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The salamander shook his head and tried to keep quiet as he heard footsteps. He then looked down and saw something, a handle. He picked it up, and discovered a broken sword that may have been three feet long, but was now reduced to a third of the original length, the broken part sharp and slightly jagged. The salamander held it close, stifling his breath as tears ran down his cheeks and he glanced between the cracks of his hiding spot.

"Looks like they're all dead... Only three Dominion soldiers... The rest are just casualties, over." A voice reported. The salamander saw a Human rebel soldier with a radio up to his face, his back slightly turned.

Something in the man's voice disgusted the salamander. It was hearing that the orphans were nothing more than just 'casualties'.The salamander swallowed his fear and crawled from the dust and rubble with broken blade in hand. Then, he lunged at the soldier with a fierce cry, who then stumbled in surprise as the salamander jabbed him in the side with the blade.

"Gah! Little shit--!" He shouted as he clutched his side for a moment, kicking the savage salamander away suddenly. The salamander hit the rubble with a cry as the soldier bared his teeth and raised his rifle. "I'm gonna blow your brains out!" He yelled as he pulled the trigger.

The salamander winced with a cry, but then paused as nothing happened except for the clicking of the soldier's rifle.

"What--? F-Fuck..." He grunted as he look bewildered, and seemed to look for ammunition for a moment. It was a moment wasted that the salamander spent well in realization, leaping out and jamming the jagged blade into the soldier's leg. "D-agh SHI--!" He yelled out in pain, when his cry was cut short by sickening stab, the already-bloody blade that was broken lodged up to the hilt in the soldier's neck.

The salamander took quick and shallow breaths as his face was marked with fright, watching in horror as the soldier bled at the neck with cold and empty eyes, the red crimson running down the blade and over the salamander's hands. The salamander winced in disgust and pulled the blade free, pushing the corpse so it fell beside him.

After a short while, the salamander shook his head free of doubt in what he just did, and started fiddling with the body, swallowing his guilt as he found a pistol in its holster at the soldier's belt. The salamander undid the belt and looted the body, then picked up the rifle, slinging the strap over his shoulder just as the soldier's blood began to pool around his head. The salamander looked away for a moment, before picking up the broken sword he had used and put it at the belt that he had taken and put around his waist. He looked up briefly, hearing the sound of shouting soldiers nearby defined against the background noise of war.

"Rob? Where are you man!? Answer us!" A voice called out. The salamander looked back and forth in panic, and began to run, but he tripped over the corpse with a cry.

"What was that?" Another voice asked. The salamander's eyes widened.

"It came from over here!" A third voice shouted. The salamander looked up and saw three rebel soldiers come around the corner of a building and into the street where he had killed their comrade. "That... That's Rob! You little fucker of an animal!" The first soldier shouted as they all raised their rifles instinctively.

Suddenly, as an ironic stroke of fortune, another missile struck a building between the soldiers and the salamander, bringing down debris and thick clouds as the soldiers shouted out and pulled the triggers like mad. The salamander wasted not a moment, and ran to the alleyway as gunshots cut through the air and bullets pierced the veil of dust, striking the area all around the salamander as he cried out, holding his rifle up in vain hopes that he would be safe.

The poor Terran child dove into the alleyway with a yelp of pain as a stray round struck his thigh.

"Dgargh! Owhow!" The salamander exclaimed in agony as he rolled onto his back and held his wounded leg tight, the blood seeping through his dirtied hands.

"I think I got him!" One of the soldiers yelled out. The salamander's eyes widened in fear and he rolled back onto his legs, gasping in pain as he tried to crawl.

"Let's finish the little bastard off!" Another called out. The salamander panicked, standing quickly and wincing before using the rifle as a crutch as he hobbled through the alleyway, his wound dripping and leaving a trail of red as he tried to flee.

"Where'd he go...?" The salamander barely heard, but he didn't look back as he almost reached the opposing mouth of the alleyway. Almost... Almost there... He thought.

"Wait, there he is! In the alleyway!" Another soldier called out. The salamander glanced over his shoulder in fright and then jarred the rifle on the ground, pushing off into a spinning fall as he drew his pistol to take aim. The soldiers were all at the mouth of the alleyway and opening fire just as the salamander began falling.

A swift succession of random gunshots retaliated, and two of the soldiers went down in a pinch as the salamander hit the dirt with a grunt, groaning as he fell on his back and tail.

