Chapter 12

"A life is important in every mission you will do. Whether it's a civilian or the man next to you, you're job is to save them all and come back home. Scars will fade over time but to hear the man next to you breathing and laughing with life, that is something worth sacrificing over." I said walking in between the isles of desk. Eyes stared at my back as I pass by but I ignored them knowing that each gaze held a different emotion. I let my fingers glide against the desk causing some to lose their concentration. Those would be the ones to forget someone in the field.

"You're dismissed, remember you have papers due in two weeks. I want them on time or I won't grade them." I said grabbing my coffee, watching as each left with a pleased look on their face.

Shaking my head I sat down in my chair and started putting some grades into the computer. With as much time as I was spending on Metello and Emidio, I kept forget to put grades in causing a giant backup. Hopefully by the time their papers were due I wouldn't have to worry about everything else. "Um...General" Looking up from my computer I saw Leonardo standing there.

"How long have you been there?" I asked never noticing him coming up.

"Oh it's alright, it was my fault for not telling you I was here." Making a noise, I leaned back in my chair motioning for him to state his business. "I'd like to know if it was too late to drop out of this class. I mean it's not like I'm not enjoying it, it's just I don't think it's for me."

His kept rambling and rambling, repeating things he already said as if he wasn't sure he explained himself completely. I don't think I've ever met someone who felt so guilty because they were dropping out my class or any class for that matter. "Solider..." but he kept going, "Solider..." and going. He was starting to stretch the last of my patients I didn't even know I had.

"Leonardo" I hissed, stopping him in his tracks. Clicking my tongue to release some of my frustration, I leaned forward resting my elbows on the desk. "So far I've lost ten of you, for whatever reasons you guys have come up with and I've let them go. However, I did not expect you to quite. You have the best grades in the class and seem to also hold the most common sense." I explained.

"It's just I'm not sure if I can have someone sacrifice themselves for me. It wouldn't set well on my conscious, and I'll probably go crazy." I just stared at him like he was an idiot.

"That's it?"

"Yes"

"You are the most selfless person I've ever met. When you started I thought you were going to say something like' I couldn't give up my life for someone I didn't know very well or like'. I'm impress, Leonard." Standing up I rounded my desk and stood in front of him.

"Thank you General"

Putting a finger to my lip I quickly checked him over before deciding he needed to clean up. " I want you to meet a few people. Go back to your room, shower and put on your workout clothes. I'll meet you in the cafeteria in twenty minutes." I said grabbing my coffee and headed towards the door.

He walked out and I closed the door behind me. "If you'll excuse me, General."

"Aldina"

So far I think his reaction is the best. "You've earned my respect Leonard. So you can call me by my name, however, you can't use it during class. It give the others ideas and I rather not have to beat them to death." I said and started walking towards my room.

"So I guess this means I'm stuck in the class."

"Yep"

"Rohas you can stop apologizing now, kora." Colonnello muttered shoving some of his food into his mouth.

"I really mean it though, man. I can't believe you almost saw that side of me...you know it was lonely last night without hearing your light snoring on the other side of the room." Rohas stated sipping on his water. Stopping the fork in midair, Colonnello couldn't help but be concerned at the statement.

"That's just disturbing, kora."

"What I can't help it! You fall asleep much faster than I do." Rohas said, defensively holding his hands up. "So I was also wondering what Aldina kind of told you about me?"

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to finish Colonnello pushed his food to the side and sighed. "Look she just told me I pissed you off a bit, kora. She didn't really go into depth about it too much. Besides all I got to do is get her, Luke or Lieutenant, kora."

"She's planning my death already?"

Rohas choked on his water at the voice. Colonnello looked to see Lieutenant smoking a cigarette. His hair was unruly and his shirt was slightly wrinkled. For lack of better words he looked like hell. "What happened to you, kora." Snorting at Colonnello's question, Lieutenant ran a hand through his hair.

"Aldina put me on inventory last night, but now that I hear she thinks I can go against Rohas I've decided that she's pissed off enough to kill me."

"Oh please we both know she only told Colonnello that so by the time they do get there I'd be delayed." Rohas explained throwing the man a smirk. Pulling the cigarette from his lips, Lieutenant blew the smoke in his face. Scrunching his face at the smell, Rohas quickly shooed the smoke away. "Ah stop being pissy. It's alright if Colonnello knows your weak, it'd be something to look forward when he beat you up."

"Why is it that when I find you three you're always in an argument?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest. All three turned my way probably wondering when I had gotten there to listen on their conversation. I saw Rohas's eyes slowly travel down and stop.

