My Late Entry into the Finish the Story Contest - WEEK #40!

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I am pretty late to this week's contest. But I still wanted to give it a try so here is my post. Thank you to @theironfelix for the start and to @bananafish for keeping this going. It has becoming very rewarding to be a part of this group and I hope to support you more very soon. Make sure to check out the @bananafish for great contest like this.

Hunt Down the Bananafish
by @theironfelix

Boots clamor with the machinery humming. Iron walkways, under stomping feet, ache despite losing the senses a while ago. Grunts echo and bounce off the marble-walls and iron-ceiling. The grunting marchers ache for purpose, as they can stand no more of their shoulders’ acidity caused by hauling a crate so long.

"Hush, we near the Colonel-"

"Bob, we’ve been on the USSS Milky Way for how long? It’s pronounced ker-nel - not co-lo-nol."

"Keep your peace, Jerry. Anyways."

Raised arms, Bob’s hands knocked three knocks, every knock so polite yet firm. His legs, being precautious, retreated; doors squeaking due to leaving their closed state, the Colonel with a pipe and cocked hat steps out. Steadying the shades, the pipe soon found itself hugging the floor.

"Master-Sergeant Bob, how’d you... oh He would be very proud, yet let’s not yammer on about that."

"Indeed, and we tracked the coordinates-"

"Coordinates! I’ll patch you in sonny. Please yank that box in now. Tell me, how’d you got this potassium-skin?"

"I’ll take this one Bob, go input the coordinates. Colonel, the details matter not, but our white gloves are still white. Anyways, coordinates should be in now. Say, when does that bounty expire?"

"I still cannot believe it, we’ll be rich! We’ll have the Bananafish finally in our hands and the bounty just renewed and quadrupled its payout!"

Frothing came racing out and spreading about the Colonel’s mouth, Master-Sergeant Bob’s and Jerry’s eyes picked up on the bubble-infection. Bob’s hands signaled to Jerry if now was the time to act, but that time to act was inappropriate as Jerry’s hands signed. Bob’s ears, hearing the awkwardness, compelled the voice-box to utter.

"Would you like to do the honours of telling the other ships?"

"Ah, sorry. Anyways, the coordinates are already sent - now just an announcement... Ahem... Attention crew, this is the Colonel speaking. Right now coordinates have been uploaded and you may have a question. My answer: we found the Bananafish and we’re going to hunt! I repeat, we’re hunting down the Bananafish... I muted my mic, but do you hear that Master-Sergeant?"

"Ecstasy."

"And a hero, for that’s what you and your platoon are. When we’re back, I’ll make sure you get your due honours."

Bob’s and Jerry’s eyes deadlock together on the other, lips arching high and their minds ridding of any misdeeds. Turning their heads to the ship’s front view, the image of starry seas became interrupted as the view warps to a tunnel of passing light spires that raced with the ship. However, the moment was fleeting and the armada of spacecraft found themselves floating above the Bananafish’s home.

"Master-Sergeant’s Platoon, come ‘ere. You’ll be my personal convoy ‘til the mission is over. So sit in your own Orbital Drop Pods and await blastoff."

Sat they were, their armour covered with more weapons than plating and a soldiery hoorah echoing. The clock ticked, yet they were ejected soon and all saw the Nature below.

The hunt has begun.

**My Ending

Bananafish sat in his home watching the monitors.

“So they came for me after all. I didn’t think this trap would work. Felix you are right Bob and Jerry are foolish enough to think they could have found my home without some help. I am tired of running. Today they start to understand just who I am.”

Felix looked up at the sky as he grabbed the radio.

“It is time guys don’t let one ship escape. Try to disable the flagship the rest you can destroy. Remember the reward for the one that kills the most.”

With that Felix and Bananafish headed outside and go into their armored vehicle. As they rolled out many vehicles followed. It was time for the fleet to understand that their power was not unstoppable. That if you pushed too hard you would see what a man would do to not be stepped on anymore.
Bob and Jerry’s last order to the group was radio silence. That had been the last tip that had gotten on the package they had intercepted. They had been sure this was real and that if they followed the clue Bananafish and the reward would be theirs today. As they started to head toward the location they had marked as his home such dreams of riches filled their minds.

