The ship made a textbook landing. Boosters fired on time, the stabilizers did their job, and the Corporal barely felt the landing gears touch the alien soil. He grinned over at the pilot, and nodded his head with respect and admiration. The descent down had been hellish. Winds and storms that were highly unexpected had rocked the ship and had threatened to tear it apart. Still, with a steady hand, the pilot had got them through alive, and in one piece, and then put them down like an infant in a silk-laden cradle. The corporal made a mental note for a major recommendation.
After confirmation of the landing was made, the Corporal detatched himself from his seat and walked over to check out the data board. With a sigh of relief, he noticed that it confirmed HQ's expectations. The planet had a breathable atmosphere, and seemed highly livable for humanity. Most importantly, it seemed to be devoid of any kind of higher life forms. Vegetation in abundance, and fauna that would hopefully prove to be no more than a source of sustenance, but no readings on a sentient level.
The Corporal turned at a sharp tone and a sudden hiss of hydraulics. The boarding ramp had begun its descent, and his team was ready to step foot on this new world, and begin its claiming for their own. With a shout and a small speech of welcoming to his men, the Corporal turned and set off down the ramp. At the bottom, he stopped for a moment. It was sunset on this world, and the sun was not like the sun of home. It shone with a light golden hue, which seemed to wash color from the air, but was beautiful in its simplicity and strength. With a gaze of uncertainty, mixed with a stubborn intent and desire, The Corporal cast a look out into the new world, and took his first step onto the soil.
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