Echoes of the Red Planet

CHAPTER 1: THE DESCENT

The roar of the spacecraft’s engines reverberated through the cramped cabin,

shaking the crew as they prepared for landing. Captain Kiera Lawson, leader

of the elite Mars Response Unit, stared at the red planet below through the

reinforced glass window. The atmosphere was thick with tension. She had

seen Mars in pictures a thousand times, but nothing compared to the real

thing—the barren, war-torn landscape that now stretched beneath them. The

air was thin, the planet’s surface unforgiving, and for the first time in a long

while, Kiera felt the weight of their mission pressing down on her shoulders.

“We’re going in hot,” Kiera’s second-in-command, Sergeant Jace Carter, said,

his fingers dancing across the control panel as he adjusted their descent

trajectory. “Scanners show multiple hostile signals. We’ll be entering a combat

zone.”

“Understood. Prepare for extraction. No one gets left behind,” Kiera replied,

her voice calm but resolute.

The team, suited In their sleek black armor, checked their weapons and gear.

Each soldier had a purpose—specialists in various fields, trained for the most

dangerous missions. They were the last line of defense for humanity on this

hostile world. But the task ahead wasn’t just dangerous—it was personal. The

weapon they were going to destroy wasn’t just another piece of tech. It was

rumored to have the power to decimate entire colonies. Worse, it might not

even be of human origin.

The comms crackled to life, filling the cabin with the gruff voice of Lieutenant

Mira Delgado, their tech expert. “All systems are go for landing, Captain. The

rebel base is 10 klicks away from your current location. Scanners indicate

multiple forces, but no major defenses on the ground.”

“Thanks, Mira. We’ll be in and out,” Kiera said, gripping the edge of her seat

as the ship’s gravity generator flickered and the descent began.

Outside, the Martian surface loomed closer, a red expanse of dust and rocks

stretching as far as the eye could see. As the ship’s thrusters fired to slow

their descent, the lights inside flickered. The ship shuddered once, then twice,

as the terrain below grew rougher. They were almost there.

“Brace for impact!” Jace shouted as the ship dropped the final few meters and

slammed into the dusty Martian surface with a bone-jarring thud. The craft

rocked violently, but the hull held.

The team quickly deployed, the air thick with the harsh, cold wind of Mars.

The outside temperature hovered dangerously low, and the thin atmosphere

made every breath feel like it could be their last. Kiera led the way as the team moved out of the ship’s hatch, their boots making soft thuds against the

Martian soil, leaving tracks in the fine red dust. The wind howled, but it didn’t

drown out the faint sounds of distant gunfire—clashes between the rebels

who had seized this part of Mars and the few remaining human colonies.

“Stay sharp,” Kiera ordered. “We don’t know what we’re walking into.”

Her helmet’s visor displayed the mission objective—a rebel base located in the

valley up ahead. It was supposed to be lightly guarded, just a few dozen rebels

and some unrefined weapons. But Kiera knew better. Things on Mars were

never as simple as they appeared. If the intel they had received was accurate,

the base had more than just stolen tech—it housed something far more

dangerous.

“Captain, we’ve got movement ahead,” reported Corporal Leo Khan, the team’s

sniper. His voice came through the comms, steady despite the tension in the

air. His thermal optics picked up several signatures. “At least twelve targets

moving in formation—seems like they’re preparing for something.”

“Not good,” Kiera muttered. “Get in position. We’ll cover you.”

They quickly split into squads—each unit moving silently through the harsh

Martian terrain. The rebel base was tucked inside a series of canyons, hidden

from view but not from the growing danger. As they advanced, Kiera’s mind

raced. She wasn’t just here to stop the rebels. She was here to prevent a

potential massacre. The weapon they sought to destroy wasn’t a mere tool of

war—it was a piece of technology unlike anything they had ever encountered.

“Stay low,” Kiera whispered, pulling her team into a crouch as they neared

the rebel outpost. “We make our move at the signal.”

The team moved through the rocky outcroppings, their footsteps muffled by

the soft Martian dust. As they approached the base, Kiera could see the

flashes of gunfire In the distance, the rebels engaging in a firefight with

someone—or something—else. Her pulse quickened. They were too late. The

rebels had already clashed with a rival faction.

“Change of plan,” Kiera said. “We go in hot. Move out!”

The team sprang into action, weapons drawn. Kiera’s rifle hummed with

energy as she took the lead, charging toward the base’s entrance. The rest of

the squad followed suit, weapons raised, their suits perfectly synchronized

with their movements. As they neared the barricades, a massive explosion

rocked the ground, sending debris flying in all directions. The air was filled

with the sound of screams and gunfire, and Kiera’s heart pounded in her

chest.

“Covering fire!” Sergeant Jace Carter shouted as he laid down a barrage of

suppressive fire, providing the rest of the team a chance to advance. The

rebels, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, scrambled to return fire.

Kiera dashed forward, using the broken ruins for cover, her rifle raised. She

could see the glowing silhouette of the weapon in the distance—an enormous

metallic structure buried under a pile of rubble, its energy core pulsing faintly.

It was still intact, still powerful, and it was their only objective. The rebels

couldn’t get their hands on it.

“We take that weapon, we win this fight!” Kiera yelled, her voice crackling

through the comms.

The team fought their way through the chaos, dodging incoming fire, their

helmets scanning the area for threats. As they reached the weapon, they

found something that made Kiera’s blood run cold.

There was a figure standing beside it—a woman, cloaked in shadows, her back

to the team. She was holding a control panel, and the weapon’s core glowed

brighter with every passing second.

“Who the hell are you?” Kiera demanded, raising her weapon. “Step away from

the tech!”

The woman turned slowly, her eyes hidden beneath a hood. “I’m not your

enemy,” she said, her voice calm but unsettling. “But I’m the one keeping this

weapon from falling into the wrong hands."

Kiera’s eyes narrowed. The woman wasn’t just a rebel—she was something

else. A guardian, maybe. Someone who knew more than they were willing to

admit.

The fight had only just begun.