[center][h1]Emmet "the Butcher" Dukes[/h1][/center]
[center][h2]Shock and Awe: Part 2[/h2][/center]

	Emmet and his fellow knights marched through the hanger onto their shuttle.  It was a piece of machinery to behold, never had warfare been so quick.  Each knight took his place within the shuttle, remaining in their formation.  Each man stood, holding the safety handles above.  Little light entered the shuttle, leaving the men in dim lighting with their faces obscured.  

	Some took this time while waiting for takeoff to prepare themselves.  Some smoked a pipe, some prayed, and others simply took deep breaths.  Emmet was cleaning his blade, Rasselbock, one last time before going into battle.  He used a cloth that he kept in his belt, and he carefully wiped the dust off the edges of his tool.  He did not know why he cleaned it, it made no difference to his enemy.  Perhaps it was out of a sanctity for life, or maybe it was pure vanity.  Either way, he knew that hours from now he would be cleaning it the same way with some more disposable cloths, as he did not like to keep a bloodied blade.  

	The blade now shined in the light of the shuttle, a reflective surface that gleamed through the dead of night that the men found themselves in.  Emmet thought to sheath it for a moment, but instead he held onto it and grabbed the rail above his head with his free hand.  Focusing his ki, Emmet began to put all his energy into his hand in preparation for the coming conflict.  He felt the glow of his blade grow stronger, and a slight hum came from it.  His hand began to sweat, and the guard began to shift.  The ornate strands of metal began to wrap around his hand, and he felt the pressing of metal upon his flesh.  His breath quickened, and he suddenly felt a deep and intimate connection with his blade, ready to move with unnatural speed.

	Now prepared, he looked up to his men and broke the silence.  "I will not lie to you, this work we now undertake is not tranquil, it is not ascetic, and it is not beautiful.  Our blades and our clothes will be sullied with the blood of other men.  They are exactly that, other human beings.  The propaganda would like to tell you otherwise, and you know why?  It's because it's the only way to survive.  I know some of you have not seen conflict like this, and I give you this advice: know that you are fighting men, but do not let yourself feel it.  It is the only way to live with yourself."  With that he fell silent, and so the shuttle remained.