Foreword:
Are the fellas still with me? XP Okay, I've had my fun with the wedding—now it's time to get back to the action! :D I wish I could've posted this sooner, but for many reasons too numerous to mention, I had an unprecedented level of difficulty writing this chapter. DX I did my best, but I still feel a tad insecure about how it came out... Hopefully everyone will like it. :)
"Oh, my anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain. Oh, the agony of my heart! My heart pounds within me, I cannot keep silent. For I have heard the sound of the trumpet; I have heard the battle cry."
— Jeremiah 4:19
« ... »
Alister struggled to stay on his feet as a sudden impact jolted the whole ship.
"Three hostile vessels just attacked from the port bow!" shouted the helmsman.
The ship violently rocked again as another barrage of gunfire pounded the hull. This time Alister had to brace himself against a bulkhead to keep from falling over.
"The Dakari," Raiken seethed. "Should've known they wouldn't allow us the luxury of defending our own station."
"Returning fire," shouted the Lombax at the tactical station, clinging to the console before him in a desperate effort to keep his footing as the ship continued to convulse.
Alister found a handhold on a nearby railing and swallowed nervously, watching the battle as best he could through the restrictive lens of the ship's view screen. He hated being in this position. Stuck aboard a ship, unable to do anything but wait and hope that those in control would be able to defeat the attackers. He hated it when things were entirely out of his control.
"Target destroyed," the tactical officer announced. Another tremor shook the ship, this one strong enough to send several crewmen sprawling to the floor.
"Looks like his friends aren't too happy about that," said the helmsman. He wrenched back his joystick, and the resulting loop would've sent everyone plummeting to the ceiling if not for their artificial gravity.
The enemy ships came back into view only to be hit by a spread of retaliatory fire. Alister smiled in relief when one of them exploded into stardust.
"Second target destroyed. The third is retreating."
"Let them go," Raiken ordered. "Put us back on course for the Havilah Station."
"Sir, I should note that we've taken considerable damage."
"Understood, but I don't have to remind you how important that station is."
"Yes, sir."
"How long will it take for us to get there?"
"At maximum speed, about five minutes."
Raiken huffed out a well-concealed sigh, momentarily dropping his eyes to the ground. The immediate threat was gone, and the atmosphere relaxed a bit, but Alister could still sense the tension bearing down upon everyone present—even the Captain. Alister looked to his mentor with compassion. As a committed soldier, Raiken was very good at keeping his feelings contained, but Alister knew what was really going on under that impenetrable exterior of his. He was minutes away from facing his worst fear. This was an issue far deeper and more personal than his ever-present disdain for the horrors and necessities of war.
"Do you remember what I told you about the Dakari the day you were first recruited into the Lumos militia, Azimuth?" the Lieutenant asked.
"Yes, sir, I think so..." Alister responded curiously. "They killed your unit and then released you alone, right?"
"Wrong. Actually, they didn't kill my unit... They forced me to do it."
A muted gasp pierced the air inside the ship's small cabin, and Alister remained completely still. He was too shocked to utter another sound as Raiken went on. "They gave me a blaster and told me that if I shot the others, I would be spared—but if not they would kill us all."
He paused, apparently to collect his thoughts. His composure was beginning to break down, and he had to grit his teeth to keep his jaw from trembling. Finally he continued, his voice wavering with suppressed pain. "Of course I refused. I would have preferred death over living with that guilt... but my comrades begged me to do it. They told me I needed to survive at any cost, and continue to fight back against people like the Dakari. They said that if just one of us could go on living, the deaths of the others wouldn't be in vain..."
At long last Raiken's expression softened to the point where Alister hardly recognized him anymore, and he quietly looked away. All at once his wall came down, and for the first time he let his true self—pure, kind, and vulnerable—show without pretense or camouflage in all its tender weakness. With a downcast face he shut his eyes tight and spoke in mournful, shuddering breaths. "I couldn't believe the injustice of it... I remember looking into their eyes—how strong and determined they were—and I hated myself with every fiber of my being as I pointed that cursed weapon at them. I didn't say I was sorry, because I knew that no apology I could offer would ever be enough..."
