A Harsh Retrieval

Shena slowly turned the kettle as the fire burned and cracked the pieces of wood she had collected underneath. The heat burned bright, but no matter how close she was to the flame. She could not get warm.

The sun shone shine on a cold misty morning with the faint shroud of mist filling throughout the air. All was calm and tranquil, if a bit humid and damp in the secluded ravaged outpost. The violent storm had finally passed only to be replaced with gray cheerless skies above the quiet battlefield. The ground was still heavily soaked from both the rain and scores of blood. Which had made it easier in burying the others.

Shena had buried her friend's in temporary unmarked graves at the far rear of the camp alongside the commander and dozens of other soldiers who had fallen in the previous assaults. She had taken special care as she wrapped each of their bodies and marked where they had been buried for later on a scrap of wrinkled paper. Always so detail oriented as ever. She had been so caught up with the job that she had even buried what parts remained of the two destroyed automatons. Whether on purpose for their loyalty to the bitter end, or by accident in a blind emotionless daze she could not recall.

She hadn't slept in five days. She could feel a bit of insanity settling in.

Shena continued to caress the battered broken helmet of her best friend in between her palms with the glow of the faint fire beside them both. Caressing her thumb gently against it's shattered lifeless visor that reflected her still deathly red tinted eyes back at her. She had even talked to the empty hunk of battered metal a few times over the past few days as pathetic as it sounds. Pretending he was still here with her to keep her company. But she had stopped her conversation's all together. After all there was no one really here to hear them. He was gone. She was alone. And she would never be able to get him back.

Shena placed Fereen's helmet back to the ground beside her box and reordered her ever deepening, tired sunken eye's to remain vigilant to any possible threat that might appear next to steal her other friends away before they could be give proper funerals. Her mind still racing with the fresh nightmare that had just occurred and become permanently scarred into her memory. As well as the cocktail of Rage stimulants which only now were beginning to wear off slightly. She was tense, nauseous, fidgety and cold like never before. She had vomited six times already. Her eyes returning from excited alert red to tired hopeless blue as she purged the last of the harmful chemicals from her system one heave at a time, leaving her with nothing but her own broken body to rely upon in the open elements alone.

She no longer had any shelter. She didn't care though. It was a necessary sacrifice. They deserved a proper enclosure and good rest more than she did at the moment. She would stand guard over them all and not take her eye's off them, even for a second. Even in death. No further harm would come to any of them. On that. She swore of it. She had chosen to wrap Fereen in her own tent tarp that they had shared so briefly just before the battle started. Seemed appropriate. He loved joining her inside the damp fabric for a chat whenever they could afford it. She had so many fond memories of it with him when they shielded themselves from the intense weather. Now it shielded him one last time in death.

Shena glanced sideways ashamed toward the only soldier she had been unable to bury with the others. She had tried to drag Kiro's corpse with all of her strength through the mud, but he was far to heavy. She had been reduced to covering his body with another tent tarp and keeping a mental note of having to shoot down the unevolved crows and scavengers pecking at his shell every few hours with her rifle. She had eaten a few so far trying to rebuild her strength. It wasn't enough. She was growing weaker. Both in body, and in mind. She felt in such low spirit she hadn't even bothered to cook the small game she had caught. A simple twist and bite off their heads had sufficed. She didn't feel much like doing anything anymore other than standing guard. Just making it through another day felt like a task in of it's own.

She shivered. Clutching her old blanket tighter.

Although the sun was out in plain sight, she was still freezing and miserable. There were no more additional thick blankets for her to engulf herself in. She had used what little clean fabric she could find in burying the others and replacing her bloodied bandages with the leftover scraps. The bleeding had finally stopped, but her shoulder hurt immensely. It had become infected despite Fereen's best efforts.

She moved her shivering hand's closer toward the small pathetic campfire she had managed to keep alive, just like herself. The general's large, warm silk cloak had been only a few yards away earlier, but it was the first thing she had burned. She would not dare put the beautiful fabric on her back knowing who it had belonged to days prior.

