Lightening flashed, momentarily blinding her as she fled through the forest. She stumbled over a protruding tree branch, which seemed to have leapt up off the path. Suddenly she found the ground rushing up to meet her face. She hit the thick mud on the forest floor with a loud Splat! As she sucked her head up out of the muck, she could hear the sounds of her pursuers as they grew nearer.

She pulled herself heavily to her feet and prepared to resume her headlong flight through the trees. Soon she had returned to her frantic pace, barely noticing as she crashed through trees and bushes. Tree branches seemed to reach out of the dark in an attempt to snare her hair and clothing but she paid them no mind. Her mind was on the horrors she had witnessed just that morning.

She had watched from the cover of some bushes as they had shot down her parents, as though they were no better than begging dogs in the street. She had stared, petrified, as they had dispatched her seven month old brother by throwing him to their large dogs as a snack. Finally she had fled when they turned to burn down her family’s farmhouse.

These killers were like nothing she had seen before in her short sixteen years of life. They were larger than her father, who was the tallest man in the community. They wore strange silvery suits which seemed to shimmer, even in no light. They had strange helmets which resembled large black globes.

Their weapons were horribly alien. They appeared to be nothing more than long black rods. Then lightening or fire or brilliant rays of death would shoot forth, seemingly by magic. There seemed nothing these rods could not do. In addition to these rods, several of the killers carried swords strapped around their waists. She had seen one decapitate a goat merely because it had come too close.

Then there were their dogs, large slobbery beasts, with short harsh black fur and brown highlights. Most had brown paws, muzzles and chests. She had heard one of the men call one "Dober". She had never seen dogs like these. Her own dog Kiki was barely a foot tall, full grown, with long green and brown fur, to help him in camouflage. He had run away that very morning, before the attack came.

Now, however, she had no time to ponder this. She had to concentrate on escape. She could still hear the dogs howling and making horrible noises. So, through the rain and mud, she continued to flee.

Finally, as she was running out of breath and faltering more often, she noticed the pursuit had ceased. She could only speculate as to why, as she collapsed on the cold, wet ground, exhausted.

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Back where it started, the "killers" were setting up a base camp. If one looked far enough into the night sky, one might just make out the giant space craft that had brought these invaders here. Periodically a shuttle would come down or head up, delivering supplies and personnel. By the end of the night, the base camp had all the comforts of home.

Shortly thereafter the tracking party returned. A pack of black and brown dogs bounded eagerly into camp, followed by several weary looking people in bio-containment suits.

As they walked into base camp, an imposing figure walked up to them. Like the others he was clad in a silver suit with a black domed helmet, but he also wore a red sash over his suit. As well as his "stunner", the rod strapped to his belt, he carried two swords in an "X" on his back.

"Any sign of the one that escaped our initial purge, lieutenant?"

"No sir," answered the person at the head of the party. "The dogs tracked it a ways, but all that rain caused them to lose the scent."

"Very well. Report to the field office, over there," he pointed off to his right at a small grey building, "for your next assignment."

"Aye, sir!"

The lieutenant and his team walked off, leaving the imposing figure to himself.

"Commander!" His voice echoed across the camp.

A figure, smaller than the others, came running towards him.

"Yes, General?" A feminine voice came from the slight figure of the Commander.

"Has the environmental team reported in yet? Can we take off these blasted helmets yet?" the General barked, a touch of humour in his tone.

"Yes sir, the air is well within tolerance, no harmful, foreign bacteria found. They were just about to send you the report." she replied.

"Good, Commander. Spread the word 'round base camp. Dismissed!"

The Commander walked off without another word, like the good soldier she was, leaving the General alone. The General began the process of removing his helmet.

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"Wha...?"

The young fugitive awoke, small, frightened and hungry. A rustling sound in the nearby bushes snapped her out of her early morning haze.

A small brown bundle of fur leaped from its hiding place in the bushes, aimed directly for her.

"Ach!?"

The thing began slobbering on her face. Grabbing it with both hands, she dragged it away from her.

"Kiki!" Her happy exclamation broke the early morning silence of the forest. The calm was shattered as birds took flight and animals scampered away in fear of their lives.

