"You know I was really unlucky.. I mean really REALLY unlucky. For starters I was born on an apocalypse planet."

"If you think that sounds bad, well that's because it is. An apocalypse planet is a planet that was deemed to be uninhabitable for human life because everything inside that planet is out there to kill you."

"So by definition no human should live in that planet... But I was born there so that definition was far from accurate."

"So who would live in an apocalypse planet? Oh that is simple, pirates, criminals and traitors... Obviously."

"So what did my parents do? I don't know? What I do know, is they sold me to a Terraforming company."

"Well true it does pay well. Selling a child means less mouth to feed for starters."

"Also the so called 'parents' will received lots of credits... legal credits. For terraforming companies need a lot of bodies."

"There is a reason for that."

"For one, the average age of a terraformer is 12. The majority of terraformers that died while working is 12."

"In conclusion, they really need those meat shields."

"But there are benefits."

"One, they will give us mechs. Which is awesome by the way." 

"Two, they will feed actually feed us, which is even more awesome."

"Three, We will have a place to sleep, which is also awesome."

"The downside, I have to survive the installation of the neuron thingy. Basically the thing that helps us connect to the mech."

"They install it by opening our heads and connecting something nasty to our spines." 

"Let us not forget that the operation was done without anesthesia  so it hurts... it really REALLY hurts, so much so I thought I was going to die."

"And many did die. In fact the success rate was actually about five percent... well it was... if you have a licensed surgeon."

"I was lucky that I survive and I got to drive a sick mech... but I think I spent all of my luck at that operating table."

"Then there is the casualty thing.... to drive my point further... we die... a lot."

"Don't get me wrong. Terraforming planets is actually fun. I got to dig trenches install atmospheric columns, I even get to farm."

"Unless their is something living on that damn planet in the first place."

"Seriously some of these alien beasts are huge. Like really huge. My mech stands at six meters tall and these things are looking at me eye to eye."

"Talk about exotic."

"Yeah I lost many friends from those kinds of planets. What you think a mech that weights about 25 tons can protect you from the jaws of an alien that resembles a dinosaur?... trust me it doesn't...Sweet liberty, it doesn't... Stars above those are some terrible flashbacks"

"Basically I started 'working' at a terraforming company at the age of seven.... I am on my twenties now, I think."

"By terraforming, I meant going to a lifeless planet and digging a lot and planting, erecting atmospheric columns. The work is easy if it is a lifeless planet."

"However, It could also mean going to a planet full of life, spreading the word of democracy to the locals by touching them gently with a four meter long chainsaw, and turning their planet into an inferno. Making the planet's air more friendly to democracy and less friendly to illegal aliens."

"By illegal aliens. I meant exotic creatures big and small. From creatures that resembles dinosaurs to giant insects, mushroom communists and sometimes robotic socialists."

"Yeah... we are actually colonizer-I meant Liberators. We are liberators."

"To make this long story short, I was terraforming a forested planet, spreading liberty and sharing democracy, yada yada yada, buddy dies because a dinosaur ate him, which is tragic but you'll get used to it... actually you don't...trust me you don't."

"Anyway, we were peacefully spreading glorious democracy when suddenly the locals fought back.. which is surprising because they usually don't... no...not at this stage."

"Basically this dinosaur like aliens suddenly charged at us with lizard communists behind their backs and they started shooting at us with high caliber cannon blasters."

"Its unfair really. I mean they shouldn't be fighting back with guns and cannons at the first place." 

"The company didn't inform us that there is an alien scourge on this planet, in fact we all thought it was just a bunch of alien beasts that inhabits this jungle planet."

"The purpose of our mechs is to terraform not to fight aliens. Heck none of us have cannons attached on our mechs, just hands for grabbing and an attached chainsaw for cutting trees... and wildlife... We also have flamethrowers to communicate with the locals.... But we don't even have kinetic shields, those things are for the knights."

