O'Shay<br/>"Here," I replied, loudly enough to be heard, but with non-agitated tonal values in my voice. "Our pilot is dead. Damage sustained during the landing has rendered the dropship inoperative. The leftenant is dead. Sergeant, you are in command."<br/><br/>"...Understood," he said flatly.  He'd barely known him.  "Senjo, get the gear ready.  I want those sentries ready to move." He saw Zippo's movement.  Other than a few bruises she looked unhurt.  However, Rome, being the unstoppable force that he was came barreling out.  O'Shay couldn't help but overhear him say "Widow?" He had no time to complete the thought as Rome started blazing away into the jungle.<br/><br/>"ROME! CEASE FIRE!" he barked, "Fuck...now they'll know for sure we're here," he muttered.<br/><br/>"Sergeant. I will take some of Private Law's equipment with your permission. His electronics pouch and laptop is useful. I believe I am the best person to make use of it. He also has demolition charges. I have capacity to carry them."<br/>"Granted," he answered flatly as he took the dog-tags.<br/><br/>His comm-bead began to wax to life.  FATHER was now confirming what he already knew.  He was in charge now and he still had a mission to do.  They would need to finish the mission on foot and then wait for further orders.  FATHER was just repeating what he had been briefed on until he was told the objective was 2 km south of their current position.  "Confirmed, FATHER."<br/><br/><br/>“Hey Sarge,” I said quietly, “ready for duty. Secure the surrounding area, and then head out, I guess?” I licked my lips nervously. “Um … are we gonna be able to bury those who d – who aren’t with us anymore?” Already I was beginning to sweat from the oppressive heat and humidity. I couldn’t imagine bodies being allowed to stay out in those conditions … they’d rot, or be eaten by scavengers. And I …<br/><br/>I shook my head. “They deserve better than to just be left here, Sarge,” I said bitterly.<br/><br/>"You're right, kid.  They do deserve better, but we've got a mission," he said as he snapped off Gizmo's tag as well as his claw medallion.  "We've got a job to do right now for those who are still with us.  Get the squad together and salvage as much as you can.  Get the demo charges and whatever extra gear you can carry.  Tell the rest to do the same.  I got one more thing to take care of." He shut Gizmo's lifeless eyes to at least give some peace in death.  He moved to the bodies of the replacements: Willard and Benn.  He knew nothing but their names and they were already dead.  Willard had had an AA blast pulp his abdomen while Benn had also had his neck snapped by the impact.  "I never even got to know you poor kids," he said.  No matter what, this never got easier.  He hadn't had sufficient time to get attached to these kids and they were already gone.  He snapped off their tags and went.<br/><br/>O'Shay had seen the splayed tree branch where the cockpit would have been.  He stepped out of the drop ship and saw the smoking remains of the cockpit about 15 feet away.  No one was shooting at them and that was a good sign so he decided to go over.  He had seen the pilot only briefly and only barely caught her name.  Hawkins.  Her quick thinking had saved at least some of their lives.  Her body was a bloody wreck, impaled by a piece of wood as well as the wreckage from the dropship.  Her body was bloodied and broken, but her dog-tags still shone in the light of the sun against her chest.  "You saved our lives, darlin'.  'Wish I coulda bought you a drink," he said as he snapped off her dog-tag.<br/><br/>He opened the comm back up to FATHER.  "ID: O'Shay.  Acting squad leader.  Confirm: Lt. Rastenberg, Flight Lt. Hawkins, Pvts. Law, Willard, and Benn KIA in the crash.  Synthetic Senjo, Pvt. Sakuraba, Lance Cpl. Beneke, and myself proceeding with mission."<br/><br/>The squad was there salvaging and securing the perimeter.<br/><br/>"Listen up.  We have our orders.  Our mission remains to destroy the tower jamming our communications.  Our objective is 2 clicks south of here.  Rome, watch the perimeter and keep your motion detector on.  The rest of you, finish the salvage...and find some bodybags for the fallen." This was normally against the grain but they had all been shaken up very badly.  It would restore their spirits to bury the dead.<br/><br/>He also took Senjo aside.  "That thing is Law's.  Hold onto it for now, but once the mission's done, be ready to give it back along with the computer.  Those were his and I want to make sure his folks get 'em back."