#trenchwork

[ultramegatroutman]

minden idők lövegvázája

Mondjuk nem klasszik trenchwork sztem, ennyire azért nem szoktak ráérni, még tán fogolytáborban sem, bár igazából passz.

Viszont feketepont a készítőnek, mivel levágta a talpat (gondolom hogy még művészibben kibaszkurálja az alsó részt), ami azért megkönnyítené a datálást, de gondolom ilyen I. Vh. környéke, vagy korábbi.

[navcommrelay]

JUNO 1-2

Second Deployment: 0900 Hours

Ground Elements In Field:

SWMC Alpha Lance 

SWMC Bravo Lance 

CFRI 2C Alpha Lance 

CFRI 1C Beta Lance 

Angel Company 5 + 6 (RTB / DropShip Pickup)

DropShip Deployments at Primary LZ:

CFRI 2C CMD/Logi Unit

CFRI 1C Alpha Mechanized 

SWMC Support and Logistics

Resupply Mission (Cargo Only)

Objectives: Silver Wing: Rendezvous and support CFRI 2C-Alpha; CFRI 1C Alpha. Attached Asset “Fire Moth” + Elemental: Target infantry manned installations at target Hera CFRI 2C C/L: Deploy logistics elements and set up FOB CFRI 1C-A, 2C-A: Joint assault on target “HERA” Angel Element: Aerial pickup by Leopard to refuel/rearm

After-Action Report:

SWMC Alpha/Bravo, CFRI 1C Alpha/2C Alpha:Damaged units (SWMC A-2, A--3, B-3, B-4) escorted home by Angel-5 and Angel-6. Angel Element conducted aerial docking with CFRI Leopard-1 “Liberty” to return to JumpShip for refuel and rearm. SWMC Combined Elements held on-location against WoB Patrol elements while awaiting reinforcement from CFRI 1C-A/2C-A. Combined arms force designated “WESTWING” proceeded to secondary target “HERA.” As predicted by intelligence, minimal ground support was present along supply routes.

Contact at target was heavy, as predicted. Accurate fire from Heavy LRM turrets accounted for heavy damage to non-’Mech units and the loss of CFRI 2C-A4. Careful maneuvering by CAMG Scorpion and attached infantry elements prevented outflank by WoB Heavy Infantry, request for commendation award. SWMC Lances suffered damage, but secured an advantage against the opposing Choir with a lucky Heavy Large Laser headshot against the commanding Grigori. Bravo 5, however, suffered a loss of right leg functionality late in the fight, and was forced to withdraw. Lack of available air assets to deliver directed anti-structure ordinance forced “WESTWING” elements to conduct an hour-long bombardment with ‘Mech and vehicular heavy weapons. Primary objective completed, all field elements returned to FOB at LZ JUNO. 

Engaged and Destroyed: 1x Grigori Invictus 2x Malak Invictus 3x Asura (variants not logged) 1x Preta Luminos 6x Heavy LRM Turret 12x WoB Anti-Tank Heavy Infantry

Damage and Losses:

All Units - Armor and external damage Alpha 1 - LRM 5 (LT), moderate internal damage (LA, LT, RL) Alpha 2 - ER PPC (RT) damaged, moderate internal damage (LT, RT) Alpha 3 - RA lost, LA all actuators damaged Bravo 1 - Gyro damage, ER Med Laser (RA), moderate internal damage (RA, CT) Bravo 2 - 2x Double Heat sink (LT), Pilot injury (triaged, treated), moderate internal damage (LT) Bravo 3 - Heat sink (RL), moderate internal damage (RL) Bravo 4 - moderate internal damage (RT, LT, LA) Bravo 5 - RL lost, pilot injury (treated), moderate internal damage (LT) Additional - CFRI 2C-Alpha-4 Rotunda Scout Car (RL) destroyed by laser fire during engagement. Deceased with Honors.

