ExoSquad: Unfinished Business

by Sam Fain
(mm7@bellsouth.net)

Disclaimer: All of the following characters are property of Universal except Sam MacFaine, Ashley Byer, Greg Volk, and Randy Silver. All names: Neo-Sapiens, Exo-Squad, E-Frames etc. also property of Universal. Please don't sue A. It wouldn't be worth it and B. This is good publicity for you.

The following is some information you should have before reading my story here. So away we go:

This story will exclude all events at the very end of "Beyond Chaos"(you know the parts where the planet is destroyed and J.T. is left out there where nothing exists sort of). All of the Exo-Squad regulars will appear plus there are a few new characters to introduce by name they are Samuel Thomas MacFaine, Ashley Marie Byer, Gregory Michael Volk, and Randall Earl Silver. (I know the names are exact but at 15 I'm a military buff as you will be able to tell by my story) There are a few others that will pop up but they will be quite minor. Now for a game of catch up and bio so here we go again:

J.T. Marsh- After the end of the war J.T. is given the rank of Major and becomes a Company commander(a force of about 150).
Alec DeLeon- 2nd Lieutenant; Alec transfers from Communications to Intelligence and serves under Colonel Samuel T. MacFaine at the present time.
Nara Burns- Promoted to Captain and serves as second in command to Major Marsh.
Maggie Weston- Remains a 2nd Lt. and seves under Major Marsh. She is having mixed feelings about Alec DeLeon.
Rita Torres- Now a Seargent Major serves under Major Marsh
Wolf Bronski- Staff Seargent; declined a direct commission to Captain in order to serve under Marsh. In love with Eve Hanley.
Marsala- Seargent First Class; declined an oppurtunity to help rebuild the new Earth Government as a Senator for the Neo's. He is now serving under Marsh.
Kaz Takagi- A recent graduate of Exo-Fleet Academy. Now a 2nd Lieutenant he is in command of one of Marsh's platoons.
Avery Butler- Commandant of Exo-Fleet Academy.
Collen O'Riley- 1st Lieutenant in charge of a Jump Troop platoon. Romantically involved with Marsh.
Sean Napier- Captain under Colonel MacFaine. Involved with intelligence.
Admiral Winfield- Proclaimed Grand Admiral and in charge of all Earth Military forces second only to the President of the Senate.
Jonas Simbaca- Major General in charge of the Division containing Marsh's company.
Eve Hanley- Staff Seargent under J.T. In love with Wolf Bronski.

Phaeton-Let's just say NOT DEAD!?!?
Draconis-Ditto
Typhonus-Ditto
Assorted Neo-Scum err...well you know :-)

Sam MacFaine- Colonel in command of an intelligence unit. A tall man with light brown hair and blue eyes very muscular in build also very intelligent. A natural at Intelligence but at times yearns for the feel of a heavy artillery E-Frame. At 26 he is one of the youngest Colonels in Exo-Fleet.
Ashley Byer- The beautiful major under MacFaine's command. Also in intelligence. Mac's love interest.
Greg Volk- Captain also in intelligence. Sam's best friend.
Randy Silver- Graduated with Takagi 2nd Lt. Second in command of Colleen O'Riely's Jump Platoon.

Algernon- Disappeared to South America no one is quite sure if he went willingly?!
Ketzer- Somewhere in South America?!

Well now that that's all taken care of I suppose it's time I start the story

2nd Lt Alec DeLeon walked down the small corridor of the newly refurbished building. It had been exactly two weeks since he had been informed that his transfer from communications to intelligence had been approved. Then after some training in intelligence and covert ops he had been given a little leave time. Now he had to report for duty to his officer in command, Colonel Samuel T. MacFaine.

DeLeon opened the door to the outer office and saw the clerk, a private, sitting in a chair going away at an ancient typewriter. They don't even have computers, DeLeon thought. DeLeon stood waiting for a salute from the tall private but got nothing not even the acknowledgement that he was in the room.

Just as DeLeon was about to reprimand the private the door to the inner office opened and Colonel Samuel T. MacFaine walked out. He was holding a bag in his hand full of shredded paper the bag was marked with large black letters spelling out BURN BAG. The Colonel gave the bag to the private and said, "Take this to the incenerator private."

"Yes sir right away sir," the young private said.

DeLeon almost glared at the private as he walked out of the room. He then turned to Colonel MacFaine.

"Sir if I may be so bold is insubordination to a superior officer the law around here," DeLeon said.

