Robotech - Southern Cross Adventure

[Psychie]

The Zentraedi let you go, standing still as the five of you quickly walk past them. They do nothing as you head down the hall. Behind you, you can see on your rear cameras that the soldiers are heading into the engine room while the three Powered Armor units watch you as you leave.

It is almost too much to believe when you see an open airlock with natural sunlight shining through from the outside. As you turn to head out of the ship, Neo lets out a frightened squeak, "I think I just peed myself! Oh, my God! I can't believe we just did that!"

 

[Sherwood]

Once they get outside, Deunan says, "Neo, get on the horn and call in the location of this ship. No need for us to try and hide now."

A moment later, she says, "Marlon, do it."

 

[D. Rex]

Marlon grinned,"Yes ma'am." He said. He wasted no time in pressing the trigger of the remote detonator. He watched the ship to see the extent of their handiwork.

 

[Rykon]

Alan lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding when the Zentraedi allowed them to leave. "Heaven help me, I really did expect to get obliterated for that outburst." Alan said over the squad channel. "At least the plan worked. Nice execution boss."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Alissa watches the destruction. I can’t believe we made it out, she thinks to herself. I thought for sure we bought the farm. A couple times over.

“You got balls of steal, Ma’am,” she says with a smile. “I love it. Chalk this one up as a success.”

 

[Psychie]

At first, when the bombs are triggered, you see no reaction. Then, there is a dull rumble that you can feel through the feet of your Battloids. Smoke comes out of the open airlock as the five of you are speeding away from the wrecked destroyer, without making the whole ship explode and possibly take you with it.

Once you are a safe distance away, Neo is able to focus enough on the radio to try and call this in. "Any station, any station! This is Third Heavy Recon with a priority artillery and air strike mission! Location of the heavy guns pinpointed as a crashed Zentraedi Destroyer, ident codes and strike coordinates follow." She sets the signal to repeat until she gets a response. "Signal is going out! We should get a response soon."

Indeed, soon enough, the sky lights up with the streaks of several heavy missiles as they arc their way down towards the ship. One by one, massive explosions can be felt as they hit. Many of the missiles are shot down before they can impact on the hull thanks to the Zentraedi defenders. But there are so many missiles coming in, it is impossible to stop them all. Then your radar lights up with multiple returns of aircraft once more taking to the sky over the Control Zone, and soon, multiple aircraft can be seen making bombing runs on the Zentraedi warship.

While you are pulling out of the area, you get a radio signal, "Third Heavy, this is Tiger Eye Five, recognition code Alpha Alpha Tango Echo. You have a large body of Zentraedi ground units heading your way. Sending you a route to be able to evade and escape, with the assistance of air power keeping cover over you. Hustle out of there, guys. There is no way that you can take down this bunch of Battle Pods. Do you copy? A Mecha Recovery Aircraft is being dispatched to bring you in." The sense of urgency is clear in the voice on the radio.

Neo replies, "We copy, Tiger Eye Five. Recognition codes check out, and we have your save route out of here on our screens. Moving now!" She switches her radio to the squad channel. "Sergeant, the data feed is coming in clear. We need to alter our course to avoid getting into it with a shit-ton of mecha, and to be able to make the rendezvous with the airlift."

Forty five minutes later, you have come to a clearing in the trees as a hoverjet mecha transport comes flying overhead, escorted by a quartet of black painted Logan Veritech Fighters. It lowers a cable that attaches to the top of your mecha and it hoists you up, one at a time, and soon after, all five of you are locked in place inside the cargo bay. You are now headed out of the Zone at the top speed of the transport.

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan is feeling a bit stunned that they were able to get out of that alive. Everything seems to be a blur as their tanks are being hoisted up into the airlift transport jet.

It is not until she feels the jet accelerating out of the area that she begins to come to. With a heavy sigh, she hits the radio on the squad channel. "Everyone, I cannot say enough of just how very proud of you I am right now. That was pretty harry back there, and I wasn't sure we would all be coming out of it in one piece. I am going to put in all of you for commendations for your excellent work. Way to go, Third Heavy! Hot damn, its finally starting to sink in that we got out of there."