The space battle was over quickly. As the gang of shipped dropped out of hyperspace ready to fire on the fleet. The Iron gang led the charge and would take the reward for sure. They had grown tired of the ever rising taxes. This was going to be a message to keep their hands out of their pockets.

“Flagship engines and weapons are off line. We have a boarding group finishing up the fight soon we will have control of it. I will be in place when the time is ready Felix nothing to worry about up here”
Felix relayed the message to Bananafish as they waited for the Convoy to reach the house they had set up. It was time to see if Bob and Jerry really had no idea of what was going on.

The Convoy reached the house and Bob and Jerry looked at it and confirmed that this was the place.
“Colonel this is the place and the intercept we got said that his hideout is not defended a quick rush by the master sergeant and his team and we should have him.”

The Colonel looked at Bob and Jerry and something seemed wrong. How could this be so easy? Could these two idiots really have found the Bananafish? He had looked over the files they had stolen on way and it looked real. He just had no idea how these guys had got it.

“Master Sergeant take your team and secure the house. Try to take anyone inside alive but if the resist dead is fine”

The Master Sergeant went to work. Spread out his team and put snipers in place to watch the windows. As the breach team reached the door he did get a feeling that something was wrong. He tried to hold them but they didn’t see his hand signal. As they breached the house and all rushed in nothing happened. He let out a sigh of relief just as the blast wave hit him. His vision was blurry as he stood up and look towards the crater that was the house. He just got his wits back as he saw the missiles coming towards the convoy. He was able to retreat with the Colonel and few others before they struck. As the back down the road he started to call up to the ships in orbit to send reinforcements.

“It was a trap we are going to need some more help down here.”

“Oh you have no idea how big of a trap this was Sergeant. You have once chance to live today give us the Colonel” answer the leader of the iron gang now aboard the flagship.

The Sergeant looked at the Colonel with shock in his eyes. The Colonel grabbed the radio away from him.

“Just who do you think you are? We will not stand for this my fleet will destroy you.”
“You fleet has been destroyed and video of the battle sent back to your worlds to show them the fools that thought they could catch the Bananafish.”

Bob and Jerry stood in the forest confused. They and intercepted that message broke the code this was supposed to be the hide out. He was supposed to be here. And the defenses where supposed to be weak. How did this happen now they stood alone with the Colonel and the Master Sergeant and a few of his men.

“Don’t be a fool Master Sergeant, You have lost take your men and walk away these three are the reason you lost so many men today. Don’t let them add your names to the list.” Came a voice from the woods as men started to step out with weapons aimed. They had the group surrounded.

The Master Sergeant looked around at the men. He was right they had no chance. He had told the Colonel time again that those two where fools. Now they had got almost all of his squad killed and for what? He was done with these fools and he gave the order. His men tossed their weapons and walked away leaving the Colonel with his two jokers.

The Bananafish walked out of the brush with Felix close behind him. As they approached the group he got a big smile on his face.

“Well if it isn’t the might hackers that figured out where I live. With the Colonel that has been chasing me for years. You got close last time Colonel so it was time for me to bring an end to this game we have been playing. You are coming with us. Felix take care of the other 2 for me.”
With that the Bananafish and few of his men dragged the Cononel into one of their vehicles. Felix walked towards Bob and Jerry and pulled a package out of his bag.

“Here you go fellas for a job well done you have earned a reward. We had quite a high bounty on that Cononel’s head so you get half for bringing him this far.”
With that he dropped the package and headed off to join the others as the left Bob and Jerry alone in the forest.

“Well Bob this wasn’t the plan but by the look of that bag I think we can still work out some high honours for the others.”

“Yes Jerry it wouldn’t make sense to just leave it here after all that hard work.”

With that they grabbed the bag of credits and started after the Master Sergeant hoping to hitch a ride.