Date: March 5, 2477
Location:
CMA NAGOYA Base
New Florencia, V-II System
POV: 2nd Lieutenant Ronald Finnic, CMA Marine Corps
Over seventeen hours have passed since the onset of battles in New Florencia and the tables have turned. Though initially caught off guard, the CMA forces were able to reorganize themselves before conducting a counterattack against the invaders. The enemy was now in full retreat and the Capital was almost under CMA control again, though pockets of resistance remained in the outskirts. Still, the invading forces were ultimately no match against a professional combined-arms force. The rusty transport ships that ferried them to the planet were quickly shot down by strike fighters and the remaining enemy forces were scattered throughout the planet. For now, the CMA Marines only had to hold their ground until reinforcements of the CMA Navy Battlegroup arrived.
Lieutenant Finnic lit his third cigarette of the day and took a deep puff before exhaling the smoke. He could careless about the health ramifications. He really needed to regulate his stress in situations like these. Fortunately, after the strenuous recon mission last night, his entire company earned five hours of rest on the base before being redeployed in combat with the rest of the colonial forces. Currently, they were on another brief rest and most of the marines, including Sergeant Hollande and Private Jay, were in their tents, attempting to get as much shut-eye as possible. Normally, Finnic would be doing the same but he could not stop thinking about what Corporal Perry did that night. Already, he finished his cigarette and flicked it towards the trash can before taking a stroll throughout the base. As he walked around, he stopped upon seeing a large canopy to his side. Sitting on the benches were none other than Perry and the child he rescued. Getting a glimpse on them, Perry appeared to be attempting to teach the boy a trick his combat knife. Finnic chuckled at the scene as most adults would be horrified of seeing a child play around with a knife. But then again, the boy just lost his father and anything would suffice to distract him from it. Finnic soon caught the attention of Perry, who waved him over.
"You gotta lightly hold the top of the handle but not too strong, okay? Then you spin it." explained Perry to the boy before looking up to Finnic. "Morning, LT."
"Morning, Corporal." greeted Finnic.
Upon hearing his voice, the boy also looked up to see Finnic. His face immediately showed fear, making him flinch and drop the knife.
"Whoah, kid, it's me." said Finnic as he raised his hand and gave a light smile. "Remember me?"
Perry then pat the boy's shoulder before calming him down. "It's okay, William, he's a friend. His name is Ronny."
Finnic then gave a glare to Perry, who shrugged his shoulders. "Ronny? Really, Perry?"
"Lieutenant doesn't exactly sound child-friendly, sir." smiled Perry, causing Finnic to amusingly shake his head.
"And what are you supposed to be? Perry the Platypus?" smirked Finnic.
"Uh what?" replied Perry, confused.
"Nevermind." shrugged Finnic before turning to William. "So, your name is William, huh?" asked Finnic before introducing himself. "Well it's nice to meet you, William. My name is Ronald. I'm a friend of Wesley."
William merely nodded in return and went back to playing around with the knife.
"So much for child-friendly..." muttered Finnic, earning another shrug from Perry. "Corporal, can we have a moment?" asked Finnic as he faced Perry.
"Of course, sir." replied Perry as he stood up. "You stay right here, William. I'll be back." told Perry, earning a light nod from William.
The two men continued to walk away until they were a considerable distance from William. They stopped in front of a watch tower, where Finnic took out his cigarette pack once more.
"What do you need, sir?" asked Perry.
Lieutenant Finnic raised a finger before taking out what would be his fourth cigarette of the day. He bit it with his mouth before offering one to Perry.
"Smoke?"
"I already told you, sir. I don't smoke." replied Perry.
"Huh, pussy..." retorted Finnic, causing Perry to roll his eyes.
After lighting the cigarette, he took a deep puff before exhaling the smoke.
"Corporal, you know what this is about." proceeded Finnic.
"Sir, I have no regrets." replied Perry firmly.
"Look, I'm not here to reprimand you by the books. Sooner or later you're gonna have to officially debrief all of this. What I'm curious about is why you'd make such a reckless move! Furthermore, you bring the kid here, out of all places! You do realize there was an evac site not far from where we parted ways, right?"
"The base was closer than any of the evac sites, sir. I couldn't risk going the extra distance." answered Perry.
"You decided to desert your mission and you talk about risks..." smiled Finnic sarcastically. "Furthermore, I hear that you and the kid almost got shot by the sentries when you reached the front gates! What was that about?"
"Sir, it was still dark and there was initial confusion. But we're both here, aren't we?"