 

[WlfSamurai]

It’s all Alissa can do to nod at the Sergeant’s words. The sense of relief and mental exhaustion washes over her like a tsunami. She hadn’t realized the amount of adrenaline that had been pumping through her body. And now the low is hitting her hard.

She lets out a long sigh, closes her eyes, and leans her head agains the transport wall.

 

[Sherwood]

As the transport takes them back to Anton-17, Deunan is a bit overwhelmed with her own emotions. It is not every day that a person can come that close to death and walk away from it, especially without losing any of her team! She goes from laughing to crying and back several times before she can compose herself enough to face anyone else. Was the High Lord in there? If she was, is there any way we'll find out about it? If she managed to get away from all the destruction we caused, where will she be now?

In her mind, Deunan is trying to put all of that aside and start to formulate her After Action Report and the letters of commendation she is going to put into everyone's files. They have all proved themselves to be amongst the best and brightest that the ASC could possibly hope for, and I am damn proud to be a part of this bunch.

 

[D. Rex]

As soon as they got aboard, Marlon popped a small handful of headache pills and swallowed a glass of water in ten seconds. To think he had such a headache coming after the battle high was not something he expected. Well... "battle high" was probably not the cause of it. He thought he was handling everything swimmingly up until the point he had to get out of his tank and set up a large series of high explosives during a fire fight were any one blast would render him as less than goo and any slip could have resulted in premature detonation. He would certainly be thanking the others in keeping the room clear.

Though it did seem that Sarge earned a fan. He wasnt exactly paying attention at that point, as he was more worried about the explosives not being set off early. But if that was the big tiddie pirate biddy then he wasnt exactly sure what to think yet. He certainly wasn't expecting her to act like that.

Much like Alissa, Marlon too closed his eyes, and rested his head against the hull with a thud. The cool metal felt good against his headache. "Thank you Sergeant. And good job on getting us through it." He said sincerely. "Really. I dont know how you got us out of it, but you did."

 

[Psychie]

The flight back to Anton-17 is one of much release of stress for all of you. At this point, you don't know the status of the downed Destroyer, but you do know that it has been hammered badly by a combination of missiles and bombs from both ground-based artillery and fixed wing aircraft. Now that the RDF and ASC forces are once more in control of the sky, the Veritech forces in the area are all very busy putting out hot spots of Zentraedi activity whenever and wherever they are located. The pilots of those aircraft are quite busy.

When the transport aircraft lands, it settles down in one of the open fields next to the heavy walls of the BSURP to unload your mecha. As you walk out of the cargo bay of the transport, you can see that there is fresh damage done to the base, along with new craters made by the heavy anti-mecha land mines going off. The Spartan Destroids of the base are outside of the walls along with some heavy construction equipment, moving rubble of trashed Zentraedi mecha out of the way to keep their fields of fire open. Armored infantry can be seen on the walls, packing their heavy rifles and crew-served weapons. All are signs that this little base has seen its fair share of the action.

Inside the walls, you are hustled into the mecha hangar where one of the Tomahawk Destroids is getting fresh armor plating slapped on and welded into place to repair it up to full. Lt. Danfield is there, and he climbs down from the makeshift scaffolding to come see you. His critical eye takes in the few spots of light damage, and he looks relieved. Once the Spartas have all powered down, he waves at Deunan. "Well, hot damn, Sergeant! Word is spreading around that your team are the ones responsible for shutting down those big guns that the Zeeks were using against our Air Force assets! Great job out there! I see that a few of the tanks have some damage, so let us get working on that, then we can top off your ammo stores. No leave time for any of us; we are in the hot zone for Zentraedi activity, and have been attacked a couple of times."

As he is talking, Capt. Shumer comes up from the command bunker below ground. "Welcome back, Third Heavy. Take thirty to get a hot shower, clean uniform, and some chow, then come down to the bunker to begin your debrief of what happened out there. From what I've been hearing on the radio, this squad is the hero's of the day. Good work."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan snaps her exhausted body to attention when Lt. Danfield comes up. "Yes, sir! Our Spartas may be small compared to these big Destroids, but they sure as hell got the job done. But the steel and wiring of the tanks would be little help if I didn't have the best damn team I could ever hope for! I hope that they all get the recognition that they deserve."

