*UNS Eternity Bridge*
"....what are our losses? Captain Aurora asked.
"We're still tallying everything up, ma'am," the vice captain said.
The battle had ended in defeat for the United Nations of Earth. Despite damaging the Centauri Empire's ranks, it wasn't enough. They were outmatched when it came to technology. However, weirdly enough, after the battle, the Centauri Empire fleet retreated back to what they assume is the Alpha Centauri System.
The battle had taken its toll; however, almost every hand of the UNS Florence was lost due to the mystery weapon the Centauri Empire unleased. Only about a dozen sentinel pilots survived from the UNS Florence, and they would be sent back to Earth for leave until they were reshuffled onto other ships. Both teams from The Annapolis, The Evangelion, and The Eternity all suffered casualties.
"Give me our confirmed losses." Captain Aurora ordered her vice captain.
"Yes ma'am." The vice captain responded
Aurora was shown a list on the top of one of the screens on the bridge.
Fireteam Alpha Unit 08 Sara Johnson Age: 24 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Alpha Unit 11 Claudia Springer Age: 22 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Alpha Unit 15 Elias Sanchez Age: 18 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Delta Unit 08 Bryson Roberts Age: 23 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Delta Unit 12 Lyra Stockton Age: 20 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Epsilon Unit 05 Sam Robinson Age: 21 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Epsilon Unit 15 Chloe Elliott Age: 18 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Theta Unit 03 Annie Gilles Age: 25 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Theta Unit 05 Luana Cortes Age:23 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Theta Unit 09 Zach Watts Age: 22 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Theta Unit 10 Kevin Aguinaldo Age:21 Status: Deceased
Fireteam Theta Unit 14 Jonas Phillips Age: 18 Status: Deceased
Aurora was shocked at the losses they had suffered. While losses were expected, Fireteam Theta lost an entire third of their team, not to mention that three of the new recruits had died in combat in their first battle. She did notice, however, that one name was not on that list.
"Is there an update about Fireteam Epsilon member Ren?" Captain Aurora asked.
The vice captain checked his logs and answered "Currently, he is listed as M.I.A., ma'am. Fireteam Iota, along with some of the members of Fireteam Epsilon, are trying to search through the wreckage of the battle to find any sign of him."
Ren was officially designated as Missing in Action.
Captain Aurora had felt as if her heart had sunk deep inside her chest. She spent so long trying to find her best friend's son and finally did it, only to possibly lose him immediately afterwards. She felt as if she had failed not just Ren but also his mother.
However, she didn't give up hope; after all, it's still fully possible that he's alive. After all, they haven't found a body or even the sentinel he was using, so that means there's a chance...right?"
*In the wreckage of the battle*
"Tyler, do you see anything?" Lily asked on comms.
"No, I see some of our destroyed sentinels, but not Ren." Tyler answered.
"We need to keep searching." Scarlet said.
"Scarlet, all do respect, but you've been searching for hours now; why don't you come back and take a break?" Lena said from back on the UNS Eternity.
"No...just a few more hours, please..." Scarlet said. Her eyes strained from searching for Ren nonstop. She didn't want to give up hope; Ren was her best friend and someone she loved; how could she not keep searching?
"I agree with Scarlet." Serenity said on comms, surprising even Scarlet. "If anyone wants to go back, they can, but until we get the order, I'm staying to look for Ren."
"I'm sorry, you two, but that order is coming shortly; we need to prepare to send the fallen back to their families." Lena said on comms.
"Please...just...a...little while longer." Scarlet barely managed to say, her eyelids were heavy and her body was in exhaustion, but she couldn't just give up.
"Scarlet, if Ren is alive, then he will find his way back to us; we need to have faith in him." Tyler said.
"Serenity, that goes for you too; we just need to trust in Ren. He'll come back...he has too." Lily said on comms, trying to hold back her tears.
Much like Scarlet and Serenity, Lily wanted nothing more than to search for Ren, but she had faith in him and knew he would find his way back somehow.
"Scarlet, I'm going to be truthful here, and it may hurt; we can't find him or his sentinel, meaning he may be alive, but he's not here, and that leaves the only place he could be..." Lena said, knowing she had gotten through to Scarlet somehow.
"He's captured..." Scarlet realized.
After all, there's no signal or anything, and they can't find any sign of him, meaning the only possibility is that he's been taken...and that can't mean anything good.
Scarlet, Serenity, Tyler, and Lily all returned to the UNS Eternity after hearing what Lena said. They all realized that if he was taken, they would just be wasting their time searching through battle debris.
Once they all arrived in the hanger bay, Scarlet walked out of her sentinel noticeably dizzy as she was swaying back and forth.
Scarlet's eyesight was getting blurry, and she could almost feel a ringing in her ears.
*Serenity Perspective*
As soon as she got down from her sentinel, she looked over and saw Scarlet's body swaying uncontrollably.
Serenity ran over to her right in time to stop her from falling over while grabbing her. Scarlet was unconscious, her body clammy from her sweat.
"MEDICAL NOW!" Serenity yelled out, with both Tyler and Lily rushing over along with Zoe, who was also nearby.
*1 hour later*
"How is she, doctor?" Tyler asked the doctor on the ship.
"She overworked herself; she pretty much made herself sick. I'm guessing her exhaustion from both the battle and searching for that friend of hers made her like this." the doctor explained.
"Will she be okay?" Lily asked.
"A few days of rest and she should be fine; maybe when we get back to Earth, get her back to her family for a bit, we'll have a few weeks of leave after this battle." the doctor said.
"Alright, thank you, doctor." Tyler said, giving the doctor a handshake.
Serenity and Lily didn't speak; they understood completely how Scarlet felt; in fact, if they were allowed to, they would've done the same and searched until they collapsed, just like Scarlet.
Tyler felt this way; Ren was his best friend.
None of them could accept that they might never see him again.
*Alpha Centauri System*
"Is he awake yet?" Princess Lucilia asked.
"No, princess, he's still asleep due to us gassing him until we get back home; then we'll wake him up and start the question." General Attius said.
"About that...I'll handle the questioning." Lucilia said.
"Princess, I can't allow you to do that; questioning should be held by the generals." General Attius said.
"Questioning, you call it; you mean torture." Lucilia said.
Attius was taken aback that she knew about them torturing prisoners of war.
"Even so, princess..." Attius tried to explain before being interrupted.
"I said I'd handle it. He is mine after all." Lucilia claimed.
"Yours Princess?" Attius asked.
Lucilia realized what she said and did her best to correct herself: "My...My prisoner, I captured him; after all, I should be the one who deals with him."
Attius sighed and said "I understand, princess, although I may not agree that your orders are absolute. I'll be heading back to the Harbinger. Take care, princess."
"Thank you, General Attius." Lucilia said the Attius before he left.
Now that Lucilia was alone, she decided to walk to the medical wing of her ship, where her prisoner was sleeping.
She dismissed the doctor and sat next to the sleeping Ren, who was now not wearing a shirt and had white pants on instead of his pilot uniform.
"So... we're finally alone..." Lucilia said as she sat next to the sleeping Ren.
"You look about the same age as me, but your body..." Lucilia said as her fingers traced the body of the sleeping Ren.
"I have plans for you—so many plans, but first I have to deal with my sisters—and worst of all, my father. Although my mother shouldn't mind your presence, she may even help me out with you." Lucilia said, sighing.
It was then that she laid her head down on Ren and cuddled next to him, her fingers still tracing his chest.
"I wonder just who you are and what you're like; I mean, you're handsome." Lucilia then used her fingers to open up his eyes, and she saw the emerald green in his sleeping eyes.
"I can't wait...my prisoner."
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