Soon, all of Vitality's living were boarded on the ships and taken away. The surviving draftee soldiers were offered the ability to depart and receive immunity to further draft requests, or remain in the military and be ranked up to better positions. All but two agreed to be let out: Jawn and Balton. While Jawn agreed to stay and receive advancement, Balton - besides having the ultimatum of giving up his son to continue in the military or going home - was not even allowed the choice due to his leg injury.
The soldiers watched as the disfigured body brought in by the rescue boat was loaded into a Cadaver Cruiser that stopped as it was passing by. Most of the ship crew stared for a brief moment at the corpse in respect and a shift of only the eyes towards Balton. Commander Drusilla walked over to Balton with her hands elegantly placed behind her.
"Why'd you do it?" the commander drilled in, staring him down like an eagle eyeing a rodent.
Balton sucked his teeth, "I ain't obligated to explain nothing."
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"You are correct, but I think it's best you do. Unless, of course, you don't mind me sending you to be imprisoned for murder of a soldier, having that irresponsibly conceived child, and giving it away to a new family."
Balton's eyes became sharp with aggression, "Is that a risk you're willin' to take! You got a gun at yo' own head right now and you's close to squeezing that trigger!"
"Look," Drusilla kneeled down to him, "I was too aggressive, shouldn't have started with threats. But I need to know why you killed Naitol? A comrade! A fellow soldier at your si-"
"Ah, we all know that's a bunch of dog ass! That thing? A soldier? A comrade? Don't make me laugh tills I puke at the fact you said something so insultin'. To compare THAT to one of the many dead as he went-a-hidin'. Only thing I'll take fault for is my son, I'm a fool in dat regard, according to ya."
Drusilla eyed the remaining soldiers' reactions. The commander's large purple uniform's cape flung around as she turned away. "I know what I need to. Thank you," she said before going back to the ship's front. The ship carried each back to their home over the course of several weeks before heading back to the Grandy Navy headquarters for Jawn's rank advancement ceremony. Balton had entered Auxuth again for the first time in years. He walked the same path he had when he first travelled months from Oblitesco, but now he could rest without a hungry military in search of food, with him taken off the menu.