Then when Capt. Shumer comes out, she turns to face him with a huge smile on her face. "Yes, sir, and thank you! We all could use that time to get ready for a mission debriefing." Turning her attention to the team, she says, "Well, you heard the man. We have a half hour to be presentable. I expect all of you to be ready on time and looking good."

Once they are dismissed by the Captain, Deunan hustles off to the showers. After all this time in the field, she is sure that her body odor would be bad enough to qualify as a weapon of mass destruction!

Once that is done and she is dressed once more, the next step is to shovel in some 'real' food and a pot of hot coffee. Got to keep it together long enough to get through the briefing. Then once that is done, I can pass the fuck out for a while.

 

[Rykon]

Alan nearly curses aloud when they are dismissed, but decides to keep his gripes to himself. In a rushing flurry, he scrambles to shower and get dressed in time to actually taste his food before the debrief. Only having time to slap a nicotine patch on his shoulder, he manages to calm the shakes prior to debriefing but keeps a pack of cigarettes on him for afterward.

As he files into the office along with his squad, he seems to be visibly suffering from the South American heat. I miss you, Canada... he silently bellyached to himself.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Having been dismissed, Alissa heads off to the head and showers. She waves at the Sergeant as she leaves for her bunk.

Once alone in the bunk room, Alissa stands and takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes and centers herself. It had been a long mission and she—like the rest of the squad—had been stuck in her cockpit for more of it. She takes a moment to stretch out her back and arms. After putting on a change of clothes, she sits on her bunk and pulls out her terminal. Logging in, she finds a recent message. Command has finally processed her paperwork and interview. She’s a certified psychologist for the Corps.

Alissa nods to herself and puts away her terminal. She leaves and heads for the mess to find a cup of coffee, chow, and the Sergeant. When she finds Sgt. Deunan, she walks up to her.

“Hey, Sergeant,” Alissa says. “You got a sec after you grab your cup of joe?”

Sherwood

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan smiles when she sees Alissa. "Sure. I always have a minute for you. Why don't you join me in the mess hall?"

 

[Psychie]

Purr and Gundam Watcher 27

It has been a week and a half of near constant sorties after the Zentraedi destroyer was discovered by a squad of hover tank pilots, and the general offensive being made by the Malcontents in the Control Zone against allied targets all across the area. The two of you are currently on a mandatory forty eight hours of downtime, giving you both some time to catch up on your sleep, and prepare to go to the funerals of the members of the recon squad you were attached to.

The fighting was fierce, and the allied losses were heavy. The Tactical Corps team you were providing air support for, the Jungle Rats, were a light recon team, using hover cars to get around in the rainy, muddy ground. They were acting as forward spotters for Monster artillery shells and air strikes from the two of you when their position was uncovered by the Zentraedi. The Jungle Rats held their ground as the Battle Pods attacked their dug-in position, directing the cannon fire on the enemy as they were overrun.

By the time that Gabriela and Ryuko got to their position, it was too late. All but three of the team had died, and the survivors had all been injured enough to take them out of combat for a long time to come. But there was no time for grief. The fighting was raging, and every available hand was needed to stop the relentless advance. It seemed to be a nearly endless cycle of launch, fire your missiles, then return and rearm to do it all over again. But now, finally, there is time to breathe and rest.

As you are resting, trying to wrap your heads around the events of the past few days, a signal comes across your wristcomps to come to the office of Captain Neil Parsons, the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base you have been stationed at. Capt. Parsons was a Veritech Pilot assigned to Brazilia Base as a squadron leader, up until he took a nasty hit from a Zentraedi particle cannon that nearly killed him. No longer able to fly, he was reassigned as the XO on the ground, putting his leadership skills to good use as a coordinator of air-to-ground operations. Now in charge of the aircraft at FOB Delta-67, he has been a good man to work for.

Arriving at the office, a pair of armed guards check your Id before letting you past into the Captain's office. Inside, you are escorted down underground where the Operations Center is located. You have both been here before, but it seems like it was a lifetime ago. A tired looking Sergeant is waiting for you, and he leads you to see the Captain.

