"Colonel! Only seventeen of the older children know which islands they lived on. Some of the others can't even tell us their parents' full names."
The soldier making the report looked miserable. Whether it was because of the troublesome brats or what they had been through, no one could say.
The one consolation was that the slave traders understood the value of their "cargo." They had mostly controlled the children with verbal threats, sparing them much physical harm.
That earlier whipping had probably happened because they had reached the Sabaody Archipelago and the toad in charge had gotten nervous.
After hearing the report, Gal looked at his older brother, Luo Wei, a rear admiral who had once worked under Loa. "What do we do? Can the rest be taken in as orphans by the Marines?"
They had rescued far too many children this time. More than fifty couldn't be sent home! If they kept them all at the base, they might as well forget everything else. A bunch of grown men would have to settle in as babysitters!
"We can't take them all in. We're Marines. We need fighters!" Luo Wei shook his head and frowned in thought. A few seconds later, he said, "Place them with trustworthy families for now. Then ask Headquarters to put out a notice and see if we can find their families. Of those still left afterward, keep the ones with talent and find good families to adopt the rest."
"I suppose that's all we can do!"
Gal knew it was the safest approach. He nodded and turned to leave, but Luo Wei's disgusted voice stopped him.
"Next time you come into my office, wash the blood off first! You stink! And would it kill you to put on a shirt?!"
Bare-chested, Gal shot his