-
"As far as anyone knows, I wasn't in a war. If I were to give the war a name, which I'm not, it would be the Great War of Mars. A war of that name only could denote a war of trenches and espionage." [b]Ite knocks back the rest of his drink.[/b]
-
"So, a cold war then?" Cannon takes a sip of his ale.
-
"Exactly, if the war would have happened, that is."
-
"Cold wars are the hardest kind. At least in full out you can shoot your enemy."
-
"I never saw a single enemy during most of my time fighting. I always just checked to make sure the missiles were ready to fire at any given moment. One day, the enemy must have caught wind of where we were, and tried to snuff us out using very discreet measures, and by that I mean stage a failed bomb test right on top of us so they could storm us in peace." [b]He lays his head low.[/b] "Never had I seen so much firing in my life quite like that day. Lost so many friends. I took 12 bullets in total, mainly in my right arm, a couple in my legs. Had to hide under a body to stay alive."
-
"Almost sounds like the siege of Mandalore. Bloody Imps hit us from orbit, then attacked us while we were down. I got pretty karked up holding them off while the women and kids evacuated. Got myself a VIP ticket to an Imperial prison."
-
"Hell, you got let off easy! The bloody 'loyalists' brought in a flamethrower and burned anyone that moved."
-
Cannon's face hardens. "You don't know what the Empire does to prisoners. Especially traiters." He says, his voice sounding dead calm.
-
[b]Ite turns to you unfazed.[/b] "Don't think I haven't been through concentration camps. Do you really think I got out scot-free from enemy territory?"
-
"Didn't say you did."
-
"Oh you know I don't mean you didn't go through anything horrible. That's like someone saying they got stabbed and I just run over and say that I've been shot. Both situations suck, you know?"
-
He shrugs. "I get what you're saying."
-
"Good."
-
"So we're both survivors of military catastrophes."
-
"Pretty much, yeah."
-
"You said you're from... Mars, right? What's it like?"
-
"Just because I fought there doesn't mean I came from there. I only joined because I got drafted. Anyone passing past age 15 got taken in."
-
"That's harsh. What kind of war forces a government to do that? Well, aside from a kriffed up one."
-
"A cornered animal does what it must." [b]Ite falls silent, and speaks no longer.[/b]
-
Cannon nods, understanding the reasoning.