***** ***** ***** ***** CHAPTER EIGHT ***** ***** ***** *****

Along the western coast of the large Lonti Island stretched out a steep cliff face. Sheer bone white cliffs hung over the crashing waves of a beach far below. It was atop these cliffs that Qwintoni soldiers walked along the thick cool grasses in the fading light of evening. There were four of them, three of them just young Turpitz soldiers, tasked with investigating reports of Trathalan activities. The fourth was a slightly older Opatitz, who sighed as he looked out from the electric fueled vehicle they traveled in. They had traveled up and down the coast for a day after it was reported that a cargo carrier passing along the road had arrived at its destination minus several cases of assault rifles, explosives, and field rations. Given that the drivers as well as guards seemed to be suffering acute memory loss, the hallmarks of an attack by Trathalans, soldiers had been dispatched immediately to the coastal area.

The Opatitz however had his doubts.

"Turpitz Keljen. Please tell me again, why we have not returned to base when it seems that, once again, there is no sign nor trace of the attackers anywhere to be found?" the Opatitz growled.

"Sir, the last group that passed by this area reported radio contact with an unknown source. It had no ID marker or ident tags.” Opatitz Kurlo looked down from the top of the vehicle. He had been scanning the horizon with a pair of sighters, but paused to look down. He had heard of stray radio signals in the area, but so far nothing had ever come from tracking them.

"Keljen, is there currently any signals in the area? Or are you just following more rumors form the base?” the older Qwintoni asked with just a slight mocking edge to his tone. Turpitz Keljen tried to ignore the stares from the other two soldiers, both of which gave the familiar looks of, "I am bored, hungry and want to go back, and you are the only one keeping us out here.” Keljen just glared at the radio monitor, daring it to yield anything.
It began to beep rhythmically.

"S-Sir! Signal! No ident, very close! It’s coming in very close, can't be one of ours sir!" Keljen barked excitedly, the mood in the vehicle changing in an instant.

"Report our position immediately to the base, Turpitiz, and send for backup," Kurlo said as he grabbed his own assault rifle and unslung it. "Torthjo, Jenanken, check your weapons and body armor. The natives aren’t supposed to use weapons in their attacks, but I don't want to take any chances.” A group of ’YES SIR' met his twin ear sets as Keljen, beaming with triumph now, steered the vehicle to follow the signal.

Some fifteen minutes later, the small jeep pulled along the edge of a cliff, the four soldiers looking down over the western coast.

"It’s a cave sir, signal seems to be coming inside," said Keljen.

"Very good, we repel over the side. I want radio and speech silence from here on out, we don't know how many there are," Kurlo said as the four prepared, and a moment later began to repel down the cliff face.

At the bottom, the four moved with uncanny stealth along the rocks. Kurlo checked his armband and looked to others.

"Three heat signs. Twenty measures inside cave. Weapons hot," he singled with his hands and tail as the others nodded. Checking constantly, they approached the cave.

"Bang bomb" Kurlo signed again and removed a stun grenade. He threw, counted, and braced himself to the sudden concussive blast that was built to stun anyone not wearing heavy protective headgear. The four charged.

Guns raised, night scopes operating in the gloom of the cave, they dashed for the heat signs inside and nearly shot three of their own soldiers.

Keljen stopped first as on the floor were three nearly naked and bound Qwintoni soldiers. They had each been reported missing over three days ago.

"What the pit is going on here,” Kurlo barked in anger as he removed his helmet. As if in instant answer, the sand behind him at the caves entrance erupted with Trathalans. Turning around quickly, the other three were blinded, as night vision looked out into the glare from the setting sun. The shapes of the rushing Trathalans simply blobs of movement. There was the sound of gunfire, the three soldiers firing wildly as Kurlo rubbed his eyes and got his bearings. There were no other exists he could see as the sounds of 'something' cracking against ceramic head amour was heard repeatedly.

"Damn beasts!" he snarled as he turned back around, grabbing another stun grenade as he raced to help his soldiers. He wouldn't allow this; he would not let these savages take down the Empires finest! The numbers however were not in his favor. He counted six Trathalans. All of them held Imperial rifles, and were firing at him. Moving behind a rock, he found Keljen. The two said nothing, only checking their ammo as Kurlo tossed his grenade. There was a 'whish' sound in the air. A movement as quick as lightning and the two soldiers watched in horror as the silvery canister sailed back over their heads.

Kurlo moved desperately to get his helmet back on, but not in time. The world went white with noise and force as he blacked out.

"It is almost too easy,” hissed a voice in Trathalan as the soldiers were causally stripped of their garments. Every piece of equipment was taken from them: rations, armor, grenades, and guns. There was clicking sound as the Imperial Arm bands, the portable wrist computers of the Tajlan Armed forces, were pried off with a stolen key ring.

Again, more voices in the Dark. "You keep collecting those pieces of jewelry, you know they have yet to speak to us as they do these beasts," said a voice. There was a pause as one of the Trathalans who seemed to be the leader looked at the Opatitz.

"This one, this one is higher ranked than the others. He will know what the others do not. He will give up the secrets to make these speak," the voice, higher pitched then others, said as a metallic ring that was lined with glowing crystals was forced around Kurlos head.