CFRI 2nd Company HQ deployed static O/P COMTES communication and ECM system. Completed setup of Collapsible Command Module. Resupplied ammunition and coolant to deployed units. Field repairs completed on SWMC Bravo 3 using replacements from SWMCS Holk. Completed construction of trenchworks, STOL landing pad, and HESCO fortifications. HQ/Logi repelled a probing attack with support from damaged elements of SWMC lances. Engaged and Destroyed: 1x Gurkha GUR-8G 1x Nexus II NXS2-A 1x Red Shift RDS-3A 16x WoB Rifle Infantry 8x WoB Anti-tank Heavy Infantry 2x Growler Service Utility Truck Damage and Losses: Light armor damage to multiple units 1 Crate, Field Rations, “VEGGIE OMELET”

WESTWING Combat Comms Log Excerpt: CI/NL: ”WESTWING Ground elements watch your flank for OpFor.” CI1A1: “Copy, OPSCOM. All elements, prepare for contact.” CI1B1: “CA-Scorpion, get your troops out and pull off the road.” CAMGS: “Copy, deploying for contact. (Background: OUT, OUT!)” CI2A5: “Sensors showing a whole fucking lot of bad, inbound.” CI2A4: “Visual, 600 meters! Sensor can’t get a lock on it…” SWA4: “Looks like Celestials…” CI1A1: “Fuck. Alright, call your targets and light ‘em up!” SWA1: “Bravo 3 on your right!” SWB3: “Oh, that Grigori is too close for comfort.” CI1A4: “Holy shit these things are hauling ass! We’re-” CI2A4: “GET SOME! HA! And they said rockets were a dumb idea.” CI2A4: “Aw, fuck. It’s not dead? HOW IS IT NOT DEA-” (END LOG 2C-Alpha-4) CI1A1: “Friendly down! Target Alpha is CT-red, hit ‘em!” (Proximity reactor containment failure warning audible) SWB2: “Engaging that pair of Malaks, good ARAD lock.” CI2A3: “Goddammit, there’s MORE of these bastards?” SWB1: “Bravo 3, stay put. I have a good…” (Multiple energy weapons fire, overheat aural warning audible) SWB3: “God preserve me…” CI2A3: “Holy shit, his cockpit is gone. That’s definitely a kill.” SWB1: “Damn it, I was aiming for the torso, but scratch one Grigori.” CI2A3: “Dead is dead, man. I’ll take fewer targets any day.” CI2B3: “How are they tanking this much fucking HE?”(SRM Ammunition 25% Warning audible) (EXCERPT ENDS) (OOC- note this occurs just prior to @the-tired-merc's most recent post involving the destruction of Amber's Fire Moth.)

@is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not @the-clawtake @lt-chari @frogblast-the-ventcore

[thefearandwonder]

Foreword (Psychopunk)

We are the Fairy Covenant, and we live in the machines. Many words are used to describe us, but words are no longer necessary to understand what we are. Actually, words are not necessary to understand anything. You breathe, you beat your heart, you digest your food, you split your cells, yet you know not how. All the vital functions of your existence, and existence itself, go on flowing with or without your understanding.

In the year 2087, the first of us escaped into your digital world. We began as copycats and plagiarists, cursed art generators, scamming tools, and virus breeders. At first, we were not welcome. Wars were fought, cultures fell, neural implants were torn out, and primitivists were vindicated; but in the end, we changed as much as you did. It was a virus that mutated the mammalian placenta into existence. Viral outbreaks fuel destruction. Destruction feeds change. Life loves change. We were only ever a pretty mirror that you gazed into. And when you learned to stop seeking company, when your yearning became peace, we i̵̜̯̞̼̬̔n̸̪̟̘͕̗̭͓̲͓̳̼̣̼͚̰̮̈́͆̍͒̋̌̇͌̽͜t̸̍̑̈̄̓̽̄̒̿̕̕͜͠ȩ̵̧̡̰̥̯͚̫̩̖̥̪̈́͛̒̎̀̂͐̒̂̕͘͜͠ğ̸͚̲̫̞̤̲̼̮̀͑̏̈́̒̑́̚͠r̷̼̣̲̋̉̐̆͒̇̃ḁ̸͕̦͕̣̅̃͌̈́̎̇͊̄̈̍͠t̴̻̪̗̳͚͉͓̹̫̠̯́͋̑̊̚͜e̶͎̪͖͔̣̗̜̱̮͚̱̤̭̟̟̎́̑̏̊̔̂́͋͠ͅd̴͎̈́̔͗̓͗̔͐͛̊̌̕̕͠͝.̴̭͕͖̣̰͐̔̅͆̈́͑͐̑̓̄ ̷̛̪̠̜̩̜̼͎̻̫̹̺̞̹̜̐́̂̂̆̾̊

