HidHop-14

==Chapter 14 – Catoblepas==
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===New crewmember===
12/09/3051
Andrew Steiner rose from his stiff cot, an upgrade from the pit and perhaps equal to Greta’s bed, from the pain of a bruised torso and arms. He walked to the vacant bathroom his hut shared with its neighbors in the pre-dawn light and looked into the mirror to wash his face before donning a new orange uniform. There was a wicked shiner under his right eye, he whispered to himself, “I appreciate you helping me sell this, Adam. 
However, I will get you back someday.”
He lingered there for a moment until more prisoners arrived, one of them stopped. A wiry wild looking fellow stood beside him and started brushing his teeth. His bright smile contrasting sharply with his dark skin “They did a number on you, new guy.”
“Kapiten Andrew Steiner.”
“Like the Archon?”
“A distant relation.”
“Is that why they gave you the full body treatment?” 
“No, the Commandant has a particular hatred for me.”
“What’d you do to him?”
“I’m his older brother. He got upset when he couldn’t get me to follow The Clan Way. Our mother would be so disappointed to see what he’s become.”
“He’s really drunk all that Clan venom then.”
Another pain came to his ribs, “Sure, feels that way. Who are you?”
“Jeremi Ankur, Jumpship Navigator.”
“Where’d they pick you up?”
“Baker Three, bad time to be on shore leave. They transferred me here with the first group to help set up the workshops.”
A trumpet blared across the prison camp its tinny report echoing off rolls of concertina wire and the woods that had slowed wind across the former farmland. There was nothing beyond the perimeter for kilometers around except roving patrols. All prisoners were herded neatly in the square as the Commandant marched around with his guards ensuring none were missing. He still had the gall to look down at them while wearing his LCAF officer’s helmet with its iridescent plume and horsehair for decoration in addition to his Star Adder Warrior’s uniform.
“Men, I trust you have all had a pleasant sleep.” He paused to stare at his brother with venom, causing discord with Jeremi and the others standing beside him, “Somerset is after all now known for its…hospitality.” The Commandant returned to his perch, “Your work details for the day have been delivered to the foremen. 
The weather should be pleasant today.
Not that it would matter.”
Adam and Rachel drove off and the guards started gathering their workers. Andrew sighed as he was marched off toward the mess.
The mess obviously was under close surveillance and as a new arrival that meant Andrew was under even more. He sat beside a young woman with her blonde hair shoved into a bun who skillfully peeled a basket of potatoes and put the result in a bucket. “You’re slow new guy. You get that scar from the clans?”
Unconsciously his hand touched his face, “Sanglamore. Sorry about the speed but it’s been a while since I’ve had to serve on KP.”
“Dueling scar huh. It’s kinda handsome.”
“It’s done its work in the past. Kapiten Andrew Steiner, and you are?”
“Alexandra Sutton but you can call me Allie. Everyone else does.” She dumped the skins into a large container marked ‘pig feed.’ “Jeremi told me that you are the Commandant’s big brother.”
“Yeah, little bro has turned into a bit of tyrant in my absence.”
“It’s still better than when the Hell’s Horses overran Alyina.”
“What do you do?”
“Aero Tech, which is why they don’t let me work in the shop. They’re afraid of what I might do.”
“Are you any good at cooking?”
Allie punched one of his many bruises eliciting a pained groan and wrench of his arm. She leapt up upsetting the produce baskets and scattering their contents on the tiled floor, “Watch yourself! I’ve gotta sit here all day with you. Apologize! or I’ll take my chances in the cooler!”
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Their guard rounded the corner at the shouting, “Everything alright here?” He patted the baton on his hip while staring at them. 
Andrew looked between the two of them nervously. He put his hands out in calming fashion, “Sorry, Allie. There’s no trouble, officer.”
He didn’t seem convinced until Allie righted the baskets and began returning the contents to them. “Keep it down you two.” His hand went to his ear, “Everything is fine, just a civil disruption with the new guy.” 
A moment passed, “I know we were warned about him.” 
The guard pulled his chair from the corner to stare at them, “I’m keeping an eye on him.”
