*chapter 3: The Good Samarita*
*Year 3192, colonial world of Ulianos*.
*Federal expeditionary corps, on a humanitarian escort mission*.
*While it's true that the Firiyaze federation shelters 36 planets within its embrace, it's also true that outside of these worlds, Colonies exist scattered across various solar systems. Each has a different role, from agriculture to scientific research and mining. However, occasionally, dissident groups opposing the federal government emerge. Some simply believe they don't need central authority. In cases where violence becomes common, the federation deploys its expeditionary corps to pacify the area. They are sometimes sent in the event of natural, humanitarian, or ecological disasters.*
-"There you go, back in top shape."
*Such is the case on Ulianos, where an unprecedented solar storm swept the planet's surface. Consequently, UV radiation caused epidemics and diseases to the majority of the population living on the day side of the planet. In what appeared to be a medical tent within an outpost, people queued for initial care. A man in a white coat distributed doses to patients. After half an hour, he took off his coat and stretched. He was a young man, about 25, with silver hair and a green T-shirt, still smiling after his recent ordeal*.
-"Great job, doctor," *said a guard beside him*.
-"Thank you, Manson. Did you see the face of that young boy earlier? He was happy to get his treatment."
-"Yes, sir, he's going to live a longer life thanks to you."
*Manson was burly,, rock armor type you'd see at a gym, tall, black guy with a cap on his hat*.
-"Don't get so giddy over so little," *said another*. "I don't get how one can be happy working in such a shithole," *he added*.
-"Did I do something to upset you, Dwight?" *he asked*.
*Dwight was a head shorter than Manson but still average height. He had ash-blond hair. Both wore tactical combat suits with blasters in hand*.
-"Far from it, doc, but this place is in the middle of nowhere. It's a waste of manpower and resources, and a waste of my killer skills," *he said, uninterested*.
-"So, you think saving these people's lives is a waste of time? Remember, they're humans, just like us. It's not their fault their sun did this to them."
-"Yeah, well, tell that to this planet's rebels. Those bastards blew up a checkpoint last week. Without the storm, they'd never have asked the Federation for help. I say let them be."
-"As a human being, you should be ashamed of yourself."
-"Hey, I don't see why you're arguing with me. In two weeks, I'm out of here."
-"In the meantime, you're stuck here with me," *a voice said from behind them*.
*A man approached. Unlike the guards in combat attire, he wore just a shirt, cargo pants, and boots. His sleeves were rolled up, and he had a tan complexion. He was nearing thirty. Seeing him, they both stood at attention*.
-"Captain."
-"Is there something you don't like about my shitty planet, Corporal?"
-"Sir, no sir."
-"Thought so. Dr. Shracken, I need to speak with you."
-"Of course."
*The two moved to a more secluded spot*.
-"Here's the short version: HQ wants you and
all your doctors to clear out of this area."
-"What? That's impossible," *he shouted*.
-"Calm down, I'm on your side, Albert. But things are heating up here. We have more and more wounded soldiers, and ISDC thinks they might start targeting medics. Until we can secure the area, you're to return to the green zone at central HQ."
*Shracken put his hands on his hips and bit his lip. He had been here for four months, even leaving his wife behind to help these people. He felt he hadn't done enough*.
"Alright, captain, I'll do as you say."
"Great. I'll inform your two buddies."
*Shracken locked himself in his room and started an audio recording, a ritual he'd kept since arriving*.
"Garcia asked me to leave the forward post to go to the rear base. I understand his request; he has orders, after all."
*He paced his room*.
"But we've made so little progress in this region. The recovery rate was 8% before I arrived. In four months of work, it's tripled. I'm so close to making a difference on Ulianos."
*He sighed deeply, sitting down and looking at a photo of him and his wife*.
-"I don't understand why some people reject our help. We do all this for their benefit. It's free. I just don't get it... What should I do?"
*An hour later, he had packed his bags and joined the convoy meant to escort them. There were four vehicles, Rovers with four seats. They looked like pickups but had a turret on top and all-terrain tires. Most were green, but one was desert yellow. At the back, there was an Infantry fighting Vehicle (IFV) supposed to carry the camp's civilian. Shracken was heading towards it when Dwight intercepted him*.
-"No, no, you're riding with me."
-"In this flashy Rover?"
-"Don't resist," *Manson said*. "You even have your VIP seat."
*He sighed but still climbed into the Yellow vehicle. The convoy moved out and left the outpost. Along the way, Shracken could see the moon, half-destroyed due to the war, and solar storm debris still occasionally falling on the planet, creating terrible ash clouds. The Ulianos landscape was far from welcoming*.