"Damn it, Perry! This is what I'm talking about! You need keep your emotions on check! It's time for you to stop with all the bleeding heart nonsense and start evaluating things objectively! Is it too much for you to just shut up and do your damn job?!"
"It was a child, LT! A child in need of help! Are you insinuating that we should've left him there?"
"No..." replied Finnic lowly.
"Isn't our duty to help people?"
"Our duty is to our mission!" retorted Finnic.
"And our mission is to help people!" countered Perry.
Finnic looked like he was about to explode, so much so that he couldn't even respond. To him, he felt like he was dealing with a spoiled brat. It explained why he got along so well with that kid. Finally, he took a deep breath before calming down. Before he could continue however, it was Perry's turn to ask questions.
"Here's my question to you, Lieutenant. Why didn't you stop me? Clearly I was guilty of insubordination and you had every right to execute me on the spot. Yet, you let me go. Why is that?"
Finnic had no answer to this. Perry struck his nerve exactly where he wanted. Perry did indeed break rules but he partly shared the blame as well. As leader, Finnic was accountable for the actions of everyone he commanded. And as Perry mentioned, instead of actually stopping him, Finnic let him go. To be fair, it had to be a split second decision because of the dire situation of the time. Finnic looked into Perry's eyes, who appeared to still stand his ground.
"Look, what you did was noble, I'm not disagreeing with that. I would've considered it too. And frankly I only let you go because truthfully, I knew I couldn't stop you. But here's the thing, Corporal. As a soldier, you should remind yourself of the reality of this work. So take my advice, Perry. If this isn't right for you, then get the hell out of the marines. Hell, you even said yourself that you're uncomfortable with killing. If saving lives if the only part you care about then just join the damn Peace Corps or something. Because if you can't perform the very basic duties like following orders, then I think it's high time for you to reevaluate your place here."
"Who says you have to be comfortable with killing to join the military?" retorted Perry.
Once again, Finnic had no answer to his smartass responses.
"Regardless, however, you're right and I take full responsibility for my actions, LT. In fact, I'll make sure your involvement stays out of it during the debriefing."
"That's not for you to decide, Corporal." replied Finnic. "But you're right about one thing. I bear responsibility as well."
"At least we have something in common..."
Finnic inhaled one last puff before flicking away his cigarette.
"You know that stuff kills your braincells?" commented Perry.
"You're not my mom." replied Finnic, earning a chuckle from Perry. "Also, you really think I would execute you? After all we've been through? I'm offended, Perry."
"Well, considering how Jay gets on your nerves, it's a possibility." smiled Perry.
"You do have a point there." smiled back Finnic.
Suddenly, both were interrupted when a marine staff sergeant walked up them. The staff sergeant greeted Finnic before giving a salute.
"Lieutenant Finnic." greeted the staff sergeant.
"Yes, staff sergeant?" greeted back Finnic.
"Sir, Major Mustafa has requested you and Corporal Perry to report for a debrief."
Lieutenant Finnic and Corporal Perry looked at each other before Finnic gave a reply, "Thank you, staff sergeant, we will be there shortly."
"Speak of the devil..." commented Perry.
POV: Lance Corporal Wesley Perry
*Knock
*Knock
"Enter." answered a voice.
Lieutenant Finnic slowly opened the door and walked in the room, followed by Wes. As soon as Wes closed the door behind him, both men gave a salute before the Major.
"Sir, 2nd Lieutenant Finnic and Lance Corporal Perry report as ordered." greeted Finnic.
The Major returned the salute before gesturing the men, "At ease, gentlemen. Take your seats."
After taking their seats, an uncomfortable silence followed as Major Mustafa simply stared at both men. Wes knew he was in trouble but he was still nervous about what repercussions awaited him.
"You can stop swallowing your tongue, Corporal..." said Major Mustafa.
"Sorry, sir." replied Wes.
"So, I'm going to cut to the chase." Major Mustafa then turned to face Wes. "Corporal Perry."
"Yes, sir?"
"In regards to your actions during your recon op, the report states that not only did you deliberately separate from your squad, but you also brought a child to this base out of all places, when there were numerous evac sites around the city area. Do you know what the implications are, Corporal?"
"It means that I disobeyed my CO and endangered the security and integrity of this operation, sir." answered Wes.
"That is correct, Corporal. Now, I want you to explain what was going on in your head that led to your actions."
"Yes, sir-"
Wes was suddenly interrupted when Lieutenant Finnic spoke up.
