Protocol

A/N: M’kay. I’m going totally insane on this one. Really. But you’ve all suffered my madness before so this should be quite interesting @_@
Additional Disclaimer: Benji, Joel, and Jacobi are just little pawns in my play. I don’t know them, I don’t know them, I’m not making any money from them either.

Summary: Really, you just gotta follow the twisted path of insanity to get it =D
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[Glossary]
Loka- Five Minutes
Mitka- Half Hour
Zenka- Hour
Fasch- Mile
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A heaviness settled on his shoulders and made him feel just a little older than he should; the weight got heavier and heavier every time it was almost crushing this time though. He watched them close the hatch over Captain Joel Madden and then gently his pod was pushed into the ejection portal. He was far too young to be in a burial pod, but they were always too young. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he had seen someone over thirty either on the field or in a burial pod.

The captain called them to attention and he forced his shoulders to straighten under the weight. His arm felt slow and heavy but it made the salute and with a quiet ‘thump’ Joel was put into his final resting place in the cold abyss of space. They stayed rigid until the pod disappeared into the wake of the Star Destroyer.

Once they were dismissed he let the weight stoop his shoulders a little, his body ached, his head ached; everything in him ached. Again and again he went over the final moments trying to find something he had messed up, some small mistake that had let death steal Joel away like it had so many others. Again he found nothing. He rubbed a hand across his eyes; he knew there was nothing he could’ve done for the young captain. The combination of the poison and the wound were fatal. He would’ve died even if he’d been on the ship and given the best medical care they could offer.

“James.” Brian’s soft voice stole him from his thoughts and he looked at the strategist tiredly. He knew Brian was taking this hard. He had never really gotten along with his superiors; Joel had been a first. He had found a friend in Joel and his twin Benji. Brian had been particularly outraged when the captain of the Star Destroyer refused to give Benji the same honors as his brother. James had been angry as well, but with the rank and file the military he wasn’t surprised. Benji had been a grunt soldier, what some called ‘shields’. He was a new recruit and new recruits were used more as moving shields for the more elite soldiers. Those that survived the two years of ‘shield work’ were promoted to the elite ranks.

Some, like Joel, that showed promise early were enrolled in command school and trained to lead. Unlike most of the snobbish graduates from that school Joel had retained his warm personality and a sense of humor. James contributed that to his brother who was forced to survive two years of mostly certain death.

James readied himself to give a pep talk he knew Brian would never believe because he himself did not believe it.

Since they were short on bodies medics doubled as psychiatrists and James had heard his share of battlefield horrors, nightmares, broken love lives, and whatever else would plague a soldier on the field.

Brian surprised him though, “Command has assigned our squad a new commander and grunt to replace,” He spat the word out with such venom that James saw the letters crumple and turn to dust in his mind’s eye, “Joel and Benji. Apparently there’s been a flux in activity in one of the new quadrants. We’re going to find out what these fuckers are up to.”

He couldn’t decide if he was too tired to ask for details or if he just didn’t care; either way he only nodded and turned to continue to his quarters. He needed sleep and then he needed to restock his supplies before they shipped out again. He also needed to check on Johnny, the young scout had been terrified during the attack and he wasn’t sure if the younger man had recovered his mind yet.


A/N: Give it a chapter or two. I’ll explain Everything, promise ^_^