The Greywolves left the basement after a few moments, with the remaining UTR Marines that stood their ground against the Legion Commandos. The bright sun hit their uncovered faces and blinded them temporarily.
Air assets flew in while they hid from the blast, dropping off more Marines to help pick up the pieces.
And the recovery of the dead.
Helping the UTR Marines who came for the recovery operation, Major Winters helped the UTR Medics recover 8.
Major Winters zipped up the body bag of 8, their chemical weapons specialist. She gently patted his head, and said a prayer with her eyes closed.
Staff Sergeant Allyn walked up behind her as she was watching the Medics haul off 8 on a hover stretcher.
“I know this might be a useless idea, but I want to send a team to the aircraft wreckage, and see if B is gone.” He stated.
Major Winters didn’t say anything for a moment.
“You think he survived that?” She asked.
Allyn shrugged, “You never know. We need to confirm it.” He squeezed her right shoulder with his left hand. “If you need a minute, I’ll take the Wolves.”
“Nope. I’m good. He was a good soldier. I tend to believe he went to somewhere nice. Better than this shithole.”
Winters gathered her rifle to sling it.
“Let’s take a vehicle out there and investigate.” She stated.
“Greywolves, suit up. Let’s go find our missing Greywolf. He might be out there. Leave no Wolf behind.” Allyn ordered.
* * *
The Greywolves reached the aircraft wreckage. Some of it still burning. It was an eerie silence.
“Looks like the Commandos tucked in their tails and left, I don’t think we’ll have anything happen.” Allyn stated as he looked around while the Greywolves looked for their comrade, B-443.
A couple more troop carrying aircraft touched down on the scorched earth and stepped out dozens of UTR Marines to assist in recovery and repairs of Osiris VII’s facility. Vehicles poured out, wreckers, maintenance crews with construction crews in their vehicles to get right to work.
“12, have we made contact with General Mattock?” Winters asked.
12, the communications specialist shook his head.
“I think our high frequency radios are busted ma’am. I’m getting nothing but static. I gave up an hour ago.” 12 mentioned.
“We can wait until we’re off this sand pit.” Winters said, “Don’t worry about trying at this point. Command can get an update whenever.”
“Aye ma’am. I’ll keep trying, perhaps I’ll set up a new transmitting antenna from what equipment I have left that isn’t totally fucked.”
12 sat down his radio pack and pulled out whatever equipment he had left, while 9 the medic lent a hand.
3 and 4, the assault duo rummaged through the pieces of the destroyed aircraft, lifting up heavy pieces of melted metal.
“Jesus, there’s so much shit out here.” 4 moved a piece of broken wreckage.
“Well yeah man, that was a massive blast.” 3 replied.
Then 4 heard a beeping noise.
“Wait, shut up a minute. Everyone hold!” 4 yelled, as the Greywolves held position.
The beeping continued, but it was faint.
“What the hell is that beeping?“ 3 said.
4 turned around, “Sshh jackass. I’m trying to hear.”
Allyn slowly walked up, and he heard the faint pulse of a beep.
Allyn stopped breathing to focus on the noise.
“Spread out, find it.” Allyn started to move in the estimated direction.
4 went in a different direction to circle around it, while 3 roamed in the other direction. 10 the reconnaissance specialist cruised right up the middle of the formation and honed in on the sound. He took off his helmet to help use his natural hearing.
Major Winters followed 10 closely behind. If anyone could find the source, it was him.
“Oh my god, what if it’s B?” Winters heart started to race.
“Or a tracking beacon for the Commandos…” 4 hollered.
They got closer to the beeping noise, as 10 went in the direction that he last heard the faint pulse. Carrying his helmet in the left hand, he felt a hair stick up on the back of his neck.
“I’m getting closer to it.” 10 yelled behind him, as he tried to pick up a heavy piece of destroyed aircraft.
4 hustled over to help 10 pick up the wreckage.