Sadly—angrily—Alister remembered the story Raiken had told him on the day almost a year ago when they had traveled to Fastoon to be formally initiated into the Lombax Pretorian Guard. Why had Raiken left the military in the first place? The question had been burning on his tongue for the better part of an hour while they sat in the solace of that cramped little cockpit, passing the time in utter silence. Had he known how painfully personal the answer was, he would never have worked up the courage to ask. To this day he was amazed that the hardened officer had actually opened up such a deep old wound and let it bleed anew, just to satisfy the curiosity of his restless young subordinate.
Alister returned to himself as the Havilah research station came into view—surrounded by a small fleet of enemy ships. They swarmed around it like hungry Tetramites, pelting it with energy beams. Tiny explosions erupted all across the structure's Raritanium-enforced plating.
Despite this disturbing spectacle, the focus of everyone on deck was invariably drawn to one Dakari ship in particular. Unlike the rest of its fleet, it was enormous, and remained completely still as it hovered threateningly over the outpost, connected to it by a thick tether.
"Good Lord," Raiken murmured. "They've brought out their mother ship."
"Is that good news or bad news?" Alister asked.
"That depends... If we can destroy it, it'll more than likely spell out the end of the Dakari... but if we can't..." He neglected to finish, thus making his meaning all the more clear.
"Battle stations, everyone!" Raiken ordered, then turned to the officer at tactical. "Synch our teleport pad to one on the station. I need all my foot soldiers ready to transport down there!"
« ... »
When Alister materialized on the station, he was already poised for battle. One quick sweep of the room, and he instantly understood why the Dakari terrorist group was regarded with such fear. They had members from many different races— Terraklons, Agorians, and even some Markazians. Evidently any being who blamed Lombaxes for the Galaxy's current struggles was eligible to join. Even so, their ranks primarily consisted of Rundaks—a fierce species of rodent-like build and appearance. They scurried about in a vindictive rage, destroying equipment and brandishing large weapons as they threatened defenseless Lombax scientists. The onboard security team did their best to fend them off, but they were having a hard time of it. Bodies were already piling up.
Alister and his squad immediately leapt to their defense, bursting forth and gunning down about a dozen invaders within the first minute of their arrival. They secured the room with little difficulty, but Alister knew that things would not be so easy now that they no longer had the element of surprise.
Raiken rushed over to a Lombax who lay collapsed on the ground and helped him to his feet. "I'm Captain Raiken of the Lombax Pretorian Guard," he said in a hurry. "What's the situation here?"
"They're after our technology," the scientist stated worriedly. "They've already taken the prototypes of some experimental weapons back to their ship. They've also secured the main research lab, and right now they're trying to hack into the computer."
"Will they succeed?"
"I don't think so, but either way—they'll probably destroy the station."
"Sir, we've got company!" announced one of the soldiers, poising himself for battle as a wave of Dakari thundered into the room. Alister immediately took aim and shot down two of the attackers, then dove behind a console just in time to save his skin as the room suddenly lit up with gunfire. Two of his comrades who weren't as fast as him went down nearby, and Alister grimaced as he heard their shrieks of pain just before they crashed to the ground. He forced himself not to look. He had to stay focused on the battle.
After a quick glance to ensure that the rest of his teammates were on his side of the room, he grabbed a plasma grenade from his utility belt and lobbed it over his shoulder. The screams accompanying the explosion told him that he had neutralized several targets. As though they shared one mind, the entire squad leaped from hiding within the same second that the noise died down. The startled Dakari that survived the grenade were overtaken in a deadly strobe.
No sooner than the room was clear, the team blazed out into the station, fighting their way past any enemy forces they encountered as they pressed forward. Alister cheated death several more times, while several more of his comrades weren't as lucky. It started to look questionable whether they would have enough soldiers left by the time they reached the areas that needed to be defended. And then there was the disheartening fact that their defense of the interior meant nothing if the battle in space went to the enemy. The way the floor continued to shake and conduits to rupture didn't bode well for their hopes that things were going well outside. Alister tried to dismiss his concerns and keep his head in the fight, but Raiken evidently sensed the same danger.
During a lull in combat, he beckoned the squad into a secluded corridor. While his men caught their bearings, Raiken tapped the comm unit on his breastplate and urgently called out, "Dante, come in! How are you doing out there?"
The officer commanding the ship answered in a near-shout, his voice muffled by the sound of blaring alarms. "Reinforcements have arrived, but we're taking heavy fire from the mother ship. I don't think the Echelon can last much longer, and I doubt the other Lombax ships are faring much better."
