The "Pioneer Project" - A Plan born of desperation, conceived in response to the imminent destruction of their home worlds.  As plans for the evacuation began, unmanned probes were sent into deep space to find a habitable planet.  When a potential site was discovered the first interstellar transport ship, Pioneer 1, was sent to establish a colony.  Pioneer 1 confirmed that the planet Ragol was a suitable location, and the initial colonists started preparing the planet for the main wave of refugees, beginning with the construction of the central dome.

7 years later Pioneer 2 completed its long voyage with refugees aboard, but as pioneer 2 entered orbit and opened a communications link with the central dome, an enormous explosion shook the entire planet.  All contact with the thousands of men and women of pioneer 1 was lost...

It has been three weeks since the disaster and the go-ahead has finally been given to the Hunter's Guild to send members down to the surface and find out what happened to the Pioneer 1 colony.  One such hunter is Marcus Keiser, a young but seasoned human hunter who joined for the thrill of the fights and for the money to be made via the Hunter's Guild's 'Salvage Rights'.

"Ah, Marcus.  Are you here for a job?"  The guild receptionist asked, "Yeah, now that the lock down is over I want to get started right away."  

“Alright then," the receptionist replied, looking down at the monitor in front of her, "There is a partner job available right now.*

"Is there anything else?"  Marcus said in an exasperated tone "I hate working with partners."

"Sorry nothing else is available."  The receptionist said apologetically, "If you want to wait..."  She left the sentence hanging as she looked at him.  "Fine, I'll take it." he said dejectedly.  "Good, I'll let the client know."

"The client will see you now." came the soft metallic voice a female domestic’s model Cast, "Alright." Marcus replied as he got up and looked derisively at the Cast, Damn metal freaks, no mind, no soul, abominations of nature he thought to himself.  As he walked into the waiting room he scanned his surroundings looking for his partner.  "I'm glad you could make it, my name is Zidd."  

"So you're the client?" Marcus asked, sizing Zidd up, "Where is my partner?"

"He's just outside, I've already told him his part of the mission, all you need to worry about is getting my brother Ash back safe and sound, your partner is responsible for the safe return of a data disk Ash has with him."

"That's it?"

"Nothing, else, just get my brother, get the disk, and get out."

As Marcus left the briefing room he looked around the lounge to try and spot his partner. Hmm, I don't see any likely candidates anywhere.  I hope I didn't get stuck with some novice. "You there,” he said pointing at a nearby Cast, "I'm looking for my partner for a Hunter job, you see anyone come out of this room before me?" The cast looked coldly at Marcus and didn't answer.  "Listen to me you robotic freak, I asked you a-"  Marcus was suddenly cut off as the cast's arm shot out and grabbed him by the throat, easily lifting him in the air.  "My name is Kireek, I am your partner for this mission."  With that the Kireek dropped Marcus to the ground and moved towards the transporter.  Damn casts, not very often you see one without an owner though.  Marcus got up off the ground and rubbed his throat.  Damn thing looks like he was made for combat, don’t really too many of those around here either.  

“Are you ready meatbag?”  Kireek asked as Marcus walked up to the teleporter.  “I’m just as ready as you are tin can.”  He growled as they stepped into the light.

“So this is Ragol huh?” Marcus said contemptuously as he exited the planet side teleporter, “Doesn’t look like if you ask me.”

“Nobody did.” Kireek said emotionlessly as they set out towards Ash’s last known coordinates.  As they entered a clearing in the woods that lay near the Pioneer 1 settlement, they heard a low rumbling growl.  “I suggest you prepare for battle, weakling.” Kireek said as he held out his hand and began to pull his own weapon from sub-space.  “Just try and keep up with me you bucket of bolts.”  Replied Marcus as he too began to summon his own weapon, a standard class 3 buster saber, from his sub-space compartment.  He didn’t even spare a glance at Kireek as several boomas crashed into the clearing.  “Alright boys, let’s dance.”

Marcus quickly took the offensive, dashing immediately towards the nearest booma, his photon blade connecting with flesh as he led his assault.  His first blow removed the arm from the leading booma and as it cried out in pain he quickly turned to dodge the angry assault of another booma.  Spinning with the dodge he plunged his saber into the belly of a third booma and savagely ripped it open, spilling its guts onto the grassy ground. Calmly he turned to face the rest of the boomas and was hit with a powerful blow from a fourth booma’s clawed paw that scored deeply into his armor.  Enraged at being hit he turned his fury towards his assailant and sliced of one of its legs before plunging his blade into its forehead.  As he relished the death of the beast, he was suddenly sent flying by a powerful backhanded blow to the head from one of the remaining boomas.  As he skidded across the ground he was only dimly aware that he had lost his grip on his saber.  Muttering curses at the boomas he pulled another weapon from his sub-space compartment, a small compact photon hand gun.  As the two remaining boomas he was fighting resolutely marched towards him he opened fire on them both.  As the boomas took shot after shot they began to slow down, until they finally collapsed.  As Marcus walked up to the still living creatures he looked contemptuously at them, retrieved his saber and loped off their heads.  I wonder how that useless pile of junk is doing. he thought to himself as he turned to see how Kireek had dealt with his assailants.

