Ares Chronicles: The Best of Both Worlds part I

Gerry Thompson put down the laser shovel and wiped his sweaty brow. It had been a hot, dusty day and he had just finished planting his Hybrid Trees. There was a small breeze and the smell of wet dirt reached his nose.
Strange he thought. There were no clouds in the crystal blue day, yet there was a breeze just a moment ago. The leaves on the dry craggy tree behind him rattled, startling him. There was a creaking of wood and a slight snapping of twigs.
How could the leaves rattle on a day with no wind? He spun around to face the tree just in time to see a limb break off. There was a loud crack as the wood splintered. But when the limb broke, there was a slight, only slight, flicker of something black above the tree.
He narrowed his eyes, and say a slightly discolored patch of sky. Then with a loud shimmering, a large, black ship decloaked, throwing him violently backwards.
Immediately, an alien figure lept out of the hull like a torpedo with fangs.

It was reflexes alone that saved Gerry. He gave his laser shovel a heavy swing, slicing the alien in half. Gerry calmed his breathing to inspect the body. It was black, long, limbless, and smooth.
Gerry gasped as he realized what it was: The Salrilians had landed on Earth. Then Gerry noticed the heavy, wet breathing behind him and realized that he would be the first casualty of this war....