Final Moments.

Hunkered behind a small crater on an unnamed moon in a corner of space relegated to witness my demise. It isn’t funny but at the same time, I have to say, it isn’t overly cruel either.

Coming from an impoverished farming planet and being whisked away on an adventure only to make a last stand in a meaningless place is more than I could have ever hoped for. Instead I could have been stuck on a plough all my life. At least this way I got to see one or two stars.

More gunfire. The telltale puffs of dust as projectiles impact the the crater and beyond it. I can hear some chatter over the radio, so maybe somewhere someone from my unit is doing better than I am. It is a small comfort as I look down at the read out of my rifle: 2.

2 projectiles. A far-cry from the 500 projectiles I started with not too long ago. I move slowly and peer quickly over the crater embankment. Movement left and a flash right. Great. They are going to come at me from two sides. I sigh and clutch the grip harder. With eyes closed I think back to 8 months ago and smile at the warmth of those memories. However, something else lingers there. Bordom.

What would I do? What would the fantasy version of myself do in this moment? I have imagined my life as a Star Soldier for as long as I have memory. A wave that emenates from my chest sends warm chills throughout my body. A sense of what the answer is and the horrific and wonderful things it means. A last stand.

Okay. Death enevitable and hilarious, how do I make this happen? Just pop up and try and get a bead on my pursuers? No. Too simple; and the holographic drill seargent I had in basic would reanimate and ream me out as I died. Hmmm. Why even use the projectiles? I mean, all the Star Soldiers are issued a bayonet. I had gutted animals before and although killing someone at sexual range is typically frowned upon there is no substitute for killing the enemy.

Alright bayonet it is. How does it even attach to my rifle? Ah, yes. Twist and click. The rifle looks even more deadly now if that was at all possible and I am surprised that I had not seen the rifle in this configuation more often. Most recruits don’t even get training in hand-to-hand so perhaps they simply saw no use to explain it.

I am a little closer to the movement on the left. “Let’s go that way first,” I murmer to no one in particular. I decide to start my blaze of glory off with a combat roll that looks more like a somersault in low-G. I come up a little further than I have intended and see the creature tracking me with its weapon. They are slow in the cold and I keep hustling left. I see a small embankment and lunge for it load my legs up and explode towards my enemy. I close the distance fast and I plunge my bayonet into what passes for a neck. Black blood boils out of the wound and the creature lets out a death shudder.

Whoa. Easier than I thought and I still have two projectiles left. I spin around facing the threat that was previosuly on my right. I see the creature firing over the crater not far from where I was hiding before. I push my vicitim in front of me and give it a hard kick. The recently deceased creature rockets towards his companion. It bumps and tumbles wildly, but obstructs me enough to soak up a number of projectiles. I roll left and level my rifle and squeeze the trigger letting loose my last two projectiles. They miss and in frustration I fling my rifle like an axe towards the creature. The rifle spins like a throwing star in low-G and my jaw drops when I see the bayonet lodge itself in the creatures chest.

Slowly I regain my composure and slowly walk to the dying creature. “How the fuck did that work?” I ask the now dead creature. I pull the bayonet out and try to ignore the sensation of flesh clinging to the blade.

I look around and notice an audience. Star Soldiers wearing the same blue on blue outfits as me. The one closest to me, a woman, stares at me mouth agape. I look at them all and shrug, “It seemed like a good idea in my head.”