fiction…
This is a story about two soldiers, Jay and Ben, who were also the best of friends. They first met when they both were recruited into an elite unit and they bonded quickly with each other and with the other recruits. Through the years, many of those whom they trained and fought with no longer remained. Those few that were left had become highly dependent on one another through many shared experiences. Even those who had joined the elite unit later could tell that there was something deeper between them.
One day, Ben was sent on a special assignment alone while Jay stayed behind. During the mission, Ben was ordered to do something that was morally questionable and decided to disobey rather than complete the mission. As a result, he was dishonorably discharged through court martial and sentenced to exile in a far away country. All remaining soldiers, including Jay, were ordered terminate all contact with Ben and never speak about him again.
However, Jay secretly maintained communication with Ben and would visit him from time to time. It was difficult for Ben because he had lived so long as a highly trained soldier that he didn’t know how to live as anything else. Jay and Ben continued to help each other even though they no longer served together.
On one of his trips to visit Ben, Jay was discovered by spies from the military. It seemed that they had been suspicious of Jay’s activities for some time. Because Jay’s service had been so exemplary, he was quietly discharged. Jay relocated to where Ben was, and together they struggled to cope with civilian life.
Eventually, they adapted and were able to make good lives for themselves, but they never forgot the years that they spent fighting together.
Many years later, the place where they lived was attacked by a neighboring country. Jay and Ben decided to take up arms again and volunteered for the army. They fought honorably to defend their country and were able to hold off the enemy until the invading forces grew weary of battle and retreated. Their contributions to the battle were recognized and they received medals and praise. They were asked to remain in the army to train and teach. They both retired as generals and heroes.