"We are not soldiers I swear ... We are slave-I meant volunteer workers, we are volunteer workers."

"And we all got chased by literal dinosaurs with cannons on their backs."

"So we ran for our lives and call the army.... They did not come."

"So what did we do?... Well we fought back for sweet liberty obviously."

"If we surrender we'll get killed by the aliens if not, then by the army. For Glorious Democracy has no place for aliens and traitors."

"So we went back to the jungle. Kill some aliens using the chainsaws attached on the arms of our mechs."

"Perhaps I made it sound easy. Trust me... Its not. We can't face them head on. We will get vaporized if we do that. So we made traps and we ambush the aliens that are riding the alien beasts."

"Of course we have to make sure we always outnumber them. If there is too much we retreat and make more traps."

"Seriously its a nightmare."

"Basically my buddies kept dying... But we adapt. We liberated the weapons from the alien scourge and attached it to our mechs. If some of us dies... well we collect their mechs and used those parts to replace our broken parts or reinforce our mechs... The result is this glorious work of art right here."

"I don't know how those cannons work but it shoots things, vaporizes those things and it is shiny."

"So to summarize, I killed the alien scourge and I lost many of my friends at the process. We found their base, which is an alien starship that crash from space, we liberated that starship wreck killing many communists and dinosaurs, in exchange... I'm the only one left... and that is how I met you, you damn communist." the brown skinned man says to an alien head. The head resembles that of a lizard with three eyes. "Stars above I'm so lonely" the man sighs as he throws the alien head into a burning inferno. He winced as he felt the heat through his worn-out nano suite. 

He looks at the night sky above. The night is starless and the only light the illuminated the darkness is the inferno, the burning wreck of a small starship. "Stars Above" says the man "I'm going crazy."

The man wearing a yellow nano suit and a tattered orange jacket approaches his stead, A green machine clad in steel, it has the shaped of a hunch man, on its left metal clad arm there is a claw, that seems to be used for heavy lifting and possibly digging. On its right is arm a chainsaw, four meters long. The claw and the chainsaw is filled with what seems to be blue blood. Its green exterior is filled with scratches and patches of scrap metal that seems to be hastily welded on its frame, on its an arm is an insignia, a white skull with a growing tree on top and the name 'Gravekeeper' . Though these battle scars and identity tag are hidden by leaves and branches, that are hastily attached to the machine. At a distance the machine looks like a tree or a very tall bush, an invisible sentinel.

As the man approached, the kneeling machine's hatch atop its hunched back creaked open, revealing a sight that should send shivers down anyone's spine. Nestled within was not a welcoming cockpit, but a chair that seemed more suited for pain rather than comfort. Constructed of unforgiving metal, its design invoked images of ancient instruments of torture rather than a seat for a pilot.

The backrest bore a menacing needle, protruding ominously, as if daring any who dared to sit upon it. It loomed like a silent threat, casting a pall of unease over the otherwise imposing machine. Yet, despite its menacing appearance, the man knew that within that uncomfortable throne lay the heart of his machine, a connection in which he would command his machine's formidable might in the harsh and unforgiving world beyond.

With a practiced ease, the man approached the machine, betraying no hint of hesitation as he ascended into its metallic embrace. Despite the chair's daunting appearance, he settled into it as if it were a familiar refuge, its harsh contours molding to his form with a peculiar sense of comfort.

As he seated himself, the needle on the backrest found its mark with precision, sliding seamlessly into a corresponding hole on his back. There was no flinch, no sign of discomfort, only a silent acceptance of the symbiotic bond between man and machine. With this connection established, the man and his mechanical steed became one, ready to embark on their next journey into the unknown.

With this simple action the machine roars to life, Its engine resembles the sound of a howling wolf. The machine's single eye then glowed in a sinister and cold blue. The hatch seals shut and the machine starts to move. Its steel digitigrade legs and oversized feet, kept the machine from sinking to its weight. Despite how the machine looked its movements is rather quick and agile. One can even say that it moves too quickly and something its size shouldn't even move that fast.