She missed everyone's banter, She missed their humorous talks. But most of all she missed them being here with her. She had never felt so alone or forgotten with nothing but an old kettle and fire to keep her company. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Her breath slowly evaporated into a puff of mist from the cold. She bundled herself up closer inside her thin blanket; struggling to stay conscious just long enough to eat breakfast. The left side of her bruised face had turned purple and become swollen. Everything hurt. But at least her stomach was still intact.

She continue stirring the boiling water until it was finally ready. Shena rummaged through the wooden crate beside her with her good arm, grabbing for the smaller of the last two field rations left. A stew packet and some dried pieces of salted meat. From un-evolved wildlife of course. But she would save the meat for later. She would want her last meal to be a good one.

She ripped open the stew packet and lifted the contents up to her nose. It smelled decent enough. But it wasn't much of a meal to keep her fed. Sharks are known for being notoriously vigorous eaters just as she had always been.

When she was little, her nanny would often scold her for stealing extra helpings of meat and sweets from the kitchen as dinner was being prepared, before then scurrying off with as much food as she could carry in her little arms to hide under the galley stairwell. As soon as the coast was clear she would devour her delectables in such an uncivilized manner; it would have made even her uninvolved ancestors shocked by such gusto.

"Such behavior and bad manners is not acceptable regardless of a species diet young lady!" she would be lectured constantly after her hiding place was found out. It took time to straighten her poor table manners, and a lot of straight to bed with no desert from father', but she learned the proper way eventually. She always did.

Shena poured the powder in; mixing it among the hot water before being stirred gently with an old wooden spoon. At best her meager stockpile of rations, and shot down small game would keep her alive for a few more days. She would not abandon her post even it meant she starved to death. Although it wasn't the preferred plan all of her body had agreed to go along with. Her stomach had been growling for hours like an impatient ravenous beast. But not from seeing the soup in front.

Shena was still surrounded by the tempting smell of fresh insect carcasses untainted from decay all around her. Blocking out the distracting scent of pure ecstasy had proved so difficult she had even tried sticking pieces of cloth up her nostrils earlier; desperate to keep her focus off the boundless harvest of fresh untainted food nearby. Not that it helped though. Shark's could smell a single drop of blood from mile's away. And there was so much of it right next to her it was impossible to ignore. Buckets worth. The thought of consuming even an ounce of their disguising savory flesh was a temptation that had not even occurred once. She was above such uncivil acts she kept reassuring herself. It would not come to that. She was in complete control. Or so she kept telling herself.

Her stomach growled once again. Her dry mouth began to drool. She was starving.

"Never" was now the last word of defense she kept saying over and over to the person that she knew she truly was inside. But the loyal practical soldier portion of her mind was beginning to worry. Without food, how long could she hope to stay alive in order to defend the post her men had died for? Would she resort to such savageries to fulfil her promise to them all? How could she live with herself if she gave in to these repressed feelings? Perhaps just one bite? One antenna? Come on.....They deserve it. It's just food. No one would know....

Shena suddenly began to punch herself in her stomach and atop her head furiously. Trying desperately to shake off her growing hunger and these sick thoughts coming from someone deep down she didn't recognize, someone she didn't like. She didn't think it was even possible for someone so strict and determined as herself to even think of such barbarity already. She hated this voice. No one would know? Rubish...

'She'd know. She'd always know.'

The two voices eventually came at an impasse. And her final answer was the same as it always was whenever she was unsure of something.

"We'll see."

As Shena slowly raised her first spoonful of soup up toward her broken mouth carefully for a taste, the kettle began to rumble. The leaves on the trees began to shake violently back and forth from an incoming strong breeze. Something big was approaching from high above.

Shena dropped the ladle and stood up. knocking her stool over with he tail unintentionally in her sudden haste to reach over and grab her rifle set beside her. She frantically raised the sniper scope next to her eye, searching aimless toward the sky at anything she could fire upon.

She sensed something massive quickly getting closer from above. It was letting off massive amounts of electrical energy. But it wasn't alive. She closed her eyes in order to better sense the outline of the object.

Her eyes widened at the revelation. She recognized the disk shaped body and its four rotating propellers spinning quickly around it's radius to keep it airborne. Shena lowered her rifle back down under her arm to use it as a crutch again. She turned and limped away to clear a landing zone before standing in place to wait. Her heart full of anger.