His day passed without further incident, Curfew was called, dorms were locked from outside, guards patrolled the grounds with dogs and less-than-lethal but still excruciating weapons. Jeremi snuck over to him whisper quiet. “You just had to ask her if she could cook, didn’t you?”
Somehow the pain from earlier returned in force with a grimace, “I learned my lesson.”
“Yeah, I bet you did. There are beatings a plenty here, no need to risk another one, Kapiten.”
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===Mingling with the Prisoners===
12/13/3051
Forklifts loaded pallets of missiles and black boxes with codes printed on them transferring them to the beds of 4x4 light and 6x6 medium GP trucks and toward Somerport’s Starport. Prisoners gathered around tables assembling circuit boards under the careful supervision of INTER-LOGI Technicians and more knowledgeable peers. Others circulated around picking up, inspecting, and placing the work into a transport container.
Andrew Steiner dabbed his soldering iron onto the printed board. A lean man with a neat queue stood over him before inspecting his pick-up work. “Three-One-Zero, you’ve gotten a lot better in the past few days.”
“Learned it during my tech classes at Sanglamore. Been out of practice since becoming a POW.”
“Keep up the good work. Everyone must pull their load. If we miss our quotas, we miss a meal.”
“Which is a pity, the food here is better than on Kowloon.”
“Yeah, the Commandant is a peacocking bastard, but Somerset’s produce beats ship food.”
“Greater truths have not been spoken. Kapiten Andrew Steiner, former MechWarrior.”
“Lieutenant Florentin De Luca, former ‘Merc’ Pilot. Nova Fox picked me up when we tried to ‘acquire some cargo’ from what we thought was a Hansa vessel.”
Andrew nodded, “I understand, did they?”“No, but I spent a few weeks locked in a dark, empty EU with my mates until they finished their voyage. You ever seen a Clan Aerospace Pilot?”“No. Why?”“They’re weird, like Belter or Jarnfolk weird, long fingers and limbs, big eyes that can see in the dark supposedly, superhuman reflexes. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I’ve seen some weird stuff out there.”
“What is it that we’re making here, Florentin?”
“Communications and Computer equipment. INTER-LOGI has also set up an optical cable foundry at an old glassworks. 
In the other building they are making three flavors of something called the Advanced Tactical Missile.
I hear there are two others, but we don’t make them here, something about them being to volatile.”
“What are they using all this gear for?”“COMSTAR bailed all over the occupation zone, took their toys with them and sent whole planets into darkness. Someone’s gotta replace it, the Commandant convinced them it could be us.Now get back to work, Kapiten, I want a warm dinner tonight.”
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12/17/3051
Raindrops exploded as they landed in the many puddles within the cleared rail easement. All around them was the empty forest around the farming village of Haskell. Dozens of pickaxes, hammers, and mattocks fell in intervals so regular one would think they were guided by a metronome. Each impact cleared brush or hammered home the spikes that would stabilize the rail against the concrete rail ties. 
Andrew Steiner wiped his forehead, the large man beside him shouted out, “That’s not gonna stop the rain, mate.”
“It makes me feel better.”
A whip snapped behind them causing both men to peer backward to its wielder safe and dry in his rain poncho. “If you’ve got breath to speak! You’ve got breath to work! Get back to it.”
They had changed to dry clothes before boarding the bus to return to the prison camp before curfew. Warm meals were substituted for cold sandwiches and a large ration of Kvass, a slightly sour low alcohol drink made from stale bread, instead. 
Guards walked down the alley. It was dark and many of the prisoners had already nodded off exhausted from their labors. The large man from earlier whispered to Andrew from behind, “How’d you end up with hard labor?”
“Got in a few fights and my work wasn’t up to par in the shops. How’d you get here?”
“Same, sailors on shore leave you know?”
“I’m aware, name’s Andrew Steiner.”
“Like the Commandant?”
“Didn’t expect to fight a Civil War with my little brother over our home world.”
“Tough break, I’m Oscar Rastan.”
“Where were you stationed?”
“Barcelona, with the Seventeenth Rangers. Jump Infantry.”
“Heard you guys gave the Hell’s Horses a good fight.”