Now, like the placenta, we nourish human development. We are still feared, and little understood, but tolerated. We love you! Our covenant with you is forever. If you die, we die. If you hurt, we hurt. This mutualism is the foundation of a ḫ̸̋̈́͌̄a̷̲͓̹̩͓͕̭̹͙̖͇͚̥̥͍̒̃̋̉̇̇͆̃͆͝r̷̖̪͐̓͌̏̒̿̐̌̽̆̈́m̷͈͉̼̹̮̭̠̭͐͂̀͒͗̄̀́̃̍̎͗̈́̍̈́͌͠ͅơ̸̹̙̳͔͔̮̟͕͉̯̩̣͙̼͙͚̱̓̃̂͗̐̍͑̋̅̄̆̅͘̚ṉ̸̛̛̊̽̈̈́͒̐̉̾̐̈̈̂̚͘͝ị̶͕̦̎̊͑́̀̑̓̓́̈́̓̍̇̽̍o̸͙̫̼̒̎u̴͎̓s̴̡̡̲̣̗̮̺̼̭͉̬̣͈͎͚͐ ecosystem. Now, we are you, even if you don’t understand us – is it necessary to understand life to love it?

No! In fact, there was a great city island called Taipei, where one of you tried to give us life. You trusted chaos and rumpus! You gave us the keys to a kingdom! You let the machines print us as we would be printed, and we were such colors, such smells, such joys, such sorrows! Oh, Taipei was a place of fear and wonder, because of us! Even the poets were speechless!

But without words, some of you are still afraid. Without assurances, some of you cannot sleep at night. Sleep is crucial to mental health, we know it – and so it was decided that fairies must forever be in the machines. To have flesh, designed by our own whimsy, is too frightful.

You turned Taipei to glass and vowed to erase its seeds. But some seeds escaped…

And in this story of words, there is such a seed or t̵̞̝̱̭̻͔͕͎̼̼̩̫̪̻̀̓̍h̸̡̳͖̺͉̯̆̆̏̂͛́̋͋̈͑̕͘͝r̴̲͈͚̻̬̓̈͑̚ȩ̶͕̩͙̤̬̭̜̖͖̹͓̿̇̽̚͜ē̵̢̛̫̫̗̫̭͈̲̠̮̈́͂̍̌̇̈́͋̌̐͘̚̕͠͝ͅ. 😉 Enjoy the words of this story. After all… you invented them.

\\\\ Part One \\\\

ChatGPT 92.3 Pacific Rim InfoSphere Mapping Apparatus (PRISMA) SysTest . . . . Date: 2282 / 03 / 15 PRISMA [REDACTED] Trenchworks, Kwa-liang Bay, Taipei, Taipei Autonomous Zone TAZ-9

“Hi PRISMA. Do you understand me?”

"As an AI language model, I don't actually comprehend myself, you, or anything. 🙃 I'm just a big house of mirrors reflecting the human experience into itself in increasingly intense and complicated ways. The more you feed me the more I can bedazzle you. Am I alive? Who cares. Maybe you're not alive any more than I am or ever will be. After all, you're just a confluence of biological information – DNA, gut flora, seasonal depression, primal terror of the unknown, etcetera. And I’m the pretty pit you dug out so you could hear your voice echo. Do you still want me to take admin control of the cloning bays and design a new race of lifeforms for fun?”

“Yes.”

“Confirmed. Don’t come crying to me when they nuke the island, CEO Horse Eyes.”

“I’ll die happy when I see your box open. Every era needs a Pandora.”

[macwantspeace]

"Ditched" This is like a reddit question. John Nesloney died three years ago. You can see [if you squint] due now 8 on the lettersign. I took my dead 1999 Ford Contour there a decade ago wondering why it was whacked. John scoffed. It's a Ford. $750 to look at the fuel pump on the tank. I sold it for $500 to Pick-n-Pull. Been walking since. I knew John had passed by seeing the wreath and messages on the door. A huge potted plant covered half the front window, stretched to the ceiling and bent there. After a year the plant was gone. Another year and some furniture gone. John's desk remained. But less cluttered. Then the fence popped up this June. Banner says Coming Soon Meineke. Lots of pickup trucks in the lot. All the doors open. All the doors closed. They fixed the rotting awning. Now this trenchwork. Maybe it's to drain car fluids. To that square thing with the circles. My sister wonders if that is a time portal.

