In the hold of the spaceship, Blackout, two squads of grave jumpers, Blackfire’s elite orbital shock troops, are performing final mission prep which includes making sure their special suits are properly sealed. They are to be looking through an abandoned research base in the largest divine waste on Denaron. The first squad is known as Alpha Miner and is headed by Sergeant Kendrick Sanders, a male human. The second squad is called Baker’s Dozen which is led by Sergeant First Class Sharlia Zrix, a female inferno sekro.
Kendrick has had a bad feeling about Sgt. Zrix ever since Red Major Cordelia and the A.I. Artimer briefed them. After they learned they were headed for an abandoned Micron research facility in a divine waste Sgt. Zrix and her squad started to eye, subtly mind, both Cor and his squad. Giving that this is for info about an experiment thought was an outright failure they would pay handsomely that for information proven it’s success, and while he would hope an abmin like Zrix wouldn’t sell out to an known anti abmin corporation it would be a lot of credits, and after the mess on Drex III…well let’s just say that’s why he pays such close attention to body language now. Kendrick thinks [Interesting. The female minotaur, uh…Corporal 1st Class Waszia Bloodhorn that’s right, is eyeing her own squad instead of mine. If Baker’s Dozen is planning to sellout she isn’t on board.] The lights in the ship go yellow to indicate they are about to land. He checks his HUD. Ship scanners indicate no life signs outside the facility. Which isn’t very comforting as Oni may not show up at all and they can’t pierce the facility.
Kendrick hears Cor over his coms “Perimeter is too big to secure, and shielding will only protect us for so long. Baker’s Dozen start your search from the north of the facility. Alpha Miner starts from the south.” Kendrick hears a click on squad com and opens the private channel asking “yes Balrona?” Corporal Ysildea Balrona, a zelrona elf from the Belrov system responds, “You do realize they are going to slot us the minute someone finds what we are looking for right?” His new squad mate, a female drazka, Private First Class Dravana Drabek asks “who is going to slot us?” Kendrick talks before Ysildea can and says “Baker’s Dozen. Ya I noticed, I also noticed that one of their own is not on the same page as the rest of them.” He switches to back to mission com and asks “Red Major? I’m requesting Corporal First Class Bloodhorn be temporarily assigned to my squad. Even numbers are better for search patterns with our time limit” He hears Ysildea over squad com “that’s the best you got Sarge?” Cor responds “Granted. B.D.3 report to Sgt. Kendrick for com change” Waszia responds “Affirmative” Waszia reports to Kendrick who changes her com codes.
Kendrick clicks to squad com “So corporal first class. What do you think of being with some new faces?” Waszia responds “That it’s nice to be some faces that aren’t seeing dollar signs and see other friendlies as obstacles.” Ysildea chimes in “So they were gonna slot you too?” “Well since I would try to stop them, and Sgt. Zrix knows that…yes they would.” Kendrick says “If we find it first do not report over coms. We will report to Cor in person.” Dravana asks “and if they find it first sir?” A male voice belonging to the draganoid Kotrag Urdros, comes over coms “then you will hear not so friendly gun fire.” Kendrick orders “ok people split up. Kotrag with Waszia, Dravana buddy up with Nurabona, Ysildea you’re with me. Move out and keep your heads on a swivel. We might also have oni inside.” They all move into the facility.
Kendrick and Ysildea sweep yet another room, through at least this one was a generator room so perhaps they can get some better light. Kendrick finishes his sweep and says “clear”. Ysildea finishes a couple of seconds later “clear.” Kendrick begins to search for a way to turn the generators on. Ysildea comments “at least we know they found nothing so far with the power out.” Kendrick finds the on switch and says “Ya, but we need the power too.” He clicks to squad com. “Found generators. We are going to attempt to turn the power on.” Kendrick flips a heavy switch. The generators whirl as they see lights come on. Kendrick says “huh, well that was easy.” Ysildea says “Now we just hope our not so friendlies don’t find the data first.” An hour later Kendrick and Ysildea are staring at a trail of destruction that goes through the walls like a gaping maw. Both are facing south and can see outside. Ysildea says “So if this way leads outside…” Both turn around to face north “…perhaps that way leads to our goal?” Kendrick looks at the rubble some more and says “well based on where the debris is at it was certainly something escaping this facility.” Ysildea asks “Think it was proto?” Kendrick shrugs “Even fi it wasn’t they all got tested in the same place apparently” They both move further in.
