*******************************

It was time. With the heavy sheets of rain falling upon us, creating muddy and slippery spots along the rugged ground, our battle cruisers hovered before the massive Federation troops. We didn't want to land. We had strategies. Strategies that were both devastating yet effective.

They were like ants, all clustered together to form an inky colored sea with gun and cannon barrels pointed upward toward us. Ripples were shifting through the thick blanket of the enemy, as men below us were shaking to keep themselves warm. Rain droplets rolled off their armor plates. Six star symbols were imprinted upon the caliginous chest plates, bright red in color. The Federation sign. Their faces were filled with undying determination.

We would break that tenacity soon.

The battlefield, I guessed, would be held half a mile away from the Dome City. The location at which both sides had stopped and gathered in numbers, was barren and dark brown with leaden soil. Decayed forests littered the ground with branches and shattered stones, making the place extremely hard to combat on. But that didn't matter.

With a snap of finger from Roxan, our ship loaded a missile and launched it. Before the enemy could react, it detonated right in the middle of the formation.

A massive fireball, bright green in color, erupted. A thunderclap in the clouds and the sound of the explosion melted into one. Shock waves blasted through the pile of bodies as a mushroom cloud was created above their heads. Radiation and debris pummeled upon the fragile beings and tanks. An immense gap was made. The war had begun.

We didn't wait for them to recover. No. While Afren gritted her teeth with excitement and hatred, our side released all the shells that were held in the firing tubes.

A line of red and blue sols appeared across the horizon. Choking jet-black gases rose into the atmosphere. A thin haze was blown toward the Capital Dome. As I looked down, more than half of the Federation Army was eliminated. Casualties were high, but I loved every moment. Craters of various sizes appeared along the land, making the place looked like cheese.

Roxan laughed as he viewed the picture from the giant view screen.

"Looks like our scheme is working perfectly. Attacking first with a nuclear warhead to confuse them, then bombard them until at least half of their men had died," the leader of the Rebel Force exclaimed happily.

Before he could throw out another wave of laughter, six of our ships were blasted right in the belly. They exploded and fractured with intense heat.

"They got Gun Emplacements on the ground! Take evasive maneuver!" Roxan shouted as he held on.

Another blazing shot missed us by inches and slammed into the cockpit of the battleship behind us. It was detonated from within. A series of mini fireballs made their ways through the hull of the ship and the reactor core was set off by the vicious torridity.

Our own craft shuddered with the impact from the wreckage as pieces of thick steels were shooting out from the center of the flame.

"Target their Gun Emplacements! Their cannon shells are able to hit us even at this altitude!" Wriik said as he tried to get up from the floor.

A wave of torpedoes was fired. Their crimson colored body crashed upon the cannons of the Federation. Towers of inferno rose high into the sky as the ammunition dumps were discharged one by one in a chain reaction. A flaming rope traveled along the surface, whipping and roping around the vehicles. Yellowish spheres, beaming like a sun, were formed. A dense wall of dust and sand blew into the air, limited our range of vision. The earth shook, the region scorched, and the dead bodies burned. It was havoc.

"Let's touch down now! We stick to the plan. Make five squadrons! Each team go to their pre-planned location and place the bombs near the shield of the Capital Dome!" I shouted.

Our starships touched down one after another on the soggy land under the smoke screen. All of us wore full body shielding. The helmets mainly covered up our faces, only our eyes were shown through the dark green visors.

The shuttle gates were opened and we charged out with guns blazing. The Federation replied our attacks with heavy artilleries. I shot out a modified grenade from the lower barrel of my gun. It arced through the air and blew up an APC. I emptied my rounds into the enemy soldiers. Dark, red blood splattered into the air, staining the plain without pattern.

Afren and Wriik were behind me. Both of them carried a case with a nuclear bomb inside.

Afterchaser Missiles showered among us. They were like heat-seeking missiles, yet with much improved accuracy. I grabbed Afren's gloved hand and pulled her down. A gigantic eruption occurred and the whole place quaked with aftershock. Blast after blast appeared, and dirt blanketed our backs. We were all covered in mud and water.

"Wriik! Are you okay?" I shouted into the mouthpiece in my helmet as I lifted my head and tried to find my friend. Rocks fell around us from above.

"Jake! Let's go! We have no time to lose!" Afren got up and pulled my arm.

I growled as I hoist the heavy case. Both of us dodged the bullets and lasers as we tried to circle around the vast army before us.

"Hey! Wait up!" Wriik's voice traveled into my ears as we were dragging ourselves through the rough terrain. "Hey! I'm still alive! Wait for me!"

