7 - Rock Road Rage Lizards

 Dravik's Report

UnityHQ Intelligence Archive, Report 06204 04.02.4000 RESTRICTION LEVEL 5

To: [Redacted]

Agent: 09-004372 - "Dravik Tal"

Codename: Echo-2

Location: Port Elarion, Elarion Prime, Quintara Sector

Coordinates: [Redacted]

Status: All clear

Update: 

Plan alpha continues to unfold as projected. Subject shows great promise. See details below.

After Action Report:

• Subject and crew given mission to reclaim Rock Road Bridge by local government authority
• OSM Co. mercenaries hired to defend bridge - 'Rage Lizards'
• Opposition informed and prepared of subject's arrival
• Armed with Colony Rifles and one Shell gun
• Subject pressed forward despite being caught off guard
• Agent Echo Two provided covering fire, ensuring safety of asset
• Subject kept calm and provided admirable leadership
• Due to heavy opposition half of subject's crew were incapacitated
• Subject did not panic but continued to provide sound tactical direction
• Subject held objective and eliminated all Rage Lizard opposition 
• Agent sustained minor injuries in firefight
• Be advised, agent's cover is under scrutiny

Recommendations:

• Approach subject within three standard cycles
• Agent recommends providing subject non-laser weapon
• Subject continues to show superior tactical acumen and resourcefulness but questionable prowess in battle
• Additionally, Agent recommends HQ consider 'Dax Holloway' for fieldwork, potential to be extremely efficient operator 

Firefight at Rock Road

Visor-feed of Lira Venn, 4000.04.02 14:21 UniTi 

[Archivist's note: This recording has copious amounts of silence]

Lira surveys the battlefield, Rock Road lies ahead with a bridge spanning the Junv River. On the other side of the road the Rage Lizards are set up behind an impressive natural outcropping of rock.

Elarion's native crystals jut out frequently here, with ten man-sized clusters protruding from the earth - providing solid points of cover throughout the area.

"Alright everyone, let's set up - super novas, they knew we were coming! TAKE COVER!" Zev shouts while waving his arm, indicating everyone should hunker down.

Lira begins moving toward Zev and Dax when she sees Juniper break left at a sprint! She curses under her breath and dashes to catch up to Juniper, since she has a knack for getting herself injured.

As the battle begins in earnest Lira hears, but doesn't see, the report of Dravik's rifle followed by the Colony Rifles of the Rage Lizards, at least one of their round ricochets loudly off of the crystal that Dravik is using for cover - sending out a resounding PINNNGGGGGG.

Juniper dashes ahead of Lira and out of cover, raising her shotgun to fire two blasts at the nearest Red Rage Lizard, but missing wildly.

"Juniper you fool!" Lira chides as she struggles to keep up, turning the corner just in time to see a green-blue lizard turn and aim its sights at Juniper.

"NOOO!!!" Lira shouts as its ramshackle Colony Rifle fires, catching Juniper in the right shoulder and dropping her instantly. Unlike the previous two wounds Juni had sustained, this one looks serious - blood has sprayed the rocks where she SHOULD HAVE taken cover.

Lira drags Juniper behind the rocks and turns to engage both Lizards by herself when a wall of solid flame engulfs them both.

"Thanks," she grunts to Dax as she sprints to the south, past the road and into flanking position with the remaining lizards.

In the few seconds it'd taken Lira to follow Juniper and then drag her to a covered location the boys had taken out all but two of the Lizards, though it looked like Silas was down too.

Lira rushed up behind an orange lizard - about 20 meters off - and took a shot with her own Colony Rifle, missing wide and spoiling her element of surprise.

Not even bothering to turn and face her the orange lizard honed in a shot and fired - hitting Dravik! Lira didn't know much about Manipulator anatomy but that spray of purple-blue blood couldn't have been good.

Lira raises her rifle to fire again when the Captain appears from around the corner of the cliff the Lizards were using for cover. He takes aim and lasers a hole right into the Lizard's leader! A few seconds later Dax unleashes a second gout of flame, frying the last Lizard.

While the battle had been furious and short, it had been costly. Three of her crew, dare she say her... friends(?) lay on the floor bleeding. Lira immediately rushes over to Juniper as Dax ensures the Lizards are truly out of the fight and Zev attends to Dravik.

Silas is already groggily standing up, recovering from being knocked out.

"Did we get 'em?" Juniper asks weakly as Lira applies pressure to her wound.

Lira nods grimly, "Yes. Relax Juni, relax."

Reports of the injured come in over the comms - Dravik and Juniper look to be seriously injured while Silas was simply knocked out.

"VALONA!" she hears Zev yell from nearby in realspace, he must be on a private channel.

Rock Road

Visor-feed of Captain Zev.4000.04.02 14:32 UniTi 

"VALONA!" Zev yells, hunched over the bodies of Dravik and Juniper, "Damn it!"

He places another call, indicating high priority, "ISA! ISA!"

"Zev? Why, oh no did it go poorly?"

"Yes and no. I need those Medical Bots NOW. Mission accomplished, skip the paperwork and send them as fast as you can. I have three injured crew, the Lizards have been eradicated."

"Is anyone dying?" Isa asks, concerned.

"No... no I don't think so. I'm not a doctor but we've got some tentacles blown off and a hole in Juniper the size of an apple, arm is just hanging on it seems."

"Zev, it sounds like they'll survive - in this day and age those are minor injuries as long as you've stabilized them," Isa's calm, cool voice sets Zev on edge - easy for her to say from the plush offices of the Governor's Mansion.

"They're my people Isa. Send the bots NOW!"

"Alright, alright. Sending an ambulance to pick you up now."

"I want the bots out here Isa!"

"That's not how it works Zev, these bots are stationary surgery and treatment bots. We'll send an ambulance shuttle, it'll arrive in... about 2 minutes. I sent it as soon as you called and I picked up your beacon."

"Oh Isa, I could kiss you!" Zev exclaims, happily, "They're coming Dravik, Juni, they're comin'!"

"Well you're welcome but that's quite forward Captain, and I'm taken you see."

Curses.

"No, no not like that. Ugh y'all got your idioms all backwards here, and to think we're in the same sector? Seems odd."

"Indeed. Is that all Captain?" is all she says in reply.

"Sure is, you know 'that's all' as in we killed a half dozen murderous lizards, secured the bridge you asked us to without blowing it up, and got shot to bits while doin' it? Yeah, THAT'S ALL."

"Great work Captain, I mean it," she says, her voice a bit warmer than her normal bureaucratic tone. "And Captain? I have news for you once your crew is taken care of. Please meet me at the Governor's Manor this evening."

"What kind of news?" Zev asks

"The kind you're going to want to hear in person. About who attacked Quintara IV."