Chapter 7: Transfer Orders

Barracks, Manticore

X5-321, X5-409, and X5-261 all headed back to their barracks to inform Unit 8's CO of their status. They were hoping for a new mission and even expecting one. After all, most of the soldiers in their unit that had fully recovered from their failed mission were being redeployed They weren't expecting a transfer – especially to a traitor's unit. It made no sense. 321 rapped lightly on their CO's door. X5-600 had just recently returned from a solo mission – he was not been expecting any visitors, nor was he in the mood for them.

X5-734 was returning to her own cell when she saw the three waiting in front of 600's cell. 734 suspected she was placed in Unit 8 because of 600's identical appearance to her former CO, 599 (aka Zack). 600 was quite different than 599 though – he was stricter (as if 599 wasn't strict enough), and often in a foul mood. Perhaps it was because he had spent so much time in psy-ops due to 599's part in the escape. Although 734 was part of Unit 8, she rarely went on missions with them, as she more often than not was assisting Command in bringing back the escapees. Command felt a familiar face would make it easier to bring the escapees back. Most of her missions had led to dead ends, however.

734 stayed clear of 321 and his friends – they were the first to pick on her for being a traitor when she was placed in Unit 8, and even now, 321 would occasionally give her menacing glances. 734 tried to quietly slip into her cell, but 321 saw her already.

"You know, I smell a rat," 321 announced as 734 opened her door.

409 elbowed 321, whispering him to lay off. 321 glared but 600's door opened before they could say anything more. "What's going on?" 600 asked, irritated. "You better not be here to tell me you're in isolation for another prank of yours," 600 muttered.

734 slipped into her room, leaving it open out of curiosity. 409 and 261 had stopped picking on her a while back, and they often kept 321 in check, but 321 still didn't stop pestering her. He was annoying, no doubt.

"We're getting transferred," 321 informed 600. "409, 261, and myself."

"To who's unit?" 600 asked absentmindedly. Although 321 was a good soldier, he was a pain in the ass. He often missed many of their training exercises due to the pranks he would play, landing him in isolation.

The three were silent until 600 looked at them seriously, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"452's," 261 spoke up.

If 600 was tired before, it no longer showed. "Is this another prank 321, because I'm not in the mood today."

"Not a prank," 409 reassured. "They're creating a new unit, Unit 9, for 452, and we're its new members."

734 was listening intently now. Her little sister would be the commanding officer for a unit? That was unexpected, but it would explain why she was training with Class Alpha. Her sister...CO. 734 smiled slightly, proud for her sister. 452 had been one of their best soldiers back in the day. She often was jealous at how well 452 would do, but she eventually got used to it. It was in 452's genes, she had explained to herself.

"Command is making a traitor the new commanding officer of a newly formed unit?!" 600 asked in disbelief.

"Yes, sir," 321 confirmed. "We begin training with Unit 9 as soon as Reveille arrives. We're moving to a new cell block tonight."

600 cursed as the news of what happened dawned on him. Their failed mission had already broken down his unit. Most of Unit 8 was injured and put out of active duty for at least a few weeks. A few were sent on solo or paired missions. They haven't done training as a unit since returning to base. Now three good soldiers were leaving him. He wasn't even sure if he would still have a unit left when everything sorted itself out.

"I can't believe Command is doing this to me," 600 muttered angrily. "You've been a pain in my ass, 321, but I liked having you around. You three weren't bad soldiers. Make sure you give 452 what she deserves. Traitors don't lead, got that? That goes for you two as well, 409...261."

321 smiled mischievously. "Yes, sir!"

409 and 261 repeated 321's words. The three gave a strong salute before heading towards their new barracks. 600 returned to his own cell, not happy with the change of events. 734 finally closed her door, wondering how her sister's new post would change things at Manticore. No one would welcome it, that much was certain.

Gym, Manticore

X5-863 had just finished her last class of the day. It was rec hour and she was planning on going to the gym to work off some excess energy and get a hold on her thoughts. She could not believe her orders. Not only was she getting transferred into a new unit and expected to follow the orders of a traitor, but she also had to be placed with the failures of Unit 8. She didn't mind 261 and 409, but that jerk 321 was another story. She had still not forgiven him for the prank he pulled on her, and she wasn't planning on forgiving him anytime soon. She grinned as she realized she would now have an opportunity for some pay back.

