This was a terriffic tale spun out on Chiron, very fast-paced and with a surprise ending that truly did it's job well, catching me totally off-guard. I love it when that happens, so this tale gets high marks for that.
Very original concept too, telling most of the story from the *losing* side's perspective....a thing I've not seen in much fiction at all, and it really added something to the tale...I really felt sorry for old man Zak!
If the story can be faulted at all, I suppose fault would lie in its brevity. I found myself wanting to read more (which is another sign of a good, engaging story). Still, the length worked well with the surprise ending. A snappy, original tale, and a highly recommended read!