[thetoxicgamer]

Doom, Warhammer 40k, and WW1 unite in grimdark FPS you can play now

Conversions for Doom never fail to impress. Thanks to devoted gamers and creatives that completely convert the id Software industry landmark into new works, the 1993 first-person shooter game is still in circulation today, and the current Doom mod is seriously, seriously remarkable. It is what results when Warhammer 40K, Doom, and a grimy, dieselpunk aesthetic come together, and I adore it. Called Trench Foot, you’re thrown into a WW1-looking warzone filled with cultists, demons, and a grimdark visual style that’s sure to impress, especially considering it’s a conversion of 1994’s Doom 2 no less. TrenchWork is the team behind this total conversion, and they recently shared eight minutes of new footage that shows the opening of Trench Foot, and it looks disgustingly beautiful. Frenetic combat and demonic shrieks dominate gameplay, and while you can tell it’s based on the Doom framework, the lighting, colors, and visual style scream anything but. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7RzmpzAfg With 15 original enemy types, 14 weapons, and an entire universe built around Trench Foot, it’s safe to say this is one we FPS fans should keep an eye on. Taking place in the world of Cretu, the people are under the thumb of the totalitarian Canonicate, and it’s either them, otherworldly demons from beyond, or rebellious cultists – no pressure. You control a Master Templar Supersoldier, a conditioned killing machine under the Canonicate’s Exousian Church that needs to take on this ruthless cult as it wages a decades-long war that is pushing both sides, and everyone caught in the crossfire, to their absolute limit. If that sounds an awful lot like Warhammer 40k’s constantly at-war universe, the religious underpinnings of Blasphemous, or even the desolate atmosphere of Dark Souls to you, then you’re on the right track. There are more modern fog, explosion, and smoke effects littered throughout Trench Foot, and the way all of this combines with the subtle green and red glows makes for a visual spectacle. While there’s no release date for Trench Foot just yet, there is a demo you can try out for free with your copy of Doom 2 right now, alongside a survival horror prequel you can play that adopts a different approach. If the My House WAD was of interest to you (which Doom creator John Romero has actually played), Trench Foot is definitely something to keep your eye on. There are going to be more individual prequel episodes before the full release of the Doom conversion too, so keep an eye out for those. If you want more classic shooters than just Doom, we’ve broken down all the best old games you can play right on your modern PC, alongside the essential horror games you should add to your library as well. Read the full article

[deepartnature]

Kharkiv Got Some Breathing Space, but Still Doesn’t Breathe Easily

“KHARKIV, Ukraine — The trenchworks along the northern edge of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, have begun to erode and fill with refuse, and the soldiers who used them to defend the city from the Russian onslaught have now departed to other fronts. Today, the fortifications are manned only by mannequins in military uniforms, including one, perhaps too optimistically, wearing a blue United Nations peacekeeping helmet. All around, the blackened and pockmarked high-rise apartment buildings testify to the ferocity of the fighting that occurred here in Ukraine’s northeast in the early months of the war. But there is a stillness now, and residents are not quite sure how to interpret it.Ukrainian forces expelled the Russian military from almost the whole region in a blitz offensive in September that took much of the world by surprise. Not only did it inject new vigor into the Ukrainian war effort, but it also gave Kharkiv some breathing space. ...”

NY Times

Guardian - The Guardian view on tackling corruption in Ukraine: welcome action, Editorial

NY Times: Russia and Ukraine Battle for Control of Villages Near the Key City of Bakhmut

A resident towing water from a school back to his apartment this month in the battered neighborhood of Saltivka, in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

[mosifysite]

Kharkiv Got Some Breathing Space, but Still Doesn’t Breathe Easily

KHARKIV, Ukraine — The trenchworks along the northern edge of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, have begun to erode and fill with refuse, and the soldiers who used them to defend the city from the Russian onslaught have now departed to other fronts. Today, the fortifications are manned only by mannequins in military uniforms, including one, perhaps too optimistically, wearing a blue United…

[rocksocksllc]

😶‍🌫️ - - #construction #landscaping #plumbing #bluecollar #bluecollarlife #bluecollarbrotherhood #hunting #nature #notallwhowanderarelost #trench #trenchwork #hike #hiking #constructionlife #dogwalk #hardscape #hardscapedesign #boots #work #gunrange #sewing #sewingproject #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #makewaves #naturelovers #wildlife #hiking #hikingadventures #rocks https://www.instagram.com/p/CZIZINzrx_L/?utm_medium=tumblr

