Robert sat on the bunk in his quarters. His eyes were closed, and the only things he felt through the vodka-induced fog and the constant pain from his implant was the tears on his face and the metallic taste of the barrel of his favorite revolver. He recalled what had brought him to this sad state.
The Coalition had become the very thing it's detractors had long accused it of being. A repressive dictatorship from above, rather than a true nation of the people. Gone, even, was the option of rebelling. Before he had a chance to escape, the Volkhan's goons had gotten to him, and had escorted him to the medical bay at gunpoint. He had been roughly placed on the operating table, and soon after the anesthetic had taken effect. When he had woken up, his thoughts were no longer his own. There was now a subtle influence in his mind telling him that the Volkhan was the savior of the Coalition, rather than the megalomaniacal counter-revolutionary that he was. The more that Robert had resisted, the more pain the implant had caused him. What was most insidious, however, was the pleasure it caused during the moments he actually thought well of the Volkhan. It took all his willpower to remember his loyalty to Premier Katz.
Worst of all were the dreams. In them, the message of the Volkhan was repeated louder, and ground it in. So much so that it took a force of will for him to not believe it. Even in his sleep, he wasn't free. He began to drink during his off-duty time, trying to make the dreams go away. He noticed that it dulled the pain as well. He knew he couldn't continue like this. The constant pain of disloyalty to the Volkhan was unbearable, and he knew he would disappear soon if he didn't come around. In the end, it wasn't worth losing his soul for. The Coalition he knew, loved, and fought for was dead. It was only fitting that he died with it. It would be his last duty to his Premier.
Major Robert Thacker, decorated hero of the Revolution twitched his finger, and the pain was gone forever.
(//No, I'm not leaving the Coalition. I'm making a new character, as I discussed with Alvin earlier.)
![[Image: pyBjInU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/pyBjInU.png)