Log:Aldera Squad: The Burbs

Aldera Squad scouts the capital of Lana Panteer's empire, looking for a means to get past defenses for an upcoming raid

OOC Date: October 15, 2022
Location: Leilani City Outskirts, Delaya
Participants: Aldera Squad, Zacara Saronno , Ulani Kalgaav, Ejnar Celchu, Aryn Cortess and Bors Thul as GM

The evenings on Delaya could be argued as some of the most beautiful in the Alderaan system. Even with New Alderaan having been placed in the heavens by Centerpoint.

Even when compared to other worlds in a system renowned for its beauty and its people's affinity for it. The industrialization of the world, with the affects on the atmosphere, the periodic showers of dust reaching out in curving arms from The Graveyard burning in the sky like a mixture of borealis effect born of the 'falling stars' reacting to chemicals in the high atmosphere.

So is the sky over Leilani while elements of Alderaa squadron are moving within the infill borders of Panteer's seat.

<<"Lead, squadron, sound off. We're observing and giving our egg heads a chance to take sensor reads so they can pin-point where we can set some remote beacons. Then we'll see if we can make Lana bleed.">>

A suburb slowly being turned to urban outlier. With several armed figures slipping, presently, through the cracks.

<<"Aldera 06 reporting in.">> Ejnar's voice comes over the comms, deep and confident. He's wearing his Void Armor except it's a pair that's been turned into gunmetal camouflage of the Darkstar variety. Urban sprawl meant to fade in with the background of buildings, streets, and other metro type objects. He wasn't hiding or trying to be quiet, simply walking steadily and carefully closer to the wall of a building not far from Bors. <<"Copy, paint job, Got ya.">> He didn't seem to be carrying his blade with him, too bulky. Instead, those that knew and had seen them before, would recognize the gauntlets of his armor as being sheathed by Shockgloves. A formidable weapon in properly trained hands.

Eggheads, he says. Behind the visor of her helmet, Ulani gives a slight shake of her head and continues to follow the lead of those more stealthy than she is. Which isn't saying much. A charging bantha might be more stealthy than she is. But not for a lack of trying. The young woman is stooped down and moving as quietly as she is able, but definitely not leading the pack.

She's got her datapad out with the dimmer set as low as she can manage in the light without making them a beacon for their rivals, as well. A topigraphical map of their surroundings helps keep them oriented. <<"Techie, living up to the name.">> Even that is said with too much of a whisper. 'Egghead' stuff she can do. Covert? Well... that may have to fall more to her squadmates.

Originally hailing from another world in the Alderaan system, that being Espirion, Zacara Saronno gently presses forward on the flight stick of the A-Wing, slowing her descent so the craft's golden engines don't make so obvious a glow as it approaches the city. Once on the ground, landed in a spot well out of sight of prying, or even passing eyes, the Aldera-Espirion gets in to position relatively near the rest of the group. Hers is a simple armor, though it's very obviously Adera Squad in its azure and silver coloring - her demeanor as a 'normie', like she'd call herself, lacking the dignified posture and speech habits of a noble likely her 'Plan B' to explain the outfit if confronted. Strapped diagonally across her body is a long rifle made largely of wood at metal. <<"Five here,">> comes the requested check-in. <<"Couple corners ahead of you getting a lay of the land.">> She speaks casually, seemingly way too comfortable standing behind enemy lines as the group is. Part of being a smuggler is knowing how to pretend like you belong. <<"Too much orange here,">> comes an additional comment without anything by way of explanation.

Aryn is quiet until prompted to speak, though when she does, it's to a small mic that serves as an earpiece, too. <<"Three here, sir.">> Aryn is wearing protective plating fashioned for light, dexterous movement and concealment. Its tabard style touts Jedi style, but the style does not outweigh practicality. The cloak that's wrapped over the protective pauldrons and cuirass doubles as a hood and gentle flowing cape that serves to conceal the equally exotic weapon clipped at her side, and her identity whose likeness is the talk of their system. Aryn's movements are graceful and relatively quiet, but she didn't need to sneak when she could disappear at the drop of a hat.

His older black squadron ground rig might've been a little lighter to work in, but the suites within the inner workings of the antiquated Katarn Class armor enveloping Bors made him feel like he was something closer to an MCC without actually being a truck. The Commandos of the Old Grand Army had toys that little has matched since Empires and Republics became more concerned with spending as little as possible than outfitting their troops with the best available.

