Private Jessica Herrera was setting a plastic explosive charge on the side f the red cliff face, working more robotically then humanly. She was numb from what she had seen down in the valley, and what had spooked Private Goncher so bad. The Behemoth was the name the squad had dubbed it, and it's size alone was enough to shake her up, let alone the bizarre gun it held on one set of hands, and the Azogar that looked like it was on growth hormones in another set. And it was down in the same valley which Jessica now dangled by a piece of nylon rope, setting an explosive.

There were several other marines, hanging in the same manner, seting similar charges. The idea had been Goncher's, but had been backed by, well, everyone once they saw the Behemoth.

All right, charge is set! Pull me up!

One of the marines hauled her up over the cliff's edge. She dusted herself off and grabbed her M-50. No way was she going anywhere without it with the leigon this close.

Sir, call for you! It was Jennings. He had a large radio device strapped to his back, and Sgt. Matthews was the target of his call.

Matthews here. He listened to the voice on the com as the other marines hauled themselves back over the edge, dusting themselves off, and looking with anxiety at the temporarily halted Dark army. Yes, we've finished. Matthews answered into the com. Then his brow furrowed. Sir, that isn't the wisest idea. I TOLD you what's down there......No I don't care if- ......Sir I - .....

Jessica looked over at the Sargent. This wasn't good, Matthews was getting worried, almost...scared. Whatever the person was telling him wasn't good.

Whaddya think, Jes. It don't look good, does it. It was Goncher. He stood next to her, also looking at Matthews. He was a tall, built man, badly in need o s head, marine style, and his armor was full of scratches and dents. Also, he was one of most of the marines who treated her as an equal. There were still some who needed a little convincing that she was a competent soldier.

Jessica shook her head. It looks pretty bad. I haven't seen him this concerned in a while.

Sir that's SUICIDE! I won't send my men - ! Matthews has hissing into mic, not wanting to scare his men too much. He swore an oath as the person on the other side gave an Over and out that was audible over the silence that had fallen over the fifteen person unit.

Matthews looked up, handing Jennings the headset. He looked sick.

All right marines, listen up. He spoke like the life had been sucked right out of him. He wasn't yelling, or even scowling. Just speaking, and he was dead serious. Command has just given me, us, the order to go into the canyon after we blow the charges, and hold off the D.L. until re-in arrives. I don't like these orders at all, and so help me if things get too ugly I'm pulling us out. I'll take full responsibility for it, but there's no way we can take out all that. On top of that, I don't know when support is heading in, OR what it is. I won't lie, you all are going to be sacrificial lambs down there. Stay alive, stay low.

He paused for a moment, letting his speech sink in. The Martian wind kicking up dust around the marines, who were looking sickly and pale all of a sudden.

All right, Marines, MOVE OUT! He shouted.

Jessica looked an Goncher, who looked back at her, and swallowed hard. This was going to be hell.

*****************************************************************

At the base of the canyon, among several rock piles and boulders, the unit of Free Marines dug in, hiding and waiting in the dark red, Martian dirt. A dull thudding marked the approach of the monstrous Behemoth and the army that marched with it.

Matthews gave a nod to Jennings, who flipped a s ere several loud explosions nearby, from the charges they had set, marked by plumes of red dust flying into the air. There was a loud rumbling as a landslide roared towards the imposing dark army.

From his scanner, Goncher could see that their timing had been perfect, about half of the shambling, undead leigonaires had been buried, as well as a Stalker who got nailed by a particularly large piece of rock. Several large pieces hit the Behemoth, which gave an annoyed roar. He ALSO saw the Ezoghoul, which looked directly at him and bared it's already visible teeth in an obscene sneer.

Here they come. he muttered. He flipped off the safety on his assault rifle and took careful aim at the Centurion, which was now trying to organize several squads of undead, two left-over Necromutants struggling the same. It succeeded and the undead began to shamble with eerie speed towards the marine's position.

One marine with a heavy machine gun braced it on top of a rock opened fire, gunning down several undead and a Necromutant, which froze a large group of the undead in place, causing more problems for the Centurion, which now looked it had a migraine. A somewhat comical sight. The other heavy in the unit hefted a rocket launcher and fired a well placed shot, sending bits of Leigonaire showering onto their dark comrades. Then both slipped back into hiding as the rest of the squad took aim and waited with their assault rifles.

Most of the leigonaires were immobilized or frozen in place by the time the rest were in range of the marines. Even so, Jessica was able to pick off several, watching them drop in that, unnatural, bizarre way, as if they still wanted to fight even as they died. It was creepy to say the least. The centurion bellowed a roar of rage and charged at the unit, covering the distance quickly and tackling Matthews. They began to scuffle in the ranks in an evenly matched battle. As the chainripper clanged against the bizarre blade the Centurion carried, Mat his unit between blows.

Keep firing! Hold your positions! Clang! Crack! Don't let them overwhelm us! Klank! Roch-splorch! The sergeant cut the centurion in two as bullets chewed up dirt around one marine, sending him toppling to the ground.

It was the Stalker, and it was pretty pissed it's partner had been squished like a bug. Two more marines turned their rifles on it as it tried to slice at them with the blades on the end of it's massive gun, and only wounded it, it's heavy black armor protecting the beast.

Goncher saw the Stalker step back a second, and then a small flame ignite at the bottom of the gun it held.

Get down! he screamed, voice almost cracking.

It was too late. The two marines were engulfed in flame and tried desperately to put themselves out without success. Their screams turning into horrible gurgles as they collapsed into charred heaps.

