their reflective heads. I was overcome with a sense of danger, and had to get Sarek somewhere safe. He was already standing next to me, wanting to see what the commotion was about.

I rushed him into our storm shelter and he begged me to stay with him, but I couldn’t. I had to go to the government building, to carry out the role that was handed to me by my father, who was given it by his father. The only reason I have the job as a female is because I was the only child my parents had, and the role has to be handed down through our lineage, which came from Eldredth’s brother, Talock.

I ran through the alley ways, trying to ignore the shrieks coming from the main streets. I managed to reach the government building unscathed, but desperately worried about my son. My job when I got to my station was to cover the planet in a dome and fill it with a gas, one that only our kind could breathe. The planet was filled with a different substance, but if needed, we could breathe oxygen too.

So I released the oxygen, hoping that the aliens would die, but when I looked out of the window, I saw that he strangest thing. The aliens were taking off their heads to reveal these tiny pale things. They seemed to relish in the oxygen.

The oxygen was our planner’s last hope, without it, well, we had no hope left but to surrender before we were exterminated. I pressed the lever to raise the white flag, thankful that it was a universal symbol of surrender.

Before long, the aliens made their way inside and dragged me to the crowds. I glanced around and was thankful to see Sarek was no where in sight. He must have stayed in the shelter like I told him to.

When I looked into our captors’ faces, I saw nothing but hatred for us. Our lives had officially changed for the worse.

“We are coming up on the planet of Zartho, General,” stated the Lieutenant standing next to the Captain, who was focused on piloting the ship. The General looked out of the window at the front of ship, seeing the large purple body coming up in front of them.

Then, the General told them, “Just don’t forget Zartho’s moons that go around the planet fast enough to cause serious damage if we collide and they would be hard to evade.”

The Captain smirked, saying, “Doubting my skills? I’m not a rookie you know. I was the top of my class at the Space Force and I have had years of experience. Just relax.” The Lieutenant nodded along enthusiastically, awed by the skill of the Captain.

“I am well aware of your record in accomplishments, that’s why you are piloting the mothership. But one can never be too cautious.” The General replied.

Then, the Sergeant walked in, saluting to the General, then saying, “The a primary wave of attack ships is ready and the secondary wave ships are ready to drop the ground forces at the designated drop sites. Are we all clear to give the start order?”

The General checked the holographic charts one last time, before confirming, “Give the order. The invasion starts now.” The Sergeant nodded and left the room, while the Lieutenant pulled up a status tracker and organization screen.

...On the ground...

The blue skinned creatures walked through their path, their pod shaped homes lining it. They were all chatting with each other in a friendly manner, all of them enjoying the day. Surrounding their path that had pods around it was giant plants, providing shade from the blue star on the purple ground. The creatures had five extremities, three with round stumps on them, the other two having a hand that had two wide fingers exactly opposite to each other. The creatures were then just sphere shaped.

The little Zarthoians were rolling around on the ground, and playing games together. Then, everything got very dark for a moment, as if a cloud had passed over the sun. The Zarthoians looked up and started running in terror. Descending towards them was a fleet of space ships, that then started firing at Zarthoians’ small city.

The Zarthoians had known that it was only a matter of time before the humans of Earth came to their planet, but they didn’t think it would be so soon. Last they had heard, they were still conquering in the Adrahainian Sector of the Milky Way galaxy.

They knew it would be futile to fight back against the human conquerors, as they had taken many more worlds using their space ship fleet. They had heard of a world in Earth’s sector of the galaxy that had fought back against them with all measure necessary, and then there had been extreme violence there.

After word of that got around, not many other planets resisted much, instead trying to live as tenants of another planet in the Human Empire. They didn’t want to risk the wrath of the human military.

They remembered when the humans had first started building their empire. At first, no one had thought them much of a threat, just sending drones and satellites out to scan space. Then, they met some other aliens in a planet nearby. They proceeded to conqueror their planet. After that, more planets prepared their defenses for a possible Human invasion, but their defenses didn’t stand against the destructive weapons the humans continued to improve.

