The iron-clad boots of Colonel Mael Radec struck the metal flooring with a calculated rhythm, each step echoing through the stark, steel corridors of the Helghan command outpost. Crimson lights pulsed along the walls, casting ominous shadows that stretched and shrank with each flicker. Radec moved with military precision, the long tails of his officer’s coat sweeping behind him, black as night and marked with the blood-red insignia of the Helghast Empire.

Through the tinted visor of his skull-like mask, his eyes scanned the data feeds streaming across holographic panels. Helghan troops marched in flawless unison outside the command window, their movements synchronized to the hum of machinery and the distant rumble of artillery fire. The invasion had begun.

He raised his gloved hand, fingers curling into a tight fist. “Advance,” his voice came through the comms, sharp and unyielding. “Crush any resistance. Leave nothing standing.”

The acknowledgment came instantly—no hesitation, no questions. Discipline. It was the only acceptable standard. Radec turned away from the viewport, striding purposefully down the hall, flanked by Helghast soldiers, their glowing red eyes mirroring his own.

He approached the armory doors, which slid open with a hiss, revealing rows of weaponry and shelves stacked with ammunition. Radec picked up a modified STA-52 assault rifle, inspecting it with the careful precision of a craftsman. Satisfied, he holstered the weapon over his shoulder and marched back into the corridor.

A faint noise—barely audible over the steady march of war—caught his attention. Radec paused, tilting his head slightly. His soldiers halted in perfect sync, rifles raised, eyes glowing like embers. Radec held up a hand, signaling silence.

The sound came again, a scuffle of movement from the shadowed recesses of the hall. Radec stepped forward, his boots sending sharp clacks reverberating down the corridor. “Show yourself,” he commanded, voice modulated and metallic through his mask.

There was a pause—long enough for doubt to fester—then a figure emerged from the shadows. They were unarmed, hands raised in surrender, their eyes wide with fear beneath the flickering red light. Dust and grime covered their clothes, evidence of the conflict raging above.

Radec’s head tilted slightly, regarding them with the cold, detached curiosity of a hunter observing its prey. “A survivor,” he noted, voice devoid of emotion. He took a step closer, his towering form casting a long shadow over them. “You are either very brave… or very foolish.”

They said nothing, lips pressed into a thin line, eyes flicking between his mask and the soldiers standing sentinel behind him. Radec straightened, the tails of his coat flaring with the movement. “Do you know what happens to those who oppose Helghan?”