MacFaine burst into a roar of laughter and DeLeon stood there stunned and feelings almost hurt. MacFaine noticed it and stopped he did a double take of this young yet war hadened officer and realized he'd be a great asset. Sam had learned to make these snap judgments from his time through the war in covert ops behind the lines. During that time you could see the best and worst of the armed forces.

"Sorry Lt. it's just that believe it or not your the third young officer this week to say that exact same thing we're quite informal around here," Sam said with a twitch of a smile.

At that moment Alec snapped to attention and said formally, "2nd Lt. Alec DeLeon reporting for duty as ordered sir!"

Sam returned the salute and looked DeLeon over again yes a great asset. "Follow me," Sam said.

Alec followed Sam into his office. "Take a seat," Sam said.

Sam pulled out a drawer and grabbed the standard bottle of scotch and two glasses. He then offered one to Alec he declined.

"Well you are ,I must say, the first young officer to refuse," Sam said with a smile. "I'm sorry if I seem so happy but during the war I didn't have much to laugh about and now that it's over there really isn't any change but I try to do it as much as I can."

Alec sat and tried to be as formal as he could but then he decided it was time to relax and did so.

"Well Lt. DeLeon I've looked over your records and it seems that the end of the war has been classified beyond me which is quite unusual. Do you mind telling me what you were doing," Sam asked.

"Well sir that was sort of a...uh well dead time you could say," Alec said surprised at his own pun.

"Yes well no matter really just curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Alec turned around and Sam looked up to see his girlfriend, Major Ashley M. Byer. She was a beautiful young woman of 28, a very young major, with long black hair and translucent skin and a covergirls smile.

"Well Major just in time to meet our new young Lt.," he said. "Alec DeLeon Ashley Byer."

Alec got up and saluted her. She just stuck her hand out and he returned her shake. Sam crossed to his coat rack and grabbed his trench coat. "Lt. do you have a coat?"

"Yessir it's down in the lobby," Alec replied.

"Mines in my office," Ashley offered.

"Once again Lt., if you don't mind, follow me," Sam said politely. "You'll need your coat of course because it gets damned cold in Chicago about now you know," Sam said the unneeded comment. Alec was fully aware of the cold.

Alec and Ashley followed Sam out of the building after collecting their coats. They walked to the side-walk and waited for the shuttle. They all got on and Sam flashed a form of I.D. Alec was not farmiliar with. Oddly enough at the next stop everyone except the three of them got off. Alec looked curiously around and noticed Sam was aware of his curiousity.

"Don't worry Lt. you'll just have to get used to the cloak and dagger aspect," Sam remarked in reponse.

Alec nodded and sat back for the ride.

Major J.T. Marsh sat in his new office disgustedly. He hated his field commision. He was perfectly happy being a Lt. leading his squad into battle; but now, although he would still lead troops, he was stuck in a desk watching all the Lt.'s and Captains go off on small duty missions or excercises.

J.T sat and twittled his thumbs waiting for Nara Burns, his second in command, to come and tell him how great it was to lead her own platoon. He knew he was being cynical but he really ached to get out with Able Squad again, even if they would be without Alec.

Alec had transferred to Intelligence a couple weeks earlier and J.T. sorely missed him. Alec was J.T.'s best friend and he could remember the time when he Alec and Marsala had to fend for themselves on Venus when they ran into James Burns, Nara's brother.

Then as if she had read his thoughts Nara knocked and then entered with his permission. She saluted. "At ease Capatin," J.T. said.

Nara came to parade rest rather than an at ease it was the norm to come to parade rest as a sign of repsect instead of the at ease most officers ordered.

"Well Captain how are things in the fun house," J.T. asked.

The fun house was what J.T. now referred to as the squadrons and platoons themselves. It was a verbal longing for his old command which he only used in front if his friends.

"Fine sir," Nara said with a smile. "Marsala, however doesn't think that all is well."

J.T. looked at her quizically. If Marsala had something to get off his chest he should have come to J.T.. After all J.T. was his friend and thought that if Marsala needed something or someone, for that matter, J.T. was good enough as any. Though, he did know that for some time Nara and Marsala had had an almost mutual feeling of romance between them. More so on Nara's side.

"What is it Nara," J.T. asked with concern.

"Well sir it seems that he thinks there could be a problem with Neo's still on the loose."

