[spoiler]Imperfection To live by the sword, and die by the sword. That is the way of life, the only way of life, for a Dark Knight, the way of the warrior who fights with honor. But does it have to be that way? Is fighting the only thing we are good for? My face was pointed straight ahead, my face devoid of any emotions. To show any before an infiltration mission was a sign of weakness. All other faces that could be seen were lacking in any emotion as well. Black eyes stared straight ahead, not so much looking at the person across from them, but through them. It was eerie in a sense. Ghostly grey skin was the only color of skin. Black was the only color for eyes. I was the only oddity. My hair bright like a star but everyone else’s was pitch black like their eyes. Already a disappointment to my father the day I was born. Out of the two squads aboard our transport, one Knight was busy squirming in anticipation of the fight to come, the biggest pain that I had the misfortune of knowing. “Saisachi, could you please be a little less excited, it’s embarrassing.” My eyes still looked straight ahead but my comments were for the knight seated next to me. Her helmet was already secured, like the majority of the other knights. Her fingers already wrapped around her rifle though we wouldn’t be using them immediately. My fellow classmate, who had made on the teams with me, turned to look at me, her helmets bright glowing eyes staring at me. “You should be just as, Seroth. This is our first assignment and we are a part of the most decorated teams in our order. Why shouldn’t I be excited? Aren’t you?” “No, I’m not.” I had been dreading this day the moment I was enlisted to join the army. Fighting depressed me. If there was a way for me to have avoided, I would have but father would have killed me, himself, if I had told him otherwise. Waging war was what my family had done for generations. There was no breaking centuries of building out name, crafting it into one of the notables. To disgrace that would mean instant death at the slightest provocation. She snorted at the comment. “Well you should be. It is a great honor to be among the first to make contact on a world. Only the best ever make it here. You should be proud of yourself. I am sure your family is.” At that, I openly laughed, something I rarely did. It was cruel and wicked but a laugh. Some of the other knights even turned to look at the spectacle. “You have no idea of what you speak. I could be in charge of a legion and still, my father will never say he would be proud of me.” It was true. I was proficient in every subject in terms of warfare. Even in class, I was ranked in the top five and not once did he acknowledge my achievements. I stopped caring years ago. A heavy slap landed on my shoulder, meant to lift up my spirits. “Then show him you are worthy of it. Nothing in this world worth having is free.” Once in a while Saisachi knew what she was talking about. Anything truly worth having had to be earned not given, like respect. The only way to earn my father’s respect would be death but to earn respect of my comrades, that would be my goal. Understanding that, I put my helmet on, looking at her and nodding. She returned the gesture with one of her own. We were ready. Our pilot’s voice echoed through the ship over the comm. system. “Two minutes to touch down. Prepare yourselves.” Hands tightened on weapons. What helmets had remained off were now secured. Aleng Ron, our Specter, Chief Officer, walked into the troop compartment with hands held behind him. He didn’t need a seat, having perfect balance even on entry. One very distinct characteristic separated most Specters from us troopers. Two sets of arms extended from his body instead of the usual one. Some said it was because of the great magical power in their bodies that they needed them. I didn’t buy into that theory, not at all. Specters, who had two arms, were just as powerful if not more so then their counterparts that had four. “Listen well, Hades Squad. We are about to touch down on Varmesha. Our lord has ordered for us to seize this fertile planet. It is to be our staging area in this sector. On our shoulders rests a great responsibility. Do not fail me.” An uplifting speech. Still, it got the groups attention. Not a single Knight was lacking focus. A group that was completely focused already spelled doom for the planet we were about to step on. As gently as could be, the ship touched ground and a hatch was opened. Light poured through it, bringing a brightness to my eyes that I never saw at home. Ron stepped into it first followed by our more senior troopers. Saisachi and I were the last to walk out to see a large crowd cheering and waving at our arrival. It was like a festival had been thrown in our honor. Step one, gain the confidence of the inhabitants. It appeared that had been done long before we had arrived. So far, so good. A large human male in rich robes, with a crown on his head, walked forward with a small detachment of soldiers, who were looking nervous at our arrival. “Welcome to Grandza, Specter Ron. I am King Kannel. We spoke briefly when I was in conversation with your Lord.” Adopting an entirely fake tone that we all knew about, Specter Ron threw out his own arms also in greeting. “Thank you for the warm greeting, My Lord Kannel.”[/spoiler] Written by aloki.