The black ship rocketed through space flown by one of the best pilots in the universe, Tyler Nash. Standing behind him, staring out at the empty planet that was fast approaching was Max Steel, one of the most dangerous men ever trained by the Republican Navy. He was a broken man though, his memory shattered by the Decimitians, a race of ruthless aliens who killed or enslaved all who stood in their path. He wanted answers and the person they were going to meet could provide them. "Steel, you may want to take a seat, this is going to be a rough landing," Nash said looking behind him.

"I prefer to stand," Steel said quietly.

"Suit yourself." Nash replied hitting a button turning on he intercom, "Bernard, Wakefield! Suit up when we hit the ground we move out."

"You're sure you don't want to take a seat?" Nash asked putting on his helmet.

Steel raised an eyebrow and put on his helmet. "Stubborn son of a bitch," Nash said under his breath.

"What the hell is that?" Steel asked pointing at a an object launching towards them.

"Oh you know, just some anti-air defenses. Aimed at us."

"Great."

"Oh yeah."

The ship entered the atmosphere roughly. "Nash, I swear to God if you crash another ship, I am going to take the lovely mines that Steel gave me and shove them up your-" Bernard was cut off by Natasha falling from the compartment and striking him in the head. Luckily he had managed to put the helmet on. "That's it I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill that bastard."

"Settle down big guy," Wakefield laughed. An explosion rocked the ship and it started to roll and shot straight down. 

"Steel. Sit. Down."

"I can't!" Steel said pinned against the rear bulkhead of the cockpit by the incredible amount of pressure.

A mountain range appeared in the window. "Oh shit." 

Nash regained control of the ship just in time and the ship dodged the highest peak by mere inches.

