[AlexFili]

=== Chapter 2: Similarities===
While the Sligs had different experiences in adolescence, their experiences while young can affect their lives in ways beyond compare. Sligs often go through different experiences, but they often learn the same lessons during the way. Trust, Honesty, Deception, Strength… Ignore them at your peril.

Before Sligs can be stationed at a guard post, they must first learn the key skills needed to survive. Literacy, Numeracy, Crawling, Walking, Flying, History, Geography, Biology, Business Lessons (always with a Glukkon teacher) and of course, Target Practice.

Naturally some lessons follow a linear pattern, crawling before walking, literacy before business, and so on. However, does it really matter if a Slig learns History before Geography? Wouldn’t History benefit from knowing exactly what types of landscapes there were? Yet, how can you teach Geography without mentioning the historical formation of volcanoes or rivers?

At one (short) point during Marek’s life, he thought that mountains and hills were exactly the same. Naturally this is something that we can laugh about now, but when you are younger your perspective is different from others, you lack the experience and knowledge to understand what exactly it is that you learn and how it benefits you.

The first time Krisso wore Flying Pants, he crashed into the side of the hangar, and got himself a nice big bruise to show off to the other Slig classmates. Of course this is down to inexperience, but even something as simple as this event can benefit the Slig in question. Would Krisso have made friends more easily if he hadn’t crashed his Flying Pants? Usually it’s differences that make for interesting stories, not similarities.
If everyone had the exact same day, would it be fun to tell another person? No.

Reint often asked many questions to his teachers, some of which are beyond the scope of a typical Slig. Reint was able to study easily, and felt like reading was his way of obtaining knowledge and experience, but some things you can’t read from a book.
Reint fell over the first time he ever wore Slig Pants.

Most Sligs typically grow up in a healthy environment, and use their skills to choose a job with the prospect of developing their chosen skills further. As Glukkons, using Sligs as security guards might come as second nature. Are Glukkons purely selfish this way? Sure, they can get guards without paying them much, but Glukkons are offering the Sligs a chance of having meaning in their life, where otherwise there might not be meaning.

Sligs accept the job knowing there is risk involved, but appreciate that with risk comes reward. Do you take a chance and get lucky? Or do you stay where you are, and hope for change? Change cannot happen without action.

Krisso knew that whenever Marek said “Lock n’ load”, you only had one chance to reload your weapons and check your equipment, before it was too late. That time was now.
Krisso checked his rifle, it was fine. Safety off, clip in, mask adjusted, ready.
Marek put six bullets into his revolver, spun the chamber, and then held it still.
Reint turned his night-vision goggles on, replied “Roger” and loaded ten shots into his Sniper Rifle.

Reint then spoke, “We know the mission spec, eliminate the rogue Scrabs… The spec said about twenty Scrabs, but I wouldn’t trust those numbers. It sounds more like thirty to me, let’s crack on shall we?”

Marek and Krisso nodded. Soon, they would have no choice.

“Alright, take one down, let’s bring them to us”, Marek’s tone was deadly serious, yet, he spoke with the very inspiration a leader should have.

Reint replied with a simple, “You got it”.
He lifted his Sniper Rifle, took aim.

BANG

The first shot, one kill, that Scrab didn’t stand a chance.
Soon the Scrab cries could be heard, and they knew, the hunt was on.