The Zarthoians ducked for cover, knowing that as soon as the air ships were done firing, ground troops would come, and then they could surrender. They looked out from beneath the plants and hoped that not too much damage would be done in this attack. And that few of them would get hurt. Peaceful surrender was the best option against them.

Galèa rises to her feet from her crouching position, and takes a deep breath in the early evening air. She looks out, admiring the large expanse of land filled with any plant they could need for food, medicine, or any other purpose. This is her happy place: the smell of the dirt and plants, the feel of them between her bare toes and the sun shining down on her skin, warm and comforting. She feels the most comfortable outside, especially gardening for her community. She takes a moment more to absorb the warmth of the sun before grabbing the large wicker basket at her feet that is so full it’s nearly overflowing with plants of varying shades of green and yellow. The person nearest her, also picking that seasons harvest, nods and smiles in acknowledgment and Galèa returns the gesture. She walks back toward the grassy strip and dirt road that run parallel with the gardening land to empty her basket and return to the garden to fill it again like she has been doing all day and carefully places her haul into the back of one of the parked trucks the group drove there. Galèa turns to head back but notices the children who play in the grass while their parents work in the field are staring at something in the sky, she turns her attention to them.

“What are you looking at?” She yells to them.

One of the children looks back at her and excitedly yells “there’s a shooting star!” While pointing to the sky.

Galèa looks to where the child is pointing and sees a light in the sky. ‘A shooting star during the day? How odd’ thinks Galèa. Then she notices the smoke trailing behind the strange light.

“That’s not a shooting star.” Says Galèa.

“Well then what is it?” Asks one of the other children.

“I have no idea...” Galèa says, cupping her hand over her eyes to shield the sun.

The others working in the garden stop and turn to see what they are staring at.

“It’s getting closer, I think!” Shouts someone.

“It is and it’s going to land!” Shouts another.

Galèa brings her middle finger and thumb to her lips and gives a shrill whistle.

“Everybody listen, let’s head back and see if anyone in town knows what’s going on. Load up.” She yells.

Everyone, almost in unison, grabs their baskets, motions to the children to follow, and heads back to the trucks.

The whole community saw the light in the sky and stands staring at the large metal object that crash landed where the large fountain in town center used to be. There is so much smoke coming off it that you could make out only the shape of the object, and the heat is so intense everyone has to keep their distance. There are murmurs from the crowd asking ‘what is it’ or ‘what’s going on’. Then over everything there is a clicking and then air hissing noise like a great pressure being released, more clicking, then a pop, and metallic thud. You barely see some sort of movement in the smoky haze. Then as the figures moved closer the vague outline of 3 beings emerge.

“Hello, my name is commander Sheffield. I would like to speak with whoever is in charge.”

Everyone looks around at each other, confused, stunned, frozen. No one knows what to do, no one wants to be the first to make a move. The beings are quite short and stalky in comparison to the native planet dwellers. They wear some kind of protective suits with large, round helmets.

“Does anyone understand me? We’re here to speak with your highest ranking official.” Says commander Sheffield, his voice is muffled by his protective suit.

“We understand you, what did you call yourself? Commander? Our people speak several languages.” Says a voice from the crowd. 

A woman steps forward. “You have to forgive us, it isn’t every day someone crash lands in Town Center.” She says with her hands folded.

“Yes, well, we apologize. We didn’t think this planet would be inhabited, certainly not by creatures capable of building such an intricate village. Are you the one that’s in charge around here?” Says commander Sheffield in a slightly agitated tone. 

“No, no one is really in charge here. That’s not how our society functions.” She says with a tight smile.

Commander Sheffield scoffs. “Someone has to be in charge, here. You can’t function without a leader.” 

“Our ancestors found a long time ago we really don’t, and having someone ‘in charge’ causes more problems then solves them.” She says.

“Alright, well what is your name?” Commander Sheffield asks his annoyance starting to escalate in his tone.

“Call me Maè.” She says, bowing her head slightly.

“Is your atmosphere hospitable? Is there oxygen?” Asks commander Sheffield.