Help had finally come.

The monarchy gunship emerged into view and lowered itself carefully in place above the what was left of the campsite, checking for a clear place to land among the clutter and insect corpses. Shena widened her feet and planted her rifle deep into the mud. The loud powerful wind swayed her worn body back and forth in place as if she were a thin stalk of wheat.

After taking it's time the aircraft finally settled for lowering atop the flattest spot of earth it could find; which of course had to be where her breakfast had been placed. The gunship moved a few meters over and set it self down with a large booming thud. Crushing the wooden box and its contents beneath instantly under its sheer immense weight.

So much for the salted meat.

Shea limped over closer as the strength and noise of the propellers began to die down slowly. Leaning her entire body against her rifle for the much needed support in keeping her battered face from collapsing right down into the dirt in front of her long overdue reinforcements.

The door of the dark blue metal hull slid back to reveal three soldiers. Just three. Shena clutched her crutch tighter in frustration at seeing the lackluster assistance they were promised.

A tall soldier in a bulky suit of armor emerged first from the gunship, followed by his two O-nine automaton subordinates. Shena looked closer in and saw his rank insignia on his shoulder. He was a captain, and therefore her superior.

Shena lowered her fist from preparing to strangle his throat. She swallowed her pride and anger to instead straighten her currently hunched back as best she could manage before his approach. But he hadn't even noticed her yet.

The captain kept looking around the blood soaked battlefield stunned as he observed the hundreds of slain raiders encircling the mound. As he turned his gaze toward Shena he gasped. Raising his arm slowly toward his large helmeted face.

"My god..."

Shena grunted as she struggled to raised her right arm off her bloodied tattered uniform. Hoping to manage a decent salute. She winced in pain as she started to speak. Her mouth had not fully healed.

"Sir, Lieutenant Shena Veso. Reporting for duty sir."

The captain raised his large helmet above his head. Revealing his smoothed grey and reflective face to be that of a a dolphin species in his mid to late thirties. He held the helmet aside against his waist, barely able to keep it clutched in his hand while staring at her mangled appearance.

"Did..did you do all of this?" he asked carefully. His voice sounding as if he was either deeply impressed, or absolutely horrified.

"No... sir."

"We did."

Shena raised and gestured her arm strenuously behind him toward the rear of the camp where all the real heroes were buried. She managed to keep her hand raised impressively for a few seconds longer than she expected before having to gripp it back on to her makeshift cane in order to keep upright.

"Are.. , are you the only one left?" he asked deeply troubled.

Shena lowered her head slowly. Ashamed she was still alive to even be able to answer the question.

"Yes, sir." She replied hesitantly. She wasn't proud to say it.

"We held the line against the raider's swarm, and stopped their advance on the province. But..I think.., I'm no longer in fighting shape sir." Shena grunted in discomfort. "At least for the time being."

"Don't worry about that anymore." Are you alright soldier?

"No. sir." She said annoyed. "I think its fairly obvious that I'm the farthest thing from it."

The captain dropped his helmet in the mud and crept closer to look her in the eye. His heart full of regret and concern on her behest.

"I'm so sorry lieutenant."

Shena, managed to keep herself from crying again. Mostly.

"What's done is done sir. Nothing I say or do can change what happened. What's important is that you're finally here to help." She said aloud almost enlightened.

The captain's mouth widened in sudden surprise. Revealing dozens of rounded teeth.

"You haven't heard?"

Shena gulped through her gilled throat anxiously.

"Heard what sir? What's happened!?"

The captain shut his eyes in shame and hesitation. He couldn't tell her now. Not after all this soldier had fought through.

"Lieutenant, you might wasn't to sit down for this. Perhaps we might go to the gunship? My soldiers can help you if you feel you need assist..."

"I'm fine standing sir." Shena's eyes narrowed in anger as she interrupted. "Just spit it out. Can't be any worse than being left to die!!"

The captain sighed as he slowly walked closer in front. Putting his hand carefully on her uninjured shoulder.

"Lieutenant, we aren't your reinforcements. We're we were sent to recover any military supplies from this post before the evacuation."

