Please, Don't stare at the Candidate.

I should've bought a nightlight

The thing that disorients you first is the footsteps. Hearing the sounds of explosions and alarms blaring compares nothing to the sound of your friends willingly marching towards their doom. Of course they said it was "For the God" but even back then I never cared for it. But they did and I followed. Followed them to the airlock where the boarding craft leeched itself onto our ship. As we settled into our positions we'd practiced more times then I could remember. I felt a sense of comfort knowing we'd practice for it. Similar to the feeling of going to school after so many years. But by the one guy who broke down crying in front of me I could tell that feeling wasn't popular. Before he could curl up in a fetal position the bugs bursted out of the pipes near the airlock. The things were the size of dogs with a light blaster lazily strapped to their backs. As we erupted with blaster fire upon them, the drab grey walls became a nearly artistic mix of color. They were all gone in a matter of moments. Then that's when the lights went off. I still don't know if it was a stray shot, one of those bugs chewed through an electrical cord or that thing did it on purpose. But a wave of fear washed over me. The only lights I saw were the ones coming from my friends suits, the green glow of that things head, and the mouth it had at the center of its chest. It stood there for a few moments. Looking over us, it's height was chilling. I can only speculate the horrid thoughts it had as it looked over us. Then it hopped from wall to wall like darkness pouncing to where light once was. None of us could get even a graze on it. Not that it even mattered with the things thick bark skin. "Ksees down" "Rauks down" I heard over my comms. They dropped like flies. As it started to make its way over to me I ran. Without the light I quickly lost my way. I had no idea where I was. I hit a dead end. Some unfinished part of the monolithic ship. Thuds behind me shook the floor. I turned around at lighting speed, and shot my rifle at one of its saltatorial legs.
It hit the rifle out of my hands and walked towards me. I fumbled to take out my electrical knife and stabbed it as deep as I could into it's leg. The thing screamed and it's insides  glowed. With the light, I could now see it's full body, a 8 foot tall, pale monster. It's skin bark like. With 4 saltatorial legs that looked like the base of a tree, bending up a singular time then down. It's head looked like a cocoon in the middle of an explosion. And it's abodemen shaked furiously from the pain. As quickly as the light appeared, it faded away leaving me in darkness with the thing. The thing pushed me and my back hit against the wall. I pulled out my pistol and began to shoot at it. Once again it knocked it out of my hand. I was thinking about what curse to lay upon it, what insult to tell it before it bashed in my skull. But before I even could finish my sentence it said in a ominous voice, "You, you're not like the others. The others gave up, cried and begged for mercy. They're not warriors like you. You, you fought till the very end, using every last trick you had. Even when all hope was lost I could tell you had one more thought in mind to cause me more pain. You are a candidate."
Then with one swoop of his trunk legs, everything faded to black.