buildings and houses but they were meant to power only two to three buildings within the city and although massive wind turbines and a few power generators had been set up as backups when the city was first built over fifty years ago when the first colonies where just beginning to spring up around Terra Nova. Shadow was loading supplies onto the buggy in the garage of his home looking at the old beaten and partly rusted buggy his father and grandfather had driven in their time their names carved into the dashboard above Shadows. "To think out of all the things that were lost in that fire you somehow survived right Lola."

  He checked the tires and gas line and filled the water tanks built around the engine to keep it from overheating where a normal car or buggy would just have a standard radiator. Things had to be built to survive the heat of the Dead Man's desert on this planet. "Why Grandad picked Lola for a name I will never understand but then again people always told me a lot of stuff he did never made sense." He grabbed the case that held the rifle Draco and Kat gave him and carefully loaded it into the back with the rest of his supplies. Shadow then grabbed a knight standard issued acr 55 snapping the butt of the assault rifle into a slot built into the buggies floorboard as he climbed in he put his wolf shaped helmet on as the helmet met the neck of his armor a small click and hiss could be heard the glass built into the eye slits for him to see turned red as the armor came to life a holographic display popping up and a small feminine voice began to speak. "Welcome back Shadow beginning bio scan o2 levels at one hundred body temp scanning, scanning body temp confirmed checking pulse and heart rate stand by, stand by, stand by, confirmed pulse and heart rate normal slight increase in adrenaline confirmed holo display check ammo tracker check shield battery at one hundred all systems check your mark four armor is at one hundred percent. Is there anything else you require me to check?" Shadow turned the key, and the old buggy rattled to life the engine roaring as he spoke to the Ai. "No Sam pull up mission details." "Request confirmed Mission assignment 001 Solar Charing outpost zeta has failed to report in on outpost statues two weeks in a row as power output to the city has not dropped or been cut off it is possible that the outpost coms array may be damaged due to the reported sandstorm three weeks ago. As such your mission is to report to the outpost and determine the reason they have not reported in and to help the outpost regain contact with the city as soon as possible." "Thank you, Sam." Shadow hit a switch on the dashboard of the buggy driving out of his family estate and out of the city and into the sands of the desert. The trip from the city to outpost zeta was a seven-day trip, three by walker transport or buggy and at least three by mounted travel. Along the trip, Shadow stopped a few times to rehydrate and make sure the water levels in the buggies water tanks remained at a good level taking and marking a line on the side of each one each time he checked the two days travel to outpost zeta was hot dry and uneventful as he drove the buggy up onto the rock outcrop. All outposts in the desert are built on a rock outcropping and when possible, plateaus to avoid sand whales from swallowing the place whole. Shadow stopped the buggy at the bottom of the rocks noticing a few dead razorbacks on the slope. Razor backs are six-legged blue skin dog-type creatures with 4 eyes and massive razor-sharp spines on their back that usually travel in groups of ten to fifty. Shadow kicked one of them as he spoke to his suit's AI. "Sam do a scan on these razorbacks?" a small beeping sound could be heard from the suit. "Confirmed multiple wounds consistent with arc p 15s." Shadow froze for a second as the thought processed. "Arc p 15 those are Theocracy weapons, aren’t they?" "Confirmed Arc P 15 also now as acceleration pistol model number 15 standard issued weaponry among Theocracy Military officers." Shadow walked back to the buggy and grabbed the acr 55 from its slot doing a quick inspection checking the ammo in the magazine and then sliding the bolt back to load the chamber. "Sam access Bastion satellite network scan for any life signs registered to the Bastion Guard within fifty miles." The small beeping sound went off again a few seconds longer this time. "Confirmed." Shadow waited for a second. "Well, I'm waiting." "There are two registered members of the Bastion Guard within Solar charging outpost zeta." "Only Two the outpost is supposed to have a garrison of fifty." "Confirmed outpost zeta is registered to have a garrison of fifty as well as a staff of twenty-five maintenance cr…" "Ok, Sam that’s enough I don’t need a rundown of the outpost." Shadow looked at the case that held the rifle that his friends had given him then looked at the acr 55 in his hands he clicked his tongue. "Sam is there any high ground with an overview of the outpost. The beeping sound of the ai thinking beep...beep...beep "There are three high cliffs within range for a long-ranged rifle to be of minor effect, though one is unstable and." That’s ok Sam, plot a course for that one." Beep…beep…beep "Confirmed course plotted bringing holo display up now."

