In game admin: Brenko fell in love and gained a story point. EARL was just dented. Holmes was killed...but then I realised I can use story points to reroll rolls. I rerolled it and he survived. I have 13 story points so really no one should be dying at all for ever... I will start burning through them just to make it so I have to use them sparingly again.
Abandoned and overgrown this place hadn't been actively cultivated in a long time. Derelict settlements like this were to be found all over the galaxy. Anyone looking to lay low could easily find a place like this to hole up in for a while, and rumour had it an organised, armed group of unknown origin had been seen scouring places like this recently. Phillips, Holmes et al. had seen the images and recordings. These armed folks were the same who had attacked them while searching for those flight records a while back. This was a good sign, and meant there might be more to this disappearance than met the eye.
The presence of some cargo containers might have been a good sign, but likewise might have meant nothing.
Two groups of armed figures approached the settlement at the same time, cautiously advancing, covering each other.
The crew split a different way. EARL and Holmes wouls cover from the rear while Brenko would move from cover to cover before entering the main building. Phillips, Carrick and Mao would advance together as a mobile fire team.
Having gotten the drop on the opposing, armed men Mao, Carrick, EARL and Holmes all managed to get themselves into well covered firing positions which would cover the main building. Phillips and Brenko would advance up.
Having lost some initiative the opposing force advanced slowly, keeping out of any long shooting lanes. They were well trained and moved with a fluidity and professionalism that spoke to their training. These were not thugs or gangers. Something was afoot.
One of the soldiers opened fire on Holmes, sending him ducking further behind the stacked logs. A close call!
The other enemy fire team ran around the overgrown plants and opened up on Phillips but their fire was tentative, inaccurate and missed her.
Mao, EARL and Phillips all began shooting over at them. Grenades, shotgun shells, automatic fire showered the fire team, killing two of them and sending one diving for cover.
Carrick and Holmes fired over on the other flank, taking out another enemy. It would appear that while these men were professionals, they had been utterly surprised. Professionals perhaps, but lazy? Complacent? They were learning a hard lesson, being taught by the teacher of lead and energy.
The other two figures decided to beat a hasty retreat and call in reinforcements. The need for overwealming firepower was obvious and would help, although by the time it came, this location would be compromised, and the mission, perhaps set back indefinitely.
With the area cleared, they began searching. Brenko and Phillips forced their way into the main building with Holmes and Carrick looking through the others. There was nobody to be found. There was, however, plent of evidence that people had been squatting here recently. This abandoned place was not so abandoned. A little later Sara from Leyte Logistics arrived and she had brought friends.
"Let me introduce to you Ulrich Nolan and Jiang Min" she said. "Ulrich and I were with the team who helped the settlers relocate originally. Jiang has been our Liason with this particular group for a couple of years now. Contact stopped so we went to see and they were all just gone. There had been signs of struggle."
EARL approached with an auto rifle, picked from a corpse. "THESE HUMANS WERE ENCOUNTERED BEFORE."
The bodies were investigated further. It was clear they were well armed, well trained and well paid, but who exactly they were was a mystery. After some serious discussion it was decided that the crew would investigate just exactly who these people were before making another attempt to find the missing settlers. Perhaps some extra information would help make the search easier.
"I will be coming with you" Ulrich Nolan informed the crew.
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