Inside his office, Capt. Parsons is there, waiting for you. He waves a tired salute to the two of you, and motions for you to take a seat. "Corporals Narukami and De La Rosa. I have here reports from five different officers, describing how the two of you risked your lives to provide air support during the Zentraedi assault, despite the fact that their heavy weapons were doing their best to swat our air forces out of the sky. That bravery and tenacity is the kind of thing to get Marines like you promoted." He pulls out a pair of what look to be jewelry boxes, and slides one to each of you. Inside each box is a pair of Sergeant's chevrons.

"I know that these chevrons won't take away the pain of losing good friends. Lord only knows how many funerals for good soldiers I've attended. But, the fact that the Jungle Rats went down swinging, helping to direct accurate fire on the Zentraedi forces, instead of running marks them as true heroes, and I hope that you can take their memories with you as we all move on from here." He looks down at a paper in front of him, and he continues. "Your request for leave to attend the memorial services of the fallen Jungle Rats has been approved. There is a cargo flight going to Brazilia Base in three hours, so once you leave here, you will have some time to pack a small bag before it is time to leave."

"The next order of business is that since the two of you have done so well out in the field, it has been decided by Those In Command to have you both assigned to the Third Heavy Recon squadron. You will be taking your Veritechs out to the BSURP Anton-17 where you will meet up with the Spartas squadron there, the very same one that was able to take out the guns that the Zentraedi were using to keep our heavy fixed wing assets grounded. You have five days before you have to report in at Anton-17, so enjoy some down time and hoist a few drinks for me."

Capt. Parsons gives you a smile, then says, "I have your new deployment orders here for you to take with you when you leave. It has been a pleasure serving with the two of you, and I wish the very best to you as you move forward. Remember, take off of the transport is three hours out, so don't miss it. Before you go, do you have any questions for me?"

 

[WlfSamurai]

“Great,” Alissa agrees. Once she and Deunan get chow and coffee, she finds them a table to sit at.

“First, and most important,” Alissa begins, “I want to say thanks for getting us through that last one. And really the one before. We’ve seen some stuff that’s given even me pause. Kinda along the lines of seeing things and feeling things, we need someplace to go if it really is effecting us or the squad. Today, the Corps sent through my Psychology cert. And I just wanted to let you know that if the team is in a rough spot, they can come to me, if need be. Or if they just need to talk. Or you. I’m here for anyone on the team.”

She takes a swig of coffee and gives Deunan the chance to respond.

 

[Sherwood]

Of all the things she was expecting, this was low on her list. But, not in a bad way. Deunan gives off a smile. "Hell, it wasn't just me out there, but instead it was a real team effort. Everyone pulled their weight really well. But I thank you." She bows her head, feeling slightly embarrassed at the praise that Alissa was giving her. "On to the other topic, congratulations on getting your certification. I've seen you studying a lot, and with our field time, it is really impressive that you've been able to complete the coursework. I'll let everyone know that you've passed, and if there is ever anything bothering me, I'll know who to go to."

Deunan reaches out and places her hand over Alissa's in a quick gesture. "Don't forget, sometimes even the therapist needs someone to talk to. I'm here if you ever have a problem that you want to discuss, even if it is just a shoulder to cry on. I may not have your degree, but I'm a good listener." She checks her wristcomp, then takes a big swig of coffee. "We're almost due for our debriefing. Lets get going before we're late."

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

It has been a week and a half of near constant sorties after the Zentraedi destroyer was discovered by a squad of hover tank pilots, and the general offensive being made by the Malcontents in the Control Zone against allied targets all across the area. The two of you are currently on a mandatory forty eight hours of downtime, giving you both some time to catch up on your sleep, and prepare to go to the funerals of the members of the recon squad you were attached to.

The fighting was fierce, and the allied losses were heavy. The Tactical Corps team you were providing air support for, the Jungle Rats, were a light recon team, using hover cars to get around in the rainy, muddy ground. They were acting as forward spotters for Monster artillery shells and air strikes from the two of you when their position was uncovered by the Zentraedi. The Jungle Rats held their ground as the Battle Pods attacked their dug-in position, directing the cannon fire on the enemy as they were overrun.

