Story One: What happened? Epilogue…
By Grinner

Planet: Tamarind
Dutchy of Tamarind, Free Worlds League (Marik)

Date:28March3060

What was that sound? Am I dreaming? Where am I? Most importantly, what the hell happened? These were the garbled and almost surreal thoughts that passed through the head of Hawkzilla, Commander of the well feared and respected mercenary unit, Battle Magic Incorporated. His eyes slowly peeled open. At first everything was a blur. In the background sounds that filled his surroundings were nearly implacable. His lack of proper vision at the moment, made the sounds he heard in the background seem all the more alien. He wanted to rub at his eyes to help pull the blur from them, but he soon discovered that he was restrained. In his dazed condition, he could almost swear that what he heard were the chirp of small insects and birds. His blurred vision suggested that he were draped in a surrounding curtain of waterfalls, but of course the restraints around his hands and feet suggested otherwise and made him question his own slurred judgment. His body ached. He could feel muscles pulled taut. Bones could be have been sprained, fractured, or possibly even broken. He was however, sure that he was alive. After a few moments his vision returned to him, and he was finally able to place the sounds he had heard before. It was the combination of a heart monitor, which he assumed was monitoring himself, and running water from a nearby medical sink. It was just after he had placed his surroundings that a sense of dread poured over him. He was in a hospital. He was sure of it…but in a hospital where? First he tried to figure out what planet he may be on? How long he had been like this? Even if any of it were real. His thoughts then turned to his comrades in arms. What had become of them? Was he the only one captured? Were any of them able to escape and report back to JB? Or were any of them…dead? He began to thrash around with what strength his busted up frame would allow him. He wanted to scream, to break free of his restraints, to seek out his fallen command, but he was weak, much more weak than he could ever recall feeling in his life. Almost immediately following his physical outburst, and Free Worlds League hospital orderly pushed aside the circularly drawn white curtains, the waterfalls of his hallucination. Following the orderly, were three other hospital staff members, who were used to hold Hawk down long enough for the hospital orderly to give him a tranquilizer injection. For a few moments after the injection he continued to struggle, but the tranquilizer had begun to take effect and he could feel himself slipping back into his dream like world. The last thing he could consciously remember thinking was that he had to warn JB, to keep him from completing his contractual duties. A momentary sense of panic moved over him, but before was even able to worry about it, he was asleep again. Dreaming…reliving, in his head, the events that had led him to this most grim of situations…