As the landing craft pierces the atmosphere, it rattles violently. Shaitan takes hold of a handle on the ceiling and leans over the pilot's shoulder.

"Tactical," he commands the computer.

A mechanical voice responds. "Planet: Zoetimeer. Temperature: 16.5 degrees. Gravity: 4.9627 times normal. Terrain: silica drift/ crystaline anomalies. Visibility: +300u. Atmosphere: carbon dioxide, nitrogen, xenon, chlorine, trace elements. Atmospheric pressure: 6 gigadynes. Ambient radiation: UV 300 to 400 nanometers index factor 6. WARNING: Atmosphere hostile. WARNING: Visibility low. WARNING: Particalized diamagnetic material present in atmosphere. WARNING: Power signatures detected. WARNING: Sensor lock detected. WARNING: Sensor countermeasures detected. WARNING: Electromagnetic interference detected."

Looking back over his shoulder, he shouts above the sound of the shuddering vessel, "It appears that we are expected, brother."

Standing up, Acroyear only nods.

"I hear good things about these people," he goes on. "They supposedly have a very high level of technology. Rumor has it that they are also very skilled in battle tactics."

The landing craft comes to an abrupt halt with a jolt. The hatch opens and the two royal warriors leap out, followed by a small contingent.

Shaitan surveys the area. The glare of the bright blue sun on the silvery dust in the air irritates his eyes. He puts his hand on the side of his helmet to activate the HUD sensors and looks out to some dunes in the distance. "Ah-HA! There they are!" Immediately he and the other soldiers draw their swords and, activating their wingpacks, charge forward into the florescent haze.

Watching them disappear into the distance, Acroyear activates his wingpack. "That's enough of a head start," he says to himself. Then, drawing his own sword, he launches himself forward with incredible speed.

As Shaitan approaches the ridge, he can just make out the figures of the opposing troops. "It looks like they're using Manned Ambulatory Weapons Platforms. Probably powered by plasma cells. Everybody take care to preserve enough of them for harvesting."

At that moment, Acroyear zooms past him and onwards towards the ridge. As he does, he raises a blinding cloud of glittering dust that forced Shaitan and the others to slow their approach.

"Glory to the Acroyear!" Shaitan shouted. "First blood! First blood!"

Approaching the ridge, Acroyear could make out the forms of his opponents. He then found himself amid a shower of particle-weapons fire. As he deftly evaded the luminous streaks of destruction, he charged a formation of robot-like MAWPs, preparing to slice them to shreds with his now glowing energy blade.

As he fell upon his foes in preparation to strike, he hears a voice whisper, "STOP!" and suddenly hesitates. He then is hurled backwards and onto his back by the concussive force of enemy weapons fire.

Standing up slowly, he shakes his head and prepares to charge again, but at that moment, the Royal Assault Squadron zooms past him and collides with the opposing troops.

Shaitan stops next to his brother. "Ha ha! Where is it?" He looks around on the ground. "Where is the first kill? I want to see it."

"I... I ..." he struggled to speak.

"Brother?" Shaitan was shocked. "No! You didn't draw first blood? This is the evilest omen!"

"I don't know what happened. I think it was a telepathic attack. We have to be careful."

"What?" Shaitan was incredulous. "No telepathic attack has ever penetrated the sacred armor."

Shaking his head again, Acroyear looks to see his men cutting through the enemy forces. "Just forget that now. We have to lead the battle."

By now, the air was thick with the reflective dust being raised by newly arrived MAWPs launching rockets at their location from a dune at their flank. Drawing his plasma pistol, Acroyear advances on their position and begins picking off the walking tanks one by one, occasionally being jostled by random concussive ordinace being deflected by his armor.

Reaching the top of the dune, he finds one MAWP left, its pilot firing some sort of repeating ion beam at him as he slowly retreats down the other side towards some column-like crystals at the dune's base. Acroyear uses his plasma pistol and fires at the ground by the tank's feet, causing it to slide down to the bottom of the incline. He then holsters his pistol and draws his energy blade.

He leaps down and is about to strike a fatal blow when he is distracted by a sound almost like a voice saying, "Don't."

Missing his mark yet again, he tumbles gracelessly in the sparkling sand and sees his prey taking cover behind one of the crystalline pillars. He can see his robotic opponent's refracted image and notices the pilot firing a beam weapon into the pillar, which splits the beam and reflects it to other surrounding formations, finally hitting Acroyear from all sides, gripping him with pain.

The agony suddenly subsides and he looks up to see Shaitan standing there with the cockpit of the MAWP which he had ripped out with his hands, the pilot still inside. He drops it at Acroyear's feet.

Acroyear puts his hand on his energy blade. He looks in the cockpit and can see the pilot inside. It is clearly a very young Zoetimeerian. He couldn't help but admire how well his young foe did under such futile circumstances. He pause for a moment, his sense of honor and his confusion conflicting with yet another unfamiliar feeling inside him.

"Hurry! Kill him and we can say this was the first kill. No one need ever know."

Acroyear clutches his sword. An ethereal voice whispers, "Please."

Just then, a soldier appeared on the top of the dune above them. "My Lords", he addresses them. "Enemy forces are retreating towards a canyon. Orders?"

"Clearly they mean us to persue them and trap us there", Acroyear says. "Air patrol will fall back and wait for Prince Shaitan. Ground assault will persue enemy forces. Now, go and convey my orders."

"As you command". Saluting cerimoniously, he dismissed himself.

"Brotherrr!" Shaitan growled.

"Acroyear continued. "You will take the air patrol and locate enemy positions along the canyon edge. Swords only. Once they spring their trap you should be able to find them through the haze by their weapons fire."

"We still have business HERE!" be shouted back. "KILL this worm NOW!"

With the full intent of slicing the now struggling Zoetimeerian pilot and his cockpit to confetti, Acroyear squeezes the handle of his sword tightly. But at the very thought of raising his arm to do the fatal deed, he feels a voice implore him. "Mercy", it says.

Frustrated at his sudden inability to perform what he feels is his sacred duty, he lets out a great growl, then kicks the cockpit- pilot and all- over the top of the dune, into the air and far out of sight.

"You would DARE?!?" Shaitan was outraged. "I was willing to look the other way, but now you would risk BOTH our honor? When this day is spoken of in council chambers I will NOT sully myself by saying that I witnessed the drawing of first blood here!."

"Shaitan. Something is not right." Acroyear sounded almost apologetic.

"That much is certain," Shaitan responds. He turns his back to his brother and as he flies away, adds, "We will conclude this matter in council chambers, my Lord."