     "Sam give me a rundown of my armor statues right now. “Beep…beep…beep "Confirmed armor integrity at one hundred percent shields at one hundred percent." Sam kept naming off systems linked to the armor Shadow wore as he pulled the long black case out of the buggy removing one of the armored gauntlets on his hands and placing them over the long black case in the back of the buggy another automated voice began to play. "Good day Sir Star request permission to link to Sam's algorithm?" The case opened and unlocked the massive rifle Shadow had placed in it back at the castle. A loading bar appeared on Shadow's helmet display quickly hitting one hundred percent when Sam spoke. "Confirmed acquisition of predator targeting Ai confirmed would you like to assign a new designation?" Shadow took the massive rifle out of the case checking the chamber was cleared before loading the magazine in and closing the bolt shut the gun hummed to life as the electricity and lights turned blue. "Designation Alpha." Shadow looked down the built-in scope as the targeting computer crosshair come onto the helmet display the second automated voice chimed in. "Designation Alpha confirmed artificial combat assistant linked with Ai known as Sam primary function to assist Knight Shadow Star with all combat parameter and monitor all hostile activity." Shadow rolled his eyes as he put his gauntlet back on and grabbed his weapons. "Great now I have two annoying AI in my ear, Alpha link to bastion satellite and give me real-time tracking of all hostiles in outpost Zeta. "Confirmed there is a total of one hundred hostile life forms within outpost zeta confirmed Theocracy military." "Well, then time to go hunting." Shadow pressed a part of his armor right below the left shoulder. As he began to walk off towards the high ridge looking at the outpost with each step he disappeared as he turned invisible the sand being kicked up by the wind until he was completely gone.

    The Theocracy soldiers moved about the outpost unaware of the danger just out of sight. Of the wolf hunting them just beyond the outpost walls one man wearing a dark green knight's armor standing with his arms behind his back took his helmet off and began barking orders. "You idiots hurry up we have to make sure this solar outpost is no longer providing power to the city if we…." Just as he pointed in the direction of Bastion the Knight's head jerked forward a hole where his left eye was his body fell forward and time seemed to slow for all the soldiers watching the only real notice was the sound of thunder echoing off the walls that any weapon had been fired. The Theocracy soldiers screamed and ran for cover just as one of the soldiers was about to duck down another loud clap of thunder echoed as the soldier fell. "Where are the shots coming from?" The soldiers all readied their weapons taking care not to leave cover. "I don’t know but they took out the Paladin." From high above a rock pillar Shadow sat looking down through his scope picking out his next target. "So that loud idiot was a Paladin, first rule of war is never taking your helmet off dumbass." He pulled the trigger, and his rifle hummed before firing another loud crack of thunder echoed as the rifle jumped. A scream followed the thunder as another soldier fell. "Stay in cover you idiots if you don…" Another loud clap of thunder and the soldier was cut off before he could finish his sentence. Shadow tracked another target looking down at the outpost as he watched the Theocracy soldiers run and duck for cover. "Alpha how many rounds do I have left?" The voice of his second ai began to speak. "You have four rounds left in your rifle, Sir Shadow." Shadow aimed down the scope and slowly pulled the trigger another hum and thunderclap another soldier fell. He quickly fired off two more rounds and another two soldiers fell. "Sam how much longer do we have on the cloak?" the female-voiced ai chimed in. "you have sixty-five percent left before the cloak battery needs recharged would you like to disengage the cloak." Shadow picked another target he aimed low and fired a loud clap of thunder. The soldier screamed as his leg was torn off and out from under him. "Come on take the bait." another Theocracy soldier rushed forward to help his comrade shadow quickly throw a small metal ball as it landed near the two enemy soldiers it exploded, they both screamed as they died.