Afren laughed as she turned around and waved back. Without warning, one of the Afterchaser Missiles landed right behind our blue alien friend. Shrapnel were expelled away with extreme speed. With a shriek, Wriik flew forward and crashed onto the rocks, face first. Purplish blood gushed through the holes on his back. His helmet was dented. His visor was shattered. His tentacles were limp without energy.

I stared at the lifeless corpse with shock. Afren cried out as she tried to run back to our deceased comrade. I snatched her arm and yanked her back. My eyes were still wide. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything.

My first and best friend was destroyed with one blast. One blast and he was gone. Sounds of gun fires and bombardments were all over the place. Yet, to me, they were all muffled and distorted.

"Afren, you must finish the mission. You must plant the bomb without me," I said with uncanny calm. I tried to suck in a breath. I couldn't.

"No! I won't leave you, Jake!" She protested. "Listen, I know how you feel. But we have to stick together and finish the job! Revenge Wriik's death by helping me penetrate the shield defense of the Dome City! I can't do this by myself!"

I gazed down at her. "You must. I... I have some unfinished business to do."

She was going to continue her argument before I finally exploded.

"Go now! Damn it! You have to go now!" I bellowed with rage.

Flinching, she stifled a cry. With a resolution, she picked up the silvery case and continued the journey toward the Dome City along with the four other teams.

I slowly walked toward Wriik. My sight was wavering. I blinked and found out that... I was crying. Slumping down in front of Wriik, I sobbed. He was the only one who could understand me. He was the one who had changed me... Yet, he was dead now. I could never hear his laughter again. I could never listen to his foolish comments again. My life was bleak and dark.

It was desolate. My life.

Then, something snapped inside of me. A rush of unexplainable emotions filled my heart. My body shook as my hands curled into fists. Blood pounded against my head as I grounded my teeth with stupendous strength.

With a scream, it happened.

A coruscate beam of frosty light extended into the heaven and punched a hole in the cloudy sky. Unlimited energy was expanding from me in a circular direction. The loam caved inward as my anguish cry continued to echo across the landscape. Pebbles were lifted into the ether.

Suddenly, everything was quiet other than me. It seemed as if everyone had stopped fighting with the spectacular scene displayed before his or her very own eyes. Distant rumbling could be heard as the final bullet fell from the sky. The earth started to shake as I kept up my fury.

I roared over and over again, each time with even more strength pouring out. My blood began to leach out of my gloves. Everything was drained of its color. Only grayness and blackness could be seen. Everything seemed so exanimate.

The light was blinding. The power was so colossal that my body felt as if it was being crushed from within.

I wanted to kill them all.

*******************************

I heard Jake's voice booming above the artillery fire. When I tried around and looked back, a dome-shaped white sphere extended itself along the skyline. Beneath me, the ground cracked and uplifted with disperses. Some of our men fell to their feet as the entire planet was shaking indefinitely.

"Jake!" I shouted out as I dropped the crate.

I could see nothing but a fiery ball of flame growing bigger and bigger. It continued to enlarge over ten miles wide. Everything within the path of the wall of destruction was instantly crumpled and melted. Debris smashed into objects around me. I ducked as I kept my eyes in the distant image.

Even with such a great distance from the site of eradication, I could still feel the heat. I half-closed my eyes as the tremendous ball increased in its severity. Wind howled with sadness and animosity. The feeling was coming from my love, Jake. It was overwhelming.

Finally, it was over. The light was gone. Only condensed raven clouds circled in the sky. I could see a huge depression near the horizon. It was immoderate.

"Afren! Let's go! Jake has told us to continue on our mission no matter what!" One of the men said as he ordered the others to move on.

I gulped as I picked up the package. Looking back one last time, I ran to catch up to the rest of the group.

*******************************

As I wheezed and coughed with exhaustion, my whole body crashed onto a pile of sand. The sand that I had created when I initiated my biggest attack with my power. Sweat drenched my face, chest, and back, as the coolant in the suit tried to vent out the excess heat.

I glared around the environment. I had made a crater, around twelve miles wide. The Federation Army was no where to be seen. Over the transmitter, I could still hear some of our soldiers talking. More than half of our own battalion was gone because of me. I didn't care. I was tired. I was very tired. Tired of this war, tired of losing my friends, and tired of my life. I wanted to end my life. I wanted to stop the madness, the massacre.

"... -ake! Jake! What the hell happened... can't believe that... dead!" Roxan's voice came blaring into the helmet. The signal was weak and the message was unclear. "... hear me? You little... killed the whole... us! Why would you... that for?" Roxan was enraged by my action.