The ship hit the ground and somersaulted through the jungle that lay on the other side of the mountains, tearing through the trees as through they were straw. Steel crashed through the door into the passenger area at the sudden impact. The tail had been ripped off and Steel was headed straight for the hole.
"Gotcha!" Bernard said grabbing Steel's foot before he could be ejected. The ship came to screeching halt in a clearing. "Second time.Second time you've crashed. What's your excuse this time?"
"I had to. We're not alone and I think it's better for everyone if the people who shot that think that we're dead. It was an Imperial missile. I'd say they've set up a perimeter around wherever the Source is hiding and will probably be moving in shortly. But first I'd probably say that they're going to be headed for us first."
"What makes you say that?"
"I crashed inside the perimeter." Nash replied. "I'd say the men headed for us will be the lower ranking less experienced squad. Nonetheless they are still extremely dangerous. These men will be like Steel and I. Not invincible but don't expect to be able to wound one and have them stay down. Weapons ready men we have the element of surprise still. They expect us to be dead."
As if on cue a squad of 12 men came around through the bushes.
"Or you know. They could see a group of us just standing around." Wakefield said bringing his shotgun up and blasting at them.
"Steel, Wakefield, move up to the coordinates the Source gave us. They're about a click away from here. We'll take these guys and follow behind you Nash ordered.
Steel and Wakefield sprayed the squad with gunfire forcing them into cover. The two of them stayed close to the ships wreckage to blend in with the smoke and made it impossible to track with the thermal scopes the enemy squad were using to see in the dark jungle night.
Bernard slug Natasha onto his shoulder in a special mount that his armor had built into it. "Alright babe, let;s show these sons of bitches why they shouldn't be here." With that the large, heavily armored man launched an extremely heavy barrage at the squad killing three of them instantly. As the bullets and plasma flew through the air Nash calmly looked down his scope at the squad leader and pulled the trigger.
"Hostiles neutralized sir, go ahead and move into her base," one of the members of the squad said into his radio when suddenly a bullet tore through his helmet and he fell to the ground dead.
"Steel, you guys need to get there, ASAFP! They're going to kill her!" Bernard yelled over the radio.
Steel and Wakefield stepped into a clearing and saw a surprisingly small structure surrounded by two squads of Imperial Special Forces. Six of the men stood out, their armor a pure jet black and looked to be lighter weight than the others. Wakefield recognized them. "Son of a bitch."
"What is it?" Steel asked
"Imperial Assassins. I've never seen so many. Ruthless, sadistic bastards. They get called in when the Empire wants to make an example."
"Great. So we have eighteen members of Special Forces, and six assassins to deal with all trying to kill some chick on a computer. As far as I can see she has no body guards, or they've been killed. They're expecting us and they really outnumber us." Although his memory was gone, Steel's skills were still as sharp as ever. He had been trained for years on how to deal with these types of situations and in his current state it was the only time he felt like himself.
"You ready?" Wakefield asked.
"Always ready," he said, chambering a round on his assault rifle. "On my mark"
Wakefield drew the hammer back on his sidearm and loosened the knife in his belt.
"Remember. Nice and quiet."
"And you remember I'm the one they call for exactly this type of situations."
"Fantastic."
The special forces lined up outside the door to the shack and breached it. An explosion lit the night sky as more than half of the operators were instantly killed.
"Still going quiet?"
"Hell no. Mark!"
The two men ran out of the jungle guns blazing, taking the surprised men out with ease. The enemy recovered quickly however and the assassins rushed into the remnants of the shack and blasted through the heavy steel hatch. "Wakefield! We need to get inside now!" Steel yelled as he leapt into the newly opened hole in the ground.
"I'm a little busy," he said surrounded by five operators and an empty shotgun. "It's cool I didn't need help or anything." Wakefield dropped the gun and put his hands in the air. One of the operators raised his weapon and aimed it at his head. The operator dropped to the ground with a hole in his helmet. Wakefield drew his sidearm and shot the two men in front of him and grabbed the third using him as a shield. "Drop the weapon and your friend may live." Wakefield said to the other. The enemy soldier shot his comrade in the chest several times before Wakefield returned fire with a single, deadly shot. " See. I totally had that, he said dropping the now dead human shield.
"Jesus these guys are ruthless," Bernard said stepping from the jungle with Nash.
"Nothing I didn't already know," Nash replied. "Where's Steel?"
"Went down that hatch a second ago after those assassins."
Just then a dropship appeared and dozens of Imperial operators dropped out of them.
"Save Steel or fight here?"
"No point in saving him if we don't take care of these guys first. Plus I'm fairly sure he can handle himself," Wakefield said reloading his shotgun."Bernard you still have one of those mines?"
"You know I do," the big man said taking one from the pouch on his side.
Steel ran after the men in black armor as they reached a door in a narrow hallway. He noticed there were only three until he turned around and was stunned to find he had been surrounded."Well shit. I should have seen this coming," he said as he faced the assassins none of whom were carrying guns of any kind. Instead they each had twin, hooked blades.
"This should be interesting," he said drawing his pistols.
He fired at the one closest to him. To his amazement the assassin dodged past it and grabbed Steel's hand,  slamming it into the wall causing his gun to go flying. The next hand went for his throat and a swift kick knocked the other hand out of the way. The assassins were incredibly acrobatic, brutal killing machines and let no one stand in their way. They were laying charges on the door. Behind that door was a woman who had all the answers to the questions he had to ask. If that door opened she would die.
Steel was pinned to the wall as another assassin moved in for the kill. Steel kicked the man holding him in the chest as hard as he could muster knocking him into one of his comrades. He unsheathed his own knife in time to use it to block an incoming blade. He grabbed the arm and stabbed the assassin in the elbow, shattering the bone. He took out the knife and cut the man's throat. As the man hit the ground clutching at his mortal wound the man who held Steel had recovered and continued his assault. The assassins had a new goal: keep Steel occupied to get their job done. Steel wasn't about to let this happen as he viciously stomped his assailant's knee and elbowed him brutally in the throat. Before Steel could finish the crippled assassin he was kicked hard in the back of the head, causing his helmet to fly off. Before he could turn to face it a fourth man joined the fray delivering a violent punch to Steel's face. He reeled as his head was bounced like tennis ball and he fell to the ground. Believing they had won the assassins continued putting charges on the door.
Steel recovered far faster than they expected and picked up his pistol and his knife. "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted, wiping the blood from his mouth and taking aim at the first one to turn around. He fired, hitting the assassin in the chest. The bullet penetrated the armor and killed the man quickly. "That's three and a half men left. You hurt the woman behind that door and I swear to God, you'll wish that you had been the first to die."

Steel couldn't believe what he saw when Nash opened the doors to the armory. The room was massive, much more than one might expect from a small resistance.

"Where did you find all this?" 

