They were not in the control room anymore, instead they were in another room. Bowin wasn't wearing his armour anymore, he was there shirtless with many bandages wrapped around his chest.
It hurt immensely to even move, never did he realize how much pain one could experience. "We dragged you out of there after you were shot." Jace started, he was shot in his shoulder, "Quitney let us go, but the bastard knew he had already won." He grimaced.
"He really lives up to his legend." It was Stanley sitting against a wall, he was holding his stomach, red was leaking out of it. "I don't think it was a mercy either. When he's done with Sench downstairs he'll come for us and kill us like he said he would." He turned his head to Bowin, smiling, "You should've stayed dead."
Bowin stood on his feet he saw that their small size of 40 people had depleted to only 15. Sani was unconscious laying on the ground.
Every man there was wounded or mentally defeated, leaning against the wall or sitting.
"The SSL said we gotta make a run for it." Stanley said, "Wander in the snow, set up a beacon and hope we make it out alive."
Bowin took a deep breath as his eyebrows moved downwards. "No." His voice was raspy, soft, that of a dead man that was still clinging to life. "I still have something to say to him." He found his armour lying on the ground.
With great strain he put it on.
"Are you crazy!?" Vanders squeaky voice tore through the room, "Can't you see we've lost, Sench is down there being absolutely destroyed. What are you gonna do your weak."
"VANDER SHUT UP!" Bowin yelled, he coughed, still to weak to strain his body like that. "We haven't lost yet, if we play our cards right we'll win, but I'm not leaving."
Vander stood there frozen, his face pale, this is the first time he saw Bowin like that.
"What can we do?" A soldier called out, "Our SSL is unconscious, our forces here are decimated and down there is the same story."
"Balls!" Rollo already had his rifle on his shoulder, "Whatever you say I'm with you." He nodded, Bowin nodded back.
Bowin turned to the 15 men now staring at him, they looked in anticipation. He said nothing instead going to the window were he could oversee the battle. It took place in the hangar with Sench his forces still trying to come in.
He took the handheld radio of Sani chest, he called Sench and cooked up a plan. Were multiple Squads including that of Bowin would lure the Luksano soldiers away from the greater mass. This way Quitney, he now found himself hidden behind every soldier would be more exposed.
Bowin turned back to the 15 soldiers, he had effectively taken command. Including the less inclined Stanley and the terrified Vander.
"Yes we are on the back foot. But I have a plan that can help us win this battle, you just have to follow my lead and Santos will be ours."
And so the plan went in motion, slowly and deliberately taking out bits and pieces out of the Luksano. Quitney already focused on Sench didn't notice that his force was thinning until it was too late.
Sench his forces moved in, and the Luksano forces were slowly decimated.
Bowin moved in with agressive force to take quitney out himself. Blasting past dozens of forces like bullet.
Bowin himself was still injured, moving with reckless haste that could have his injuries worsen. He was bleeding through the gaps of his armor.
Vander for the first time joined in the battle, he was far from effective but his presence on the field was a statement on Bowin's advancement as a leader. Rollo and Jace performed even better than normal, maybe they also started believing in their leadership more.
"I have something to say!" Bowin called out when close enough, Quitney turned to him, his face sweaty. He was cornered and he knew it. Still the captain held a cool expression, a smirk similar to when Bowin first saw him.
"Back from the dead eh. Well, you have my attention, speak." Quitney responded.
"You said that I was a machine, but I'm not, from now on I'm gonna live my life my way. My first action is too kill you Quitney."
"One tip kid, once you say your gonna do something. Stick with it or you'll get lost." His grin had widened.
The battle continued, it became even more brutal once Quitney had found his second wind. Two hours past, and Bowin managed to get more than a few fatal shots in on the captain.
His forces had whittled down to only a few hundred men, they knew the battle was lost when their captain fell on his knees. A great percentage of them started fleeing the scene. Getting in escape ships, Sench let them run.
"I can't believe we are letting these guys go after what they did." Jace uttered the words with venom.
The battle was over, Santos captured.
Bowin stood infront of Quitney, Jace next to him and Rollo too. Stanley walked towards the pack.
"Seems like I didn't get my vacation after all." Quitney uttered the words as a mere whisper, blood spilling out of his mouth. His body was full of bullet holes, no one knew how he could survive this long.
"I hope Wilter made it out alive. The kid had potential."
Jace's eyebrow's furrowed, "How about you die old man."
Quitney's dark eyes rolled to the young man. "You sure hold a lot of anger within yourself. It wil cloud your eyes. Cost your family."
"Tefuck do you know about family!" Jace barked, he aimed his rifle at the head of the man seeming intent to kill him sooner. "You invade our planets, kill our people and you wanna talk about family."
Bowin put his hand infront of Jace, "He's already beaten, no use getting angry."
Quitney let out a sniffle, "Find peace boy, before you kill it. And you." He turned to Bowin, "This is the most I've seen a person mature in a day." He said, "But now, the real battle starts. Find something you love, an ideal, a belief. Stick to it, even when it's hard."
Bowin didn't answer, but he took in what the man said.
Quitney closed his eyes, and died.
The federation forces moved in to the planet and started planting their forces