S2, 24 Settling Down (RB) (February 25, 2016)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**25th November 2095: Present Day**

Reporter: “…But if these peace talks end the way that we all hope they will, then surely everybody will be happy?”
Colonel Tosk: “No! Aurelia was founded so that we could be free from those Imperial dictators! We wanted to release everybody from their clutches! Those were the beliefs that we started with and now, to accept a permanent truce with them, would be to accept defeat! We would be giving up on our founding values and surrendering once more to the tyranny of the Imperium!”

Reporter: “Colonel, thank you for your time, but we’re going to have to leave it there. Thank you.”
Colonel Tosk: “Thank you. Long live Aurelia.”

I was bored.

*SO* bored!

I didn’t see how people could just lounge around in bed all day! I was currently laying on my sofa, watching the news - there wasn’t anything more interesting on. They’d just finished an interview with an Aurelian Colonel who was arguing the benefits of continuing the war against the GI, as General Corvin wanted. I’d never met Corvin, but from what I could tell, he seemed to want war a little too much. Hadn’t there been enough fighting recently? I mean, I understood what the Colonel had been saying, but still. Weren’t they tired of it all?

I certainly was! I’d had enough of killing people! And I wasn’t even a soldier! I’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time far too many times!

My wandering thoughts returned to the TV a few seconds later, as a picture of John Goodyoung, the man who’s home I had investigated for Judas at the start of the month, appeared on the screen.

Reporter: “… Goodyoung, who was arrested earlier this month after a tip-off to the police, was today found guilty of collecting Collective war artifacts, at the Royal Court, here in Regentis.”

I smirked to myself, pleased that that creep was getting what he deserved.

Reporter: “Goodyoung was sentenced to life imprisonment but with the possibility of parole…”

The report continued but my comlink started bleeping from where it sat on the other arm of the sofa. I groaned and very nearly didn’t bother getting up to answer it. But I relented and stretched over to grab it.

Turning it on, Mr. Grey appeared.

Mr. Grey: “Tank.” He greeted.

Tank: “Hey.” I replied, already wondering what he was after.

Mr. Grey: “Enjoying your relaxation?”

Tank: “I am.”

Mr. Grey: “Good. But unfortunately, the Brain has a job for you.”

Tank: “Of course he does. What is it this time?”

Mr. Grey: “A group of marauders have settled on a piece of land on Etrion that is of importance to The Brain.”

Tank: “A piece of important land on Etrion?” I asked sarcastically.

The Brain: “Believe it or not, yes.”

Tank: “Okaaaay…. So I assume he’d like the settlers, uh… removed?”

The Brain: “By any means necessary.” He confirmed.

Tank: “Why does everything always have to be violent? I’ll go speak to them.”

The Brain: “Any means necessary, Tank. You understand?”

Tank: “Okay! Yes, I get it!” I snapped back. I don’t know why, but he’d hit a nerve.

He seemed to have a habit of doing that.

Tank: “I get it! You send me off on errands for… whoever the hell your boss actually is! All over the system! To do your dirty work, while you sit there, wherever the hell you are holed up this time and do nothing! *I* do *your* dirty work for you and get *nothing* in return! I agreed to this arrangement because you promised me answers and so far, I’ve received **nothing**! No answers, no anything! I’m starting to get tired of it now!”

Mr. Grey opened his mouth to speak, but I didn’t want to hear it, so I thumbed the activation switch and he vanished. I ground my teeth for a moment before angrily throwing the device across the room.

**Several Hour Later…**

Despite my angry outburst earlier, I still needed to know the answers I’d been promised. And I knew that by sitting on my arse, I wasn’t going to get told anything. My only option, really, was to do as I’d been told. So after a bit of angry muttering and storming around in the apartment, I’d got Tracks to prepare the Viper and now we were nearing Qoter’s war-ravaged moon.

Mr. Grey had obviously assumed that I would take the job anyway, despite my shouting at him, and had sent the co-ordinates through to my datapad.

