It was approaching midnight when I hear a knock on the door of my modest looking abode. I turn instinctively towards the wooden door, white silvery hair flowing stubbornly across my vision.

"Who would wish to encroach on me at my time of rest?" I wonder, setting aside my musings and comb.

"Is this the station of Inora Ver'Riyah?" a muffled voice flows from beyond the door.

Even though the stern voice is partially muted by wood, I could sense the importance of the one standing behind it.

'I don't have any midnight patrol duties, perhaps a change has been made?' I briefly muse as I hastily gather my armor and helm. The night dress gives way to the heft of armor and immaculate emblem of my Cohort, cast aside like the ebb of a retreating tide.

"To whom do I speak to!" I call out with great strides towards the door, presentable and clad in the proud sheen of ivory steel and glinting red after a moment of preparation.

"Lord General Thellius, I wish to speak to you at once."

I stop in my tracks. Confusion and surprise now lies at the forefront of my thoughts.

"What would warrant the Lord General himself to visit someone of my stature?" I whisper in disbelief, as the seeds of apprehension festers beyond just idle fears.

After a few more timid steps, I slowly reach out to grasp the bar, gulping in fright as I come to a lone conclusion. This piece of wood is the only thing separating me from the famous Lord General, he who is bestowed control over all Euralian forces in the eastern front lines by the Queen herself.

With a painfully slow turn, I open the door. Immediately coming into view, is the sight of the Lord General in all his immaculate glory.

Impeccably dressed in ceremonial armor fashioned in the likeness of old antiquity, every curve and crevice harboured the ancient fell runes of Nul'Firan. Cresting his head is a helmet with a bright helm plume, it thunders to the heavens like spires of authority. The esteemed Thellius had a look befitting of someone of his prestige and bearing. 

I stand my ground, stationing my eyes onto his and awaited his tidings with patience. His were old and weary, yet they held the secrets of a thousand campaigns. Nothing like my own even as we shared the colour our people, a bright purple.

I place a clenched fist over my heart, bestowing the Lord General with all the reverence I could muster, "My esteemed greetings Lord General, what do you wish to speak off," I cautiously begin, keeping my eyes low afterwards.

The silence hereafter is cold, and it is only now I notice the General himself was flanked by Black Hand warriors on both sides. The stalwart contingent of warriors remain equally silent, as demanded by their reputation.

"From the report sent to me by your Lord Captain, around afternoon today, you and your highlanders battled a strange rout of warriors somewhere to the south," Thellius states, forgoing simple pleasantries.

"Which, costed the lives of two scouts under your command," He added, with a hint of sorrow to his tone.

With a defeated sigh, I slowly nod. The word has already spread to a good portion of the cohort and beyond undoubtedly.

"You were quite adamant in suggesting that those things you fought were not Yhunian soldiers," the Lord General remarks, voice shifting to one of intrigue.

I perk my head up, "Yes Lord General, I-" he raises a hand and I silence my tongue.

"I share the same sentiments, the descriptions between this and the first encounter does not match anything we know of Yhunian Military Forces," He continues.

With newfound confusion, I let my eyes wander up to the Lord General. "First encounter?"

Thellius briefly nods, "It happened a few days ago also to our south," he briefly pauses, noticing the look of surprise plastered on my face.

"The reports described six vagrants all of whom were draped in pristine white clothing, wielding black objects that shot pieces of metal to high speeds, I did not think it of importance with more pressing matters such as the war taking precedence." He continues on, as I listen with apt attention.

Enthralled with the oddity of such an encounter from fellow highlanders, I trail across the realms of imagination, shying away from the crude reality of my predicament. The reverie was a gentle reprieve, though it did not last as the Lord General's voice wades into my thoughts with a clear boom.

"Ready your scepter, I would like you to escort me with an endeavor of mine," Thellius firmly orders.

"I personally believe these two events are linked, since you have first hand experience with today's encounter, perhaps you can assist in helping me confirm a suspicion." He quickly adds.

I bow my head in obedience. "By your word, give me but a moment."

After closing the door, I relax my rigid posture and let the air graze past my lips.

Even though it was many hours since that fear filled encounter with those faceless beings, I can still picture the moment with firm clarity. From the frightful steps to the foreign design of their armor, each detail was rendered clearly like notes of a song.

I sought for any notion of familiarity in that moment of defeat and remembered that unmistakable connection with it, as I lost myself amidst the black expanse of its face, where its eyes would have been.

In rearsight, perhaps these beings were more than just the grey vagrants I foolishly coined them as.