"No! Guys!" Ryuko would try going off course to save them, but Gabi (Ryuko's nickname for Gabriella) would stop her from getting herself killed. It wouldn't help if she was injured during the Assault. Cursing herself, her Ajax would move to it's position for Artillery fire/support.

By the time that Gabriela and Ryuko got to their position, it was too late. All but three of the team had died, and the survivors had all been injured enough to take them out of combat for a long time to come. But there was no time for grief. The fighting was raging, and every available hand was needed to stop the relentless advance. It seemed to be a nearly endless cycle of launch, fire your missiles, then return and rearm to do it all over again. But now, finally, there is time to breathe and rest.

During this time, Ryuko was unleashing hell on the enemy, firing all missiles, while using both Ion Pulse Weapon Pods the Ajax was Equipped with to blast any enemies coming into clear firing range. At one point, an enemy managed to slip past and attack Gabi's Ajax. Ryuko would reach her friend in time to shoulder charge the attacking Mecha, before shooting the right laser into the chest of where the enemy Pilot would be.

After the Quick rescue, Ryuko and Gabi would fly back to rearm, rinse and repeat. Soon, the enemy was pushed back, and were gone.

As you are resting, trying to wrap your heads around the events of the past few days, a signal comes across your wristcomps to come to the office of Captain Neil Parsons, the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base you have been stationed at. Capt. Parsons was a Veritech Pilot assigned to Brazilia Base as a squadron leader, up until he took a nasty hit from a Zentraedi particle cannon that nearly killed him. No longer able to fly, he was reassigned as the XO on the ground, putting his leadership skills to good use as a coordinator of air-to-ground operations. Now in charge of the aircraft at FOB Delta-67, he has been a good man to work for.

Before she was called in, Ryuko was in the resting barracks, the room being eerily quiet. It was empty and lonely with her friends being deceased from the firefight. Sure, Gabi was still alive, but the others, she actually had a crush on a few of them, so with them being gone, she felt empty.

Arriving at the office, a pair of armed guards check your Id before letting you past into the Captain's office. Inside, you are escorted down underground where the Operations Center is located. You have both been here before, but it seems like it was a lifetime ago. A tired looking Sergeant is waiting for you, and he leads you to see the Captain.

Inside his office, Capt. Parsons is there, waiting for you. He waves a tired salute to the two of you, and motions for you to take a seat. "Corporals Narukami and De La Rosa. I have here reports from five different officers, describing how the two of you risked your lives to provide air support during the Zentraedi assault, despite the fact that their heavy weapons were doing their best to swat our air forces out of the sky. That bravery and tenacity is the kind of thing to get Marines like you promoted." He pulls out a pair of what look to be jewelry boxes, and slides one to each of you. Inside each box is a pair of Sergeant's chevrons.

Ryuko would respond to the statement of their bravery. "We were just doing our job sir. If we didn't do it, no one else could."

"I know that these chevrons won't take away the pain of losing good friends. Lord only knows how many funerals for good soldiers I've attended. But, the fact that the Jungle Rats went down swinging, helping to direct accurate fire on the Zentraedi forces, instead of running marks them as true heroes, and I hope that you can take their memories with you as we all move on from here." He looks down at a paper in front of him, and he continues. "Your request for leave to attend the memorial services of the fallen Jungle Rats has been approved. There is a cargo flight going to Brazilia Base in three hours, so once you leave here, you will have some time to pack a small bag before it is time to leave."

"I'm not ever going to forget them. They were my good friends."
After hearing about the request being accepted for going to the funeral, she bowed. "Thank you sir." She answered.

"The next order of business is that since the two of you have done so well out in the field, it has been decided by Those In Command to have you both assigned to the Third Heavy Recon squadron. You will be taking your Veritechs out to the BSURP Anton-17 where you will meet up with the Spartas squadron there, the very same one that was able to take out the guns that the Zentraedi were using to keep our heavy fixed wing assets grounded. You have five days before you have to report in at Anton-17, so enjoy some down time and hoist a few drinks for me."
Capt. Parsons gives you a smile, then says, "I have your new deployment orders here for you to take with you when you leave. It has been a pleasure serving with the two of you, and I wish the very best to you as you move forward. Remember, take off of the transport is three hours out, so don't miss it. Before you go, do you have any questions for me?"

