Acts and Consequences...

I was forced to disobey orders today. The Rangers of the Anvil were preoccupied defending a village to the south. I was out on a recon patrol to the northwest of the Anvil. My orders were to follow a specific patrol route. I spend a lot of time out there in the Wilderness on my own. I have fought side-by-side with a few other soldiers for more intense missions into enemy-controlled fortifications, but my skills seem to be best at gathering information. I have found over forty Logos symbols so far, and I even discovered several Logos gates and unlocked them with a combination of up to five other Logos.

Anyway, I digress. I was following my assigned patrol route, and I felt that I had to go off mission. I simply HAD to go off mission. I usually follow my gut, and this time I ended up near Nidu Dav. I was out of mission by nearly twelve clicks. I kept my footfall soft, and I climbed up the rocks behind the village to discover it had been overrun by Bane. The defenders were shot and dying. The survivors were being herded up by some big ugly Bane that seemed to be in control. A Bane dropship was on approach, and I quickly realized that I had to do something. A fate worse than death awaited these poor souls.

I used one set of Logos to call in a Pistoleer to give me a little fire support and cover my flank. It was about to get ugly, and I didn't want some stinking Crustie getting the drop on me. I concentrated very hard, and I drew on as much inner fire as I could to build up for summoning the Logos power of Rage. I pulled out my new Electric Rifle that I recently pulled off a dead Thrax Hunter, set the crosshairs, and offered up a prayer to guide my shots. Through sheer force of will, I started to pull the trigger. If my rifle started to overheat, I alternated with the strongest Lightning Logos I could muster. The field would arc from Thrax to Thrax and thankfully missed the huddled Foreans. Meanwhile, my trooper did what he could to assist by pegging any Thrax that got close enough to my sniping position. Before long, I was out of energy cells, and that big ugly son-of-a-cockroach pulled out a huge weapon and aimed it at the civilians.

Enough was enough... My feet charged with a power I had never felt before, and I ran down that cliff face as if I had wings on my ankles. Pulling out my old-faithful pistol with a few personal modifications that I learned from other Thrax that I had dispatched, I fired as I ran. I dropped his sidekicks like a bad habit, and focused my anger on this evil SOB. This fight soon turned into a brawl. That sucker clawed at me and sent me flying on a couple occasions. I think he actually enjoyed it.

I tried to remember everything that I studied in past martial arts classes, and immediately Master Safakoo came to mind. I cleared my mind, and placed it some place deep inside me. I did not feel anything more past that point. That beast struck me, but I was beyond the impact. I knew what I had to do. I had to save these innocents. Next, I heard Sensei Tomnaka Frutakoshi. My feet felt as if I had a foundation of steel. I focused my ki and struck that bug with all the power I found within me, from earth to fist, over and over.

I next felt a hand on my shoulder, ever so gently, and I immediately calmed down. I turned, and a Forean Elder looked deep into my eyes for several moments. He smiled and simply said, "Thank you."

There was a younger Forean, a small child actually, crying over a severely wounded young Forean woman. I picked up the boy, falling to my knees, and began to cry. I said, "It will be alright" again and again. Then the elder said it with me once, and all fear, sadness, and anger were gone. The boy calmed down, and the Elder then laid his hands on the young woman. A new Logos power that I had not seen before consumed him and passed into the young woman. Her wounds closed; the burns disappated; and she opened her eyes. I could not speak. A joy filled me: A joy that I had not felt, since I held my own children in my arms. "This is why we will overcome the Bane," the Elder spoke. "Foreas itself will sustain us. The Benefactors have told us so... Go now, there are others that need you. We will be alright."

I reclaimed my weapons, salvaged whatever ammo and materiel I could find from the Thrax bodies, and I started back in the direction of my patrol route. As I was leaving the village, I noticed the burning remains of the Forean dropship that I had last seen on approach. I don't know who took care of that. I simply could not remember. Most of the battle was becoming a blur. It happened so fast. I scavenged whatever I could find off the wreckage and kept moving. It may come in handy later.

How did I know to head to this village? Was it my imagination? Did I hear a voice? The adrenaline was starting to wear off. The rest of the patrol was like any other. I dispatched a few aggressive critters. I sniped a few more Bane. I headed back to Foreas Base. If I place this event in my report, I could face a reprimand. Or, I could pretend it never happened, and simply report the number of casualties, as if it were on my patrol route? I don't really want to talk to a shrink. This may raise more questions than answers. I think I will just let it go. I did the right thing. No one was hurt, and I saved the lives of a village of our allies. It is all in a day's work, and I think I just need a nap.

Mandalore, out...