It is me alone who rendered that first shot. A simple lapse in judgement, paving the way for two of my own to drown in my mistake.

Gareth and Ranai, beloved warriors to the bitter end. Now no more, because of me. The tears silently crept at the edges, nothing but a distant echo to the pain already instilled in my heart.

======

The dark skies proved to be an excellent palette for the helicopter, helping it mask its presence visually as it flew the last 10 minutes towards the rift.

With a rare glance directed towards a window, my eyes take note of the unusually dark shade of black, caused by the absence of a moon in this strange world.

I wrongly estimated the time passed to be around ten minutes when in reality, fifty minutes had passed, this distorted sense of time should have been expected as my mind is still at work, constantly replaying the moment I stared into the violet eyes of the armored female.

She seemed so human, despite her weird eyes...

A clear mental image is presented to me, feathery strands of white hair stuck closely to her face, imprisoned by the helmet she wore. Her violet eyes screamed of regret and confusion, and nothing else.

I could almost tell what she might have been thinking, we communicated in a language that required no words to be said. All that was exchanged in that brief link came through our eyes alone.

A few more minutes went by in silence, our armored forms seemingly fading right into the surroundings, silhouettes hardly discernible with the absence of light.

3 kilometers of flight remain as we rapidly approach the mountain chains that housed the rift and forward base right at its center, shielded from the outside with the naturally steep walls of the mountains.

The helicopter now flew above the jagged peaks of the numerous mountains, looking little more than a black speck amongst a sea of never ending darkness.

Then came an abrupt shift in gravity, everyone felt its effects, swaying gently towards the rear as our ride angled upwards. This rapidly reduces our horizontal speed and soon we are hovering in the air.

The soldiers around me all spring to life, their attentions and awareness, revitalized. Gravity now had a weaker hold on all of us, we will soon be landing!

With my attention more or less directed outside the window during this period of time, my eyes immediately pick up the light emitted from the rift. Looking even more vibrant and jaw dropping under the unlit skies.

Another weaker source of light came in the form artificial lamps that littered the outskirts of the forward base, serving as a symbol of humanities first steps into this as of yet, unknown world.

My legs got increasingly restless, wanting to escaping the tight constraints of my seat.

Douglas is the nearest to the door, already with a hand resting on the handle, no doubt ready to slide it open as soon as we touch down.

We didn't have the wait long, once a gentle thud is heard, Douglas immediately slides the door open, eagerly hopping out with the rest of us following his lead. Sighs of relieve are audible, everyone takes to stretching their aching joints to relieve the discomfort.

With my feet now on solid ground, I center my sights on the forward base. We seem to have landed in a hastily made clearing just outside the perimeter of the base, a few scientists can be seen fixating their gazes on us, still clad in their white hazmat suits.

Based on the clearing, it can be safely assumed the helicopter was only recently brought through the rift. It must have been quite the hassle.

"Everyone towards the rift now, command's expecting our arrival on the other side!" Narkis announces, as he and his team began to walk towards the bright swirls of light.

Turning my eyes from his retreating back, I look towards my own team, exuding a commanding aura.

"Lets go..."

Those are the only words to escape my closely guarded lips, it held enough meaning to convey not only my intentions, but also my seriousness.

Affirmatives were sent my way as I begin moving towards the anomaly.

Beneath my feet, the rift illuminates the gently swaying grasses, the nimble shadows between each individual grass blade was in its own way, captivating.

Flanked on both sides by my three comrades, I continue my stalwart strides with a head held high.

Ahead us, Fireteam Angel disappears into the light as thin tendrils greedily surrounded their forms.

We take confident steps into the blurry boundary of the rift, watching the lights intensify. With squinted eyes, I walk onward, losing visual sight of my team in the strong glare of light.

Soon, my steps land on the ground with a soft cushioning effect.

'Snow, we are back on earth....back in Antarctica.' My mind registers.

I begin to see through the bright lights, shades of black are clearly visible, originating from the dark skies of our own world. The day and night cycle between Earth and New Eden are similar to an unsettling degree, making me suspect New Eden is sort of a parallel world.

These intriguing thoughts left me once the backdrop of light vanishes, when the blinding lights are longer obscuring my vision, I easily caught notice of an armored vehicle, brightly lit up by the giant torchlight just behind me.

That vehicle is the same one that first brought us to this rift, I immediately realized.

Narkis and his men are already clambering inside its metallic embrace from the rear. I followed the snowy imprints left by their footsteps, military instincts prompt me to spare a glance behind my back.

