Takamori leaned against the door. "I'm still inhere and I've still got a bunch of prisoners and civilians. The sooner we have a decision, the more time we have to work. Just saying since it doesn't seem like I'm going anywhere soon."
With that, he unlocked the console, powered down the forcefield and opened the cell containing the civilians and handed them his first aid kit. "Use that," he told them.
"Zeta, how are you and your sisters doing?"
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Makoto paced silently back and forth. He could definitely intercept them right now. He could definitely lead them away by presenting himself as a target...
Saito was stuck inside a room with the civilians and prisoners. His dynamic personality would have been much better out here than in there. The two troopers fussing over the Juni seemed entirely oblivious to the more immediate danger. One person could carry the Juni, why did that man have to insist on molly-coddling the Neko? And the two ranking officers didn't seem to really have any handle on command.
Logically, as the black sheep that no one wanted to care about, Makoto was the most expendable. So why not? Better to beg forgiveness than regret inaction.
He collected his drones and took flight. "Saito, move those civilians to the APC. It's clear and its useless leaving them there. Tanaka-hei, join me out here. We need to intercept and divert those tanks, buy the others more time. Our priority is the safe evacuation of civilians, not our survival."
Makoto heard his friend's acknowledgment. "Damn you, Makoto! You better not die!"
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Takamori unlocked the door to the Customs Office and looked out. Other than lots of corpses, it seemed clear. He sent the NSDs out to check that all the corpses were indeed corpses. With orders to shoot every single immobile body or armor. Takamori shut the door while the NSDs went about their business.