Gunnery Sergeant Ron Harper looked down at the ends of his legs. He would have preferred to look down at his feet, but they were no longer there. Having lost them in the ground actions on planet Barlat when his mech was literally sliced in two by a laser designed to knock fighters from the sky, it had been a long hard road to recovery. You don’t need the course,” Brink said. “You of all people have earned the right to skip it.”
“I can’t do that, Nate,” Gunny said. It was the first time he had ever called his former trainee by his first name. “You know I can’t.” 
“What does the commodore say about you attempting the Beast?” the captain asked. He was getting angry. 
Not at Gunny. Never at the Gunny, but at the fact that everyone coming off medical status had to do it. Mad that he had been a part of enforcing the regulations along with Gunny. Mad at the injury that had happened to his own personal hero. Mad at the entire situation.

"Taming the Beast"

by Kevin Steverson