The Reitech exoskeleton suits, as they had become to be know after their designer, proved their worth every day. The first few useable suits had been delivered to Brigadier Dupont’s command, but they were still far from a common sight among the human armies. Chandra found the equipment to fit like a glove. Ever concentrating on their enemy, she barely noticed its presence anymore.

She stepped cautiously down the embankment to the carnage below. The stabilisation of the suit kept her balance perfectly on the uneasy terrain, as others slipped and slid on the slope. She reached even ground and stepped over the bloodied body of one of the creatures. Smoke arose from the burning hole in its armour.

Chandra walked past one of the vehicles, but there was no sign of life. She could already hear her troops ripping the cab open to be sure as she moved on to the next. As she approached, a door to the front of the vehicle swung out and smashed into her weapon. The force ripped it out of her hands and broke the sling hook holding it to her side. Her back crashed into the hard hull of the vehicle. Her armour took the impact, but the wind was taken out of her.

A tall creature climbed out and stood before her. The beast towered over the short officer who, with a frame so slight, appeared as a child before the monster. It studied her for just a moment before rushing at her like a charging bull. Its sudden turn of speed caught her off guard, but she still managed to narrowly avoid its strike.

The monster crashed into the side of the vehicle with the loud resonating clash of metal on metal. It wore a skin-tight suit that was of much smaller and less bulky proportions than they had been used to seeing the creatures in. It appeared to offer only minimal protection. From her hunched position, the Major thrust up with the power of her body, and aided by her suit and with all she could muster, delivered an uppercut into the creature’s stomach.