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of medkit. Alan doesn’t need to see the needle or understand the language to know what’s coming up. They’re going to execute me as a kast’ka. They must think I’m Vash’s lover, or perhaps they intend to punish me in his place. Either way, this battle is over. There’s only one way out now. I wish I had a cyanide pill, but I’m no spy. Just a soldier.
He looks for his gun, but it’s abandoned ten feet away in the sand and he knows he’ll never reach it. He sees a glimmer beneath him and eyes Vash’s knife. He makes a quick dive for it, and pushes it into the abdomen of the commando leader. It feels strange, like cutting into a hunk of soft meat. I’m not used to hand-to-hand combat. The clinical coldness of space warfare is nothing like this. His blood sings in his veins, an ancient instinctive song of human ancestors who fought and died as soldiers and he pulls the knife out as the commando’s expression changes to one of shock. There’s blood everywhere, and time seems to run slower for Alan as he dives to the ground to avoid a shot. He slashes at the knee of a commando and he falls into the sand. Alan claws up him and slashes his throat, blood spraying up from a severed artery.
    “ Asana! Asana! Vaka ne! ” Another commando starts barking orders and the unit seems to recover. Alan dives for his gun and reaches it, firing off shots wildly as the commandos close on him. A burst of laser whistles past his ear and he can feel the heat of it burning, stinging. Another one hits him in the stomach and he can feel it searing him as he falls back. The purple sand catches him like a soft cloud as the commandos close in for the kill. I’ll die as a soldier with a gun in my hand. I’ll fight to the last.
    He closes his eyes, the burning pain tearing through his gut as he waits for the final execution shot from the figures above him. Instead he hears a roaring sound and the sound of heavy laser fire. He opens his eyes to see a Planetary Utility Vehicle equipped with a laser cannon rolling towards him. The commandos dive behind a crystal formation and radio for backup. The cannon fires again, shattering the amethyst pillar. It crumbles into a million pieces of sparkling sand that float down as Alan watches. He places a hand on his wound and comes back with warm, sticky blood. That’s not good. It may already be too late. He looks across at Vash and sees the man lying prone and motionless. Don’t die on me. If we’re going to get through this, we’ve got to do it together. The laser cannon fires again, taking out the last of the commandos. The purple sand is stained with the commandos’ blood and the smell of burning flesh mars the air, but still the twinkling sand floats down from the air and so he concentrates on that as soldiers rush to his side.
    “He’s badly hurt. We need to get him to a medbay right now.” A medic leans over him, taking his vital signs.
    Vash. I have to save him. They’ll think he’s one of them. Alan moves his arm. “My friend. Save my friend. Save... Save Vash. Please.”
    “Your friend? I don’t see anyone else over there,” the medic says.
    “The Karalian. With the throat injury. Please. He saved my life...” Alan feels the world swimming away, but he fights to remain conscious. “Help him...” The medic stands up and walks over to where Vash is lying in the sand.
    “This guy?” He leans down and checks Vash’s vital signs. “I don’t know if we can save him. He’s lost a lot of blood. Scott, get me the clotter right now!”
    I’ve done all I can. He feels a speck of dust tickle his face and he can see it sparkle on the tip of his nose. His eyes are lidding and he knows he can’t fight it any longer. It’s in the hands of the Gods now, Vash. He closes his eyes and lets himself drift away as the medics and soldiers buzz around them.

Chapter Six
Switching Sides
     
    Day Thirteen
    Earth Base, Rinax Mountains
     
     
    When Alan comes to, his eyes are stuck