Vulkan: Curze, Nimrod provided for many worlds

Shelter

Haratan.

Through his helmet lenses, Vulkan saw the Firewood Guard Gann holding a Storm Shield as he led his battle group in a charge toward the city wall.

Vulkan had chosen seven Firewood Guards, whose spirit of self-sacrifice and self-reliance far surpassed that of all other warriors.

They could fight as one, or each stand alone.

Each Firewood Guard commanded a battle group, and Gann was the assault specialist among them, entrusted with the task of breaching the city.

Vulkan turned to the other Firewood Guards beside him, who had not been assigned tasks.

He instructed the Firewood Guards, "You are my finest sons, my most trusted advisers."

"Father shaped us into an expeditionary force, commanding us to carry flame and light to the darkest edges of the galaxy. Our mission is to be the strong shield that protects mankind."

"We came to Haratan as liberators, not conquerors. Civilization cannot be built from ruins and flesh and bone."

Unlike the other Firewood Guards, Igatalon, who was accustomed to standing in the shadows, frowned and asked, "What about our cousins? Will they hold to this principle?"

Vulkan noticed that Gann's spearhead was less than fifty meters from the wall, and the defenders inside the city had not opened fire in response.

A shadow surfaced in his crimson eyes, and he silently quickened his pace.

"If the Night Lords abandon that principle, I will demand an explanation from my brother."

"Father, there is only darkness inside the city." Gann's voice sounded over the vox channel. Vulkan quickened his steps; he could already smell the rotten stench of corpses.

His expression changed, and he broke into a run.

Boom!

Vulkan leapt onto the city wall and looked down at the distorted corpses of the defenders amid the shattered rubble.

"They were slaughtered,"