Obey and die.

[Xing]

Hi Serg err, Elwin! I said enthusiastically as I saw the man approaches my computer unit. He smiled back, and sat down to a unit next to mine with a contended sigh of someone who didnt sit his whole day. It was a calm day, and there were about no one in the computer room.
Hey Isabelle. Been enjoying your day? He asked, as he pushed the button to start up his machine.
Yeah, since the bar was filled with diverse kind of male trying to get a piece of me or any other girls around, I had to run away from the animals to find refuge within the geek territory! I smirked gently at him, still concentrated on my video game,
I do hope they didnt sent you to drag me back in the party!
Elwin merely smiled, like the patient veteran he was, whos heard such story way too many time.
So far youve seemed to have managed things rather well in the drunken-people-hole. As long as you dont drink as much as they do, therell be no drama. As he started up his holonet browser, he scratched his chin before adding jokingly Im surprised you control your drinking consumption so well, especially at that age. And especially for a girl from this planet. We have a general reputation for being drunkards outside, yknow.
I laughed, amused at his remark as I won another race on my computer. The game was a simple online flight simulator, creating realistic races over real space circuit, reproduction of the infamous Connecticut or the challenging Dublin racing rings among others. We were now waiting for a few more players to join up for the next circuit, the Kusari Nebula race.
Cant stand the alcohol. Hated that thing ever since my youth, and beside, with a father in the admiralty of Liberty, he would never have left me soil myself with such pollution! I said in a good mood as I relaxed and prepared myself for the next round, my finger already itching at the promise of a sweet victory.
Elwin nodded pleasantly, which was a first to me since most would merely stare at me with incredulous eyes (she doesnt drink and shes from Minor?!) or with shocked horror (her father doesnt allow her to drink? What kind of dictatorship is that!).
Well, you certainly do well to clean up a bit our peoples reputation within Liberty! Ah, there it goes.
Strangely, Elwin enigmatic last remark came exactly in time as my own game was ready for the race. My little flyer, a civilian hawk which Ive painted in a beautiful silvery white with blue racing stripes, hummed its engine. Next to me were 5 other players, their ship all at the ready.
At that rate Ill become the champion of this game I can only imagine the boys behind their screen having an attack as they learn they had been beaten by a female I produced a playful devilish laughter as I pushed on the thrusters, the starting lights having counted down. It was a no-cruise engine race, so everyone was relying on the inertia of their crafts by disabling the stabiliser of their ships.
I believe, soldier, you are talking of victory to quick! Elwin said, and at my surprise, a small craft suddenly collided me in a corner, sending me flying outside the rings, toward the dangerous pocket of explosive nebulas!
I turned my head a fraction of a second to see to my surprise my sergeant playing in the same race as I was!
Oh, Im not so sure, sir! I growled, relishing for the challenge.

--

Who, what were you saying already?
I shook my head, in a sign of playful despair. Certainly not you!
Nu uh. I believe the winner would be best.sarge.around. Can you guess who could that be! he said, a mocking smile on his face.
Not-Elwin? I tried myself, smiling, slightly deceived at the stain in my near perfect scores. It was the first time I ended so low in fact, I didnt even ended the race since my ship got destroyed!
Nu uh again, soldier! 30 push ups, right now! He ordered, his eyes showing amusement. I knew he wasnt being serious of course, so we both laughed at his remark. The little disciplinary measure he took against me a few days ago was already forgiven, ad he knew that.
Still, you won by cheating! I would have won if you didnt constantly bumped me in the nebulas! Thats quite dishonourable! I added, trying to hide my grudging voice in it. My sergeant face softened, revealing his handsome features he hid usually under his hardened mask of discipline.
Isabelle, in a war, if someone shot you from your back, would he be called a cheater?
No, but he wouldnt be very honourable nonetheless.
He smiled, his eyes showing a certain sense of wise Ive never noticed before, a certain gleam in the eyes you could only find in the people who has lived through a lot.
Thatd only apply to games. In war, youd be too dead to complain on that. So what do you do?
I slowly began to realise his logic, and answered carefully, taking my time,
I watch my back and shoot him down. I hesitated, then added even if it means losing the battle.
Elwin nodded appreciatively as he shut down his computer unit.
Exact. Your life is, will always be more important than winning. What is important, is to stay alive, learn from your mistake to be able to win the war. He rose up, ready to leave.
Yet, I was confused at this sudden declaration, these words full of wise yet?...
Why are you telling me this, Elwin? I asked quietly.
It was him who hesitated this time, as he looked through my eyes, his piercing gaze stripping my soul to its very core, that I knew whatever my sub conscious was trying to hide to him would never succeed to do so.
I think, Isabelle, you know very well why. Vengeance leads to nothing but fatality.

--

It was by a chilly cold and dark night we took the shuttle back to L-15, everyone back from their short vacation and seemingly in good shape, ready for another two weeks of hellish training in the mountains. I looked at Elwin and noticed he had already resumed his role of sergeant, his face apparently frozen in that permanent frown while his army cap hid his features in the dim lightning of the space craft, only showing his two cold gleaming eyes there was a somewhat mysterious, even evil look when you looked at him.
I looked by my side to find Aurelia already asleep on my shoulder, and that made me smile gently. Strange that an adult was relying on my body to take a nap I caught Elwins gaze toward me, and I felt him smirk in the darkness as he returned to his work on the datapad. My comrade asleep by my side, I was hence free to reflect on the last chatter Ive had with my sergeant. Vengeance only leads to fatality. How did he guessed part of my decision to enlist was completely beyong my comprehension, but so was his enigmatic sentence. Fatality? Of whom, myself? How, I wondered, for my desire of vengeance gave me the strength to fight and endure, it seemed, anything. Just remembering the slaughter of my friends made me want to better myself so the perpetrators of such crime never lived. Deep inside me, I knew I probably would never meet a hacker or even a rogue in a combat situation. Yet, it didnt mattered for every gesture I would make within the armed forces would help bring these scums down. I would gladly accept to sweat and ache for seemingly no reason at this moment so that someday people might be saved by my commitment was this vengeance so bad?
Thinking of all this made my heart burn with it anyway, and I promised myself to live to my words. I will make the people who did this horror pay, no matter the wise words of my sergeant. He couldnt understand what Ive been through even though his good willed intentions were obvious, I decided.

Despite the shaking of our shuttle craft caused by the strong Californian storm, I managed to slowly become asleep. My last vision before losing contact with reality was that of sergeant Elwin looking at me with his piercing eyes, looking as if he read through my mind and disapproved my decision.
I must have been dreaming, I thought as I fell in the abyss of a comforting sleep.

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