A heavily pulsating ache swarmed from his knee into the entire leg after Xu had shot him in the knee. Pressing his hands against the wound, Vladimir's concentration was broken for a few moments. The nearly unendurable pain did not weaken his determination though, just the opposite, he felt a deep strength rising is his mind. Vladimir felt the end of the pistol pressed on his temple, the iron felt cold as ice. He listened to the Commandant's ultimate questions and answered, his sweat starting to run down from his head. "No, Commandant, I am not weak, if I were, I wouldn't have gotten that far in life. I wouldn't have the opportunity to make my dream reality now, that is, to follow my own beliefs, which are the ones of the Coalition. I will fight for its ideal and its people with every bit of my body, for that the revolution will continue and prevail. All I need is a chance." Vladimir became silent, closed his eyes for a moment and waited for his fate to arrive.