With a fluidity that defied its massive bulk, the machine surged forward, its steel limbs propelling it with a grace that seemed almost unearthly. Like a specter amidst the chaos of the burning wreckage, it navigated the treacherous terrain with uncanny precision.

The machine's single eye darted from side to side, scanning the fiery landscape with a cold, calculating gaze. With each movement, it deftly avoided the engulfing flames of the alien starship's wreckage, dodging and weaving through the inferno with an almost preternatural awareness.

Despite the searing heat and swirling smoke, the machine pressed on, its movements unwavering as it carved a path through the devastation. With each leap and bound, it seemed to defy the very laws of physics, a silent sentinel amidst the burning inferno.

The leaves and branches that are attached to the machine started to burn. But the metal beast doesn't seem to mind, as it tries to go deeper inside the inferno.

The pilot gulps as sweat starts to form on his head. His hands shake in fear as he braves the inferno in front of him. 

The leaves and branches have already burned to crisp. The green paint coating of his machine starts to boil.

Despite this, he kept pressing forward through the blistering inferno, the machine's sensors remained vigilant, scanning the wreckage amidst the burning hell. Amidst the roar of flames and the acrid stench of smoke, a faint blip registered on the machine's scanners.

Without hesitation, the pilot issued a silent command to his machine. His brain is connected to it, for him, controlling the machine is like controlling his body. The machine responded in kind, swerving in the direction indicated by the sensors, its movements fluid and purposeful even amidst the chaos.

Through the haze of smoke and fire, the machine pressed onward. With each step, it drew closer to its quarry, guided by the unwavering determination of its terrified pilot

What the pilot saw is another burning wreck. The machine resembles his machine with the only difference is the chainsaw was replaced by a laser cannon. 

Using his machine's claws he gently rips the machine's cockpit. Careful not to damage the pilot that it is protecting.

He was greeted by a dead pilot. The body was scorched so much no one can identify him. But he picks the burning body of his comrade, the machine cradling the deceased in its sharp claws, a futile attempt to protect the body from the burning inferno.

However the flames have become bigger and the inferno more deadly as its fires started devouring everything in its path without hesitation and remorse. Troubled by this realization the pilot with his machine rushes away from the burning inferno of the starship.

Now with the burning wreck of the starship behind them. The man went deeper to the darkness. Embracing its solace.

With expert precision he begins to dig a grave for his comrade using the machine's claw. His friend's charred body now resting on a pile of leaves. After knowing that the grave is deep enough. He went out of his cockpit and approach the charred remains. He simply wants to get his friend's dog tag.

Thankfully the dog tag did not melted, he was thankful that his bosses are not greedy enough to give them cheap dog tags made out of low quality plastisteel. He kept the dog tag, securing it in his hands as if it was the most valuable treasure.

He buries the body of his comrade, as a final farewell he planted a tree to his comrade's grave. It was called the Solace tree, a bioengineered tree that is designed to be resilient, adaptable and evolve according to its environment. It is mostly well known for its flowers which is white with seven petals, its fruits contain the necessary nutrients for the human body but it is usually tasteless, the more the planet starts to resemble planet Terra the sweeter the fruit.

Which is why the bioengineered tree was often used by terraforming companies. It is too useful for their job and the taste of the fruit can actually serve as a marker for progress. 

But now the man is using it as a gravestone for his comrade. Not far from the grave are more solace trees, some have grown as tall as his machine.

After the funeral he grab something underneath his pilot seat, it is a wooden box. He opens it revealing its contents, more dog tags just like the one he just got.  

Seeing its contents the man sighs. He gently put the dog tag on the box. Soon he also grabs his own dog tag, his name - Lunaris 'Malas' Evangelista - was written on it. He sighs, there was sadness in his eyes. He puts his own dog tag inside the wooden box, there his dog tag stays in place among the many others. Accepting his inevitable fate he gently closes the wooden box, securing it underneath his pilot seat along with the other boxes.