"Rohas last time I checked you liked looking at Lal not me." I said walked over so I stood by the oldest out of us all. Spying the cigarette in his hand I grabbed it and crushed it on the table surface. "You're going to kill yourself smoking that damn thing."

"Is that before or after you throw me to Rohas to die?" Shrugging I leaned onto my left leg so I'd create a little bit more room.

"At least your life won't be in vain." I whispered more to myself than anyone else.

"So is it my turn to ask the question?" Rohas asked lifting his hand in the air as if he was in school.

"What"

"Okay so is there a good reason your dressed like that?"

Looking down at myself I wore my favorite Timberland boots, green cargo shorts and a white t-shirt, I found in Rohas's room, shoved a little into my shorts. "Um...because I'm going to go train someone." Nodding his head, he raised his hand again. Rolling my eyes I asked what he wanted again.

"So is that why your short are unbuttoned."

"I can't button them, that's why I came to find you."

Hearing a thump against the table, I turned to Colonnello to see his head against the table with his arms covering him from view. "Are you laughing at me?" I asked.

Lifting his head from the table I saw tears going down his cheeks as he tried not to laugh. "I can't help it, kora. It's just that you're a grown woman and you can't button your own shorts, kora." Not being able to hold it in he fell back onto the table with his shoulders shaking.

"Rohas would you please?" I asked. He just laughed pulling me towards him and started trying to fix the elastic so I could button them. Rohas tugged and pulled but it seemed he couldn't really do much.

"Give it to me." Lieutenant grabbed my shorts and started doing it himself. It seemed like only seconds before Lieutenant had fixed them. Shoving the rest of my shirt into my shorts I buttoned them up and grunted.

"Now that, that's finished all I need is my gloves." I said looking at my hands. Each palm was wrapped in bandages so I would feel comfortable while I tried to find my working gloves. "Lieutenant I believe you have them." Taking them from his back pocket I pulled them on and flexed. They'd have to do for training.

"Um..Aldina" Looking over my shoulder I saw Leonardo standing by the doors.

"Ah great you made it. Come here I want you to meet someone." Grabbing Lieutenant's arm I turned him towards the scared man. "Leonardo I want you to meet my third-in-command of my elites, Lieutenant." Shaking his hand I felt Colonnello's eyes observe him. Ignoring him for now I introduced Lieutenant to Leonardo before bidding them goodbye.

Lieutenant left to get some sleep in, leaving the two by themselves again. "I don't like him, kora." Colonnello said bluntly resting his head on his hand. Rohas nodded in agreement pouting at the outcome of their conversation.

"I don't know who he is but I'd watch out Colonnello. If we aren't careful I fear Aldina might get attached."

"Great just when I'm started to get through to her, someone steps in, kora. It's like high school all over again." Sighing he dragged his finger across the table watching as he made smudges. Rohas noticed this and smiled.

"Colonnello I've never showed you my chest before have I?"

"I don't think I want to see it, kora."

"No you idiot. See when I had just graduated from boot camp I had snuck out of the base and got some tattoos. Of course Aldina wasn't too happy but that's not the point. Lal never really looked at me other than just someone who liked her. So when I got my tattoo's and she saw the one on my chest, she blushed. Now every time she sees me I know she's thinking of my tat." Pulling his shirt off Colonnello didn't know if he thought of Rohas as an idiot or a genius.

He had a tattoo on his left arm of some words he couldn't see very well but the one on his chest was hard to miss. 'Lal Mirch' was tattooed in black ink on his right peck in elegant cursive. "She hadn't beaten your ass for that yet, kora?"

"Nope, I think she kind of likes it there." Rohas smiled and lifted his hand to his lips, kissed it before patting the name. Colonnello was pretty sure that the only reason that Lal didn't do anything was because she didn't know how to react.

"Aren't you suppose to get someone's name tattooed when you get married and stuff, kora?" Colonnello asked knowing you shouldn't get any lovers name permanently placed on your body.

"I'll kill anyone who plans on marrying her anyways. So her only choice is me, besides my point is that you need to do something to Aldina that would make her think of you each time she see you." Rohas stated and went to pull on his shirt.

"Wait what's on your arm, kora?" Rohas looked at his arm and looked at it for a moment like it took him a while to remember why he had gotten.

"I got this tattoo because I felt like when Aldina said it, it was the reason that held me down and pushed me to finish boot camp." Turning to the side Colonnello saw the words were written exactly like the one on his chest.

"'Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tired is the true failure.' That sounds like something she'd say, kora." Colonnello laughed. Suddenly before either one could say something else Colonnello's name was screamed from somewhere around the base.

"Sounds like Lal's looking for you. I'll see you later." Colonnello groaned at the woman's name but got up, waving to Rohas and left to his death.