She hugged her wayward dog for what seemed like an eternity, simply feeling his long, soft brown and green fur, his little wet black nose, short pointed ears and small antennae. His short little tail was whipping back and forth frantically, seeming as though it would wag right off.

Finally she put Kiki down and stood up.

"Well Kiki, we’d best find some water."

With that she set off, towards the sun, away from her home, in hopes of finding a stream, little Kiki scampering behind.

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Back at base camp, dawn was just breaking and weary soldiers were beginning their daily routine.

The night shift was coming in while the morning shift headed out. From a medium size building in the centre of camp, the Operations General got ready to inspect his charges.

"Commander Holt", he spoke into his communications link, "Report to the long range com room

in 15 minutes. Be prepared to give a full report to the suits upstairs."

"Aye sir!" he heard from his com link, "15 minutes. Holt out."

With that, Main Operations General Theodore Wolfe began his morning preparations.

Thirteen minutes later General Wolfe stepped from his personal tent. Emerging into the light his features were clearly displayed. Brown hair, clean shaven face, roughly chiseled features. Everything a girl could want in a human male. In his neat pressed uniform, polished boots and decorative swords, he was the embodiment of the good soldier. One would never guess that he was under another’s control.

At exactly fifteen minutes he met Commander Holt in the LR com room.

"Ready to face the brass?" General Wolfe asked of Commander Holt in a jovial tone.

"Anything in the line of duty, right sir?"

"Certainly Commander." Directing his attention to the giant viewscreen he said, "Com on. Destination: Earth."

After a few minutes of satellite relay, the com connected with Earth Central.

"General Wolfe reporting in on the situation on Operation New Earth."

"Please wait while your call is directed to the proper channels."

Another brief delay before the five star general in charge picked up on the other end.

"General Wolfe, how are things in space?" Five star General Jud Ian Halverson asked from halfway across the galaxy.

"Fine sir. Initial purge was completed ahead of schedule. The felinids were killed or taken prisoner for further study. Only one escaped our efforts." With the tone General Wolfe was using he could have been discussing the morning weather report. "However, it is a small one, of no consequence, our search and retrieve teams will find her shortly."

"They better, we want this planet with the minimum fuss. Not like that last fiasco where we lost over 500 men because they let one alien slip by to warn their armies."

"No sir, from what we’ve observed so far this society is mainly agrarian based. No cities, no organized forces, and very low technological level. Not even a 1 on the intel meter."

"Good, good. See that this stray kitten doesn’t cause any problems. But try to take her alive, I’m sure the lab boys can find a use for such a troublesome creature. Earth Central out."

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Some twenty leagues away the elusive young felinid was just making her way to a small pond. She bent down and studied her reflection in the still water. Deep green, cat’s eyes looked back from a feline face, covered in mud-caked fur. Her small muzzle delicately extended from her face. Ears, upright and alert, searched for any sound of trouble.

Reaching down she splashed the crystal clear water over her face, revealing short fur, light orange in colour, with the occasional black stripe.

Bending further to lap the water, you could see her tail, twitching in the air. Back and forth, back and forth, betraying her nervousness.

Kiki bounded back and forth around the pond, a small ball of energy. Alert for anything that might harm his young master. A small bundle of energy, but a possibly lethal defender. The perfect pet for a young girl on the run. Willing to defend to the death, but gentle as a puppy to those he loved.

Taking a final drink, the lone free survivor of the ruined village, the young female felinid named Galaxa headed back into the woods.

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Back on a planet choking and suffocating from pollutants, the planet Earth, five star General Jud Halverson looked over the field reports littering his desk. Picking up the report marked Operation: New Earth. He began reading the mission directive for what seemed like the millionth time.

"New Earth: A planet suitable for human habitation has been located in the Alpha Centauri star system. No intelligent life detected, some forest dwelling life-forms found."

"Recommendation: Send in bio-troops to acquire and detain any possible hostiles and begin readying planet for human colonization."

"NB: Recommend General Theodore Wolfe for mission commander."

Following the mission statement were pictures taken by the initial survey team, over 20 years ago. Apparently they had completely overlooked the natives as sentient beings, or perhaps had been paid to overlook them.

Now, neither really mattered, the damage was done, and the planet almost belonged to the United Earth Movement.