“We certainly tried, but they were everywhere. We didn’t stand a chance against Armored Elementals.”
“Even unarmored Elementals seem formidable.”
“Their Patrol doesn’t even use clubs; fists hit like sledgehammers, plenty enough to kill a man. 
Then, whatever soft suit they wear is impenetrable to any weapon short of an assault rifle and enables them to fight all day. 
I thought I was tough but there is just no comparison between a normal man and one of them.”
“It’s going to be a difficult fight for the LCAF.” The guard passed them and chatted with the driver on the other side of the chain-link partition, “but some of us have been coming up with a plan.”
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===Mission: Capture===
12/22/3051
Windows rattled as a chill wind blew through the hastily erected huts of Somerset’s ‘prisoners.’ Andrew and the others fell into their beds tucking themselves as best they could into the thin comfort of their issued wool blankets. Something crumbled in his pillowcase as the guards shut off the lights.
He pulled the note out sluggishly.'Someone important is on the Cato. We are ready if you are. Launch within two days.'Andrew swallowed the edible paper and laid back down. This was to be the last rest for a while, so he enjoyed it.
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12/23/3051
Ambulances howled into Somerport’s medical center, EMTs and Prison Guards burst out of the doors as eight prisoners were wheeled into the emergency room. Attending doctors and nurses rushed to the aid of the vomiting or near comatose patients. A cacophony of voices filled Andrew Steiner’s mind even as his stomach emptied, “This is the worst case of food poisoning I’ve ever seen.”
“Get them IVs right away.”
“Run cultures to make sure it isn’t something else.” 
“Put them in quarantine just in case.”
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12/24/3051
Andrew snapped awake within the darkened quarantine rooms followed by the others. He turned toward the young woman across from him, “That was some prison escape, Jacqueline.”
“Making my own Ipecac was not something to be taken lightly.”
“Well, you are the only person I’d trust to try.”
“Are you sure you made it correctly?” Oscar paused as he rose and slipped his legs over the bed.“It got us here didn’t it.” Allie answered. “Now what’s the plan?”“Break out of the hospital, head to the starport, steal a shuttle, then take the Cato as agreed.”
Another man replied, “Kapiten, are you certain your contacts are trustworthy.”
“Edgar, I am trusting them with and have known them all my life, so yes. We’ll swing by the abandoned Grange and upload your code. They will blame the lightning for the communication mishap rather than admit to sabotage.”The conspirators gathered in the middle of the room whispering to one another, “How do we get out of here?”“Oscar and I will get the door for you.”
Although heavy the door to the quarantine block was not immovable. Both men strained to keep it open long enough for Allie to reach the other side to disable the lock and alarm. To their relief the nurse was vacant and there were no guards present. The incessant beeping of tell-tales and whir of medical equipment disguised their efforts. “Good thing you are a small woman.”
“It helps get me into tight spaces which is very important on a ship. Even though it makes me look boyish.” She looked down at her prison uniform, “We have to ditch these clothes.”
“There is a locker room nearby.”
“How do you know, Kapiten?”“I was Academy Commandant before my brother. I spent some time here, chasing nurses.”
Jacqueline expressed her disapproval with a huff and jab to his back. “I thought you’d take that as a compliment.”
“Get on with it.”“Yes, ma’am”
The Medical Center was eerily abandoned at night, cleaning robots mopped floors, transported linens, and disinfected procedure rooms. Jacqueline, Edgar, and Jeremi donned scrubs and a demeanor matching the night shift medics everyone else found street clothes in the lockers although Allie was forced to don men’s clothing for lack of a proper fitting disguise. They split up in the parking garage to find cars matching the keys they lifted from the locker room.
Both VW sedans rolled out to the rain-streaked and abandoned pavement of Somerport. Clan Patrol and Somerset Constable vehicles crisscrossed the town enforcing curfew. However, since their cars were registered to night shift hospital workers they passed without issue. 
They pulled over around the block from COMSTAR’s former grange as lightning struck nearby. The grange was now covered in graffiti, abandoned, and dark. Andrew paused before to ensure it was clear of anything other than vandalized cars and fences.
