"Are you alright?" I asked Speransky.
"This," he replied, his eyes gleaming, "This is what it's all about."
"Oh," I said, not quite understanding his excitement.
"Here they come," he said, grinning.
Great, I thought, preparing to slip away, but then I noticed Fael watching me. I stuck my javelins into the earthwork, drew my sword, and switched it to my left hand. Maybe I could pretend to be hit and escape that way. But no, that didn't seem practical.
Fael clapped me on the shoulder. "You'll do fine, Terran. Everyone's a little nervous before their first battle. You're worried you won't stand up to the test. It's normal. But once things get hot, you'll do fine. Trust me."
Her words sounded clichéd, but I tried to find comfort in them.
The enemy appeared in a line, a whole lot of them, more than us. They were walking steadily, about two hundred yards away.
"Heavy infantry," someone noted.
"Aim low," another voice advised.
