We Must Hold

The Battle

Jarek breathed heavily. He was only eighteen, he shouldn't be here, and yet he still kept pulling the trigger. He had beheld monsters most eighteen-year-olds in the Emancium Empire had only ever seen in their worst nightmares. Jarek shook his head, he needed to keep his thoughts clear if he were to survive this battle. His squadron of Ares Marines was falling fast. He could hear the screams over the comms. He had to focus. Battle was no time to worry. He just continued to pull the trigger. Horvack were everywhere, their giant space-hives blotted out the triple suns, their menacing blood-curdling screams forced Jarek to turn his helmet to noise-canceling just to hear his sergeant. He continued to pull the trigger, taking down each insectlike beast he could. He knew that if the Horvack broke through their men, the rest of his homeland would be left wide-open, unguarded, and unprotected.  He could not let that happen.

Over the comms he heard the sergeant call "I'm being cut off, I need hel--ahhhhhh" the comms went silent. Jarek continued to pull the trigger, stunned. Without the sergeant, they would fall. The squadron needed to hold. Jarek needed to hold. For his family. The Horvack continued to charge into their ranks, several getting very close to within claw reach of Jarek. But he just continued to pull the trigger, these beasts would not take his mother. He needed to start formulating a plan. He needed to do something, his squadron would not fall. Against all odds, it would hold.

He turned on his comms. "Men. We need to hold. I know I am one of the most inexperienced members of this squad, but someone needs to take the lead." He got a few acknowledgments before continuing. His plan deeply relied on his trust of his fellow brothers. "We need to fall back to that ridge. It will be much easier to hold with so few men." the ridge he had mentioned was about a few hundred meters back, retreating to it would mean turning your back on the horrors of the Horvack. Something no sane soldier would want to do. 

A crackle came through his comms "Jarek, that move would cost us our lives, we can not turn our back on these things." Jarek gritted his teeth and continued pulling the trigger. He would not let these creatures through. Jarek responded with the most commanding voice he could muster "I understand that Holt. I don't like our choices here either. But we fallback or we die. We can't let these things get through us. We must hold. For our families. For our friends. This isn't about ourselves."

Jarek waited for a response. He knew they didn't have much time. They were strewn across the battlefield, and without their sergeant, they had little hope of success in the face of such beasts. They had to get to the ridge. It was a stronger position. "I agree with Jarek on this one Holt. We can hold the ridge. We can't hold these plains." was the reply. Jarek nodded to Jon, the one who had spoken. Jarek did 't wait for any further ascent or agreement, he knew they were running out of time. "We HAVE to go men. Fallback to the ridge. I will cover our rear, everyone move, move, move." Jarek shouted over the comms. He knew he was giving a great sacrifice. It wasn't likely he would survive if he stayed back to cover them. But someone had to do it. Someone had to stand and fight. 

He watched his fellow soldiers fall back as he stood strong. He unleashed a volley of shots into the oncoming horde of Horvack. He faced his death with strength. He just continued to pull the trigger. He knew his squadron would hold. His family would be safe, and his friends would live. this was all he needed to know. The Horde finally reached him, and he accepted his fate, being swarmed by Horvack. He knew they would hold that ridge. Against all odds.