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The headless body topples to the ground and Jade drops the camera. Tearing off his balaclava he takes two hurried steps before his stomach heaves and he can hold off no more. Larni looks coldly between the remainder of Lima Squad as they remove their masks.

Each one wants congratulations. to be patted on the back for a job well done. Such niceties are beyond Larni as her eyes roam the slaughtered camp. “They will be here soon.” She says glancing at the puking XO, “We have no time for this...”

Aussie Bloke shakes his head, glancing at her once before he goes to help Jade back to his feet. Turning her back, Larni moves towards the trees.

“Jesus Christ AB she’s *****ing lost it....” Jade mutters wiping the spew from his chin. “This is insane....”

AB nods, “We’ll talk later but she is right.” He says looking back to the decapitated corpse. “They will not take this nicely and be hunting us. We need to go”

“Let them come. I’d prefer a stand up fight than this....”
________________________________________ ___________________

Hands tear at her clothes. Voices deep and guttural speak in a foreign dialect. They taunt her, they laugh as they pleasure themselves....

Larni sits up with a start. Her breathing shallow and rushed she fights down the nightmare. She adds a kindling to the small fire in the cavern. Every time she closes her eyes the vision taunts her... the hands reaching...

“You will never be weak again.”

Nodding Larni looks over to the tribal elder and offers a small smile, this man she trust above all others. “I thought the nightmares would end....”

He chuckles, “Vengeance will not bring you the peace that you seek.”

“Then why?”

He opens his hands, palm up but offers no explanation as Aussie Bloke enters, gun drawn. “You’re awake.” He says his eyes scanning and finding nothing, “I heard you speaking to someone?”

Shrugging her shoulders Larni stands and glances at the elder who inclines his head. “I talk to myself sometimes.”She says to AB moving out into the main cavern where Lima Squad sit around the fire Jade, still visibly pale averts his eyes as she enters.

Looking at each man, Larni reads their concern and sits by the fire “Speak your minds”

“It’s a little hard when we don’t know where your friends went.” Apartmento confesses and she nods appreciating his honesty.

“They will not eat with us. Much as they will aid us in fighting the Brazilians, they consider us invades as well. It took two hundred years for our kind to begin to understand their attachment to this land. They do not want to go through another two hundred years of occupation before they are rightfully acknowledged and respected.”

“Well then where are they?”

Larni smiles at the large muscle bound soldier, “They return to the Dreamtime.” She replies as her eyes go to Jade. “Tell me the truth of your thoughts”

Finally Jade meets her eyes and his hand clenches in a fist. “We are soldiers not executioners....We don’t even know your name yet we slaughtered sleeping men for you.”

She smiles knowingly, “You did not act for me. There is a darkness within all men, a monster hidden deep within. Always you attempt to tame it, to keep it leashed with rules and regulations. Strict codes of conduct, laws that you all abide by. All I did was remove the chain.”

Reaching for a stick she stokes the fire. “The land does not need more soldiers. The survivors do not need bravery and foolish heroics”

Jade stands shaking his head , “I’ll have no more of this” Reaching for his pack and hoping the others will follow he walks off, knowing he will be returning to the war front alone. The woman had bewitched them...

“What do they it need?” the voice belongs to Aussie Bloke’s who’s eyes had never left her despite his XO storming off.

Larni looks to him and smiles motioning to the camera laying beside the packs. Shauny B
reaches over and passes it to AB. “Press the record button.” She advises. He smirks a little foolishly and bringing the camera to his eye-line focuses on her.

“The cowardly forces who attacked us and laid waste to our cities understand this, Your time is over. Your chance to destroy us has passed. Our soldiers stood before you in defiance and our armies held you at bay.

You wanted to flood our land like a tidal wave. To brush us aside with your military might before our brothers noticed. You failed and now our family answers the call to arms. Your time to destroy us has passed.”

She goes out of focus slightly as AB adjusts position, refocusing as she speaks again. “As we hang onto the last vestige of hope, some of our people lay cowering in basements, others roam the bushland seeking sanctuary. More still, are held captive in the enemy containment camps. Know this, while there is one man, one woman, one child suffering under the enemy occupation we will hunt. We will drown the land in your blood. We will find our people we will bring you to safety.
We are the North Star. We bow to no one.”

AB lowers the camera, his eyes never leaving Larni as she looks over to where Jade now stands at the entrance. “Do you mean it....North Star?” Larni raises an eyebrow and remains silent, her lips pursed together. “About the people....the lost...the captured.” Larni slowly stands, her movement smooth and fluid, her eyes intense.

“I offer you only a meaning, a purpose. To be more than a soldier who manned the walls in the defence of our cities.”

“I will not slaughter sleeping men again.” Jade says clinging onto his resolve.

“It will be easier next time.” Larni replies her voice cold as she takes out her dagger and places the blade her hand, slicing into her flesh and drawing blood. She holds her clenched fist over the flames, droplets of blood hiss in the fire “Darkness falls across the land in Western Australia and the North. The survivors have no hope. Do you know what it is like to live without hope?”

The shadows dance across her face and she allows a moment for the words to sink in. “We will give them hope. We will be the candle that holds off the night. Whether it be bogymen or saviours it matters little. Word will spread, people will whisper our name in the wind. The lost souls will hear it echo through the land. They will dream of the day the North Star comes.... and the Brazilians will fear it.”

Jade lowers his pack to the ground, it is obvious to him that the woman has lost her mind and he no longer cares. Larni reverses her blade and hands it to him. Jade looks around at the rest of the squad then runs the sharp edge across his palm.

He holds his bloodied hand over the flames...

In her minds’ eye Larni hears the aboriginal elder begin his chant...

[last one for a while. I hope it catches on and people put a bit more effort into what they are posting]