“Our planet is very oxygen rich, yes.” Maè assures him.

Commander Sheffield fidgets with his helmet, twists, then pulls. His face is revealed and it’s similar to the native planet inhabitants in some ways but his features are smaller, squatty looking. Commander Sheffield takes a deep breath, satisfied he motions for the 2 other beings to do the same. They nod to the crowd and smile. 

“This is Greer and Brennan.” Says commander Sheffield, motioning to them. “We’re here because our planet became uninhabitable and eventually ravaged by fire. No one saw it coming beforehand so we fled. We were hoping to rebuild here, but it looks like you already have that covered.” 

“We would be happy to host you until you find somewhere you could go to rebuild.” Maè says. “Is it just you three?” 

“We’ll talk about all that later, but in the meantime we have come an awfully long way and would greatly appreciate being fed.” Says commander Sheffield.

“I think we can arrange a feast to welcome our new guests.” Maè looks around at the crowd for confirmation and sees everyone nodding back at her. “It would be our pleasure.” She says smiling, looking back at the beings. 

The native people would quickly regret the decision to welcome the strange beings forever.

We had always been a welcoming people to any other planetarians, no matter what planet they came from. We allowed a crew of Martians stay for a few weeks when their spaceship broke and they had to repair it before returning to Mars. We nursed Neptunians back to health when they crashed against our mountains and we helped them find their way back. We even gave three ships to Saturnians when we found them lost in our atmosphere with nothing but the suits they had on. But when these Earthians arrived, these humans as they called themselves, I immediately sensed something wasn’t ok. They didn’t look humble at all and weren’t definitely in need of help. They actually sounded entitled. Still we tried to welcome them as best as we could as it was our nature.

“Greetings, strangers. A warm welcome to Etherna. Please feel at home.” I said as the leader of the planet. They seemed to suspect us so I made sure we sounded friendly. It was the first time we saw beings with pale, matte skin and brown, green or blue eyes, so we, with our light blue skin and light purple eyes were probably as new to them as they were to us.

“Oh yes, this indeed looks like a future home. At least we can breathe here and the temperature feels pleasant as well.” one of them said, a stout, tall man who, by the looks of it, was their leader.

“I am pleased that you seem to enjoy our planet.” I carried on. “Anything we can do for you and your crew?”

“Yes, for sure. We need to see around. If your planet suits us and our needs, we will be bringing a few billion more like us to settle here.”

“What do you mean settle here?” I asked. My fellow Ethernans were as confused.

“Earth isn’t good for us anymore. It’s too hot, the oceans too acidic due to too much dissolved CO2 and we need another planet to live. We are about 8 billion people so we need to make sure this planet can provide for our needs.”

I looked at my fellows who stared back at me. This didn’t sound good at all. Suddenly they removed something from their waists and pointed at us.

“Show us around.” the human leader demanded. “We need to see what your resources are, if your food and water are proper and if there aren’t any dangers lurking. And don’t try to fool us, we will not hesitate to shoot you.”

“But Etherna is a very small planet.” one of my fellows said. “If you bring 8 billion humans here, there will be no space for all.”

The man and his crew giggled.

“Well, that can be easily sorted. We’ll get rid of the surplus. Now show us around, please.”

————————-

100 Years Later...

Shortly after Etherna was invaded and overtaken by humans, I started studying them and finally understood. They had done the same to each other on Earth. Wherever these humans set foot they never tried to coexist with the existing habitants. We tried to resist at first, but our nature was too soft and our weapons too ineffective. Those Ethernans who weren’t killed were enslaved. Our animals were enslaved and eaten too. Our forests destroyed to build cities. Our seas polluted with their waste. There was nothing left of my beloved place. All the pristine beauty was gone and replaced with concrete walls and thick smoke.

I also found out that not all of the 8 billion humans the stout man said would arrive actually did. It looks like some were against our invasion and said humans had no right. Others refused to leave their beloved Earth no matter what. I would have loved to know some of these humans. I’m sure things would have been different. I also wondered if Earth still existed now. I was locked in a cell for the “crime” of refusing subservience and no one would tell me anything.

