Asteroid Blues

>>>AUTOMATED REPORT, NETWORK “SPECTRAL OWL”, FILE 1
-CLASSIFIED INDIGO-BETA, COMPARTMENTALISED-
-FILE START-
At 24:10 Hexahedron Code 6 Time, local network sniffers in Liberty Cargo Incorporated’s Novvy Bangkok facility detected a distress signal from Agent 12201-White’s assigned terminals in the Arachne node aboard the station. Indigo Task Force Striga-2 was immediately dispatched with the mission of recovering the agent and the data stored on Arachne nodes the agent had compromised. On arrival, Striga-2’s quantronic support elements discovered that Agent 12201-White had deliberately obfuscated his comlog signature, using two nearby off-duty Heavy Support Group soldiers to conceal his location. After forming a defensive line, in anticipation of an enemy attack, Lt. Jackman ordered the force’s Pathfinder remote to begin recovering the agent’s stored information from the central server. The Pathfinder was able to reach and search the terminal, but was destroyed by a camouflaged attacker later revealed as a Shasvastii Noctifer using a missile launcher. In response, WO. Keusen of the Swiss Guard revealed her presence on the rooftop of a nearby building, engaging the Noctifer in a prolonged firefight with her HMG that ended with Keusen knocked out by a missile blast and the Noctifer dying of blood loss. The information from the terminal revealed that a logistics officer taking cover in a structure within the Area of Operations was confirmed by Agent 12201-White’s observations to be a Shasvastii infiltrator using his position to move soldiers and equipment around Novvy Bangkok’s interior.

While Striga-2 waited for the terminal data to be analysed, a Haris fireteam composed of a Gwailo heavy infantry soldier with a heavy rocket launcher and two Shasvastii-Naish operatives identified by Spectral Owl Actual following the skirmish as specimens “Sheskiin” and “Messer, Victor”, holding positions 1 and 2 respectively on the Paradiso Coordinated Command Most Wanted List. The trio were able to disable Striga-2’s Spitfire-armed Bulleteer and destroy its Sierra Dronbot, as well as capture the central server and a backup server, revealing the location of Agent 12201-White and one of his decoys. Specimen “Sheskiin” attacked the off-duty soldier using the Protheion weapon system, and subsequently killed the stunned victim, gaining a dangerous level of additional resilience.

At this time, all surviving Striga-2 assets were consolidated under a single combat network and Hospital Corpsman Elliot revived WO. Keusen using a Palbot. Keusen fired upon and wounded specimen “Messer, Victor”, who was able to retreat behind a security gate. Striga-2’s surviving Bulleteer attempted to destroy the Gwailo and specimen “Sheskiin” behind it using the Bulleteer’s Heavy Shotgun, but failed to inflict damage and was destroyed by return fire. Keusen then engaged and destroyed the Gwailo, while Lt. Jackman and subsequently WO. Keusen shot and wounded specimen “Sheskiin”. Lt. Jackman’s Auxbot was out of position and unable to meaningfully assist.

The remains of the Shasvastii assault team renewed their attack in an attempt to escape the incoming fire, firing on Lt. Jackman (who was saved from injury by her armour and escaped out of sight) as well as destroying her Auxbot. Specimen “Messer, Victor” attempted to damage Striga-2’s attached quantronic support Aspect using his hacking device, but was disabled by the Aspect’s Brain Blast that was employed as a response to the attack. The only surviving member of the shasvastii assault team, specimen “Sheskiin”, then attacked using the Protheion weapon system, killing the Aspect and knocking Hospital Corpsman Elliot unconscious.

With the defensive cordon failing, Striga-2’s attached quantronic assault Aspect travelled across the rooftops, sighted the Shasvastii infiltrator and destroyed it with her Boarding Shotgun. WO. Keusen began using suppressive fire in an attempt to protect Agent 12201-White. Lt. Jackman also prepared to fire on anyone approaching the agent.

Specimen “Sheskiin” injured Lt. Jackman sufficiently that she was unable to further participate in the battle, and was able to approach Agent 12201-White from an angle WO. Keusen was unable to cover, while an Ikadron cargo remote killed Striga-2’s attached quantronic assault Aspect with its flamethrowers. At 24:46 Hexahedron Code 6 Time, Agent 12201-White was killed by injuries caused by several rounds from a “Red Fury” squad support weapon operated by Shasvastii-Naish “Sheskiin”.

At this point Striga-2’s ability to intercept the Shasvastii Expeditionary Force unit was negligible, and all remaining forces left the Area of Operations, evacuating wounded using civilian remotes or by hand. Video evidence records the presence of a 5-specimen Nox Trooper fireteam, 2 Ikadron cargo remotes and a Med-Tech Obsidon Medchanoid (one slave drone), in addition to several anomalies which likely indicate the presence of further troops under the cover of camouflage systems. A significant force of Combined Army infiltrators is now able to freely travel around Novvy Bangkok, and Striga-2 was unable to ensure the destruction of specimen “Messer, Victor”‘s Cube or genetic data. As we are unable to admit Agent 12201-White’s position as a Hexahedron spy the Combined Army are likely to replace him with an impersonator, using the data retrieved from his terminals to construct a personality profile and to inform further attacks against the Nomads. Lt. Jackman suffers from several bullet wounds and shock while Hospital Corpsman Elliot is undergoing an intense nutrition program to undo the damage caused by the Protheion weapon system, and is being studied by Omnia Research Corporation biologists and chemists who have paid to study her and the corpse of the Heavy Tactical Group soldier killed in the firefight in hopes of developing a human Protheion weapon system. Fortunately with their infiltrator dead this route into the Gorge is closed to the Combined Army, though a great deal of damage has already been done.
-FILE END-

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[OOC: This scenario was Unmasking, with wolsnik scoring points for 2 antennae controlled, more decoys dead and Designated Target killed by Datatracker. I scored points for Designated Target killed by Datatracker. Also, my Swiss Guard spent 2 orders completely missing a Noctifer that it would have hit on 9s, before knocking it Dogged and subsequently being crit into unconsciousness. The Noctifer then died of Dogged, explaining the mutual kill in the report. Don’t worry, I got some amusing dice on my side as well- 5 passed dodges against the Ikadron from my Deva Assault Hacker!]