SKULL LEADER'S DOWN!
CHAPTER 12
Rick, his legs kicking and arms flailing was resisting with all his might from being held down by the stranger. He was trying to get away and make a run for it but the woman was holding him down to the ground with no effort at all. His eyes were full of fear. He knew if he didn't get up and run, he thought would be captured for sure. The blue eyed short blue haired young looking Zentraedi woman who is roughly Miriya's height was trying to calm Rick down telling him he will not be turned in but Rick was not having any of what he thought was lies the woman was telling him.
"Commander Hunter, if you don't calm down, stop thrashing around and be quiet we'll be caught for certain!"
"Rick Hunter, captain, service number 0331092457."
"Commander Hunter, I'm not going to turn you in so you can stop with the Geneva Convention routine! I'm not the enemy!"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Captain Miriam Quadrawno. I'm an agent with the Zentraedi Field Intelligence Service. I work for Lord Breetai."
"You're with ZFIS?"
"Yes I am. Commander Hunter, we need to leave this place now!"
"What is this place?"
"Commander Hunter, I know you have a million questions to ask me, but now is not the time to ask them!"
Rick felt he have to trust this Zentraedi woman, even though he has lingering doubts about her. He really didn't have any choice in the matter. He nodded his head.
"Ok. You know this place better than I do. Lead the way."
Rick took the Zentraedi woman's hand and followed her lead. It had taken Rick and the ZFIS agent over a half an hour to reach the door to the car garage because of the zigzagging, crouch running and evading they had to do As they were approaching the door, a guard was at the door. Rick and the ZFIS agent had to hide along the side of the garage. Captain Quadrawno told Rick to stay where he is. When the guard turned his back on the duo, Captain Quadrawno quickly but quietly crept up on the guard, put her left arm on the top of the guard's head and the put the heel of the palm of her right hand on the guard's jaw. She then quickly wrenched the guard's neck 180 degrees. The guard's cervical vertebra broke with a sickening snapping sound, killing him instantly. The guard dropped like a stone to ground dead. Captain Quadrawno let go of the body and motioned to Rick to move. Rick saw the whole scene unfold right before his now very wide eyes. He has seen people die before but not in that fashion. His stomach started to turn and he felt very queasy but somehow he did manage not to throw up. After entering the garage, Rick and the ZFIS agent began looking into the interiors of various cars and trucks to see if there is a key in the ignition.
"Commander Hunter, get into this car! The key is in the ignition!" Captain Quadrawno yelled pointing to a black sedan.
"Let me open the garage door first!"
"We don't have time sir! I'll have to crash through the door! The door is wooden anyway! Just get in!" Captain Quadrawno yelled as she turned on the car's ignition even before she closed the car door.
The ZFIS agent slammed the accelerator pedal to the floor. The car lurched forward with tires smoking and squealing. The car crashed through the wooden garage door sending pieces and splinters of wood and metal nails everywhere. Guards began firing on the car.
"They're shooting at us, Commander Hunter! Duck down!" Captain Quadrawno yelled.
The ZFIS agent swerved the car left and right trying to avoid getting hit by bullets being fired from the rifles of the facility's guards. Captain Quadrawno then zipped through the holographic projection machines that marked the boundary of the facility, and then sped into the darkness of the German night without its headlights on.
RDF Combat Operations Center – Fokker Base
A sergeant kept looking at the view screen waiting, looking and hoping for any sign of Rick's tracking beacon. Suddenly, the sound of a beep went off and the circled X that is representing Rick reappeared. The sergeant looked over his shoulder and looked at Claudia with an excited look on his face.
"Commander Grant, Captain Hunter's tracking beacon just reappeared! The signal is heading north at a high rate of speed! He must be in some kind of vehicle!"
"Try to raise him on the SATCOM SGT Reyes! I'll notify Captain Hayes!"
"Yes ma'am!"
The COC suddenly became a busy beehive of activity. Claudia picked up the telephone from a console and quick dialed Lisa's office number. Lisa picked up on the first ring.
"Captain Hayes." Lisa answered in a hopeful voice.
"Lisa! It's Claudia! Rick's tracking signal just reappeared! SGT Reyes is trying contact him on the SATCOM!"
"I'm on my way!"
"Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Do you read me over?"
There was no answer, just static.
"Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Do you read me over?"
SGT Reyes then turned to Claudia. "No answer from Captain Hunter, Commander Grant! He either must have his radio turned off or the batteries are dead!"
