SunTzu, taken away from his thoughts about Setsuna and the dinner by the holo voice message was honestly surprised. He wouldn't have thought to hear from Gistess, especially with her asking for his help. Things seemed to be real dire on Tombstone.
And here I thought Tombstone had been pacified.
He immediately contacted AICA and made sure she was ready to head out instantly.
Thirty three hours later AICA fell out of hyperspace near Tombstone and headed for the desert planet where time flowed slower than on Earth and Coruscant as it was rotating way slower around it's sun.
A single Corvette was patrolling around the planet.
AICA had gathered the latest info about the planet.
Space combat wasn't a matter no more but on the ground a fierce irregular and asymmetrical war was being fought. And on it's front line was Spec Forces Team 441 of the Galactic Alliance, led by their Captain, Gistess Colystel.
The local garrison was made up mostly of regional security forces of the New Frontier and after the main bulk of the Seventh Fleet and the Cavalry had left, an insurgency had started on the planet, with Outriders and mercenaries ambushing troops, using regular weapons and Improved Explosive Devices, assaulting and harassing the local populace and using hit-and-run attacks against the bases and supply convoys of the local forces.
Looks like a whole bunch of fun Gistess got herself into there…
AICA entered the Desert Planet's atmosphere and SunTzu checked in onto the tactical channel.
"Callsign Warlord to SFT 441. I heard you guys need backup."
The voice of a young man came back.
"Copy Warlord. Might want to get down here with all you have. We're at COP Hitgai, near the town of Sonora."
"Copy. ETA two minutes."
SunTzu landed at the small outpost, it wasn't much more but a few tents with sandbags and duracrete barricades around. A watchtower and two sandbag bunkers protected the Combat Outpost.
SunTzu landed AICA inside of the walls and sandbags.
Two soldiers came over, both dressed in combat clothes but without armor, their blasters on slings around their backs.
"Ey pilot, please tell me you're just the scout party and not the only reinforcement we get, otherwise I really have to file a complain to Coruscant." One of the soldiers said, shaking his head, while SunTzu was just about to get out of the cockpit.
"This is our only reinforcement Corporal Nadis, and it's more than Coruscant would ever sent us officially." An austere female voice, that kind of raspy that was attractive, came in from behind the two soldiers.
Both soldiers straightened up as an attractive brunette woman, around the same age as SunTzu, wearing combat clothes and armor in desert camouflage, walked past them. She was followed by a tall, middle aged Sephi, who was wearing armor as well. The woman turned to SunTzu and Pilot and Woman exchanged a wry smile with each other.
"You got here faster than I expected."
"Can't make a lady wait for too long."
"Hello Gistess, it's nice to see you!" AICA greeted the Spec Forces Officer and the two soldiers flinched when the A-Wing began to speak.
"Hello AICA, I'm glad you are here."
Gistess shortly petted the front of the sleek starfighter, while SunTzu climbed out of the cockpit. As soon as he had touched down on the floor, the two Captains locked eyes.
"New callsign, huh? Seems like you're collecting nicknames these days."
"I'm getting called a lot of things these days."
A smile appeared on her lips and then she motioned behind her to the waiting soldier in armor.
"This is Master Sergeant Tateel, my second-in-command."
The tall soldier saluted and SunTzu reciprocated the greeting and then shook hands with the near-human.
"Captain, with all due respect, an A-Wing, even though it can talk, and it's jockey, isn't exactly much of reinforcements." The Corporal from before chimed in again and complained.
"Corporal Nadis, as you already heard, the Skipper said it's the only reinforcement we'll get and you should be happy we get any at all." The Master Sergeant barked at the soldier.
"It's okay Master Sergeant, the Corporal doesn't know who Captain SunTzu is." Gistess replied now and began to grin.
"Corporal Nadis, this pilot is the Ghost of the Core, you might have heard of him. Not to mention that the Captain is cleared for Spec Forces Deployment. And although it's just one A-Wing, it's the most advanced fighter in the whole Galactic Alliance. I'm pretty sure, you'll change your opinion pretty soon. And now get back to your patrol." She didn't need to yell, or get loud at all, the soldiers held true respect for her and both of soldiers saluted and moved away.
"They're a bit ballsy but you'll find they're a fine bunch of guys." Gistess told SunTzu. "Let's head to the command post, I'll brief you on the situation."
As expected the situation was dire or as Gistess stated it, SNAFU.
She and her team of originally seventeen SpecForces Soldiers had arrived on the planet a few weeks ago, not because they were ordered to, but rather on their own will, as after a series of missions, which had brought them from the Deep Core to the Mid Rim, they had been told to get to their base for some R&R.
Seeing the state the Galaxy was in right now, they decided to not take a rest and the team put up a transport to Tombstone where the Insurgency already had caused dozens of casualties. The team even had used their own money to pay the transport. Because they were mostly on their own spendings, Gistess's immediate higher-up had tried what they could to supply and support them, but there were larger battlefields to supply first, so their supply situation was still semi-optimal at best.
At least the allied troops and civilians on the planet cherished the teams work and supplied them with food, water and sometimes ammo. They also had recieved some basic transport from the local forces, consisting of two repulsor vehicles and a wheeled Armored Personal Carrier.
