“…The massacres on New Gettysburg, Hanz and Io maybe unintended, a good intentioned political folly or an act of confused intrepidity but if we make human life that expendable, what difference do we have with the GEOMs ?...”

-The Knight Codex Vol. 29, Chapter 6, p. 18.

“Hold the line gadammit!” the commander shouted, thinking if his words could even provide the same reinforcement.

“Where the hell is Reid!?” he exasperated but no one answered him. He caught a glimpse of the last officer under his command get impaled by an insect-like stinger. He roared as he avenges the young sergeant---He remembered how the boy saluted and said how he was honored that his first deployment would be under Lord Knight Wolfe’s command.

That was two hours ago.

He surveyed the battlefield; they were atop a hill laced with hurried breastworks which provided little defense against the creatures, Genetically Ectoplasmic Organ Monsters or GEOMs. From the hill, Lord Knight Wolfe had a bird’s eye view of the GEOM forces they were against. They were surrounded on land and air so reinforcement or air support was not an option. Reid was nowhere to be found. He counted he had a fourth of his initial command---about forty soldiers and they were barely holding out.

“gadammit.” He cursed under his breath as he realizes how weapon automatic fire has receded rapidly He ran towards their southern flank, built up momentum and jumped twenty feet in the air and landed deep behind the GEOM lines, creating a shockwave, crushing and knocking back GEOMs.

He now braced for their counter attack, unsheathing his rapier and held his signature “rapier and cloak” stance. The knock backed GEOMs now retaliated with their array of grotesque appendages but all were parried by the lord knight who now glowed white, after a few seconds, he released an explosive energy which disintegrated everything within a radius, which just fell short of their southernmost trench.

“Give them no quarter!”

The lord knight’s war cry was followed by the resonant roar of the morale fueled forty. Wolfe then continued to cull the GEOMs attempting to climb the hill. Little did the soldiers know that the commander’s shout of confidence was more for himself than them.

He must not give up the last quarter.

Planet Red 420 was a semi-desolate medium-sized planet that has a drug-inducing atmosphere, hence the number coding. But what makes Red 420 crucial for the stellar war effort was its strategic orbit which can be used to leapfrog warp points between the mother solar system and the southeastern outer territory rim, Leo sector. The GEOMs have infested Red 420 fifty years prior---during The First Plague Wave. Now it is the year 2474, and the Tertiary Union now sets its course to reclaim Leo Sector.

They sent three divisions on respective strategic landing points after a series of intense orbital bombardments. Lord knight Wolfe led one of the divisions, The Lion’s Streaks. When little resistance was met upon landing on Red, it caught the commander’s attention that something was amiss but still proceeded to march towards the Industrial city Io. That’s when the Lord Knight made his second mistake, upon concluding to separate his forces in preparation to siege Io, Bravo Company---led by Lord knight Reid, Charlie Company and the logistics Company headed by Knight Clara while Wolfe led Alpha Company.

As soon they were positioned to attack Io from three different directions, the GEOMs emerged from the red earth beneath them, a new genetic evolution.

Chaos ensued.

SOLAR YEAR 2429, LEO SYSTEM, SECTOR ONE, PLANET RED 420 ORBIT. 1100 HOURS, THE MARSHAL, ONE HOUR BEFORE PLANET RED 420 INVASION.

“Does my armpit smell ok?” Lord Knight Reid asks as he sniffs his right armpit under his armor.

“Fuck you!” Clarahart exasperates avoiding Reid as they walk through a corridor while she frantically fans the air around her

“Clearly you guys are the best of the best.” Wolfe said face palming. Reid continues to chase Clarahart with his raised arms, forcing her to smell his armpit. The lady Knight mockingly pukes and keeps pushing the Lord Knight away.

“Knock it off you two. We have a battle to lead.” Wolfe now says sternly.

“Yeah I bet you a hundred pieces I’m going to save you this time!” Clarahart exasperates as Reid finally stops having her smell his armpit.

“How about I bet that I if I save you again you’ll smell my armpit and vice versa huh?” Reid says jokingly

“Suck a dick Reid!” she says as she storms away.

“I’ll take you up on that Reid.” Wolfe laughs

“Deal.” Reid answers as they shook hands.

Ill smell both your armpits Reid if you save me this time. Wolfe scans the horizon after decimating another GEOM wave.

“Soldier keep trying coms!” Wolfe commanded as he parried another wave of GEOM blows. His men fought gallantly today, now a mere twenty eight were left and they were rapidly running out of ammunition. Their medium to long range radio communications was still being jammed by GEOM “Hax”. All the company’s psionic squires were killed out from the initial attack and from their retreat towards the hilltop so telepathic communications were not possible. The GEOMs’ were learning. The only silver lining was before the last psionic squire was killed he had successfully linked with Lord Knight Reid. All they could do now was hold.

There was a brief lull in the combat, Wolfe knew that means the GEOMs’ are massing a large offensive to finish them off. He sat inside one of the trenches, now ridden with corpses and broken soldiers. Most of Lion’s Streaks consisted of elite men, having over a hundred battles to some, now the company is almost annihilated. Wolfe sat beside a wounded soldier, who has broken most of his ribcage and his left arm.

Late fifities. He thought.

“How are your ribs old timer?” he said while assessing the wounded man’s left arm.

The man tried to laugh but his blood almost choked him, “I can’t breathe that….well but I can still swing my sabre with my….right if it comes to it.” He gruelingly tried to answer then gave a blood smirked smile.

The Lord Knight placed a hand on the old man’s shoulder and returned the smile. “Bring down what you can.” He then gazed at every soldier on that trench giving each of them a nod. “Do and die boys, do and die!”

The twenty eight repeated the chant as the sound of the ghastly GEOMs began to resound.

“Do and Die!”

“Do and Die!” their voices drowning the GEOM swarm, taunting the monsters to finish them off.

“Do and Die!” they steeled themselves from their trenches wielding what weapon they could use, most on their standard side arms, the sabre.

“Do and Die!” the ghastly sound was no more.

“Do and Die!” Lord Knight Wolfe was now on top of his lungs.

Then there was silence.