Raiken looked hopelessly thoughtful for a few seconds. "We need to take out their weapons," he muttered, as if to himself. "Autopilot wouldn't be fast or precise enough..."
"Sir?" Alister wondered aloud.
The Captain ignored him and muttered hesitantly. "Dante... I want you to evacuate the crew of the Echelon to the station."
Dante hesitated to respond. Apparently he was as confused by this command as Alister was. "Yes sir, but... what about the ship?"
"Leave that to me. Raiken out." With that he turned to Alister and resolutely stated, "Azimuth, I'm leaving you in command."
"What do you mean?" Alister asked. "Where are you going?"
"The Echelon is already as good as destroyed..." Raiken explained. "So I'm going to drive it into the Dakari mother ship."
Alister gasped in horror. "No! You'll be killed!"
"I know."
"But—!"
"If their defenses fall, they'll try to run... but you can't let them get away." He turned to face the young soldier and looked him directly in the eye, his expression stern and challenging. "Understand?"
Alister could only stare back at him in fearful shock, hoping that tears wouldn't start pouring down his cheeks. With a deep swallow, he forced out the words, "Yes, sir."
Raiken nodded and donned a proud smile, displaying once more the inner kindness that he was always so careful to guard. "Take care of yourself, Alister," he ordered with an almost paternal affection in his voice, calling him by his proper name for the first—and final—time.
For a short, dreadful moment, Alister could only stare after him as he dashed back toward the transport room, disappearing behind the inside curve of the corridor. He couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't accept it. Why? Why did the people he most cared about always die before him? Why could he never protect them? Why was he always unable to do anything but stand by and watch such precious lives slip through his fingers? This sickening, gut-wrenching feeling hadn't consumed him so vividly since his father's death.
He was forced from his daze by one of his comrades—now his subordinates—urgently asking, "What should we do, Azi—uh—sir?"
He turned to face the group of soldiers whose fates now rested in his hands. They looked at him with surprise and nervous trepidation, but they stood ready to follow him into battle, and to carry out his orders even unto death. Alister didn't feel like he deserved their trust, let alone this position of command over them. He didn't feel like he was ready to lead. Nevertheless, here he was, and he had a promise to keep. He would never forgive himself if he let his apprehension drive him to failure.
Swallowing his pain, he seized control over his emotions and started barking out orders.
"Gareth, go back to meet up with Dante. Tell the evacuees from our ship to head for the main research lab and try to take it back from the invaders."
"Yes, sir."
As Gareth took off, Alister turned to the rest of his squad and simply ordered, "The rest of you, follow me!"
He and his troops charged as fast as possible through the corridors of the space station, dealing quickly and harshly with any resistance they met along the way. Driven by grief and maddening frustration, Alister fought with more feral animosity than ever before. The Dakari he met in battle gradually ceased to have faces or souls. All he saw as he blew them away with blasts of energy or beat them off with the cold metal of his weapon was enemies, murderers, or at best just mindless drones getting in his way when all he wanted to do was save lives. Why?! Why did they hate Lombaxes so much? Why couldn't they just leave them alone? These questions burned his heart from the inside out, but at that moment he didn't care what the answers were. He just let his rage blaze against his enemies, and no Dakari trooper who dared stand in his path remained standing for long.
Finally his squad burst into the engine room, where a quick glance at the domed roof revealed the tether connecting the Havilah station to the Dakari mother ship. From this angle he could see that it was no simple cable. Three massive metal hooks protruded from it like talons, latching it firmly in place. The cable itself was actually more like a pipe, periodically dispensing a new wave of invaders.
Now he understood... They couldn't hack into the station's teleport pads, so they used this approach to board the station. That explained why the outside forces were so overwhelming. This tether-tube plan was risky, and they were relying on their vast numbers to keep the Lombaxes aboard the station busy enough that they wouldn't be able to corner them right at their entry point.
Had he not been so angry, Alister would have smiled. All at once, he had his counterstrike completely figured out.
"Charge!" he shouted, then plunged into battle with his men on his heels. They came upon the terrorists in that room like a breaking wave. Engaging the enemy in close-quarters was dangerous, but in this instance it was necessary. He was using their own strategy against them.
Alister cut his way to the center of the room as stealthily as he could, relying on the distraction provided by the surrounding battle, and razed a Terraklon who was guarding two Lombax hostages. He pulled them to their feet, not giving them a chance to catch their breath before he shoved them in front of a computer console, urgently bidding, "Seal all the doors to this room. Hurry!"
