“So how’s the war going?” Sard Caid said with a slightly veiled hint of sarcasm. I think he was actually interested to hear about it but didn’t want to genuinely appear to be. It was hard to tell; I didn’t know Sard that well yet. He had stayed around the constellation for the last few days and we finally made time to sit down and continue our intellectual debates. I had to admit he was an intensely fascinating person, and our dialogue reflected as much.

“It goes.” I replied. How do you really answer a question like that? Well, being the merciless killer I am the war is going extremely well. Both sides have been slaughtering innocents by the thousands and my conscience is completely ok with that. War was the most base of human acts. It was an inexcusable necessity. If we ever had lost sight of that I think the course of my life would’ve gone in a much different direction, but as I learned from Shakor many years later, The pain of leadership is something only the strongest of hearts can endure. I relied so much on that man during my venture into the political arena, but as I typically do, I’m getting ahead of myself in my story.

“And the ground front?” Sard continued. I wasn’t directly responsible for any of our ground forces, and Sard knew that, so I found the question curious. I had recently hired on an infantry trooper I had met not too long ago, a young and likeable fellow. He showed promise and I was pleased to have given him the opportunity. Aside from that there was no involvement from me in that branch of our military.

“Couldn’t really tell you, Sard; not my area of my expertise.” I lifted my glass to my lips, taking another satisfying mouthful of the beer Sard had recommended.

“You mean to tell me that the famous Colonel Roc Wieler, Scourge of the Amarr, has never ridden, even as a passenger, on one of those, what do you call those vehicles they drive?” He asked, his statement becoming a question.

“Jeeps?” I replied.

“No, bigger than a jeep.” Sard said. “You know, really big.”

“Armoured Personnel Carriers?” I ventured, beginning to become irritated. I had a passing knowledge of ground warfare, though as a pilot it hadn’t been the path I had chosen.

“No, no, they have the big gun on the front.” Sard continued.

“Mobile Artillery?” He was really getting on my nerves. I honestly didn’t see any relevance to this tangent, and was going to tell him as much shortly.

Sard sighed. “It’s on the tip of my tongue, just having a mental block. You know, those big armoured things with the treads.”

“Tanks?” I blurted out.

“You’re welcome.” Sard leaned back in his chair, smiling, content in having suckered me in.

“I’m gonna punch you now.” I said.