Robotech - Southern Cross Adventure

[D. Rex]

Marlon couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Yeah. I guess your right. And I'll try not to yell too loudly." He smiled a little, the mood lightening,"Still. I need to work on my aim. It happened once, I can't be letting it happen again. I think that should keep me out of trouble."


Marlon again let out a chuckle as he remembered Duenan's offer. And that they lived through to cash in on it. "Well don't count me in just yet. As good as that sounds, I got a date to line up first. I'll see what she gets to say and get back with you. It's bad form to snub a pretty lady for booze and cards, after all." And it would be a lie if he said that he wasnt looking forward to it.

 

[Rykon]

"That it is." Alan said with a chuckle, holding out his fist to offer a fist bump. "Though, you've taken the one girl to leave me alone with four, assuming they show up. That hardly seems fair to you. Either way, good luck man. Hope it works out with you two."

 

[Purr]

'Battered, bruised, and confused,' Gabriela parked her Ajax and limped out of it, sat with the techs for disarming, and went through the motions of giving the ASC back the incredible machine that allowed her to work at her peak. Once her duties were done, she held a "post-flight" for herself since the rest of the team had dispersed. She sat down with the footage from her battle and drone cameras. Very carefully, she went back through the footage and watched every scene, learning from where they had done right and where they had gone wrong. She received Alan's text right as she finished.

She replied, "Good idea. We should all talk. I can't play for money - I'm saving it up to send a big dinner to the Asgardians. You can laugh at me while I lose if you like. We playing now?"

 

[Rykon]

"I figure after dinner should work." Alan replied, knowing they might be called for a debrief by then.

 

[Purr]

Gabi didn't leave Alan waiting for a reply. "You got it, muchacho ("buddy"). I'll wait for your go-ahead."

With that, Gabi dealt with the all-important function all soldiers should practice upon taking in combat stress - Gabi chilled out. After a light workout at the gym (which also served to tell her how bad the bruising was), she cleaned up, laid down in her bunk, and picked up where she left off in an engineering book.

 

[Sherwood]

Once they are back at Anton-17, Deunan is busy making sure that all the right paperwork is getting filled out for the commendations that she has planned for the team. Between that, her After Action Report, checking in on all the team (poor Neo!) and making sure that the squad's mecha will be ready for action ASAP, it seems that there is just not enough hours in the day to make sure everything is done.

 

[Purr]

After filling her head with engineering matters, Gabriela went to go check on Neo. She did not know the woman very well but a buddy with a broken arm was a buddy with a broken arm.

"Hey, Neo?" She teased. "We keep telling you not to punch Malcontents with your bare hands 'cause you'll break something. Now you have gone and broken your arm. You should have listened to us and used your mecha's hands instead, you know?"

 

[Psychie]

We are going to be moving forward a couple of weeks.

After the initial chaos of the battle has died down, several high ranking GMP officers arrive at Anton-17 to debrief each of you as to your actions and what you observed in the fight, along with taking the originals of all your recordings made of your encounters. It is at this time that you learn that the identity of Zerkia is confirmed through DNA testing done on her body, ending all debate of 'did she escape or not' once and for all. The announcement of her death is made quickly, and it is a huge morale boost for all the allied troops in the Zone. Obviously, this is not good news for the few remaining Malcontents, and while there are a few occasional incidents, it seems that with the death of High Lord Zerkia, the heart of the Malcontent movement has also died.


Other than poor Neo, everyone managed to get through the whole ordeal in one piece. Luckily for her, though, the break of her arm is only a minor one, and it will only keep her out of the cockpit for a short time while she has to endure the endless friendly taunting from everyone in the base.


One week out of your encounter in the jungle, Gabi's hard work at finding out some info on the members of the artillery team of the Asgardians has paid off. They are all big fans of Memphis barbecue, and while it will be tricky to arrange it, you feel that you can pull off a huge cookout for them of some of the best babyback ribs as a huge 'thank you' for all the times that their precision fire has saved your bacon!


It is exactly two weeks after the big bang in the jungle went off that you are ordered to pull out the dress uniforms and to report out to the parade field with an overnight bag packed, because the members of the Third Heavy Recon are being flown to Brazilia Base for a formal medal awards ceremony. A Supply Sergeant helicopter is soon there waiting for you to load in, and you are barely in your seats before the chopper powers up and lifts off into the sky once more.