"Find it? Steel, we aren't some ragtag group of rebels barely putting together scraps. We are a shadow unit. We have no real chain of command. My men and I report directly to Fleet Admiral Oliver Hayes."

"That man saved my life."

"I thought you couldn't remember anything."

"It's very fuzzy. I remember important things. Childhood. Family. Neither of which I had much of thanks to the Empire. But thanks to Hayes I was able to live through it. Also apparently thanks to Hayes we have this," Steel said in a sweeping gesture to the enormous room.

The armory was filled with every kind of equipment ever used by the Republic. Rows upon rows of armor,  weapons, and explosives. "So this is where Bernard gets it?"
"No. We have actually no idea where he gets the amount of explosives he uses. In fact if I can only ask the Source one thing it will definitely be where the hell does he find enough explosives to blow this planet to hell six times over. If I could have a second one it would be how he plants it without anyone knowing about it."
"It's a secret," the large bearded man said with the ever present smile on his face. "And you'll never know it."
With that, Bernard walked over to a red and orange, beaten up power armor and began putting it on.
"You really think we're going to need that kind of heavy equipment?" Nash asked.
"Brother, I don't know what we're going to need. All I know is that if she's asking to meet us she probably needs help."
"Grab mine and get Wakefield his. If you're right and she does need our help in such a bad way then it's going to take all the heavy equipment we can get our hands on. Bernard, see if you can find something for our friend here."
"No need, there was a box of equipment that came with the orders," said a man standing by the door. He was average height with a muscular build. Like the rest of the crew he appeared to be in his early to mid thirties. Judging by his disheveled, light brown hair and several days of scruff, he had been extremely busy. "Captain Steel, I presume?" he said offering his hand.
"That's what they tell me," Steel said smiling. "And you are?"
"Travis Wakefield. I'm the guy they go to when shit hits the fan."
"Meaning?"
"Close quarters, sabotage, things of that nature."
"He's kind of an asshole too," Bernard said clapping the man on the back.
"Yeah fuck you too man. Anyways I did you the favor of not opening the package and going through you're stuff."
"My stuff?" Steel asked, confused.
"Yes sir, this huge ass box is addressed to 'Cpt. Maxwell Steel, Republican Navy Special Operations'. I'm assuming that's you."
"Must be. Let's open it up."
"About damn time. I've been dying to see what she sent you."
Wakefield tossed Steel the crowbar he had been carrying and they opened the crate. Inside they found a note.
'Captain Steel,
Enclosed you will find brand new equipment that was put together based on your preferences from past missions. I trust you will put it to good use as it was not easy to obtain. Even for me.
See you soon,
The Source'
A suit of black and dark green armor gleamed from the fluorescent bulbs overhead. Next to the armor were two black handguns, a long curved blade, and an assault rifle. What was next to it was what got the most attention from Bernard. "Are those-!" The large man bit his knuckle to conceal the complete joy he was feeling.
"Are they what?" Steel asked.
"Hydrogen mines!" Bernard managed to squeak out.
"Get a hold of yourself man," Wakefield laughed. "What's so special about those?"
"You set one of these things and boom everything within a hundred yards, poof gone. No radiation."
"How does that even work?"
"No idea I just know it does. I also know that I've been searching for some for years. Hell even tried some people who work for both sides. Nothing. I don't know how she does it."
"They're yours then." Steel handed them to the large, bearded man. "Are you crying?"
"No. The dust from the crate got in my eyes," Bernard said.
"There was no dust on the-"
"Don't make me get Natasha."
"Gotcha. We're good then.
 "So Wakefield is the ship ready?" Nash asked, staring dumbfounded at the man now hugging a handful of grenades.
"Walker is doing the final checks but we should be good to go in about 20 minutes. Go grab some chow and clean yourselves up. Particularly you, Steel. It's like you you've never looked in a mirror."
At this point Steel became suddenly aware that he hadn't had a haircut or shaved in years. "Holy shit," He said noticing his reflection in the visor of his armor. "I look like Karl Marx"
"Who?"
"No idea. Just kind of popped into my head."
"God I can't wait for you to get that brain of yours straightened out." Nash said, shaking his head as he left the room.
"Remember brother. I've let it slide so far but I'm the only one allowed with giant beard. It's kind of my thing."
After years, Steel finally got a look at his face after years. Relatively handsome, he had hazel eyes and dark brown hair, now cut short and combed to the side. Standing at about 6'1", whatever program he was a part of had allowed him to keep his physique after years of exhaustion and starvation. He put on his armor and  stepped out into the main hangar to join the others.
"Everyone ready to go?" Nash said over the intercom. Steel took notice of the ship for the first time. It was about 50 yards long, with swept back wings. The ship was a matte black so that it would not be easily detected. It's small size meant limited room but it could also land anywhere without attracting attention. Most ships would be unable to pick it up on radar and the ones that could would discount it as a glitch due to the size. Steel stepped aboard. "How long until we reach our destination?"
"About six hours."
"Isn't this ship a little small to have a hyperdrive?"
"Seeing as it's going to take us six hours to get to another part of the damn solar system I'd say no." Wakefield, the helmet of his gray power armor sitting nest to him, offered.
"Thanks asshole."
"I warned you about him.," Bernard said.
"Cut the chatter, men." Nash said from the cockpit. "Carson are we cleared for take off?"
"Yep."
"Real professional."
"Just go already. Jesus."
"Roger."
With that the blast doors opened and the ship hurtled out of the valley into the dawn.