"O-Okay," one stuttered, wiping his hand across his forehead before setting to work at the controls. His partner was panting and trembling terribly, but he also did his best to comply.
"Don't worry," Alister assured. "I'll cover you."
True to his word, the determined young soldier planted himself behind the two engineers as they worked. He didn't like this position. He didn't want to be stuck in one place while his compatriots were fighting all around him. But he had no choice. This part of his plan was critical. Against his better nature, he was actually glad when Dakari terrorists came charging at him. He blocked, parried, and shot, bringing down each of them without fail. One by one they collapsed in a bloody mess at his feet.
It felt like an hour passed before the doors leading into the room fell down, sealing in place with a snap of vacuumed air.
"Finished," one of the engineers reported. "The room is completely locked down."
"Good," Alister said. "Now get out of harm's way while we finish this."
The engineers were not the least bit hesitant to comply, and Alister rushed to rejoin his team as they fought off the Dakari that remained in the vicinity. A quick order shouted over the din of battle, and two of his men were guarding the enemy chute, where they made short work of any unwanted visitors who dared drop in. It took less than a minute to secure the room, though they took a few more casualties in the process.
Alister looked around for any signs of further threat, then called the two engineers out of hiding.
"I need one of you at a tactical station to report on the battle outside," he said.
"Right away." The more assertive of the two nodded and went straight to a nearby console and set to work. He had to grab hold of it to steady himself as a small tremor rocked the room.
"A Lombax ship just collided with the Dakari mother ship." he reported.
Alister felt his heart sink into his stomach. His eyes fell closed, and his hands clenched into tight, trembling fists. He took in a sharp breath, and tried not to let his voice waver as he asked, "What's the damage to the mother ship?"
The engineer fiddled with his console for a few seconds, then reported in a stunned tone, "Their primary weapons array has been destroyed. They're powering their engines—most likely to retreat."
"Over my dead body," Alister whispered, his voice dripping with hatred. "Is there any way you can keep that tether from detaching?"
The engineers looked surprised. "Why would we want to do that?" asked the one at the tactical station.
"We can't let the Dakari escape with our technology. Besides, if they get away now, they'll just be back later, but if we can take out their mother ship, they'll never bother us again."
The two Lombaxes looked at each other worriedly, but nodded and turned back to Alister. "We could try the weld cannon."
Alister didn't know what that was, but he liked the sound of it.
Seconds later the two engineers were manning a huge machine that looked something like a hovercar with a big laser on top. One of them sat inside on an angled seat with a joystick in either hand and a visor over his eyes. The other stood behind the machine operating a console. "Power at full," he announced.
"Copy that." The one in the seat pulled his joysticks, and a narrow red beam shot forth from the barrel of the gigantic welding gun. It struck the talons of the invading tether-tube where they clutched the metal roof of the station, and slowly moved along that seam, melting the two together and leaving behind a trail of blazing red.
Soon the seal was finished, and Alister turned to the engineers as they were stepping away from the weld cannon, already giving them a new batch of orders. "One of you monitor the situation outside. I need the other to unseal those doors and get me the biggest hand-held explosive device in this station."
The poor researchers were looking more flustered and worried by the second, but they nodded and obediently set to work on their appointed tasks. Within seconds the doors flew open and one of them dashed outside.
"Contact the Lombax fleet on a secure channel," he said to the one who remained. "Tell them to concentrate their fire on the mother ship's engines. Let me know when their propulsion is down."
"Got it."
Just then a rumble like thunder bellowed through the room and the floor shook more violently than ever before. "They're trying to pull away!" the engineer shouted, working furiously at his console. "The station's structural integrity is dropping!"
"Never mind that! Just get that message out!"
"What's your plan, sir?" asked one of the soldiers, practically shouting to be heard over all the noise.
Alister turned to his squad and explained as quickly as possible. "Once their engines are down they'll be sitting ducks. At that point we need to sever that cable so that they won't take this station down with them."
The second engineer came bursting back into the room with a crazed Rundak on his heels, and Alister nailed the creature between the eyes.
"Here," the engineer said, panting from fear and exhaustion. He thrust a heavy bundle into Alister's hands and breathlessly instructed, "I've already programmed it. Just push these two buttons at the same time and it'll explode in ten seconds."