“This fucking thing is heavy. It’s part of the fuselage. It’s beeping right here!” 10 yelled again, as the Greywolves quickly converged and went to the heavy piece of wreckage.
“Grab a hold of this thing, and on the count of 3, we lift it up.” Allyn and the rest of the team got a grip on the broken piece.
“1, 2, 3… Lift!” As the Greywolves lifted it up.
“Holy fuck, it’s B-443’s head!” 10 let go of the wreckage and retrieved his head, after he was clear from the heavy broken fuselage piece, they dropped it.
The Greywolves gathered around 10, as he held B-443’s head in both of his gloved hands. Pushing dirt and fragments away from its head.
The beep stopped.
“B, are you in there?” Allyn asked.
The wind blew past them, sending ripples of cool air through their sweaty uniforms.
“Should we rub it like a Genie lamp?” 3 joked.
Allyn laughed a little.
Allyn used his right hand to tap the top of B-443’s head.
“Knock knock, B.”
And B-443’s electronic eyes turned on.
“I seem to have lost my extremities.” B-443’s robotic voice spoke.
Winters smiled, “Glad to see you are still alive!”
“The real fucking question is, how the hell did you survive the blast?” 10 asked B-443.
“My head stores the primary power source, also my memory cores. Encased in a hard protective shell, designed as a defense against extreme temperatures – and many other things.” B-443 spoke perfectly fine as if he was in one piece, in normal operation.
“What if they captured your head?” Allyn asked.
“Simple really, I would self destruct.” B-443 replied.
“Now we need to get the hell off this planet, and get you home.” Winters said as she looked at B-443’s shifting eyes.
“I would say the figurative human speech of, ‘I am happy to see all of you’ , but I am unable to see any of you. Technically. My vision is severely damaged.”
“Smart ass.” Allyn laughed.
* * *
“Gentlemen, thank you all for coming to this little meeting.” A Legion Captain said in a stuffy dark room, standing up in front of the circular table. Several seats were left empty, due to the loss of officers on the battlefield.
There was five Legion lieutenants left, not including the Captain.
“As you know, I took command when General Keith was assassinated in this very building, and we carried out his brutal and blind vision to fight the Terran Republic.”
Captain Helton removed a couple of buttons on the top of his uniform to allow more airflow.
The four lieutenants sat and looked at Helton.
“We have an estimated loss of over 70% of personnel. 44% of our equipment has been rendered inoperable. We barely have infantryman to create two companies. General Keith managed to piss off every single distributor, so we aren’t being refitted by any agency. And as you can see around you, we are the last of any officer leadership.”
One of the younger faced lieutenants raised his hand.
Helton nodded, “Go ahead Williams.”
“What are you suggesting?” Williams asked.
Helton leaned on the table with both his hands, “If we want to survive, we have to surrender.”
The four lieutenants sat back in their chairs, looking at each other.
“In tradition to our Legion customs, the senior officer initiates the conditional surrender. But it must be voted upon. Which means the four of you. My vote does not count.” Helton stated.
A brief moment of silence hung in the air.
“Do the four of you require time?” Helton asked.
Lieutenant Williams stood up from his chair.
“My vote is yes.”
“One for yes, three undecided.” Helton stated.
“Fuck it. I want to keep breathing. Yes.”
“Two for yes, two undecided.” Helton noted.
The last two both nodded at each other.
“My vote is yes.”
“I concur. My vote is yes.”
Helton relaxed his stance. “For the record, the acting command of the Legions have all voted in favor of conditional surrender. Do we all agree to this?”
The silence was the answer.
“Very well. I will make contact with the Terrans immediately. Gather your personal things, initiate the orders to stand down. I want everyone to halt any operations.”
The four lieutenants left the meeting room, and left Captain Helton by himself. He sighed, looking at the empty room.
Walking over to where General Keith sat, he grabbed the computer terminal and activated the secure call line to General Mattock.
* * *
“General Mattock sir, there’s an urgent secure line waiting for you.” A UTR Marine spoke as he stuck his head in the operations room.