261 was a sweet girl, not that they ever talked much, but she always radiated a type of warmth not very common in most of the Manticore soldiers. She specialized in communications and first aid, suiting her caring nature. 409 wasn't so bad as well – they often had something in common to talk about: weapons. 409 always argued in favor of the explosive weapons – RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades), hand grenades, rocket launchers, etc. She would attempt to convince him why things that go boom weren't always the most efficient way of eliminating the enemy. Their debates were often interrupted by 321, who would attempt to flirt with her, if not pull a prank on her.

863 wasn't blind to not notice 321's affections for her, but she was certainly not interested in the cocky prankster. It didn't matter anyway if she was – Manticore would not allow relationships. She was not about to go and defy Manticore just to smooch with another soldier. Although she had never been to psy-ops for a long period of time, she had heard the horror stories of those who stayed for over a week, and the results were not pleasant.

863 wondered how her CO would take her departure. They never really liked each other, but they worked through their differences. They had to – the mission's success depended upon it. Still, they didn't get along and rarely spoke to each other if they could help it. 863 was not intending on telling her CO, since she figured Command would eventually inform them. She was not planning on saying good bye – it just wasn't her style.

863 was viewed by others as a tough gal who wasn't to be messed with. She would not hesitate to make you move if you stood in her way, and everyone knew that. She had a few acquaintances in her unit, but the majority of her 'friends' were in other units, which, conveniently enough, had also been moved to Unit 9, aside from 321, that is.

As 863 arrived at the gymnasium, she saw X5-428 doing some laps in Manticore's Olympic sized swimming pool. 428 had always been a good friend. They once had a mission together, and although the two didn't get along at first, by the end of the mission, they couldn't stop talking. The girl wasn't good at many things, but she was an awesome swimmer. She held the record for any underwater exercise Manticore threw at them and often spent her free time at the pool. It wouldn't be too surprising if the girl had too much DNA from various aquatic creatures.

"How's the water?" 863 asked.

428 surfaced and smiled. "Why don't you come see for yourself?!"

"You know swimming's not my thing," 863 returned. "So it looks like we'll be in the same unit now."

"Yeah, what a surprise, huh? I can't believe Command is making us listen to a traitor."

"Remember what Renfro said? She told us to let them know what we think of the rat. That means we don't really have to listen."

"True. I'm willing to bet that 321's going to prank 452."

863 frowned. "I can't believe we're in the same unit."

"He's just trying to get your attention," 428 reminded, slightly amused. "Give him a break. He really likes you."

"Well, he's doing it all the wrong way," 863 muttered. "And I don't like him!"

"Oh come on. He's not that bad. He's an excellent shooter – one of the few that got perfect marks on that marksmanship exam, which is why he's always a sniper on missions. I know you're not complaining about that. You're always arguing with 409 how guns are more efficient."

863 snorted. "Don't remind me. Well, 321's going to be paying for that stunt he pulled, and now that we're going to be together, it makes it all the more easier for me to give him some pay back."

"It also makes it easier for him to prank you again," 428 pointed out.

"He can fool me once, but not twice." She decided to change the topic. "Have you seen 157 lately?"

"Yeah, I saw him in the weight room earlier. I would think he's still there."

"I'm going to check in with him then and see what he thinks of this Unit 9 situation."

428 nodded. "Alright. See you tomorrow then."

863 nodded and left.

Rec Room, Manticore

X5-729 and X5-134 were seated together playing a game of chess. It wasn't often that they hung out – at least not anymore. 729 and 134 were relatively good friends. They had been in the same unit a while back until 729 was transferred. The two worked well together, with 134's excellent sense of direction and 729's skills in stealth, the two always pulled off extraordinary ambushes and recon missions. Since the transfer, they didn't have many chances to hang out anymore. The new set of transfer orders, however, gave them a reason to talk, and they decided to do it over a game of chess.

"At least we're in the same unit again," 134 began.

"True. I guess we now know why 452 was put in Class Alpha."

"How did she do anyway?"

729 shrugged. "She was a bit rusty, but she caught on pretty quick. I wouldn't mess with her."

"Check," 134 said as he moved his piece. "She lacks eleven years of training. She can't possibly be that good."

"Check," 729 warned as she moved her rook to save her king. "You'll have to see for yourself. I know it sounds hard to believe, but she fights like no one I've seen. The only person matching her is 494, and he's already one of our best fighters."

"All that in four weeks?" 134 asked in disbelief. He moved another piece to eliminate the rook. "Checkmate."

"All in four weeks," 729 reaffirmed. "Good game."