"Thanks." In a loud voice Alister addressed everyone in the room, saying, "When those engines go, I want all of you to get out of this room and prepare to seal it off. If I don't make it to you within ten seconds, forget me. Understand?"
His soldiers eyed him with morose surprise, but nodded obediently. They resumed their post around the tether tube, fighting off the enemy forces that now emerged in a final desperation strike.
The tremors rocking the station worsened until Alister could barely stand. He braced himself against the tactical station next to the engineer and helped him keep his own footing while he kept his eyes glued to the panel, and they both struggled to tune out the screams, alarms, and grate of buckling metal.
"Hull stress is approaching critical!" the engineer grimly announced.
Alister swallowed, gritting his teeth. Come on... break!
All of a sudden the tremors stopped. "Their engines are down!"
"Everyone get out! Now!"
The squad of Lombaxes flooded toward the doors, sweeping up the two engineers to carry them to safety. Alister didn't wait to see them gone. He looked resolutely up at the foreboding black mouth of the pipe, and took a sharp breath as he positioned himself under it and ignited his hoverboots. He blasted them at full power to give himself a strong upward thrust, and he was propelled into the pitch black interior of the Dakari mother ship's metal esophagus. He pressed the two buttons on the bomb in his hand, and at the pinnacle of his momentum he pitched it up as hard as he could. Then he let himself tumble backwards and ignited his boots once more to hasten his descent. Ironically, he found himself plummeting towards a light at the end of a tunnel.
As he fell from the tube back into the station he pulled up his legs and thrust his body into the standard hovering position. Without stopping he leaned forward and raced toward the exit, praying it wasn't too late.
He barreled through the door and dove into a hairpin turn that found him sprawled on the floor beside one of his soldiers, who promptly shouted, "Now!"
Alister heard the sound of force fields going up, followed milliseconds later by a loud explosion. Had he not already been on the floor, Alister would have been sent to his knees by the resulting jolt. The rest of his comrades were. When the noise died down and the shaking had ceased, Alister looked up to see the relieved faces of half a dozen Lombaxes staring down at him.
"You made it!" one of them exclaimed happily, offering a hand to help him up. Alister grasped it with a smile and let the strength of the soldier's grip draw him to his feet.
It was too soon to drop their guard, though. The squad rushed to the main research lab, where they discovered to Alister's welcome surprise that the surviving crew of the Echelon had successfully fought off the onboard invaders. After a brief exchange of ecstatic greetings, everyone present turned their attention to a gigantic view screen that displayed the space battle raging outside.
Moments later, they witnessed the destruction of the Dakari mother ship. The room immediately erupted into a chorus of cheering and celebrating, with high-fives and aggressive hugs being passed around like party favors.
Alister, however, could not so enthusiastically participate. He let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to his knees in a relaxed heap, but that was the extent of his celebration. Now that the dangers of battle were past, his thoughts turned to the one who had made this triumph possible, and no joy could take form inside him.
« « « « « ж » » » » »
The weeks following the victory at Havilah Station passed in something of a blur. Alister barely reacted when he was lauded for his exceptional performance and quick thinking during the battle, and he couldn't even muster up a smile of gratitude at being promoted several ranks. Long past his feelings of insufficiency, now his heart was consumed by grief. No matter how warmly and frequently he was reminded of how much had been gained on that day, it all seemed insignificant compared to what had been lost.
The losses to his squad alone were enough to depress him, but when he saw the casualty report for the whole battle his throat clenched in sorrow, and he felt sick to his stomach... And then, of course, there was one casualty that represented a very personal loss to him.
Alister remembered his mentor's manner—his rough grip, his harsh voice, his ridiculous expectations... and his rare, proud smile. Raiken was a soul who understood pain. He understood loss, he understood injustice, and because of that, he understood sacrifice. Alister thought back to how his face had looked in the moments when he had decided to seal his own doom for the sake of the greater good. There wasn't a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
Alister heaved a mournful sigh as he staggered into the small room inside his barracks that he shared with a few other soldiers, relieved when his glance around revealed no one else inside. He was tired of trying to hold it all together. No one, however seemingly unshakable, could be strong all the time. He had learned that much from Raiken, who also taught him how important it is for a leader to feign strength when it is lacking, for the sake of those under him. A soldier's subordinates should never see him flinch, let alone cry.