"I guess it is just you and me now huh" he says as he gently touches the machine screen, its light reflecting his face exposing his tired and resigned eyes. "Well I did have a good run.. though I hope your new pilot would be a better fit to you than me" he chuckles "that was if you only get damaged and not utterly destroyed."

He looks at the starless sky from his open cockpit. "Well we still have a job to do" he says as his eyes lights up with determination "I intend to finish it while I'm still alive. What do you say buddy?"

The machine replies. Its engine roars like a howling wolf, fierce and determined. 

"I like that answer" the man smiles. 

..... ..... .....

Days have gone by. The sole terraformer Malas was busy cutting trees and planting new ones. He even hunted the local fauna that he deems as dangerous to humanity. With him is a single machine, that help him install pillars that helps change the planet's atmosphere. It was just a lone machine, but Malas was thankful that not only did his machine survived but almost all of the equipment he needed to terraform the planet to the standards of Terra, was unharmed. The more life forms he introduce to this planet the better. In fact, the more he try to change the ecological balance of the dwarf planet the better his chances to survive and perhaps even thrive on it.

Though it was a dwarf planet it is still huge. Malas knows he can't clear the planet of its wild life by cutting trees alone. No he need to exterminate it, So he burns the planet, saving him some time. 

And the planet burned for days and those days become weeks and the weeks become months then years, and the planet started to rebel against the terraformer.

It was one of the lectures of the terraforming company. For some reason when terraforming a planet that already has life in it.... The planet itself will rebel. The rains starts to pour.

So how does a planet rebels against a terraformer? First a deadly storm follows them. Just like what Malas is now experiencing.

A huge storm is following him, Lightning has already struck his machine, so much so he already lost count. That is not all tornadoes, all powerful on their own right, patrols his vicinity as if these forces of nature are looking for him and his machine. These storms are accompanied by heavy rain that are blinding his sensors. Malas grits his teeth as he tries to calm himself from his situation.

Then the fauna will become more aggressive than usual. If the creatures are small just like in Terra then this won't be a problem... But this isn't Terra.

Malas's machine beeps in danger, perhaps it was his instinct combined by his muscle memory that led him to dodge an attack from the horns of a creature that is thrice the size of his machine. 

A creature with a skull built like a formidable shield, Three horns adorned its majestic head. On its back is a carapace filled with quills , its entire body powered by four muscular legs. Not only that but the creature is not alone, it came with its herd. Malas himself knows of this creature, he also knows its a herbivore.

There is something one must know about herbivores. Carnivores have teeth and claws, their jaws are strong for they needed those things to hunt, to eat, to survive. Those teeth and claws are tools they depend on for survival.

Herbivores however are built different, because they have many ways to defend themselves by either running away or fighting, those who choose to run away usually developed lighter and smaller bodies with powerful means of mobility, those who choose to fight however... develop huge mass and muscles some even having thicker skin, quills and horns.

A herbivore doesn't need those horns and quills to survive, in fact they can live without it, so why did these creatures evolved with horns and quills... because unlike predators those aren't tools, those are weapons to defend themselves from predators.

And those weapons are now pointed at Malas and his machine.

A huge moving wall of horns charges Malas's machine. Every tree, shrub and even stone fell upon the tide. Driven by a mad frenzy, these creatures didn't hide their malice and bloodlust.

With fear in his eyes, Malas faces the horde, then turns his back on the charging horde while trying to run away.

He didn't just ran away from any direction of course, he made sure to run away from the posts he erected and the plants he introduced. As if the planet itself really wants to kill him, lightning starts to hit his machine again and again, it didn't harm the machine but it did inform the local wildlife of his location. But he didn't mind, not only does the lightning strike not have an affect on his machine, it also mark his location which means it is easier for him to herd the horde of bloodthirsty beasts who wanted his hide.