"Keep trying, SGT Reyes! His solar batteries even have a power life of 4 hours even after the sun goes down!"
"Yes ma'am!"
"Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Do you copy over?"
Lisa ran into the COC and went up to Claudia. "Has Rick answered, Claudia?"
"No he hasn't Lisa! Rick either must have his SATCOM turned off or all the batteries are dead!"
Lisa then clasped her hands, closed her eyes and silently prayed. 'Oh please Rick! I know you're alive! Please, answer your radio!'
The Black Forest
As if he was telepathically hearing Lisa's plea, Rick reached around and taken the backpack off his back. He then unzipped the backpack, taken out the SATCOM radio, replaced the dead battery for a fresh one, turned the power on and remembering that not only he has an earpiece; he has a headset microphone for the SATCOM radio. Rick decided to use the headset microphone so he put the radio's headset microphone on his head.
"Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Skull Leader, this is Mother Base! Do you copy me over?"
Rick keyed the radio's transmit button.
"Mother Base, this is Skull Leader! Mother Base, this is Skull Leader! Yes, I read you loud and clear over."
RDF Combat Operations Center – Fokker Base
Yells and cheers came up from the throats of everyone in the COC. Some people raised their fists in the air, while others high-five or high-ten each other. Others either sat in their chairs breathing out a sigh of relief, putting their hands on their foreheads while shaking their heads or quietly crying. Lisa started crying and buried her head in Claudia's chest. SGT Reyes then waved his hand in the air signaling everyone to quiet down.
"Hey, quiet down everyone! Captain Hunter, I have someone here in the COC who has been waiting anxiously to talk to you."
Reyes then turned to Lisa and covered the headset's microphone with his hand. "Go ahead and pick up the wireless headset from the console, Captain Hayes. I'll switch the radio to private for you, ma'am."
"Thank you, SGT Reyes." Lisa quietly said as she was putting the wireless headset on her head. Her heart was beating frenziedly and her breathing was erratic as she keyed the microphone. "Rick?" Lisa quietly said as her voice was cracking, her jaw was quivering and tears were misting her eyes.
Rick's was breathing really hard when he heard Lisa's sweet alto voice. The voice he thought he would never live to hear a little while ago. "Lisa…is that you?" Rick asked as his voice was cracking.
"Yes Rick…it's me. Are…are you hurt?"
"No…I'm not hurt. I don't have…a scratch on me. How…how are you?"
"I've never been so scared and worried sick for you…but I'm fine now."
"I'm sorry to do that to you."
"Rick…please…don't you ever…ever do anything like that to me ever again. Or I'll swear…I will break off the engagement so fast…you will not know what to do with yourself. Please…promise me you will not do anything like that ever again."
"I promise Lisa."
"Where are you now, Rick?"
"I'm in a car with a Zentraedi Field Intelligence Service agent. She helped me escape. We were able to make our way to a garage, found a car and that's when we made our escape."
"I'll go and tell Admiral Gloval the good news, Lisa." Claudia whispered into Lisa's ear.
"Thank you, Claudia." Lisa silently mouthed.
Claudia quickly walked to Admiral Gloval's office. After telling SGT Chase that she has good news to tell Admiral Gloval, she knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Claudia opened the door but did not walk in. "Admiral Gloval, I have good news for you. We are now in radio communication with Captain Hunter again. We received the signal for Rick's tracking beacon a few minutes ago. He's unharmed and is currently heading in a northerly direction. I just thought you would like to know, sir."
"That indeed is good news, Claudia. Thanks for telling me." Gloval said with a smile.
"You're welcome, sir."
After Claudia closed the door, Gloval sat back in his high back executive chair, reclined back and let a big breath. He allowed himself to relax a bit, but just a bit. He knows that Rick's still in danger. He will not allow himself to fully relax until he receives word that Rick is back in Stuttgart.
Robotech Factory Satellite
Breetai and Exedore was about ready to leave Breetai's office for dinner when there a knock on the door.
"Enter." Breetai commanded.
A Hispanic female lieutenant junior grade entered Breetai's office on the conveying belt. She saluted when the belt stopped. Breetai returned the salute.
"Lord Breetai, Minister Exedore, I have good news for you. I've just been informed that HQ has just re-established tracking and radio communication with Captain Hunter. He is in a car with a female field intelligence service agent and they are heading north."
"That is indeed good news. Thank you for informing us, lieutenant. Keep us informed. You're dismissed."
"You're welcome, sir." The lieutenant junior grade said as she saluted and left Breetai's office.
