[center][h2][color=#b3ccff]Esben Matthiassen[/color][/h2][/center]
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[color=#b3ccff]"He's not going on the ship alone,"[/color] Esben replied almost before the raid captain had finished. [color=#b3ccff]"It's not as difficult as you might think to get them moving and break them. Just ask commander Laruelle, she and I have first hand experience."[/color] Mostly in the breaking them part, of course, though he wouldn't add that. At least they'd done alright flying the little skimmer they took first.

That still left the question of just [i]what[/i] to do with Zeke, of course, though as quickly as he was talking to try and keep out of trouble, it was clear that he at least [i]believed[/i] everything he was saying. Which took them all straight into the territory of myth and legend, beyond even what they'd already been dealing with. [color=#b3ccff]"Rudolf, Chisato, Éliane, keep him standing there. The rest of you, strip the bodies and bring me anything legible."[/color] He took a few steps away, bending down near the body of the commsman and pulling off the radio. Luckily, it was still in one piece.

The soldiers assigned to them started bringing back what they could find. Tags, mostly, identifying each of the slain patrol in turn. [b]"Their corporal's, sir,"[/b] one of the raiders said, bringing along another set of tags and some papers, pointing back at the body they'd been pulled from. The one that had been urging the others on and to make sure the higher-ups never heard about it.

Useful, he'd heard the voice clearly enough.

He accepted everything with a nod, flipping open the papers to look through. Some written orders to maintain the perimeter, make sure nothing got in or out. A log book, as well, detailing the unit's recent activities—nothing of note other than a recent entry mentioning when Skaeller scouts nearly broke through the perimeter and a hastily scrawled note about pursuing a Mystrel that [i]did[/i] break the perimeter. Even more helpful was the unit breakdown and designation.

He cleared his throat once, pulled out the antenna of the backpack radio the commsman had, lifted the handset to his ear, only to be assaulted by the alarmed voice of the radio operator back at whichever of the perimeter bases had been trying to reach out to them. [i]"Alfa-one-one, come in, Alfa-one-one, come in, now! Heard gunfire on your end. Contact made? Are you in need of assistance? Repeat, Alfa-one-one, come in—"[/i]

[color=#b3ccff]"Alfa-one-one, copy, Alfa-one-one here, I hear you."[/color] Especially for talk over the wind and the radio, Esben was doing what he figured was a passable imitation of the corporal's gruff voice. [color=#b3ccff]"Radio check, over."[/color] He heard an immediate sigh of relief on the other end, while he quietly reached down to read the commsman's tags.

[i]"Reading you, two. Clear enough to make you out. Radio take a hit? Over."[/i]

[color=#b3ccff]"Affirmative. Runner got the drop on us and took out Jenkins. Repeat, Jenkins KIA. Over."[/color]

[i]"...Copy, Alfa-one-one. The rest of you alright, Traviss?"[/i]

[color=#b3ccff]"Well as can be expected. Got the runner, we're packing up what we need and returning to base. Any change from the city? Over."[/color] Strictly business. Compartmentalization, play up the idea that Corporal J. Traviss clearly [i]wasn't[/i] alright but wasn't going to break out in the field, make it more believable...

[i]"No change. Locked up tighter'n a rusty baler. You got any idea why command has us out here? Some folks think it's more of that director Hojo's nonsense, like Siren and Hellfire, but word was all those projects got canceled weeks ago. Over."[/i]

[color=#b3ccff]"Not for us to worry about,"[/color] Esben replied, a bit more gruff and forceful than before. [color=#b3ccff]"You want to get out of here in one piece, you keep your head down, follow orders, and don't think things like that, you understand? Repeat, we're packing up what we need and returning to base. Have something hot for us when we get there. Out."[/color]

[i]"Copy. Out."[/i]

He collapsed the antenna back down, flicking the power off and hanging the handset back up. [color=#b3ccff]"Change of plans. Everybody back to the ship, we're leaving the Valheimer perimeter for now."[/color]

[b][i]"Huuuuh?"[/i][/b] The raid captain replied, shocked (and, if he had to guess, a bit indignant) at the sudden command. [b]"We have [i]orders[/i] to destroy—"[/b]

[color=#b3ccff]"You have [i]new[/i] orders. You were placed under our command for this operation, and you know full well whose authority we're working under. Back to the ship, we're returning to the nest and calling out to the others while we do."[/color]