"On the loose you mean in South America," J.T. thought now understanding that Nara had come to him before Marsala got the chance. Nara had been altered in some ways when the three of them had been on a mission in South America to contact a scientist named Ketzer. He had taken her prisoner and then 'altered' her. For some time he had noted that she had a burning vengeance inside her.

"Yessir," she said with a little bit of contempt. "It seems he thinks that not only are there the ones we have previously known of but also some escapees and others we never found. However, he is not sure of this and seems to think that a mission may not be granted. I, on the other hand, disagree. Marsala also believes that Professor Algernon may be found there too."

"Professor Algernon? What would he be there for," J.T. asked with surprise.

"Marsala thinks he may have been kidnapped," she replied.

"That would answer a few things but I don't know it's still a bit risky for me.... Maybe I could get in touch with Alec."

"You mean tell Intelligence," Nara said.

"Yes I know Colonel MacFaine from a while back. I might be able to get him to give us the chance to go down there and fish around," J.T. said.

"Sir with all due respect I really don't think that we'd want an Intelligence liason down there with us."

"Well Captain sometimes 'we' only have one choice."

"Yessir I suppose so I guess that this occasion would deem so."

"Yes it would," J.T. said in his usual husky scratchy voice. "You mentioned something about escapees."

"Yes you see I was watching Hard Story the other...."

"You mean the show that hired Aman...."

"Yessir I know what your thinking but it interested myself and Marsala. The episode included a bit on the possiblity of Neos escaping from the penal colonies set up by the government. Well sir as you know the government isn't very well accomidated to handle such things very well yet and Marsala hypothesized that it is quite possible there could be some 'glitches' in the system," she completed her borderline treason statement.

"'Glitches' meaning escapees?"

"Yessir."

"It's a wonder you're not or should I say Marsala wasn't the one to transfer to Intelligence," J.T. remarked harmlessly with a smile.

Nara returned the smile and J.T. then told her he'd get on it and contact Sam later that day. Nara left the office and later Marsala entered and J.T. allowed him to tell him the same exact story that Nara had told him. J.T. gave him the same reply and then they each drank down a glass of scotch.

Later that day Sam got in touch with Colonel MacFaine and surprising enough Sam and he talked about old times that had only lasted minutes really. After doing the merry-go-round with him Sam had asked what he wanted and ,J.T. not wanting to play dumb, told him what was up. Before he could even finish Sam had agreed that it might be necessary and that to get a squad together and prepped for flight by tomorrow.

It was an answer to J.T.'s troubles he knew his squad and got on it there was, afterall, only one squad for the job; Able Squad.

Lt. Maggie Weston stared at the pudgy Drill Seargent who was complaing about the fusion pack that had, as he put, 'busted up his whole damn system'.

"Seargent I'm sorry but theres nothing I can do about it," she said.

"Your the tech officer you should be able to fix anything," he said getting even more agitated.

"Look," she said in her most motherly voice. " I'll do the best I can why don't you just leave the pack and frame her and I'll get on it okay?"

"Yeah well you do that meanwhile I'll see about askin' the Major for a replacement on you," he said.

Excuse me you sexist pig you did I hear right, she thought but instead of telling him off she let it and him just float away. Maggie Weston had often considered in the past few months since the wars end of leaving her career at Exo-Fleet but she just couldn't help wanting to stay around everything. It was what fueled her she had thought and she needed something to keep her mind off....Things.

Just then Maggie's communicator went off and she pressed the button her wrist.

"Maggie," a familiar voice said. "This Major Marsh get all of Able Squads frames together and prepped even that young kid we got for a newbie."

Maggie smiled and replied, "Oh you mean that pesky Lt. Takagi."

"That's the one," J.T. retorted, she knew he was smiling.

"You got it J.T.," she said in an official tone.

"And Maggie Alec is going with us."

"He is?," Maggie said and then catching herself, "I mean great when will he get here?"

"He'll arrive tomorrow with a few Inteelligence liasions."

"Oh okay when do we get to be briefed," she asked.

"At 0700 tomorrow so make sure it's all ready and Maggie I'm not in command on this one."

"Who is?" Maggie said with a twinge of surprise.

"Colonel Sam MacFaine he'll be in charge all the way and not only that make sure we have enough suplies and rations for at least two weeks as I gather. It turns out that we won't be going on the mission right away we'll hook up with Colleen and her Jump Platoon and then after some 'official business' and recon we might actually do what we want to get done."

"J.T. one question you haven't answered yet where are we going."

"South America."

"Okay well I'll get on it sir."

"And Maggie."

"Yeah."