Kireek was surrounded by dozens of angry boomas, and by even more dead ones, wielding a gigantic scythe.  Marcus stared aghast at the weapon, this was no photon weapon, but had an archaic metal blade, decorated with strange symbols that seemed to glow in the light.  Kireek himself was a vision of a warrior god, gigantic, metal clad, and stained with blood.  Each time he swung his scythe he killed several boomas, slicing through their bodies as though they were paper, and each time the blade met flesh and took another life, Marcus thought he could see a dull red light shoot up the handle into Kireek.  Continued his gruesome task Kireek began to laugh, not the cold laugh of a determined warrior , or berserker's enraged laugh, but a laugh of madness.  The shrill cackle of insanity.  As he continued to cut down the boomas, they finally decided that he was too much, they couldn’t defeat this blood stained god of death and began to retreat.  However they weren’t fast enough, as they tried to run away, Kireek effortlessly caught up with them and killed each one, until there was but one left, one that looked like it would escape, one that held a glimmer of hope that it might live to see another day.  Unwilling to let his prey escape Kireek threw his scythe at the booma with such strength that it not only sliced the creature in half, but went through two trees before stopping, Marcus could simply stare, appalled, as the light of hope, and of life, fled from the booma’s eyes.

Kireek walked forward and retrieved the scythe, and looked directly into Marcus’s eyes.  Staring into those cold metal eyes Marcus saw something he had never before seen in any cast, these were not the dull soulless eyes of an emotionless robot, but they had a life.  Those eyes seemed to grin at him.  No, not quite a grin, they shone forth the lewd parody of a grin that was insanity.  Marcus knew at that point that Kireek was no mere cast, he had a soul, a mind of his own, and he was insane.

“Come on human,” Kireek growled, “we don’t have all day.”  With that short statement he turned and walked on.  Marcus could only stare in shock at Kireek and silently wonder if following him was a good idea.  As this thought passed through his mind he shook himself mentally, this was no way for a hunter to act, least of all a hunter of Marcus’s caliber.  Resolutely Marcus returned his weapons to their own sub-space compartment and cautiously pulled out a small pair of photon daggers.  If it looked like Kireek would try anything Marcus would be able to drive the daggers into Kireek’s central processing core before the cast would even be able to begin bringing his own weapon to bear.

As they traveled further into the outskirts of the Pioneer 1 base camp they encountered no more of the boomas, or any other life form.  As they entered a small natural enclosure they saw there a human body lying on the ground.  Marcus dashed towards it as Kireek looked on emotionlessly.  As Marcus knelt near Ash he heard Ash whisper, “Th-there still here, they knew more would come!”  A wild glint of fear was in Ash’s eyes as he whispered this.  Before Marcus could inquire further sharp rumbling growls could be heard as a large pack of wolves leapt out f the surrounding forest and began to circle the group cautiously.  “Don’t worry Ash, we’ll handle this.”  Marcus said reassuringly as he returned his daggers to his sub-space compartment and pulled out a pair of buster class sabers.  Kireek too was pulling out his weapon from its own compartment, a battle hungry look gleaming in his heartless eyes.  He didn’t even wait for the wolves to get closer, instead he ran towards the pack of wolves, already beginning to utter a low cackle.

As more than three quarters of the pack moved to engage Kireek, the rest began circling Marcus.  He watched them carefully, trying to make sure that none of them got a clear shot at his back.  As he glanced down towards Ash one of the wolves suddenly leapt towards him.  Reacting with a speed born of experience, Marcus dodged under the wolf and sliced open its belly as it passed over him.  With the packs formation broken, he fell upon them like a vengeful demon, slicing and hacking to each side.  As soon as it had begun the wolves were retreating, of the large pack less than half a dozen were left, all of them ones that had been fighting Marcus.  Of all the wolves that had engaged Kireek, not one was left standing.  

“Are you alright?”  Marcus asked Ash, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” He hesitantly replied “Do you still have the data disk your brother wants?”  Kireek coldly asked him.  “Yeah, it’s right here…”  He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small data disk.  Kireek quickly took the disk saying “Good, my contract states I need only return with the disk, the weakling is yours to deal with.”  Kireek said turning to Marcus, a strange light seeming to shine forth from the casts’s eyes as he stared at Marcus.  “You fought well human, get stronger and I would be glad to see you again.” With this Kireek began to laugh once more, A low chuckle that held the same insanity and malice that Marcus had heard in the fight with the boomas.  Still chuckling Kireek activated a telepipe and was teleported back to pioneer 2.

Marcus and Ash stared at the place where Kireek had vanished, unable to do or say anything for several moments.  “Come on Ash, let’s get going.”  Marcus said quietly, handing Ash a telepipe.  “B-but aren’t you worried about that cast?  He seemed like he was insane.” Ash said, worry tinged with fear visible in his eyes.  “Don’t worry about it kid.  I’ll deal with him when the time comes.” Marcus said reassuringly, while to himself he fervently hoped he would never have to face that monstrosity in combat.  “Your brother is worried about you, let’s get going.”

“Thank you for everything!” Zidd exclaimed joyously.  “Hey, I just do what I get paid to do.  Did Kireek get that data disk to you?”  Marcus replied, “Oh, yes.”  Zidd quickly replied, his grin quickly being replaced with a frown.  “He got back a few minutes before you did, gave me the disk and went to collect his fee, I’ve never seen a cast like that before…  Hope I never see one like it again for that matter.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” Marcus muttered to himself as he took his fee from Zidd.  “What was that?”  Ash asked him questioningly.  “Nothing, nothing.”  Marcus said, shaking his head, “Oh and Ash.”

“Yeah?”

“Train hard so I don’t have to come rescue you again.”  With that statement Marcus left to see what his next job would be.