[Lokugh]

I arrive back at the base, happy at the success of the mission, but troubled. I had not known Katon well...both of us were new, but we'd gone through training at separate bases. But he was a comrade, a fellow soldier, and I'd had to kill him.

Worse, I'd moved as fast as I could, but it wasn't fast enough to save Sergeant Sachmo II. The Sarge and my Dad had gone through basic together, back so long ago, and he'd taught me a lot. And I'd let him down.

So, I skipped out of the party in mess, grabbing a couple of bottles on the way and headed up top. I sat on ground near the main hangar entrance and watched the sunset. Just sitting there getting progressively drunker and thinking about the Sarge, and Katon, my dad and all the others who'd died trying end this interstellar scourge...and wondering if it was all worth it.

The civs didn't seem to care. Hell, the damn limeys and frogs were in bed with the aliens. The Germans were too and it looked like the US might be leaning that way as well. Damn, we all keep bleeding and the ones we are bleeding for just keep sucking up to the enemy. Sometimes you have to wonder if you just aren't on the wrong side.

Or maybe I just got hit with one too many PSI blasts today? F--- it. I've got booze and guns and aliens to kill. Might as well pretend to be happy too.