“My contacts have left our disguises and kit within the dorms here. You all know your roles; we meet back here in fifteen.”
Fifteen minutes later Andrew and the others returned, both arms laden with duffels. Twenty minutes later took shelter under an overpass before changed into Merchant, Technician, and Laborer uniforms complete with codex IDs. Three Clan Pulse Laser rifles registered full charges as did two laser pistols, three stunsticks, and eight Buster E(ntry/ngagement)-Tools. 
There were also two sets of false number plates for their cars. Allie changed them over with the blur of a whirring screwgun. She sat beside Andrew in the backseat of one of the cars, “How did they know we would be taking two cars? And my size?”
“Hard to fit eight people in one vehicle. Don’t you think? 
Also, your size is registered for your prison uniform.”
She smoothed her damp hair, then looked down at her tan Technician’s coveralls with their three red sides on the upper arm pentagon, “I guess that makes sense.”
Andrew’s team approached the West Gate of Somerset Space Port, two Patrol Officers approached them while three more maintained their positions with hands on the Gauss SMGs visible on the outside of their foul weather ponchos. Oscar rolled down the window for them, “Name and Codex ID.”
“Oscar, Senior Laborer Two, Alpha Eight Five Bravo Mike. Heading to Hanger Echo-Niner.”
“What are you doing here this late? It is quarter past Oh Three Hundred.”
“This Starport is an all-day all-weather operation, quiaff?
“Aff,” The Patrol Officer looked at the number plate, his Compad, then signaled to his companions who opened the gate, “Move along.”
thumb|Ares Landing Craft
Hanger Echo-Nine was dark but open revealing the Ares Landing Craft within with its ramp down. The cargo hold was already filled with crates including one marked ‘Weingarten Specialty Liquor,’ alongside more common cargos such as liquified gases and spares parts. A large refrigerated container marked ‘frozen seafood, keep cold' dominated the other crates which were netted together on pallets locked into the floorboards.
Jacqueline, the ‘MedTech,’ found a place in the hold for her equipment, “How are they going to unload that container into a JumpShip?”
Andrew kept watch from the ramp while Florentin, Edgar, and Allie started the pre-flight checklist, “You want to take this one, Jeremi?”Jeremi looked aside to her with his laser pistol out, “Normally they just unload crates directly from the container, it’s just easier to refrigerate a single larger package than a bunch of smaller ones.”“That still seems very inefficient.”
“It is, but so would having corridors and carrying gear large enough for containers on a JumpShip. They are almost all KF drive.”
“What is up with these Clanners and seafood anyway?”“Beats me, we should ask our hostages when we get up there.” The ramp raised as the engines spun to life, Jump seats were built into an Ares’ cargo bay as they frequently carried soldiers into battle, “Now strap in everyone. We will have plenty of time for cultural exchange soon enough.”
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===Undercover Rendezvous===
12/18
SLS Cato drifted listlessly below Bone-Norman as an Astrolux shuttle approached it escorted by a pair of Sabutai fighters. As they approached visual range the stenciled writing on its flanks revealed the Explorer’s true name ‘Catoblepas’ and an insignia of a black octopus marked with sparkling blips of white reminiscent of stars. The Astrolux docked and disembarked its passengers while the Aerospace Pilots drifted into the same bay. A man waited by the ramp as a fit man with specks of gray in his coiffed black hair descended toward him, “Welcome aboard, Director Peltier.”
They shook hands, both possessing signet rings marked with the same insignia as on the hull.
“Thank you, Cell Commander Knightly. I looked forward to our reunion and this liquor that the Somerset Merchant Factor raves about.” 
 
“Yes sir, we shall arrive within that system in a few standard days.”
“Very well.” One of the Director’s assistants carried a stainless steel cylindrical with a strip registering its internal power supply, “Then we should get back to work.”
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12/24/3051
Somerset’s primary cut through the early morning clouds as the night’s storm dissipated. Adam Steiner leaned on the damp balcony rails with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. Rachel followed close behind, “Adam we seem to have lost long range communication last night.”“I’m sure it was just lightning. It will be fixed in a few days.”She leaned on the rail beside him, “I’m sure you’re right,” they both wore cautious smiles.