It is an uneventful flight, and soon enough, you can see the sprawling metropolis of the city below. As the helicopter touches down, you are met by a pair of corporals at the flight line that escort you to a pair of waiting hover cars, where they then drive you to a nearby barracks where you can freshen up and get changed. At the barracks, you are met by 2nd Lt Baker, a attractive young woman from the protocol office that is there to give you the rundown the upcoming ceremony.

"Welcome to Brazilia Base! Here are the heroes of the day. Good to get to meet you all. I am Lt. Jodi Baker, and I am here to help make sure you put your best foot forward for the awards ceremony and the press tonight. I just want to say, outstanding work out there, guys. You have done the ASC really proud, and General Hawkins is quite pleased with your performance. Now, lets get down to brass tacks." Over the next hour, she goes over the protocols of just what to do and when to do it so you don't embarrass yourselves in front of the big bosses or press, and she does warn Sgt Conway that she should start to think about preparing a statement for the squad to be filmed in front of the cameras, and it will most likely go out live. "No pressure, but don't do anything stupid, or you will never hear the end of it, and it may ruin your career. But like I said, no pressure."

 

[Rykon]

Alan loathed every second of their briefing, stuck in a humid hell in a stuffy class A, decorated suit of a uniform. He'd kept most of his questions to himself over the course of the whole event, not wanting to draw attention to the sweat of his misery. "I guess we ought to get busy preparing then, not like we were given much time to prepare a statement. Anything I can get for you boss? For all the celebration this event is intended to be, it's still a stuffy parade topped with homework of all things."

When their handler was out of earshot he'd whisper to the squad as a whole. "I hate to sound like a pessimistic party pooper, but there's a good chance that the more zealous and resentful Malcontents still lingering about will want to make an example of us on camera. We already know how good they are at weasling agents into the ASC. I ask that everyone be on guard for foul play, especially since we won't have our gear or weapons at hand."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan looks over at Alan with a sour look. "I hate to say it, but you have a point. Let us all hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. In the meantime, I need to prep up a speech for the cameras on how much of a bunch of bad asses the Third Heavy Recon team is, without using words like 'bad asses' during the live broadcast."

 

[Rykon]

"I'm sure you'll do great chief. Just let us know if there's anything the rest of us can do to help you out." Alan added with a smile, hoping to not to let the cheer of this ceremony sour too deeply.

 

[Purr]

Other than poor Neo, everyone managed to get through the whole ordeal in one piece.

If Neo was open to it, Gabriela helped her. squadmate in her daily life, acting as the arm she had broken.

One week out of your encounter in the jungle, Gabi's hard work at finding out some info on the members of the artillery team of the Asgardians has paid off.

Gabi made a point of trying to find any Memphis-style BBQ that we could be delivered to or otherwise obtained for the Asgardians. First, on her own resources, followed by those of her squadmates if they were willing to help, followed by anyone she could find in Anton-17. This was a priority!

"I am Lt. Jodi Baker, and I am here to help make sure you put your best foot forward for the awards ceremony and the press tonight."

Gabriela thanked Lt. Baker and tried to absorb everything she had to offer. That they had gotten General Hawkins attention was the surprise to her.

"I hate to sound like a pessimistic party pooper, but there's a good chance that the more zealous and resentful Malcontents still lingering about will want to make an example of us on camera."

"Of course they will," Gabi answered. "But hey, you guys were under the gun even before Ryuko and I joined you. I mean, bounties on your heads? I want a Malcontent bounty on my head!" Gabriela was serious.

"Plus, don't forget the evil bruja ("witch") who murdered 1st Sgt. Antonia. She's still out there, right? Things like that put me on yellow alert all day long." Gabi smiled.

 

[Psychie]

With everyone all dressed up in their fancy Class A uniforms, you are now ready for the awards ceremony later that afternoon.

Lt. Baker comes back to gather you all up with another pair of drivers, this time to take you to the auditorium where the ceremony is to take place. Once you get there, the lieutenant escorts you to a small antechamber where you will wait for your grand appearance. She takes a moment to look over your uniforms to make sure that everything is in its proper place, making minor adjustments here and there to shift a pin a fraction of an inch or to pinch away a nearly invisible piece of fluff that was on a shirt.

