Living Holder of Golden Dragons — John Francis Sissons

As he arrived at the gate, it opened for the entire 1,000 men of the 4th IC to run into the 6th IC area. Tan-ha was ready to join a tenth squad when his visor inside his armored helmet came back online. He was arrested by a Military Policeman. Tan-ha was almost relieved. A Field 2 walked up to him and charged Tan-ha with cowardice in the face of the enemy. Tan-ha had to remind the Military Policemen to take his weapons. The two walked toward the empty 6th IC commander's office.The Field 2 in command of the 4th IC formally charged Tan-ha and sentenced him to death. As Tan-ha walked out of the office he asked the Military Policeman to take him to his barracks so he could retrieve his sea bag. When the two walked into the barracks the Senior Private stopped walking. The MP was obviously receiving orders through his armored helmet.Tan-ha peeled off the burned debris from his locker with his environmental suit's armored gloves, unlocking it with his ID card. His sea bag was inside and untouched. He opened up the bag to take out his personal tablet. He wrote to his parents, in Tsitsistas language, to explain what happened. He sealed the letter to his parents inside the sea bag. He spent the rest of the evening watching the scaffold that would end his life go up. He could not figure out why it was taking so long. It consisted, so far, of a rectangular platform elevated on six three-meter-tall legs. There was a small diameter pillar slowly rising out of the middle of the platform. The execution platform was all in black sitting on the white parade ground. Tan-ha spent the evening and night under close guard. The voice in his head had been quietly reassuring throughout the night in Tan-ha's dreams. The morning brought a meal followed shortly by a parade call. Tan-ha sighed. He mentally prepared himself to be ritually strangled in front of the entire 4th Infantry Cohort. Well, at least his stomach was full. Tan-ha walked inside the office of the 6th Infantry Cohort in full battle armor. His scarred opaque helmet moved on a recently cleaned ring as Tan-ha looked for the Field 2 in command of the 4th to report. Two Military Police stood directly behind him with 90s drawn and pointed at Tan-ha's back. A short man in a purple environmental suit waved Tan-ha to move toward him. The purple suit had 'Prime Minister' written on the epaulets. The speaker in the purple opaque helmet barked, Police, assume your positions at parade. The purple suit pointed to Tan-ha's sea bag. Why did you bring your sea bag to a parade call? Tan-ha paused a moment. He still thought that he was to be executed. I want my parents to have it, Your Excellency. The purple suit turned to follow the Field 2 in command of the 4th to the parade grounds. The speaker said, You can hand it to them yourself. Only then did Tan-ha realize he was not to be executed. Tan-ha walked out to the parade ground, stunned. Tan-ha had completed the chu-li meditation service for his own imminent death. He automatically took his place in an almost empty 6th IC formation in a dazed state of mind. There were about 100 soldiers scattered throughout the 6th Infantry's formation, they were all who had survived the battle: Tan-ha did not notice them.