Kotrag’s voice comes over squad com “Sarge. We got a problem” Kendrick and Ysildea stop just before crossing the last blown out wall before what looks like a big lab with a large unfamiliar device they could already see. Kendrick asks “Yes Trag?” Kotrag responds “Waszia and I found a lone billybona. I thought they only came in pairs.” Shit. So he found Nurabona dead and their squad com might be compromised since she was found alone. Kendrick says “I thought the same thing.” He raised his rifle as both crossed the wall. Quickly and carefully, they scan the area. With no hostiles found they slowly move around the large device. Still no hostiles but they see a set of double doors. They approach the doors and notice one is slightly ajar. Kendrick peeks though the crack and sees three members of Baker’s Dozen escorting a cuffed Private Dravana at gun point. Kendrick signals Ysildea to hide. Ysildea climbs up the large device while he hides behind some crates. Their ambush now set they wait. The three members of Baker’s Dozen enter alongside Dravana. They shove Dravana to the ground and glance around. Luckily, they weren’t as careful as Kendrick and Ysildea, or they don’t know Kendrick’s squad knows they turned hostile. Regardless he will gladly inform them of their error. Kendrick takes aim.
A female voice comes out of the traitor that must be Private First-Class Paige Hart “Well Dravana today is your lucky day. You get to be an oni. After all we still need to make sure that device there wor...” She’s cut off when Kendrick pops out of cover and fire right at her neck between the shoulder armor and helmet. The other two hostiles turn to face Kendrick, but in that moment Ysildea pops up and slots another as Dravana leaps up and throws herself at the lost hostile throwing him off balance, as he tries to recover Kendrick and Ysildea both waste no time slotting him. As his body crumbles to the floor Ysildea hops off the device and positions herself at the door in case more of Baker’s Dozen shows up. Kendrick rushes to Dravana’s side and asks “You ok private?” She groans response “Aside from my pride yes. Specialist Copperdigger was not so lucky.” “I know. Coms compromised?” “No. just damaged.” Kendrick clicks to squad com “Squad Com is not compromised. We rescued Dravana. Everyone hoof it to the Red Major’s last known position.” Kendrick, Ysildea, and Dravana burst out into the hall and run down to where Cor should be hoping to get to her before Baker’s Dozen can pull anymore stunts.
As they run down the halls of the facility they see some smaller humanoid oni lumbering through the halls. As if his luck couldn’t get any worse. Kendrick swears “Damit! We don’t have time for sneaking. Fire at will!” All three open fire on the oni. The anti ascended rounds drilling into the oni before erupting in blue flames. As they deal with that Kendrick says over squad com “We got Oni!” He hears gunfire and Bloodhoof’s voice come over squad com “We got them too. Couldn’t be lucky forever. If you get to them first punch out Zrix’s teeth for me for putting us through this mess.” Ysildea puts down another oni as they continue to storm down the charge and says “Oh I like her. Sarge. Please tell me we get to keep her after this” Kendrick says “Stay focused so we DO get out of this.” He hears gun shots and a roar in the distince and says “Kotrag. Was that you two?” Kotrag’s gruff voice comes over squad com “I was about to ask you that. Heading that way now” Kendrick replies “Same. Be careful. A roar that load might belong to an oni that won’t go down easy even with anti-ascended rounds.” The facility rumbles again as Kendrick and company burst through another set of doors into a large arena where he sees the rest of his squad burst in from the other side. They see the last three traitors fighting a rather large plant like oni, that is covered is covered in large vines and has a huge mouth in the front, that towers above even Ysildea. He sees Cor on the ground not moving. He orders over squad com “Dravana, Kotrag. Get to the Red Major and get her back to the ship. Bloodhoof you’re with me and Ysildea. We need ensure the three…” in that moment a vine from the oni slams down on one of the treaties leaving just the two top ranking members of the Baker’s Dozen left. “…I mean two traitors don’t leave this place without cuffs. Which also means getting rid of that overgrown house plant” His squad says together “Yes sir!”
As Kotrag and Dravana go to drag Cor out of harm’s way Kendrick, Bloodhoof, and Ysildea open fire on the oni. As much as Kendrick wishes to deal with the traitors, but the oni is the far greater concern at present. Kendrick says “Burn it” Ysildea grabs what appears to an blue colored flame grenade and tosses it at the oni where it bursts into blue flames causing it to begin to flail in random directions as they open fire at the same time. They do their best to dodge but unfortunately, or fortunately as the case might be, it slams a vine into Zrix and her 2nd in command flinging them into a wall as Kendrick and the others fill the oni with lead while continuing to dodge it’s attacks. They only stop when it unleashes a death roar and slumps to the ground dead. They quickly run to Zrix and her second before the can recover and Kendrick says “Don’t move!” the two freeze and look up at Kendrick. He can’t see through their visors but they are probably glaring at him. Kendrick says “Sergeant First Class Sharlia Zrix. Staff Sergeant Muruk Ironhoof. You are both under arrest. Cuff them Corporal Bloodhorn” Waszia puts her gun away for cuffs and approaches her old squad mates saying “gladly sir.” She also searches Zrix for what they even came this mess for and says “She’s got the data sir” Kendrick says “Good. Now we don’t have to leave it behind. Let’s get out this place before we push our luck any further. Back to the Blackout.”
