Cosmic significance

The stars were out tonight, but the night was drawing to a close. Daniels did one last perimeter check before dropping his guard and slung gear, being extra careful with his Carbine. "These things have a nasty tendency to think for themselves", Daniels muttered to himself.

For a border-patrol scout on this hostile planet, Daniels displayed a minimal sense of responsibility. The war had been ravaging this planet for many moons, many lives were forced into early termination on both sides. Daniels was a fresh recruit, with a penchant for independence and an attitude to match. It wasn't independence that brought this newblood to the surface of an alien world, it was conscription veiled by the threat of silent execution.

Rumours whispered in the barracks and mess-halls of the makeshift outpost that the republic was not here for wiping the enemy off this stepping stone to Earth, but for a more clandestine reason: Intelligence.
After the first few artifacts were found on Mars, and the invaders appeared out of the planetary shadows, it became public knowledge that there was more to this invasion than just taking over one's house. What a coincidence that as you turn over a few pebbles on Mars, the death-hungry spiders crawl out from underneath and feast on your plump toes.

Daniels groaned as the clutches sprung away from the inertial-drives deep within his augmented thighs, opening with a snap. The headpiece, arm and torso units already lying in a heap next to the biggest boulder he could find. Pressing iron on a regular basis had certainly paid off as he effortlessly lifted himself out of the still standing but lifeless legs.
Foot covers cast aside, it wasn't long before the long-johns and sweat-shirt followed suit. The warm dry wind that had been simmering all night felt amazingly good against his moist skin. "Convection" Daniels thought to himself as he turned to face the reason he abandoned his post, a massive, pristine lake, as far as his cyborg-like eyes could see. With the starlight above, the water looked just like quicksilver. Ominous, yet engrossingly beautiful. It was 35 degrees celcius in the dark, but the water was refreshingly cool as Daniels dipped his right foot into the wavelets. Caution abandoned, Daniels crashed into the water in leaps and finally a dive, submerging his head.

Childhood memories flooded back, memories of spending countless hours in the family pool, till the fingers were like prunes and mom had abandoned the boys to make supper.
Peace.

The waves soon turned to ripples, and soon too the ripples faded as Daniels lay floating in his half-naked glory, face to the stars and ears listening to the careful tunes the water had to play.
Peace.

Peace was not something the Republic was accustomed to, Daniels thought to himself, interrupting the serene kingdom he was now ruling.
Mom always said evil begets evil. How long before Daniels too abandoned reason for maliciousness.

The free minutes window was closing and the LZ was still a while away. Daniels lifted his head and dropped his legs below the surface.

The sight before Daniels made him gasp, water flooding into his gaping mouth. There she was, in all her virgin glory, Alpha Primary, rising to the east. Daniels had seen many star rises on his sorties, but nothing could prepare him for this cosmic co-incidence. For there hovered the lone moon, just high enough off the horizon for the virgin star to reveal herself.

A silvery chalice with a glowing red stem. The water reflecting the spectacle in abstract perfection.

"That's it!" Daniels roared as he made a bee-line for his gear.
"That's fucking it!"
"That's why were here! I can't fucking believe it! I better tell the guys!"

Daniels' mood snapped into high-realism gear as he became aware of 2 figures crouched by his abandoned power-armour.
Peace had gone.