"Don't tell Nara or Marsala yet okay," J.T. said worriedly.

"Okay sir no prob."

"Marsh out."

Maggie wondered what that had been all about if all of Able Squad was going that certainly included Lt. Nara Burns and Sgt. Marsala but if J.T. ordered she obeyed.

2nd Lt. Alec DeLeon and Major Ashley M. Byer walked down the cold and desolate halls of the Clone Storage Building. Colonel MacFaine had left them so Ashley could show him around while he went back to catch up on some other things.

Alec had been fascinated with the workings of the Prison Camp he'd also been quite disturbed to find that the reports of escapees were true and that indeed at least fifty of Phaeton's supporters had gotten away with weapons and code cards to storage bays that housed old Neo frames.

He had also learned that Intelligence had kept tabs on them and found they went to somewhere in South America. South America? What for? He had thought. He had also found that Phaeton's body had been taken by Algernon three days before Algernon had disappeared. Alec had immeadately formed ideas about that. He had also started to figure out exactly what Intelligence was for it really wasn't all the James Bond stuff in fact Sam had told him that the only time that happened was when God spoke to the Chair warmers and said it's time we get off our asses and do something about what the fuck's going on. Sam had used those exact words too it had surprised Alec that an officer would use those words but it had actually made Alec feel that he had already been accepted in the CO's graces and it made him feel good.

Ashley opened the door to another Clone Storage room Alec went pale in front of him he saw Phaeton. He was, of course, in a long plasteel cylinder his eyes closed but his body was still ominous. Ashley looked at Alec and said, "Don't worry his brain hasn't even fully developed if someone were to break him out all they'd have would be an 8 foot dummy."

Alec relaxed and got a closer look. It was the closest he'd ever been to him he looked at each little feature and tried to see how deadly this pile of bones and skin and muscle could actually be. He tried to wonder what it was that made him this way was it his brain or was it really what the humans had done to them. They had been the ones to cause their own destruction but now they had won how long would it be before they screwed up again and almost killed themselves.

Alec then turned to see Ashley standing at another container in it was Alec's bringer of death it was Typhonus. Alec stared at it and thought back he remembered the pain and then the sudden jolt as life was taken from him. He recalled the floating feeling he felt it was almost as if he had never really died and then there had been another jolt and he was alive once again.

"Sam told me what happened on the Moon," Ashley said matter-of-factly.

"But how did he know he asked me as though he never....."

"Sam is never direct he always beats around the bush he knows more than most people who were actually there. He always seems to be one up on everybody else. But don't worry about that you'll get used to it and soon enough he'll get used to you and tell you everything."

"Oh I don't know I mean look at the way he left us here."

Ashley laughed, "You should be happy he never even took the other shave-tails here....Uh No offense."

"None taken," Shave-tail was a rather duragotory term used to describe any officer under major although most captains were lucky enough to shake the term.

"I think he likes you and trusts you and trust me that is a chore for anyone. Sam has a job where he usually can't even trust his superiors."

"Yeah I see your point but don't worry about him," Alec pointed to Typhonus. "Algernon told me that more than likely I'd live forever as long as I didn't go off and get killed again. But even then since I'm a clone I could probably be brought back again."

"Wow well uh speaking of Algernon," Ashley pulled Alec to another room that had red tape all over it, literally. Ashley turned on the lights and showed Alec a broken computer console and some letters spelling out: PHAETON'S BRAIN. That's direct Alec thought.

"You got to be kidding," Alec said in disbelief.

"Nope it disappeared with Algernon like what was left of his body it turns out that Algernon had taken his brain out and found some way to keep the body together," Ashley said with a worried look.

"So that's whats going on with South America," Alec said piecing it together.

"Exactly. Sam's been trying to warrant a mission down there but General Simbacca said only if he got volunteers and...."

"And I did," Sam said surprising both Alec and Ashley. He was good Alec thought.

"What? Who?" Ashley asked.

"Well actually some old friends of yours DeLeon," he said with a gesture. "It seems Major J.T. Marsh has some reason to go and I told him to prep a squad. We take off tomorrow the three of us and Napier too. We'll meet up with Captain Volk and Captain O'Reily there and we'll see about getting organized and then we'll get the show on the road."

"By organized you mean..." Ashley asked.

"I mean the very essence of James Bond," He said looking towards Alec. "Looks like you'll get a crash course in espionage Lt."

"Espionage what would we spy on down there?"

"Oh a few things," Sam said with a sly smile.

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