<<"Right...">> hunkering between an 'upscale' Nezwumps Drive and Dine and a small bistro, checking over the multiple displays and even checking helmet cams where he can in the feed behind the T shape visor that had been inspired by the Mandalorian source material for the old clone army.

<<"Try not to engage, a few intel sweeps said that there are concealed sensor towers out here, if we could set up taps or locate for sappers - it's to our advantage. If we can find some points where they might be hiding pop-up AA turrets, even better. Otherwise our first flight here will likely be very short.">>

Speeder trucks and more luxurious personal speeders roam above the duracrete walks between buildings, kicking up dust and obscuring street lights from moment to moment. In other areas, people walking alone, in pairs or groups can be spotted, hurrying through the shadows between those islands light.

Ejnar had been a Combat Pilot all his life. He had Martial Arts training from the age of a young man because of who his mother was. When it came to the world of ground combat, scouting, and tactics... he had a lot to learn. Being on a team that went in, scouted out their own targets and then executed that mission was something new. So perhaps Lord Celchu was a littler nervous. Ejnar pulls out his Datapad which was clipped to his belt and opens the hololink with his droid. <<"Five-Tee, pop the dish and run a sweep for any Anti-air weapons.">> He waits a moment as the data starts coming through over the Datapad's screen. He grumbles, back up against a wall. <<"Lots of interference but there seems to be some thicker cross signals I'm just having trouble locking it down to one place. Sharing data.">> He sends the data over their encrypted datalink.

Ulani has found herself a quaint little alleyway between a shoe shop and a cafe. Here the light doesn't quite reach and more so, passerbys tend not to glance down towards where the dumpters are anyways. It is behind one of these unsavory recepticals that Ulani has pinned herself down. Needing to anchor her location so that she can start a sweep of the area for any frequencies that are otherwise out of place.

A cable connects her datapad to her helmet, adding the grid-line map to the augmented reality and adding to it the expanded tech from her pad. At first, her readings are a little too muddled to draw a clear conclusion. Then Ejnar sends his own findings in and that helps immensely in triangulating the locations. <<"Can confirm. Accelerated activty north of here: some kind of leisure park. Two more potential hot spots to the west. A motel. Range is too far to pick up clearer signals.">>

Behind her helmet, which does broadcast a low-res image to Bors - not the most advanced suit of armor after all, Zacara presses her lips together in thought. Stepping around from the corner and into the walkway, with a red and yellow BB-unit rolling behind her, the casual smuggler adopts a gait that makes her look like she's strolling somewhere relatively un-urgently. One hand sways to her side as she walks, the other idly holds the strap to her rifle. As a pair of Delayans walk in her direction, passing a dance club, the Alder-Espirion raises a blue-gloved hand. <<"Hey, looking for some glit,">> is her gamble. Nightlife, dance club, surely there's spice around. It's Delaya! One of the pair, a short, youthful woman barely into adulthood squints at her suspiciously. "You a cop or something?" Zacara's head jerks back in surprise. <<"What? Kriff no,">> she says, casting her hand to the side as though throwing that idea away. <<"Cops're busy with that weird activity over there by the uh.. what was it..">> Oh. She's trying to get them to TELL her where the weird activity is. What a weird approach.

"Whatever, narc" is what she gets back and the pair giggle to each other as they walk away, probably making fun of her for being so obvious a cop. Grunting in impatience, Zacara taps a switch on her forearm, speaking to the squadron link. <<"Trying to get information. I should have ditched the armor. Lady was so pink, there's no way she's sober.">> Whatever that means. The Delayan had been ivory-skinned.

One moment, Aryn was there, and the next, she was gone. In the shadows, Aryn traveled with ease. It was not clear where she had gone until she stepped from the shadows from high up, inside a spired restaurant. Switching on her datapad, like a tourist, she streamed to the other members of the team, showing a 'wagon wheel' sort of division that marked the streets. From high up, the main drags appeared to head toward dividing barriers that led deeper into the city; these drags formed the 'spokes' of the wheel. The spots between the spokes were the suburbs, which the team was infiltrating. Aryn is able to see a high number of constables near Ulani's position, and there is an out of place above-ground parking structure toward the city, matching the signal Ejnar shared about clusters.

Aryn cuts the feed after recording and sends it to the others, then returns to a place she cannot be seen after a couple walks by on their way up for dinner.