-"We have no air cover?" *asked the driver*.
-"All the birds are busy right now; we'll have to manage with our VIP convoy," *Dwight explained*.
-"If you want a shuttle, ask Garcia," *Manson added*. "We're safe here anyway."
*As the convoy moved, they saw a burning vehicle blocking the road*.
-"Lead vehicle to Dwight. There's a burning vehicle blocking our path. What should we do?"
-"Activate the Shocker; don't slow down," *he replied over the radio*. "This old trick again."
*The lead vehicle had a "Shocker" on its bumper, which, when it touched an obstacle, produced a shock wave that cleared or destroyed it. Basic models were designed to clear roads*.
-"Another obstacle, Dwight."
-"Shock it. I said don't slow down!"
*But then, they encountered trees and rocks blocking the path*.
-"Dwight..."
-"I see it," *he shouted*. "This is ridiculous at this point. We need to..."
*He was interrupted by an explosion*.
-"Damn, the lead vehicle's hit!" *shouted someone over the radio*.
-"Status? Did the shield hold?" *asked Dwight*.
-"2-1 here. The shield held, but no one's responding from the lead vehicle. I think they're unconscious."
-"Damn. Everyone, defensive formation around 1-1. We need to get them out."
*The remaining vehicles formed a circle around the target vehicle, under heavy fire. Dwight descended, and Manson manned the turret. Soon, they were attacked by dissenters*.
-"Where are you going?" *Shracken asked, panicked*.
-"Stay in the vehicle, Doc. It's going to get ugly out there," *Dwight said, activating his weapon*.
*There are two types of weapons in the federation: firearms, now considered outdated but still deadly, and the more modern blasters, which fire concentrated plasma beams. Their gear also includes a spot scanner, which detects enemies even in blind spots. Unfortunately, in the expeditionary corps, only 2 out of 10 scanners work. However, their firepower remained superior. From his seat, Shracken could see the lasers piercing bodies, some even catching fire upon being hit. Manson's plasma turret shredded enemies. Panicked, Shracken exited the vehicle, sweating and distraught by the deaths*.
-"Please make it stop. It's a nightmare."
*He vomited behind the vehicle's wheel and sneaked a peek. He saw one of the attackers preparing a rocket launcher and widened his eyes in panic*.
-"ROCKET!" *Manson shouted*.
*He hid again, and the rocket struck the yellow Rover. Surprisingly, the magnetic shield dissipated the blast. The only damage was a mark on the paint*.
-"Manson, status?"
-"Just a scratch," *he said, returning the fire*.
*Dwight returned to where Shracken was, still in shock from surviving a rocket blast*.
-"Ever wonder why I painted my Rover differently, Doc?"
-"To attract fire?" *he asked, trembling*.
-"Exactly. Want to know why? Because apart from the lead vehicle, I'm the only one with a magnetic shield."
-"WHAT?"
*Dwight forced him to duck and fired his blaster, cutting down an attacker*.
-"How's that possible?"
-"Budget, of course. Chrisford's Rover doesn't have tinted windows; Baxton's still runs on oil fuel, and Daisy doesn't even have doors"
-"And you go into battle with such vehicles? That's..."
-"Unacceptable? Ha, marines make do. Now, please, get back in the damn Rover."
*The ambush continued. Dwight's team decimated the attackers and tried to access the damaged Rover. Unfortunately, it was sealed shut. Using his blaster, Dwight cut open the door and rescued his unconscious friends. With news of the attack, HQ sent a shuttle to their position. Meanwhile, Shracken examined the bodies*.
-"I... I recognize these people. Some of them, I've... I've..."
-"Don't look. It's never pretty seeing someone killed by a blaster."
-"I helped these people. Why did they attack us? I mean..."
-"I don't know, Doc. The condor's here; you need to leave."
*He knelt beside the mutilated bodies, sobbing*.
-"Are your men okay?"
-"They are tough. Let's go now."
-"I'm Coming."
*Year 3195, Federal transport shuttle. Strike team Scarvenger*
-"Albert Shracken. Former head of a humanitarian mission on Ulianos. The following year, he joined the ISDC military research program. Charged with desertion and high treason, he stole an O.R.K. reactor and a prototype weapon before disappearing off the radar."
-"Did he act alone or with accomplices?" *asked a team member*.
-"Reports say his accomplices were arrested and imprisoned. Before being captured, he used the reactor's energy to teleport into Sub-space. We've only recently tracked his coordinates."
-"And where is our target now, Major?"
*He looked at his men and then down at the planet below*.
-"Somewhere on Amadori. (Earth)"
*End of chapter*