"You too." 134 got up to leave. "Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself. I still don't think we should be listening to a traitor. I don't care how good she is."

729 shrugged. "It's your choice, 134, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Gym Weight Room, Manticore

157 was on his last few sets when 863 walked in. They had been in the same unit their whole lives, so they knew each other, but 863 wasn't the friendliest person. 157 usually felt safer leaving her alone. Then again, he left everyone in Unit 3 alone. His world revolved around technology. He loved writing programs, hacking, and encrypting. As far as he was concerned, he was one of the best hackers Manticore had, but it didn't matter for much. Most of the X5s could hack anything in this post-pulse era. Very few companies could afford anything considered a challenge. His advanced skills were rarely needed. He had been called on several occasions to help Manticore technicians write some programs to protect their hardware, but it wasn't that frequent. Whenever that happened, however, he would miss training with his unit. The missing exercises didn't help him improve his camaraderie with his unit mates, and if he was behind enough, he would be put in Class Charlie for a short stint until he was caught up.

This kept from making too many friends in Unit 3, but he had some acquaintances. 157 was surprised, however, when 863 engaged him in a conversation. She was not even close to being an acquaintance.

"So we're going to Unit 9," 863 began.

157 nodded in acknowledgment of her arrival. "So it seems."

"Looking forward to it?" she asked.

157 shrugged. "Doesn't matter too much to me. I never really was part of Unit 3, it seemed. Manticore was always so worried about someone hacking our systems."

"What about 452?" 863 inquired, establishing a topic for conversation.

"If I'm lucky, I won't have to deal with the traitor. The tech people will pull me out soon enough. Rumor has it another project is coming up."

"Glad we're on the same side," 863 said as she walked away.

157 watched her leave, wondering if 863 was plotting something against 452. He wouldn't be surprised. Of course, he suspected that she wouldn't be the only one. Everyone in Unit 9 had a reason to ignore the deserter. He would go with the crowd to play it safe tomorrow. Something had to be brewing.

Barracks, Manticore

X5-536 headed back to barracks to inform 494 of his transfer orders a few minutes before lights out. He was not particularly happy about leaving the group, but they would not miss him, and he wouldn't entirely miss them. He had had his fair share of arguments with several of the members, and that had kept him from making too many friendships with those in Unit 6. Still, he didn't really think joining a new unit would solve his problem, especially under the leadership of 452.

He knew very little about 452, except that she had escaped back in 2009. She then had the nerve to blow up the DNA lab. Talk about a traitor. Why would he obey orders from a deserter? She probably doesn't even want to be at Manticore and would ditch them without a moments notice. He couldn't trust her.

Unlike most of the members of his unit, he had very little interest in 452 when she first arrived in Class Alpha. He didn't have too great of a relationship with 494, so he didn't bother to ask how their breeding program hour went. 536 just sat on the sidelines and watched as the other guys crowded around 494, trying to get the juicy details. 494 never revealed much though. If he knew 494 as well as he thought he did, then 494 was lying about anything he did with 452, and nothing was really happening. The other guys not lucky enough to be picked for the breeding program didn't seem to realize that. He shook his head in disgust. Why would they want to sleep with a traitor anyway? She would just contaminate them.

He wasn't naïve though, and recognized that 452 had potential. Despite her lack of training, she did quite well in Class Alpha. She had even assisted Unit 4 in several of their rare victories, much to the disappointment of Unit 6. Of course, it seemed Unit 4 was oblivious to her contribution, but he could tell from the way the trainers would watch her that they knew. When she was given leadership and 536 was assigned under her command a few days ago for a field training exercise, he had followed her orders, agreeing with her decisions. Still, if Manticore could put 452 in a position of leadership, what would they do next? He expected more from Command.

536 knocked lightly on 494's door when he arrived.

"Come in," Alec replied.

536 entered.

"536...what brings you here?"

"I received transfer orders earlier today, effective tonight at 2300, 494. I'm joining Unit 9."

"Unit 9 doesn't exist."

"It does now. You won't believe who they put in charge."

Alec sighed. "Don't tell me 452," he guessed.

536 looked at 494 in surprise. "You know?"

"You just told me," Alec replied, keeping his own face from showing his surprise.

"How did you know?" 536 asked suspiciously.

"452 was reading some textbooks from a course only commanding officers have to take," he explained. "I don't even think she knew she was headed in that direction."

536 never thought he would ask 494 for his opinion of anything, but it slipped out before he could stop himself. "What do you think of 452?"

