Rbz14: Wild Dunkey Chase
General Summary
Knowing that The Legion was likely tracking them now and closing in on their position, the crew climb on their dunkeys and make for high ground. If they couldn't lose them, then they could at least lead them away from the Shrine and confront them at a place of their own choosing.
There was a nearby valley that would limit The Legion's approach, if they were coming in from the air. They set up on a hill overlooking a clearing where the dunkeys were set up. Reinhard's phone, now with Saskia's ID module was in one of their saddle bags, and so it should look like they had set up camp late at night nearby.
They didn't have to wait long. Reinhard heard it first -- a sort of deep humm or buzz from one end of the valley. When he points it out to the others, they could see that just barely make out the silhouette of an enormous bee-like insect genetically engineered as an atmospheric shuttle. As it drew closer, they could see humanoid shapes strapped underneath the body -- hard lines of weapons and armor clearly visible. The shuttle was led by a much smaller rotor drone with large lenses, presumably for infrared or low light vision.
Benesh wasn't what to do, but Reinhard and Saskia pulled out their weapons and took aim at the leading drone. The soldiers were clearly looking for a fight. And they would give it to them, and ask questions later. The two open fire with their weapons but onlyk Saskia manages to score a hit, sending the drone copter spiraling out of the air.
But the shuttle-bee had already seen them and nosed down into a dive at their position. Benesh yells at Reinhard to close his eyes and fires an emergency flare right up into the bee. The sudden flash of light blinds the creature and causes it to rear up in the air, instinctively veering away from danger. The abrupt motion dislodges one of the four soldiers, who plummets down toward the ground. But instead of splattering on the valley floor, a bubble of impact gel deploys around him at the last moment, cushioning his impact.
The advantage was shortlived. Saskia had snuck away and now opened fire from the edge of the clearing. But the bee had already recovered from the flare and the rounds glance off its chitinous armor. Circling low toward her menacingly, the remaining three Legion soldiers readying themselves to drop.
"Aim for the base of the wing!" Benesh shouted. But rather than use this repeating rifle, Reinhard drew his precursor blade and leapt off the hill side. He summersauted in the air before dropping down by the shuttle-bee, cleaving off one of its four wings.
The diaphanous wing spun off the bee suddenly lurched into a spin. The flailing creature crashed through the treetops before managing to adjust its flight skyward. But as Quinn fled the barrage of crashing branches, he trips and tumbles down the hillside. He was injured but at least out of sight.
The soldiers, however, were more prepared now and manage to release themselves from the harness before the bee plowed through the treetops. The trio dropped down into the clear near Saskia as Reinhard also landed nearby. Instantly, the soldiers' silhouette flickered from view as their optical camoflage kicked in; while not perfect by any means, it made them very hard to pick out at night, especially if they remained still. But stunned as they were, they still managed to break free of the impact gel to fire at the crew.
But they were surrounded now. One of the soldiers manages to squeeze off several shots at Saskia. As another one tries to join in, Reinhard crashes in from the side, blade swinging through the soldier's weapon. Benesh follows him in as well, kicking the downed soldier in the side. Saskia emerges from her cover and fires on the distracted soldier, winging him.
The Legion soldiers suddenly find themselves on the back foot. But to their credit, one of them tosses a grenade-like device onto the ground. Instantly, a myriad of hologram images dance through the fight. Reinhard moves to cleave through one of the soldiers only to find his sword slashing through a hologram. Benesh likewise kicks at one of the images and almost falls down as his foot passes through thin air. In the confusion, the trio of soldiers make their escape, disappearing into their trees, their optical camo rendering them almost invisible if not for the red-and-gold Legion IFF logo glowing on their backs.
The fourth soldier who had fallen from the shuttle-bee was nowhere to be found. However, Benesh recovers the hologram grenade and Saskia finds one of the soldier's radio equipment. The package buzzes to life as someone on the other end asks for an update on "the target".
"The target has been eliminated." Saskia spoke in her most profesional soldier voice as Benesh 'helpfully' pandomimed in the background.
"What about the asset?"
"We have the asset... Our transport is damaged... Request pickup nearby."
There was a pause before the operator replied with coordinates back in the city.
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