Far off on the barren wasteland of Mar Sara, a planet now in the midst of recovery from scorched earth and complete biological eradication, the Kelmorian Combine worked their toll for their right to claim the planet as their own. The large mining settlement and star port of New St. Angels was the center of their control, surrounded by the planet's signature high plateaus and brown ashen dirt roads. All around the surface, dotted by numerous towns, farms and mines, was devoid of much life, but underground and within the towering cliffs were vast complexes of tunnels and structures, some old from the time of the Brood Wars and some new from the unrelenting search for precious minerals the Combine sought after.<br/><br/>The people here were mostly friendly, hardy and hardworking, simple blue collar folk working factories, farms and mining equipment. Here for most townships, everyone was like family. With the generous standards set by their Combine employers, their pay was high and the risks were even higher. Many dangers still lurk the scarred surface and the darknesss below ground, in many of the old town ruins and military bases that poke out in the open landscape. Strange creatures that were never seen before appear in the least expected places. Those who run across these creatures almost never return and for those who do were mortally wounded. These few survivors tell many stories of their attackers, many of them exaggerated and sketchy. A local old time favourite near the town of Tamper Downs, next to Fort Void, was the 'Black Dust Devil', a huge monstrous being that kicks up large amounts of dust when it charges, able to tear apart almost anything it could get its claws upon. They say that if they hear the thing's horrifying scream, it could be the last thing they would ever hear. The stories about it range from the fantastic to the downright grim, mostly grim enough for Fort Void to make sure that they send out Vulture and marine escorts to anybody who were making the crossing down Tamper Valley. The hired soldiers obviously protested but their employers remained adamant in making sure the creature did not attack the town, more so that they were willing to pull patrols for bandits out just to answer to any distress call.<br/><br/>To everyone that lived there, they only thought of it as a crazed wild animal. Little did anyone know that it was something much more.... and others hunted for it, for price, pride and glory. So far, no hunter had ever made it back alive.<br/><br/>Taking the young hunter in a marine suit, lying on the ground next to a ruined Vulture motorcycle, with blood streaming out of almost every chink, seam and opening. Joe didn't listen to any of the warnings, not even the veterans at the bounty office in Tamper Downs. They had told him it was not easy, and perhaps way too much for his calibre or his guns. A chase down a canyon with his Vulture and a major slip up later, he seemed to have broken at least half a dozen bones, which was not as bad as the large gash on the abdominal area of his suit and a leg that was supposed to be there a few moments ago. His pistol was in his hand, his rifle on his left, the clips empty and the spent shells littered on the ground. His visor was up and jammed in positioned, letting the sunlight of the Mar Saran sun beating down onto his bloody face. His breath rapid, mouth open in an attempt to keep sucking up as much air as he could to keep him from falling unconscious. Every muscle in his body, every servo and mechanical part of his suit quivered and shaked, numbing out the pain of his mortal wounds as more of his life force left him. All he could see from his view of the cloudy sky, was the blazing sun and the circling of carrion birds. He knew this could be the last view he could ever see, and before long, deep feelings of regret and dread flooded his mind. All sounds drowned out into a dull ring as a shadow loomed over him, the glow of massive sickle like blades and a pair of menacing red orbs flashing upon his widening eyes.<br/><br/>A voice then filled his head, a roar of rage that struck terror into the very depths of his soul. The shadow suddenly raised one of its blades, and brought it straight down upon him.