The first thing I immediately took note of besides the obvious shimmer of the rift are the three dark human shaped silhouettes created by the armored forms of my soldiers.

They looked like the harbingers of death, blocking the light with their confident strides and seemingly sinister air as they walk away from the rift.

The Power Armor's intimidating design can trace its roots back to Great Britain's earlier attempts at making a superior battle dress to better equip the Special Air Service Regiment.

With a great sigh of relief, i went inside the vehicle, not expecting a call from one of Narkis' men.

"Sir!" The veteran soldier unexpectedly called out.

With a look of acknowledgement, I inquired "Something the matter?"

"Driver's seat is empty, one of your guys need to take the front." He suggests.

Taking note of his words, I turn back towards my incoming fireteam with my visor continuing to endure the seemingly infinite volley of snow.

I squint my eyes to pierce the fog-like winds, locking onto the closest discernable silhouette. "Driver's seat is empty, wheel's up for grabs."

"I've got it." James replies, sprinting towards the driver's seat as I keep a close watch on Douglas and Robert, urging them to hurry.

Once they got on board, I seal up the rear door. The inner lights then flared to life, coating the isolated interior in a soft glow of red.

The engines roared to life, tiny vibrations shook my composed form. The short ride towards Cygnus Station begins, all around me I could hear the beginnings of a conversation forming.

Meanwhile inside my armored helmet, I begin to ponder....

For as long as humans have existed, we have always been asking a profound question to ourselves, as we gazed at the star filled skies.

Is there life, beyond our world?

We sought to find a definite answer to it by searching the vast expanse of space, watching the distant stars and combing the dead soils of mars, it seemed logical, it is logical.

We had our gazes pointed away from earth, only to realize that the answer to this age old question, was down here on Earth, in the desolate wastelands of the South Pole.

A place where we least expected.

I could only chuckle in amusement at the irony, and total stupidity of this entire thing.

===Earth, Cygnus Station, Debriefing Room===

The room, despite its moderate size felt constricting. Still clad in our armor, we opted to stand rigidly as we endured question after question being thrown at us.

The focus of the debriefing now shifts to our hostile encounter with the native humans. A thin sheen of sweat eventually develops on my forehead as the tension seeps under my skin.

A man dressed in UN military clothing continued to rest his eyes on all of us, burning through our armor with his intense gaze.

"So it's confirmed then. You made first contact with the local humanoids... if that's even the right way to describe them as," he remarks, voice carrying a certain air of authority.

All eyes converge on him, both soldier and civilian.

"Not exactly, we didn't make first contact. That honor belongs to the people who make up Expedition Six," Narkis corrects him.

"The locals attacked them on sight, and given the situation.... I believe most, if not all of them are killed," I continue on his behalf.

"They were clad in bright red and white colours, that's all I can say about them," an operative from Fireteam Angel observes.

I then reach down into my ammunition pouch to retrieve the head mounted camera.

"We found this device near their last known position, its last recording shows them being attacked, and it belongs to someone named Richard Gotthold, does the name ring any bells." I inquire, holding the device up in my hand for everyone to see.

"He's the head of expedition six," a division representative mutters under her breath.

"Apart from that camera, the only things we found were tattered pieces of the white suit material worn by them, scattered over a wide area, some parts have-" Douglas grimly inform them, going into a pause after noticing how his words affected the faces of the few scientist present here.

"Severe burn damage. Likely consistent with how they died," he quietly finish, with a voice containing a rare tinge of dejection.

After making a sigh, I add my thoughts, "Two instances where they attacked humans on sight, I don't think they can be reasoned with, I recommend avoiding all contact when possible," I suggest, placing the damaged but still functioning camera on the table with a steady hand.

"In addition to what Douglas has said, we found something engraved onto a tree, I'm fairly certain they were made by them, or at least someone related to them. It looks to be a symbol and a form of written language." Robert declares, as several heads perk up in his attention.

"My helmet camera has the footage," He adds, as he detaches the device from his helmet, handing it over to the eager hands of the nearest scientists.

I begin to unfasten my own camera, briefly stopping to inform the rest to follow my lead. The intent is obvious and the rest followed the request eagerly.

We place the detached camera on the middle of the table. Soon a grand total of eight cameras rests on the table. Each one containing a different point of view concerning the brief engagement with the locals.

"The skirmish with these people is...surreal to say the least, the footage will explain why we think so," Robert announces with a brief grimace.