Steel followed Nash to the armory and filled him in on what was happening.
"No one's ever met The Source Steel. She's been communicating with us for years and no one knows who or where she is. That keeps her safe. She is part of a network of a few people just like her who can get anything or anyone."
"What do you think caused her to change her mind?"
"You did."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Steel, we know who you are. You're some kind of special operations super soldier used by the Republic. Yeah, you have amnesia or some shit. Maybe that chip wasn't completely destroyed. Just damaged enough for you to fight it. Steel, you know nothing about yourself but I guarantee you she knows everything about you. Why don't you think Bernard blew you away on sight? You disarmed him with your looks? No. Despite the fact you came tearing through the streets covered in blood looking like a fucking crazy person we were expecting you."
"How?
"Who do you think caused that explosion in the mine?"
"No."
"You bet your ass we did."
"There were innocent people in there!" Steel roared, grabbing Nash by the throat and slamming him into a wall.
"Steel... listen to me..."
"Their lives for mine... WHY?!" Steel tightened his grip. Nash kicked Steel in the chest sending him back several feet.
"YOU THINK IT WAS EASY?!"
"WHY?!"
"BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY!" Nash yelled, a tear forming in his eye. "I thought I would never have to hurt the innocent again.. Because of you I had to. I was like you once. Same program that the Republic used to make you, the Empire used to make me. It turned out I was on the winning side, but I'll never say I was on the right one." He slumped to the ground against the wall. "I killed who they needed me to. No one ever saw it coming. I'd hit them from miles away. Quick, painless. I only killed soldiers though. Never civilians. Ever. I had a rule. Any mission that went like that I'd stop. One day they ordered me to kill the family of a man who was opposing The Emperor. I refused. I don't do families I told them." Nash said quietly. "They told me doing this mission would shoot me straight to the top. I told them to fuck off I had my rules and I wasn't going to break them for a shot to be the Emperor's lapdog. I walked away. They told me if I walked through that door my career would be over. I didn't care. I hopped on the first shuttle home. I got there as soon as I could..." Nash almost couldn't continue through the tears. "I saw smoke in the distance as I came over the hill. I've never run so fast in my life. I heard my wife crying for help. The house was on fire. The doors welded shut. I didn't care. I smashed through the wall... I was too late, I-I held her in my arms one last time but... dead. She was dead..."
"Christ," Steel sighed
"I killed anyone and everyone who had anything to do with it. With the exception of the man who did it. She found him though. I made that bastard pay. I'm not proud of what I did to him but it was what I needed to do. She gave me a name and where he was. Then she asked me for a favor. After what she had done for me I was open to anything. She told me to find you and get you out of there by whatever means necessary. We wanted to free everyone. She told us that once those chips were implanted that the people were zombies. People like you and I could make a full recovery. Others would be vegetables. They're essentially dead with no hope of salvation. I'm not happy about it either but she told me freeing you would save millions more. With you we can change this war."
"Maybe once. I'm not that man anymore. Hell, I barely know my own name."
"That chip isn't completely gone. You're fighting it because you're strong enough but to get your memories back you're going to have to get it out of you're head. She can do it safely and that's one of the reasons why we're headed to meet her."
"And the other reasons?"
"She won't tell me but until you she never asked for anything in return or the intel she provided. I have a feeling it's about time she's going to have us pay our debts."
"Great. Now I need a weapon."