"That is good news my lord, but Captain Quadrawno's work may have ended prematurely. Her identity may have been compromised when she helped Captain Hunter escape. She cannot return to the facility to oversee the destruction of the facility."
"You are correct, my friend. But I'm more concerned of what will happen between Captain Hunter and Captain Quadrawno when they're not evading escape."
Zentraedi Cloning Facility
Garrak walked into Berrak's office with a fearful look on his face.
"Lord Berrak, sir."
"What is it, Garrak?"
"It is my duty to inform you that the Micronian has escaped, sir."
"He has escaped?!"
"Yes sir."
"How was he able to escape?"
"He had help from a Zentraedi female. They made their way to the garage by killing the guard who was guarding the door to the garage. They were able to make their escape in one of your vehicles. Guards did fire on the car but they were able to make their escape."
"Did they manage to wound or kill the people in the vehicle?"
"We don't know sir."
"Does anyone know who the Zentraedi female is?"
"No sir. All anyone knows of her is that she was an office worker."
"Find the Micronian pilot and the Zentraedi female and bring them to me! I don't care how you do it or how long it will take, just find them! Bring the Micronian pilot to me alive! I don't care about the traitor Zentraedi female! I prefer her to be dead when you bring her to me! Bring them to me or none of you will live to regret your mistakes!"
"Yes sir."
Northbound on a German road
Rick and the ZFIS agent have been on the road for more than an hour. The ZFIS agent kept driving the car without the headlights on at a high rate of speed. Rick remembered to put on his seat belt and then he clinched it tight to the seat. Rick wanted to ask the Captain Quadrawno questions but she kept telling no that she is too busy concentrating on driving so she told him to be quiet while she's driving. She kept on driving until the car suddenly started to slow down without warning. The engine then sputtered and died. Captain Quadrawno looked at the fuel gage.
"Commander Hunter, we are now out of fuel! We will have to abandon this vehicle!"
"Ok Captain Quadrawno." Rick said as he was unbuckling the seat beat, taking the GPS unit out of his backpack, opening the door and started to leave the car.
"Let's get into the woods. If they're trying to search for us being in the heavily wooded forest will at least slow them down a bit. We need to keep moving north."
"I agree with your assessment Commander Hunter."
Rick then noticed the sleeve of her right arm was soaked with blood.
"Captain Quadrawno, you're bleeding!" Rick said as they started to walk quickly through the woods.
"I've must have been shot as we were making our escape from the facility. We don't have time to stop and treat my wound. We need to get away as far as we can from the main road first."
"Whatever you say, captain."
Rick then keyed his headset microphone.
"Skull Leader to Mother Base, Skull Leader to Mother Base. Do you read me over?
Lisa voice was heard in Rick's headset. "Skull Leader, this is Mother Base. We read you loud and clear over."
"Mother Base, we now are moving on foot. The car we have escaped in ran out of gas and we had to abandon it. The ZFIS agent is wounded. She has been shot in the right upper arm. She may have been wounded by a bullet as we were escaping the facility."
"Acknowledged, Rick, Lord Breetai and Exedore will be notified."
"We're going to continue to walk as far as we can before we stop to take a rest break and I can treat her wound. I don't know if we will be able to sleep tonight because most likely the enemy is searching for us right now."
"We copy you, Rick. Remember that the PJs from the 321st Special Tactics Squadron is standing by to rescue the two of you."
"We will need them, Lisa. Captain Quadrawno, the ZFIS agent will need to be treated for her bullet wound. Can you coordinate with them to set up a rendezvous point to evacuate us?"
"I'll get it on right away after we break communication."
Lisa's voice then became more personal. "How are you holding up, Rick?"
"I'm using my second backup battery. I accidentally drained my first battery of power when I've lost contact with you. My rations and water will run out sooner because I now have a second person with me. I'll try to stretch it out as best I can but if we're not rescued soon, we may have to start foraging for food."
"I read you, Rick. Since you're down to one backup battery, only use the SATCOM radio for emergency transmission. Keep the power off as much as you can. Even though we will not be in constant radio contact with you, we still have your tracking beacon. As for your rations and water, do the best you can with what you have, Rick. If you run out of your food rations, like you said, start foraging. Let us know when you'll need to replenish your water."
"I will, Lisa. I love you."
"I love you too, Rick."
"Always?"
"Always. Mother Base out."