"Sir, I'd like to say that as leader, I take full responsibility for everything because I'm accountable for my men's actions-"
Major Mustafa then cut him off before retorting in irritation, "I'm sorry Lieutenant, I didn't realize I was talking to you."
"I... Sorry, sir. No excuse, sir." replied Finnic.
Major Mustafa turned back to Wes before continuing, "Anyways, Corporal, please continue."
"I saw a child in need and I could not stand by the sidelines. He needed help and I gave him exactly that by bringing him to safety." explained Wes.
"And was that your mission objective, Corporal?"
Wes paused for a moment before answering, "No, sir."
"And did you know you were disobeying orders when you made your decisions?" questioned the Major.
"Yes, sir."
"So why did you continue?"
"Again, sir, I couldn't leave the child on its own and had to get him somewhere safe. Doing otherwise is not something I could afford in my conscience." explained Wes.
"So you believe playing hero was more important than your mission?"
"No, sir, I-"
"That type of thinking will get you and your comrades killed. It's biblically asinine, Corporal."
"I understand, sir."
"Do you realize what this means for you?"
"Yes, sir. And I have absolutely no regrets about what I did and take full responsibility for it."
Finnic internally facepalmed himself after hearing what Wes just stated. To him, Wes just seemed to shoot himself on the foot.
"Both of you are held responsible!" retorted the Major, slamming his fist on the table.
"You couldn't perform basic duties and failed as a soldier, Corporal!" chastised Major Mustafa before turning his finger to the Lieutenant. "As for you, Lieutenant! You failed as a leader due to your inability to keep your men together! I don't give a damn if you're a mustang! If the officer world isn't right for you then you are more than welcome to surrender your commission and go right back to being enlisted!"
"Sir, I understand, sir." replied Finnic.
"Back to you, Corporal. Based on your actions, you have a hot seat awaiting you. Your squad may have been able to complete their mission, thanks to to those two Helljumpers. Regardless, however, you still went AWOL from your post. Under the CMA penal code, your sentence may very well result in a reduction of your rank and pay or at worst, confinement in the Brig up to five years!"
The last word caused chills to run down both Wes and Finnic's spines. Sensing that neither had any response, the Major continued.
"Well let's hope to God the latter never happens. And consider yourself lucky that execution is out of the equation." Major Mustafa then paused to look at his datapad before continuing. "When this entire op is over, a full report shall be submitted to High Command. From then on, it's up to them to decide on the appropriate actions. As for the child, Corporal, you are to be his caretaker for now. You brought him in this base so he shall be your responsibility. Is that understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir." complied Wes.
"I hope you take the rest of the time to evaluate both yourself and your place in the force. You're dismissed, Corporal."
Wes stood up before giving a salute. "Sir."
Major Mustafa then faced Finnic before continuing, "And Lieutenant, you and I have more to discuss."
"Yes, sir." replied Finnic.
As Wes turned to leave, he gave the Lieutenant a quick nod, who returned the gesture. After exiting the room, he slowly closed the door behind him before taking a deep sigh.
What the hell have I done...
As Wes walked back to find William, he could not stop beating himself over the mess he's gotten in. He still had no regrets over saving William and stood by everything, almost. But perhaps he could've done some things differently. But in the end, what's done was done. If being incarcerated in military prison was what it took to save a helpless child, so be it.
Finally reaching the canopy where William was, he flinched when he saw the him surrounded by three other armored figures. Suspecting danger, Wes jogged over to see what was going on.
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" called out Perry.
The three men turned around and upon seeing their faces, Wes flinched before sighing in relief. Two of them were none other than Master Sergeant Hakim and Gunnery Sergeant Phillips. Those two really were a saving grace despite the rough encounter at the beginning.
"Hey hey, look who's back!" greeted Hakim, smiling.
"It's the guardian angel himself!" added Phillips.
"Sergeants." greeted Wes.
He then turned to William, who seemed to be doing fine. William immediately stood up from his seat and walked over to grab his hand.
"Hey, how you doing, buddy?" he asked.
"I'm fine." answered William.
"Aw, look who's playing daddy already." commented Phillips, earning a laugh from the rest.
"You guys didn't scare him, did you?" asked Wes.
"Don't look at me, I didn't even touch him." replied Phillips defensively.
"No worries, Corporal, we're just keeping him company." assured Hakim.
"So this is him, huh?" asked the third man.
"Yup, the foolhardy chevalier himself." answered Phillips.
