A recollection of C.P.T Matthew “Veteran” Barion Last Moments by S.G.M John “Black Hand” Faraday
Now, I haven’t much experience with olks in Dread suits. They ain’t common and usually ain’t much talkative… but… I knew a guy, Max. Greatest guy from the Officer Watch I ever met, used to lead Able-7 back when we were still runnin bout the tunnels. Before the 11th.
Now, for you new-boots that dunno what the 11th was well, it’s the best example of why our Nation is superior to them Goldies! Outnumbered, and out of reinforcements, yet we still beat em! 'Course, we had a Dread and some Shockers, but it them odds were so great that even our commander’s didn’t want a Dread sent out
Still though, Max, that brave, heroic, bastard, volunteered take the suit and save as many lives as he could. He said he couldn’t just let our brother’s n’ sister’s gettin slaughtered by them Empire dogs, so in his suit he led Able-7 out to go give em Hell.
All of Able-7, excludin him, made it out that day. So did the all of the remnants of our forces there when he showed. It’s a real miracle no one died after he arrived, well other then them fanatics. Hell, even he lived for a bit after the battle, it’s when I had one last conversation with him. I think it uh… went somethin like this:
He found some secluded side tunnel and sat down, me n’ the rest of Able-7 'course went to go comfort the poor guy before he inevitably croaked. We all loved the bastard, so it was… real sad to see the asshole go. Think Elly started it…
“Hey… Max, can I do anything to make it all less… painful?” She spoke softly, sniffling a bit, “I wish… I wish there was more I could do for you…”
“It’s… It’s, alright…” He responded, I remember him sounding more and more groggy with each word, “It’s… uh… honestly, it’s, it’s real… warm… but… it doesn’t… hurt… much.”
“Look buddy, we ain’t gon’ leave your side, promise.” Only words I said that conversation, but I hope it comforted him.
He almost nodded off right there after I said it, but he sat up real quick after he realized he was before respondin’, “You… you don’t realize how much… much that means… Thank… you…”
Then there was this CLANG CLANG of Eddie’s metal gloves patting Max’s armored up shoulders.
“You did good lad… you did good… feel free to rest, well not after all of us get to speak, Heh.”
“Heh. Good one…”
The next few responses were mostly the same ol’ same ol’ “Hey man we’re here for you, thank you for everythin’ Cap” and “Thank you, thank you” from him. Though, the last few words exchanged were special, between him and his uh… best buddy I think? Dunno, it’s hard to judge a relationship between a Jaeger with any body, let alone his officer, but still Fritzy seemed to like em.
“Hey, asshole.” Fritz knelt down to Max sittin on the floor, “If I ever have a son, you mind I name himm after you?”
“Hm… normally I’d say… ‘HELL FUCKING NO!’ but…” Max trailed off a bit before regaining his train of thought, “If I had to… choose… someone whose son would be… named after… me…”
Max paused for a long while. Think his brain had nearly fully shut down at this point. But… he still got the words he wanted to say out…
“Well, it’d be you… old friend.” Max smiled under that helmet of his at that moment, least that’s how we found him when we took off the suit, “Thank you… thank you all… for everything…”
He inhaled n’ exhaled one last time…
“It was an honor…”
Then he stilled. Fell into that sleep you don’t wake from. We took off the suit shortly after. He was smilin’, ‘least I think that’s what his facial expression was at the time. He looked happy at least… and makin’ him happy in his last moments was all we could do…
I hope we did somethin’, anythin’ to comfort that boy in his final moments. I still miss the guy, all of what was Able-7 miss him. I hope he’s somewhere better, that ain’t the Hell of these damned tunnels.
