Alpha Base- Uranian moon Miranda.

Theyre breaking through! bellowed a trooper with a redundant comment, over the din of the hammer blows raining against the reinforced steel entrance of the barracks. What the hell are they!

    There are an enemy replied Captain Dan Evers, hunkering down next to the trooper who had called out.

   A craft had come down in the centre of Alpha base a few moments ago and all hell had broken loose.  The base was permanently garrisoned with six hundred troopers, but exactly how many were alive at this present time could only be guessed at. The sound of battle outside was deafening, even over the din of the attackers trying to get into the reinforced structure Captain Evers and his platoon occupying this barracks.

   When they break through I want clear lines of fire! shouted the Lieutenant, while feeding shells into his automatic shot gun. Pick your targets, short controlled bursts!

   There was no time for any acknowledgements from his troopers as the reinforced doors blew inwards with a shower of sparks, debris and effervescent violet light- the latter illuminating the now shattered corridor in a ghostly sheen- the troopers stationed closest to the blown in door were lying in a pile of bloody ruin, as their comrades traded shots with the mysterious attackers. 

   The Captain paused in his firing to turn to his radio operator. Get me the command and control centre on the line, find out what is happening!

  The operator nodded, as the enemy fire intensified, throwing four more troopers to the ground as they were blasted to pieces. A figure stormed the entrance while firing from the hip as it charged, the figure was enclosed in form fitting cobalt blue armour which was being torn apart by the sheer amount of ordnance being dished out by his troopers. The aggressor opened up at point blank range immolating a trooper before he could have a chance to scream. The enemy took down three more troopers before it too was brought low by a well-placed shot that parted its head from its shoulders -As its headless corpse hit the decking there was a lull in the fighting.

   What is it? asked Sergeant Locklear, while kicking the prone armoured form. I havent see gear like that before, are we at war?

    Captain Evers didnt reply, he looked to his radio operator.

    I cant get through to command. Said the operator, while shaking his head. I am picking up squad traffic from this entire region, whatever hit us is not a localised event.

   Right, gear up. Ordered the Captain. We..

    The Captain never got to finish his order as the entire front of the barracks disappear in a violet borealis, accompanied with a rush of hot air and screaming troopers. Captain Evers was knocked from his feet, everything did not slow down, he did not feel a detached sense of reality, all he felt was a deep sense of dread as the majority of his force was annihilated in the blink of an eye. Captain Evers scrambled to his feet scooped up his shotgun and ran for the exit as did the surviving members of him command, some ten troopers.

    Captain Evers emerged into the black of night, the only source of illumination being the burning wreckage of military vehicles and the burnt out or destroyed remnants of Alpha base corpses of troopers were strewn in amongst the madness. The barracks they had exited was now the most intact structure left in the base. There was a deathly silence throughout the base, no rattle of gunfire, frantic fighting or the sound of men dying.

     Where did everyone go? asked Sergeant Locklear, while looking at the carnage that had been wrought upon their comrades. What happened to the fighting?

    I dont know. Replied Captain Evers, while pointing to the far end of the base, at an alien looking tower protruding from the ground. What is that?

    Theres another! shouted a trooper looking to their six oclock position.

     Another two were called out, four towers in all with a blue sheen too them were evenly spaced throughout the base, their towering heights were lost out of sight due to the darkness of night that was enveloping the base.

    Movement at the perimeter! shouted the trooper who had called out the second tower. They have us surrounded!

   Combat wheel, weapons out! Bellowed Captain Evers. Prepare to open fire!

   Suddenly a blinding violet flash resolved itself above the troopers- forcing them all to avert their gaze- as the glare wore off the entire area of the base was illuminated revealing hundreds of cobalt blue armoured figures encircling there position.

   Look up!  called out a trooper in their number pointing for the his comrades to follow his gaze.

    Captain Evers drew his gaze skyward, as did the surviving members of his platoon, they saw what connected to four towers. A colossal four legged behemoth reared directly above them, its exotically metalled battlements held yet more armoured figures all with weapons trained upon them. At the fore of the behemoth were two multi limbed close combat weapons ending in vicious three pronged clubs and a squid like fore which was looking down at them with that seemed to be contempt this head section was now the sole source of illumination.

     The silence of the base was shattered as the radio affixed to the operators back crackled to life.

    This is a system wide broadcast. Said a voice crackling with interference. A significant aggressor of unknown alien origin has advanced upon the outer colonies. Pluto has been abandoned, the moons of Neptune have been taken. We are now at a state of war, expect attack from any and all direction do not seek terms of surrender as they do not take prisoners.

    Silence descended upon the base once more, the aliens stood unmoving, like silent statues.

  Open fire! screamed Captain Evers, as he wracked a shell into the firing chamber.

  Captain Evers and his comrades never got a chance to fire a single shot at the enemy, the behemoth rearing above them let loose a torrent of fuchsia light which immolated them in an instant.

   The last thought that ran through Captain Evers mind before it too was atomised, along with everything else in the last radius, was that this did not feel like the end of his live but the end of their existence as a species.

   Then everything was black.