<<"Shared a bird's eye view. Should give everyone some bearings, sir,">> Aryn says over the comms.

Gathering empty storage containers waiting for late night, or maybe early morning, pickup about him, tucking further back into shadow and settling into a hunkering kneel, Bors begins taking in the information from others, organizing and sending out the data being relayed to make things easier on the other scouts.

<<"Copy. Filing.">> The downside of a what essentially counts as Alderaan Armed Service's black-ops squad - having to do much of the legwork. But it was all for security. Fewer chances of leaks. Though greater risk if caught.

<<"Distributing.">>

Eyes slip past most of the team, attentions distracted by demeanor when approached and seemingly dismissed as 'nothing of interest' save one point in time.

"Sir, are you lost?" A woman in flat top cap and city security uniform stopping by Ejnar, leaning slightly to scrutinize, potentially catch glimpses of his appearances. No backup for the moment, for her. But one hand is resting on a belt commlink - the other instinctively close to the grip of the baton near her right hand.

<<"I'm going to head to this motel.">> Lord Celchu informs, pushing off the wall and coming directly under a street light. Dumb move. turning his head his helmet's HUD tracks the movements of the City Security Officer. He attempts to slink back into the alley he had emerged from but the jig is up. Was he lost? Probably. He could use her to get him in the right direction, but only if she believed him and Ejnar Celchu was a terrible liar. He was working on it, he promised. Instead, the large framed man leaped out and wrapped the officer into a hold that only some of the most expert practitioners of Teras Kasi could have escaped from. There isn't so much as a yelp as he pulls the woman back into the shadows of the alley with the quickness of some sort of boogie man that goes bump in the night. Occupying the minds of small children and stealing sleep from them as they continue to ponder on its insidious imagery. Drafted by their parent's fearful imaginations. He put pressure on his large arm wrapped tightly around her small neck. She fit against him nicely, not as well as his fiance but well enough for him to be accurate and effective when blocking her arteries and starving her brain of oxygen. She went limp against him and he put her down gently. <<"Make sure we send for an ambulance to this location I'm marking. Law Enforcement stumbled across something they shouldn't.">> He then unclasped a pocket on his belt and pulled out a packed of pain reliever and tucked it in the officers own pouch. Then with a pat to her flat top cap covered head, Ejnar Celchu moved along towards the Motel which was of interest.

More information coming in brings more of their targets into focus. The team working in tandem, Ulani is able to start building a far more detailed map by highlighting areas of interest and flagging clusters of patrols and pedestrian movements. Sadly, without actual trackers on these individuals, the information is only relevant for a short window of time. But it can prove to be enough.

First thing she notices are the constables near her own hiding place. If she needed to move in a sudden pinch, that will prove troublesome. <<"Sending updated map with high priority targets. Authority presence is more than I would care for. Stand by.">> She doesn't have her best slicing equipment with her, sad to say. But there's enough to work with for Ulani to get a lock on the internal communications the security teams are using. Why do they so rarely double encrypt? Ah, well.

The cluster of constables are walking their own beat when they all stop at once. Shoulders tense and helmets turn. Spinning on their boots, the leader gestures for them to follow and the group is making a quick retreat away from the immediate area: likely barking orders to others in the vicinity to rally to a security breech several blocks south of here. <<"Didn't get the full range I wanted, but that will buy us some time.">>

Pausing near a speeder stand, Zacara runs through the situation in her mind. <<"I'm going to go back up our techie,">> she reports, looking down at Gadget which seemingly leads the way for her. No need to pay attention to where you are in the city when your droid can do that for you. Woman and droid cross a couple of streets and pass a few blocks until they've neared Ulani's position.

Passing through the alley, she hears the unfortunate incident Ejnar had and with her left hand, draws her quiet dart gun, holding it casually to her side as she steps near Ulani. "Going to keep an eye out while you do your thing," she whispers. Capable of slicing herself to a decent degree, it wouldn't surprise her if Ulani were better - and anyway why interrupt what's already going on? Better to make sure it keeps going on, in her own opinion. "Gadget," she calls out to the droid a few feet away. "Go keep look out! Let us know if one of those guards starts coming back, or someone else."

"Too much orange here," she comments to Ulani, shifting her weight to one side and peering down the walkway. "It's like the city's on edge. Won't mind leaving this place our ion trails." A glance at Ulani and her work, head canting with interest. Your first time meeting your XO and you spend it complaining. Good work, Zaca.