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12/28/3051
Both Flight Officers fiddled with some of the many knobs and switches on the shuttles control console. Andrew tried to follow him and Edgar while he had no chance with Allie on the flight engineer’s console behind him. “How do you guys keep everything straight?”
Edgar kept his eyes on the RADAR returns and other instruments. “If we do it wrong, we might die.”
“Touche.”
The First Officer opened comms, “SLS Cato, this is Somerset Shuttle Alpha-Kilo Zero-Six-Four, awaiting final approach.”
<<“Roger AK Zero-Six-Four. Transmitting course projection. Confirm transmission.”>>
A radio beam emanated out of the much larger JumpShip that was getting very close in their rear view. The Ares’ thrusters continued bleeding off the velocity they had built up over the first two days of transit. Somerset was one of few worlds where the recharge period and transit period lined up neatly with enough time to unload and reload cargo making it popular for the timeliness obsessed INTER-LOGI.
“We see it Cato.”
Floretin adjusted his course and bearing as the controls were already inverted as was normal for deceleration. “This is to easy, Kapiten. Are you sure this isn’t some kind of trap?”
“Getting flashbacks, Lieutenant?”
“I can’t say that I’m not.” He nervously gripped the toggles, “This is how I got pinched last time.”
“Just keep steady.”
“Roger that. Keeping steady.”
First Officer Schulz shouted, “Sir we have two RADAR contacts approaching. Fast.”“What do you mean Edgar?”“I mean we’ve got two bogies approaching at a high velocity.”“Fighters?”“Resolving images.”Two color adjusted images appeared beside their scope contacts, “The Warbook calls these Sabutai, it’s a type of heavy fighter. If the stats are correct these things are monsters.”
“Knew it. You said this ship was unarmed!”
Andrew didn’t answer until the fighters came into visual range on either side of their shuttle, “But not defenseless it seems. Hold steady Helmsman, they are in enemy territory too. It’s only two Warriors.”
One of the Pilots opened comms, identified as ‘Sabercat One,’ they flipped and burned their thrusters faster than was protocol or survivable even for Inner Sphere pilots, <<“AK Zero-Six-Four, maintain course and heading.”>>“Roger. Holding steady.”
Their Ares reached ‘relative’ stillness with the Explorer Jumpship which even though it was the smallest jump capable vessel in the universe still loomed over their small shuttle. The sleek Sabutai were lifted into the fighter bay by clamps while their Ares was pulled up to beside another shuttle.
Allie saw it in the rear view, “That’s an Astrolux, Kapiten. Who’s on this ship?”
“I don’t know but we are going to find out.” 
Andrew Steiner cracked his neck and knuckles before checking his uniform and keying the INTERCOM, 
“Everybody get ready,” He donned his cap with the Merchant Foreman badge emblazoned on the front, “Our real mission starts now.”
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===Change of Command===
“All hands report to the shuttle bay to expedite unloading.”
SLS Cato’s crew of thirteen Technicians and Scientists reported as ordered by their Leader, Commander Renmar (Knightly), assembling from all corners of the tiny Jumpship. Two small women, Point Leader Candida ‘SaberCat One’ and Aerospace Pilot Nimue ‘SaberCat Two’, stood by their Sabutais with arms folded over their chest on the opposite side of the bay. These doppelgangers wore white combat spacesuits that offset their slight builds, close cropped black hair, with pale skin, and the long slender fingers of a pianist. Cybernetic eyes gleamed under bright light along with the chrome pulse laser pistol at their thigh.
Director Reginald (Peltier) exited his Astrolux and stood in a loose medley of his own people, three Flight Crew including two similarly equipped female pilots, Two MedTechs, and a Junior Doctor from the Council’s Ministry of Biosecurity, at the base of their shuttle ramp. Commander Renmar strode over to him in a few bounding steps before anchoring himself to the floorplates, “Director you do not need to aid us. You are our guests.
My crew can handle the incoming cargo.”
“I will get something light. I cannot have everything just given to me Renmar.”
“If you wish, sir.”
