.Space /// The Darkness Within (Part I)

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	"Captain!" screamed the pilot. "We're in a shower!" 

	Huge boulders fell through the sky, smashing through the ground and bashing holes in the Duric armor plating of the Black Sun base. The commanders knew it would happen sooner or later, and unfortunately, it was sooner.

	The Xenolith system is notoriously famous, or infamous (if you prefer), for its semi-constant meteor showers that pepper the surface of the planets in it. That's exactly why Arais Hidar Sighcamant (The Third, mind you) picked it. Well, anyway, this story opens during one of those infamous showers. 

	A particularly nasty meteor flew down through the atmosphere. A large gunship, trying to escape the manslaughter, was just too slow in its ascent. The huge boulder ripped through the middle of the ship, sending the passengers of the doomed ship screaming while their ship fell through the air.

	This is the time to introduce the main character of the story, John Anderson. Being 23 years of age, he was perfectly suited to work his way up the Black Sun ranks. Well, at least to 'influence' the Hydrakians already in high command.  At the current time, he was meaning to get to a bunker during the current shower.

	John climbed into his personal Stinger XT-38 military patrol SUV, a new prototype model.

	"It's raining again", he noted to his assistant android 7T-D12. 

	"I've noticed", replied the droid in a deeply sarcastic voice.

	"Why the heck do these have to happen constantly?" he questioned in great agitation.

	"Well, you were the one who convinced Hydra Xios to start the troop movement to Xenolith 7..." replied the robot. 

	"And I deeply regret it."

	John kicked the vehicle into gear, sending it roaring down the access tunnel, the one that would be destined for destruction. Suddenly, a huge charred wreckage plowed through the ceiling, sending John's Stinger spinning madly up the tunnel wall before flipping over and crashing to a stop. 

	"Ah..." said John gingerly, as he lifted himself out off of the floor, viewing the steaming wreckage. His droid however, wasn't so lucky. The skull was smashed together, leaving an almost comical-looking scene. The car was totally crushed. Smoke poured from the ruined engine. 

	Suddenly, huge amounts of water came rushing through the gap. 

	"Crap." muttered John. "Just what I needed."

	Sgt. John Anderson ran.

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	The water flooded down the tunnel, gaining ground rapidly, as John Anderton sprinted madly toward the sub-transit tubes that lay at the end of the tunnel.

	Suddenly, a huge section, pushed free from the tremendous water pressure behind it, lifted up and flung him through the semi-translucent tunnel up into a wall, convieniently laying several feet above the airtight entrance door. 

	Ripping open the door, the Sgt. leaped in, slamming the door behind him. A huge curtain of water smashed against the door, knocking the car several yards back.

	"That's never a good thing." retorted Anderson to the wall. Then, he felt a slight tapping on his shoulder. A Zech'tal alien, armed with a sonic missle launcher, shoved him in the chest, squawking angrily. John flipped around, kicking the alien in the face, knocking it over. 

	"H.A.U. Just like I expected." The Zech'tal retored with an indignant squeal.

	"I'll take this, do you mind?" he said, punching the Zech'tal in the face and grabbing the launcher with the other hand. 

	"Thanks, pal."

	He sprinted through the car, blasting randomly at the aliens swarming the train. A particularly ugly one, with huge tusks had a sonic rifle. Whipping the launcher down the cart, he knocked a minion down, bashing its skull against a metal support column.

	With a new-found energy, John Anderson fought like never before, blasting at every alien to come his way. The floor littered with unconcious bodies, he made his way to the door, as the train slowly de-accelerated. 

	Hopping nimbly out the door, he made his way down the large, cavernous chamber that lead to the bunker, and to his escape ticket.

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	Climbing up the stairs at the end of the cavern, he looked for the secret access panel. His fingers came across a well worn slot in the wall. Upon sticking an ID card into the slot, a large door opened up. John jogged over to the door and pulled it open. Inside lay a large corridor, with several doors. Kicking open the middle one labeled 'hangar', he walked to his ship, a small ship that had previously been in the ownership of a bounty hunter. Now that that was over, he had refurnished it, and given it a hologram deck, and great a great paint job. The chrome was really working for him.

	He walked up the entry ramp and glanced around until he found himself at the control deck. He sank into the plush chair and flicked a small switch. Flourescent lights popped up all around the ship, illuminiating the control panel. Pulling the piloting joystick out from under the control desk and glancing into the rearview mirror, he noticed that the space behind the hangar doors were... swirling? 

	"No way." he muttered.

	The chrome ship blasted out of the hangar. Suddenly, the large durasteel structure housing it exploded in a huge flash of water and metallic rafters. A HAU wheel-fighter, presumeably moving in on the base, was struck by a rocketing piece of metal. The ship seemingly tore itself in half. A huge explosion followed, setting several accompanying fighters ablaze. A huge cachophony of explosions and rocks striking earth met John's ears, even within his ship.

	Dodging an incoming meteor, he spiraled upward toward the Black Sun base he knew was awaiting him. 

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	 A single ship tore through space, toward its home. A group of HAU fighters whipped around, carefully targeting their prey. 

	"No you don't!" yelled John. He pulled the trigger that fired implosion-positive missles. A small missle, black as midnight, rocketed out of the weapons bay and at the nearest fighter. Suddenly, the ship twisted and warped before John's very eyes. It started shredding into millions of pieces while the pilot's body swelled and imploded in a dripping mass. The ship spun into a crazed spiral, right into an asteroid.  A large block, torn from its mooring in the explosion, rocketed into the nearest fighter. They both exploded into a synapse-searing flash. The next two fighters, obviously deterred from attack, spun away into the darkness.

	John slowly piloted the ship toward the Black Sun space station that was orbiting Xenolith 7 slowly. Upon pressing a contact button, a large double set of vertical doors slowly slid open. The chrome speck quickly dropped into the awaiting hangar, and the doors closed.

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