SFT 441's mission on Tombstone was wide ranged, as it consisted of training the local forces, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, counter-terrorism and direct action.
The enemy was very mobile and the team hadn't found it's base of operation yet. The planet had some massive rock formations, which were famous for their cave systems, and to search them all SFT 441 hadn't enough manpower. Yet alone to assault them.
So far they had two Killed-in-Action, both through a mysterious enemy sniper, a master of his profession, and two seriously wounded. A lot of the guys had sustained smaller injuries but could and would still continue the mission.
The sniper had already shot dozens of Security Force Members and was one of the main targets of the team as of now. Taking out two of them had made it personal.
After the briefing Gistess assembled her team and introduced SunTzu to all of them. The team was quite diverse with members being of various species, from Human to Barabel.
SunTzu expected the rest of them to give him a not exactly warm welcome as well but apparently they all had much confidence in Gistess's words and greeted the Pilot more or less comradely.
SunTzu's first mission was to join a six man element, Gistess part of it, to visit two settlements nearby, checking on any abnormalities around the settlements. AICA would be positioned high in the sky for surveillance while they were patrolling.
It took twenty minutes towards the first settlement, SunTzu was telling Gistess and her comrades about the time he had fought on Tombstone before at that moment, when the vehicle's radio sprung to life.
A civilian vehicle had hit an IED. A patrol of the local forces had been just a dozen meters behind and were now responding.
The team's repulsor vehicle stopped near the smoldering and smoking small vehicle.
The boardgunner, a young Corporal stayed on the repulsor blaster atop the vehicle, the driver stayed in the car as well, while the six passengers got out.
Three of the soldiers, including the number three of the team, a Staff Sergeant, reinforced the perimeter the patrol of the Security Forces had formed around the incident side, while Gistess, the medic of her team, a Mirialan nicknamed Cutter, and SunTzu walked up to the completely destroyed pickup truck-like vehicle.
A young lieutenant and his sergeant were waiting near the car and Gistess and the two men stopped in front of him.
A medic and some soldiers were scattered around the car, but judging from the expressions on their face and that they weren't doing anything other than to scan their surroundings, it was clear that there was nothing left to do to help the vehicle's passengers.
At least the lieutenant was already experienced enough to not salute Gistess and just greeted her with words.
"Gimme a sitrep, Lieutenant." Gistess immediately came to the point.
"My EOD-Specialist told it was probably a pressure plate IED, an incendiary charge, probably meant for the supply trucks that use this road. The civilian vehicle is completely destroyed, no survivors."
Gistess nodded with a grim look on her face. Those innocent civilians just had the misfortune to got here before the military vehicles did.
As she proceeded to walk further towards the wreck the lieutenant warned her.
"Ma'am you might not want to have a look. There was a child inside."
Gistess's face got even more dark but she kept walking.
In front of the car she stopped and took a look in what had been the vehicle's windshield.
Three totally charred and partly dismembered bodies were inside, the one on the backseat significantly smaller than the ones in the front.
While Cutter moved up to the other medic and started talking with him, SunTzu walked up to Gistess and stopped next to her.
For a moment they just stared at the gruesome picture in front of them, an enormous heat still emitting from the burned out wreck.
"Three innocent souls. Just because they where at the wrong place at the wrong time." SunTzu stated, anger in his low voice and it took a moment before Gistess replied with something.
"Four. The woman was pregnant."
SunTzu looked down at what had seemed to have been a female and then he saw it, her belly showed signs of pregnancy and for a moment the Pilot fought the urge to let out a curse. Instead he sent a quiet prayer to heaven for these poor people.
A minute later him and Gistess were behind the vehicle and the brunette offered him one of the equivalents of cigarettes she used to smoke. Grateful he took it and she lighted his smoke before she lighted her own.
They didn't speak until after the first three draws.
"I've seen a dozen scenes like that on this damn planet. And dozens more on other planets of this Galaxy. And the worst is that nobody ever cares. Since the Forces are so far stretched and the enemy is opening up another front every other day, small insurgencies or guerilla wars like this don't get much attention from the Government or the Fleet."
She slowly shook her head. "They should bring some of the top brass here and show them this car. The corpses of this family."
And then she turned around and walked up to her number three.
SunTzu watched her, cigarette in mouth, when AICA came in on the radio on his plate carrier.
"Seems like you got company. My sensors read twenty four armed individuals closing in on you from north and east, half a click."
SunTzu flipped his cigarette away.
"Gistess, we got contacts incoming! North and east, two dozen armed foot mobiles, 500 meters." He let his friend know and the former Royal Guard immediately took charge and gave out orders.
SunTzu was already back on his radio and got more precise info from AICA, as well as a live feed from her visual sensors, onto the screen of his mobile phone, and passed them on.
Reinforcements were still on the way and the local security didn't have any air assets available, so after precisely learning what was moving up to them, SunTzu ordered AICA to attack the insurgents.
The irregular fighters thought that the soldiers at the site of the attack were easy prey but before they could even proper move into position AICA pounced into them from above.
Within seconds only ten of the insurgents were still alive and fleeing head over heels and AICA and the soldiers got ready to persuade them.
"Let them leave." Gistess ordered. "AICA you too. Get back into the sky and observe where they are fleeing to. Maybe we finally can get some Intel."
