This is my first story. I've only read another one called "The Dig, part IX" written by Zachry and
enjoyed a lot with it, so this story takes place on the same planet (Tanasus) , but in another far
away (or hidden) colony, when the Core and the Arm arrived to this planet. Well let's go, enjoy!

[[ Colony of Telsar
6:00 PM. TSE (Time Synchronized with the Earth)
Planet Tanasus.

The majority of the buildings where on fire, the others, a smelting ruin. Vince Sunset was seeing
impotent how a squad of these metallic nightmares, called A.K., were escorting more survivors to
the outside of the colony's limit. Like him most of the colonist were made prisoners by the Core.

"Father!"

Vince gazed to the corpse of a crippled KBOT (called Pewee) and discovered his young son
Tim, hiding in the Pewee's debris. Tim was a very good-looking teenager, his mother died long
time ago, and he came with his father looking for a promising future. Everything was good until
the arrival of the Arm. They came to the colony telling stories about an horrible war, and asking
to the people to join in their army . But the people refused thinking: "If we're neutral the war
doesn't affect us". They were wrong , and they paid for such mistake, when the Core's forces
arrived. A detachment of the Arm defended the colony in an effort to convince its habitants , but
they were totally destroyed by their enemy and the colony fell in the Core's hands...

"Tim!, They haven't catch you! , FLEE!, FLEE AWAY!" shouted Vince.

"Father, come with me, we can escape from this inferno".

"No we can't, the prisoners have been registered by their sensory array. Escape from this Hell
stupid!" Vince began to throw stones to Tim, but he only hit the trashed Pewee. Tim disappeared
.

"I see you show aggressivity against our enemy" said a metallic voice.

Vince turned and saw an A.K. walking toward him.

"Do you wish to join in our glorious forces, and become immortal?, Your mates have already
chosen" said the A.K., and the effect of his words were enhanced by the sounds of laser fire and
screams of agony.

Vince was preparing himself to throw another stone to the A.K. as an answer, but the A.K said:

"Wait. I'm receiving orders. There's another survivor fleeing from this position, obviously he does
not wish to join us. I'll kill him immediately!.

"If you leave him go, I'll accept to join with Core" said Vince.

"You aren't in a position to negotiate, if any organic being does not wish to join us, he must be
annihilated" and began to run toward his victim.

"Hear me! That fugitive is my son! If I join with the Core, I'll convince him to join too".

The A.K. stopped. Finally he said:

"Your proposition has been accepted, you must follow me now".

The awesome Commander of the Core stepped in front of Vince, at his right and left hand there
were lots of KBOTS, and the skies were filled with Core aircraft, There were no escape.

The Commander pointed to Vince with his left arm (the same used for mind control) and said:

"Prepare to join in the forces of the Core Vince Sunset ....zero".

"Perhaps to live for the eternity is not a bad idea". That was Vince's last thought as a human.
......

The advanced KBOT Lab finished its work and Vince stepped out of the platform waiting for a
mission.

"You've downloaded to this chassis in order to find your son, you must convince or kill him" said
a metallic voice.

"Who are you?" Asked Vince.

"I am the Matrix, an special mind selected to assist you, We expect to find some Arm patrols so
you must charge your weapon".

Vince charged the huge flamethrower, and joined with other Pyros. Then they started the
search... or could be the hunt?

After a few hours Vince detected Tim with the help of a Fink, but suddenly they were attacked by
enemy Zeus. The other Pyros turned to face the enemy, and the exchange of plasma fire and
lightning rays started.

"We must convince your son now, while our units engage the Zeus" said the Matrix.

Tim was hiding behind a huge and old tree, but the sensors of the Pyro discovered him easily
(forests are the specialty of this KBOT).

"Timmy! Don't flee away I am your father, ... Vince!

Tim tried to becalm himself, he recognized the voice of his father, but he said nothing.

"Please! You must join with us I don't want to kill you", said Vice. Very deep in his mind, he
sensed something was not correct.

"Sorry dad, but I've made my choice" answered Tim, and then he showed the Arm's ensign in his
shirt he was hiding with the jacket.

"THE ENEMY!! KILL HIM!! KILL HIM NOW!!" stormed the Matrix in Vince's mind.

"NO!!" Refused Vince, finally recovered, "I can't kill my son!"

"The orders of the Commander are unquestionable! You will be punished for this, KILL HIM!!"

The flamethrower began to point Tim, but then it moves away.

"No! The warriors of the Core are the slaves of their Commander"

The internal battle between Vince an the Matrix caused the Pyro began to move erratically.
Finally the Matrix won the battle and targeted Tim saying:

"No Mind can oppose the Core's Will !"

"NO! NO! NOOOOO!" Cried Vince "I'll Kill my son with my hands!".

Then the flamethrower fires, with deadly accuracy to its target ...
 

... But the flames didn't reach Tim, they hit something in the way.

"A force field? The Arm's got a force field?" asked Vince very surprised.

"No, the Arm does not have such technology" said the Matrix "It must be ..."

Suddenly a titanic figure (for a human) became visible between the Pyro and Tim ...It was the
Commander of the Arm!.

The Pyro under the control of the Matrix began to pour the plasma with the flamethrower
frenetically to the Commander. Vince was contented, the Commander will disintegrate him with
his right "hand" and save Tim, but the Commander didn't move that arm, he pointed the Pyro with
his left one!

"You were right Tim" said the Commander with a loud voice, "Your father has passed my tests.
He is a brave Warrior! .Can you hear me Matrix? Vince Sunset belongs to the Arm, I'll obliterate
you from his mind!"

"AAAARGH! Perhaps you can beat me now, but you are destroying only a copy of me! I'll be
back looking for revenge!" Sentenced the Matrix with infinite hate before being banished by the
Commander's powers.

Vince recovered the control of the Pyro and stopped their attack.

"I'll give you Thanks ... for all of the eternity, my leader! He said.

"I'm counting with it, but first we must put an end to this skirmish" said the Commander walking
towards the remaining Pyros and raising his right "hand".

With the attack of Vince and the leader of the Arm, no Pyro survived the battle.

"We must go now" said the Commander "Logan turn on your Jammer!, Order to Berthas cover
our retreat!, Hawks scramble to provide additional air cover!"

At Dawn, the Arm's skirmish party, leaded by the Commander himself, retreated toward their
hidden base on the mountains. A Pewee, running behind Vince, turned his head to the Arm's
Pyro. Vince could sense the smile of his son inside of that KBOT.]]

THE END

Dedicated to:
IAN PRICE
AHNTHEIS_
WOLFSHUND
AKLEIN 24

And, of curse, special thanks to ZACHRY for the inspiration.

Writing war stories is best for to practice my English (sorry for those mistakes).