"A Transfer? Sounds like something of a good time, right Gabi?" Ryuko asked her friend, hinting at what that meant.

Purr

 

[Psychie]

Sherwood Rykon WlfSamurai D. Rex

Once everyone gets to Capt. Shumer's office down in the bunker, he is reviewing your mission tapes of the time you were inside the Zentraedi Destroyer. Sitting with him in there is Lt. Hulsizer and First Sergeant Antonia, offering up their viewpoints on the events that are coming up on the screen. Shumer waves you all to take a seat, and he says, "Well done out there, Third Heavy. Well done indeed. While you have been cleaning up, we have been reviewing your cockpit recorders to see just what happened inside that ship. I have to say, Sergeant, I don't know if you are smart, lucky, or just a fucking madwoman! Firing on the Reentry Pod when you did while it was over the open hangar bay was pure genius. Not only did you eliminate a large amount of enemy mecha, it kept them from joining in the fight somewhere else."

"However, if this kind of thing ever comes up again, please think about what you are getting yourselves into! If things had gone south, I'd be sending out letters to your next of kin right now."

Antonia chuckles, and Lt. Hulsizer says, "Dale, things worked out well. If they hadn't done what they did when they did, eighty to one hundred more Zentraedi would have been dropped off to make trouble somewhere. They are true heroes in every sense of the word. If you were in their shoes, would you have done any different? Be honest."

The Captain fires off a glare at the Lieutenant, then his gaze softens. "Yes, you have a point. Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to enter into your official records my highest commendation, and you are also all being bumped up a rank effective immediately. While I may have done some things differently, you got the job done and there is no denying that you have all earned this. Congratulations."

He pulls out a envelope full of new rank tabs for you, all nice, new and shiny. Walking around his desk, he goes up to each of you and pins on your new rank pins on your shoulders, Staff Sergeant for Deunan, and Sergeant for the rest. After he pins your new rank on your uniform, he salutes each of you and shakes your hands before going back to his chair.

After settling back down, he slips his hands behind his head and leans back. "RDF and ASC losses out there were heavy, and it would have been much worse if we had not been able to reestablish air superiority. Many units were decimated, and there is going to be a bit of reassignment of the surviving members of the remaining units into new teams. That being said, the Third Heavy Recon Squad is being reorganized with the permanent addition of two Marine ground assault Veritech helicopters that are fresh off of the assembly lines. They will be in field with you, providing close air support. Sgt. Conway, here are their files. They will be joining you in two weeks."

"In addition to your new personnel, word has come down from the engineers in Monument City that there is a new heavy weapon that has been developed for the Spartas; a particle cannon that will be replacing your current 105mm shell thrower. It has the benefit that the weapon does not need ammunition, and it packs a harder punch than the APFSDS round. We will be receiving two of these new weapons for installation in your choice of tanks, with the eventual plans for all of the Spartas of the ASC to have them within the next year."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan's mind is swimming with all the information that the Captain is giving them. First, a promotion to get a squad command. Then, only weeks later, I get a second bump up, along with a larger team! A pair of rotorheads, none the less. This is proving to be interesting. When she gets her Staff Sergeant tabs on her collar, she stands up straight and gives a snap of a salute before shaking Capt. Shumer's hand. Once he is done, she returns to her seat with a side look to the rest of the squad.

"Thank you, sir, for your kind words. Sir, I have not had a chance to give my own commendation for the squad, but I assure you, it was a team effort out there, and if it were not for each and every one of the team, we probably would not be in one piece right now." Deunan is a firm believer in making sure to offer up praise where and when it is due, and ensuring that the officers over her head know just how well everyone did out in the field.

The news that there will be an upgraded weapon to replace the 105 on the Spartas makes her raise an eyebrow. I wonder just how well it will do compared to what I'm already used to. Probably will end up taking one for me, and getting volunteers for the second. "That sounds like the Spartas is really doing well out there for Command to be upgrading them already, sir. Looking forward to seeing the new weapon in action."

