Brothers in Arms
Just behind a large sand dune, the 25th division of Infantry Company C had made camp for the night. Flimsy canvas tents struggled to stay upright in the strong wind. The sentry on duty struggled to stay awake during his watch, staring into the dancing fire. Just as his eyes were beginning to close, something sped past his ear. Startled, the young man looked over his shoulder to see a large bowie knife embedded in the rock behind him.
"Gren. Don't fall asleep." Said a cool voice from the shadows. The boy, still shocked, looked up to see a man standing on the other side of the flames.
"Oh, Vicious, it's you!" Gren said, smiling in recognition as the other man sat down. "For a minute, I thought you were trying to kill me!" He added nervously, hoping his assumption was wrong.
"Look closer." Vicious replied, pointing over Gren's shoulder. Gren complied, glancing back at the knife. This time, he saw what he had missed; the giant sand scorpion pinned under the blade. Gren looked back at Vicious, his eyes wide and his smile gone.
"Those are about the only living things on this planet besides us." Vicious said, his voice indifferent. Standing up, he reached past Gren and pulled the knife from the stone. The scorpion was still impaled upon it, and Vicious held it up as he spoke. "But if you aren't careful, they'll make sure they are the only things left alive." Having said this, he walked off into the darkness, leaving Gren alone once more.
When Vicious had arrived on Titan as their leader, every man had been skeptical about his abilities. Instead of the standard issue gun or shoulder-mounted laser cannon, Vicious fought with only a sword. In the year 2060, a katana was certainly an out of date weapon. Yet Vicious wielded it with such speed and skill in battle, that he usually killed more enemy soldiers than his gun armed allies.
He is truly a remarkable man, Gren thought as he was relieved of his post and sent to his bedroll.
Just behind a large sand dune, the 25th division of Infantry Company C had made camp for the night. Flimsy canvas tents struggled to stay upright in the strong wind. The sentry on duty struggled to stay awake during his watch, staring into the dancing fire. Just as his eyes were beginning to close, something sped past his ear. Startled, the young man looked over his shoulder to see a large bowie knife embedded in the rock behind him.
"Gren. Don't fall asleep." Said a cool voice from the shadows. The boy, still shocked, looked up to see a man standing on the other side of the flames.
"Oh, Vicious, it's you!" Gren said, smiling in recognition as the other man sat down. "For a minute, I thought you were trying to kill me!" He added nervously, hoping his assumption was wrong.
"Look closer." Vicious replied, pointing over Gren's shoulder. Gren complied, glancing back at the knife. This time, he saw what he had missed; the giant sand scorpion pinned under the blade. Gren looked back at Vicious, his eyes wide and his smile gone.
"Those are about the only living things on this planet besides us." Vicious said, his voice indifferent. Standing up, he reached past Gren and pulled the knife from the stone. The scorpion was still impaled upon it, and Vicious held it up as he spoke. "But if you aren't careful, they'll make sure they are the only things left alive." Having said this, he walked off into the darkness, leaving Gren alone once more.
When Vicious had arrived on Titan as their leader, every man had been skeptical about his abilities. Instead of the standard issue gun or shoulder-mounted laser cannon, Vicious fought with only a sword. In the year 2060, a katana was certainly an out of date weapon. Yet Vicious wielded it with such speed and skill in battle, that he usually killed more enemy soldiers than his gun armed allies.
He is truly a remarkable man, Gren thought as he was relieved of his post and sent to his bedroll.