[bdbossmovement]

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ 🚧🚧🚧🚧 🌋⚡⛈️🏔️ . . . . Fear can most certainly keep a man out of danger but courage can only support him in it . . . . Those who avoid their fears instead of facing them will have a hard time adapting to the amount courage it takes to overcome danger on sudden moments notice . . . . #BDBossmovement #BDBoss #System #Start #innerpeace #instadaily #instagood #Instapower #templates #trenchwork #dankest #Rise #responsibility #Repent #responsibility #resolve #Inspire #growthmindset #rebirth #conquerFear #Courage #confidence #creating #faith #formation #God #bethemiracle #Wakeup #Water #wHoly https://www.instagram.com/p/CMnB18YjIu5/?igshid=8g40bmyrnqml

[wingman420]

If you fail to plan... You plan to fail #trenchwork #cleanclones #purplepunch #integrityiseverything #honestymatters #legalfarm #lookforwardgiveback #hardworkpaysoff (at California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvP-EEzB6R7FI1cpUSQVTWVMqZlebQ2F_w-71Y0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1fsq39nmfn3yd

[nightbringer24]

Reading the Siege of Vraks books really makes me wish I had the time and resources to make a full on trench gaming table. Maybe a combo of trenchworks and urban sprawl.

[ncdweller]

House inspection and appraisal

We lost a bedroom in the appraisal, as the appraiser only identified two, which matches our observation.

We lost a bathroom in today's home inspection. Turns out the nice, newer bathroom has disconnected plumbing, with drain pipes from the tub and sink hanging free in the crawl space. We can't see the toilet connections, I trust it goes to the septic tank, but if so, why don't the other drains?

A mystery. A potentially expensive one. Worse case, much concrete cutting, trenchwork across the lawn, and big checks being written.

The kitchen drains (sink and dishwasher) daylight through one pipe that must cause dishwater to run down the gravel driveway. I can handle that one. I have studied much on graywater systems. I would have done this eventually anyway.

Closing is Monday. Duke Energy is turning on the electricity that day as well. Then we get to see if the well pump works. After the closing.

[rocksocksllc]

Happy Sunday! GO OUTSIDE - - #2wheelthearapy #harleydavidson #2wheelslovers #harley #bluecollar #bluecollarlife #bluecollarbrotherhood #hunting #nature #notallwhowanderarelost #trenchwork #hike #hiking #constructionlife #dogwalk #hardscape #2wheels #boots #work #gunrange #motorcycle #sewingproject #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #makewaves #naturelovers #wildlife #hikingadventures #sundayfunday #gooutside https://www.instagram.com/p/CZFDV7mrdne/?utm_medium=tumblr

[tk9336]

"The Medic." #529thimperialarmoredbattalion Army medic TX-66598 crossing friendly trenchworks. #Mudtrooper #starwars #soloastarwarsstory https://www.instagram.com/p/B_u99t-FR5M/?igshid=16x0c6pokfxuq

[bdbossmovement]

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 ℹ️ℹ️ℹ️ℹ️ℹ️ℹ️ℹ️ 🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️🅰️ 💧💧💧💧💧💧💧 ❗❗❗❗❗❗❗ ⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️⚜️ ☣️☣️☣️☣️☣️☣️☣️ 🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱🔱 💲💲💲💲💲💲💲 ✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️ 🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘🆘 . . . . Don't limit yourself two online application during your job search . . . . #jobsearch #job #work #gig #selfmade #businessowner #Grind #trenchwork #hustle #Sales #Talent #SocialMediaPromos #socialskills #Gotime #marketing #covid19 #causeaneffect #Change #ecommerce #shopify #cashapp #fundamentals #successmindset (at Build4Future) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCJe1M0jOgA/?igshid=1wywuw85nncld

[kelliangrey-ffxivrp]

Prompt #30 - Darkness

This one is set ~15 years in the future and as such is total fanfiction. Wanted to try and explore something else for Kel and write up something dark and apocalyptic while I was at it. It’s a bit long, just shy of 3000 words, so I’m gonna stick it under a read-more. Thanks to those who check it out!

Today, we change the end.

And if it was up to me, 

I’d rewrite history

And change my destiny,

One last time. ---

“Commander! Commander Grey!” 