Shena's stood standing in place stunned. "What? What do you mean?! "What evacuation!!!! What the bloody hell are you talking about?!!!

The captain glanced sideways, begging not to say it again. But he had to. They were running out of time.

"Lieutenant..,we're pulling out of the province."

"The jungle nation is lost."

Shena's mouth widened slowly as she released her grip from her rifle. Her body started to collapse forward before being held up by the captain frantically reaching out to keep her on her feet.

What do you mean? She asked grievously as she looked up toward him.

The captain paused in a moment of dread before continuing to give her the terrible news that she of all people would least want to hear.

"Our allies have reported that the raiders have been taking heavy losses against their rivaled fire ants in the desert over the past few months. So all army ants in this region are being called back to bulk up and support their queen's campaign's in the east.

Isn't that a good thing? That means the bugs are finally giving up and retreating back home.

"No. That just means their contract here is done. They've exhausted the best of our remaining land forces like they were hired to do as cannon fodder. Now their employers are on their way here right now to finish the job personally.

"You mean...?" Shena gasped.

"Yes, The Savanna Sovereignty is finally invading."

If there was one nation's army that everyone feared even more so than army ant's It was those from that came from the wealthy Savanna. Powerful warriors, equipped with among the finest quality armor, training, and weapons in the world. The infamous Lion warriors, elephant shock troopers, and millions of gold automaton's fresh of the factories, would now become just another of the monarchy's many enemies to have to deal with directly on the battlefield.

"We can't stop them. So last week the order was issued for all soldiers in this region to assist in the evacuation of all aquatic and jungle citizens. We would have failed. But thanks to you..

The captain gestured to the massive piles of dead army ants beside them both.

"These raider's were meant to cause mass panic and havoc throughout the region, but you and your men bought us the precious extra time we needed. We finished evacuating as many civilians as we could just this morning onto ships or through portals before deactivation. The rest will have to escape north as best they can manage on their own. Now we're here to salvage what we can before the navy leaves tonight without us for good. We just didn't.."

"Didn't what? Expect us to still be alive keeping the door closed for you!!! My men fought and died guarding for this pass, and now you expect me to just abandon it and leave like you!!???

"No, I'm ordering you to."

Shena gripped her fist tightly as she slowly fell atop her knees. Dragging her hands through the dirt in anger and mounting frustration. The captain slowly crouched down beside her, in the hopes to be able to convince her soon.

"What you've done the monarchy is a sacrifice we can never repay back. You've save countless lives, but now it's time for you to save your own. Your courage and dedication is unlike any I've ever seen before, but you can't fight them all off alone. You'll die. But you being alive here must be for a reason. So come with us and live to find out what it is."

The captain reached out his hand, ready to escort her onto the gunship to finally leave this dammed jungle for good.

"My men come with us, or I don't sir." Shena said calmly as she directly looked into his anxious eyes.

He sighed. "Lieutenant we can't dig that many out and carry them all onto the gunship in time. There's not nearly enough space and we have to leave right now. The enemy will be here within hours."

Shena bit her lip conflicted and ashamed. What she was thinking next was self serving and cruel to the others before her. But they were no longer alive, so what did it matter.

Just another burden she would add to her collection.

"Just four then."

"Surely you can at least manage that captain?"

The dolphin breathed another heavy frustrated sigh through his blowhole atop his forehead, before finally nodding his narrow chin in acceptance with the bargain.

"Fine, which ones?" He said disgruntled.

Shena pulled out her bloodied piece of paper and quickly scrawled on underlying marks beneath the four names who had fought beside her in the last assault. It was selfish to bring just their bodies home while leaving the others to rot. She would never forgive herself for what she was about to do.

She continued writing.

"Sargant Kiro's Verran. Under the tarp."

"Private Neso Ka'sturuk. Grave 197."

"Private Vesa Oluya. Grave 198, and.."

Shena paused her gaze for a moment. Biting her lip in silence before continuing.

"Corporal Fereen Vosento. Grave 199. It says it all on the paper sir." Shena pointed down the muddy wrinkled list before handing it to him dejectedly."

The captain nodded and turned toward his O-nine's.

