Chapter 18

3rd Tactical Fighter Wing

Casualty lists following Macbeth Assault

Husky Squadron: 6 KIA

Bulldog Squadron: 4 KIA, 1 Injured

Fang Squadron: 3 KIA, 3 Injured

Demon Squadron: 4 KIA, 4 Injured

Bill rubbed his eyes and signed the battle report. Whilst writing the battle summary he simply recalled times and events and wrote them down, and then wrote numbers and statistics in the attached casualty lists.

But of course, the pilots who had been killed weren't mere statistics. They had friends and family, far away on Katina, Corneria, or another part of the Lylat System. Those family members needed some way of knowing about the deaths, and Bill, in his role as Squadron and Wing Commander, was the one to do that job.

And that job was never easy. Not seven years ago, not now.

He began his first letter.

To the Mossini Family,

It is my sad and regretful duty to inform you that Don Mossini was killed in action…

Bill stopped typing. He was too tired to even think about what to say to each family. It would be easier to write to Wally's family, since I actually knew all their names. He thought. But Bill couldn't even start writing about the sudden demise of his friend. It had been so fast- one second he and his flight were there, the next all but one were ripped from space.

Bill groaned glumly and closed his terminal. He'd get back to it after some sleep.

Further down the corridor, Benny Swipes was just returning to his own quarters. They were solo quarters now, since all those sharing the room with him had been shot down in the last mission.

Benny had seen Don go down. He recalled climbing from a dive just in time to see a missile strike Don's ship, destroying it.

The best friend I ever had…

Right now, had the mission been successful, Don would have finished rigging Keeler's bed to do something to the young pilot, who'd have probably ended up formulating a retaliation. Benny had even started to get fond of the funny kid.

Blaze probably wouldn't have been in the room, but even his absence would be missed. Benny sat on his cargo box, wondering what to do. Mourn, drink, or go to sleep?

A chime sounded, and Benny stood up. "Come in."
Instead of Commander Grey, though, a red-eyed Husky 12 came through the door, holding a bottle and a full glass.

"Fuzzy. How're you holding up?" Benny closed the door.

"I don't know." The husky put his bottle on the floor. "The bar's closed, in case that's on your mind. I bought this before the battle, but I couldn't drink any in my quarters because Terry started getting preachy. You don't mind, do you?"

"Naw, I could use some company." Benny glanced at the bottle. "What is it?"
"Gin, or imitation Gin at least. Help yourself." Said Fuzzy.

Benny stood and retrieved a metal mug from his storage box, and sat back down on it. He poured himself some of the gin then took a large swig. He coughed a little, then swallowed the rest.

"Easy, Benny. Save some of it." Fuzzy drained half his glass, then sat quietly for a moment.

"What are we doing here, Fuzzy?" Benny asked.

The husky pilot frowned. "We were in the armed forces at the wrong time." He poured half a glass of gin for himself. "And, we're stuck here because we survived this mission."

"I know, I know. Gods, I don't know what made me ask that. Jeez, if Don could see me now. He'd probably whack the back of my head and tell me to get a grip, or pull a joke, or some shit like that." Benny looked back at Fuzzy. "You were pretty close to Leena and Robin, weren't you?"

Fuzzy nodded. "Yeah. Leena was my friend for a bit more than 8 years. We used to go to the same school, then we both joined the academy. A couple of years after the graduation, we both made it to this squadron. Robin, well as it happens we had the same hometown back on Corneria, though we never knew each other before we got into the squadron. We talked about home and became good friends."

"Home." Benny sighed. "I got a girl back home, waiting for me. Shit, I always knew there was a possibility I'd get killed, but I never figured it'd happen."

"That's a pretty normal attitude." Fuzzy drank some more.

"Don had a girl too. She's never gonna see Don again. I had to think about that, and now I got myself thinking about if I'll ever see my girl again. Dammit, I don't think I will."

Both pilots kept silent a moment.

"I had a girl, Benny." Fuzzy wiped a tear gathering in his eye. "I let her go when we split ways. We found each other again, and I didn't try to get her back. Damn, I'm such an idiot! Now she's gone. She's gone Benny, and I didn't even tell her." He took a moment to control himself. "Leena deserved more. I should have told her."

Benny thought about it for a moment. "You told the rest of us you two were just friends."

"I told myself that too." Fuzzy groaned. "And that was what I told her. It was a big mistake."

Benny poured himself more gin. "Well Fuzzy, you think we should toast to something?"

The husky thought for a second, then nodded. "Two things, Benny. First…" They raised their glasses. "To our comrades who died, that we should remember their lives and their ultimate sacrifice."

"Hear, hear." Said Benny.

"Second, to us who have survived, that we should honor their sacrifice by staying alive and finishing what they fought for."