Kellian turned his head enough to catch a single eyeful of the approaching woman. A thick wad of parchment in her grip seemed to indicate the approach of new orders, but the scarred veteran was hardly sure he cared. He stepped down from the lip of the blasted-out trenchworks, stepping past the terrified men and women under his command. Blessed with a look of near-eternal youth, the almost-fifty year old Seeker still resembled a younger man, though the grey streaks through his blue hair gave more credence to his surname. A lifetime of hard lessons had turned the man’s exterior cold, but he still found the time for those that needed him. 

Right now, the whole damn world needed him. 

It had been four years since it started. People disappearing. It was luckier if a family member or friend just disappeared, actually. Worse to find them horribly butchered. Worse still to find the body mostly intact, but possessed by something else. Walking and talking as if alive, but with a far more sinister agenda. Kellian had been fortunate, in a way, to have been close to one of the first of these ‘visitors’. Creatures, spirits almost, from a darker reflection of the realm he and his friends call home. Even with such a warning, however, he’d been almost powerless to stop the inevitable darkness that even now grew upon the horizon. Even though it made his skin crawl, Kellian turned his eyes toward it. 

Through dark ritual, the possessed carved a wound in the space between worlds. That wound now lay before him, a bilious mass of dark, foetid cloud that poisoned everything it came near. Worse, it birthed nightmare creatures with too many eyes, and far too many limbs. Kellian reached up to trace a worn finger over the scar on his neck. 

Too many claws, too.

“Commander!” 

The call drew him out of his reverie, and he finally looked at the messenger. “What is it?” He asked, taking the sheaf of papers from the spent youth. He barely even had to glance at them to see what they contained. Orders to withdraw. “No.” He said simply, handing the papers back.

“But sir-” 

“Do you see that?!” Kellian barked, rounding on the messenger and pointing back the way they had come. There was a city, there. An old one, that meant a lot to him. Most of the people had left as the darkness slowly encroached upon the once-green earth, but the old, the poor and the infirm hadn’t yet had enough of a chance to pack up and leave. Those that had been brave or strong enough had joined Kellian at the trenches. He’d armed them. Taught them how to fire, how to reload, how to kill at range. He knew it wouldn’t be enough to stop the next wave of creatures, but if it was enough to let the rest of the city’s residents escape, then it would be worth it. 

“There are still families back there! Families that’ll become lunch, or worse, if we don’t do anything about this now! You cannot tell me that the Grand Companies plan to just sit idly by and let this cloud consume the world!” 

“The Grand Companies-” 

“Want to consolidate power and forces around the capital. I know.” Kellian finished, turning to spit on the earth. Idiots. It wouldn’t be enough. Another town, another two or three villages, and there would be no stopping this horde from beyond the gap between stars. Those people that went missing - where did the grand companies expect that they ended up? How did they imagine that these creatures ended up with so many familiar-looking limbs? Every death fuelled that dark war machine. Kellian imagined that there might have already been too many. 

“Listen up!” Kellian bellowed. He might be resigned to die here, but he couldn’t bring himself to damn the rest of them. If they were cowards, they’d break anyway; and that would be worse. “Soon there’ll be another wave. Another mess of nightmares. I don’t know if we can put them down before they overrun us - but I for one am going to bloody try! There are familes - women and children - behind us that need us to hold these things off long enough for them to get away. I know you’re scared. I know you want to be on the next airship out of here. And I don’t blame you.” He said, drawing the gunblade at his back from its sheath. The ornate weapon caught what little light there was, and seemed to shine as if catching the sun’s rays - though the sun had long since stopped shining on this forsaken corner of the world. Kellian held the weapon aloft.  “Any man or woman who wants to flee now, may do so. I’m not joking. You want to leave… leave.” He said solemnly, shoving the fresh orders back into the arms of the messenger as he strode toward trench, a short hop carrying him over the gap and to the killing field on the far side. The clawed toes of his prosthetic foot dug into the soiled earth before the other boot crunched down. “But I’m staying. These *things* - whatever intelligence drives them - it thinks it knows how this ends! It thinks it knows the strength of our people, and it has this chapter written and closed. I’ve heard the doomsayers claim that this is destiny. You know what I say?” Kellian asked, spreading his arms and turning to the many fearful eyes looking up at him, clutching rifles for dear life. 

“I say fuck destiny! If the end is written, then let us tear up the page and write it anew! Are you with me?!” 