"Keep an open mind as you review the clips," I interject, "else you'd hardly believe it."

The debriefing went beyond the expected time. I take a brief look to confirm the exact time as more questions popped up, with my soldiers answering on my behalf.

'It's already midnight.' My lips curve down to form mild frown.

It is then I decide to voice my concerns, "With all due respect, I request the debriefing to end here, it's midnight and we need a few hours of rest," I announce, gesturing to the seven others beside me.

'What I would give for a quiet night of sleep.' I silently thought to myself.

Fortunately, after I the request is voiced, we are given permission to leave the debriefing room. Activity still roared from the remaining officials inside the room as the eight of us mentally prepare ourselves to brace the Antarctic conditions outside.

Everyone has a singular goal in mind, sleep. There is only one obstacle standing between us, and the delightful nothingness of sleep, our weapons and gear.

We had to retire these cutting edge equipment into a secure location, hence the reason for the journey towards the barracks.

My heels dig into the pristine snow with each step taken, trusting the ice-covered directional signs to lead us to our destination. Lamps outside were punctuated at intervals of ten meters, providing meager lighting to its surroundings.

Meanwhile, the icy winds howled its frozen fury with great strength, it didn't take long for my gloved hands to feel its effects.

No one else seems to be awake and about, no scientists, no UN Peacekeepers, the Antarctic station feels so lifeless. It is only us, against the never ending hail of snow.

The deathly howls of the Antarctic winds began to seep through my armor, the unpleasant chill slowly running up my arms and legs.

But despite the intense cold around us, the surroundings felt lukewarm and peaceful, touching deep into my soul with its ethereal beauty.

The origin of which came from the twinkling stars that rested on the black skies. I look up at those distant stars, feeling small and insignificant under their timeless beauty.

In spite of my vast accomplishments as a former US Green Beret and UN Operative, the ripples of my actions will forever pale in comparison to the sheer scale of the cosmos.

My eyes never blinked during the journey, wanting to admire the heavenly sights above without pause.

On the far end of the star filled sky, a crescent moon can be seen resting just above the snow filled horizons, partially obscured by the icy winds.

Eventually we made it to the barracks, everyone went inside going straight into the armory, swiftly reaching the section reserved for our equipment.

I remove the helmet and took a deep breath, knowing this is the first gulp of unfiltered air to enter my lungs in many hours. I then begin to remove the many sections of the armor with barely contained haste, fueled no doubt by the desire to sleep.

Now clad in only our under suits, everyone proceeds toward the stairs, going down into the core of the underground complex. The accommodations for us were already taken care off, with each of us having a small but personal room.

I am the first to find the door with my name plastered on it, I bid my farewells to Narkis and his fireteam, they in turn responded in kind.

I repeat that gesture with my own fireteam, albeit with a more sincere touch to it.

After that, I went straight to the bed, immediately drifting out of consciousness.

Within the void of sleep, the memories of the mission hovered just around the corner, like a predator on the hunt......

==Barracks, 4 A.M.==

A violent knock immediately brings my awareness back, my eyes focus onto the source of the sound, the door.

"Jerome, new mission!" A voice yells.

Feeling the urgency etched on those words, I immediately spring out of the bed, not caring to arrange the bed neatly.

I slide the door open with great speed, coming to face the back of Robert as he stand there rallying the other half of our fireteam.

"I'm up. What did I miss?" I ask, blinking away the last traces of sleep.

He immediately turns around, his face wrapped up in urgency. The eager operative grabs me by the shoulder, gently pulling me ahead.

"One of the recon drones has got a definite lead on possible survivors. Brass has the location set on a local settlement of sorts," James reports.

"Expedition Six right?" I immediately inquire, needing to be sure.

"The one and only. I think it's some sort of encampment," he replies.

"I'm guessing they want us on board to check it out," I presume, filing ahead of the group.

"Lets go then," I continue after a short pause, setting a brisk pace to the exit.

Filing ahead of the group, James snatches the nearest coat. He quickly dons it before grabbing three more, tossing it in our direction.

"What about Fireteam Angel," I say towards Douglas, after recieving the coat.

He takes a moment before giving his answer, "Last I heard they're being assigned to escort duties for future expeditions. They're focus on the south away from danger."

"I see," I mutter under my breath.

Looks like we will be on our own this time. It was not the first time, but that did not make it any less ideal.

===End===

My motivation in life?

An oath I've sworn to defend...

- 2nd Lieutenant Jerome Simmons, UN Special Operations Group