Alec looked at 536 now, wondering why he had asked him that. "What do you think of 452?" he returned.

536 didn't think it was fair that he avoided the question, but he was still his commanding officer for the next few hours, so he answered, "She's a traitor."

Alec said nothing to that. After all the time he had spent with Max, he didn't really see her as a traitor, or any of the other garbage Manticore had programmed them to believe. She was someone who wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted, at all costs. That took a hella lot of courage. He couldn't say that for many people here at Manticore, not even himself.

"What else?" Alec asked. Alec never spoke much to 536. 536 never made an attempt to talk to him. He never got into arguments with 536, so he had nothing against him personally, but he always ended up breaking up fights 536 got into with 343, 561, and 934, which was a hassle.

536 shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. You've spent more time with her."

Alec sighed. Surely 536 wasn't asking about what happened between them during their time together, was he? Of all the guys in Unit 6, he would not have expected this from him.

536 realized he wasn't too clear, so he clarified before 494 was given a chance to say anything. "I mean, just in terms of who she is...as a soldier...and leader."

Alec thought a bit before he replied, "Weren't you put on her team a few days ago during weapons training?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, shouldn't that be your answer then?"

"It was a short period of time. She's supposed to be my CO until she runs again. I need to know if I can trust her judgment."

"Did you trust her judgment when she led you on the exercise?"

536 was silent for a moment, thinking, before he answered, "Yes."

"Then what makes you think you can't trust her judgment later?"

"She's a traitor," 536 said simply.

Alec had no idea why he was defending Max, but he felt that it was his job as CO of Unit 6 to send her an informed soldier. "Traitor or not, I don't believe 452 will carelessly put you in harm's way." As he said that, Alec realized what Renfro's intentions were. Oh damn...Max must be pissed, he thought to himself. "You've worked along side her in class and you know what she is capable of, 536. You have that advantage over other X5s being transferred to her unit. I would advise you give her a chance. She will probably expect that everyone hates her. How do you suppose she'll enforce orders then?" Alec asked, thinking back to the assignment she had been reading about Machiavelli's philosophy.

536 shrugged. "She can't be that bad, can she?"

"She managed to keep everyone away, didn't she?"

"I thought we left her alone because she as a '09er."

Alec shook his head. "Everyone left her alone because she pushed them away. Come on, you really thought her work would go unnoticed? I saw 319 walk up to 452 during her second day of class, attempting to compliment her on her sparring. 452 brushed her off." Alec sighed, debating whether or not to tell 536. Would he understand? Well, he came this far to ask him about her. He might as well. "536, there are some things you may not understand about 452, but she did isolate herself on purpose. I think she was planning on leaving Manticore, which is why she did it. She didn't want anyone to hold her back. She didn't want to have feel responsible for anything that happened once she took off."

"You're telling me my CO is going to run?"

Alec shook his head. "Not anymore. Don't you see, by giving her a unit, she is responsible for all of you. If she runs, then you guys will suffer." Alec then grinned and joked, "Hell, knowing Manticore, if something goes wrong, they'll punish you all to punish her."

536 forced a laugh, "That's not that funny."

Alec then thought about it and shrugged. "I guess Manticore really would do that."

"She doesn't give a shit about us. She's not going to care if we suffer."

"Maybe if you give her a reason to care, she won't run," he answered simply with a wink. Alec knew it was more complicated than that though. The rumors he heard about the '09ers from the guards told how they were a family. They looked after one another and cared for one another more than Manticore realized, and so when one of their own started suffering, they fled to make sure she would be safe from Manticore. That one soldier they saved had been 452. She would probably do anything for her unit members. Even 599's sacrifice for 452 spoke a thousand words. If she came to take her post as CO seriously, then she would stay and watch after her unit. She would not leave unless she could orchestrate an escape as her CO, 599, had done in the winter of 2009. Renfro must have known that. Now it all made sense... And he thought the Director was just a typical dumb blonde.

536 sighed. "That's just great. I'm stuck with a traitor for a CO, who's not going to give a shit about how we do, and she wants to run away. To top it off, Manticore will punish us when she finally runs, and for everything else she does wrong. 494, I never thought I'd say this, but I think I will miss Unit 6."

Alec grinned as he shook 536's extended hand. "You were a good soldier, 536. You'll be fine. It'll be rough the first couple of weeks, but give 452 a chance, as a favor to your former CO."

536 grinned back, but made no promises as he gave a final salute and headed to his new cell.

