The whole shelf seemed to explode at once. Not least from inside the swarm of tendrils, with six huge gouts of superheated energy emerging at once. These merged with the bandolier of grenades that detonated underneath the cloud. The creature let out a thunderous screech, which was quickly followed by another earth-shattering crack from underneath it.

The whole shelf began crumbling, with huge slabs falling away from the main formation and sliding down into the valley below in a massive avalanche. This was compounded by boulders falling down the mountain above the caverns as well. A rock the size of a small car bounced off Memnon’s armour while he was providing cover fire. The hit staggered him and cracked his shields. “Get back in here Mem, haul ass!” Saddam, his fire and move partner, yelled, standing just inside the cave.

The heavy gunner was just outside the cave entrance, having moved back out to cover Rareth. He turned and found he was running uphill, as the shelf slowly crashed into the valley below. He dodged another boulder, but abruptly found he could run no longer when a razor vine protruded through his stomach and his feet left the floor. The creature had spiked him with one of it’s longest tendrils as it fell, broken, down the side of the shelf. “MEM!” Saddam hollered raggedly, dropping his rifle and running forward until Knossos tackled him to the floor. The cave entrance was quickly becoming inaccessible due to falling boulders - if they went outside now they wouldn’t get back in.

“I guess it’s just you and me.” Memnon gurgled over comms, as his suit began flashing red. The vine with him attached scraped against the falling rock face, seemingly trying to find purchase as the swarm got buried under the shelf. “Good luck, everyone.” With that, the gunner shut off his comms and the cave entrance collapsed entirely. The surviving team were on their own again, with just tremors from the mountainside to keep them company. After a few seconds, another massive shockwave shook the cavern, dislodging dust onto all their heads.