Ch. 18 As We walk through the valley of...

[Mierin]

Sam stops, and it looks like Sam is torn between wanting to turn around and give Shep a good kick and trying not to laugh. Finally, she turns and attempts to glare at Shep, but the corners of her mouth keep trying to turn up into a smile. "Yes, you seem to want to disobey pretty much every order I give you, Shep. I'm not surprised you want to disobey this one as well" Sam smirks at Shep and continues towards the others.
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[dakota]

With his mouth intentionally clenched , Shep merely shrugged without making a sound except his footsteps as he fell in stride beside Sam. As they caught up to Dyson and Lynn, he said nothing and simply kept walking on by.

" Wow, what's with him? He always has something to say." Dyson noted.

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[Mierin]

Sam shrugs at Dyson "Beats me." she replies. Smiling at Dyson, she says as they continue to try to catch up to McCain and Albright, "I'm glad you're all right."
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[phantom]

(I think it best to have Lynn removed from the picture so the game can progress as it should. Im not a big fan of conformity and i dont believe that people should change how and who they are to fit someone elses views and ideas, and i expect the same acceptance in return. Thats why im leaving the game. Mearly so that the GM Dakota doesn't have to go out of his way or try and bend over backwards to make both sides feel happy.)

[juggernautsb]

McCain after scanning for hostiles and finding none he goes to Albright's side, "How bad is it?"

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[dakota]

Albright continued his tirade as he tried to put some weight on it, and nearly collapsed before catching himself. " Busted, definitely busted." He replied between clenched teeth. " Go get da LT, I ain't going' nowheres."

Dyson's smile beneath his helmet could almost be seen through his helmet. " Thanks ma'am."

Shep doubled back and stood next to the seated Daebors and stood there with his hands folded in front of him, looking as if he had something to say.

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[Mierin]

Sighing inwardly, Sam turns to Shep and says "Do you have something to say, Shep?"
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[juggernautsb]

McCain key his radio, "LT Albright is slowed took a hit in the leg, please advise." McCain continues to scan for targets while waiting for an answer.

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[Mierin]

Sam replies to McCain "What is his condition?" she asks
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[dakota]

Shep nodded with a slight smirk, which faded with McCain's call. " I'll wait here with Daebors so you and Dyson can go help with Albright."

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[Mierin]

Sam nods at Shep. Turning to Dyson, she says "Let's go" and radios McCain "We're coming to you. What are your co-ordinates?"
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[dakota]

( Fast Forward)

" His leg is busted bad ma'am. That splint I put on is the best I can do for now, but he needs to see a doctor if he's gonna walk again. and that sedative I gave him won't keep him quiet forever. " Dyson reported in a huddle with McCain and Lt. Fraser.

" Good thing I called in a pick up then. We're busted anyways." shep butted in, Daebors slung limply over his shoulder. He shrugged. " I needed him to co-operate."

The woosh of the engines of a SkyHawk drowned out any attempts of protest as it touched down. the door gunner hopped out and helped dyson get Albright onboard. Once everyone else was onboard, he passed Daebors aboard and slid into the door way. As the craft began to lift, Shep turned to Sam. " Tell your brother I'll be waiting to buy the first round and if you run into Mar, say Hi for me." With a wink, he snatched albrights backpack and rifle and slid back out the door. At the same time, the SkyHawk began to take hits and pulled away hard.

Back at the base, after Daebors was ushered off by a couple of techs that offered no explanation and Albright was taken to the infermary, the Colonel pulled the others in for a debreifing and then gave a speech that took twenty minutes to say that sometimes missions go to hell and there's nothing anyone can do.


A few days later, the reports start coming in about how the heavy calvary flattened the base with little resistance thanks to their radar being flattened. A newsholo circulated the base, showing the outcome. One image sends chills down each member of the squad's back: An undesignated grunt standing over another solder in camoflagued armor with a through his throat. His face wasn't in the shot, but the build and height looked right. And next to the body laid Albright's modified rifle.

A few hours after Sam saw the the holovid, she was called into the Colonel's office. " I take it you saw the holo thats been going around, luietenant. What was your take on it?"

At the same time, Dyson ran into McCain in the dorm corridor. He tried to hide his emotions. " did you see the vid yet? Tough way for Shep to buy the farm."

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[Mierin]

Sam nods at the Colonel. "Yes, sir, I did." Sam fall quiet, not really sure how she is feeling at the moment. She was upset at the execution of what looked to be Shep 'That's no way for anyone to go' she thinks to herself "To be honest, I don't really know what to think. I'm still processing it, sir."
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[dakota]

" We'll add this to the confusion." He picked up a file and opened it, handing it over. It held a request to change his benifits to someone named Lesa Coulroy and the finacial info was listed for a bank in Cuidad Juarez, Mexico. the odd thing was it had been dated only two days before the mission. " Something about this doesn't add up. I need some answers. did Trassk say anything to you about getting out? Death benifits pay better than pensions."

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[Renekin Skywalker]

Mariana emerges from her dorm room, in well-worn civies. "You say it too, did you?" She asks Dyson. "It's been floating around a few days."