Exhausted from effort and heartache, he collapsed on his bed and buried his face in the sheets to muffle his faint sobs. How he longed for someone to confide in... someone with whom he wasn't obliged to keep up this cursed facade of invulnerability.
And as he wished it, the tide of memory washed in another smiling face, from long before he'd ever been graced with the smile of his mentor. It felt like a wrench had turned in his stomach as new tears flooded his eyes. Up until now, and for a full year back, he hadn't even had even had time to think about how much he missed his best friend.
Kaden... it's been so long.
He got up and pulled open his bottom drawer, looking inside at the little communicator box that still rested there, dusty from disuse. Since it wasn't standard issue, he wasn't allowed to wear it with his uniform, but he hadn't had the heart to get rid of it. Unfortunately, neither had he ever again used it, even once. A wave of guilt swept over him, and he wondered sadly if his soul brother even remembered him anymore. He imagined Kaden repeatedly calling, wanting to ask after his health and offer encouragement like the wonderful friend he was, only to wait fruitlessly while Alister's comm unit beeped unheard at the bottom of a chest of drawers.
He reached inside and picked up the device, handling it carefully like the precious treasure it was. How many memories were bound up in the bolts and gears of this quonky little gadget? He motioned to press the transmit button, but froze just short, suddenly hesitant. He wanted to talk to Kaden. Oh, how badly he wanted to... but at the same time, he wondered if he should.
Even if Kaden still remembered and treasured their friendship the way Alister did, he would be past eighteen by now. He would have no doubt been married for over a year, and might even have a family already. He didn't need the weight on Alister's shoulders burdening him as well. Why interrupt his happy life with depressing news of war and bloodshed?
Alister heaved yet another sigh as he resigned himself to suffering in loneliness. He would just have to bear up under his pain until he learned to ignore it.
"Hello?"
Alister started in surprise, almost dropping the communicator for the soft voice that emanated from it without warning.
"Anybody there? It's me... Kaden."
Alister's breath caught in his throat, and he sat there frozen, staring at the device in his hands as though it were a ghost. Kaden patiently waited for an answer, calling Alister by name and asking if he was there. Alister wanted to reply, but he knew that if he said anything to Kaden his whole heart in all its current brokenness would come pouring out, and his former conviction held firm. He bit his lip regretfully during a long silence, after which Kaden sighed and muttered. "Al, I have a feeling you're there, but it's fine if you don't want to talk... I just wanted to see how you were doing, and let you know that—I haven't forgotten about you."
Alister stifled a gasp, amazed again at Kaden's wisdom and kindness. With a tender, somewhat disappointed voice, the young Lombax said, "So... Goodbye, I guess. Hope you're okay."
In a sudden rush of instinct Alister snapped the communicator up to his mouth, pressing the button and urgently pleading, "Kaden, wait!"
"Alister? Al, is that you?"
Alister swallowed hard, holding his tongue for a few dreadful seconds while trying to decide what to say.
"I..." he struggled out, fighting back tears. "I haven't forgotten about you, either."
Before there was a reply he cut the signal and collapsed on his bed with a gasp-like sigh, his heart heavy... but a bit lighter than before.
Author's Notes:
- "Red alert! All hands to battle stations!"— Some of you may or may not have noticed the heavy Star Trek influence in this installment. ^^' It was unavoidable, I'm afraid, considering the circumstances of the chapter and what was going on. I tried to make the language and terminology I used as different as possible, but a lot of my inner Trekkie ultimately leaked through, nonetheless. I don't know whether this is a bad thing or not, but there it is.
- The Formal Military— I think I mentioned once before my insecurity about writing for a military setting. This is because I have a heart for the military and a strong passion for seeing it accurately portrayed in fiction... but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm an expert on how they do things. ^^' If this story was set in real life and I was dealing with an actual human military, I probably wouldn't even attempt to write it without doing some serious research... But since this is a sci-fi setting, and I don't have time for serious research, I'm just gonna plead ignorant and do the best I can with the limited knowledge I've gleaned from listening to my Dad recount his boot camp days and watching war movies with him and my brother.
- The Dakari, Rundaks, and Havilah Station— In case anybody's not sure, yes, I made all these up for the sake of the story and they have no base in the games... You should've seen me trying to come up with names for all of them. *-*
- Theme Song: "Devastation and Reform" by Relient K— This song somewhat describes how Alister feels in this chapter.