Bastaaaaarrrrrd! Shouted the Marine with the HMG as he opened up on the Stalker, which was only a few feet from him. Bullets bit into the Stalker's armor, as well as the Stalker, sending it reeling into a rock. It was stunned, wounded, not dead, but also severely miffed.

Jump it! Everyone! Jessica cried as she leapt at the groggy beast, punisher blade drawn.

Several Marines also saw this opportunity, and the Stalker was quickly overwhelmed and killed.

About this time, the Ezoghoul had reached the unit, and it's sword screamed as it tore through three whole marines in one swing. The man with the rocket launcher, seeing the beast and his impending doom as it charged at him, fired a rocket at it. The rocket struck the Ezoghoul square in the torso, but left it living, somehow. The Marine was thrown many feet away by the explosion that had engulfed him and his quarry. He lay in the dirt, choking, bleeding, and incapacitated.

Probably better that way, we may still save him, if we can save ourselves. Goncher thought as he shot at the Ezoghoul. His bullets bounced of rged at him, cutting down two more marines as it galloped towards him.

Goncher froze with his finger on the trigger as the beast approached. It swung at him, the ungodly sword screaming as it hit Goncher square in the chest.

By some miracle, Goncher's armor saved him. But he was pinned between the sword, half buried in his armor and a large rock, three feet off the ground. The Ezoghoul put it's other arm, which ended in a mass of mechanics and a large gun, across the man's chest as it adjusted it's grip on the sword, trying to wrench it free.

Here's the plus of having two hands, ugly! Goncher said as it fired the rest of his clip into the Ezoghoul's face, shattering the mask it wore and sending bits of it's skull flying. It slumped forward with a grunt, pinning Goncher further.

Oh GREAT. I'll NEVER get this stain out. Goncher thought as he realized he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and as the contents of the Ezoghoul's head spilled onto him. It's head was resting on his chest, and it's arms and body leaned against him on the rock. He was stuck.

There was a huge rumble, and the ground shook violently. Several marines fell to the ground, Jessica as well.

The source was the Behemoth. It bellowed a roar of rage, seeing it's army torn to pieces by the humans. It's massive gun whirred to life, taking down the marine with the heavy machine gun, and catching Matthews in the shoulder. The shot spun Matthews with the shot, and stunned him making him hit the ground hard. Then it grabbed another marine who fired at it even as the Behemoth held him in it's hand. The it hurled the poor man into another marine, sending both crashing into the canyon wall, probably killing the second man and breaking several bones in the projectile.

The remaining marines scrambled out of the way as the huge Azogar made a large, sweeping arc, missing everyone, this time. From where she was, Jessica saw Albert Jackson running up behind the Behemoth. Whatever he d to distract the beast. She opened fire and several other marines followed suit, bullets sparking off it's armor and only one or two in the hail actually piercing it's thick hide.

The thing raised it's Azogar a second and swept again with uncanny speed. Catching three marines. The whirring blade on the end of the thick pole chewed through the first two marines, sending the last man reeling, his armor barely saving him. Then it reached for, and grabbed Jessica. She could feel the crushing grip even through her armor, but her gun arm was pinned to the side of her body. She grabbed for her punisher pistol from her chest holster and fired the entire clip at the behemoth's face.

Several shots bounced off, another few shattered the end of one of it's massive horns, and only a shot or two got through. The beast reared and howled in pain, forgetting, for the moment, to throw Jessica.

Then Al did something that convinced Goncher that Jackson had flipped. He leapt onto the back of the Behemoth, and, using the large spikes that pertuded from it's armor as handholds, climbed onto it's back. Then he slid down the front side of the armor, and straddled the beasts neck. Goncher thought it looked like some wacko's idea of a rodeo, and Al yelling Yeeeeee-haaaaaa! as he slid it didn't help.

The behemoth forgot about Jessica again, not letting go, but not throwing her either. She passed out from the pressure of it's grip, squeezing the breath out of her.

Jackson was teasing the Behemoth as it bucked it's head and swung at the man who was just barely out of reach. He was hitting it with the butt of his rifle screaming into about where it's ear would have been Hey ugly! You like dat?! Huh?! He clocked it a few more times. How about THIS! And THIS! How's THAT feel baby!

Yep, he's lost it. Over the deep end. Totally crackers. Goncher thought to himself.

The Al stopped toying with the Behemoth. He put the business end of the rifle against t and opened fire, black blood spilled out the front of it's face where the bullets exited. With an unearthly groan and a loud crash, the Behemoth fell, sending Al somersaulting several times and then laying flat on his back, breathing hard.

There was total silence for a while, and the remaining marines came out from the cover they had taken after the Behemoth's first swing with the Azogar. Goncher looked at the unit. About half the men had been wiped out, but they had, by some miracle, won the day.

Several men came over to him and helped pull the Ezoghoul off Goncher. They proceeded to help the four wounded men (Matthews, the Heavy with the Rocket launcher, the "projectile", and the marine who was clipped by the Azogar) and begin to heft the Behemoth's had off of Jessica, where it had died, still clutching the woman.

She awoke to the sound of a chopper. Groggy, she stood and made her way to where it was landing, seeing the other marines help the wounded onto it. Goncher walked up to her, looking drained.

Just another day, huh? Jessica said with a pained smirk.

Goncher chuckled and patted her on the back. He put his arm over her shoulder and boarded the chopper, leaving the grizzly scene behind.