"Shit... You little fucker!" The surviving soldier screamed as he hid behind the corner, seeing his comrades-in-arms lying on the ground dying. "I'll make you pay!" The rebel soldier shouted out as he jumped out of hiding. The salamander pulled the trigger, but his pistol only clicked, and his eyes widened before shutting tight as he then raised the pistol in hopeless fear.

"No--!" He screamed helplessly.

BANG!

The salamander shivered, still bracing for the end after he had heard the shot. But then, he opened his eyes and lowered his rifle, watching as the soldier fell to the ground with his head shot from behind with a pistol. The salamander stared in stunned awe as his saviour stood over the corpse of the soldier for a moment, before pointing his pistol at the other two soldiers and putting them out of their misery with two swift gunshots.

The wind blew a gentle breeze, all was silent spare the ever-present sounds of fierce battle raging in the background. The salamander took a few breaths as he sat up properly with a groan, his hand drawn to his wound as he held onto the burning sensation that flared with intense pain. The saviour then turned into the alleyway and held his pistol at his side as he stepped towards the wounded salamander. But the poor child freaked, as to him the man looked just like any other soldier, despite being on the side of the Dominion, and he could do with seeing no more soldiers.

The rifle was cocked, as the salamander pulled his most stoic face, trying to look unfazed as he held the rifle up and tried to ignore the pain in his leg.

"Stay back! I'll shoot! I swear!" The salamander warned the soldier. The man paused curiously for a moment. He then shrugged and stepped forward, and the salamander's eyes trembled slightly. He shook his rifle angrily. "I said stop! I'll blow your head off!" He threatened, trying to deter the soldier, but it was to no avail. The soldier came close, and the salamander was shocked frozen, unsure of what he was to do now.

The soldier chuckled as he held his gun safely to the side and ruffled the salamander's black hair, a casual smirk on his face in spite of everything.

"Kiddo, if you're going to threaten me with a gun, at least make sure it's loaded." The soldier remarked, pointing at the empty rifle. The salamander went red with embarrassment and realized he forgot that important detail. The soldier chuckled and offered a magazine. "Here. You know how to shoot like crazy, so do you know how to reload?" He asked as the salamander took the magazine.

The poor Terran looked at the rifle, but shook his head as he felt unsure. The soldier smiled and put down his rifle before picking up the rifle gently. "Alright, this one is easy. You just pull this back and the empty magazine should pop out..." The soldier explained, pulling a mechanism on the side of the rifle that stopped at the magazine compartment, the salamander watching in curiosity as the magazine ejected. "Then you just pop this one in and pump that switch forward, yeah?" The soldier finished, jacking the magazine in pushing the mechanism forward once more until it stopped with a click.

He then glanced at the salamander, smiling again.

"Got it?" He clarified. The salamander nodded.

"Yup... I got it." He replied softly. The soldier beamed and then glanced at the salamander's wound.

"Now then, let's take care of that leg..." He murmured. The soldier pulled out a bandage and a bottle of antiseptic, unscrewing the cap and lightly soaking the bandages with the drug. He then tied it around the salamander's thigh, pulling the bindings together as the salamander winced.

"You're a strong kid, I'll give you that." The soldier happily remarked.

The salamander looked up at the soldier the wonder as he put the bottle back in his belt pack. The soldier smirked and ruffled his hair once more before standing up with his pistol in his hand again to the side. He then offered a helping hand.

"Can you stand?" He asked. The salamander paused, and then nodded as he took the soldier's hand that pulled him to his feet.

"Ow, ow, owie!" The salamander yelped softly as he hopped on one foot, coming up to his feet and putting the rifle down as a crutch once more. The soldier just chuckled and let go of the salamander.

"You got a name, kiddo?" The soldier asked. The salamander looked at him, and hesitated. After a few moments, the soldier shrugged and began walking down the alleyway. "Alright, that's okay, let's go then kiddo." He said. The salamander paused and hobbled after him.

"Andre!" He called out. The soldier stopped and turned around. The salamander paused and looked away. "T-That's my name... My name is Andre..." He murmured.

The soldier smiled and ruffled Andre's hair once more, the young salamander smiled a little in return.

"Now I have a name better than 'kiddo' to call you!" The soldier chuckled. Andre nodded.

"Yup-yup..." He murmured happily. The soldier beamed and turned around.

"We better get out of here then, the sooner the better." He said. He began walking and Andre followed quickly, keeping quiet the whole way as the soldier kept at the ready, keeping the wounded Terran safe as they began their path through the warzone.