"You two! Grab the shovels out of the gunship and start digging with me at the base of the camp right now! I want it done quickly or you're both scrap metal understand?!! The dolphin captain raised the list for both automatons to see. "Affirmative they replied. The metal soldiers turned and rushed to retrieve the tools before being stopped in place by one more additional command. "And tell the pilot to get out of the cockpit. He's helping too." Said the Captain. They nodded and continued their march.

The captain turned to face toward Shena still on the ground now breathing a sigh of relief. But she wasn't done yet.

"Help me up, I'm going to join the dig as well." she said exhausted. She started on to her feet before the captain gently pushed down on her unharmed shoulder; sternly gesturing for her to sit back down desperately.

"Lieutenant, you're injured and you can barely stand. We'll take care of the bodies in the recovery so please, just retrieve what you need and go wait in the gunship until we're done. You've certainly earned a moment to rest more than anyone I've ever met, so please just take it easy now." The captain started to turn around before being held in place by Shena's hand gripping weakly onto his wrist. He let out another heavy exhausted sigh.

"You're a stubborn piece of work. You know that right?"

Shena looked up in a calm emotionless gaze in cold frustrated anger.

"Had to be if I'm still here no thanks to you."

The two automatons returned after arguing with the pilot as why to get out his comfortable seat. "Here you are sir." Said One O-nine. Raising it's shovel in front toward the captain awaiting a response.

"Grab another for the lieutenant. She's helping too."

"Very well sir." The polished O-nine said before briskly turning around. If it were any normal soldier, it might have complained about the extra trip back. But luckily the polished machine was devoid of any such emotional hindrance.

The captain helped Shena on to her feet and the two drudged over to the hundreds of graves to begin to dig out what was left of her platoon in silence. As the first shovel cut deep into the earth a loud ominous noise slowly began to reverberate behind them all through the pass obscured with hazy dense fog.

Tank Treads. The marching of footsteps in perfect synchronized order. And a voice terrifying and fierce that rattled their very bones as it echoed throughout the mountainous canyon. One that could only be that of a lion.

"Royalists! Kill Them now!" Roared the leading warrior emerging first at the front of the army through the grey obscured mist of the pass entrance. Two Barely visible eyes glowing a hellish solid orange. Then another pair beside. Then another. Finally Thousands of illuminated eyes the color of the sun coming through the fog.

The marching army of Shimmering Gold and ebony plated soldiers emerged one after another from the thick fog and began their long planned invasion after months of planning. They had waited so long for this exact moment and would not falter for any obstacle they knew they could overcome easily. They had all trained well and if that wasn't enough had taken heavy doses of the combat drug Zest before hand so they would and could not stop for anything. The combat stimulant in the east known as sunpowder was infamous for its instantaneous effect of increasing adrenaline and aggression in any who was foolish enough to take it in high doses. It's initial admittedly promising effects lasting upon it's users for days at a time, requiring no sleep and hardly any food or water, their inhibitions and morality toward their enemies diminished in favor of the rush and loyalty of fulfilling their singular goal. The augmented effects and orange twitching eyes would eventually wear off in favor of the rather unpleasant sickness and crippling bedridden fatigue that came after. But they didn't give a thought to the consequences of overuse long term. Such unpleasantness would only be temporary and the cost was worth the risk. It gave them an overwhelming advantage here and now. This lighting invasion had to be swift and total for the Sovereignty and it's Axis allies taking the blunt of the war effort. Orevan would be theirs in a matter of days thanks to the power of sunpowder. And with it, the Monarchy's vital artery would be severed forever. Bringing the war to a quicker end for all.

"They're early!!! Screamed The Aquatic captain as he dropped his shovel and drew for his pistol. "Take cover!!" The others followed suit and joined in behind him. Shena kept digging.

Rockets, explosions, and solar beams screamed through the air all around and toward the top of the mound and it's last defenders of Orevan unfortunate and crazy enough to still to be in the path of these soldiers entering their new domain. It seemed another terrible battle had just been birthed to take the place of the first only days prior. The Automaton's, pilot, and captain took cover behind the wall of insect corpses terrified. Shena kept digging unaware or perhaps unwilling to acnolage the the even harsher reality beginning to surround her.