Four hours later they were back from their patrol. At least there hadn't been anymore incidents or attacks.
AICA had stayed high up in the sky and took on surveillance, even for the two more patrols that followed that day.
While having military rations SunTzu had supplied for dinner he and Gistess analyzed the data AICA had supplied.
The AI had to be told to not attack the house the remaining attackers from today had fled to.
The Spec Forces would assault the building at night with the help of their new reinforcements.
Long after the slowly turning planet's midnight, twelve members of the SFT, including their Captain, under the surveillance of a certain advanced A-Wing and it's pilot moved out from their outpost.
The Spec Forces took their vehicles up to a few kilometers towards the building the enemy had entrenched himself in.
AICA's sensors gave the troops on the ground a clear picture of where the enemy was and as soon as the Operators were near the building it was over in a few minutes.
Nine more insurgents fell, which was another small victory per se but capturing one of the insurgents, a human mercenary, was more than anybody expected.
Morning dawned when Gistess finished her first interrogation of the man back at the base and SunTzu had just landed at the Outpost.
A smoke in her mouth the tall brunette walked over to AICA.
She looked at the orange sky and blew out a cloud of smoke on the last few steps.
"Morning, Handsome. Thanks for watching over us."
"Morning is just after I sleep." A tired SunTzu replied and both grinned wryly at each other before the pilot continued. "You're welcome. Is our new friend talkative?"
"Not yet, but I'm sure it won't be long until we crack him."
SunTzu didn't bother to ask what she meant with that, after all the team had lost comrades here. And killing kids and pregnant woman didn't make it any more appealing to not use physical force against this scum.
"Care for a vague effigy of breakfast? Or following your analogy, late dinner?" Gistess asked and SunTzu nodded and got out the cockpit.
The two shared a ration together, sitting leaned against sandbags opposite of each other in a small fortification, while the sun sent it's first rays out to scorch the dry earth of Tombstone some more.
The two officers didn't talk much, both were exhausted, but the few times their eyes locked, it spoke volumes to each other.
They finished their meal and SunTzu got up and when he was standing he lend Gistess a hand to get up and when she was standing up as well, close in front of him, both locked their eyes again for another moment.
"I'll let the Master Sergeant know, that I'll get some shut eye." She shot him a smug grin. "Too bad my cot is so small, so unfortunately I'll just see you in a few hours again."
SunTzu grinned back before he put his hands in his pockets and turned around on the spot.
The sun was heating up the planet already so after a few steps, SunTzu opened his pilot suit and pulled it down to his hips, revealing that he hadn't been wearing a shirt.
Gistess turned around after a few steps, as she had heard a zipper and she stopped when she saw what had produced the sound.
"Hey SunTzu?"
SunTzu stopped as well and turned around.
"What's up?"
Gistess's gaze was fixed on his upper body and she didn't answer immediately.
"Sleep well." She finally said and smiled mischievously, making SunTzu chuckle.
He turned around and then held up a hand to wave at her.
"Sweet dreams."
SunTzu awoke a few hours later as someone was knocking against AICA's darkened canopy.
SunTzu let AICA open the canopy and was greeted by a brooding Gistess in full armor, with the Master Sergeant right behind her. The rings under the brunette's eyes gave a hint, that she hadn't even slept the bare minimum.
"Get up Handsome, we're needed at the frontline."
SunTzu wiped the sleep out of his eyes.
"What's up?" He said and suppressed a yawn.
"Seems our actions angered that kriffing sniper. He's attacking a local base. We're heading out in five." That said she turned around and walked off, the Master Sergeant behind her nodding one time to SunTzu and following her.
Somehow it's pretty hot, when she's all business.
AICA lifted up when the two vehicles of the SFT left the Outpost and he was briefed in the air, while AICA followed the vehicles a few meters above them.
The ominous sniper had opened fire on the guards of a middle sized local security force and had killed three troopers so far.
The base was in lockdown and nobody even tried to get out of firm cover to take over the initiative and counterattack.
After getting the overview from Gistess, SunTzu gave full thrust and AICA shot away.
A few moments later SunTzu was over the base and over the tactical channel the hectic radio chatter from the besieged troopers came in.
Apparently the sniper was still shooting at any target of opportunity and just a few moments ago he had hit a young female trooper in the leg and now used her as bait to shoot everybody who would try to rescue her, an old sniper trick.
"AICA keep your sensors up, maybe we can spot him." SunTzu ordered AICA but he wasn't very confident that they would spot him over the sensors, Gistess had told him, the sniper was good and SunTzu was sure the shooter was intelligent enough to cover himself.
Minutes passed but AICA couldn't make out the shooter.
In the distance the two vehicles of SFT 441 were closing in, all duraplast-windows closed and the turret of the smaller repulsor vehicle unmanned.
The vehicles drove into the base's entrance and parked so that they would give cover to the now disembarking operators.
"Found him from up there?" Gistess's voice came in on the Radio.
"Negative. All I can see is sand and rocks, AICA can't spot him either. That fucker concealed himself pretty well."
"Copy Warlord. Keep your eyes and sensors open, I got an idea. Be on the lookout for blaster or laser emissions."
This awfully lot sounds like something I would say, which means it's neither safe nor sane…
Gistess moved up to near where the shot trooper laid and scanned her surroundings for covers, before she estimated how and if she could make it.
