Kadance

Bonus Chapter - Tanker

Tanker can't believe what he's hearing or who he's hearing it from. "Corporal Thompson, as in the demolition expert for Sigma, that Thompson?"

"Yes, sir. We are being fired upon by Holdings personnel. We could really use some help rounding up the corrupt officials. I've already taken down their weapons, but we don't wish for any of them to escape our justice."

"Just who the hell is on that transport anyway?" Tanker demands. He's thrilled at being called upon to take down the Holdings. He's been itching to do so for years now. If he hadn't worried about being taken as a suicider and taken down he'd of done it already. Now here he's being asked to do what he's always wanted.

"Kadance. She recently took over the Holdings from her uncle. They are terrified of what she'll do to them when she gets down there." Tommy responds more than a little smug knowing exactly what Kadance will be doing.

Then he sees Baron and what they've done and all lightheartedness leaves him.

Tanker has already assembled a group of people to enter and take down the Holdings security when Tommy's next words enrage him. "They are holding a warrior female hostage. It looks like they've beaten and worse to her. She's been reported missing from Gaia for three years now. I need you to get to her. She's the primary objective at this point."

Tanker doesn't need any further urgings and takes his force inside. It doesn't take them long to take down the security on that floor. Tanker sneers at how easily they fell.

He demands a location for the unknown warrior female and takes a few men with him to get her.

Her door clicks open as the last of the Holdings security goes down. Tanker looks at the female inside and has to bite back an oath. She's scarred and emaciated, but he's more than pleased to see that there is still fire in her eyes as he wraps the blanket around her naked body.

Tanker remains with the female warrior as he walks with her to the shuttle port. There he meets the fierce woman that thinks she can clean up the Holdings and the only survivors of Sigma.

Tanker is more than a little curious to meet the only two to survive that hell. He'd heard how the demolitions team that Thompson lead was destroyed. He figures that HQ never bothered to tell Thompson that it wasn't his fault that his team was blown up.

He also wants to meet the Sgt that was able to guide the battle once the officers were killed within the first moments of the fight. He wants to meet the man that dared to call an airstrike to take down the enemy.

He stands back as Kadance and her doctor escort the newly freed prisoner to a room to begin the long process of healing. Once the door closes he turns his full attention to the remaining men.

"Lt. Jayse and Cpl. Thompson, the only other two Sigma redliners that I know about." Tanker is careful to make sure that his voice is even. When he heard about the death of Sigma he was at first shocked, then angry. Of course being off the beaten path and being a redliner his information came several years after the fact.

As a matter of fact he only recently learned of Sigma's fate and that two, against the odds survived. He grieves with Jayse over having to give the final grace to a family member. From what he's read he was close to Rory. Thompson was as well, that and he lost his son.

"Tanker," Jayse greets him. Tanker can tell that he's nervous and feels guilt for the loss of Sigma.

Tanker gives his greetings to them both. He narrows his eyes and demands, "You never heard the findings of the inquiry about Sigma did you?"

With his demand both of the men before him hang their heads down in guilt and shame. Tanker thins his lips down in anger. He hadn't thought so. Rueton always was a weak coward.

"I didn't think so. Reuton always was a coward. Listen up you two, you have no reason to feel guilty for what happened." Tanker growls in anger. His words act like an electric prod to the two before him.

He holds his hand up to stop them both from speaking. "I'm telling you what the official report found out. If you don't believe me then look it up and read it for yourself. Just remember, if you had been guilty of failing Sigma that you both would have paid the price for it."

First, Jayse then Tommy look thoughtful at this. Jayse had always wondered why he'd been promoted instead of prosecuted, but he'd never dared to look for the official report. Tommy couldn't bring himself to do so.

"HQ royally screwed things up with Sigma. There was no way Sigma could have won that fight without assistance. Hell, you shouldn't have survived or manage to save the civilians like you did. Jayse, you have absolutely no reason to feel shame for Sigma dying.

"What you weren't told and should have been, there wasn't just one invasion force sent to Bandro, there were three." Tanker lets his words sink into the two men before him. He smiles a bit as he sees the life return to Jayse's eyes. Then he swallows as the anger comes out even stronger than before.

"Calm down Jayse, Kadance will come out here if you don't and she needs to be in there with Baron." Tommy says softly trying to catch Jayse's eyes and talk him down.

Tanker closes his eyes. Damn that was close. Now he knows why Rueton buried that report as deep as he could. With Jayse on Gaia with main headquarters and with Tommy near him, Gaia would have been toast if they'd known the truth.

Once he has the full attention of both men he continues, "Thompson, that blast that killed your team, including your son? It wasn't because of some reckless fool on the demolition team." He definitely has Thompson's attention now and he's not sure that he wants it.

"What do you mean, Tanker? My team failed in setting the perimeter properly and that's what caused the death of my team." Tommy's eyes are practically begging Tanker to tell him something different.

Tanker shakes his head, "No, Thompson, the investigation found that the shifters were inordinately lucky. Not only did their first salvo hit the command tent, but another of their shots hit one of your perimeter charges. That's what caused the explosion to be so large and that's why your team was killed.

"Nothing you or your team did caused that explosion." Tanker takes Tommy's prosthetic and holds it gently in his hands. "This wasn't caused by fools not doing their jobs. It happened by pure stinking luck on the part of the shifters.

"Nothing about Bandro and Sigma's death is your fault, either of you. I didn't think High Command would bother telling you the truth and from your reactions they didn't. You don't deserve to live the rest of your lives in guilt for something that you had no control over. Bandro and Sigma's death was the fault of HQ screwing up and luck on the part of the shifters." Tanker finishes telling them softly then lets his voice fade away as the two fight the tears his news brings.

Finally Jayse gets himself together enough that he can speak, "Thank you, Tanker. Coming from you that means a lot." Tanker doesn't fault him as Jayse wipes the tears from his face. Tommy turns from and Tanker thinks he's doing the same.

"It is an honor for me to meet you both. You both have brought honor to Sigma and I am pleased that I have had the chance to meet the two heroes of Bandro." Tanker gives them both a salute before he turns his head to the door as it opens.

He misses Jayse and Tommy both closing their eyes and fighting to keep back the tears. By the time he turns back to them they are back to their normal faces and no one would know that they've had life changing news.