Asteroid Blues

>>>AUTOMATED REPORT, NETWORK “SPECTRAL OWL”, FILE 3
-CLASSIFIED INDIGO-BETA, COMPARTMENTALISED-
-FILE START-

At 51:76 Hexahedron Code 6 Time, an investigation team of Yu Jing Imperial Service operatives led by a Crane-ranked agent used a Dragon Class Imperial Warrant to gain access to a secure Hexahedron compound disguised as a squatter camp, currently used to quarter the Indigo Task Forces classified as “Striga”, under threat of trade sanctions should the team be refused access. As the better-supplied Striga-2 had been stood down pending recovery from combat losses, Indigo Task Force Striga-1 formed a defensive line in anticipation of an attack. Lt. Weaving placed his Fusilier team, aided by the Black Friar Brother-Corporal Davis, atop and around the command centre with Hospital Corpsman White, positioned Auxilia teams as well as quantronic and combat engineering support on the flanks outside the base’s perimeter fence, and ordered Hexahedron Agent Mitchell to take up an overwatch role on the roof of a toolshed in order to cover the facility’s main gate. Corporal Pearce, of the Heavy Tactical Group, stored the facility’s classified documents and programs on her comlog, and instructed her Geist to destroy the files should she be unable to escape intact, as per SO Directive 01.

The Imperial Service immediately opened fire using combat remotes assisted with quantronic targeting software, neglecting to issue demands or make inquiries. A pair of Kuang Shi soldiers moved forward before the main force as a smoke grenade launcher was used to deny visibility of the front gate, subsequently used by a Rui Shi remote to attack Lt. Weaving’s team while the overwatch elements were distracted by the movement of the Kuang Shi. Fortunately, the Fusiliers’ armour functioned admirably as the Rui Shi advanced into the compound, protecting Private Walsh and Private Allen, valuable long-ranged gunners, from harm. An Auxbot also completely repelled a salvo of rounds which hit its thick sloped armour. When the Rui Shi approached the command centre and attempted to attack Private Ryan, Agent Mitchell broke concealment to shoot and disable the remote. She was unfortunately too late to prevent the Fusilier gunner’s injury, removing her from the battle. At this point several rear elements of the Imperial Service team began suppressing approaches to their entrenched positions, complicating a counterattack. A dangerous Husong Yaokong remote also advanced, pinning Lt. Weaving’s team on the roof of the command centre.

The tide of the battle was turned when civilian construction contractor Seth Matthews rose from atop the base’s east watchtower and eliminated several Kuang Shi screening the main enemy force with his Marksman Rifle, protected by an Optical Disruption Device. This opened a path for Private Nevin and his Auxbot to advance underneath the enemy’s suppression fire, advancing into their centre and destroying two Kuang Shi, a Dakini Tacbot and the Crane Agent commanding the force. Unfortunately, he was injured in the process of destroying a Kuang Shi and was unable to further press his attack into the enemy’s rear, sparing the Husong Yaokong and a Pheasant Agent providing oversight for the enemy team later identified as a valuable Datatracker.

With Private Nevin’s injury, the enemy were able to regain the initiative. The Imperial Service EVO-capable Pangguling remote provided recalibrated targeting assistance to a Weibing Yaokong in addition to the already-encountered Husong, and the two remotes began to press Striga-1’s defensive line with the help of a Crane Agent with an Assault Hacking Device. The Weibing remote was immediately destroyed by Agent Mitchell, but the Husong remote likely managed to injure or kill Seth Matthews as he is MIA as of this report, and the Crane Agent successfully disabled Lt. Weaving.
Command passed to Sgt. Wyatt, who began attempting to cover the approach to the command centre with “Drop Bear” antipersonnel mines. Brother-Corporal Davis approached and gunned down the surviving Crane Agent while Private Irwin failed to dislodge the enemy Husong remote and Corporate Security Unit contractor with an Auxbot.

At this point, the enemy restored targeting assistance to the Husong remote one final time and ordered it to charge our lines. Private Irwin, Agent Mitchell and Corporal Pearce were all taken out of action by its fire, leading Pearce’s Geist to destroy all project records and programs. This loss represents a cost of millions of Oceana and several projected advancements in command and control systems for the PanOceanian Military Complex.

A concerted effort from Sgt. Wyatt and Private Barrett, combining Drop Bears and the Fusilier Hacker’s capabilities in both marksmanship and quantronic combat allowed Striga-1 to destroy the Husong remote, clearing the path for their retreat. Brother-Corporal Davis disregarded orders to disengage, citing religious dogma and a desire to avenge the PanOceanian dead and wounded as the cause, and charged the enemy rear while ignoring cover. While he was able to clear the surviving Kuang Shi and their handler, he was unable to inflict further damage before the Imperial Service team was extracted by Yu Jing forces.

This skirmish represents the complete loss of effectiveness of the Striga teams and the end of the “Spectral Owl” Hexahedron project. While enemy losses did exceed PanOceanian casualties, the damage to essential project data and personnel in addition to the survival of the enemy Datatracker is an unacceptable risk to information security and the project is now considered compromised. All Striga teams have been disbanded and the “Spectral Owl Actual” network programming has been retrieved from most surviving operatives. Unfortunately, recovery has not been complete and two security risks remain; the wounded members of Striga-2 currently under the protection of Haqqislamic medical professionals, an attack on whom would almost certainly invite unnecessary retaliation from the terrorist organisation known as the Hassassin Order, and Brother-Corporal Davis who is currently AWOL following the battle at the spaceport camp. Evidence has been fabricated linking Brother-Corporal Davis to both Striga-2’s cover identity as a security firm and to the illegal cult of the Order of the Knights Templar, infamously implicated in AI research. With a 98.4% certainty, the organisations known as the Special Situations Section of ALEPH, the Hassassin Order and the Observance of Saint Mary of the Knife will destroy all rogue assets within one week of this report without Hexahedron intervention. This project has been a failure, but is considered extremely unlikely to represent a threat to PanOceanian operations.

-FILE END-

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[OOC: Another great game to cap off Burn City Brawl, Victoria’s first two-day tournament! The scenario was Annhilation, I scored points for killing 150-225 points of enemy models and saving 75-150 points of my own models. valukr scored points for killing 150-225 points of enemy models and saving 75-150 points of his own models, plus keeping his Datatracker alive. I was a bit cut about how the score shaped up as I was eight VP away from a 4 OP swing that would have won me the game, but the game itself was a lot of fun with plenty of tricky decisions forced by Val and myself alike! The story of the Striga teams I brought to Burn City Brawl may be over, but rest assured I will still be as active as I can in playing games and continuing the narrative I’m building here.]