[i][/i][b][u]Central Security Command, Kausis System[/u][/b] The last of the Gaian defenders huddled into the Central Command, about ten private security and twenty-five miners. They were being led by John, an ex Marine sergeant, who was on a communication device with Seamus, an old miner who was alone in one of the residential areas, when he heard an explosion on the other end, and placed it down. "Seamus is gone." He looked around to the last survivors. A couple of the security guards were on turrets, but most of them were sitting around him. He didn't know what to say to these men-some were as young as fifteen. He knew they were gone. He heard weeps, prayers. In the corner, the reverend at the colony's church was kneeling over a young boy, giving him his final rites. At his side, John had his weapon-a sledgehammer. His rifle died after shooting a dozen of these bastards. Just then, he heard something strange-a violin tuning. He turned around. One of the older miners had grabbed a fiddle, and started playing. One of the other ones started singing and old song that all Gaian miners and soldiers learn at some point. [i]I was born where I would die,[/i] [i]In search of fortune in the mines,[/i] [i]And it's here I will take my final stand,[/i] [i]I've seen rocks throughout the galaxy,[/i] [i]And if I must end, it's fine by me,[/i] [i]Just bury me in my fair homeland.[/i] More miners started joining in. [i]Bury me in Gaia,[/i] [i]Bury me in Gaia,[/i] [i]Though my soul be damned,[/i] [i]In this heathen land,[/i] [i]Bury me in Gaia.[/i] At this, the rest of the defenders joined in the sad song, though a few broke off with their rifles, going back to fire at the remaining aliens. [i]Bury me in Gaia,[/i] [i]Bury me in Gaia,[/i] [i]I'll die with rifle in hand,[/i] [i]In this heathen land,[/i] [i]But bury me in Gaia.[/i] The original two musicians kept playing, but the rest of the miners had broken off to continue the fight. And they managed to keep up the fight for a few more hours, taking down a good many Dathu. In this time, John had made his way to the communications deck in the Command Center, and send a message to Gaia, explaining what had happened. Eventually though, one of the turrets shot down a Dathu fighter at the exact wrong time. The entire building shook with rage. John woke up, coughing, dust and debris surrounding him, when he heard footsteps coming, and rose, grabbing the sledgehammer next to him, and waited by the door. As the Dathu and Yanthu entered, he swung, caving in one of their skulls, brains splattering on the Xeno behind him. He swung again, striking a Yanthu in the gut, causing it to keel over in pain. Another raised its gun at him, but John grabbed a Yanthu soldier, putting the handle of the hammer on his neck before the one aiming at him accidentally shot his comrade, before the former marine struck him dead in the throat. It was then that the one he hit in the gut shot him square in the back, and John keeled over, screaming in pain. The Dathu commander walked over to him. "Was this worth it Terran? To die like this? For what?" John started laughing, in between coughs of blood. "Fuck, I don't know, but you gotta admit, it's pretty cool how I got your boy's brains out, ain't it?" The commander grimaced, and kicked him on the ground, before picking him up and holding him close to his face. "You are the last of your puny defenders, and you will die like the rest of them!" John nodded. "Yeah...well...not quite." [b]================================================[/b] It's too bad the Dathu learned nothing of the vibrant and fascinating culture of the Gaian Miners before unleashing their wrath upon them. Then they would've known about the prize ship. You see, after so many pirate attacks on the Gaian trade ships, the sponsors of these mining expeditions started paying for a ship much more expensive than the rest of them, a large cargo ship that, while defenseless, had decent cloaking technology, supposed to be used to transport as much wealth as possible back to the sponsor in case of a large scale attack. This colony had a prize ship as well, but this wasn't filled with precious metal. [b]================================================[/b] [b][u]Dathu Flagship, Battle of Kausis Fields[/u][/b] The admiral of the Dathu fleet surveyed the destruction, when a communication signal, apparently from some nearby miner, tried to come through. He allowed it. It was only a voice-no face. "Do you believe in Christ?" The whole of the Dathu ship starts laughing, before the admiral responds, "We have no need for such weak Terran gods." "Well, you might want to start." "And why's that?" "You're about to meet him." At that, the Kausis Colony prize ship, filled to the brim with mining explosives, appeared right in front of the flagship's deck, slamming into the ship full force.