                RETRIBUTION

PART 11 BY THE CHOIR BOYZ TEAM......................

The following morning, everyone in the recruit chambers
was weary from the last assault by the Hydrites.  The Supply
Room was still in shambles.  Rations and medpacks were low.
No one could afford to purchase a new Gate Guard to protect
them from another Hydrite raid, nor did anyone offer to pool
his water crystals with others to get some temporary relief.
They were more intent on surveying the new Air Force Bases
than collecting badly needed supplies and water crystals.
Osprey and Scarecrow were busy cleaning their weapons, when
Osprey posed an interesting question, "Why was Arctic Fox
spared in the prison?"  It was a valid point that raised a lot
of eye brows.  Arctic Fox was one that could easily be
influenced by the likes of Hawk.  The plan that the squadron
leaders had been painstakingly working on did not include any
surprises from someone like Arctic Fox.  "I'll handle it",
said Osprey.

Osprey was surprised to find that the main door to the prison
had not been repaired.  He wondered how much damage Hawk had
done and if any guards remained.  But as a veteran warrior,
Osprey had the presence of mind to have a telegrasp with him
in his back pack.  He always planned for the worst.  He was
grateful that he did not have to contend with the Rad-Hounds,
but carried a second Xendrix with him, just in case.  He
remembered that Scarecrow said Arctic Fox had been a prisoner
in CELL A and worked his way through the maze of hallways.
Weapons and Hydrite limbs were scattered at every corner, in
every passageway.  All of the Hydrite remains he passed by had
one thing in common.  There was not a single water crystal to
be found.  As Osprey approached CELL A, he heard someone
humming a little tune.  He cautiously peered around the
corner, and spotted Arctic Fox.  The mercenary was going from
one Hydrite body to the next, taking the water crystals from
each mangled corpse.  Arctic Fox would occasionally pause for
a moment and ogle at his new found treasures that were stacked
to the ceiling.  Arctic Fox had a problem.  How was he going
to get all his loot to the bank?  He certainly would not be
able to carry all of it.  And Arctic Fox had a more pressing
problem.  He never heard the first shot.  Osprey had
eliminated any future problems from Arctic Fox.

The following morning Smith&Jones staggered out of the
Recruit Chambers.  He had a violent hangover from the drinks
Scarecrow had bestowed on him.  He was too drunk to help the
other recruits repel the night raid by the Hydrites, and had
passed out in his bunk.  As the smoke cleared and the last
Hydrite in the Complex was dismembered and incinerated, one
recruit still had enough energy to devote a little attention
to Smith&Jones as he slept.  His right hand was placed in a
bucket of precious water as he slept.  Rumor had it that
Buster was the culprit, for Buster was well known for his
sense of humor and "stirring things up" a bit.  Although
drinking water was a rare commodity and waste was a serious
crime, it all seemed worth it when Smith&Jones awakened with
soiled trousers.  Of course the evidence had been removed and
everyone took the opportunity to needle Smith&Jones and
suggested he seek medical attention for his adolescent
problem.  Bankshot taunted Smith&Jones the most.  It was high
time that someone else besides Bankshot was the brunt of
jokes.  Bankshot was famous for carrying three hemp ropes at a
time, and the recruits speculated that he tried to rope the
Hydrites rather than shoot them.  Athena, the youngest of the
recruits, polled everyone that would listen to her.  She
didn't understand what was so humorous about a man snoring
with his hand in a bucket of water.

                                Michael Willis
                                Cleve Sanders

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