Chapter 1

Lieutenant Shawn Marquez was one of the best in the special forces, earning him a place as the Lt. of the Devil Dogs: the leading forward observing group. When the army needed eyes on the ground they sent for them.

The human race had spread across the stars like a wild fire, until finally they came upon an alien race called the Ikanu that had laid their own claim to the planets that humans had recently settled.

Despite many warnings from Ikanu messenger drones, humanity was confident in their own superiority and was willing to duke it out if necessary.

The Ikanu launched their great fleet attacking a human colony and overwhelming their meager defenses in a matter of minutes. Intel only showed a black out and North Star battle group had been sent to check things out.

It had taken days for anyone to realize that the planet was not sending in any status reports or communiqués of any kind. Since the North Star group was the fastest and best equipped they had been the first choice to be sent to the planet arriving hours later.

Sensors when they jumped in at the nav beacon showed nothing on the planets surface, but also no sign of the enemy in orbit. On the planet there were no signs of devastation, but a total blank slate as far as the ship sensors were concerned on all the vessels in the battle group after running their scan.

Now it was the Devil Dogs' turn to go down and eye ball thing, perhaps even taking on the enemy before help could be sent after they reported in. An elite soldier he expected to kick ass, take names and go home. A fate as history would record he was doomed to never achieve...

"Johnson watch the right flank! Come on you Devil Dogs, let's pull it together. I want this thing by the numbers, just like in all the drills.

You've trained for this boys and girls now get it right. Ortega get me my communications, and find out why fleet is not responding." Marquez called over his head set to his squad leader and communication officer.

"Sir second squad's transmissions are garbled, must be part of the communication black out. Switching to an alternate frequency." Ortega called back.

"Good patch it through." Marquez called back as he tried to spy the enemy with his binoculars from his place on a low hill overlooking the settlement.

Looking down at the settlement he wondered why none of the military units stationed there hadn't reported in.

"Ortega give me a three way with squads four and three near the city. I need intel on the situation." Marquez said.

"On it Lt." Ortega said.

Jacobs from squad four picked up first calling in.

"Sir I'm with one of the civilian leaders now. Apparently no civilians were harmed during the course of the attack.

It was sudden and he says beams of light cut through the clouds taking out the gun emplacements first. Afterwards they took out the rest of the military followed by anything used to support military infrastructure. None of our military personnel fired a shot and no enemy troops have moved in yet." Jacobs said relaying the information from someone Marquez heard in the background.

"Squad three can you confirm from your positions inside the city?" Marquez asked.

"Yes sir, intel confirmed all military buildings have been incinerated right down to their foundations. Only small bits of rubble are left, but barely anything I would recognize as a building. I had to look over our maps to make sure they were actually here.

I can't see any collateral damage to neighboring buildings. Have you ever seen anything like this Lt.?" Benson said.

"No I haven't, not even in the Battle of Gray Ridge. I have never seen bombardments like this. They're too pinpoint and precise to be anything like we could deliver." Marquez answered.

"Holy shit! Not even the hi-techs could have matched this? What have we gotten ourselves into Lt.? They just took out took the military and left the civies alone. What are they planning?" Benson said his voice shaken.

"Take a breath Benson. We need you ice cold for whatever might be out there. We'll figure out later the enemy plans after we find a way through this black out. For now I need everyone to keep their eyes peeled.

Squad three, continue your sweep of the city, and four pull out to the outskirts in case the enemy tries to move into the settlement. I don't want fleet having to dig them out." Marquez said.

"Roger Lt." Both men called back carrying out his orders.

DZ21 was the 21 first settlement of this sector. A plains world as they called it the planet was made mostly of grassy hills with a few mountains spread throughout its surface.

After awhile the record keepers and namers had decided that simple letters, and numbers were more efficient than giving the place a real name. If they hadn't then any record keeping would be impossible as fast as these things sprang up.

Humanity was growing at an exponential rate and there was just not enough planets to hold them all.

"Got second squad now sir. They seem to be in a lot of trouble. Should I send for help?" Ortega said interrupting Marquez's thoughts as everything seemed quiet on his front.

"Send squads four and five in to assist, and let me hear Johnson's squad myself." Marquez said.

"Roger sir." Ortega said.

