With a thunk, Marco had swung from his grappling hook and landed in the ship. He had just gotten in when a hole appeared in Anya's chest. Just like that, one of his companions was dead. It could have just as easily been him. He stared, unable to move, his mind desparately scraping for something to do. What was he supposed to do? He'd been in simulations, but this was the real thing. He could smell blood, and some of it had flecked his face. 

What was he supposed to do? 

What would his father do?

[i]The smell of gunpowder filled the room. Marco filled a shell with powder, while behind him, his father worked on a gun. He was six, his father was 29.

[color=00a651]"Dad, what was being a soldier like?"[/color] Marco asked.

[color=007236]"Shitty."[/color] The older man. Cecillo Valentine was blonde, like his son, with shaggy blonde hair and a permanent stubble gracing his face. "People shoot at you, and the pay stinks."

[color=00a651]"Why did you become one?"[/color] Marco asked.
[color=007236]
"Being a soldier isn't just about fighting."[/color] Cecillo said, screwing a scope onto a rifle. [color=007236]"It's about...It's about being someone who others can look to in times of crisis. Someone able to keep calm when other people can't."[/color][/i]

Collin's voice blared over the intercom. Marco realized he'd been leaning against the wall for support. He pulled himself away, taking a deep breath. Soon, he'd acquired a can of space-age sealant from inside the ship, and began to patch the hole.
[color=00a651]
"We should probably head farther in."[/color] Marco said. He didn't say [i][color=00a651]so we don't end up like her[/color][/i], but it hung in the air. He didn't think it was good for her to be near the corpse for so long either, but if she wanted to, he supposed it was her decision. [color=00a651]"I'm going to find a kitchen."[/color] Soon, he'd gone into the ship, and the sound of a whistling teapot could be heard.

In the dining room, Marco set down a tray on the table. It had several teacups, a sugar bowl, and a pot of Earl Grey.