A sneak preview ...

Prelude

"Secure the breach!" The Federation Rangers threw his weight behind the rotary cannon that spews death with its double barrel at the advancing beasts approaching them with drawn weapons. The remaining squad of three rangers dragged their armor clad bodies from the forward walls to move to the other as directed. The gunner shout out for the loader to feed in the clip with the ten centimetres long projectile and clammed down his visor. When loaded, the gunner drew back the safety and pulled the trigger while aiming the phaser. The projectiles came out just as the beasts were to breached the last perimeter line. The first two projectiles that hit the approaching beasts tore its body into three chunks; the head and right shoulder was the last chunk to fall down.

As the gunner was firing the heavy phaser, the sniper in the squad had dropped down on his left knee while raising the rifle to his right shoulder. The sniper shot was a head shot on the third beast with the insignia of a leader; its distinct read marking on the face tells its rank. The projectile was a three centimetres long metal head which exploded on penetration spreading its metal shards into the soft flesh beneath the thick scales. The sniper reloaded the second shot and fired off in a split second to the fourth beasts in the approaching group at the head but the resulting fires from the heavy phaser ended any doubt of that beast having to survived any more shots.

The fourth squad member slammed his armor body onto the harsh ground just at where the heavy phaser was being setup. The fourth and last Ranger pulled out the palm size saucer shaped object from his front pack and pressed the top lever down. Then the saucer was placed in front of him with the designated arrow pointing out. The warning came out just as trained; saucer in the air. The saucer shot out like a projectile for ten metres at where the beast were approaching and its sides opened up to horizontal yo-yo on the air. Then its swing out in a circular movement with a radius of three metres slashing at anything in the radius with its random flying movement. Limbs began to get slashed and body cavities appeared before the blood spurts out as more beasts within the radius gets hit. Just as it started, the saucer fell down on the ground after a lapse of ten seconds and five dead beasts before the heavy phaser came into firing position. 

"Breach secured!" The reply came back from the squad leader, Basilus Kadir; a giant among the Rangers standing at near two and a half metres and having a arms length that reached over a metre and half. He is Squad Leader 10^th Squad ranked in the twenty four squads which made them the infamous Julius Company of 1^st Ranger Division. There are twelve company in one division. The Rangers are the elite forward force of the Federation Combined Forces under Emperor Nero.

Basilus released his finger on the trigger as he watches the beast retreat back to their lines. It the seventeenth time they done this since the break of dusk. These beasts are relentless in attacking the Rangers lines in the dark light. That's nothing compared to the day time strike of the serpents like enemies who strike just as relentless then.

"They are gone for good?" Ranger Marc Ante; standing only up to Basilus' shoulder as he adjust the bandelier of ammo for his high powered rifle. The dark complexion slim looking sniper carries a spare short barreled automatic rifle which fires five hundred rounds in a minutes for those too close combat. Its a PH375 which carries an extended sixty rounds ammo clip. The sniper weighed the heavier long barrel PH750 with the multi use scope and checked the ammo clip of five projectiles still on the rifle. The sniper crossed sling the PH750 on his body and watched the Squad Leader walked away. Both of them knows the beast are not coming back as he can see the sun rising on the horizon. So it was not their bravery that was the turning point but the fragging sunlight. The beasts are sunlight shy and they would have a respite before the serpents come out to bask.

Ranger Mira Torre picked up the saucer blade; retracted back after its ten second slash operation. She placed the saucer back into her front back; she got a second one there, she calls them her 'titties'. She adjust her PH375 so that she can reached for her vanity case. She likes to adjust the shades on her cheeks; being beautiful is still a lady's prerogative.

Ranger Pete Mundsen; a Nordic descent who could stand up to Basilus height checked the ammo supplies before he close the cases. Then he picked up the PH375 he left on the ground next to the ammo cases. As he picked up the rifle, he asked himself why didn't he sling it over like the others. He knows the answer as it might into his way when he handles those ammo clips. He relies more on the PL450 on his waist belt. The handgun handles nine shots and good at one hundred metres. Every ranger carries one on their belt but only Pete here calls it his Dragon. It saved him a few times in close combats and never leaves his bedding without it.

Squad Five due for their rest while another squad takes over the breach and solidify the position. Even heroes needs time to rest.

I was writing Crusaders II, watching Last Resort ( the TV series where some sailors hijacked a submarine. ) and then this idea keep on playing in my mind. So here is the prelude.  Let me go back to Crusaders II first.