Sometimes I would hear stories of human children befriending Ethernan children and for a few moments my heart would fill with hope. But then I thought it was just a far-fetched idea of an old foolish Ethernan.

She’d had this dream, or a variant, many times over the three-and-a-bit decades since leaving her mother’s womb. Like her birth, she was naked, surrounded by a crowd. Unlike her birthday, however, there was more than a little embarrassment. She gazed down at a sagging stomach no amount of sit-ups and jogging would fix. She woke up already flailing at the travel alarm, knocked it onto the stone floor where it formed a monochromatic mosaic of broken plastic, the last thing it would ever do.

She really had to get herself together, starting today. She looked up.

“Jesus Christ!” As she shouted, some of them changed colour. “How many times have I..? Get out.”

There were fifteen of them, or thereabouts it could be hard to tell sometimes. Squat leathery cylinders most of the time, they combined occasionally, forming an obscene foul-smelling tower of semi-translucent lumps, and then hummed in b-flat. She’d assumed it was sexual, but the one calling itself ‘Eater-of-Souls’ said no.

“Humble apologies, Conqueror Queen, Enslaver-of-Worlds.” One of them was forming words in her head. It took some getting used to. “We worship at your feet.”

They didn’t, she knew that.

“Seriously, call me Felicity.” Then, to no one in particular. “You know I don’t like those other names.”

Ever since breeching the threshold and appearing on this conveniently habitable world, they’d been looking to kill her. To be fair, the pod materialised in the same space as their God-Emperor’s palace, killing him and his entire court. It wasn’t an invasion, more a misunderstanding. She lay back, tried to remember the last thing Paul told her, fell back asleep.

“You shouldn’t be in there, he’ll get pissed.” The intercom added a nasal quality to the disembodied voice.

“I work here too.” Felicity was getting sick of this. She’d been an unpaid intern-slash-slave on this project for three years. The hours were eating into her love life. “He wants me pulling all-nighters, I have to crash somewhere.”

“It’s a precisely calibrated quantum capsule, capable of bending space, travelling interstellar distances in an instant.” Patronising, obvious even through the tiny speaker. “Not a dosshouse. Out.”

“But it’s so comfortable.” She covered herself with her usual ensemble, a crumpled pair of too-tight trousers and an inappropriate T-shirt. There were few stains, fancy. “I’ll be up in a min.. Um, what does the orange light mean? I’ve never seen it on before.”

“Crap, get out, NOW.”

She walked over and pushed, no movement. “Ha ha Paul, unlock the door.” Silence. Then far too much noise. “Seriously, this isn’t funny. Anyone?”

“Listen, this is important..” He sounded worried.

“Just open the door, I need to, ah, go potty.”

“Shut up!” Now he sounded scared. She didn’t like it. “There’s a beacon, on the main panel. Turn it on now.”

She stared at the panel. The beacon wasn’t there. It wasn’t there because it was on her workbench being fixed, She’d broken it a few days before while retrieving her breakfast, a dropped cream-cheese bagel, from under the pod bunk. This was only a problem if the pod travelled anywhere. No beacon meant no finding her.

She opened her eyes, Violator-of-the-Unwary and some of his elite special forces shock-troops were making their way across the low ceiling. They left a trail, like a slug but somehow unholy. Devourer-of-Dreams was leading a flanking manoeuvre up her right leg.

“Oh, come on guys.” She swatted Devourer. He hit a far wall and disintegrated into a cloud of silver-flecked tangerine mist. She’d killed a decorated general for the third time this week. Violator and his team stopped moving, looking surprisingly sheepish for faceless flesh, then backed away as she stared.

“Ah, sorry ‘Felicity’? We meant you no harm.” As the words filled her head, she could see some huddle trying to conceal their weaponry.

“You know what?” She punched the pod canopy, wiping out most of the soldiers, wiped their glittery remains on her shirt. “’Enslaver-of-Worlds’ is growing on me.”