Sorry if this is below standards, I'm feeling very depressed right now.

This is a tribute to Commander Julius Root.

"One minute to live, Commander. How does that feel?"

To tell the truth, he didn't know how it felt. Julius Root felt doomed, yet strangely acceptant. And then there was the part that kept hoping Holly would pull something short of a miracle out of the bag. Hoping. And even if she didn't, he was proud of that elf, and at least now she knew it. Whether she believed it was a different matter.

The numbers didn't help. It reminded the commander that Opal Koboi was in control. And he hated being below her. On his knees.

"Shut it down, Koboi. Shut it down, or I swear I'll..." he heard Holly say. What could she do? There was no way out. The pixie laughed, cruel and spiteful. Root wouldn't listen to that voice in the back of his head: the one that was telling him that they were beaten. He might be, and he wouldn't get out of here alive, there was no way. That's not to say Holly couldn't.

"You will what? Exactly? Die beside your commander?" And he knew he couldn't let her do it. He ignored the blue sparks playing about on his torso, mending his ribs.

"Go now. Holly, I am ordering you to leave." Not that orders had ever stopped Captain Short. It should be Major. It should be. Her and Trouble Kelp would make a crack team. Orders had never stopped him when he was a Recon jock.

"With respect, Commander. No," Holly replied. Ah well. He hadn't expected anything else, really. "This isn't over yet."

It would all be over soon. Soon enough. In...

"Forty-eight! Forty-seven!"

Julius needed to get Holly out of here. She was one of his best officers.

"Holly!" he tried again. She looked at him, apppearing to be torn between orders and the commander. "Go!"

"I'd listen if I were you," Koboi suggested nastily. "There are other lives at stake. Root is already dead-" Not yet, thought Julius. Soon, "why not save someone who can be saved?"

Being the commander, Julius had already figured out the situation. Koboi wanted revenge. Holly and himself were already here, so that just left...

"Who can I save? Who's in danger?"

...Fowl and his bodyguard.

"Oh, no one imprtant. Just a couple of Mud Men."

Of course.

"What have you done, Opal?" Root heard Holly shout. The pain was closing in, forcing itself into every crevice of his mind... he was only half listening as Koboi explained something about Artemis and Butler. Holly's voice made him snap out of his trance, and focus.

"I will hunt you down, Koboi," the commander usually would have frowned upon such bravado, but now... now things had changed. "For you, there won't be a safe inch on the planet."

"Such venom. What if I gave you a way out? One chance to win." His soldier's sense was going crazy. A trap! He opened his mouth to warn Holly, and blood bubbled from the corner. No magic left, and the pain increased... but if he couldn't save himself, he had to save Holly.

"It's a trap," he gasped:would these be the final words of Commander Julius Root? "Don't be fooled again."

They had both been fooled.

"Thirty. Twenty-nine." Koboi wasn't helping. Koboi was evil. Pure evil. And then Holly said it. He willed her not to, but she said it.

"Ok. Ok, Koboi. Tell me quickly. How do I save the commander?"

No, he wanted to cry. No, don't save me, save yourself. The LEP needs you. You could be commander one day, you could.

And she would remember this day. Koboi was saying something, something about a sweet spot. And Holly was going to shoot it! There was no sweet spot, he was sure. Not that it made any difference to him. Holly was his main concern now. She was speaking.

"You're lying. Why would you give me a chance?"

And then Julius realized something, and it gave him an immense sense of peace. No more responsibility, no more running after officers, just a few seconds to live his own life... but Holly needed saving first.

"Don't take the shot," he said, trying to calm the elf. "Just get out of range. Go and save Artemis. That's the last order I'll ever give you, Captain. Don't you dare ignore it."

The last order he would ever give. He had wondered about it since he first became Commander. To tell the truth, he hadn't really known what it would be like, but for it to end like this seemed unreal. Unjust, almost.

"I don't have any choice, Julius." Julius. First-name terms now, the commander noted. Maybe, subconciously, Holly knew that Root was a dead fairy. But he still had breath, breath for one last reprimand.

"Don't call me Julius! You always do that just before you disobey me. Save Artemis, Holly. Save him," he was surprised to hear plead in his voice. A lot of hopes were riding on Holly, but pride was still there. She was a good officer, but now she had her pistol aimed at his chest. At the box.

"I'll save Artemis next."

Those words meant something deeper than Holly intended them too. But Root knew something. He, Julius Root, was going to die in a few seconds. And, strangely, he was okay with it. Peace to live his own life again, to be free.

To say goodbye properly.

The female elf fired.

"I hit it," Holly shouted.

"I don't know. I thought you were a fraction low. Hard luck. I mean that sincerely."

Julius didn't have time to take it in. He was struggling to his feet. At least the last elf to hear his words would be Holly. A close friend. He wasn't scared. The time came for every fairy... and so he smiled. It wasn't Holly's fault. And she had to know it. And damn well believe it. With his absolute last ounce of strength, keeping his smile,Commander Julius Root of the LEPrecon Unit uttered his goodbye.

"Be well."

And then it was all over.

:sob: I didn't do the disclaimer up the top, because it might have ruined the mood.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Artemis Fowl, but I D'Arvit-ing wish I did, because then my little Julius wouldn't be dead.

R&R please!