Even if she would sprint, picking the young woman up, would cost time. But if SunTzu and his snub could detect the shooter with a shot she could run to closest cover and then immediately grab the girl while the Starfighter would take care of the sniper.
"Warlord, I'm about to draw fire onto me. Let the sniper shot one time to spot him and then immediately get him."
SunTzu was about to answer and tell Gistess that this was too risky but the brunette was already counting down before she would start running.
"Fuck! AICA, concussion missile on the position Gistess will get shot from at."
"Copy."
"One!" Gistess yelled out and began to spurt towards the laying trooper and the nearest cover.
The last meters she dove down and slid into the cover but still she felt something hot zip past her neck and when she was in cover she could see the smoking impact of a high-power-blaster shot.
Kriff. I'm getting too old for this…
Up above AICA's sensors had made out the source of the fire the moment the sniper shot and a second later a missile left AICA's warhead launcher left of the ship and rocketed down into the desert.
The sniper had his position in midst of the desert and had covered himself with a tarp in camouflage, which was also completely sensor-denying.
AICA's missile hit just a few meters afar from the sniper's position and exploded, a huge cloud of dust whirling up. To make sure there wasn't a threat anymore SunTzu then steered AICA to where the sniper had been.
In the base Gistess was already up again, she had jumped up again as soon as she had heard the sound of the starting concussion missile and had ran up to the injured trooper. She grabbed the other woman by her armor and pulled her into safety.
The wounded trooper had been almost unconscious because of the blood loss but the moving had woken her up and she was screaming in agony when her leg had been moved.
Cutter, the team's medic, immediately was at the side of his commander and the woman when they arrived in cover and cut the clothes around the injured leg. When he laid bare the wound, he and Gistess exchanged a look, the lower leg was almost completely detached and only held onto the rest by a piece of skin, the young woman would most probably loose this leg.
SunTzu waited for the dust of the explosion to settle and then checked the shooter's position, the tarp was completely buried under sand now and an unmoving, charred hand was the only thing emerging from the sand.
That guy is dead, if the blast didn't kill him, the sand will slowly suffocate him.
A few hours later, back at the base, Gistess and SunTzu met for a small debriefing.
"Usually i'm the one to pull stunts like that." The Pilot told the Special Forces Officer.
"Am I hearing concern for me there?"
"What if?"
"Wait until we're done on this sandy hell and I'll show it to you as soon as I'm alone with you."
She smiled mischievously at him but then her smile faded. "Just to let you know tho, I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you and the Senator."
SunTzu wheezed and looked away for a second. "Guess we were just another victim of this War. But thank you." He looked back in her eyes and changed the topic. "Talking about victims, how many troopers did we loose?"
"Three and that girl he used as a bait lost her leg. At least we got that sithspawn now."
SunTzu nodded slowly, three lives lost and one changed for the worse forever.
"I also got more news. Took some effort, but we made the prisoner talk, he gave us the rough coordinates of their base of operations. I'll forward them to you, but first our talkative friend is getting taken off the planet. GAIS is on the way to take over and after that we end this insurgency."
SunTzu had heard, that Galactic Intelligence was interested in the captivate but he wouldn't have thought that they would have gotten so fast to Tombstone.
It just had been a few hours when a sleek shuttle landed next to AICA and a four man tactical team got out and secured the perimeter.
SunTzu was there as well, when Gistess, who he was standing next to, Tateel, Cutter and two more Commandos were ready to overgive the captured mercenary, close behind the handcuffed man. The mercenary's face was swollen and bruised and SunTzu guessed that being used as punching ball wasn't the only thing the man had gone through before he began to speak.
A female Intelligence Officer walked out of the ramp of the shuttle.
"Well, well, well. If the Galaxy isn't a village after all. If that isn't my favorite starfighter pilot."
"Ada? What the hell? What are you doing here?" SunTzu asked the woman, the black-haired was wearing sunglasses and took them off at the end of the ramp as she smiled a smug grin at the pilot.
"Hello, good day to you too, my dear SunTzu. Nice to see you on this remote planet."
"You know the spy?" Gistess asked SunTzu with a skeptical glance to Ada.
"Actually, I'm his direct superior. You must be Captain Colystel." Ada now showed Gistess a wide smile, of course it was fake.
"And you are?"
"Ada Wong. Spy, as you know already, and Lieutenant Colonel of the Intelligence Service. I'm here to get the captivate. And I got news for you, your relief is on it's way. A whole bataillon of troops. I pulled some strings, after I heard about your great work here." Ada pulled out a data card and motioned to Gistess before she tossed it over and the Special Forces Officer catched it.
"Intel is on the card, tomorrow morning you're off this dusty rock." Ada looked over to the insurgent.
"Oh my, what happened to his face."
"Ran into a door. Unfortunately it was still closed. Some people are always in such a hurry." Gistess replied, the captivate didn't make any attempt to speak as he knew better.
"Oh, you tell me, Captain Colystel. I know enough of those guys that fell down the stairs because they were in such a hurry."
For the first time the two women exchanged a honest smile before Ada motioned to one of her guards to get the mercenary and while two of the members of the tactical team walked over to take over the prisoner, a third walked up to Gistess and let her receipe the taking over of the man on a document.
