Kara Discovered: Episode 16, Returning
Though only the bones are left of his fallen comrade, Jeffries returns them to camp.
Despite how weary and dehydrated his men were, they maintained good order all the way back to the first battle site. Even being able to hear the people at the gate, his Top and other sergeants were not about to let their men be taken by surprise. Jeffries was damn proud of them.
“Platoon! Halt. Squads five and six, post! Squad four, police this battle site. The rest of you, rest. I want everything we missed picked up and taken to the gate. Sergeants to me.”
“Bones too?” asked squad two’s senior corporal.
The meat was gone from the bodies. Do bodies decay that fast? Or had something eaten them without touching the bones?
He let out a sigh, then spoke. “Bones too. Your squad can carry that much. They will need to study as many as possible at the station. They need every clue we can find here about these people.”
“Yes, sir!” he said and saluted.
With a slight smile coming to his face, he returned it. Despite being exhausted, their discipline hadn’t faltered, and no one was whining about the extra work. These were damn fine men.
The moment the last sergeant was close enough to see, he said, “Top, you are taking the men in the rest of the way. I am taking privates Johnson, H and Johnson, J and going to retrieve Michelle.”
“Is that wise, sir?” his Top asked.
“Base is less than three hundred meters from here in the same direction. The chances of anyone being between us and them is low. But if they are there, and willing to expose themselves for a tempting target, we need to know. So yes, it is not only wise, but tactically a good move.”
“I’ll have Johnson H report at once,” said his squad leader.
“Hey, Imitation!” screamed Johnson J from just beyond Jeffries’ vision. “Get your ass over here. Lieutenant has a job for us.” Then the massive man stepped into view.
Both being named Johnson, over a year ago, one had called the other, a cheap imitation. The unrelated men from two different planets had been calling each other that and been in competition with each other ever since, going so far as to sleep in a high g field. While no one in the platoon was anywhere near Jeffries’ class with sword, bow, spear or staff, that made those two his strongest and best trained privates in primitive weapons.
“Johnson, H, reporting,” said a voice behind him a moment later.
“Sergeant, as soon as this place is policed, get these men to base camp. Privates, come with me.”
**
They found Sergeant Michelle, reduced to a skeleton inside a jump suit. There were also five skeletons of the bear like creature in the vicinity. Seeing the staff and knives, Jeffries started stripping out of his uniform.
“Sir.”
“We need something to make a litter out of for Sergeant Michelle. Those staffs and my coveralls should do. Don’t worry about it. I am crossing the gate and reporting as soon as we get him back with Michelle.”
Using one of the pre spaceflight designs for their jumpsuit uniform here had been a good move. Being able to turn it into a litter had been part of their thinking back then.
“He is just bones. How are we going to move him?” said Johnson H once Jeffries finished making the litter and laid it next to Sergeant Michelle.
“With total respect. I will pick up the shoulder of his jumpsuit, each of you a leg and we gently move that to the litter. Then we get the rest of his bones. Not one of them is to be left laying here in this sand.”
“Yes sir,” both men said in quite unison.
As they lifted the jumpsuit full of bones and gingerly moved it to the litter, the skull, several vertebrae, hand bones and feet bones inside the boots stayed in the sand.
“We’ll put you back together, Sergeant,” Jeffries said, moving to pick up the skull and set it on the litter.
Both privates grabbed the boots and placed them there, then began gathering up the rest of him. Once all his bones was gathered on the litter, Jeffries gathered the remaining staffs and knives.
“All right, men, back to base.”
Episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 , 15, —-17
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