Penguins of Anarchy

Twelve

They searched for the entire night with no good results.  By afternoon the next day, some of the soldiers were dangerously close to becoming mutinous--mostly Bledsoe Much.

"You're going to get us killed, Drake!" Bledsoe exclaimed.  "We should have stayed on Clearwater Isle, and enjoyed our last days in peace!"

"I want to stay on your side, Drake; but we need to start doing something different," Sam stated.

"Our brains are going to bake into mush," Marcosis remarked.

"Shut up, grunts!" Klondike ordered.  "Drake is doing everything in his power to keep us safe, and that means passing by some of the islands that would be suitable if it weren't for the MA occupying them."

"We've passed by three islands that weren't occupied!" Bledsoe Much exclaimed.

"But they were too close to islands that were, Bledsoe," Drake said, scowling.  "If you've got a better idea, please expound on it.  Otherwise, shut up and let the only soldiers who actually have a plan do what they have to do."

Bledsoe Much growled.  "We're all going to die out here because of Dreemo and your stupid plan."

Dreemo stood up defensively.  "That's enough, Bledsoe!  We need to let Drake do whatever's necessary to get us to a new base safely.  If any of you guys have a problem with it, get off this boat."

Everyone looked at him in surprise.  Dreemo seemed to be rather meek compared to the rest of them, but this was a true display of initiative.  Drake nodded to him in approval.  Sam stared at him, incredulous that his best friend would threaten him like that, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

Fragnile broke the silence.  "Well, I think Dreemo's statement was quite appropriate.  Do any of you still have some complaints you need to get off your chest?"

Silence.

Fragnile grinned.  "Good."

Felly's radar beeped.  "Approaching another island.  It's called Oasis of Antarctica."

"Sounds cozy," Riker remarked.

"Doesn't look like much of an oasis now, though," Felly continued.  "The MA has occupied it and has reduced much of the architecture to rubble if I'm reading the radar correctly."

Drake hesitated to answer.  "How many?" he asked unexpectedly.

"Around forty troopers.  Not many vehicles, though."  She looked at the general.  "Why do you ask?"

"Because if there's only forty troops...we're going to take the island."

The others cheered.  "Finally!" Sam exclaimed.

Dreemo seemed less enthusiastic.  "But Drake, they outnumber us four to one.  How do you expect us to take the island?"

"If I heard Sgt. Klondike correctly, you guys are some of the best troops we had at Aurora Base," Fragnile said.  "Ten of us against forty of them?  Should be a cakewalk."

"And if we fail?" Bledsoe Much asked.

Drake stared him down like a king at his servant.  Bledsoe averted his gaze, and Drake answered, "We're not going to fail."

The Oasis was a relatively small island, only a mile in diameter at the widest point, which was why not many Martial Alliance troops were there.  As the SURC drifted toward the shore, Sam detached the heavy machine gun from the tripod on the bow and made sure there was still ammo left.  "Let's try to cut them down as quickly as possible," he told Dreemo with a grin.