The captivate and his escort vanished into the shuttle and Ada took another look at SunTzu and Gistess, before she put on her sunglasses again.
"SunTzu, as always it was nice to see you. Make sure to contact me after Earth's year's change." And then she looked at Gistess, with another honest smile.
"Captain, you must be special if he stays around, even if you're not his usual prey-pattern."
"Who said, I'm the prey?" Gistess grinned back at Ada, while SunTzu raised an eyebrow.
Ada shook her pointed index finger acknowledgingly towards the brunette, admiring Gistess's attitude.
"I like her." She looked over to SunTzu. "Keep her safe, I think we should work together with her team soon again. Goodbye SunTzu." Ada took a last glance at Gistess.
"He's all yours again. Just make sure to give him back in more or less one piece when you're done with him. You'll hear from me soon, Captain."
"Have a pleasant trip back, Lieutenant Colonel Wong." Gistess held up the data card. "Thanks for the relieve. Don't worry, I'll make sure the Captain will be at least fit for duty." Gistess smiled at Ada and the black haired nodded and then turned around and entered the shuttle again.
As soon as she was inside the shuttle closed it's ramp and took off.
The group followed the shuttle with their gazes until it was past the barriers of the camp and then Gistess held the data card up again and looked at her men.
"Just a last mission left and we've done our job here, boys."
As soon as Gistess and her men had briefed SunTzu, he headed off to a recon flight and up from the lower atmosphere AICA looked for signs of the enemy. She and SunTzu soon found it in a suspicious cave entrance. Around it were two patrols of each two men, one of them on horses, that seemingly randomly wandered around the rock formation where the cave was located at.
The Earthling circled a bit more while AICA scanned the terrain for a second entrance but couldn't find one.
SunTzu and AICA headed back and landed at the outpost again, where they reported to Gistess and the team.
"If you ask me, me and AICA should blow up the entrance to the cave and we just let them rot in there."
"This is… actually not the worst plan. So none of my boys gets in harm's way. We have to make sure there is no other way out tho."
Two hours later, just after darkness had fully arrived, the team had been split in two, while one took over the duty to guard the base and also make their equipment ready for the departure in the morning, a six-men element would recon around the cave and make sure there was only one entrance.
AICA was already in the air and Gistess had joined SunTzu in the cockpit.
After a few minutes they had arrived above the area the cave was located at.
They waited until the ground recon element had reached a certain waypoint and then got ready for launch.
"Want to have the honor?" SunTzu asked Gistess.
"Uhm… sure. What do I do?" Gistess asked, looking for controls on the back seat.
"I'll fire on your command." The AI that AICA's being was replied.
SunTzu curved AICA around so she was heading towards the cave entrance and took out velocity.
"Well then. Fire on three. One. Two. Three. Fire!"
A pair of missiles shot out of AICA and within a few seconds flew into the entrance of the cave where they exploded a few meters behind the entrance.
The rock broke apart and with a lot of dispersing dust and sand the entrance collapsed.
Almost immediately afterwards SunTzu grabbed AICA's controls tighter, it was time for the moping up.
"Hold on to your hat, we'll take care of the sentries now."
That said he threw AICA in a sharp decline and accelerated.
The two riders were the first, and SunTzu precisely shot them down from the back of their horses.
"Good Shooting. Not bad for a snub jockey." Gistess announced from the back while SunTzu threw AICA skywards again and then curved around to take out the two remaining sentries on foot.
The two insurgents had hit the sand and tried to cover down but AICA's infrared sensors ,which transmitted it's images live onto SunTzu's helmet's head-up-display, found them without any problems.
The laser salvo that rained down on them, made most of the two bodies burn up to ashes.
In the meantime the ground element had arrived at the backside of the rock and had begun it's search for a second entrance.
After a few hours it was clear that there was no other entrance and the remaining insurgents, if any had survived the missile strike and the collapse of the cave at all, would soon die of dehydration. Not the most human way to kill the enemy but after all mercenaries and insurgents, especially this band of murderers, weren't regular soldiers and by Galactical Law not treated as such regarding their wellbeing.
The recon element and AICA soon after arrived back at the base again.
"I could get used to this." Gistess confessed after they had landed.
"Should be in here while in a dog fight." SunTzu told her playfully.
"Maybe I should tag along with you two for a bit, you know, just until the team gets it's next assignment."
SunTzu turned around and looked at Gistess, she showed him a warm smile and SunTzu began to smile as well. "I think AICA and me wouldn't mind." He said as he turned around and pressed the switch to open the canopy.
While SunTzu did an after-flight-check-up of his starfighter, Gistess went to look after the progress of the team's withdrawal from the planet.
They shortly after met again for dinner in the same fortification from yesterday. This night they sat next to each other though. It had been a long day, even for Tombstone's standards, and after finishing her food the Special Forces Captain allowed herself to lay her head on the Pilot's shoulder and just relax for a moment.
Hands met and intertwined and within a few moments both officers had fallen asleep.
The Master Sergeant woke his Captain up a few hours later, it was time to sent an report to their superiors and also to overview the team's leaving of Tombstone.
SunTzu woke up as well and decided to get some more rest in, this time in AICA's cockpit. The sun and the heat on this hellhole wore him down.
