1.

Kax sat on his cot, polishing his vibroblade. As he gently applied the cleaning agent to the blade, he felt the faint heat of its most recent use. His friend Sief began to stir in the corner.

“Seif, we must begin training. The more practice we have, the more likely we will survive for longer.” Kax stared at his companion, waiting several moments for his response.

“Kax, if you don’t learn to relax you’re going to die of an aneurysm before you ever see combat,” Seif mumbled into his pillow, “Besides, what does it matter, it’s not like the make sure we train every morning. Let’s take a break this morning and just relax. Wake me up in about 15 minutes.”

“Sief, you must learn to condition yourself more thoroughly. If you don’t follow the regulation, you will become another fatality on the battlefield. We don’t have these guidelines here to just ignore. They are here to benefit us of the United Force of Galaman. Honor before self, courage above…”

“Honor before self, courage above self,” mocked Seif, who had sat up in his cot and begun to polish his sheaknife, “We all know the stupid creed. You just need to relax. If you really want to be such a lanch about it, then fine, we will train.” Seif held up his sheaknife, letting it gleam in the hallow twilight of the dawn. With a show of amazing grace, he swept his sheaknife in a low arc towards Kax’s ankle, which was met by the cold hiss of the vibroblades glowing blade.

Kax seemed as a statue as he held his block. A grin had come across his face as he felt the cold steel through the worn patches of his blade. Such sheer exhilaration blew through him. Every time he felt the low hum of his blade in his hand, its beautiful hiss as it met an opponent’s weapon or the damp whistle when the blade claimed to water of life from an adversary.

Kax and Seif blocked and countered in a beautiful gleam of flashing steel. The room became a dance floor for two masters of the art. Seif began wielding a second sheaknife as he continued his violent tango with Kax. Both of them grinned and laughed, a slew compliments and arrogance following every unexpected counter, or excellent use of the surrounding.

Kax had taken to attacking Seif while standing on a table, while Seif defending himself from behind a chair when the pressure door opened and the Ohash stepped through. Kax and Seif snapped to attention, with their blades to their sides. The Ohash looked them both over, noting the smell of perspiration in the air.

“Boys,” the Ohash grunted in a deep growl, “You are to report to my quarters now!” The Ohash turned on his heels, out of the pressure doors, and made a left. Kax and Seif followed on his tail. The Ohash muttered a letter of hate towards recruits as he walked.

Kax shot Seif an accusing look, but Seif’s face showed a truthful confusion. They continued their march towards the Ohash’s office. With a whish the pressure doors opened into something amazing. Medals hung from all of the walls resembling a starry night in Halika galaxy, a million gleams of gold against the infinite white. Trophy cases covered the areas of white not yet inhabited by the gleaming medals. Inside, the cases looked filled to bursting with trophies for everything ranging from tests of strength to tests of agility. Kax and Seif could only squint in wild amazement. They were torn from their boyish jitter when the Ohash spoke.

“Boys you have been assigned,” He said mildly, as if this conversation was a relaxing time away from his more pressing duties, “You will be stationed on Extermis. You leave now.”

Kax and Seif both winced at the name of the planet. Extermis is the home world of the Extelites, the U.F.G.’s most notorious foe. The people of Extermis had once been close allies with Galaman, sharing wealth and power beyond comprehension, until both sides became greedy. The people of Extermis wanted to conscript the young men of Galaman to fight their own private wars, while Galamanian government wanted to harvest the vast exotic resources of Extermis. Soon a war broke out, turning the once intergalactic super-force into nothing more than squabbling children on a playground.

Kax and Seif chorused a ‘Sir, yes sir’ then turned on their heels towards the shuttles. As they walked they began to understand fully what had just happened. A chill ran down Kax’s back as he began to think of the fierce battle yet to come, and what tragedies he will see. Glancing at his partner’s nonchalant face, he realized Seif had pushed the thought aside to something much more trivial. To his estimations it was food.

“Let’s stop at the mess Kax, I want some hot gormash.”

“I figured you would want food Seif. There should be mess on the shuttle, now let’s go.”

As they boarded the long silver ship, glistening as the light reflected off the many jagged edges, they took one last look back at headquarters. They knew it was highly unlikey they would ever see it again.


2.

Three long years have passed from the day Kax and Seif were stationed on Extermis. They had survived many a battle, suffered losses and rejoiced victories. They had also seen the gruesome deaths of their colleges and companions. In the beginning, the deaths tore through them emotionally, but war has a way of hardening the emotions, until almost nothing is ever felt. However, some good had come from their stationing on Extermis. Kax had been promoted to First Bushka, and Seif was a Has-Kazar. Together, they controlled three divisions of the finest Galamian troops the universe had to offer.

