After the explosion, Francis opened his eyes again. He was crouching, his arms around his legs, shaking. "Get up, we have to find the Lieutenant and get to a safer place!" Marvin yelled. "Shouldnt we investigate what cau-" Walther began, but Marvin cut him short. "Something exploded. End of the story. Thats all we need to know. Now help me to make Francis move!" Francis found himself unable to anything. Seconds later there was another explosion. Afterwards, he felt some pain on his face, as if something hard crashed into the left side of his jaw. "Get up you fool. The next one wont be that gentle!" Francis couldnt process who had said that. He heard some noises, screams and then another explosion. Something hit hard him hard in the back and his right shoulder, and in the same moment, there was this intense pain. Francis screamed, fell over, face flat on the ground. "Dammit. I think we have to carry him, he doesnt look like he can walk." "Is….Is he…" "Youre not exactly helping you know. Help me pick him up! Take his legs and help me carry him to that fence over there!" He felt someone grabbing him at his feet and under his armpits. Some time later, Francis couldnt tell how long, he fell to the ground. "Try to help him, im gonna look for the Lieutenant." "O… Ok.." Someone began to take of his clothes. It reminded Francis of a peacefullier time, when he had rolled around in the grass with a girl. He tried to think about the smell of her hair when suddenly…
...he felt intense pain coming from his back. Francis screamed. "Oh, thank the Valkyrur, youre still alive!" he heard Walther say. Francis was lying on his stomach. Suddenly there was the pain again. "I know, this hurts but you have to be strong…" Walther said. "Oh, Valkyrur, Oh Valkyrur, thats too much blood…" Suddenly there was another voice he didnt recognize. "Hey, you, if you want your friend to live pull out this splinter out of his shoulder!" He then felt pain again. Francis screamed another time. "Step aside kiddo, Im gonna do it." There was the pain again. Francis nearly bit out his tongue. Then the pain was gone. "Now we have to disinfect it. You have something with you?" the mysterious voice said again. "No-.. No…" Walther replied. "Well, then rum should do…" Suddenly there was an even worse feeling. The pain as if someone drilled a flaming hot metal rod into his wound. Francis let out yet another scream and passed out as the world became black around him…
Francis dreamt of the girl in the grass again. He hugged her tightly as they sat in the grass, just as he was about to kiss her…
...someone poured cold water on him. "About time, you wake up." the mysterious person said. Francis looked around. He was at the side of a road, around him were Walther, Marvin and Lieutenant Delson… and two soldiers he didnt know. One of them had an arm covered in burns. "Good thing you woke up. Do you know what happened?" the Lieutenant said "Bits and pieces...there were explosions i think... screams... more explosions…" Francis tried to stand up. He moaned as the pain in his arm started to go back. "Marvin, Paul, help him up." Lieutenant Delson said. One of the soldiers and Marbin began to gently help him up. Francis noticed, that he couldnt move his right arm well. His shoulder was covered in bandages and his arm was tied to his stomach. "Paul patched you up quite nicely, but to be sure we are taking you to the Headquarters. There they will take a look at you." " Yeah. And we have to let them know. This thing can send out soldiers. I they get close to the capitol, that could lead to a problem. All units except the Royal Guard are on the front. And ive seen how precise they are. Those were not normal imperial troops, those must be soldiers of the Imperial Guard." Paul said. "So, whats the plan now?" Francis asked. Lieutenant Delson pointed at the road. "We get back into the jeep and try to reach the capitol as soon as possible. The documents and crates may be lost, but the photographs and the destruction of the base should be enough evidence of the destructive power of that vessel…"