She tells you that you will be called out to the stage where you will wait in your seats for the General to give his speech, then you'll get your signal to rise up and step forward for the officer to give you your award, salute you and shake your hand, then you step back into the line while the next person of the team gets their medal. After all that, Deunan may be asked to give a few words to the press, but that is up to General Hawkins if he wants to throw you under the bus for the public relations office to use the soundbite in later broadcasts.

It is a short wait in the back room before you are called out to the stage. As you walk out one by one, you can see that there are probably four or five hundred people in the room, most in uniform, sitting in the auditorium waiting for the ceremony to start. About a dozen reporters are lined up in front of the stage with cameras rolling, and you can see that General Hawkins is already on the stage at the podium. He gives a slight smile and nod at the team when you come out, and in the microphones on the podium, he calls out, "Ladies and gentlemen, lets welcome the Third Heavy Recon!"

A loud round of applause fills the room.

Over the next several minutes, the General gives a rousing speech, describing how the squads actions were directly responsible for the recovery of the body of the fallen High Lord Zerkia, and for being the ones to help break the back of the Malcontent movement. He then turns to the team and has you stand, and one by one, he goes down the line and pins your new medals on your uniforms, along with a shiny new rank of Staff Sergeant for everyone but Deunan. She gets the fun of a field commission to 3rd Lieutenant!

As the General is pinning your new rank on your uniform, he gives a quiet word of congratulations to each of you, and tells Deunan, "Your squad has caught my eye. You are doing good out there. I'll be watching you closely from now on."

With each person stepping forward, cameras flash and more applause goes off in the room. Finally, the last medal is given and everyone gets to return to their seats, and the General gives a few last words before turning to Lt. Conway. "Lieutenant? Would you like to say a few words?"

 

[Sherwood]

The newly promoted Lieutenant Conway would rather have one of her toes chewed off by a rat than get up at that podium and say a few words, but one does not say such things to a General. "Thank you, sir." She rises up from her seat and takes her place at the stand, looking out at the assembled soldiers and members of the press corps. "I am not one to give long winded speeches, but I do have to say a few important things. I would not be standing up here if it were not for each and every member of the Third Heavy Recon working together as a team. These awards and medals for my crew are well deserved, and I cannot be any more proud of each and every one of them than I am right now! Congratulations, guys! You have all earned it!"

She steps back and begins to applaud the squad, looking at each one in turn, letting each one see just how sincere she is with her praise. Hopefully that little pep talk will be sufficient for the General to keep him happy.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Music in my head

"Patton March (Theme from the 1970 Motion Picture Score)" by Jerry Goldsmith and Dominik Hauser. I absolutely love this theme (and greatly respect the soldier it was written for)! =)

On the stage, Gabriela beamed with pride. You couldn't get the smile off of her face if you used a Reflex Cannon!

All of the sacrifices she had made throughout her life were worth it. While she had felt this feeling before, she had never quite felt it this powerfully until today. She was the only soldier of her family in her generation. Half-Meltrandi by birth, Hispanic by blood, female by chance, American by the grace of God! She had dreamed of the day that she would join the military, become one the Recon Patrol, and be sent into action. Gabriela had been prepared to fight and die for her country, her humanity, and her beloved planet Earth, but she was in no way prepared for the honors that came with serving with distinction and gallantry.

At the same time, there was a strong sense of humility that reminded her that she did not get here alone. Her parents, her siblings, her aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, church friends, and military associates all had played a part in helping her along. Sure, she had endured the training, succeeded where many others failed, and met her foes in life-and-death combat, and won! It was not enough to live in a war - you had to win it and win in such a way that left no doubts as to the victor. While she dearly wished her fallen members of the Jungle Rats were here to share in this moment and stand beside her, she knew her coming to Third Heavy Recon had been not only the right choice, but the necessary choice. She looked down the row and just smiled and smiled to Ryuko, Marlon, Alan, Neo, and now-lieutenant Conway. This was her military family and chances were, they still had a long way to go in their careers together. What a bright thought!

With good feelings, she thought of the old tattoo on her shoulder and the strength it had given her all these years. How Miss Claudia would have been proud to have seen this!