When Capt. Shumer gives her the files on the two new members of the team, Deunan takes them for review later on. She will not take her attention away from the officers in order to read the files right now. "Thank you, sir."

 

[Rykon]

Alan falls in and salutes. He couldn't hide his grin at their enthusiasm in reviewing 'the game tape' so to speak. When presented with the promotion, he wore the Sergeant's chevrons with pride. More than anything, he was satisfied that the work the team had done was being recognized by their superiors and helping save and improve lives.

His high spirits were notably dampened when his mind shifted back to the casualties. The two being added to our unit lost theirs. Sure we get new faces, but that can't be a happy circumstance. He'd kept such thoughts silent for the duration of the meeting, only sharing his perspective when the unit was out of earshot. "I don't know who these two are, but let's try and be respectful of their loss." Alan's mind flashed to the barrel of the cannon he stared down then he continued. "Any one of those soldiers could just have easily been one of us." He finished before lighting up to smoke.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Instrumental Mood Music

Hey, folks. I often use music to help me write. I also love sharing music. This is Steve Stevens's "Run Across Desert Sands". Ever hear of Billy Idol? Stevens is his legendary guitarist. =)

"Debt of honor."

Ten days. It had been ten days since the Jungle Rats unit had met its end. Since then, Gabi had written long, heartfelt letters to each and every one of the families of the fallen.

She didn't leave much out. Just kept it respectful and true including to where each Rat had met their end. She had told a kind-hearted fiance that his husband died a real soldier, worthy of anyone buried in Arlington Cemetery back in the former United States. She had told a grandmother that his grandson was not a boy, but "a beautiful man. One whose memory I will fondly keep in my heart always." And she told a 15-year-old son to honor his now-dead father's wish that he get out of the drug cartel he was in and pursue either college or a military career. "And you're going to do it. You're going to do it for your papi. You're going to honor his memory and become something your father would be proud of, not for me or you, but for him. You owe him. And, boy, if you don't decide to repay him, I will come personally to collect. We will meet face-to-face one dark night. Oh, and your homies? Your gang means nada to me - I who kill giants for a living. But when you need money or help with your training, when you are stuck and you feel all alone in your college dorm or in your barracks, I'll be there for you. Just like your badass papi was for me. Now. What's it going to be?"

Ten days and Gabi had still cried for the Jungle Rats. She cried from her soul surrounded only by her tools and drones in her little workshop. It happened every night. They were her military family. So she cried, since she couldn't bring them back. It's all you can do when you lose someone. There was nothing else to be done but go to the funeral with Ryuko and the other survivors. Oh. And make them pay. Those evil devils from space? The Malcontents? They were going to feel it. Gabi had decided to kill two of them for every Jungle Rat they had sent to the grave. She told no one.

Before, this was all business. The ugly business of war. But until this debt of honor was paid - this was personal.

And Hell take any poor soul who got in her way.

* * *​

"Captain Parsons and Ryuko."

"Marines?" Gabi wondered. Gabi instantly forgave Parsons. Recon Patrol was not Marine Recon at all. It wasn't the SEALs, Army Rangers, Delta Force, or even LRRPs (Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrol). Each of the Special Forces outfits were different beasts suited for specific tasks and she respected them all. Special Forces Recon Patrol was very much like the U.S. Army Green Berets. They were a mobile guerilla force, often long-term, often operating behind enemy lines. Green Berets with mecha. At least that was how Gabi saw it.

And now that the Jungle Rats were done, it was only her and "Air Cav" Ryuko left active. Ryuko was a shotgun. Double-barreled. With dragon's breath rounds. Loud and proud all the way. Gabi was a sniper rifle. Lean and deadly and quiet. Soldiers like Ryuko killed their enemies in a bloody, violent fashion. Soldiers like Gabi made their enemies wind up in Hell without the foggiest clue how they had gotten there. Gabi was the only member of Recon Patrol left. She would do her military heritage proud or die in the attempt. It was only right.

