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The gain to smile

I’M BLIND WHEN THE COMMANDOS storrenades emitted white flashes that activated every photoreceptor cell in h we surrendered, they beat us beyond sense I take several rifle butts to the back of my head and finally reel sideways as one bloodies my nose

They grab round A boot presses down on my head as they frisk netic shackles They latch a second ether so that I’ht slithers around my neck and constricts

With six seconds of ancient method, they strip my humanity away

I feel theh a pulsing blue afterie remains in my vision They carry the cree rescued out of the ship with me

I see one of the on to a metal panel A soldier stomps on his hands till they break The blood leaks downfro from animal throats and a blitz of commands

Stay down

Slag the floor

Hands behind your back

Nose to metal

Nose to ahja!

This is my fault

Not the choice to lead us to the asteroid, but uided honor, whatever it was that ledseconds and then ht now cost us our lives And for what? Out of loyalty to a Color so devious they destroyed theical chain of decisions of which I am ashamed

A wet, mucus-filled mouth snaps centimeters from my face

Scaled paws and serrated talons scratch the ed kuon hounds—insectoid-canid hybrids There are three of the their torsos ripple gray as they move Spines of needle-thick translucent hair stand on end upon their backs The Gray hound, its eyes yellow and co to master my fear