    Shadow placed the massive rifle down switching from the predator to his acr 55 assault rifle. He jumped down from the ridge quickly running towards the outpost walls. Using the built-in jet back in his armor to jump over the wall two theocracy soldiers were nearby he quickly opened fire with three quick shots and the two soldiers were gunned down the others looked trying to find their invisible foe as he quickly ran from to a different position. Alpha's voice chimed in as the ammo counter on Shadow's hub showed he had thirty rounds left in his current magazine. "Sir Shadow you have eliminated eleven theocracy soldiers you have eighty…" " I know Alpha shut up and just keep tracking the targets." The sun slowly lowered into the dusk Shadow burnt through all five magazines for his acr 55 and all three of his grenades. By now only a handful of theocracy soldiers remained Shadow's cloak had died and his armor had scorch marks from a few theocracy energy blasts that broke through his shields. He ducked behind some crates the remaining hostile firing on his position. Sam's voice chimed in amongst all the chaos. "Heart rate elevated shields and armor have sustained minimal damage operator is still uninjured."

    "Thank you, Sam didn’t need the update, Alpha how many hostiles left." The deeper male voice chimed to life. "Confirmed ten hostiles remain in the area." Shadow pulled the magazine from his acr 55 to see if any rounds remained after a quick check, he placed his assault rifle down and looked to the sword on his hip. "Ten I guess I faced more than that at once during training. Alright, guess we're doing this." Shadow pulled the knightly sword from its metal scabbard as he wrapped his gauntlet around the two-handed hilt the edge of the forty-three-inch blade started to glow a faded yellowish color. The arc light blade is a weapon built and given only to people that reach the rank of Knight or Paladin a blade made from danium a high-grade metal and power source made into whatever the Knight or Paladin choices when combined with an energy source the outer edge of the blade, is coated in a plasma-like aura and capable of cutting through anything except another danium blade or armor without extreme effort and force. With this mighty blade Shadow charged forward against the Theocracy soldiers, they began firing at him their energy blast hitting his suit's energy shield and bouncing off his danium armor.

    He closed the distance quickly, being younger and smaller than most of the enemy soldiers did help taking his blade he easily cut through them. They screamed as his blade cut not just flesh but clean through bone severing limbs like cutting through butter. As the last soldier fell Shadow finial let out a long deep breath looking around at the massacre he had caused as he slowly sheathed his sword the energy on the blade faded as it clicked into place, he unwrapped his tail from his waist it hung low dusting the ground as it wagged slowly. "D…did I just take on a hundred men and win I'm dreaming right." Just as Sam was about to speak. "No Sam, I don’t need you to confirm I'm awake." "Sam locate the two Bastion personal left alive in the base." "Confirmed they are located inside the outpost command center it is one hundred feet to your right." Shadow walked over and grabbed his acr 55 even taking the time to use the jetpack to jump back up on the ledge grabbing the massive board-shaped sniper rifle ACL-R 55 Predator, before heading towards the command center. Shadow walked into the command center there sat just at the other side of the room were two people. A large, tall man with skin a lighter shade of brown he had brown eyes and black hair a goatee around his mouth he wore the heavy gray armor of the Bastion guard trimmed with the fur outline around the neck and the cloak that signaled he was the rank of Paladin. Next to him sat a much smaller woman wearing the normal Bastion armor her light snowflake skin was in part with her shoulder-length hair white as snow and atop it sat a pair of white fox ears, she was a small petit woman that was the same age as Shadow on the shoulder of her armor the single stripe that signaled, she was nothing more than a common foot soldier.