Alec wondered where Max had been relocated to. Renfro had said she would move Max to a new location so that escape wouldn't be an issue anymore. He kind of missed hanging out with her during the night hours. None of the other girls had such a short fuse, nor were they as animated as Max. There was life in her, perhaps from the years spent outside, but that's what made her so different than the rest.

After lights out, he left his cell to take a walk to see if he would be able to find his way to her place. It was convenient being CO at times, as well as having a friendly relation with the guards. They wouldn't bother him.

He saw Victor down the hall so he went to say hello.

"Vic! How are things, buddy?"

"Good, 494. I got the cigars. Thanks. Before I forget, here's your payment."

Alec discreetly pocketed the money. "Anytime. If you need anything else the next time I'm overseas, just let me know. Listen, I was kind of wondering if you might know where 452 was moved to."

"Yeah, she got switched over to 421. You know where that is, right?"

"Yeah, thanks buddy."

Vic watched as 494 left. Weren't they breeding partners? he wondered.

Alec managed to find a guard to unlock the cell, allowing him to slip in. Max was lying in her cot, facing the wall. She didn't even bother to look up to see who it was, or maybe she was too lost in her thoughts to hear him come in.

Alec walked over to her side and laid a hand gently on her shoulder. He could see now why she hadn't bothered to acknowledge his presence. She was crying.


A/N: I hope the fact that this chapter barely had any Max/Alec interaction didn't bother anyone too much...I had to introduce the characters of Unit 9, and the best way of doing that, I thought, would be to dedicate a chapter to them. Admittedly, there is one character I left out - X5-645, and I did it intentionally, as her story is revealed later on. Still, I'm not sure how well this chapter did in helping anyone remember the characters, given they're all just numbers, but hopefully it did /something/. Lemme know? I'll post a short list for you all to look over so that all the information is in one place. Maybe that'll help some in the future as well.

Also, I know Max isn't the weepy type, but I felt this was big - seeing her last ounce of hope crushed. Surely it doens't hurt to shed a few tears? Comments/criticism welcomed.

Well, last chapter's review response was great! Keep it up! I also have a few new readers as of last chapter. Welcome aboard; I'm glad you're interested in my fic! Also, if any review responses don't seem to relate to what you wrote, please let me know. I'm trying something new - the last time I wrote replies before posting the new chapter, it took me practically an hour before I finished replying, so I've been writing the replies in advance, copying and pasting to return replies instead before I update. It's possible I might accidentally paste someone else's reply...so please let me know if that happens and I'll be sure to PM you with the reply meant for you!

Not sure if many of you have noticed, but the site has been acting a bit weird lately. Occasionally I see outdated 'updates' being displayed on the DA section, strange as it is. Not sure what's up with that. Hopefully it's fixed soon. Anyway, thanks for reading, and it'd be lovely if you could push the review button and submit a review! -grins-

X5 Character Transfers

Unit 1 : X5-134 : specialties include tracking, navigation, and communications

Unit 3 : X5-157 : specialties include encryption, computer/software programming, hacking, coding, hardware, engineering

Unit 3 : X5-863 : specialties include weapons (particularly guns), general combat, tracking

Unit 4 : X5-729 : specialties include stealth, recon, combat; former Class Alpha member

Unit 5 : X5-645 : specialties include stealth, recon, tactical analysis

Unit 6 : X5-536 : specialties include combat, weapons, stealth & recon; former Class Alpha member

Unit 7 : X5-428 : specialties include aquatics (highest scores), engineering, underwater demolitions, field med

Unit 8 : X5-261 : specialties include field med, communications, general technology

Unit 8 : X5-409 : specialties include demolitions, combat, vehicles

Unit 8 : X5-321 : specialties include stealth, recon, sniping (perfect marksmanship score), pranks

Replies to anonymous reviewers:

random person: Reviews definitely motivate me to update. :) Hope you like the new chapter, and thanks for reviewing!

opalshine: heh, hope you like the new update. again, don't die! ;) Thanks for reviewing!

Kayla: Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I can see how it's upsetting that Alec tells Renfro nearly everything, so I'll explain my reasoning behind it. While Manticore still exists, he's still loyal to Manticore; to hide information from Renfro would be considered betrayal, and to some extent, he probably fears returning to psy-ops. Of course, he didn't exactly tell everything, but I think the facts he withheld would not be as suspicious when compared to other facts he might have withhled. Perhaps Max will eventually be able to change that loyalty...