Hold the line!!! The captain ordered. The three soldiers fired desperately against the enemy warriors. But it was no use, they were advancing too quickly with the the tank column firing deadly solar beams to cut right through their meager defenses like a scalpel. It's horde of black warriors ducking behind corpse walls and using bodies as cover. They had paid well for the ant's service. And they intended to collect on that investment.

Get to the ship!! Screamed the Captain. As the dolphin soldier turned to face the gunship he noticed that Shena was not evacuating. Still trying to dig out her four soldiers to bring them along. He scowled frustrated. He couldn't leave her behind.

"You two stay here and cover!" said the captain.

One of the two construct turned. But sir. What of the supplies? He asked confused with the change in it's directive.

"Fuck em!!!" The captain shouted gravely irritated. "Just buy us some time and cover us!" The soldier then raised his weapons and dashed out through the open ground into harm's way. As the two automatons stayed behind, the pilot and captain ducked and dogged gunfire to make a break toward the ship. The pilot hastily climbed and jumped in the cockpit, panicking as a solar beam barely missed his head. The captain stopped in his tracks and grabbed onto Shena's shovel. Her eyes flared with anger but she did not look up.

"Lieutenant, there's nothing more we can do! We have to leave them! We tried!!" Shena shook her shovel free of his grip violently and continued digging undeterred by the order.

"Leave her! She's crazy!! Screamed the pilot flipping switches to start the engines and remote operate the ship's guns to fire upon the enemy. "She want's to die and bloody take us with her to the grave!!!"

The captain Scowled and ground his teeth frustrated. "AGhh!" He screamed. He turned and continued firing behind him trying to cover for the both of them. Managing to kill a zebra soldier as it poked its stripped head above the mound.

"Lieutenant we have to leave them or were all going to die!!!" He ordered viciously aloud. Struggling to keep up with the advancing legion in front by himself. "Think about your men and what they died for! Do you think they would have wanted you to die like this or to live and fight another day?!!

No!!! I'm not failing them again!! She roared. Digging faster and faster until the shovel broke and she started to use her bare bruised hands. Sweat began pouring down her neck. Her teeth clenched and cracked as she cleared heaps of mud and sloshes of wet dirt behind her with her tail, covering herself with it in the process until nothing but her eye's remained unclouded. It looked as if nothing of who she was remained. And would soon be lost forever.

"There I can see his arm! Shena screamed in a frenzy and hopeful voice. Help me get him first on to the gunshi.." A loud solar beam whined through the air. Hitting the Captain in the side of his torso and melting straight through his armor.

Shena stopped digging.

Ghaaa!!! Screamed the dolphin soldier in panic. He could feel the intense heat beginning to sizzle his flesh quickly. The Captain fell on his back tossing and turning in pain as the Savanese tanks began to climb up the hill. Shena's eyes widened. She slowly glanced toward the two Automaton's being smashed to pieces by an Elephant trooper's Axe as it finally emerged at the top. They didn't even stand a chance.

She tightened her grip on Fereen's cold dead hand, not wanting to let go. She then placed her other hand on her saber resting on her belt she had sworn to him she would use well.

She stared down at her friends grave deep beneath her feet. Seeing his emotionless face barely visible through the mud, as if a pleasant memory buried and forgotten. She turned her head sharply away enraged and saddened by what she was about to do. But That's just what he had to be in order for them to survive. A memory. She wanted to look back. She wanted to stay with them all for just a bit longer.

'No.' She commanded to herself with a heavy heart.

That was not her friend any more. None of them were. They were just flesh and bone while she herself was still among the living who still needed her here and now. And she had to fight on.

For all of them. And for all that they had lost. Or else. They had well and truly died for nothing.

"I'm so sorry Fereen." Shena said uneasily. Biting her lip so deeply with her sharp teeth, that blood began to sprout. It was the last blood she would ever spill for her friend. "We almost made it."

"Forgive me." She whispered with tears in her eye's as the sound of gunfire filled the air above her. Slowly releasing her iron shaking grip off of the corpse's cold arm forever.