Streets are clearer when alerts go out to investigate whatever is causing problems. Or whomever. Comm signal traces jumping significantly. Speeder traffic rerouting similarly.

<<"Looks like they're taking whatever Two did seriously. I'm hearing the name Ulgo and Qel-Nosh coming up. Keep eyes up. Possible patrol coming through.">> Bors voice crackles over comm distortions while the squadron use old Alliance methods that a certain general introduced to him back when he flew for the Republic. Rapid frequency changes and vocal distortion making voices sound robotic and hollow - the shifts randomized so that if heard it might be a syllable eaves dropped at best without the randomizer codes.

The hotel, The Woolly Wings, rises up before Ejnar on his approach. A standard fare sort of establishment. Small clean rooms, a few suites, gravity pool and holonet available with on-demand. The sort of place used by families wanting to use money for their tourist attractions and not their lodgings.

Two police officers are leaned up under the entry awning, chatting distractedly.

Ejnar approaches the Wolly Wings and stops just before crossing the street to the entrance. He looks up, scanning. He can't see anything out of the ordinary in this building. At least on the outside. If there were Anti Air Guns they could be hidden inside the rooms or placed on the roofs. He had to get in. Looking towards the entrance, Lord Celchu notices the Guards talking there, his ARS zooming in and enhancing on them. There was a sense of urgency, especially after the way he left the last Officer and taking these two out might alert more inside or elsewhere. Taking a deep breath he approached. He did his best to display confidence, perhaps too much so as he held his chest out and walked with his arms swinging. He attempted to pass the two guards and enter the building, <<"Gentlemen...">> Is all he can offer to them, praying ever so slightly that they'll just let him by.

Ulani is so engrossed in what she is doing, that she doesn't realize Zacara has doubled back to join her until the woman is speaking. She jumps with a start, confused on how she was spotted so easily then--- oh, yes. Of course. "It has its charms, I imagine. When freed from the curtain of oppression, mind. It does color one's perceptions a bit. Oh, Mama's Boy is on the move. We should, as well. We haven't much time." Which is really something she ought to tell everyone else.

<<<"Be advised: Techie and--">> Oh dear. Hm. <<"--Bluff are moving in to mark the sensors. Heading to the park coordinates. Security diverted but likely not for long.">> That done, she gestures for Zacara to follow her. Rather than shift from shadow to shadow, Ulani takes to the sidewalk in a casual walk. Because she would absolutely be spotted if trying to movie-level creep through the bushes and duck behind trees.

Strutting around like you belong is a Zacara specialty, so of course she follows Ulani's suit. Of course, decked out in azure and silver and gripping a pneumatic dartgun like it were a handbag does make her stand out a bit. Ulani succeeded so well in acting like a local that a beat cop from the other side of the street takes Zacara to be a would-be assailant and, in an effort to be proactive in crime, yells at her from across the street.

'Hey! Stop!' The Alder-Espirion wearing the Aldera Squad colors utters into her squad comm, <<"Blast it! Keep going, I'll deal with this.">> Her head swivels across the street, teeth gritting in a grimace behind her helmet. "Hey, this isn't .." a quick glance at the nearby street signs. Adorian Wraps, a fast-food franchise being the first thing she sees: ".. Adorian Street, is it? Silly me." She holds her ground, attempting to lure the guard to cross the street toward her. Her side of the street is darker, and quieter..

"Citizen..." one answers Ejnar, the pair remaining in place - the still silent one raising a hand to rub his chin and lower lip; holding for a little too long, jaw moving a little more subtly. The speaker's head nodding fractionally while his eyes follow Lord Celchu as he passes through the doors and into the hotel lobby.

Shades of mauve and ocean blue assaulting the senses in addition to an additional distortion creating a warbling rip of static through his comms.

Ula is left to walk into the night time park, with all the airs of a ghost town holohorror. Empty roundabouts, swings and playsets where loose parts are jostled by breezes. Only the perception of youths chattering or laughing present, a trick of the mind to combat the uncanny valley dip caused by the sight of an empty play-place. At the center, where there are sensations of hairs standing on end once moving within ten meters proximity stands an image of 'Duke' Panteer, whom Lana succeeded. Meters tall and his hand lifted, cupped as if to hold the sky in his palm.

Guards nearby seem momentarily distracted from the lone stroller though. Interest garnered when the still lone officer who doesn't quite cross streets. Remaining in the middle, hand on the butt of their blaster, snapping the release when his eyes drop to what the bright coloured woman has in her hands.

