Calm dusk air was shattered by the crack of a rifle. A bird squawked in alarm. The lot of them, beautifully, predictably arranged in a V pattern wheeled in dismay as one of them plummeted toward the ground. Another crack. The leader fell. The flock of birds zipped up and away, but two more fell.
A little boy cocked the rifle again and aimed. A man, older hard faced knelt down next to him, squinting one eyed down the sight.
"Lead the target Trev." He said.
Little Trev squeezed the trigger. The explosive crack almost pitched the gun out of the boy's hands but he managed to hold it. A meaty thump announced the arrival of next weeks dinner. Looks like they were having poultry for a long long while
Trev beamed with delight as the dogs ran forward to retrieve the kill. "Good shooting" Kolor nodded. He tied the birds up by their feet and hauled them over his broad back. They really were quite heavy. They could fly, just not fast. Definitely not fast enough to escape a bullet.
"Can we go again tomorrow?" Trev shouldered the rifle, almost twice as high as him, with the mock professionalism of someone who had only seen it done.
"Tomorrow?" Kolor laughed "we've enough here to last us a week and a half!"
"yes sir."
Kolor ruffled his son's dirty yellow hair. The boy shoved his father's hand away with mock embarrassment. The hills seemed to sing happiness, the forests burst ripe with colors of autumn. He eyed his son's look. Nothing showed on the boy's face, but he could see shrouded disappointment in his hazel eyes.
"disappointed?"
"yes sir." Trev mumbled.
"you must remember not to enjoy killing."
The little boy's eyes dazzled, not at understanding but in befuddlement. He looked up.
"not enjoy killing? Of course! But there is no reason not to enjoy the glory of death by my hand, is that not?"
"you've been at the Caiphas Cain drama's again haven't you."
"what reason is there not to enjoy that sort of glory? Having power over an enemy, slaying them for his Holiness, bringing down the fist of His Divine-"
"That is not a reason for killing. And there is no reason for enjoying it."
Trev was looking at a monster now. But he couldn't run away from it.
"do you plan to join up with the guard when you grow?" Kolor asked.
"of course. Travel the galaxy, and fight. Every boy wants to do it."
"that's true." Kolor nodded. "But do not join for the glory."
"then why on Terra did you join?" Trev poked his father's belly.
"for the glory." Kolor admitted. Trev pursed his mouth in a triumphant Ha! But Kolor interrupted him before he could exhale. "And I was wrong to do that."
Trev shut his mouth and looked away.
"Trev, look around you. You see Gravapol's beauty? You see the colors the world has to offer? The fruits of our bounties? You're loving parents, family and friends?"
Kolor inhaled and grinned, closing his eyes. The wind brushed his hair, sweeping it across the right side of his face. "that is what you should be fighting for. Not for the glory, but for the people you love and the people you don't know."
"I don't understand."
"You will fight. So that someone somewhere will not have to be thrown into warfare if he or she does not have a choice. You fight to keep the peace, not for the sake of fighting."
Trev nodded and shouldered the rifle.
"Is that why you were discharged from the regiment?"
Far off, the house came into view. The hilltop it stood on gave view to the east of the family's grain fields. A woman was standing outside beating the dust out of rugs with a surprising bit of enthusiasm. She wiped her forehead and looked toward them. Even from this distance she could tell she was smiling, and he could already taste the fowl on his lips.
"Hurry up you two!" the woman shouted "Or I'll roast you alive with the fowl!"
"Trev, that is the reason why I left the regiment" Kolor grinned and ruffled his son's hair again. "go wash up, we have company tonight."
The birds were cleaned, gutted and roasted, twisting over the open oven. Kolor kissed Diane as they walked in, and Trev blenched. "Wash up boy." Diane called as Trev stomped off to his room.
"I can smell your wife's cooking over a kilometer away." A scruffy old man shucked his coat and tossed it onto the rack.
"it's been too long Markel" Kolor smiled
"mind the mud." Diane nodded in acknowledgement, "And help set the table while you're at it."
"evening to you Diane, its been too long." Markel smiled. Diane dodged a kiss to her cheek. Diane brought her elbow back sharply drawing a grunt.
"Hurt then too…" he muttered quietly.
More and more guests arrived, Pretol and his wife and children, the Sanders from the next plantation, and Demecleus stomped through the door just a few moments later. As more and more friendly faces walked in, the dinner became grander as the guests brought their own food to share. Many of them brought rounded helmets with blackened faceplate visors.
Dinner was beautiful. The three fowl roasted to perfection (Diane blushed) complemented perfectly by the berry sauces and stuffing. There was plenty for all and all ate heartily. Over the fiery mantle, a black visored helmet oversaw the proceedings. The winged eagle on its peak remained vigilant against all foes. And suddenly Petrol stood up and raised his glass promoting a hushed silence on the diners.
"To the friends we've lost, to the families they'll never have." He called. The others stood, children as well.
"to our comrades." They said in strong voices.
"May the Emperor bless their souls in heaven." Trev said as he raised his glass. The others said nothing.
They gathered 'round the fire. The children hushed, it was a classic moment. Markel would tell stories of their days as Guardsmen.
"Would you like to hear of our days on Kastafore?" he said prompting cheers from the children.
"No, no not that story!" Diane called out. She was hushed quickly by guffaws from the others.
Markel sat back and rubbed his brows.
"now if I remember it right, those were the days when Orks had run rampant…"