Shena quickly drew for her sword and scrambled atop her feet out the deep grave completely covered in mud to leave her platoon behind and get back into the fight. But she swore. She would return someday to this exact spot to bury them all properly. But there were people in the present who needed her here. All of her here.

A hyena soldier with glowing eyes, heart racing and body shaking profusely with the rush of adrenaline was rushing in and beginning to raise his sword to strike down the injured dolphin captain lying across the ground. Shena ignited her water saber and intercepted the crashing blow. Slicing right though the gleaming metal blade and creating a large gash across the enemy soldiers throat. Leaving him panicking as he began to drown in his own blood clutching his neck desperately before finally collapsing face down in the mud dead.

Shena then holstered her saber, swung her rifle harness around her back and quickly knelt down; picking the injured Captain up by the shoulder and slowly aiding him toward the aircraft beginning to take off without them both. The sounds of gunshots filling the air above their heads and hitting against the hull of the ship's engines as she slid the door open.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Screamed the pilot. His Ship was taking heavy damage every moment he delayed on the ground. The remote operated turret guns were now all disabled leaving them severely vulnerable.

Shena helped the injured captain to limp toward the ship as the Savanese Tank's began to align their barrel's straight at them. They were almost there.

"FLY!!!" Shouted the injured captain. The beam weapon of the tank began to charge. It fired.

The gunship exploded in front of both Shena and the Captain with a bright deafening flare, knocking them both back onto the ground by the sheer force of the shockwave. Killing the pilot and engulfing his ship in flames. The savanese began to cheer at destroying the ship before being guided by the lead commander to kill the last two stunned on the ground.

Shena choked on dust as she weakly crawled over to the captain. He was bleeding from his head. She shook his shoulder's begging for response. There was none.

He was dead.

"No..., I didn't mean! Shena muttered in tears, appalled by what she had done. "I just wanted to save...."

She stared down at the burn mark across the captain's corpse. She hadn't pulled the trigger, but she had got him killed by staying behind to comply with her selfish wishes. She had taken too long and they had paid the price.

"I'm so sorry.." She said dejectedly as she heard the army approaching behind her. "This..This wasn't supposed to happen."

"There's one! Kill her!" Ordered the crocodile tank commander. The front of the army began to unleash hell towards the shark, desperate to not let her escape. The royalist ducked and scattered trying to avoid the most serious blasts before being hit by a few in her arm and screaming in pain. Despite the searing burns She pushed on. Suddenly vanishing into the thick of the jungle.

"Follow her! The commander ordered to his trackers. Don't let her escape!

A team of golden lion soldiers grinned as they shook their mane's, holstered their weapons, and started to give chase to the wounded soldier into the dark jungle on all fours.

Shena ran as fast as she could, with trees and branches hitting and scraping across her bruised face. Tripping over rocks and tumbling down slippery hills. Hearing the Savanese getting closer behind roaring and mocking her cowardice.

"Here fishy fishy! Come here!" One snarled.

"This way!! I have her scent!" The lead lion roared beginning to reach for his sword. With me!!

Shena continued to run aimlessly until she dragged her feet across the dirt to not fall across the face of a massive waterfall. She looked down. There were sharp rocks everywhere. She was trapped.

She turned her head and weapon around wildly as the pack of lions emerged from the jungle to see a lone bloody shark barely standing alone at the edge of a cliff. All grinning hideous smiles amused.

"Thanks for helping us out back there shark! Couldn't have done it without you!" He laughed. For that well make it quick!"

Shena raised her rifle weakly towards the leader.

"Oh please! The lead lion sneered completely unimpressed. He snapped his clawed fingers with a loud single echo that reverberated throughout the valley below. "Boy's!" The team of lions began to raise their guns to act as a firing squad to kill the last of these pitiful defenders in their way.

Shena looked behind her.

Closed her eyes.

And jumped.

The lions all stood in bewildered silence as they slowly crept as a group toward the edge. Staring down toward the jagged rocks below obscured by fog searching for any signs of a body. They found nothing.

"A shame." the lead lion said.

"I bet she tasted good."

The pack of lions began to return to their battalion to loot and search through the royalist camp. But unbeknownst to their mighty pride a few faint bubbles began to surface from the bottom of the river.