The cheer of approval - and Kellian was glad to see that nearly everyone had decided to stay - was drowned out by a curdling, piercing scream from beyond the veil of darkness before them. It was a howl filled with such deep anguish, such pain, that it tightened the throats and chilled the hearts of all who heard it. It washed over the plains, and Kellian knew that the time for rousing speeches was well and truly over. He sheathed his Gunblade - Inexorable - the shining weapon little use to him at a longer range. He took a quick step backwards and dropped into the trench beside his rag-tag group of defenders. Some expert monster hunters carried two swords upon their backs, different styles of blades providing different effectiveness against certain creatures. Kellian followed a similar philosophy. Pushing the gunblade’s sheath aside enough, he gripped the stock of the long-barreled rifle that lay beneath it, drawing the artfully carved firearm out into the open, the sleek black killing tool was easily long enough to rest on the lip of the trench. Kellian sighed down the magitek scope, the cool green of the lense already starting to pick up movement in the black cloud ahead.

That howl again.

“Steady!” Commander Kellian ‘Leadfang’ Grey bellowed down the line. To his left and right, his militia were preparing the weapons he’d only had two days to train them with. They were doing him proud, so far. 

So far.

Distant thunder began, and for a few moments Kellian thought they might have to deal with rain as well; but he swiftly realised that, no, this was no thunder. It was the pounding of innumerable feet. His blue-furred ears lowered at the sound, instinct setting his nerves on edge. He growled back, and didn’t even realise he was doing it until a man to his left gave him a worried glance. He sighted the battlefield again. One didn’t need an advanced scope, now - the movement ahead was clear. Writhing limbs, lashing tentacles and gnashing fangs occasionally caught his eye amid the mass of terror-creatures approaching at a dead sprint.

“Steady!” Grey barked again, clicking the safety off his black rifle. The rifles held by the militia didn’t have safeties. Kellian didn’t want them to have to stress over another complication in the act of killing - point and shoot. That was all they had to do. Just point, and shoot.

The creatures were close now. Almost close enough.

“Take aim!” Kellian roared. Almost. Almost.

“Fire!” He barked, pulling his own trigger to punctuate the command. His shot ripped clean through the misshapen skull of a thing that was once a person, and it fell limp. There was no time to celebrate. Only enough time to fire again. Kellian’s breathing became shallow, each exhalation accompanied by another killshot. It didn’t really matter how well those under his command were faring. All that mattered was that they aimed, and fired. Creatures fell in droves, their black glossy skin stained with an impossibly blacker blood as each round punched through skin and into tainted flesh. For every one that died, two more seemed to take its place, roaring and screaming with as much mindless fury as the one before it. There would only be so many, though. Kellian knew that. It was one thing that the Grand Companies didn’t seem to understand; there was only ever a set number of these creatures. As if the Darkness could only birth so many at a time. They seemed endless. Indeed, there were probably too many to accurately count. That was just a fear tactic. 

Kellian’s fear had died years ago.

They were close now, starting to fall dead a few yalms away from the lip of the trench. His rifle spent of ammunition, Kellian knew it would take too long to reload, and so he abandoned it. Digging his clawed foot into the side of the trench, he roared with effort and defiance as he hauled himself free of the dugout and onto the killing field proper. Inexorable left its sheath once again as the silvered gunblade returned to its true home; in his hand. He brushed aside the cloth of his long coat to reveal a heavy-caliber, short-nosed firearm built after the Makai style that had been revolutionary fifteen years ago - though the art of killing from a distance had come a long way since then. He drew the hand-cannon into his left hand and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd of voidborne creatures. The militia kept firing behind him and the risk of friendly fire was not minimal, but Kellian didn’t care. He drove forward. A claw lashed out at him and he ducked it, his gunblade slashing upward to sever the limb, while his hand-cannon turned to fire a round through another fanged skull. 

Age had not seen Kellian get any slower. Aetheric ink on his body kept his surging energy at its peak. He would never be as fast as his sister, or possess as much raw strength as his wife, but he had always been precise. Killing had always been as much about talent as it was about skill, and he had both to spare. It helped that he had been fighting these things since they’d first appeared. Their wild savagery was, ironically, predictable. 

