Starfall

"Quick, quick, quick! We're short on time. The next transport ship is launching on schedule in twenty minutes—and this planet won't hold out that long!"

"Orbital fleet communications received. A 'Behemoth' heavy transport ship will reach the surface in half an hour. Prepare for its arrival."

"Behemoth? Good. I knew the brass had our backs—they even sent that thing down. Have them land on Hill C-22... A launchpad? Where the hell would we find a launchpad? Didn't we blow them all up ourselves? Tell the pilot to make do. Don't those big shots brag every day about being able to make blind landings on Kalosh...?"

"A ground fissure has appeared to the northeast. The crack is still expanding, but it won't reach us for the time being."

"Monitor it closely—the heavens only know whether these 'branches' can really hold."

Communications coming through his earpiece were tense and frantic. Orders just issued by the orbital command ship, along with constantly shifting coordinates and countdown parameters, flashed across his retinal display. Xu Jiali opened the visor of his Power Armor, and the smell of smoke from the battlefield instantly flooded his nostrils.

He was standing in the ruins of a collapsed temple. The once-glorious spires and towering walls had become a smoking heap of scrap. A large area in front of the ruins was a sturdy alloy plaza. It had suffered relatively little damage in the previous battle and was now being used as a temporary Assembly Point and launch site.

Marine Corps units evacuating from nearby battle zones were arriving one after another. They would board transport ships or shuttles here and leave the collapsing planet.

A thick cloud of dust and ash hung low overhead. The energy released as the planet disintegrated had already begun disturbing the atmosphere. Lightning and