Part 3:

      "Unholy, Dagger, front and center." ordered Captain Jose. "We're almost ready to leave, I need you two to find Crow's team and get them back here. You have 20 minutes." "Yes sir." they replied. An alarm sounded throughout the ship and numerous red lights began to blink in the corridors. "Self-destruct." muttered Jose. "You now have five minutes, get moving."

      "I guess we know what they were doing on the bridge." said Preston. "If the Neos built their ships anything like ours, we have ten minutes to get out of here." stated Crow. "This is why I joined the Jumpcorps." commented Powers. "She jokes." noted Crow. "I get weird once I've been shot." Jessie's eyes were slightly strained, indicating she was hurting but trying to hide it. "More like your going into shock." "I can make it." stated Powers. "I have no doubts, you strike me as the type who's too stubborn to die." "I can fix that." Three pirates appeared ahead of them and opened fire. With no other options, the jumptroopers hugged the walls and returned fire. The exception being Powers, who only had enough strength to drop to the floor. She began to crawl to one side when a laser bolt struck her right shoulder. She flipped over onto her back, her shoulder stinging. Unlike the hit to her stomach, the armor had deflected most of it. "Powers, report!" yelled Crow. "Still here, sir. You might wanna get down." Still on her back, Jessie pointed her rifle at the ceiling over the pirates' heads and pulled the trigger...to her grenade launcher.

      The corridors of the ship came alive with a thunderous boom and fell silent once more. "That did not sound good." commented Unholy. "But at least now we know which direction to go." Dagger ran down one of the corridors leading away from the junction he was at. Unholy followed a short distance behind. "Slow down and stay together, Dagger." "You slow down. Me, I think our buds want us to find them while their still able to suck wind." Dagger disappeared around a corner. As Unholy approached it, he heard the sound of weapons firing, then nothing at all. Unholy pointed the barrel of his rifle around the corner. The sight on his rifle showed him what was there. "Oh my god."

      "Come on, Powers." Preston offered her his hand. Powers refused to acknowledge it and got to her feet on her own. "I said, I can make it." "Just trying to help." replied Preston. "You can help by making sure YOU make it. Clear?" "Crystal." As Powers walked ahead of them, Crow spoke to Preston. "Wonder if there are any more like her at home." Preston stared back at Crow. "I hope not, I'm positive that one of her is definitely enough." "Are you two through? The ship IS set to auto-destruct you know." "Good hearing." commented Preston. "Really good hearing," added Crow, "Let's move."

      Unholy stepped around the bend. Laying on the floor were five dead members of the pirate clans and standing among the bodies was Dirk Dagger. "What? You didn't actually think I'd be dumb enough to get wasted by these lameos, did you?" "Uh, I guess not." responded Unholy. He stepped past the bodies. "Let's go."

      "Hold it." whispered Preston. He extended one hand and brought it down palm first. The troopers behind him set up position for an assault. That's when a familiar shadow popped out in front of them. "Whoa! Hold it, it's me, Dagger!" "Let's shoot anyway." commented Jessie. "Let's not, and get out of here instead." responded Crow. Unholy joined the group a moment later, and they headed for the scout ship. Thankfully, the rest of the journey back to the ship proved uneventful.

* * *

      "Hold that door!" ordered Jose. The ventral hatch to the scout ship stopped closing, allowing Mengele's team to enter. "Cutting it a bit close, Lieutenant." "Sorry sir, couldn't be helped." answered Crow. "I'll look forward to your report, in the meantime, get that door closed and let's get out of here!"

* * *

      Jessie watched in silent fascination as the Neo warship grew smaller and smaller through the viewport until it finally vanished, consumed by a light bright enough to rival a small star. The scout ship rocked slightly as the shock wave passed them. Jessie couldn't remember much else of the return trip and it was only later she realized that she had passed out.

* * *

      "Welcome back, Sergeant Powers." A woman with curly brown hair was leaning over her. Jessie was laying under a heated blanket on a gurney. She was wearing a hospital gown. "Doctor?" muttered Jessie. "Yes, I'm Dr. Karen Rhodes. I was a worried for a bit there, but you'll be happy to know you'll be just fine in a few days." Jessie sat up and felt a sharp pain in her side. Dr. Rhodes laid her back down on the gurney. "You need to rest Sargent, you lost a lot of blood." "Sure, why not." Satisfied Jessie would remain still, Dr. Rhodes motioned to some people behind a curtain. "You may see her now." As she left to see other patients, Crow, Dagger, and Preston stepped into view. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. Dagger flashed a mischievous grin. "We came to see you in one of those flimsy hospital gowns." Preston elbowed him. "What? You tellin' me you didn't want to see that?" Jessie pulled the covers up to her chin. "You've seen, now leave." "Actually, we came to see if you're okay." said Crow. "I will be, thank you for your concern, Lieutenant, Corporal." "Hey, what about me?" asked Dagger. Preston brought his left arm around Dagger. "This way Private, there's something you and I must discuss." He escorted Dagger away. "You know, I think I'm going to like working with Preston." said Jessie with a hint of a smile. "Turner, didn't make it." said Crow flatly. Any trace of a smile faded from Jessie's face. "Then it was for nothing." "I wouldn't say that, Powers." "Why?" asked Jessie. "It was a grenade. We all knew that there was practically no chance Turner would have survived it. But you went in anyway. That sent a powerful message to the platoon - excuse the pun, it was unintentional." Jessie smiled. "So you CAN smile." commented Crow. "And my face doesn't crack either. You know, sometimes, I even laugh." answered Jessie. "That, I would like to see."

"SHE'S A WHAT!?!?!"

      Despite the slight pain it caused, Jessie found herself chuckling. Crow did the same. "I hope you don't mind my telling Preston - and his telling Dagger - about, well, you know." "No, as a mater of fact, I have feeling things are going to be easier for me now." "No doubt." replied Crow. He gently tapped the foot of her bed. "You hurry up and get better now, I got a few training exercises I want to run by you." "I look forward to it, Lieutenant." Crow smiled started to leave, then stopped. "Oh, and one more thing, Sergeant." "Yes, Lieutenant?" "Welcome to Sierra Three." He smiled one last time and left. Jessie laid her head back and gently rubbed her side. "Welcome indeed, I'd hate to see how these people say goodbye."

The End