Gistess had told him that a troop transport would arrive shortly after dawn, but she would only leave after them, as she would give the new commander a thorough overview and make sure everything was alright, before a certain handsome pilot and his A-Wing would fly her to the warship a few systems away, which would bring the team back to their barracks on Anaxes.
At the horizon the sun was already rising up, relentlessly heating up the once cold night.
Somehow he had survived.
Mostly because the suit and the mask he was wearing were part of a tight fit, high-tech sneaking suit, the mask and visor containing various sensors and a gasmask. The suit was capable of mimicking it's surroundings for camouflage and was even space proof.
The explosion had ripped his arm off and buried him under sand but the gas mask and the sealing-off-function of the suit had saved him from suffocating and bleeding out.
The suit also amplified his body strength and this and his anger were the only reasons the sniper was still standing or rather moving towards his target.
How could they have dared to hurt him, even taking his arm?
The rifle in his unharmed arm was also damaged, it's optic destroyed, just as the optical sensors in his mask.
But that was okay, he could still aim well enough with his eyes only. The weapon would shoot, maybe far away from the precision it once had as the weapon had probably been one of the most precise weapons in the galaxy, but the sniper was sure that he was still able to take out a man sized target over a few hundred meters.
Someone would pay for his injuries and the audacity to blow him up from the sky.
SunTzu observed the arrival of the troop transport.
The first platoon of regular GA Troopers left the ship, which had landed outside the outpost's perimeter and was secured by some of the Operators of SFT 441.
Gistess met with the commanding officer of the bataillon, the rest of it would arrive with more flights and reinforce the security on the planet with being stationed on various outposts and bases throughout the planet.
SunTzu meanwhile said his goodbyes to the first of the Special Forces Operators, some of them making jokes, to take care of the Captain and not forgetting to join them on the ship to Anaxes.
One hour later Gistess was done with her briefing and just had lead her team out of the Outpost and into the waiting troop transporter.
They had accomplished their mission, the Insurgency on Tombstone and the threat of that sniper had been neutralized.
The troop transporter lifted off and headed straight into the sky.
SunTzu, a pair of aviators on, was standing next to AICA, the snub's canopy opened and he was waiting for Gistess. He felt good, the pilot was glad that he had been able to help her and her team accomplish their mission and make this planet, clusterkriff it was, safer.
SunTzu smiled when he saw Gistess, still in combat gear, walking up to him. She was smiling at him as well.
"You can't imagine how much I'm looking forward to a proper shower." She stated on her last steps towards AICA. "And after I had one it's really about time for the two of us to deepen our cooperation." She was almost at the steps leading into the cockpit and SunTzu was already getting ready to help her inside.
"You know, I think I want a kiss to celebrate that we finally get off this hellhole." Gistess said with a low voice as she was about to take the last step towards him.
When SunTzu felt it through the Force, it was already too late. Gistess on the other side never saw it coming, until it hit her.
The high-powered blaster shot punched trough her armor a few centimeters above her hip and scorched her insides while the impact ruptured more internal organs, before the blaster bolt was finally stopped by the front armor of the combat gear she was wearing. The wound was horrible but there was no blood at all, the heat of the blaster bolt had cauterized the wound. Nevertheless Gistess's internal organs were beyond a mess and apart from the scorched and burned parts, she had immense internal bleeding.
Her arms were already raised to pull him in as she fell forward and SunTzu catched her while falling.
Guardposts saw and heard the shot and the newly arrived soldiers immediately began to react while SunTzu completely fell into an autopilot mode.
He grabbed Gistess and swung himself and her up into the cockpit, within seconds he had bedded and strapped her in the rear seat of AICA and had activated the engines.
The canopy was still closing while he already had lifted off, he knew that her injury was beyond severe and that the only way to have a chance saving her was to find a ship nearby with an med bay and the ability of performing an emergency surgery and internally apply Bacta. Something which wasn't available on the whole of Tombstone.
He accelerated as fast as he could and AICA shot into the sky and soon after crossed into space.
From the backseat a low pained groan was audible, apparently Gistess was regaining her consciousness.
The sniper was furious, he had hit the woman although he had aimed for that goddamn pilot's head but his rifle had been damaged too much to shot precisely over this distance.
Damn the gods, it would have given him so much satisfaction to end that pilot, the one man he wasn't allowed to kill. It would have been even more satisfying for himself as that pilot, that bastard who had costed him his arm, looked so much alike the man who had put him into his service. The man his twin sister looked up so much, even fallen in love with. The man he almost despised as much as that pilot.
With all this rage boiling inside him, the shooter finally passed out from the hardships he had endured since yesterday.
"AICA open all comm channels, as far out as you can." SunTzu ordered his ship, panic building inside him.
"Callsign Warlord to all Galactic Alliance ships nearby, I have a T1 medical emergency on board and need Emergency Surgery and Internal Bacta Care immediately. I repeat Callsign Warlord to all Galactic Alliance ships, i have a T1 medical emergency on board."
AICA raced through space while SunTzu waited for someone to answer his calls for help, the troop transport had already jumped into hyperspace and the only military ship around was the small corvette, which couldn't help at all.
He had repeated his plea for help another time as finally a weak radio signal came in, it had to be from another system. Even through the interferences SunTzu recognized the voice.