Ejnar somehow makes his way past the two Officers and into the /very/ blue interior of the Hotel. He would have stopped to look around and at least enjoy the design and architecture but the squealing in his ears from comm feedback along with the following static as the auto squelch attempts to compensate distracts him. Hobbling off towards the stairwell and pulling out his datapad again, he attempts a scan of the area. Too much interference again. <<"There's a lot of comm interference coming from this Hotel... it's so bad it's leaking. Like... like some automated control hub. Too much traffic...">>

The possible realization hits him, <<"This had to be some sort of communications hub...">>

Liminal space.

As she walks through the seemingly abandoned -- or at least neglected -- playground, the termi pops up into the avid reader's head. This place doesn't just dip into the uncanny valley. It brought an excavator and started digging itself a trench. The orange-ish sky is not helping. Pretty sure she saw Aeric playing a game like this many years ago. Back when he delighted in scaring his little sisters.

Now she's walking through it trying to pretend she is on a pleasant stroll while her backup has already been spotted and confronted. <<"Bluff has been intercepted. Monitoring the situation.">> She offers not even a glance to the guards in the area. Afterall, she is just another citizen on a walk. Through this creepy playground.

Ulani leans up against the statue, crossing her legs at the ankles and glancing up at Duke Panteer. As she does this, her hand has slipped behind her back, aiming to attach the small beacon against the back of the Duke's stone boot; just beyond the folds of his robe.

"Hey!" A guard is already approaching, holding up a baton and pointing it at her. "What are you doing? You can't sit there."

The beacon set, Ulani quickly hops off the base and holds up her hands. "I-I'm sorry. I was just waiting for my boyfriend."

'Place the blaster down and get on your knees!' comes the command from across the street. Zacara turns her head slightly. "Blaster? This is a Coruschal WW Pneumatic Dartgun. See, the WW stands for--" there's a small mechanical click as the dart gun is quickly brought up and aimed with a flashy flourish only a smuggler would think looks cool. And it does look cool, but it's entirely impractical, adding to a lapse in maneuverability so that when the dart is fired across the street, it misses the guard entirely. A small rodent on an awning behind the beat cop can be heard squealing in shock, only to go in to an incredibly deep sleep a moment later.

Still, it looked pretty cool.

Aryn steps out of the shadow behind the guard accosting Zacara, or.. was it Zacara accosting the guard? Whatever has happened, Aryn is witness to the discharge of a dart gun, and the guard issuing commands that Zaca get to her knees! Oh no!

Aryn clears her throat, alerting the other to her presence, and says, "The one who fired the weapon is there. 'You want to pursue them down that alleyway.'" It's a long shot, but it doesn't come off as convincing, and Aryn could see it on his expression.

She tries again, this time really putting in the focus to coat her words in something more than diplomacy. "You want to leave her be and pursue the perpetrator down that alleyway!" Time would tell if the roots spread in his mind, but Aryn waved her hand when she said the words.

"Waiting for your boyf-"

"YOU THERE! HANDS UP! SHOTS FIRED! I'M IN PURSUIT, I NEED BACKUP!" Zacara finds herself suddenly forgotten, the constable who had been preparing to fire on her suddenly drawing and sprinting past her with their pistol held at low ready.

"Just get the hell out of here!" the officer by Ulani snarls before they're sprinting as well, drawing their side arm to follow the other down the alley, demanding someone halt and get on the ground.

Within the hotel with the heavy air, almost literally, there is a buzzing created by Ejnar's comms rotating through their encryption scramble - a figure dressed too dapper for this sort of hotel, nice as it looks, appearing behind the main counter. Holding there and seeming to speak with the hostess tending to the few night check ins going on.

<<"Copy, Six. Get a spike or something jammed somewhere with system wires inside or out and get out.">> blink switching the primary feeds, Bors adjusts his attention from where he's hunkered. <<"Two, three, five. Beacon test-ping successful. Exfil.">>

Ejnar starts to look, trying in a bit of a hurry to find a junction box or spike where the interface can be completed. Eventually he finds once and wastes no time in digging out the clunky very obvious beacon. He isn't quite sure how it works but he jams it into the junction like the instructions printed out on it say. He steps back and looks at it. He looks left, then right... it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Moving back down towards the lobby he stops just at the beginning of the entry way where there were two potted ferns, as hotels have. He looks to one, then to the other. Then to the hostess and the man behind the counter. As soon as their eyes are adverted, he attempts to pick up one of the pots. Alas, this becomes is downfall.

