Four years ago I enlisted in the galactic enforces, when I was younger my brother and I always looked up to our father; he was one of the generals, famous among all troops and close friends with her imperial condescension he was known as The Summoner to everyone, when my brother Rufioh turned sixteen he enlisted in the army to work with my father. Five years later I enlisted as well; I worked alongside with both of them and worked hard to gain the rank of a lieutenant and now I am on a mission to explore an uncharted planet with my brother and father. Who am i? I am Lieutenant Tavros Nitram….

I woke up when the alarm system of the ship started going off, I panicked as I quickly and awkwardly put on my clothes. I ran down the hall but suddenly stopped when I saw a flash of red run towards me.
"Rufioh what the fuck is going on!" I said as I started to panic
"The ship is literally breaking apart due to the planet's gravitational pull, we have to get to the escape pods now!" Rufioh said nearly out of breath
"But where's dad?
"He's at the escape pods already, he told me to come look of you." I sighed
oF CORSE DAD WOULDN'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ME,,,
We both raced towards the part of the ship where the escape pods were at, my father was already there leaning over the door
"Took you long enough, what did you just wake up?"
"Shut up dad you know he isn't used to the drills, especially since this is a deadly emergency!" my brother glared at our dad (he hated that out father treated me like I was nothing but a waste of time even though he treated Rufioh like a prince Rufioh hated it because he wanted him to treat us equally) All my father did was roll his eyes as he pressed the button to open the sliding door of the escape pod "Just get in." We all rushed in and my dad pressed the eject button, my brother grabbed my wrist and sat me down next to him but I couldn't help but stare out of the one glass window as the rest of the ship was literally being torn to pieces.
'Well that escalated quickly." Rufioh said with an exhausted sigh, out father typed in a code and sat down as a red flashing light shone on the screen 'Autopilot Engaged' was in bright flashing red letters "Dad what's going on?" Rufioh asked, dad just looked at us; his expression was a mixture of seriousness and determination "Ship or not we must continue our mission." Rufioh stood up "Dad are you crazy! We don't have any supplies or weapons, what if something happens. What if Tavros gets hurt!"
he didn't even look at me "Whatever happens, happens. If anything were to happen to him he will be rewarded for his bravery and sacrifice as an honorable soldier.' He said as if he knew that if something were to happen I would be the first one to die, Rufioh glared at him "Stay close to me Tav okay?" he said as he sat back down. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes.
I was in a dark forest, only surrounded by noises of growling and howls. I panicked and started running, I don't know why I was running or even where I was, "Rufioh! Dad! Where are you!" I kept yelling as I ran deeper into the darkness. Suddenly glowing yellow eyes surrounded me; they were hiding in the trees and in the darkness, they moved along with me and I tried running faster away from them. I tripped over a root from a large tree and tumbled into a ditch, I didn't want to look up. I curled up in fear and started crying "Hey, are you okay?" a low soothing voice called out. I slowly looked up, there was a dark figure in front of me all I could see was its bright glowing yellow eyes but they were different from the glares that followed me, they were soothing and caring. I felt its hand lightly grab my shoulder "You are going to be okay." It said quietly.
Before I could get a good look at what it was I woke up hearing my brother yell at me "Brace for impact!" I shot my eyes open as he tied his safety belt on "Hurry Tav put yours on the landing gear isn't working."
I quickly grabbed the safety belt, but it was stuck I kept pulling it trying to get it on me, the lights started flickering and some started to spark "Tav hurry!" Rufioh said "Its stuck!" I said panicking. I looked back at Rufioh as he took off his belt and flung himself on me.
Suddenly ever part of my body was filled with searing pain; all I could hear was the static of the equipment and the sound of metal scraping on a hard surface, all I could smell was smoke, fire, and blood, then everything was a blur.
I woke up with a jolt of pain in my right leg, I looked up and all I would see was a dark wooded area I turned to see the escape pod nearly shattered in pieces. I tried to get up but the pain in my leg was too much, I looked to see why; there was a piece of metal that had pierced right through my leg. I struggled to sit up I knew if I kept it in there it would get infected. I took a deep breath and grabbed on to the piece of metal sticking out, I pulled up my vest and bit into it and quickly pulled the metal out, I couldn't help but shout from the pain.
"Tav…" I heard a weak voice call out but I knew who it was instantly. I turned to see where it came from "Rufioh?" I said "Over here…" I heard near the trees. I crawled over trying to ignore the pain in my leg; I looked over and saw him lying in a ditch between two trees.
As I got closer I stared in horror, a branch was pierced right through his chest "Oh gog Rufioh…" I choked out "That bad huh?" he said as blood came out of his mouth.
"Rufioh why did you take your belt off? This should have been me…" I said as my eyes started to water "Hey, hey don't say that…you're my kid brother of course I would do anything to save you." He choked out with a weak smile.