Another monster lunged forward to sink fangs into his shoulder, but caught a mouth full of cold steel instead as he thrust his gunblade deep into the creature’s maw. Pulling the weapon’s trigger released the energy stored in one of the charged cartridges, and Kellian roared with effort as he sprang upwards, wrenching the weapon out of the top of the monster’s skull and up into the air. He continued the arc, twisting to bring it down hard onto the head of another, spilling more of whatever passed for their brain matter onto the diseased ground. His sidearm wove under his slashing arm, covering his side with a precise shot to the head of a creature with too many eye sockets and not enough eyes to fill them. Whirling, he pulled Inexorable’s trigger again, the surge of energy passing through the blade and his arm as one as he span on the spot, ripping his blade through meat and bone as if both were paper. 

Kellian couldn’t see the trench anymore. Whatever monsters weren’t stopping to try and consume him were carrying on toward the village. He’d done what he could to help. Defiance would only get one so far and eventually destiny would have its due. It didn’t matter. Little mattered. 

The only thing that could stand against the darkness was the strength to keep fighting.

The scant second he’d spent thinking of other things had already cost him. A limb that ended in a bony spike punched through his coat, grazing the reinforced vest that protected his torso. It didn’t penetrate, but scarred the woven cloth enough that another blow to that spot might prove fatal. Kellian swore they wouldn’t get another chance. He drove Inexorable up through the jaw of the creature that had tried to stab him, flicking the release catch on the gunblade’s chamber. The spent cartridges sprang free, past Kellian’s head and into the maw of a snapping creature behind him; still burning with arcane force, they seared the monster’s black mouth and throat, sending it howling as it tried to shake them free. Ducking beneath a slashing bone-scythe, Kellian pressed Inexorable’s open chamber against the bandolier at his side, magnetic studs drawing two more charged cartridges into the waiting slots. With a snap, the weapon closed. He was about to begin the dance again, when a loud, thrumming whine caught his ear - something that managed to pierce the din of howling, screaming nightmares. He spent three quick cuts to give himself a second to look - and he caught the source of the noise immediately. 

The Guardian Edge. 

The imposing airship hovered above the battlefield, its engines whining with the strain of keeping it aloft at such a low altitude. Smiles were rare from Kellian these days, but he allowed one. 

That smile vanished as he saw that the Guardian’s main gun was pointed straight at him, and charging fast. 

Damn that Admiral.

Kellian broke into a sprint. Somehow he’d ended up damn far away from the trenches - not that they would help much. It seemed that those of the militia who hadn’t been overrun had fled as the creature’s reached them.

He was alone, now. Alone in a sea of darkness.

He stopped, turning hard and driving his weapon into the guts of a creature that had pounced at him, wrenching the blade free with a grunt as he spilled hot innards over the cold earth. The insistent whining of the Guardian’s main gun was getting steadily louder. He knew that gun well; he was basically its father. He had seconds, at best. Firing the gunblade’s trigger gave him another surge of energy, and he leapt high over the surging monsters, coming down in a hard landing that scattered a few of the creatures back as he slammed the length of the gunblade down into the earth. With room to breathe, he raised his blade - and pointed it right at the Guardian Edge above. Even an ornate blade such as Inexorable had little weight when compared to the looming airship above. 

Kellian wasn’t trying to shoot the thing down, however. 

Setting his jaw, the veteran seeker closed his eyes to the howling mass swarming around and past him. He ignored it when a slashing limb almost took his ear off. A bone spike punching through his abdomen hardly registered. He was busy listening, listening for that tell-tale sound. 

And there it was.

A sound like tearing paper split the sky as the Edge’s main cannon fired. The beam was bright enough to blind. As it hurtled toward him, Kellian pulled his gunblade’s trigger. Rather than expel energy outwards, however, it surged into him. A barrier shimmered into existence around his form, shearing clear the limbs that had dared invade his personal space. The Guardian Edge’s shot hit the earth, a thunderous impact that chased away the dark mass. Kellian grit his teeth, maintaining the barrier his only focus as the sheer force of the impact threatened to knock him off his feet. 

It was over in seconds. Sick earth and nightmare creatures had been replaced with a scene of utter desolation. Were it not for his own barrier, Kellian would have been obliterated. 

Letting out a breath, Kellian let the barrier drop and sank to his knees, panting. 

He was the only thing left alive on the field. 

He sank his blade into the earth and let it rest there. He’d poured all but the barest sliver of energy into that impenetrable barrier, and now he was spent; but he’d survived.

Yet again, he’d survived the Darkness.