The trio stood on the top of a gorge and looked down on a river bed that had long been dry. "That's our way in," Bernard said gruffly.

"Let's move, we're being followed," Steel replied.

Nash shouldered his rifle and looked down the scope, "Not for long." Three shots rang out in the cold silence. "They were scouts, there will be more. We have to alert the others."

"What the hell is that?" Bernard roared over the wind.

"Dropships. We're out of time." 

"Nash, Steel get to the base, Natasha and I'll hold them off as long as we can!" the large man ordered as he loaded his rail gun."

"No. We're not leaving you behind," Steel replied. 

"Yes. You are. Now get the hell out of here."

"Steel, he'll be fine. You ever rappelled before?"

"Ha. Please."
"So that's a yes?"
"Not sure but I'll probably be fine."
"Ladies, cut the chit chat and go already!"
With that the two men began their descent down the sheer cliff.
"So what's the plan?"
"The plan is to get to the base, alert the others and evacuate."
"What about Bernard?"
"He'll be fine. He's been through worse. Probably."
Steel and Nash reached the bottom and sprinted down the riverbed. The entrance to the base was in sight when a Decimitian dropship landed in front of them.
The men dove behind a pile of rubble as the ship blasted the area with it's shock cannon.
"Nash, how much ammo have you got?"
"I have a grenade and one full clip left for the rifle. You?"
"Yeah..."
"Seriously?"
"I escaped from a slave camp and Decimitian weapons aren't exactly designed for us. Do you have a sidearm?"
"Here." Nash handed Steel a .44 Magnum. You feeling lucky?"
"Not particularly, why?"
"Never mind. Just take it. There are only six shots make them count."
The dropship continued to rain fire down upon their position, when suddenly a piece of metal ripped through it annihilating the ship and everyone inside.
"And that's why we keep Bernard and Natasha around, now let's move!"
Nash and Steel raced towards the entrance to the base as two large blast doors opened. A man carrying a shotgun waved the two of them in. "Where the hell is Rob?"
"He should be coming down any second now," Nash replied.
As if on cue Bernard grabbed one of the ropes and leapt off the five hundred foot cliff, sliding down with one hand on the rope. Nash and the gatekeeper covered Steel as he raced to help his new friend.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Steel roared over the gun fire.
"That it would work as well as it did!" The big man yelled back, smiling broadly holding his bleeding hand. "Well, what are you waiting for let's go!"
As they covered their men Nash turned to the man next to him "Walker, why the hell were these gates opened for just the three of us?"
"How about we discuss this after they're shut again."
"Close them!" Bernard roared as he turned to fire at a cluster of newly landed Decimitian troops. As he and Steel ran the enormous doors began to shut.
"Inside, now!" Nash roared as Steel grabbed his enthusiastic friend and pulled him in.
As the door shut behind them they felt the ground shake. "What was that?" Walker asked.
He turned to Bernard who was smiling like a child on Christmas. "I'm not even going to ask how you pulled off rigging the entire damn valley to blow."
"Are you sure because it took a lot of work to pull it off."
"Later, Bernard," Nash cut in coldly. "Answer my question Walker, why the hell did you open that gate with that army behind us."
"Simple. She told me to."
"Would you mind elaborating?"
"The Source. I've never met her but she provides very useful intelligence. For example that man you're with. Captain Max Steel former Republican Navy Special Operations officer. She thought he'd be a great asset to the team seeing as how he was among the first to fight these aliens. By the way sir, it's an honor to meet you my name's Jarrod Walker. I've read about some of your missions even the ones that were highly classified. Very exciting stuff."
"Thanks but I think you know more about my life than I do," Steel replied.
"She thought you might say something like that. Travis is preparing the transport now, The Source has requested to meet with you four personally. Very interesting seeing as no one knows who she is. The coordinates are located on this drive and she said to only give it to you personally." Steel took the drive from the gatekeeper.
"Thanks."
"Alright," Nash interjected. "Gentleman, gear up and reload. Steel, you should find the armory to your liking. We leave at dawn."