Heading Out

Waking up inside his bunk the first thing he saw was the sun was rising. His bunk was
by the circular window. A perfect place to be woken up by the coming dawn. One of 200 Lybresan troops Sergeant Miles Hex stirred from his bunk. He chose to volunteer as a Lybresan Trooper while his other family members chose to become Marines, and Sailors. At age 19 he joined right after his schooling days to fight the threat of the Evusian Empire only to discover a new enemy. It came as a shock to him since they had heard rumors that Evusia was poised to invade the other islands. However that invasion never came due to the formation of the Vestrisian Union.

It was three years ago and he was a twenty-two year old Sergeant now. He watched the rays come through the glass and cracks of the window. The rest of his unit stirred from their bunks as their commanding officers sounded the wake up alarms. Today was the day they hoped to bring the fight to the enemy. A fleet of Gantronese was spotted not too far from the Ruhonthran Islands, which lay not too far from the mysterious platform seas. Sergeant Hex closed his eyes one more time not wishing to get up. They had all day to fight this fleet did they really need soldiers while they had privateers and a gathered fleet? He kept those thoughts to himself since it would bring down a lot of flak on him. In moments of closing his eyes a bright light was shined right into his eyes. Opening his eyes he saw the light from a flashlight being shined on his face. It turned off the second he woke up again. He saw a badge on a large chest followed by the bird gesture.

Captain Tabitha Black-Tusk hovered over him with the flashlight and giving him the middle finger. She put the flash light away and plopped a pill in her mouth then gave one to him. Without asking questions he took it and put the pill in his mouth. It was the drug that protected the body from the dangerous diseases of the seas and close quarters with certain Gantronese. Captain Black-Tusk took a swing from a flask then offered it to him. He drank from that before getting ready.As he stood up he put on his uniform when a dwarf appeared at the doorway. It was the typical dwarf only no beard in a Vestrisian Uniform. The Dwarf was then confronted by a superior officer who pointed him to the way he came back. Whoever this Dwarf was he scowled then took a peek at Captain Black-Tusk with a perverts smile. Black-Tusk had a large bust with a small body, she was adorable however she bossed them around as any officer would. The Vestrisian Superior smacked him then shaved a bag in his arms. He forced this Dwarf to go back the way he came. Sergeant Hex saw Captain Black-Tusk nearly piss herself watching the Dwarf go by. She was an attractive Lybresan woman, tough soldier, hard to crack smarty pants, and an agile commander. Yet something about this Dwarf's expression go to her. She regained her composer when he tapped her once then found himself on the floor.

She had pulled him down to the floor with his arm in her grip. Black-Tusk did not let go letting the other Lybresan troopers laugh at him. It was her way of humiliating male soldiers who crossed the line. As ordered to do so they filed out to the main deck. He heard heavy footsteps of boots enter the room. Hex looked up to see Major Kwoandan at the door. Hex looked more Uxane, and Nahemine than Lybresan. The Major informed them their unit would be heading for a different target. All the privateers and pirates would deal with the Gantronse Fleet. Because the Vestrisians were interested in saving their allies according to them. Kwoandan scoffed at that hoping to see some action against the invader. Apparently 200 of their troops, 150 Alagen troops, 400 Ivodran volunteers,  310 Ruhonthrans, and of course 500 Vestrisian Marines and Soldiers were to search the debris for signs of enemy prisoners, or survivors. He thought that was a joke. Black-Tusk released him and proceeded to prepare to board the craft waiting for them. Hex did the same racing after her to catch up. Major Kwoandan marched behind with his own gear ready.

On the main deck all 200 Lybresans stood in formation waiting orders to come through the radio. It was something they had been using ever since the invaders arrived. To the invader it was an older model. Major Kwoandan took the phone piece from the private and spoke with their superiors who were hundreds of miles from here. Just from looking at the Major's expression Hex knew the leaders were not pleased. When he hung up the phone piece the Major looked at them saying there was no coming home for them. They would have to die fighting the invaders. Each Lybresan took it in and prepared to load up the boats. No one hesitated or waited for other crafts to be filled. One by one the boats motored over to the aftermath with 1560 soldiers, marines, volunteers, and troops.

It seemed to be a large force to search debris. To many of them it was ridiculous for them to be searching the debris for anything. More than a thousand entered the mass of debris that still floated around. Hex looked around noticing something strange. The debris moved as one mass in a tortoise slow or slow as mud pace. He nudged Black-Tusk who barked at him to back off. Feeling forced down Hex decided to give up knowing his rank would not get the Captain to even observe the problem. His head turned to see some were noticing but had no clue what to expect. As they went deeper into the debris mass strange humanoids appeared in the water. Some of the soldiers opened fire showing they were a little jumpy. Any officers in the same boat yelled at them. Silence returned as the large force pressed further into the mass of debris from the battle. Hex looked at the bodies closer discovering they were corpses of Gantronese crew, and soldiers. Black-Tusk punched him to keep his eyes front. His eyes scanned the wreckage and floating debris wondering why did they bothering searching this mass of junk.

As he watched it became clear their superiors wanted weapons from the invaders. The only ways they could get these weapons were through piracy, and capturing weapons on the battlefield. To him it seemed pointless, because the V.U.V.R. was not too far away. Why would they come all this way for weapons? He looked at the fellow Lybresan in front of him who was such as a lug at times. A spear jumped out of the water wielded by a strange humanoid pierced the lug of a Lybresan through the side. The spear went through his body from an upward angle. He heard himself yell the lug's name out with shock and fear. Hex turned on the humanoid and fired three rounds. It was not long before more humanoids launched an attack on the unsuspecting mass of troops in the debris. All over the debris hundreds of aquatic enemies speared soldiers, dragged soldiers into the water, shot projectiles into the ranks. Everyone who was not attacked immediately fired into the water and the debris. Hex and Black-Tusk's boat full of troops fired into the ocean screaming as they tried to prevent more attacks. Some boats close by had holes pierced into the hulls from beneath. Hex and his fellow soldiers never experienced this sort of warfare or encountered this enemy before. This scared many of the soldiers and volunteers. Some tossed grenades in to act as depth charges to force the enemy back. There was so much shooting, screaming, bodies coming up, attacks, and limbs dropping in the water that no one knew what was going on. Hex's boat came under attack as arms and weapons came after them. In fear they fired into the water hoping to keep this enemy at by. Like some nightmare this new enemy pulled entire boats under the maw of the ocean. Whoever was a float in the water were immediately drowned, or stabbed. The water changed blood red as more corpses fell in and emerged from the shooting.

Most of their forces were wiped out by an unseen force that also suffered casualties. Black-Tusk was stabbed in the leg forcing her to let out an ear splitting scream. Hex shot the humanoid in the head. That is when another jumped out to attack him. A fellow Lybresan lunged at the humanoid only to be dragged down with it. Black-Tusk grabbed a hold of the motor and turned their craft around to escape. Hex leaned against some bodies of their fellow countrymen to watch her back. Another survivor kept their eyes out for any more hostiles. She turned the boat as fast as she could to get out of what they realized was a trap. Looking around Hex could see thousands of bodies and boats floating in the water. They were not the only ones getting out of there. A few scores of boats moved towards what they deemed safe the open ocean.