I got closer to him and broke down in tears, he struggled to pull me closer to him "Shhh…its okay Tav….just do your best and keep your head up high." He coughed up blood "I'm still going to watch over you….Take care of dad….'Stay gold'…" I stared at him…he just quoted my favorite line from his favorite book.
He closed his eyes with a smile "I will always be with you Tav." He mumbled, he started breathing more slowly for a few moments before he stopped completely.
"Rufioh….no…." I crossed my arm on his shoulder and rested my head on them "It should have been me…" I said as I started crying again.

I woke up with a sudden pain in my chest, the pain you only feel when you just lost a loved one "Kurloz!" I breathed looking around the hut. My eyes laid on the mess of curly black hair and a skeleton painted body. I sighed in relief, my brother slowly turned his head to look at me; he was still half asleep but he always knew when something was wrong with me
It's the middle of the night what are you doing awake? he signed with his fingers
(Kurloz was born mute but thanks to the Peace Keepers he was taught sign language, it took everyone a while to learn what Kurloz. Usually a troll born with disabilities are killed as grubs, but since Kurloz was the first born son of the Grand Highblood, chief of the Tribe of Highbloods they couldn't do anything about it, even though everyone knows Delarosa one of the greatest known Peace Keepers would never do anything to harm a grub and would to her best to help it.)
"I just had another nightmare that's all." I said
Gamzee this is this has been going on for weeks, and it all leads back to that damn brown eyed creature in armor you see in your dreams, maybe it means something Kurloz signed
"I don't know bro." I said as a plopped back on my nest "Maybe in the morning I'll just walk around the forest to clear my think pan about it."
Kurloz smiled alright but get some damn sleep okay?
"Yeah okay bro." I looked up at the small tear in the hut it was a miraculous view of the starry sky I closed my eyes again, even though Kurloz was okay I still had that heart breaking feeling.
Well you heard it from the mute man himself motherfuckers, my name is Gamzee Makara, the youngest son to the Grand Highblood and next in line to become chief. Kurloz should have been the one to be next in line but because he's mute there would be no way for him to lead after our father so now everyone treats me like some high class motherfucker even though that isn't the life I want, I don't want anyone to praise me and I don't want anyone to respect me just because they have to. I want to earn everyone's respect and everyone's friendship.
I closed my eyes and the visions of the brown eyed creature in armor flooded my mind, for weeks it's been the same thing over and over.
He looked fearsome but everything he saw made him as frightened as a young purr beast he called out to someone but they never came to help him, he started running into the territory of the howl beasts and I had to stop him before he was killed. He fell into a ditch where I finally caught up to him he was curled up and crying like a wriggler and I couldn't help but go up to him and comfort him, he has beautiful brown eyes filled with innocence and a hard edge. He wore some kind of hard armor that matched the colors of the forest. He looked up at me but something was different, he was covered in blood as he held onto another body it looked similar to him only a bit older his eyes were closed as the other wept "It should have been me." He kept muttering over and over
before I could do anything I felt something jump on me, I slowly opened my eyes and Kurloz was on top of me shaking me awake
Are you okay? You're crying he signed,
I wiped my eyes and looked at my hand, purple tinted tears mixed with my white face paint "I saw more than usual this time Kurloz." I said as he finally got off me "He was holding onto a body he was crying it think it might have been his Lusus or his sibling I don't know, I felt his pain…like that kind of connection you can only get with someone you care for."
I walked out of the hut with my brother by my side; it was odd that even though he was four years older than me I was slightly taller than him and more built but that was mostly because he wasn't allowed out of the camp because of this condition and I would go and explore the forest every single day ever since I was just a wriggler. We walked over to the edge of the camp because that's as far as they would let Kurloz go, I looked at him as he gazed into the forest it always pains me to see him like that he has always wanted to explore it even though I begged my father to let him go with me he would never let him out of the camp. "I'll be back before the sun is half way across the sky okay bro?"
He nodded Be careful you know this is the time of day when the howl best roam around hunting He signed.
I ran into the forest, when the camp was out of my sight I slowed down and just walked along. After a while I started walking near the territory of the howl beasts, everyone knows to stay away from there but for some reason I just had to be near there it just seemed so familiar and I had a feeling that something would happen. Then I picked up a scent, it was different…it was the scent of smoke, blood, and…death, I started running again trying to find where it was coming from, then I heard the howling just like in the dream but this time there was an unknown screaming. My eyes widened when I realized it was the same scream I heard in my dreams "Oh Mirthful Messiahs no!" I started running faster as the screaming and howling got louder, then I saw them the howl beasts they were running after something as another one was dragging something away then there was that scream again "No get away from him!" I yelled as I started running towards the screaming.