"Juan shi xiajing Mal! What the hell were ya thinkin' back there?" The voice of a young private hollered out to Mal. "hehe-woohoo.. Who's to say I was thinkin'.." Mal replied. He and the young private, James -Tio- Lewis, had been pinned down in a muddy foxhole. Their infantry had come across an Alliance Mule. Hyped with RPG's and three Alliance soilder's armed with assault rifles. The infantry was small, consisting of only six brown coats; Mal being the leader. Normaly he and Zoe were always in the same run of infantry, luckily this time was different. As the six were walking along, what was supposed to be a hidden trail; they were met with the thundering sounds of exploding grenades from the Alliance Mule and its' three-man crew. Needless to say the sudden suprise caught them all off guard; James and Mal barely making it out themselves. Once under cover, James tore the right sleeve off of his muddy coat and began to wave it in his left hand as he walked slowly towards the Mule. The Alliance Mule slowly moved towards him; unbenownst to them Mal was waiting for them to hover above him while he laid flat, draiped under his brown coat and hiding in the night.. As soon as the Mule passed over Mal, he planted two grenades into the exhaust of the Mule. And, as Mal puts it "Ran like a Nun with the Devil reachin' for her goodies." As soon as the grenades exploded, sending the Mule into the tenth level of the after world, a series of heavy fire began to burst through the night sky as Alliance and Independence forces began to clash. The two Men made a dash for the nearest foxhole.. There they sat, waiting for the fire fight to stop. Mal turned his head to the left and looked at James.. "heh.. well, that wasn't boring.. So, what do we have left in Ammo." Mal asked while openening a small chrome paket of bad chili rations. James patted himself down for a sec.. "Well...Let's see.. We have..... NOTHIN'!!" Shouted the private. "We lost most've our junk dealin' with that happy ambush, complete with the mule from hell. We DID have a few more grenades, but they're kinda attached to ol' Blink out there; and I don't think he's gonna give'em up on the count of his bein' rittled with bullets n' such." And you, you playin'..............." James' words were cut silent as Mal placed his left hand over the privates mouth.. "hush up..... Do you hear that?" The two men listened intently; a sudden silence began to fall over the grounds of Du-Khang. "It... It's over..." Whispered James.. "No no.. Somethin's awefully fuzzy here.. They could be sending in an Intruder to just bomb all the folk." They waited a few minutes longer.. The faint sounds of truck engines and Mule thrusters began to fade more and more into the distance.. "I'm gonna check." James said. The young man began to make his way up from the confined fox-hole. Mal watched as James climbed up. "Stop!" He said, but it was too late, james had already ascended out of the hole; and was making his way back to the trail wence they came. "Mai jou dit quae!" Mal said annoingly. Mal climbed up out of the Fox-Hole and quickly hunkered down.. He had his fork out, and at the ready.. "Ok.. it's me, and a fork... wow.. odds lookin' shinier already. " His sarcastic thoughts kept only in his mind. He new better than to speak'em out, less he wanted death to come that bad.. He continued his slow walk, his eyes searching for any signs of James. The smell of fresh gunpowder filled the night air; and the full moons beamed their silver light down to the fallen corpses, both of the Independence, and Alliance. "Whaarrg" Muttered Mal as he fell to the ground, flat on his face.. He looked up to see what he had tripped over; only to see the wide-eyed face of James staring back at him.. Blood guzzling from his lungs, from an aparent stab wound, and the right side of his neck.. Mal slowly stood to a crouched position.. His right hand wipping up and down his sweaty, greasy, face.. "uh hu.." he said as he continued on.. Mal continued onward, his eyes opened widly, scanning the night for any Alliance soilder's. His mind racing as to what could've killed James; it couldn't have been a soilder, the grounds would've been swarming with them.. Mal had finally reached the trail that lead to a small cave where the remaining infantry were held up as a temporary base.. It had to have been less than a mile away form him. He began to jog, knowing he had to get the other's ready to vacat pronto before the rest of the Alliance reached them.. "no..." Mal stopped dead in his tracks.. "Somethin's up here.. " He looked around nervously and anxiously.. "That battle......... It was just to damn short.. this ain't right.. The Alliance should still be comin' out.. " Mal ran like Hell to get back to the base. He was a mear 30-ft from the entrance when he was violently swept off of his feet and onto his back.. A long, heavy, foot pounded onto his chest, pinning him to the ground. He looked up.. The two moons were soon gone as a thick overcast headed in and began to down-pour rain all along the fields of Du-Khang. Mal looked up, his eyes squiting from the rain. All he could see was a Shadowy figure, with long hair drapping down.. The figure looked petite.. "........hmmmm.. What have we here?" A light, british, voice spoke from the shadowey figure.. Before Mal could even try to move a tight hand was wrapped around his neck, while the figures left knee came crashing down onto Mal's right shoulder; dislocating it imediatly. "NO!!" The voice became suddenly harsh and deep.. "Your friend tried to run, look where it got him.... I must say..........................his fear made his blood.............heh............sweeter.." Mal couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't speak.. He had no comebacks, no witty remarks before he thwarted his assaulent and killed him. He was petrified with utter fear. "Whoa for the CONQUERED!" The voice seemed to roar as a bladed object was lifted with assaulant's right hand... All of a sudden a bright white light beamed on to the Figure.. Quickly it rolled and took off into the night.. Gun shots and racing bullets followed after the nightmarish killer; followed by the sound of a saude-off blasting forth.. "Sir!" Zoe hollered out as he helped Mal up.. "Sir! Speak to me.. Come on.. " He was looking him dead in the eyes, and getting no reaction.. Finally, she smacked him.. "Whoa! What was that for? I was the one who almost killed! Mua goo shri lu-ao. " Oh? That's nice! Sir, the Alliance is heading this way at top speed... They'll be here in a matter of minutes, and we need to not be here.. " Zoe said. Mal nodded his head in agreement. "yeah.. Alright.. Zoe, get everyone who's still kickin' together and up on any Mules, Wagons, anything that's mobile and let's ride the hell out of here.. " Zoe nodded and began to holler out names and orders.. Mal followed behind her.. He stopped for a second and looked behind him.. He had never before been so frightened; and he was certain that who/whatever that was, was still out there... He knew that he and that he would come to meet that Shadow again... And he would kill that Shadow.... That Shadow of Du-Khang.