Alien warlords with armies. A typical thing when you look out up at the sky, and wonder if there are bigger worlds out there. Bigger worlds that are either more smarter than yours, more stronger than yours, or even more dumber than yours.

Extraterrestrials. Aliens. Beings from other worlds. Some don't think they exist and are just works of fiction. Others think they do exist and are considered crazy people.

Well. Aliens do in fact exist. One of the many trillions of races were known as The Shade. A vicious order seeking and world conquering race of only the finest warriors and inventors.

Their way of order? Destroy anything or anyone that opposes them, and convert the rest into mindless slaves. They were monsters.

But not everyone realized that...

One of the Shade soldiers, a Slasher named Talon woke up with a small groan to a blaring alarm, one that notified his whole division they were approaching a planet.

"I get it!" Talon groaned as he hopped off his sleeping stand and unleashed his purple blades from his fists, grinning, ready for the carnage. "Another day, another world to-"

"Talon! Could you give me a few seconds?!" A voice shouted before Talon turned around to see a fellow Shade, a Shooter, powering up their arms with energy.

There were three types of warrior Shade. Slasher, Shooter, and Smasher. Each warrior class could receive an upgrade if their leaders and commanders saw fit.

"Well, Kagin, I'm not gonna get that upgrade if we don't move! So move!" Talon exclaimed as he quickly ran out, Kagin following soon after.

As they ran through their ship, they saw thousands of other Shade hopping out of the ship and begin to fight and destroy. Multi colored blades slashed, colorful beams of death shot out, and grounds were shaken by the Smashers.

Talon took in the lovely sight of destruction and then ran in, slashing away the giant canons that fired at him. He didn't even care what this planet was or what it had as life. He just loved the thrill of the fight. He laughed and went deeper into the village with the other Shade.

Kagin blasted a house into oblivion before following his friend. The two nodded and hopped onto a rooftop of a poor citizen's home.

Talon laughed even more before seeing some of the warriors of the planet fire their own beams of death at them. The purple Slasher quickly dodged and even deflected the beams with his own blades.

The yellow Shooter gasped and then blasted the warriors into a giant explosion, helping his friend to his feet again. "You ok?"

"Yeah, of course!" Talon then hopped down as he saw a warrior trying to run, so he stabbed the poor useless being. "Look at all this, Kagin! Mindless destruction! It's what I live for!"

Kagin was silent and looked to the side. "Do...Do you think there's more to this, Talon?"

Talon turned to him as there was a giant BOOM. "Whaddya mean?"

"All THIS! Chaos, destruction, and death! I get it, order and all that shit, but...isn't there more to this? I mean, we just come onto planets and kill or convert their species without even-"

"Kagin. You know we don't question what we do." Talon said. "It's why you were put with me to help you find the thrill that I do!!" The purple Slasher cried as he started to spin around like a tornado and slashed into the defenses and warriors that came at him.

Kagin sighed and then started blasting yellow beams from his hands as he followed his friend.

The battle, or rather the invasion continued to take place before an HOUR later, the village was defeated and the villagers surrendered.

Some were murdered and others were forced into the newly built Conversion Camps, where they would be turned into mindless slaves.

Kagin watched all of the innocent people hang their heads low as they were forced inside the camps, and he sighed.

"You aren't still on that whole 'there's more' thing, are you?" Talon asked.

"Talon, we don't even have mouths unless we roar, and even then, you make me want to shut your-"

"AHEM." A voice suddenly shouted, and Talon and Kagin stood stiff like the other soldiers, watching their commander walk down from the ship.

Commanders were the second highest ranking of The Shade empire, proving their power and strength with their upgrade. The most common type of Shade Warrior was a Slasher, so what was a Slasher upgraded into? A Stinger.

"You have all done very well...for amateurs. You got done in a mere hour what we could've gotten done in less than 45 minutes. We've been doing this for millennia, so it's time we finally realize we can conquer and bring order to the galaxy as fast as lightning." The commander then grinned, her tail swinging. "That being said, some of you did VERY well today. Some of you deserve an Upgrade."

The soldiers gasped and Talon's eyes widened before he tried his very hardest to contain his happiness.

"Continue converting the planet before we leave, and then I'll decide if the soldiers who stand out the most deserve an upgrade. I'll be watching." She hissed as she stepped back into the ship.

The soldiers saluted before marching to work, beginning to convert all of the planet with their army. Talon just then realized how much of them there were, and how big their ship was. There were millions for just this small army. But he shrugged it off.

But as the hours of conversion passed, Kagin still couldn't shake the feeling that he was on the wrong side. He didn't know why he of all people felt so...guilty and remorseful of whatever he did.

Talon noticed his friend down and tried to brighten the mood. "So, who do you think's gonna get that upgrade?"

Kagin snorted. "Is the upgrade really all you care about, Talon?"

"Whaaaaat? No!" Talon then blinked. "Maybe."

"You never shut up about it, so that maybe's a definite yes." Kagin laughed before sighing. "I hope you get it one day though."

"Awww, thanks, Kagin. And who knows? Maybe you'll get it one day too!"

"I...I, uhh, don't want one." Kagin said suddenly.

"You...You don't want one? An upgrade? The thing that makes soldiers the most powerful thing in The Shade?!"

"Talon, I told you this a million times! There might be more to life than power!" Kagin cried as he stopped working. "Besides, the High Council put me with you because I was too weak. I'm never gonna get an upgrade until I change who I am."

"Kagin...You know you're not a chore, right?"

"Of course not! You're the only one who actually listens, but...there are times where I don't think we should be conquering planets. Where I think there's a peaceful solution to everything. That you don't ALWAYS need to kill to get what you want in life."

"What are you saying...?" Talon asked as he too stopped working, more intrigued by his friend's claim.

Kagin sighed. "Maybe 'the one who actually listens' is stretching it. But what I'm saying is...is...maybe we're the bad guys-"

"I do believe it is not break time." The commander suddenly hissed as she stomped over. "What is so important that it stops a conversion?"

"M-Ma'am! I apologize! Me and Kagin were-"

"I've heard your excuses for Kagin many times, Talon. He never gets his punishment when you make things up for his sake. The Shade is meant to bring order! Not confusion and delay." The commander said as her fingers crackled with lightning. She was once a Shooter, upgraded into a Shocker.

Kagin looked at his friend before sighing. "Ma'am. I'm aware that I've been slowing down the conversion. Whatever punishment you have in mind, just use it on me. Not Talon. He's been the most loyal soldier you could have!"

"Considering he became friends with you? I doubt that." The commander said before turning around. "But you are half right. There is no punishment for Talon, only for you. Come."

Kagin sighed and gave a light wave to Talon as he followed her into the ship. But Talon couldn't just sit there and wait, so he dropped his tools and slowly snuck into the ship, remaining far behind them, but just close enough to see where they were going.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, he finally came across where they were going. The lab.

Talon peeked into the lab, trying not to be spotted.

"Kagin," The commander began. "This is where a Shade solider can be upgraded." She said as she directed to the capsules with only hundreds of Shade, since being upgraded was a rare opportunity. "Did you know that the process is painful?"

"N-No, ma'am."

"Well, it is." The commander said before showing her electricity crackling fingers. "Only the most loyal and smart or strong Shades become upgraded. You are not either."

"Ma'am-"

"DID I SAY YOU COULD SPEAK?" She hissed, watching Kagin go silent. "...Such weakness will make everyone think The Shade will go soft. You are a weak link. Only one will miss you." She said before she thrusted her hand forward towards Kagin, shocking him with electricity.

"KAGIN!!!!!"