Recruit Giroro sat anxiously outside of the Keronian Army Base. It would not be much longer before he would carry on the tradition of his family and represent the Keronian Military on the battlefield.
Normally, soldiers would be restricted from the front lines until they achieved the rank of Private Second Class. However, even though it was never publicly stated, the revolutionary forces had forced the military to draw upon its reserves. The training facilities which once prided themselves on the quality of their graduates now served as a recruit assembly line focused on quantity rather than quality.
Giroro felt his muscles tighten. Thanks to his military-orientated family, he had been heavily trained before his enlistment. It was obvious that, for many of the others in his class, this was not the case. Most could barely handle a gun during drills. Some didn't even know how to fire one.
The current situation led the military to continue to speed up the process, despite the rising fatality rates among new, inexperienced soldiers. Even with his training, Giroro knew his chances of returning alive were slim to none. For the first time in generation the Keron Force was fighting a worthy opponent: itself.
A sudden presence next to him caused the young soldier to jump slightly. A certain green Keronian had settled next to him.
"It has been a while, Keroro," the red Keronian snarled. He was repulsed by the sight of his former childhood friend bearing the symbol of the Keron Forces. Keroro was a failure, a slacker that did not come close to deserving the honor of representing the Keronian Military in battle. When he was young, Giroro had valued their friendship. That was before Keroro revealed himself to be the unforgivable; a pacifist coward.
"You always make me feel so welcome, Giroro!" The green Keronian said lightheartedly. The laced sarcasm left an extremely bitter taste inside Giroro's mouth.
"You are late as usual, Keroro. Do you not understand what is going on?"
"As I hear it, the Keron Force grew tired of not being at war, so they decided to fight each other for the hell of it. It's not going very well for them, from what I hear." Keroro winked slowly as he lightly pushed Giroro's shoulder.
"You're an idiot, Keroro."
Keroro smiled, unfazed by the insult, and leaned back against the wall surrounding the base. Giroro could not believe the arrogance openly displayed by the green fool. How could this cocky, worthless, pacifist coward be the son of the legendary Sergeant Taroro.
Sergeant Taroro had been not much older than Keroro when he had eliminated the last Viper-controlled strongholds on Keron. It was a task that the Keronian military estimated would take four full battalions. Taroro, using techniques unheard of at the time, completed the mission with four men under his command: an infantry/heavy weapons specialist, an assassin, a technology expert, and a hand-to-hand combat expert.
Giroro's father had been among them.
'Must be his mother's genes," Giroro thought. How else could a great soldier like Sergeant Taroro produce such weak-minded offspring?
"You would have made a great daughter, Keroro."
"Gero?"
"You heard me, idiot."
"Giroro."
"I guess I won't have to deal with you much longer. You'll be dead before you have time to realize how important that training you skipped was."
"Giroro!"
"The good thing is after you're dead, your father can show his face in public again," Giroro snarled.
"I can do this all day."
"What?" The red Keronian turned angrily to the other. It was obviously taking all his willpower to keep from physically hurting the other.
"I was either going to ask you about my new perfectly scaled model of the Grand Star or that our ride is here, you loud red thing." The green Keronian's singing voice achieved its goal; Giroro was on the verge of a meltdown.
During Giroro's rant, the military transportation vessel had landed in front of the base. A line of wide-eyed recruits with a few retuning veterans mixed in, lined up to meet it.
Without saying a word, Giroro headed off toward the vessel. As he got closer a feeling of dread worked its way inside of him. This might possibly be the last time he would ever see his home. He and the other recruits were headed toward the bloodiest war in Keronian history, and they knew it.
Time seemed to slow down as he headed toward the craft. It felt as though he was turning into ice, beginning with his arms and legs and working toward his chest. By the time he stepped onto the vessel, the ice had consumed his heart. He looked back behind him, immediately noticing Keroro. He shook his head, flustered. Why on Keron would he be looking for Keroro? He was a soldier of Keron. He was fearless.
"Giroro!"
Giroro whirled, recognizing the voice before he even saw the wheelchair-bound purple Keronian beside the shuttle. A look of shock crossed Giroro's normally emotionless features. What was Garuru doing here?
Gesturing to the pilot that it would only take a second, Giroro faced his elder brother.
"Garuru, shouldn't you be in the hospital?"
The elder's eyes glinted mischievously as a smirk slowly crossed his face.
"You could say I snuck out. Let's not discuss that further; I do not want to hold you up any longer than I have to. I wanted to give you this." He reached out to Giroro, his old belt held firmly in his hand.
"This belt was given to be by our father. He wore it when he served under Sergeant Taroro during the campaign to free all Keronians from the control of the Vipers. I believe this belt will serve you well; just as it has served your father and me."
Giroro, it's your brother. There was a bomb attack on the West Star Base.
"I can't possibly take it, Garuru."
Wait, where are you taking me? By brother is in there! Where are you taking me?
You can't see your brother right now. I'll tell you what though, that brother of yours is a hero.
"I'm not giving you an option, Giroro. A soldier of Keron serves all of the people, just as our father and Sergeant Taroro did. This will remind you of that when you need it to, Giroro!"
Why did he do it? Why didn't he leave? Why did he have to go back inside?
We need to let the medics do their job. They are the only chance he has. You can't see him now, Giroro! Come back!
Giroro gently took the belt in his hand. It was surprisingly heavy, perhaps weighed down from the burden of all it had witnessed.
I failed a lot of people today, Giroro.
What are you talking about, Garuru? If it wasn't for you, a lot more would have been killed.
I saw my brothers die under my watch, Giroro. That is a failure. One day, you will understand.
Garuru nodded silently and turned to the next Keronian in line.
"I have something for you as well, Recruit Keroro." Garuru held up an old military laser sword issued by the Keronian Force. The metal handle was decorated with a simple golden star. Without Garuru even having to say anything, Keroro knew who the previous owner of the weapon was.
"For as long as your father fought against the Vipers, the one life that this sword claimed was Keronian; a traitor who aligned himself with the enemy and was responsible for killing more if our brothers and sisters than all of the top Viper generals combined. Even then, your father did not kill him out of anger, but to protect the many innocent live at stake. To this day, even though he has only killed one enemy, he is held in the highest regard. A soldier is not remembered for his skill or power, but by how he uses them."
Keroro took the sword and promptly saluted.
"Thank you, Sergeant Garuru."
Giroro snorted as he boarded the transport vessel. What did Keroro do to earn Garuru's acknowledgement; a thing he had been working toward for years?
He shot a glance out the window as the ship rose off the ground. Garuru remained outside, never taking his eyes off the ship that contained his brother. For a spit second, Giroro could have sworn that his brother appeared upset; probably a trick of the light. As Garuru faded out of view, Giroro turned his attention to the belt. To his surprise there was a small note attached to it.
Giroro,
Power without kindness is wasteful. Strength without friendship is useless. The coward that cares for others is more respectable than the fearless one that is in it only for himself. In the time ahead, everything you know will be tested, just as it was with me. Keep Keroro close; you will need each other more than ever.
I will await your safe return,
Garuru
Giroro glanced to the side. Keroro had settled down next to him and was fast asleep. Did Garuru have any idea how useless this fool was? He would have a much easier time trusting a rock to watch his back in battle.
He leaned back against his seat. Maybe the rush of war would cure Keroro of his terminal case of stupidity. It would force him to act like a soldier of Keron for once. If he didn't he would be killed.
No questions asked.