Lisa then broke the connection. She then raised her head and then let out a big sigh. Lisa then put two fingers on the bridge of her nose as if she was trying to keep a headache at bay. She's tired but she promised Rick that she will stay at the COC until Rick is safe and she has no intention of breaking her promise to Rick. Claudia walked up to Lisa and her hand on Lisa's shoulder.
"Lisa, you must be hungry. Let's take a break so we can eat dinner. Afterward, you can coordinate with the 321st in rescuing Rick and the ZFIS agent. Then when you get tired, you can sleep on the couch in your office. I'm sure if something should happen to Rick, someone in the COC will tell you right away."
"Ok Claudia." Lisa quietly answered her friend as they both walked out of the COC to go to the cafeteria.
In the cafeteria, Lisa was hardly eating her dinner. She was mostly picking at her food with a fork. She was hungry but she was more concerned about Rick. He managed to escape being a POW but he is not out of danger yet. Lisa was not going to rest until she hears that Rick has been rescued and is on a helicopter flying on his way to Stuttgart. Claudia was looking at Lisa with a consternating look on her face.
"Lisa, will you stop picking at your food and eat. I know you're worried about Rick but not eating will not do you or Rick any good. Rick has made it so far, he'll be ok. He's with someone so that helps."
"I know, Claudia."
"Lisa, try not to worry so much. Rick's very smart. He has made it so far, so be positive. Now, will you eat your dinner? Or do I have to feed you your dinner like you're a little girl?"
Claudia then took the fork out of Lisa's hand, stabbing several pieces of food from Lisa's plate and held the fork out like she's a mother.
"Now open your mouth wide, Lisa. Here comes the airplane." Claudia said if she was talking to a baby in a highchair.
"All right Claudia, I'll eat! Just stop it!" Lisa said as if she is annoyed at what Claudia doing. But she said it with a smile on her face.
Robotech Factory Satellite
Breetai and Exedore walked back to Breetai's office after eating dinner. This time, a buzzer outside of Breetai's office door went off.
"Enter." Breetai ordered.
The same Hispanic female lieutenant junior grade entered Breetai's office on the conveying belt. The belt stopped and she saluted, to which Breetai returned the salute.
"Lord Breetai, Minister Exedore, I have more information from HQ concerning Captain Hunter and your intelligence operative. They are now on foot on their way north because the vehicle they were in ran out of gas and they had to abandon the car. Your operative is wounded from a gunshot wound she suffered while helping Captain Hunter escape. The wound is non life threatening because she was shot in the right arm, but she will need to be treated for the gunshot wound very soon in a hospital."
"I see. Any word on whether or not if they are being pursued?"
"Not a word, sir."
"Very well, thank you lieutenant. As always, please keep us informed."
"Yes sir."
"My lord, now that our agent is incapacitated we will need help from the RDF in order to destroy the cloning facility." Exedore said after the lieutenant junior grade left.
"I agree my friend, but will Admiral Gloval and General Maistroff agree to help us after the deception we perpetrated on them by hiding the existence of the cloning facility?"
"I believe it will be prudent for both our causes that they help us in destroying the facility. If they don't help us, it will cause more problems for all of us in the future."
"You do have a point, my friend. Draw up a plan and let me look at it. Then we will both present the plan to Admiral Gloval and General Maistroff."
"I will do it at once, my lord."
It had taken Exedore over 30 minutes to come up with a plan for destroying the cloning facility. After Breetai gave his approval, Breetai ordered the lieutenant junior grade to set up a video teleconference call between them, Admiral Gloval and General Maistroff. Behind Exedore was a map of the area of the cloning facility.
"What Lord Breetai and I propose is to insert a RDF Special Operations team by HALO jump. There is clearing about a kilometer away from the cloning facility; there they can hike from there to the cloning facility. Each team member will carry a laser target designator. They will point the target designator at several of the holographic projectors. A flight of veritechs armed with laser guided missiles will destroy the projectors. After the projectors are destroyed, another flight of veritechs armed with free falling bombs will carpet bomb the facility, destroying the facility."
General Maistroff spoke up. "I have a question, if we do what you suggest will it shorten the battle?"
"I believe it will, General Maistroff. If Berrak is killed, the rebel Zentraedi will be effectively leaderless and it will cause the surviving Zentraedi to surrender." Exedore said.
"If that the case, then I'm all for it. Anything to help shorten this battle and to help save the lives of my people, I'm all for it."
"I agree Jonas. It sounds like a good plan. Let's get started on putting this plan together."
