Warm energy flowed through the campsite like a gradual flood that had been there for days. Men sat at the various campfires which dotted the site, peering into the souls of the universe which stippled the murky black cosmos above. Stars. Thousands of them. Covering the sky like a beautiful, massive, dark-spotted canvas. Ross admired the beauty of the beyond, just as he had every time he was allowed the opportunity; the flashing lights of space enthralled him since he was young. He had always wanted to go to space, just as he had always wanted to explore the great unknown of the Highlands. Ross wanted to climb the highest mountain and repel the largest cliff; see the biggest bird and catch the smallest fish. He was but an extension of the outdoors, and he knew it.

He looked back down to the frosted, matted grey floor of earth and was humbled by its beautiful simplicity. Each individual strand of browned grass underneath his shoes had its own story. Its own origin. He looked to his fellow mercenaries and saw their faces look towards the sky, showing that even they; the simplest-minded folk he could ever imagine interacting with, found this certain moment worth looking to the sky for. These men were not bloodthirsty looters, they were boys, just like Ross.

A peaceful night between their travels was just what Ross needed after so much trouble circumnavigating northwards. Groveling in the allure of the wild always put him at ease after his men did something particularly reprehensible in his eyes.

He took a drag from his hash roll one last time before throwing the smoking refuse into a nearby leafless bush, then yawned and stood from his small bench, making sure not to fall over in the process. He looked sincerely to Commander Laine — who was sitting on the ground, wrapped in tartan — and said in the most honest tone:

“Time slips us by, Laine. I think we ought to call an end to this shite and go home once and for all.”

Laine puffed a small puff on his own roll and laughed lightly.

“We’re here for pay, Ross. I leave when our mission is complete.”

Ross let out another long yawn and nodded gently.

“Then I do too.”

Laine looked up from his common thousand-yard stare and smiled mildly at Ross.

“Aye. I’m glad we agreed on that then.”

The Northern Expedition perambulates into SC507, 514, and 516.