"Lt! Lt! Send help quick! They're everywhere! Oh God, I've lost half my squad in a matter of seconds! I can't see them ... wait there they are ... how did they..." Johnson said his transmission cutting off as gunfire was heard over Marquez's headset.

"Ortega tell the squads to hurry on the double!" Marquez called out only to hear static, "Ortega can you hear me? Ortega!"

As he got ready to turn to see what had happened to his com officer a series of pulse hits struck him in the back from a Ikanu weapon, tearing him apart more effective than a bullet and with a lot less pain. Nerve endings died shutting off parts of his body like a kill switch.

Numb and weak he hit the ground as the rest of his squad returned fire before he slipped into darkness.

Awakening in lurch Marquez found his body tingling from head to toe. Trying testing his limbs to see how everything worked finding that everything moved as it should.

"Good you are awake." A strange alien said walking in a simple gray uniform, with its loose shirt tied with a black belt around his waist.

Looking around he saw that he was in a plain gray room. Judging by the looks of the room it was a medical room. Marquez could even see what looked like surgical devices, and he himself was lying on an examination table.

The walls themselves were each made of seven sets of metallic panels that seemed to absorb a lot of light without giving off a lot of shine.

His eyes glowed with a greenish hue to them, while the rest of him seemed to mirror a human body. By the looks of him he was about middle aged as far as humans went, but who knew the life span of whatever species this alien belonged to.

His hair was a dark brown and his skin Marquez would have described as Caucasian.

"Who the hell are you?" Marquez asked.

"I am Teneve, a medical practitioner here on Ika. You are currently in one of medical facilities where you have been recovering. It has been some time since you were last awake.

Your psychology is different from ours and in the end we were forced to transfer your consciousness as your old body was too badly damaged. You were crippled Lt. Shawn Marquez." Teneve said.

"So I am a P.O.W.?" Marquez asked.

"Not as such, but I hardly think your people would accept you back as one of them now. Perhaps it is best to show you. Come with me please." Teneve said stepping to his right and placing the flat of his palm on the wall before him.

A section of the wall slid into the ceiling quickly before Marquez's eyes opening a doorway.

Stepping in Teneve waited for Marquez to follow. When Marquez did step through he found a small room where a large mirror hung on the wall.

Staring into it he saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back at him.

Touching his face Marquez asked, "What have you done to me?"

"As I said your body was no longer functioning properly, and it was decided that a new one was needed. You have been given a great honor. No alien has ever been given their own symbiote to bond with." Teneve said.

"What symbiote?" Marquez asked looking at himself and seeing only human flesh.

"This is not the body you were born with human. That tingling you are feeling is in fact you symbiote becoming a part of you. From now on it will carry out your actions free your mind up to carry out anything it wishes without having to worry about the mundane.

You will no longer feed on solid matter but energy itself just as we do. Your mouth is no longer your feeding point but these..." Teneve said raising his palms, where two green glowing points in the middle of his hands could be seen.

Lowering them back down as Marquez found he had them too Teneve continued saying, "Even your breathing now is merely a reflex. Our people do not require air. Since your body is made to live off of energy any blood born pathogens are also no longer a problem. You will never again suffer from any foreign ailment that I can promise you.

The symbiote will work with you and protect you because it needs you. It is a partnership that we have developed over time. Through us it gains full consciousness and we live through it."

"Why would you do all this for me? I am your enemy." Marquez asked.

"You will find that many things have changed, and that we do not think as humans do. It was one of our problems in ending the war against your people." Teneve said.

"The war is over? How long was I out?" Marquez asked.

"As I said for some time. The exact amount is unimportant, but I have been instructed to provide with the details." Teneve said.

Heading out into the main room he touched another wall opening it to show a long white hallway with holographic visual displays built into the walls.

Walking with Teneve he noticed many other worlds and something else.

"Is this how normal Ikanu see? Nothing seems to have changed about my vision." Marquez asked.

"That is because your mind is still thinking like a human. Focus instead on the energy flowing to each of the holos." Teneve said as they continued to walk.

"What are you talking..." Marquez began to say, stopping in his tracks as he did see lines of energy in each wall.

Some of the lines were the same color of red or white, while still others were orange or green. All of them led into each holo connecting some and bypassing others.

"Wow!" Marquez said marveling.