"Warlord, this is Galactic Alliance Ship Far Side, we have a staffed surgical ward. We're sending our coordinates."
"Copy Far Side… thank you Commander."
"Captain? Is that you?"
AICA recieved the coordinates and immediately activated her hyperspace engines.
SunTzu turned around to look after Gistess, who was almost motionless on her seat.
The jump took around one minute and when they got back to Real Space and SunTzu saw the Far Side drifting quietly in space in front of him, he had to admit she was the most beautiful ship he ever had laid his eyes upon. The hangar gate was open and SunTzu flew as fast as it was reasonable towards it.
"Visual confirmed, SunTzu. We got an emergency medic team scrambling to the hangar." The voice of Stinger Jordan came in again.
"Copy. Thank you Far Side."
AICA sat down a few meters inside the hangar and immediately opened her canopy.
SunTzu was already unbuckled and immediately after touching down lifted Gistess up.
As gently as it was possible he carried her to the ground.
In that moment a medical team with a hover stretcher came into the hangar and a step behind the stretcher Setsuna appeared, her doctor's coat and an austere look on her face.
In SunTzu's arms Gistess groaned and with a low and weak voice cursed because of the pain.
SunTzu's gaze turned to the wounded woman while the medics stopped in front of him.
"SunTzu?" Setsuna asked him, as the sensation of feeling the life drain out of Gistess overwhelmed him.
"Captain!" Setsuna spoke out louder and SunTzu snapped out of it and gently laid Gistess down on the stretcher.
Immediately the medics began to take off her armor and strap her onto medical sensors.
"What happened?" Setsuna asked as she began to examine Gistess.
"Sniper shot. Hit her in the lower back. Had to jump through Hyperspace to get her here."
The medics finished taking off the armor and the wound was now visible, the clothing around burned.
Immediately Setsuna relocated to examine it.
"What's her name?"
"Gistess. Captain Gistess Colystel."
"We'll take her to room three, immediately. Give her 2 micrograms of Fentanyl." Setsuna ordered the two medics and than leaned down to Gistess, while the hover stretcher began to move.
"Gistess, I'm Setsuna. We'll give you something against the pain."
SunTzu followed the hover stretcher close to the nearby medbay.
In front of Examination Room 3 Setsuna stopped while the two medics brought Gistess inside.
With a neutral face she looked at SunTzu.
"Why you don't go and have a cigarette. To calm down a bit."
After a moment SunTzu nodded and walked off to the closest smoker section.
While SunTzu had a smoke, Setsuna further examined Gistess and used one of the portable scanners to check on her abdomen.
For a moment she froze after she saw the damage done in the tall brunette's lower body, before she looked up into the operator's face.
Gistess was more or less awake again and when both women's gazes met, it confirmed to each other, what both of them already knew.
Not all the Bacta in the Galaxy could safe her anymore.
"More analgesic." Setsuna ordered the medic next to her.
After two fastly smoked cigarettes, at which he felt like he was not even here by himself, SunTzu rushed back to the medbay and was greeted by Setsuna standing outside the door of the examination room. The tall woman's facial expression told SunTzu what he already knew as well, but simply hadn't accepted yet.
"How is she?" SunTzu asked, hoping that Setsuna somehow had managed to perform one of her medical miracles on Gistess.
"Her internal injuries are just too severe and too numerous, not even an emergency surgery can safe her. We gave her high doses of pain medication so she hopefully will fall asleep peacefully." Setsuna paused for a moment so SunTzu could comprehend what had been an unspoken truth until now, harsh reality which wouldn't have occured as long as nobody would have talked about it.
"You might want to say your goodbyes before she falls asleep."
SunTzu nodded slowly and absently and after a peak through the small window in the examination's room's door, he entered, forcing himself to stay calm and unmoved.
With slow steps, as if not to make any sound to soil this moment, he walked up to Gistess, who was bedded on the examination table, with medical sensors attached to her.
SunTzu let his gaze wander over Gistess on the bed, the brunette was more or less dozing from the pain medication, the though woman looked so weak and fragile now. As he slowly felt her life energy drain from her body, his emotions almost overcame him. He put a hand on her forehead and began to gently stroke over her head.
"I am so sorry Gistess, it's my fault. Being… being around me gets people killed."
"Banthapoo… getting killed is part of the profession and my time was finally up. Ughhh… not that It was overdue."
Both fell silent for a moment and the only sound was the exerted breathing of Gistess.
"And least I don't die on that sandy hell of a planet." A pause followed. "Kriff, just when I finally scored you."
She began to laugh but soon it formed into coughing.
Gistess had problems to raise her hand so SunTzu helped her with his and she directed her hand onto his face.
"I couldn't have you in my lifetime but thank you for being here in my last moment." Another pause as her fingers stroked weakly over his cheek.
"I hope she knows what she lost in you."
And then her gaze suddenly became focused and she put all her last strength to steady her voice and even moved her head towards him.
"Win this War for us. I don't know why but I somehow know you're the key."
And then she slumped back and her head was laying on the bed again.
"Hey… Handsome… can… I get… a kiss. Just… one. To see… what I missed." Her lips curled up a last time as SunTzu leaned down.
From outside the room, through the small window of the examination room, Setsuna could see how the steady but slow amplitude on Captain Colystel's ECG-Monitor formed into a flatline, a second after the she and SunTzu kissed.
