Came here based on Oshun's rec. Glad I did, although yes this is a desperately sad story. Perfect title. In a short space you've beautifully summed up the brutality of war - where an unthinking brute can destroy another being of light who had a whole story of his own of loss and regret. I wasn't familiar with the name Aikanáro, so I looked it up -- ah yes! That adds even more layers to the story.