"Maybe We're All The Same"

He was firing over the vast plains of Penxal when a cybo round caught his shoulder. He winced in pain, but his face quickly turned back to that stern, rigid look that he always seemed to carry with him. He looked over to his right and saw one of his men down.

"Another one down! Another one down! Someone get a medic down here to get em'!" he yelled.

Even with his yelling, you could tell that this was all routine for him now; and routine to him was hell to others. He snuck though the wastes of Chernboyn IV and lost a contingent of his fighters to the last remnents of the Zex Guard. He hiked the mountains of Yelmar alone, a journey that took 6 days, just to snipe a leader of some rebels that threatened the region. He fought to the last defending Jadelt from the zealot-like Mandrainion Warriors. As far as he was concerned, Pexnal was, for lack of a better term, normal.

He looked around. To his right the Delta-4 Space Marines were advancing steadily, but to his left...his left was in shambles. Broken ranks and twisted divisions were all that remained. Every few seconds a wave of Kognax mortars hit around him, be he didn't pay attention to them anymore. A man ran to his side and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Major Carek!" said the medic, "Who do you need shipped out!?"

"Him, him, and him" said Carek as he pointed to his wounded men, then returning to firing across the plains.

He never knew their names. He never wanted to. He had too many men die under his command for him to want to learn thier names, to go through the pain of loss again.

Carek looked to his left and picked up a long-wave radio.

"Okay marines, time to deploy ALMU (All Land Military Unit) units at 76' 26'', 84' 12'', and 44'30''"

"Yessir" said the voice on the other end of the radio.

Three indentical ships came down almost immediately. Each ship dropped off a huge mechanized warrior that would support, or possibly even spear-head, an assault.

The mere presence of an ALMU bot can turn the tide of battle. Carek's ordering of three ALMU bots could even be considered overkill. As soon as they were dropped off, the ALMU bots quickly turned on and sprang to life. With state-of-the-art targeting systems and a massive array of firepower, they easily turned the Pexnalian Soldiers into dust.

Carek looked out onto the field, unafraid of any sniper that may have had his sights set on him. He liked what he saw. His bots getting their jobs done, and his marines doing theirs. It was a glorious victory for Major Carek, and he knew it. Carek pushed a button on his belt, and a ship came down to pick him up. He watched as the last of the Pexnalian soldiers fell, damn proud of his boys and the work they've done.

In the conference room of "The Sycthe" Major Carek opened a communications line with Admiral Samet.

"Major, why in the HELL did you wait so long to deploy ALMU units?" huffed the Admiral

"I had to know if my marines would perform under pressure sir."

"You got 327 men killed today Carek, and 42 missing. Are you proud?"

"They died winning this battle sir, and I hope I can go out the same way" said Carek sternly.

"Then just off yourself Carek! Your nonsensical blood-lust is getting out of hand! You got good men killed today just so you could "test them out""

"Sir, with all due respect, these men are better fighters now, and I can easily rely on them when I need them. And as for the suicide advice, I will embrace death when he comes for me, but I will not invite him to dine"

Admiral Samet looked at him with a look of disgust and said "You may be one of the best Major, but that does not mean you have to elongate every land assault! We could've glassed the entire planet from orbit without losing 369 of our greatest!"

Carek looked coldly at the hologram of the Admiral and said "I know that 369 are gone, but that means many more of theirs are! Forever more shall they know the face of wrath, for it has been hewn into their minds, not by cannons, but by men. I will personally see all 369 off into the great abyss, and then I shall know their names. Only in death do we get recognized. I have nothing more to say to you Admiral."

Admiral Samet disconnected communications after that, and Carek found himself in a dark room. Carek walked over to the medbay to see his men, the deceased, off. He found the man who was shot next to him earlier, and picked up his tags.

"Pvt. Gayle Frox" Carek spoke aloud.

He put down the tags and shed a tear. It was the first time he shed a tear in a long, long time, but that night it was well deserved.


How did you guys like it? I wrote this all during a class of study hall last year, and just now got around to writing more for it.

Interested in seeing more? Post a comment if you are :D