Word had just reached her that an old industrial rig had been overrun by bandits. While it had originally been a mining platform operated by some unknown faction, it had since been abandoned, becoming yet another ruin in the wilderness. Recently, however, it had been taken over by a band of thieves, who had made it their base. To Sera, it meant one thing: an opportunity.
Supplies were running low again, and the rig was a perfect target for a raid. It was unlikely anyone would miss the bandits. No one in Terra II shed tears over criminals who preyed on the weak. The raid could solve several problems at once—removing a threat and securing much-needed resources.
No one will miss bandits, she thought to herself, pushing the memories of her past decisions aside. And we need what they have. Sera stood up from where she had been sitting and stretched, shaking the tension from her limbs. Her mind was set on the next task. She needed to plan the raid.
She then made her way toward the command center, where her trusted team—her friends, if she could even call them that—were waiting for her next move. These were the people who had stuck by her through everything, even when the factions had threatened to tear them apart. Now, they would need to rely on each other once again.
The command center was dimly lit, the low hum of machinery filling the room as Sera entered. Ava, Alaric, Zyra, and Dmitri were already there, standing around the central table, looking over maps of the area surrounding the industrial rig.
"Got the report?" Dmitri asked, glancing up at Sera as she walked in.
Sera nodded, her expression serious. "Yeah. It's an old mining platform. Bandits moved in not too long ago, and from the looks of it, they've made it into a semi-permanent base. This could be our best shot at gathering supplies."
Ava was already looking over some of the schematics they had managed to find on the rig. "How well-armed are they?" she asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and concern. "We're not walking into a hornet's nest, are we?"
"That's what we need to find out," Sera replied. "We can't just rush in. I want Dmitri and his group to scout the area first—see how many of them there are, what kind of defenses they've set up, and if there's anything we need to watch out for."
Dmitri nodded, his face grim but resolute. "We'll move out tonight. We'll keep a low profile, gather intel, and be back by morning."
Sera tapped the map with her finger. "I need to know what their patrol routes look like, how well they're armed, and if they've set up any alarms or traps. Once we have that information, we'll come up with a plan. I don't want us walking into any surprises."
Alaric, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. "We also need to consider how to extract the supplies. If it's a mining rig, there could be vehicles or equipment we can use, but we need to be careful. If it's too damaged or rigged to explode, we could be in serious trouble."
"Agreed," Sera said. "Dmitri, I'm counting on you and your team to get us the details we need."
Dmitri gave a curt nod. "We'll handle it."
As night fell, Dmitri and a small team of scouts prepared to leave. They moved swiftly through the dense forest, their movements quiet and deliberate. The sound of leaves rustling in the wind was the only noise that accompanied them. The moonlight barely filtered through the thick canopy of trees, casting everything in shades of dark blue and grey.
The rig wasn't far, but the tension in the air made the journey feel longer. Dmitri's group, made up of skilled trackers and survivalists, moved like shadows through the woods. Every step was calculated, every sound carefully avoided. They knew how to remain unseen, but they also knew the danger they were walking into.
As they drew closer to the rig, the silhouette of the towering structure began to loom in the distance. It was massive, even larger than Dmitri had anticipated. The rig's skeletal frame rose above the trees, its rusted machinery still visible against the night sky. The lights from the bandits' camp flickered faintly at its base, indicating they were settling in for the night.
Dmitri raised a hand, signaling for his team to stop. They crouched low, hidden behind the thick foliage, as they observed the rig from a safe distance.
"Looks like they've set up camp around the base," one of Dmitri's men whispered, pointing toward the faint glow of campfires and torches. "There's at least a couple dozen of them, maybe more."
Dmitri nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. "Keep watching. I want to know how often they change patrols."
The bandits moved lazily through their makeshift camp, their guard lowered now that night had fallen. But Dmitri wasn't fooled by their casual behavior. These were hardened criminals, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatened their hold on the rig.
As the scouts watched from the shadows, they began to map out the camp's layout. The bandits had taken over several key areas of the rig, including what appeared to be an old supply depot and a central control tower. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter at regular intervals, and Dmitri could make out the glint of rifles in the moonlight. They weren't heavily armed, but they were dangerous enough.
"Looks like they've got two main patrols," Dmitri muttered, pointing them out to his team. "One at the north side, the other at the east. They switch every thirty minutes. We'll need to hit them fast and clean."
One of his scouts tapped his shoulder and pointed toward the base of the rig. "Look there."
Dmitri squinted and saw a small, dilapidated vehicle parked near one of the old mining platforms. It looked functional enough—barely—but it could be the key to hauling away whatever supplies they found.
"We might be able to use that," Dmitri said quietly. "But we'll have to take them out first."
As they continued their reconnaissance, Dmitri's unease grew. The bandits were more organized than he had expected, and their position within the rig gave them a strong defensive advantage. The longer they watched, the clearer it became that this wasn't going to be an easy raid. But they needed the supplies, and there was no turning back.
Hours later, as dawn began to break, Dmitri and his team returned to the landship. They moved swiftly through the trees, their breath misting in the cool morning air. By the time they reached the command center, Sera was already waiting for them, her face a mask of calm.
"What did you find?" she asked, her voice steady.
Dmitri stepped forward, unfurling the map they had marked with the bandits' positions. "They're dug in deep. They've got patrols on a regular rotation, and they're armed with melee weapons and a few old rifles. Nothing we can't handle, but they've set up a decent defense. If we're not careful, they'll spot us before we get close."
Sera studied the map, her mind already racing with possibilities. "We need to move fast, then. Hit them hard and take what we can before they have a chance to regroup."
"We also found a vehicle near the rig," Dmitri added. "It's old, but it might still work. If we can get it running, it could be useful for getting the supplies out of there quickly."
Sera nodded. "Good work. We'll gather the team and finalize the plan. We move at dusk."
As the group prepared for the raid, Sera felt a familiar tension settle in her chest. It wasn't just about supplies anymore. Every decision she made as a leader carried more weight, and the stakes were getting higher. But this time, she wouldn't hesitate. The bandits had to be dealt with, and they needed what the rig had to offer.
I won't fail, she thought, her resolve hardening. We're going to win this.