 

[Rykon]

Alan had a lot of time to think while the ceremonies proceeded. While he was certainly proud of how the team performed as a whole, he didn't take such pride in himself. The only reason he ever came here was that he couldn't stand to face his father after what he had done back home. He didn't deserve his family by the way he had always told it. Better for him to leave and to make the most of things if he was going to have to live with the reality of taking another's life. Mission after mission had made him numb to the whole process. Every encounter they had with the alien Zentraedi was more lifeblood on his hands and every attack on Anton-17 was more injuries and casualties that ultimately seemed pointless before the unfathomable logic of their foes.

It was seeing the relief and joy in the eyes of his squadmates, his new family, that let Alan ultimately unwind from the harsh burden of self-judgment he shouldered each day. What they had done was preserve life, even if it meant having to whittle away countless zealots fighting for an unknown cause for unknown reasons. Hearing Zerkia speak only served to remind him of the self-serving ego of the drug lord that extorted and brutally assaulted Alan's kin. All he cared about was making his mark, as did Zerkia. For whatever reason, she saw fit to unleash havoc, for what? A note in history books? As far as Alan was concerned, he thought them both best forgotten. Alan's pride came from the fact that no one had to remember either of them anymore.

Since he had re-established contact with his sister and his brother's appeal successfully sticking, Alan wanted to chase his peace. He needed to return to his faith, seek forgiveness, and find the strength to forgive himself. By the time Deunan finished her remarks, Alan resolved to set his guilt aside. Though the circumstances still had him on edge, He saw this as a time to move forward and make things right. After all, the team certainly didn't need his melancholy to spoil the celebration.

 

[Psychie]

Even with Deunan's few words, the General seems pleased. As he passes her heading to the podium once more, he leans over and whispers to her, "Short, sweet, and to the point. Not bad, Lieutenant." He takes center stage and wraps things up with a few closing words, then the audience begins to disperse as the press corps pushes in for better shots of the heroes of the day. General Hawkins gathers up the squad with a wave of his hand and poses with you for a few photos, then calls a halt to the photo shoot and has everyone follow him off the stage.

Back in the antechamber you were waiting in before the ceremony, Gen. Hawkins waves at the chairs. "Take a seat. Relax. Unwind. I'm used to the fun of public speaking, but it is not everyone's cup of coffee. Before letting you go off to celebrate your promotions, I wanted to meet with all of you personally for a few minutes. Over the past several months, the Third Heavy has done some great work, both in the community and on the battlefield, and I have taken notice. I am looking forward to seeing what you pull out of your hats in the future." He gives you all a wide grin. "You have earned my respect, and that is a hard thing to get."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan smiles as General Hawkins piles on the praise on her and her team. It is a good feeling knowing that the higher ups have recognized that the brass have seen how hard they have worked to make things better around Anton-17. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot to me, knowing that our hard work has been noticed and appreciated. I just want to add that you should also give a bit of praise to the Asgardians, the artillery unit in the forward firebase that was our main support during many of our missions. If it were not for them, many allied lives would have been lost. And to be honest, it was one of their artillery shells that managed to cause the critical damage to the Zentraedi High Lord Zerkia, not us. We were just the ones that found her just before she died."

 

[Psychie]

Gen. Hawkins nods. "Very honest of you to say so, Lieutenant. I have reviewed the tapes of the encounter, and have already put my stamp of approval on their own commendations that their own commanding officer has put in for them, and they know that they have the credit for the kill on the High Lord. From what I hear, the Asgardians are still on a bender celebrating the victory."

He chuckles, then says, "Even so, we cannot overlook the contributions that the Third Heavy has brought to the field. But I must caution you, don't get cocky. That is a good way to find yourself buried in a plot of earth six feet deep, and none of us want that."

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan is both somewhat surprised and not at the fact that Gen. Hawkins has said that he's reviewed the combat footage of the encounter with the Malcontents, and is now secretly hoping that there was nothing said or done that would be a bad thing to have out there in his mind. Hey dumbass, you've all just got medals and promotions! I guess that there was nothing on those tapes that was too bad to his eyes, right? She grins a bit, and manages to mumble out, "Uh, yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

After all that has happened today, the newly frocked Lieutenant is suddenly at a loss for words.

 

[Purr]

"And to be honest, it was one of their artillery shells that managed to cause the critical damage to the Zentraedi High Lord Zerkia, not us. We were just the ones that found her just before she died."