Halverson thought back, to a time when this wouldn’t have been possible. Over fifty years ago soldiers wouldn’t have been trusted with this kind of mission. The higher-ups would have been too afraid of a rebellion.

Then someone invented the chips.

Small, undetectable microchips which were implanted into a soldier’s brain upon completion of preliminary testing. These small chips made earth soldiers the ultimate weapons of war. No more rebellions, no more questioning orders, soldiers simply followed orders.

There were no outward signs of control, but that was the beauty of it. The person acted the same way towards others as before, only when in combat situations did the chip activate. It removed emotions: doubt, sadness, regret...mercy. If a soldier tried to question his orders, or even think about doing such, the chip removed the very idea from his brain.

So far these chips had worked flawlessly. For fifty years no one had seen fit to upgrade them, or even update them.

"The chips will work perfectly." General Halverson stated to the empty room. "So why am I so worried?"

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In the clearing where the felinid village had previously stood, now stood the commanding presence of General Wolfe.

"All right!" General Wolfe shouted out at those assembled, "you are to take the dogs to the spot where you lost the trail of the rogue felinid. From there you will track her down, and she will be taken alive. I don’t care if it takes you a week! Find that cat!"

A chorus of "Yes sir!" came in response.

"Now move out!"

A group of twenty soldiers and thirty dogs head off into the woods, in search of a small female alien.

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Said alien was moving at a slow pace, twenty odd leagues away, unaware of the danger presently gaining on her tail. Making her way through the forest was an ordeal. Hunger shrouded her thoughts and made her sluggish in her movements. Kiki was no help, yipping and running around like he would never get hungry.

Finally, about noon she just stopped. Deep within the forest a soft sobbing could be heard. Galaxa couldn’t take it any more, she dropped to her knees and began crying in earnest, tail wrapped around her legs. In a small clearing she sat and wept. Kiki laid down next to her and whined, placing his oddly shaped head in his paws.

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"Sir," Lieutenant Cotter called out towards the back of the hunting party, "The dogs have picked up the scent!"

"Very good," replied Lieutenant Commander Walters. "We’ll be through before nightfall at this rate. Excellent work Lieutenant"

"Thank you sir!"

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Dusk had fallen, at base camp Commander Holt was eating dinner with General Wolfe. Discussing nothing in particular and enjoying the local food.

"Sir," she addressed the general, "Do you ever wonder if what we’re doing is right? I mean killing all these..." Just then her chip kicked in, "...nevermind."

"Commander ours is not to wonder why, merely to follow orders. That’s what makes us the best."

"Yes sir...I...suppose." But the damage had already been done, a glimmer of doubt now existed in the commander’s mind.

--------------------------------------------------

Across the forest the hunting team was spreading out around the clearing Galaxa had taken refuge in.

"Lieutenant Cotter. Circle round and try to take that...thing lying next to her. Ensign Brant move around and get ready to tranq her. Ensign Rodriguez, get the net ready." Lieutenant Commander Walters barked out orders.

In the clearing Galaxa slept on, unaware. A faint rustling noise was caused by Lieutenant Cotter across the clearing. Suddenly Kiki was on his feet and off like a shot. Straight towards Lieutenant Cotter’s throat. Cotter tried to bring up his stunner, but the little dog moved like lightening. All his energy that kept him bounding around was transferred to lethal movements, a bite here, a slash of claws there. Finally the killing blow.

In a matter of moments Cotter was dead, his throat ripped out, multiple wounds bleeding onto the forest floor.

Galaxa chose this moment to wake up. She looked around for her little dog and found him standing over the bleeding body. She began screaming, an eerie wail, that cut straight to the soul. It was a call that could raise the dead, and somewhere surely did. However it was too late. Blood was spilled, combat had begun.

The chips activated, draining the last of the humanity out of the soldiers. Now there were only orders. The General wanted this creature captured, preferably alive, dead if necessary. A blink of an eye was all it took for the hunting party, now of nineteen, to raise their stunners and take aim. That many stunners at once was fatal for a human, who knew what kind of effect it could have on an alien.

Light flash, Kiki roared, then collapsed. Dead.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!" Galaxa screamed, launching herself at the nearest soldier.

Eighteen stunners activated, eighteen stun bolts hit the lone felinid female.

Light. Pain. Then nothing.

The End ...?

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