Chapter 1: Bad Dreams

The burning twin suns made the battlefield a shimmering haze. The heat could be felt even within the environmental combat suits. Two fighter squadrons sped overhead; they engaged the enemy bombers as I looked upon my troops one last time. Their faces were hidden behind the solid white silksteel helmets, but I knew their expressions, eager to fight for a cause, eager to die perhaps, completely pumped on aggressionboosters and painkillers. Their suits – a supple underlay with separate armor plates – not only offered protection, it would also monitor their status and inject chemicals into their bloodstream to keep them fighting as long as possible. A lot of them would die after the battle, their bodies simply giving up when the drugs wore off. They had forgotten the horrors of the previous slaughters already, been made to forget. Soldiers, no longer considered human, they had become weapons themselves, single-purpose-breeding products, expendable.

“This is our last stand, men!”

I heard myself say the words, though I did not want to.

“We will conquer or die!”

Some things cannot be changed.

“The fate of the universe hangs in the balance. We shall prevail! We shall go down in history!”

I hate myself. Everyone raised their weapons and cheered.

The no man's land was a cratered desert; only a few bodies still littered the ground, most had been vaporized in the last artillery bombardment – ours or the enemy's, it did not matter. Part of the dark sand had melted and then hardened into glass, sparkling in the sunlight, bright stars in the black night. It was... eerily beautiful. The beauty of war. I shuddered.

“General?”

Two faces had sprung to life on the inside of my helmet – an open helmet protecting the back and sides of my neck, with a retractable visor.

My two captains were my equals, there was no need for titles or this line of command, we had known each other from before this empire had broken free from its home planet. But appearances must be kept up.

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, general. We are in position.”

“Very well, you know what to do. On my signal.”

No matter how many battles you have survived, regardless of how many people see you as a 'veteran', you're frightened, every time again. As I stepped through the energy shield protecting our trenches, my pulse rose. When I raised my sword and shouted 'for the Emperor!', the adrenaline started pumping. But I controlled myself; I have no use for chemicals, my mind controls my body; it was at peace as I started running, feeling my battalion – fifteenhundred warriors – moving with me as one.

I could see the enemy. They were on the move as well, a dark blue wave on a crash course.

“One kilometer and closing. This is it.”

A primal roar rose up behind me, glass was crushed under running feet; the combined sound sent a shiver through my spine.

We clashed, sword slashing in my left hand, pistol burning in the right. Screams of anger and bloodlust filled the air. I couldn't fight to my fullest abilities, couldn't show them what I was, but it was not necessary. I was in control. Fear was no longer on my mind.

But it came back in a flash.

“General!”

“I see it, captain.”

In the middle of the dark blue sea, a few hundred meters from the front line, dark wings stuck above the soldiers. A full-fledged demon.

“Come to me, both of you.”

Neither of us had earned our wings. We were young, inexperienced, vulnerable. We were no match.

Around us, the battle raged in full, but it was of no consequence anymore.

“Do you think they know what is leading their army.”

My captains, my brother and sister stood next to me.

“I doubt it, it's not like they can see the wings.”

“General, with all due respect, I don't think...”

“Drop it, Aneska.” Now was not the time for appearances. “If we remain undercover, we don't stand a chance.”

“They're not going to like that, Henry.”

I shook my head. “I'd rather face an angry God, than not face one ever again.”

Jules grinned as he holstered his pistol, but I could see he was afraid as well. “Well, first things first. Lets do this.”

We fought our way towards the demon. Jules and Aneska held their swords with both hands, I had taken a long dagger in my off-hand. Our men started filling the opening we were creating, but a silent gesture made them pull back. No use to let them get surrounded as well.

“Servant of darkness!” I yelled. The enemy soldiers suddenly stopped attacking us and opened a pathway towards him. I went cold inside.

He stood nearly twice the size of a mortal, his wings coiling above him, like a hundred black snakes slithering in the air. He wore no weapons or armor, for his warform was enough: two spikes protruding from his forearms, his body covered by shiny black, bone-like plates.

“What do we have here?” His booming voice sounded... amused. “Fledglings! Three of them! And I thought this was going to be another boring battle.”

Jules and Aneska circled to the left and right, while I advanced forward. Aneska attacked first, a quick thrust towards his heart; he simply pushed the sword away and sent her flying. My own attack was also parried in that way, but I used the momentum to spin around and aimed my dagger at his side. With all my force behind it, it barely scratched him.

“Die!”

Jules had leaped up, about three meters high, at the back of the demon. His cry had alerted him, however, and he was swatted out of the air by one of the wings. He landed on his back with a loud thud. Suddenly, the demon ran towards him and jumped on his chest. I could hear the air being pushed out of his lungs and his ribs breaking. With a short jab, the demon pushed one of his spikes through the visor, into his eyes. He died and I felt it, blinded by the pain.

“Henry!”

I wanted to look at Aneska, when I saw that the demon had picked up Jules' sword.

“Poor fledglings.”

He threw it at me; I had to move, but I couldn't, not enough time, it went too fast, I didn't know what to... I didn't want to d...

Henry Rollins awoke with a start. It was three a.m. He could hear a lonely car in the distance.