Southern Germany
Rick and Captain Quadrawno been walking and running through the woods for over two hours. Rick was getting tired and winded. He was huffing and puffing, which is surprising since he's in great physical condition. Captain Quadrawno on the other hand, wasn't even breaking a sweat even though she is wounded.
"Captain, how about we take a short rest break. We've been running for over two hours and I need a break. Besides, we need to take a look at your wound. If it's still bleeding, we need to at least put a dressing on the wound. If we don't do something about your wound, you will eventually get weak from blood loss and the wound could get infected."
"I agree Commander Hunter." Captain Quadrawno said as she sat down on the ground. "I suspect that you have many questions for me, so you may now go ahead and ask."
"Actually Captain Quadrawno, I'm a captain now. I've been a captain for almost 4 months."
"I wasn't aware of your promotion, Captain Hunter, my apologies to you, sir."
"That's quite alright, captain. You're didn't know of my promotion considering your situation. There's no need to apologize."
"Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome, captain. Let me call my home base and tell them I'm stopping for a rest break and to treat your wound. That way they will not get worried when they see me not moving."
"How are they able to know if you are moving or not?"
"There is a tracking beacon in the belt of my first suit. It is linked with a stationary satellite and its signal is fed to HQ at Fokker Base." Rick said as he took the backpack off his back and opened it up so he can take out the first aid kit and SATCOM radio.
"I see, Captain Hunter. Do all pilots have the tracking beacon?"
"Yes we do." Rick answered as he turned the SATCOM radio on and put the earpiece in his ear and pressed the button on the SATCOM.
"Mother Base, this is Skull Leader, do you read me over?"
Lisa voice came in his ear. "Skull Leader, this is Mother Base. We read you loud and clear over."
"Mother Base, I'm contacting you to let you know that we have stopped to take a rest break and I can take a look at Captain Quadrawno's bullet wound."
"Thanks for informing us, Skull Leader over."
"You're welcome Mother Base Skull Leader out."
Rick then turned off the power to the SATCOM radio, took the earpiece out of his ear and put the radio back in his backpack. He then opened up his first aid kit. Even though a full moon is out, Rick couldn't see how bad the wound is, but he could tell the wound looks bad. Rick opened a gauze bandage and placed it over the bullet wound and applied pressure to the area of the wound. The wound must be painful but the Zentraedi woman didn't even flinch or winced from the pain.
"Ok Captain Quadrawno, the first question I would like to ask you is; what was that place we had escaped from?"
"It is a cloning facility, Captain Hunter. The commander of the facility is Lord Berrak. He is a protégé of Lord Dolza. He is not really a lord. He proclaimed himself lord after Dolza was killed and Lord Breetai allied himself with you. He considers Lord Breetai, Exedore and other Zentraedi who have aligned themselves with you Micronian humans, traitors to the Zentraedi race. His plan is to clone all of the great Zentraedi warriors and to have them lead a great army to destroy you Micronian humans and Zentraedis who have allied themselves with you, such as Lord Breetai and Exedore..."
"And you?" Rick interrupted as he put another gauze bandage over the wound.
"And me, Miriya, Bron, Konda, Rico and others. After they finish destroying all of us, he wants to rise up a greater army to destroy the Robotech Masters and the Invid."
"I'm not a bio-scientist but I do know that in order to clone someone, you will need DNA. How was he able to get DNA samples of every Zentraedi warrior?"
"When all of us were first cloned, a piece of our DNA was taken from us and kept in cold storage. Berrak was in charge of overseeing the storage."
"The cloning chambers I saw, are they also protoculture chambers?"
"Yes, they are also protoculture chambers."
"How was he able to get those protoculture chambers? The only other protoculture chambers that are not in our hands were captured by Khyron when he attacked New Detroit several years ago." Rick said as he began to wrap gauze dressing around the wound.
"Those protoculture chambers were on a ship that Berrak was on that managed to escape being destroyed by the SDF-1 and the Grand Cannon."
"I see." Rick said as he was finishing up dressing Captain Quadrawno's wound. He used up all of the gauze bandages and dressing to cover up her wound.
"I'm not a doctor captain, so I did the best I could with what I have. You will need to come with me when I'm rescued so you can go to a hospital so a doctor can do a better job in treating your wound."
Without warning, Miriam cupped her hands around Rick's face and started to passionately kiss Rick on the lips. Rick was caught off guard by what the Zentraedi intelligence agent is doing. Rick's eyes went wide and big. The kiss Captain Quadrawno was giving was more than just a "thank you" kiss.