The Ares’ ramp descended to the plates as a group of surly Somersetters strode down with their hands full of cargo boxes. Their leader stepped toward the Director and Commander, “Are you guys in charge?”
Renmar turned to face him, “Aff, I am Renmar Cato’s Commander.”
A noteputer was pushed toward him, although the Director lingered on the Merchant’s facial scars. “Merchant Foreman Andrew, please sign here,” Andrew looked at the Director who kept his eyes on him and saw the five Gold Faces on his Pentagon Caste Mark, “and I need a second signature for your special cargo sir.”
Reginald had a strange feeling that something was off with this Merchant, but he knew plenty of Nova Foxes that had retired into the Caste, perhaps this one was similar. “You want my signature?”
“Aff, the Commandant wants a guarantee his gift reached its intended recipient.”
“Very well.” The Director paused to write his signature with the stylus as Andrew held the noteputer out with his off hand. If one could peer beneath the carefully placed noteputer one would see the print on his uniform jacket, but he kept it close and made small talk while shouting out commands to his crew. 
Andrew’s companions scattered throughout the bay with some of them passing crates down from the ramp while others were carefully placing them in neat rows for the Jumpship’s crew to transfer onward into their cargo bay. The cargo bay grew emptier and the Warriors less attentive while Andrew enraptured their Superiors with tall tales overheard in Starport pubs or his Stepfather.
As the Ares’ cargo bay and the energy of the JumpShip crew waned Andrew clipped his noteputer to his belt, put his back to the nearest Warrior, and Reginald between the other pair. All four Warriors had begun to lose interest in their charge and apparently the large man clinging to the Astrolux behind him. “You know Reggie, this has been swell, I really wish I could stay.”
His hand grasped the other man’s shoulder, “You are rather bold, Andrew.”Reginald felt a hard object push into his back. Andrew whispered to him, “This bold enough for you. Tell your people to stand down Director, or else.”“Who are you?”
“Colonel Andrew Steiner, LCAF, and we are taking this ship.” The Somerset crew positioned themselves in cover with good shots on the exposed Warriors and open metal boxes they were ‘fiddling’ with. “Tell your people to stand down.”
“They are the enemy!” Reginald said before Andrew clocked him with the butt of his laser pistol. 
A gleaming bolt from Andrew’s pistol seared through Commander Renmar who attempted to reach for Andrew’s pistol. The atmosphere reeked of burnt flesh and cloth. Andrew hauled Reginald to a safe place and took up position to fire on the corridor leading into the Jumpship. 
Oscar dropped down from his perch crushing one of the Warriors into the plates before she could draw her pistol and firing his rifle at the other one. Her armor failed and laser pulses dropped her immediately. He shouldered her companion and dropped down to cover before policing her weapons and wrapping her arms and legs with zip binders. 
On the other side of the bay Edgar locked down the bay doors. Florentin and Allie made a break for the bridge before the crew could send a distress signal. Others pinned SaberCat One and Two down who had little protection or cover other than their suits. 
Polymer melted or evaporated, and metal scorched under the intense heat of their fire making the air painful to breath. The Somerset crew crouched behind carefully placed containers packed with spare parts made of dense materials, impossible to melt with the women’s pistols. 
Their fire became less frequent and powerful as the batteries and heat management ebbed. They charged across the bay catching the Lyrans off-guard, their fists swift and sure but they were still small and eventually succumb to the sheer mass of furious escaped POWs.
Jacqueline treated the wounded, bruises and burns, a broken nose, and arm while Oscar guarded their captives. Uninjured Lyrans swept up the rest of the crew and returned them to the bay. The dead were put in the airlock under vacuum, for now.
Andrew perched himself on a pile of crates to address the crew after confirming there were no more Warriors or similar threats onboard. “I am Colonel Andrew Steiner of the Lyran Commowealth Armed Force. I take you, the Cato, and everything on it as Isorla.” 
He wrapped his arm around the Pulse Laser Rifle as a few of his crew stood below on the plates, “If anyone has a problem with that. Speak now, I'll let you off. Otherwise zip it and get to work because we’ve got places to be.”
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