Teema held tight to her rifle, head down and back against the cover. Just like Ulanti had taught her. Just like her training said.
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes against the flash of blaster fire, her own breathing echoing loudly within the confines of her suit’s atmo-membrane, the voices of her comrade indistinct upon the crackling comm channels.
They were outnumbered. Outgunned. Outmatched.
It was one thing to *know* that, going in, one thing to be told, but quite another to–
The sight of blood, burbling up from between Pilla’s teeth was seared into the back of her eyelids, that horrible, gasping wet, choking wheeze-
“Teema!” A voice called out, and her eyelids flew open, catching sight of her platoon leader gesturing furiously at her to leave cover, to follow the others out into battle. “We have to move! Get your damn chitin in gear kid, the vincam–”
They cursed, stumbling backwards, crimson blood blooming from the hole that had winked into existence in their shoulder, changing the bright blue of the Resistance uniform to black. She screamed, heard the crackling on the comm’s line as she peaked out the microphone, barely registered the condemnations of the rest of her platoon, their voices all blending together into one one sharp violent cacophony, her antennae ringing, coron pounding — She couldn’t do this! She couldn’t do this anymore!
//We HAVE to!// called her inner voice, and Teema felt something take control of her limbs, propelling her forward towards her fallen comrade — still breathing! — rifle lifted, aiming —
No! No!! She wanted to go back, she had to go back! They were going to kill her, she could see them — swarming over the walls like a tsunami of red, cruel eyes glittering above sharpened mouths stretched with glee–
She had no choice, her body was no longer her own, no matter how she beat against the walls of her own mind it did not obey her, that thing inside of her taking control, washing her over with a balm of deadly calm, a dangerous peace–
Teema locked eyes with the enemy soldier, their face still smug with victory, and fired.