Her heart ached when SunTzu pulled his arms around the woman and pulled her in, his head on hers, tears running down his face. She had been there before and she too well understood his pain.
For a few minutes she observed him wailing in silence before she took a deep breather and steadied herself.
Setsuna entered the room silently and walked up to SunTzu, who was sitting straight again, hand caressing Gistess's hazelnut brown hair.
She stopped behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder.
To her surprise he took her hand with his and gently squeezed it.
"I am sorry." She hushed and gently squeezed back, while he stopped stroking his dead friend's hair.
"I am sorry too." SunTzu replied.
"I've been around her too long. This was my fault." SunTzu whispered to himself.
Wherever I go, Death follows me...
Setsuna closed her eyes before she gave a reply. "This was everything but your fault. We are at war."
For a moment SunTzu stared at the face of the dead Gistess, her eyes closed but her lips still slightly curled up.
And then the pilot let go of the hand of the doctor and turned around to face her.
"If anybody knows we're at war, than it's me. But you don't know, what I know. You haven't seen what I have seen. You were not around when I came out so many times as the only survivor. You haven't seen how they all died, blown to pieces, drifting dead in the void. Haven't heard their screams over radio. You were not there Setsuna. But I was!"
He had stood up and his voice got harsher every sentence and now a hazel and a ruby pair of eyes met and glared at each other.
"How could I ever, if you keep running away all the time? From the Taskforce, from your responsibility for Hotaru?" The green haired woman sharply replied. "Do you think you're the only one who looses comrades and friends? Do you think Survivor's Guilt will bring you anywhere?"
"It's not Survivor's Guilt!" SunTzu spat out and walked past the Senshi, heading straight for the door and Setsuna followed him with her eyes, her cherry red pupils stinging deep into his back.
"Oh. Walking away again. Exactly what I was just talking about."
SunTzu stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes for a moment before he turned around.
"What do you want from me, Setsuna?" His voice was calm but ice cold now.
"Stay. You just lost a friend. You are hurting. You need some rest, someone to talk to, some time to heal." Her voice was back to normal, even warm now.
"I… I can't."
"But running away and drowning your sorrow in alcohol will help you in which way?"
SunTzu took another deep breather before he replied.
"Listen Setsuna, I appreciate that you still haven't given up on me, but I really do speak the truth, when I say, I'm too dangerous to keep around." SunTzu motioned to the dead Gistess.
"I swore an oath to protect people but obviously I can't protect anybody. At least I can minimize the risk for the people I care for if I stay away."
And then he turned around and lowered his gaze.
"I'll inform Gistess's team about her death." He said and left the room.
Lead by Master Sergeant Tateel, the complete Special Forces Team arrived four hours later with a shuttle from the warship they were stationed on now and took over the metal casket with their former Commander, Artemis and Setsuna had welcomed them. All of the Operators were grieving in their own ways when four of them heaved the casket into the shuttle, as gently as they could. Gistess had led them through hell and back and genuinely had cared for them, her loss was irreparable. They would have a ceremony within the unit to say their goodbyes before her casket would be transferred back to Empress Teta and her family.
After storming out of the med bay, SunTzu had went straight to the observation deck for another cigarette. Then he had wandered around the ship, grieving alone, but before the casket had been brought out, he had been in the Far Side's morgue and while slowly and tenderly stroking over the sparkling metal, he prayed for Gistess's soul and said his last goodbye.
Corroded with guilt, SunTzu followed the taking over from inside AICA in the other side of the hangar, canopy darkened so he wasn't visible.
It crushed his heart like it was clamped into a vise to see how his dead friend's casket was carried into the shuttle by her men.
He planned to start soon after the shuttle and jump to somewhere. Maybe right into the front, maybe to the next planet that offered halfway edible booze.
But SunTzu just couldn't. And when even AICA told him that it wasn't the best idea to fly right now he finally gave up and got out.
Not knowing what to do with himself he started to wander around again, making sure to stay out of the way of any individuals.
Lost in his thoughts and feelings, none of them positive, he suddenly acknowledged he was standing in front of his old room on the ship.
His lips were trembling as he stared at the door.
Back when I was here, things seemed so much easier…
"It's still not occupied. Artemis is still waiting for the return of the Guardian of the Guardians."
A pause followed and SunTzu thought about the words.
"You might want to inform him, that this is not going to happen. I just told you why, Setsuna."
"I am the only Senshi onboard right now, and apart from me, only Artemis is here as member of the Inner Circle. We came here to unload some relief good for the refugees in the New Frontier. Nobody has to know. Stay here, at least for a few days. Take a break."
SunTzu looked at her for a moment and then shifted his gaze to the floor and shook his head.
"I can't." He stated with a silent voice.
"As your doctor, and as a friend, you need to rest SunTzu."
"I don't need to rest." SunTzu retorted, his voice firm again, and then he turned around and began to walk away.
"Where are you going now?"
SunTzu stopped for a moment after Setsuna's question.
"Back to the War. Give my regards to Hotaru and the others. And thank you for the help with Gistess."
Setsuna shook her head while she watched him walk away.
And what do I tell Hotaru when you die because you threw your life away in anger?
Setsuna sighed and clenched her fists in anger, why did she actually still care at all?
