Redemptions Revolution PT7 Sheep Trails

“Keep walking. Keep moving. Going home…”

Pausing, Allen glances over a small encampment of Alliance soldiers. Strangely they wave him down as travelers of old waving in a fellow traveler.

Clenching tightly the grip of his sidearm Allen slips quickly to a small stand of trees at his right. Confusion. They should have shot him on sight. It’s been three days in the thick, alone, tired, hungry, bloody…

CLANK

Steel pressing to the back of Allen’s helmet.

Woosh, a quick spin and Allen bats away a rifle barrel away from his head with his left hand and presses the muzzle of his pistol to the face of a dark shinned Alliance soldier.

Click

Empty, the pistol. Despite procuring ammunition from countless bodies and the occasional unsuspecting enemy he had since run dry that morning. They didn’t put up much of a fight.

Raising his hand to strike his enemy from the living ‘verse a sudden small string of words rolls from the Alliance soldier’s mouth.

“C’lichde ood un’clee ood.” *It is over yet I still die*

Puzzled and very hazy Allen stays his hand for a moment. “What is over?”

“The war. We are many still left, you are not.” the soldier states trying to look Allen in the eye.

“How long?” Allen asks.

“Three days. The big fire took many on Serenity.” The Alliance soldier relaxes slightly as Allen lowers his pistol from his face, the impression of the muzzle red and defined.

Holstering his pistol Allen leans against a tree and stares at the ground.

“You fight for those who destroyed Shadow? You are allies with the murderers of your people? The killers of women and children? My Li…”

Allen seems to return to himself. The torture a few days previous had left him without all but basic mechanical instincts of a soldier. In those three days he had thrown being a soldier away. He had hidden in the uniform far too long. Still looking at the ground he can finally see that his boots had been long stained from brown to crimson. The entire front of his uniform was laced with the same color. He was sticky and smelled coppery.

Coldly he aligns his eyes with the soldier in front of him. Anger and fright mingle in the short space.

“They killed my Lily. She was planet hopping to be with my family but only made it as far as Shadow with my Cold Prairie family. None of them survived.”

Allen slides his hand over his knifes red handle.

“I should kill you where you stand.”

As the knife unsheathes the Alliance soldier screams loudly, “Ohn’duc ood c’lee!” *I want life*

Stopping abruptly, the blade tip penetrates a fraction of an inch into the side of the soldier’s throat.

“They lied about Shadow to get more to fight. Some people die but they were far from Cold Prairie. The Atmo wonked and coms were broke. Please don’t kill me, it is all over.” The soldier cries out and the blade digs in another slow and agonizing fraction.

“And you still fight for them!”

“They made us as punishment for helping the Independents. They said they could easily burn the air from Shadow.” Calming slightly the soldier seems to go blank, passing out.

“You better be telling the truth.” Allen says as he sheathes his knife and takes a piece of cordage from his jacket pocket. Tying the soldier’s hands behind his back to his feet, Allen rolls the soldier beneath some brush near to him. Taking up the Alliance rifle Allen checks that it is loaded and ready before trotting off in the direction of the camp.