"What the hell are you doing with that?" Asks one of the guards.

Ejnar just stands there, pot in hand, starring at him.

Then, after a long moment... he tosses it violently at the guard. <<"Catch!">>

The pot slams into the guard and sends him reeling. Ejnar books it towards the exit, forgetting about the spike. They at least had the general coordinates. The other guard attempts to stop him, leaving Ejnar no choice but to clock him real good across the jaw. He's sent spinning and Ejnar reels out the door, staggering with clumsy feet. He falls forwards, having to catch himself and push himself back up. A stun bolt reaches out for him but misses. His boots scuff the ground before he's off again at a full run. <<"Okay... that's bad... I kriffed that up big time. Next time we send the Rangers or the Dragoons in, yeah?">>

Careful not to move, Ulani keeps her hands up even as the shouting begins. Oh, how she dreads what she is going to have to do in a moment. Suspecting that the bellowed orders are in regards to Zacara, Ulani offers just a numb little nod and waits for the guard to turn his back on her. No doubt about to go assist his fellow in arresting her squadmate. He turns to dart in Zacara's direction, sending Ulani's hand to the hilt of the pistol at her hip. Gripping it tightly, she is halfway to pulling it free--

Both guards are running past Zacara and down an alleyway, causing Ulani to tuck the pistol back into the holster with a bewildered tilt of her head. It takes a second or three, but she pieces it together as she rushes up to meet with Aryn and Zaca. <<"Copy, Leader. Making towards the rendezvous.">>

Ulani breathes a sigh of relief as she meets up with the pair. <"Well, that was... more excitement than I had hoped for."> As they beat a trail out of the area, she frowns a bit out of concern for Ejnar. But at least he still sounds alive.

When the officer's reaction to being shot at is to hesitate, then turn around, shout, and run the -other- direction, Zacara is stunned for a break moment. She takes a step back, looking at the hooded figure seemingly emerging from the shadows. "That's uh - did you bribe him, or.." no time for an answer as the two of them, as well as their XO, are ordered to get out.

With the urgency set by Ejnar, Zacara picks up the pace, hopping over barriers until she comes to a fence nearly twice as tall as she. No biggie, she's done this before. A big step and a push, and she propels herself toward the fence - but can only grip with one hand, since the nudnik is still gripping her probably-okay-definitely-for-recreational-activities dartgun. The one hand grabs, but the other slips, causing pilot and slugthrower to start to fall.

Until they aren't falling. A sudden push, like the thrust of a repulsor, propels her back in a forward direction, just strongly enough to clear the top. No time to try and figure that one out. Keep running! For its part, Gadget just goes between a small drainage opening, rolling along at its fastest pace.

Aryn would have answered but the time to leave was upon them. She stayed in place long enough to observe the guard rushing off. Zacara was on the move too, and when it became apparent she was not going to make the jump and climb. A slight bit of encouragement ensures there's no hiccup there, and Aryn is following along behind her, light steps splish-splashing through the small puddles on the ground as she passed! <<"On my way back, sir.">> Aryn says, glancing back briefly, before continuing on!

<<"Get to your bunker positions, I'll come around and make sure your blinds are good, we mount off and boost for home in the morning. They'll be scanning and interdicting ships. Meet at the Thranta at Oh Six Hundred. Five, you boost at Oh Six Thirty Five, that's supposed to be Golden Hour, will give you the best solar interference for your exit.">>

Bors is already moving, in the shadows and working as a central relay for those moving about. <<"On the job training, Six.">> killing part of his helmet systems to black out the glowing blue visor.

The hotel beacon may be spotted, it may not, but there's important enough data for future notes and Ulani's beacon is securely tucked away for later, for Aldera Squad's first strike against Lana. Even a small gap in sensor nets can be a disaster for one side. A boon for the other.

<<"I found a very nice bush for myself, but if my armor is filled with fluff-tails by morning, remember me as a generally ok leader. Leave out the eaten by fluff tails part. Just that I was generally ok.">>

Defense forces begin descending on the location of the hotel, a woman in Majors rank insignia demanding camera data.

Down a series of alley turns, two officers stop. The one in the lead looking confused and turning to their backup, "Wait, no. It was..."