Relocation

Captain Sam Wychin leaned back in his chair. The X-Com living quarters were certainly no hotel-class accomodations, but they were a damn sight better than the caves. Tonight was the first time in almost a year that Sam hadn't spent inside a sleeping bag. He looked at the other occupants of the room. There was, of course, Julius Heide - his current second in command, Harrison having been left back at the home base. Then there were the newly promoted John Poole and Sophie Thornside. Both had been with Wychin since before the alien invasion... and with the lack of a command structure, he felt it necessary to issue field promotions so that he didn't have to control everything himself. Also, off to the side stood the Russian tank commander, with his usual absent look.

"All right people. Here's the situation." Sam patted a plasma rifle lying on the table in front of him. "Mike, our esteemed engineer, has finally figured out how to work these alien guns. The problem is that quite a few of the clips have a low ammo count, so each man... " Sam paused for a second. "... each trooper should carry more clips than usual."

"This will also relieve our ammunition problem, at least for a while. Those snakemen were kind enough to leave us all of their weapons and equipment... so we have plenty of alien grenades, guns and ammo." Sam paused for a second to chuckle at his own joke, then motioned for Heide to speak.

"This - " Heide waved around a plate of blue metal "is a piece of X-Com's personal combat armor. The stuff we found here wasn't completely finished - and we don't have the time or manpower to properly mold it. Thus, if we simply punch some nail holes in the corners and tie a few of these plates together with some simple string, we can fashion some armor, in the grand tradition of the knights of old..." Heide put the plate down on the table. "These alloys won't stop a plasma bolt, but they'll protect you from grazing shots." Heide sat down to indicate he was finished speaking.

Wychin spoke up again. "I believe that this place will serve us much better as a base of operations than that cave complex. It's more easily defendable, and although there is little in the way of supplies, I believe we have enough of our own. If anyone has any objections, I recommend they speak up now."

Nobody moved as Sam looked around the room.

"All right. It's decided then." Sam turned to the Russian commander. "Commander, I would like to request that a pair of your APC's accompany us to the cave complex with the goal of relocating the rest of our troops and equipment to here."

"No problem, Captain. My men will be ready when yours are." The commander nodded and walked out.

"Sophie, how are the injured guys holding up?" Sam turned towards the red-headed medic.

"Well, Sir, Chabert's still limping... but you two seem all right." Sophie looked at Heide and Wychin and grinned. "Too bad the X-Com guys took everything with them when they left... I could really use some of those medikits Mike's been talking about."

Sam grinned as well. "Well, if X-Com were really gracious, they'd have left all of their equipment here for us to take... "

"All right. We'll load up into the APC's - leave the Russians to guard this place, and drive over to the caves. After that, we drive back, set up here... and take a long, well-deserved rest. Let's move."

Soon, a pair of APC's were driving back towards the caves. One was loaded with Cold Force troopers, while the other was nearly empty. The people inside the loaded APC sat nearly still, holding alien weaponry in hand. Leon McManus had directed the other snipers, Toshiro Tenchamaru and Irvine Kienas, in reattaching sniper scopes to their plasma rifles and recalibrating them. The rocket launcher - sized barrels of heavy plasma rifles sat next to several people, while in their holsters hung plasma pistols. The most notable sight, however, was the few troops with blue plates tied together with strings.

"... and the latest in Cold Force fashion, let's have a hand for the Captain!" Seth Chabert announced. "With a fashionable blue breastplate tied together with the latest in Cold Force velcro, he's certainly got me sold for one of those outfits!" The troops laughed as Chabert banged a fist on his own chestplate. "In fact, I've already purchased a unit... offer limited while supplies last."

Wychin chuckled at the trooper's antics. "Private, I'll make you a deal. When we beat these aliens, you're gonna be the chief of propaganda. Hell, you could probably sell a Jeep to an alien! I don't suppose you were planning to study marketing?"

"Yes sir, I was... too bad the aliens showed up first. But hey, I'll do it after they're gone!" Chabert grinned.

"Good for you, private. Good for you." Wychin looked outside a viewport - the vehicles were nearing familiar terrain. "All right troops. Let's get ready to move out!"

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Written on November 4th by Andrew Pokrovski AKA Captain Samuel Wychin"