THE GRATTAN
CAMPAIGN
PART 5- QUENT
7212.10.05 - A.T. LIGHTER
"KAIN"
Mick Wansboro, Maxim Hiflen, and Burt Buton return to the Brig that
is their Barracks. But when they get there, they find that
Rotweil, the criminal gang leader they captured on their last
mission, is already there! Locked into the room together, the
tension between the rivals breaks out into a fight. Burt stays
out of the way, but Rotweil attacks Mick and Maxim, blaming them for
his capture.
But the fight is interrupted by the appearance of the Kizzard that
snuck on board the ship with Rotweil. It goes to Mick, as if
it knew him somehow... Mick gives the Kizzard a name, "Camo",
after a pet he once had as a child.
The strange reunion is interrupted by the appearance of Lieutenant
Fugue, who has orders for their next mission. The four AT
pilots will have to work together and escort scientist Ramoh Harken
to an unnamed planet to recover an artifact of scientific
importance. Fugue reminds the pilots that they are still
Leashed, and gives them a quick reminder with a jolt of pain from
their subdermal control collars.
As the pilots debate the purpose and destination of the mission, the
Kizzard sneaks off through the air vents and eavesdrops on a
conversation in the command center corridor. Major Perdas
Grane, Lieutenant Fugue, and Ramoh Harken argue about the dangers of
their mission. Harken explains that his earlier contact with a
Quentman Mercenary led him to believe that they could find a
powerful computer on planet Quent. Perdas Grane insists that
the mission must be kept secret, as the Gilgamesh military cannot
afford to make enemies of the Mercenary Quentmen.
The 13th Penal Squad members- Maxim, Mick, Burt, and Rotweil- are
equipped with non-standard Brutishdog ATs, with no military
markings. Ramoh Harken uses a Light AT to accompany them, and
reminds the squad that if anything happens to him, the leash system
will activate and likely kill the squad members.
Still unaware of where they are, the squad follows Ramoh Harken's
light AT through the winding canyons of this dead world until they
come upon a wall of rock. Harken instructs the squad to force
entry, and Maxim uses his Log Gun on maximum power to blast away the
rock, revealing a dark, alien technology beyond.
Rotweil guards the entrance, as the rest of the squad escort Ramoh
Harken into the dark corridors. Even Camo the Kizzard,
smuggled on board Mick's AT, investigates the ancient and bizarre
technologies inside.
Maxim and Mick stand watch, nervously expecting some unknown threat
to appear, as Ramoh Harken gleefully rummages through the ancient
machinery. Just as he finds what he is looking for, Rotweil
shouts over the comms- something is happening outside!
The very ground has opened up under Rotweil's Brutishdog AT,
threatening to suck him under the surface!
Thinking quickly, Mick smashes loose a catwalk and brings it
outside.
The team manage to rescue Rotweil from the sinkhole.
Rotweil utters a begrudging thanks, but then behind them...
A massive, metal bulkhead slams down, cutting the team off from
Ramoh Harken still trapped inside!
Camo finds a tiny hole to squeeze through. Glancing back at
the team briefly, the Kizzard scurries off in search of Ramoh.
The sound of Gliding Wheels precedes the appearance of several
Berserga type ATs. The Quentman mercenaries demand to know
what the team is doing here, and order them to leave before a
terrible threat is awakened. Their cryptic warning is answered
by Rotweil, who fires a blast of Gatling Gun at the intruders!
A hail of returning Rocket fire from the Bersergas blows Rotweil's
Boxing Dog AT apart, and he is barely able to get out of the AT in
time.
One Berserga equipped with a chainsaw charges Burt's Brutishdog,
doing serious damage! Mick Wansboro fires his GAT-22 in
response, but the tough Berserga armor prevents it from doing more
than minor damage.
Maxim finishes charging his energy cannon and unleashes a deadly
blast at one of the Bersergas.
Meanwhile, Rotweil has snuck around behind the other Berserga, and
lobs a grenade into a weak spot on its armor, temporarily disabling
it!
With the aid of Camo, Ramoh Harken has figured out how to open the
Blast door. Carrying his prize, he exits the catacombs, but
finds himself in the middle of a firefight! Mongerel Squad
must protect him or risk losing their own lives to the Leash
system's uncaring rule...
The assault Berserga spins away from Mick's attack and delivers a
killing blow to Burt's Brutishdog. Leaping away from the
wreckage just in time, Burt is only marginally safer in the open...
Maxim sets his Energy Cannon to overload, and throws it at the other
Berserga. The blast buys his squad some time to escape...
Fleeing the deadly desert world, two of their ATs destroyed,
the squad barely gets away as yet another, more advanced Berserga AT
arrives on the scene.
As it fires at the retreating squad, it broadcasts a warning- that
their stolen prize will bring nothing but death. His warning
unheeded, the squad returns to the Kain, and sets course back to
planet Grattan...
On to Part 6!
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