Gabriela shook her head a little at hearing this. From LT Conway's take on it, the Third Herd had just been the first squadron to show up after the bombardment. They were the first to enter the tunnel without having anything do to with its collapse. This was not simply not true.

Gabi then surmised that Conway, in her sincere efforts to get to the scene to help, had missed the call that went out before Conway's arrival. She seemed to think the captain had called in the airstrike. In the chaos and confusion of battle, such things could be easily missed with no fault to any party. It was just the nature of war. And besides, LT Conway was deserving of the benefit of the doubt in Gabi's eyes. General Hawkins, having seen all of their combat footage, was more than likely aware of this, but her own LT wasn't. It was best she knew.

Gabriela smiled at Conway and gently declared, "Actually, ma'am, that's more on us that you might know. Third Heavy Recon found the exit and called in that airstrike. Using the Ajax's ground-radar, I found the tunnel and moved to its exit. I'm sure you heard that call and came running.

"As the first unit on the scene, I saw four FPAs pop their heads out of the hole, realized I could not take on all four alone, and at the risk of my career at the captain's hands, I directly contacted the Asgardians for deep and penetrating fire on both the FPAs and the tunnel."

Gabi was doing her best to just recall the facts. She was in no way trying to toot her own horn here. "But it was either that, or we lose the element of surprise and possibly High Lord Zerkia herself. I didn't know at the time she was in there, but what soldier could live with the chance letting her get away and starting her nonsense all over again, you know? Plus, imagine how bad we would have looked if she had escaped! They'd be calling us the Third Heavy Losers!

"As for the Asgardians, I've found out they have this thing for Memphis-style barbeque, and ma'am," Gabriela grinned and rubbed her hands together eagerly, "once I find out where to get some, those Asgardians are going to have it delivered hot on their doorstep! You wait and see!"

 

[Psychie]

Gen. Hawkins gives Gabi an understanding look with a smile. "Very interesting, Sergeant. Memphis barbecue, huh? I might be able to help you arrange something appropriate for your guardian angels of the Asgarians if you'd like. This old man does have a few connections to make things like that happen. As I have said, I did review all the tapes, so I know precisely who did what out there."

He stands up from his seat, straightens up his uniform, and takes one last look around at the squad. "Well now, I have taken up enough of your time here today, and I'm sure you have other things you would like to do this evening besides listen to me prattle on about this and that. Once more, good work, and congratulations, Third Heavy. I will leave you to your celebrations. Just remember to be at the helipad by 1400 tomorrow afternoon for your flight back to Anton-17."

With that, the General heads for the door, leaving you alone in the room.

Once he is gone, Neo breaks out with, "Holy shit! I can't believe that I got tapped for Staff Sergeant at seventeen years old! And you, Deunan! A Lieutenant! Hell yeah! We need to hit a bar and get seriously ripped tonight!"

 

[Sherwood]

Deunan is quiet for a moment, still trying to process the sudden bump to officer status. Wow. I just hit the big time. I never expected to ever reach officer ranks! Holy shit! "Neo, you are absolutely right! We have got to get our party on! What do you guys want to do? Go to a bar, or hit a liquor store and bring the booze back to a hotel room and stay in all night? If we do that, we can just have fun without worrying about having to find a way to get back to a room."

 

[Purr]

Gabriela stood and saluted General Hawkins appreciatively as he took his leave. If anyone could get Memphis-style barbeque to the deserving Asgardians in Brazil, it was a general living on Brazilia base! "Thank you for everything, sir!"

As the door closed. Gabriela sat down and almost collapsed, heady from the emotions that coursed through her like tequila. "Ai Dios mio ("Oh my God...")..." She sat and admired her new rank and medal and tried to sort through her own fiery feelings. She had just staff sergeant when about two weeks ago, she was feeling lucky to be a corporal! And the medal! It was so shiny! She wondered what she had in her closets at home that would look best with it?

Still, the idea of getting stupid drunk conflicted with the professional in her sturdy soul. If her fellows wanted to bomb their brains out, they had certainly deserved it, but it was a road Gabriela had never desired to travel for herself. Besides, it was a rare opportunity to see her friends let loose.

"I'll just have a couple shots of tequila, serge-- lieutenant!"

 

[Rykon]

"I don't drink, so I could drive if you want. Either way is fine by me." Alan replied.