Thus his machine ran and ran. He is not afraid of the tornadoes either, in fact the blinding rain that as created a fog is more of a hindrance to him. What he fears the most is the wildlife whose main goal is to erase him from existence. But he isn't going down without a fight, his machine howled, his chainsaws roars and his class cackled in electricity. 

When the horde approached his machine with fury his machine jumped above their heads, ripping the head of a beast in the process with his machine's chainsaw. 

The chainsaw growls and roars as its teeth reaps and tear flesh and bone. 

The claws cloaked in electricity cackled as it reaps through the carapaces an quills of the beasts.

All while trying to avoid all of the beasts, whose is trying to gore and crush his machine, he avoided all of them, like a matador surrounded by a herd of bulls.

He dodged all of their horns, sliding, jumping and moving away while counter attacking with his machines chainsaw and claws, using his foes mass and momentum against them. All while he can only see less than three meters ahead of him, it was an amazing feat, inhuman even.

He didn't stop killing and killing until there is a mountain of corpses underneath him. Then all the other beasts arrived, huge flying beasts that resembles wyverns flew to him trying to puncture the cockpit of his machine using their claws, luckily for him, his machine's plates are reinforced, so he continued killing. Then they were four legged creatures with powerful bites the size of bears, he is more afraid of these creatures for their jaws can damage his armor, and their are also small, but luckily for him he can kill the beasts by steeping on them.

He kills and kills and kills, his machine surrounded by a mountain made out of corpses and a lake of blood. His machine now has scratches and bumps yet it continues to howl as if it was taunting the heavens.

Normally this phase should be done by a team of mechs. But they will only be armed by chainsaws and claws, because the price of ammunition for long range weapons is crazy expensive... or at least that is what the company says. Thus each terraformer was forced to learn how to fight on close range combat with a claw and chainsaw.

They are like knights of the frontlines of war against the aliens. With their brilliant and deadly mechs fighting against the communists aliens that wish nothing but extinction to humanity. The knights with their brilliant mechs protected by kinetic shields, who fought on the frontlines with their swords and axes. Charging Democratically against the alien scourge. The knights that will crush the aliens and their war machines that could stop the socialist invaders by their magnificent presence alone. Machines driven by nobles who have sworn to fight for the Democratic Federation of Humanity, backed up by companies who are recognized for their ingenuity and contributions to the superior species, humanity itself.

Malas is not a knight. His deceased comrades aren't knights either. They are commoners born from the gutters of the federation. Their pay is high is because it is enough wage for them to survive and enough for them to have profit if they choose to farm and hunt for their own food. There trusty machines are secondhand and outdated, filled with welds and scratches. Their armor can be pierced by ferocious beasts that they face almost everyday and can be easily crushed by falling lumber and boulder. Their casualty rate is so high it is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the Democratic Federation. They are not equipped with wonderful swords and glorious weapons instead they are equipped with chainsaws for cutting flora and claws to carry heavy equipment, and even those tools malfunction from time to time. They weren't celebrated, they earn no glory, in fact they are mocked an made fun of, especially by the military. Because of their rusty chainsaws that is always covered in grime, the public refer to them as chainsaw knights, a moniker meant for mockery.

Yet this particular chainsaw knight... Fought more valiantly than a knight, more brutal and more efficient. As the chainsaw knight fought on the creatures, his mech was hit by lightning multiple times, his armor full of scratches and his weapons covered in flesh and grime. The blood of the beasts was washed by the blinding rain, the hurricanes trying to swept the mech on its feet yet it stands unmoving, its engine roaring, its weapons cackling as if it is mocking its enemies, while looking down on the beasts atop its throne made out of their carcasses. Its single eye glaring at the creatures as if it is looking for its next victim.

Malas looks at the endless horde of beasts, in which some have started to climb. He looks at them, his heterochronic eyes betrays no emotion but fear. Yet he charges on with his machine's chainsaw and the endless slaughter continues. For that is the job of a chainsaw knight.