Today, the two were finally to be re-stationed. Their things were packed already, and the boys were enjoying one last Extermisan breakfast. Kax rose from the table towards his bag. He had set it apart by setting his old vibroblade on top of it. A smile crept across his hardened lips as he remembered all of the uses of his first vibroblade. Unconsciously, he had reached to his own bushkablade, feeling its warm –dauk leather in his hand. The mess tent’s entrance flap blew opened as the scout ran through towards Kax. As the scout gasped for air, he reported the Extelite attack, and the imminent arrival of the Extilite forces. Kax had observed the scouts behavior, how his leg shook, how he held the wound in his left arm, and how he seemed near tears.

“Report to the medic tent recruit,” Kax ordered the scout, “The rest of you prepare for battle. Sound the alarms.”

Seif grinned to himself and arose. “Looks like we have one last battle here on this god-forsaken planet, Kax”

“Indeed we do Seif, indeed we do.” Kax chuckled. He picked up his old vibroblade and holstered it on his back. A loud scream pieced the air as biolaz shells blew through the air. The sound of vibroblades could be heard around camp. Kax shot Seif and authorive looks, and Seif prepared for battle, wielding his sheaknifes from childhood.

More screams could be heard as they quietly waited for the enemy to search the tent. They could see the shadows darting across the side of the tent like silhouettes from an ancient movie. Soon the Extelites began to fill the tent. Seif was the first to attack, moving like a cat on the prowl, quickly slice tendons on the legs while slitting throats with the other blade. Kax smiled with pride as he watched Seifs movements then unsheathed his bushkablade.

With a quick flick of his wrist, the blade activated. Kax felt its familiar tingle in his palm, the glowing blade illuminating the room. One last smile crossed his face as struck. The blade cut through the armor, skin, and bones like needle through water. Blood began to splatter from the open wounds of his adversaries, covering him in the warm liquid. Flecks of sweat and blood flew from his forehead as he expertly lopped the arm off an Extelite elite soldier and ran out of the tent following Seif.

Kax could not help but to think back to the long morning spar he had with Seif so many years ago. How he felt so at peace yet filled with complete excitement. He glanced at Seif, who was swimming though the swarms of elite soldiers and upper larkaurs Seif afforded one quick gaze back to Kax. Smiling, Kax continued to dispatch the Extelites.

Soon an Extelite cry of retreat was sounded. Kax quickly dismembered the straglers as they all ran. Seif straightened himself, and taunted the retreating Extelites. Kax looked at him with mild disgust at the way he gloated, the turned his attention to the crowd on the hill. Seif had run up a few yards to hurl one last insult.
Suddenly the air crackled as the sniper shot rang through the camp. Kax look towards Seif to see if he knew what had happened. Seif didn’t move for a long time, until he just fell to his knees. Kax ran over to him.
“Seif what’s wrong? What happened?” Kax fought back the horrible thought that filled his head.
“Well buddy, you were right. I got careless, and I got shot.” Seif lifted his hand from where the shot had hit him. A gaping hole about 3 inching in diameter sat between his lower ribs .
“You’re going to be alright,” Kax almost yelled through tears, “Just hang in there. MEDIC, MEDIC!”
“Heh, it’s too late for me Kax. I’m not going to make it through this one.” Seif choked through blood.
“Don’t say that! You’re going to be fine!” Kax held Seif in his arms, feeling the blood soak through his pants, “You can’t die here, you just can’t! As your commanding officer I order you not to die”
“Sir,” Seif laughed, coughing up more blood, “I must disobey. Permission to die, sir.”
“Permission not granted soldier,” Kax trembled, feeling his longtime companion go limp in his arms, “Damnit Seif, don’t leave me here!” Tears rolled down Kax’s face. He laid Seif down on the ground carefully, folding his arms and fixing his uniform. He stared at the lifeless body; saw his tear land in the pool of blood, cutting it with a spider like splash.
“You shouldn’t have died like this Seif. You deserved so much better,” Hostility dripped from his voice, “And I will make them all pay here for this.” Kax saluted his former second-in-command. He turned his attention to the Extelites on the hill. Picking up one of Seifs sheaknifes, then wielding his own vibroblade in the other, he rushed the hill, tears flying behind him like flecks of cotton in the breeze.
“I won’t let a single one of you get away with this!” Kax roared at the Extelites. “If I die here today, I’m going to make sure not a single one of you survives!”

3.

“Here we lay to rest Second Ohash Seif Medola., a fine man and a finer soldier.” The preacher recited in the pouring rain. The crowds began to disperse from the memoriam, until one was left. Kax looked at the stone the bared the name of his one-time best friend. He could briefly feel the warm blood on his leg again. His arms could feel the weight of the corpse.
“I’m First Ohash now,” Kax said through tears, “Looks like you were wrong, you didn’t die a higher rank than me, like you always said you would.” He fell to his knees and began weeping over the headstone. He would never forget the man this cold unloving stone represented.