Cordelia wakes up with a start. The last thing she remembered was Baker’s Dozen betraying her right before an oni got the drop on her. She looks around and sees she’s in the infirmary of the blackout. Looking out the window she sees space. So they aren’t planet side anymore. Looking over herself she sees she’s in her fatigues but can feel bandages wrapped around her torso. A holographic purple Pyramid appears before her with the side that faces her shimmering slightly. It seems to move as words come from nearby speakers “Good evening Cor. You’ll be pleased to know the mission was a success. Though I do agree with Sgt. Kendrick about it being more of a pyrrhic victory. After all we were betrayed by all but one members of Baker’s Dozen and Alpha Miner lost a good soldier. Though you survived and that’s always a victory in my book.” Cor asks “how did I get back to the ship?” The AI twirls “A stunning display that. The mad lads in Alpha Miner along side Bloodhoof came running to your aid as soon as they found out Baker’s Dozen betrayed them. They didn’t even think for a second about trying to just cutting their losses and leaving you behind. Instead they fought through hordes of oni, breached your location, took down the greater oni, arrested the surviving members of Baker’s dozen, and dragged your unconscious body back to the ship with only seconds to spare. Finer display of heroism I have never seen.” Cor starts to get out of the bed and Artimer says “I know better then to insist you stay in bed but do at least take it slow. You may have been raised to be a killing machine but you are still human. There is only so much you can take.” Cor asks “Where is Sgt. Kendrick now?” “The lunge mam. About to send off Specialist Copperdigger’s spirit with a little tradition of theirs.” Cor heads to the lounge.
Kendrick opens a bottle of an old vintage of light’s breath when Cor walks into the room and asks “you send your fallen comrades off by drinking?” Kendrick shrugs “Kind of. When someone falls in Alpha Miner we drink that person’s favorite drink and eat their favorite food. We grave jumpers never know when our last meal would be so after someone makes their last jump the survivors eat the fallen’s last meal, or as close as we can safely get, in their stead to honor them. So at least someone enjoyed their last meal to let the soul pass on” Cor asks “The last part truly a belief?” Kendrick “Eh the soul part not so much but keeps the more religious from bothering us about it. Care to join? You have been out for a while” Cor says “I think I will.” She sits down with them to enjoy the specialist’s last meal. Turns out she had pretty good taste if a tad expensive. She listened to the members of Alpha Miner tell stories about their time serving with the dwarf. From frustrating to joy filled they remembered the ups and downs. They way they told them she could almost feel she got to know her and that she was almost their with them. Perhaps this is this comradery thing the commander spook of before.
A week later they arrived back at Kron. Cordelia reports to the boss of Blackfire. Tonya Sylvan and hands over the data. Tonya says “Good work as always. I wasn’t expecting that from Baker’s Dozen. I have always known them to be a bit greedy, but they so far never took a chance to betray us for it until now. I never would have sent them with you if I thought they were going to do that.” Cor says “I’m somewhat glad you did mam” Tonya cocks an eyebrow “And why is that Cor?” Cor says “I request Alpha Miner be permanently assigned to me. I believe I can trust them. They are the only reason we managed to make it back mam.” Tonya looks right into Cor’s eyes “you sure? You normally request to be alone.” Cor nods “They saved me without hesitation and I have to admit without them I wouldn’t be alive anymore” Tonya whistles “So finally learned to trust someone huh? Granted. Alpha Miner is yours.
Cor goes to visit the assigned barracks for Alpha Miner. Upon arriving she sees that Corporal first class Bloodhoof is their newest member. Upon seeing the Red Major they all look at her surprised to see her. Kendrick salutes “Evening mam. Can I help you?” Cor salutes back “I have come by to inform you that effectively immediately your squad is moved permanently to my command. Pack your things and move it all to the Blackout. The ship is our barracks even when docked here. Any questions?” Kendrick says “Just one mam. What’s your last meal?” Cor smirked. So she does smile.