She had made sergeant! E-4! Madre Dios ("Mother of God!")! The promotion completely caught her by surprise. It was the last thing she had expected. She couldn't wait to let her beloved family know. Her mother and father would be so proud! In some ways, the Army of Southern Cross was still a "man's" army. For a Hispanic woman to rise up was something she could feel very good about. And half-Meltrandi, no less! That was her little secret. Even Ryuko didn't know about that. Only the doctors and those on a need-to-know basis. Gabi had enough troubles as it was. Given the secrecy and professionalism of those who often worked in Special Forces, it had made her choice to join years ago that much easier.

"Captain," she told Parsons, "I just want you to know - this place has been good to me. I'll miss being here. I don't like having to start over from scratch, but I'll get over it." She grinned at him. "And as for you, sir? You've been kinda all right to work with." She felt Capt. Parsons was a decent man with a good heart and he had treated the Jungle Rats well. If Capt. Parsons had taken the time to get to know Gabi at all, he would know that she respected a straight shooter like him a great deal and loathed to leave him.

"A Transfer? Sounds like something of a good time, right Gabi?" Ryuko asked her friend, hinting at what that meant.

"Not to me, Ryuko," Gabi shrugged. "I'm still hurting. I want back what we lost. Since we can't have that, we have to start all over again at this Anton-17." It pained Gabi to have to start all over, new base of operations, new locals, new news, new unit... But it was what it was. If she wanted the easy life, she would have never joined Special Forces Recon Patrol.

She turned to Capt. Parsons. "Sir? This Third Heavy Recon... what can you tell us about them? I mean, who are they really, you know?" She added, "Because after losing our unit, if they turn out to be a bunch of REMF wanna-bes, I'm quitting this job and joining the damned circus." Gabi grinned again. "I'll be the snake charmer and Ryuko here can be the fire-breather."

 

[D. Rex]

A promotion. This early. What they did must have really been something to stand out. At the time, Marlon had not really thought anything of it. And recalling back, none of the others did either. It was just something they treated like a hurdle in the line of duty. It was sort if hard to know how to feel. Pride? Maybe he was just being to humble. But he wouldnt deny, Third Heavy did a good job.

He snapped a salute, and despite a few conflicted feelings, he couldn't help but have a proud smile as the new chevrons were placed. With a handshake, he fell back into line, and let the STAFF Sergeant do the talking as usual.

When all was said and done, he followed Alan's example. Seeing one lit up, and he needed one himself. He had forgotten how long it had been since a smoke break. "I suppose your right, there. But I ain't going to be silent if they talk smack. You know how flyers get... thinking they be gods gift to the skies." He grumbled, but paused as he forgot himself. Alan was right there too, it could have been any one of us. Heck... it could have been Third Heavy that was decimated to the point of a squad merger. He sighed and blew out a stream of smoke. "I know... I'm probably being too harsh considering. We'll welcome them with open arms, and hope that we can be half what they just lost."

 

[Gundam Watcher 27]

"Not to me, Ryuko," Gabi shrugged. "I'm still hurting. I want back what we lost. Since we can't have that, we have to start all over again at this Anton-17." It pained Gabi to have to start all over, new base of operations, new locals, new news, new unit... But it was what it was. If she wanted the easy life, she would have never joined Special Forces Recon Patrol.

Ryuko looked down, somewhat saddened by her friend and wingman (Er, woman) was going through. "We may not be able to get back what we lost, but we can at least protect what we still have, right?" She brought a hand up to Gabi's face, softly stroking her right cheek. It was a form of affection and understanding that Ryuko had used for whenever her friend was upset.

She turned to Capt. Parsons. "Sir? This Third Heavy Recon... what can you tell us about them? I mean, who are they really, you know?" She added, "Because after losing our unit, if they turn out to be a bunch of REMF wanna-bes, I'm quitting this job and joining the damned circus." Gabi grinned again. "I'll be the snake charmer and Ryuko here can be the fire-breather."

"The only way I can be able to breathe fire is if I drank some booze. We both know I can't touch it without drinking too much and punching someone's lights out afterwards." Ryuko would joke. Truth be told, alot of people find her cute during her drunk outbursts, even if that person was on the receiving end of the beat down.

"But maybe they'll surprise us."