Wes turned to face the man, who sported regular marine BDUs unlike the two sergeants. He also appeared much older with graying hair and slight wrinkles. However, as Wes examined his patrol cap, he spotted a noticeable star on it; This man was a brigadier general. Immediately, Wes' eyes widened in shock.
Holy crap! Don't just stand there! Salute!
He quickly straightened his posture before raising his hand to the best salute he could offer.
"Good afternoon, Brigadier General!" greeted Wes. "Sorry, sir. I didn't see your rank. Um, what can I do for you, sir?"
All three men only chuckled amusement before the general replied, "At ease, son. Masters and Gunny here wouldn't shut up about what happened."
"Hey, it was mostly Gunny, Rainier!" interjected Hakim.
Wes on the other hand, was baffled with how the two sergeants acted so casual around the General. It was probable that the trio knew each other very well.
"Sir?" asked Wes, confused with everything.
"Hakim here tells me that you risked your life and brought this young man to safety on your own. Frankly I didn't believe it at first until we stumbled upon William here." explained General Rainier while patting William's head. "The city was crawling everywhere with those bastards yet you both made it back without a scratch. I don't know how you managed to pull that off, but well done, Corporal." he congratulated with a smile.
"We got helmet footage as well." commented Phillips.
"Either you're really lucky, or you know your stuff, Corporal." complimented Hakim. "You could even become one of us some day!"
Wes expected a repeat from his meeting with Major Mustafa. Instead, the General seemed quite content with what happened. But then again, he didn't know the full details of the events. The two Helljumpers probably glossed over and exaggerated everything. Still, Wes couldn't ignore the fact that he was put on thin ice by the Major.
"You seem troubled, Corporal." said the General, his smile disappearing.
"I... Uh... Th-Thank you, sir... But Major Mustafa wasn't too happy..." replied Wes.
"The Major? Why is that?"
"Yes, sir, I was reprimanded during the debriefing. I may have brought this child to safety but in doing so, I had to separate from my squad and abandon the mission. This is technically AWOL and punishable by the penal code, sir." explained Wes. "The Major stated that I would likely face severe ramifications. And he's right, sir, and I accept full responsibility for what I've done."
The Brigadier General simply stood there, silent. The two Helljumpers also awkwardly stared at each other, waiting to see what would unfold next.
"Is Wes in trouble?" asked William in an innocent voice.
General Rainier faced down and looked William straight into his eyes before replying with a smile, "No, William, he's not in trouble."
"Sir?" asked Wes, confused.
"I don't think the consequences should be that simple for an extraordinary situation like this, Corporal." added General Rainier before putting a hand on Wes' shoulder. "And I think I might be able to help you with that."
"General, I'm not sure what you're trying to convey-"
"Corporal, you just focus on other things as well as taking care of him. I will go and talk to the Major."
"But sir-"
Wes wanted to protest but the General cut him off.
"No buts. That's enough." said General Rainier before raising his hand to a salute. "Good afternoon, Corporal."
Wes immediately returned the salute, "Good afternoon, Brigadier General."
General Rainier gave a nod before walking off, followed by Hakim and Phillips.
"Don't worry, Corporal, we got your back." said Hakim as he pat Wes' back with Phillips nodding in agreement.
"Thank you, Master Sergeant." thanked Wes with a light smile.
Hakim then turned to William before waving his hand, "Hey kid, see ya around!"
William didn't respond but he still returned the gesture with a hand wave.
"Wow..." muttered Wes, bewildered by what just unfolded.
He didn't know what was more of a unicorn occurrence: Winning the lottery or a brigadier general going out of his way to bail out a lowly corporal like himself. Nevertheless, he wasn't complaining.
"I like him." said William.
"I think I like him too, William." agreed Wes.
A/N:
Hello, readers! Sorry for the long overdue update! Still, I hope this chapter was enjoyable for you! It took a lot of effort and overcoming writer's block to finish this. But unfortunately, I'm afraid the updates won't be as frequent for the next chapters as well. I'm at a very busy moment in life and will have very little time to dedicate to this story. Between college and moving, you get the gist. But rest assured, I still have the future chapters planned and I will not quit on this story.
Regarding this chapter itself, I hope the military dialogue wasn't too cheesy or unrealistic. I briefly did ROTC during college and I'm trying to base the portrayal of the military from that experience, at least dialogue wise. But I also don't want to be too technical and monotone because this is a fiction story after all, not a military documentary or simulation.
Anyways, I hope you can be patient once more for the next chapter.
Please review! Thank you!