The day had darkened and turned to night quicker than expected, shadows surrounded Theo and that side of the planet. "Lieutenant Jones, come in. it's Theo, are you there?" he whispered into his radio and was met only by static, swearing once more, he cursed the planet. He silently stalked down the dark alleyway he had chosen to be his first ally of darkness, barely able to see the floor, he stepped forward in to a few objects on the floor that squished with a repugnant stench under his boots, he was instantly glad of the darkness, "It's just... poo Theo... yeah... just dog poo, you'll have to wipe it off later, before Lieutenant kills you for it" he muttered to himself with his voice faltering, almost to a squeak. There were no doors or windows down this thin passage, just a simple wire metal fence with a small single gate in the centre, Theo's worry was that it was padlocked and that he couldn't climb over the barbed wire top and would have to walk back through the squishy alleyway. He quickly flashed his shoulder light onto the gate, his luck had changed slightly, it was chained, but the chain was not locked, he unravelled the metal binding as quietly as he could. The gate however, wanted to scream with complaints as he forced it open slowly. Now the whole sector knew he was there. Once the complaining of the gate ceased, Theo listened, full of fear, nothing. Just the sounds of the planet, birds of prey, calling and killing, the swaying of the trees in the distance, the whistle of the wind and the blowing of the dusty ground. Theo started making his way towards the south entrance once more, if he could get atop the wall, he would have a vantage point, capable of seeing distance on all sides, allowing him to have a better advantage than just a few meters in the street, behind the next corner or shadowy doorway leading into the alley. Theo's radio crackled, "Theo, it's Merrion, are you still there?" came the panicked voice. Theo answered his comrade. "Jone's is down, she's bleeding out, one of those things got her!" cried Merrion, Theo swore to himself, cursing the creatures. "Calm down Merrion, where are you?" asked Theo trying to keep his voice calm, Merrion told him that they were still in the command tower, on the floor below Broom's office, Merrion had barricaded himself and Jones in one of the canteen rooms, "Mate, I think Jones ordered an Air Strike on Red Sector Zero-One..." said Merrion sobbing, it was clear he had lost all hope. Theo heard gunshots over is radio, "Merrion? Merrion! What's happening?" just then, Theo noticed the whistling of the wind, had subtly stopped and been replaced with a soft hissing and sniffing, Theo saw four orbs further down the alley, the creatures eyes catching the light made them glow unnaturally. "Merrion, if you're alive, please be alive! I'm heading for the south gate and just beyond, in to the tree line, two hours from now, I will be heading for the small village, three miles East, I hope you meet me at the tree line!" said Theo quietly into his radio before backing off in the opposite direction of the leering eyes. The southern gate of the complex was not far, he could run there in ten minutes if he managed to avoid detection.
Winslow had heard of the quarantine order and quickly taken command of the Judgement, "Where the hell have you been!" boomed Captain Errol when he showed his sunken ghoul face in the light of the bridge, and Winslow simply smiled smugly and gave no answer. The bridge had a soft mist all around the room, fire extinguishers had been distributed to every other officer, a lot of the electrics had malfunctioned and started fires, but had been hastily put out, and replaced. The Bridge, now mostly operational had found no structural damage, the only casualties had been abrasions and cuts from crew members falling with the shaking ship. Winslow sat upon Errols chair in great satisfaction and Errol went red faced when he saw, "Now, commander, I expect the air strike to be under way immediately." said Winslow gleefully, hardly able to contain his excitement. Errol stood aghast. "What? Air strike! Are you mad?" spat Errol and Winslow smiled once more, "Commander, ready the air strike and destroy that pathetic camp down there like a good boy, and you might even get a sweetie." Errol exploded "It's Captain to you, Captain!"and I command this vessel, not some slimy punk egotistical arse!" the bridge crew slowed in the jobs they had been doing to listen, some had even turned around to witness the confrontation, Winslow cast his cold eyes upon Errol with a serpents smile that had its prey exactly where it wanted it, as Errol approached the gaunt featured man that sat in his chair. "I know you copied the Evergreen's Last Resort Weapon blueprints, but to what end I do not know!" whispered Errol, loud enough for the Officer closest, a hard faced, tattooed woman overheard, she called Winslow an unmentionable name and drew her weapon, it was clear her loyalties lay with Errol and not him, Winslow, unable to contain his glee much more laughed like a child playing with his toys, "Now, Now Commander Errol, come now, control your lowers." giggled Winslow, "Now, be a good boy, or I shall do to you, what I did to the good Doctor Frederick.." he gestured to Errol a finger across his throat as he jumped to his dancing feet. That was his final mistake, and final command. Errol raised his own pistol and placed the cold muzzle against Winslow's smug forehead, "It's Captain." said Errol softly and with a squeeze of the trigger, and a flash of the muzzle, he shot Winslow in the face. "Bollocks" sighed Errol, "Now my chair is ruined!" Sitting on the floor, he ordered someone to dispose of Winslows bloodied corpse in the airlock, Errol unloaded his pistol and holstered it. The Bridge was silent for a long while. Some officers had drawn their own weapons in the confrontation, now nervously placed it back in its holster, knowing the danger was over, but not understanding what had just happened and why.
After a long silence, Errol ordered constant contact to be regained between The Judgement and their two ships in high orbit and also to contact soldiers on the ground, obtain numbers on losses and survivors, locate them and extract if possible. "Sir, we cannot contact any of ours on the ground, we have put on a repeating message on our global frequency to make way to the Gryph fortification of Forgod to the north, we have contacted the Gryph ship near by, they will be happy to receive all, if any, but they want to know what happened..." said the chief coms officer. Errol bowed his head in deep thought, he had just executed a murderer and traitor, but he was also an Imperial High Advisor. How would he handle this when the report came through? Not getting executed was the best outcome. Errol noted down everything and collected the evidence he had obtained against Winslow secretly whilst Winslow had been controlling his ship, he was proud at how clever and sneaky he had been about getting the evidence against the traitor. He would report everything to Kyril of The Evergreen before anything else. He ordered the information sent to The Evergreen for the attention of Kyril to be sent immediately.