“Has anyone heard or seen from the Greywolves? Any fucking UAV’s in the area? They haven’t been able to report in.” General Mattock was yelling, frustrated with the current blackout on communications.
“General sir!” The UTR Marine stood at attention.
General Mattock stopped.
“What is it Marine?”
“There’s a call for you sir, secure line.”
“Who the fuck is it?”
“He did not say.”
General Mattock went over to the computer terminal, punching in his code to unlock the terminal and open up the channel.
The screen flickered and Captain Helton’s face was on the screen.
“I assume you are General Mattock yes?” Helton asked.
“Aye. And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?” Mattock said in a sarcastic tone.
Helton cleared his throat, “I am Captain Helton, acting Legion Commander.”
“And what can I do for you, Captain?” Mattock asked as he folded his arms across his chest.
“I wish to meet you and any important staff member on neutral ground. I will not be armed. I wish for you not to be as well.” Helton looked at Mattock.
“Do you honestly think I’m that much of a fool, Captain?” Mattock asked.
“My word is my bond, General. I am not like General Keith. I wish to surrender my forces. By unanimous vote, we agree to surrender. By the honored and sacred traditions of the Legion, I wish to meet you on neutral ground. You can pick the area, and I will meet you there.” Helton stated.
“Well, son of a bitch. I didn’t think the Legion was capable of surrendering. This must be a huge shock for you Captain.”
Helton nodded on screen, “This line will remain open, awaiting your meeting arrangements.” As the screen cut out, Mattock closed the secure line by powering down the device.
The operations room was briefly quiet.
General Mattock smiled.
“Looks like that’s it, ladies and gents.”
And the entire room chanted and cheered, a victory for the United Terran Republic was notched in the wall of war. Staff members were tossing paper stacks, maps went flying, drinks were being spilled as they chanted.
“I need a report from the Marines on Osiris VII. I need to know if my Greywolves are alive… our job isn’t done yet until everyone is accounted for. Get the fuck on it.” Mattock pulled out a cigar and began to puff on it.
* * *
The Greywolves were being air lifted by the UTR Air Force, they sat in the back of the cargo bay.
“Man, my fucking hip still hurts.” Allyn said as he rubbed his hip. “Can’t seem to get my hip back to normal.”
“Sounds like you have a vagina instead of a dick Allyn.” Winters laughed and punched him in his left shoulder from her right fist. “Doctor Lacon is going to be very upset when she finds out you don’t have a dick.”
“Oh ha ha. Very funny, Robo Woman.” Allyn fired back.
10 carried B-443’s head on his lap. “You still with us, B?”
“My operating systems are functional, 10. I thank you for your concern. However, I regret my vision is still inoperable.”
“Good, because you’re facing my crotch anyway.” 10 replied.
“What is this word, ‘crotch’, 10?” B-443 asked.
10 chuckled, “Never mind B.”
“We haven’t created a name for you yet, B.” Winters walked over to 10, gathering B-443’s head and lifted it up into her own hands.
“I do not need a name, Major. B is sufficient.”
“Nah bullshit. We need something cool.” Winters looked into the damaged eyes of B-443. “I’m glad we found you. And we are grateful for you. We would have died if you weren’t there.”
“Your sentiment is appreciated.” B-443 spoke.
“Doctor Hastings is going to be hugely pissed off we are bringing you back in this manner.” Winters said as she carried him around the cargo hold.
“I have another chassis that I can be placed on. It is not suited for war, unfortunately. That will be a… what is the human figurative… a bridge we will skip across at an alternate time.“
“Uh, well, close enough B. We’ll leave it at that.” Winters laughed.
“B, let me ask you something real quick.” Allyn asked as he approached Winters at her left side.
“I am ready for your inquiry.” B-443 stated.
“Did you know you would have survived the blast and decided to not tell us?” Allyn asked.
A brief moment of silence, and then B-443 responded.
“I admit to neglecting that detail.”
“You son of a bitch!” Allyn laughed as he held his hip.
Story Time 