We neared the location and from above it appeared to be just like the rest of Etrion; the ruins of a town.

I set the Viper down on the outskirts and Tracks and I clambered out.

I looked around in every direction, but from what I could see, I was the only living thing here! Frowning, I drew my pistols, just in case, and set off, heading deeper into the ruins. I wasn’t planning on using any kind of force here. I was hoping, *HOPING* that this could all be resolved peacefully. But wandering through rubble that was known for being a safe-haven for criminals wasn’t exactly my idea of ‘safe’.

We’d only been walking for a minute when Tracks whirred something. He was looking into the window of a decent-sized storage shed that appeared to be intact. I joined him at the window and peered inside.

Tank: “Wow!” I muttered aloud, seeing that the shed was stacked high with supplies of various kinds. Food, bottled water, ammunition, everything a settlement could need!

Tank: “Well, at least we know we’re in the right place.” I commented and Tracks nodded in agreement.

However, we still needed to find the settlers themselves. A task that took longer than expected! Together, we walked for a good hour or so, meandering through the ruins of what had clearly, once, been a decent-sized town.
Some of the crumbling architecture we passed made me really think about how much had actually been lost here. I mean, I had no idea actually how long ago the planet became a wasteland, but it had clearly been like it for some time. The devastation. The destruction and the remnants of what once was… it was such a shame that the whole planet had been left as this… shell, of what it once was.

How many people had been killed in the conflict? And how many more had lost their homes, their lives because of it?
I just hoped that nothing like this ever happened again. Certainly not in my lifetime, at least.

It was right in the middle of this thought that a heard something from off to one side. It had only sounded like a piece of rubble, a brick or something, falling, but I decided to check it out anyway.

Tank: “Come on.” I muttered to Tracks and, carefully, I clambered over some debris to get closer to the gaping hole in the side of a building, from which I’d heard the noise.

However, just as I was about to step inside, a man’s voice from behind me said,

Voice: “Stop right there.”

I froze in place, wondering how he’d managed to sneak up on us. Clearly the ‘falling brick’, or whatever it had been, was a distraction.

Voice: “What do you want?”

Tank: “I’ve come to make an arrangement with you."
There was a slight pause. Obviously the man hadn’t expected my answer.

Voice: “What do you mean? What arrangement? For what?!” he demanded, getting angrier the more confused he got.

Tank: “Are you one of the settlers? Are you new here?” I asked, trying to check that I was talking to the right person and not just some random thug who happened to be in the area.

Voice: “Who are you?” It wasn’t really a reply, but I assumed but his tone of voice that I’d been correct in my assumptions and he was indeed one of the settlers.
I very slowly started to turn around but the voice barked,

Voice: “FREEZE!” I did so, but I was now standing sideways, so I carefully turned my head, so I could at least see the man I was talking to. But I was in for a shock, as I found not just a single man as I’d been expecting, but a whole rabble of people! Men, women and children, all gathered around. Some sitting on rubble, others casually leaning against walls and others just standing.

Tank: “Are you the new settlers here?” I asked again, louder this time, so that everybody could hear me.

Voice #2: “And what if they are?” a new voice asked. Still male, but with a slight purr to it, which suggested the speaker wasn’t human. I frowned slightly, looking around for the owner of the voice, but I needn’t have, as just seconds later, a furry alien with a long snout stepped forwards from the crowd. He walked with a cane, which combined with the tone of his voice and the greying of his fur gave the impression that he was getting on in years. I didn’t know why but he seemed vaguely familiar.

This clearly wasn’t going to go down the way I’d been hoping.

Tank: “I bring a message from somebody with great influence and resources.” I began.

Man: We do want no message!” the man who’d originally been speaking to me shouted from where he stood nearby.

Alien: “Let him speak.” The furry alien replied with patience. I wasn’t expecting the first man to pay any attention but quite to the contrary, he instantly fell silent, although he clearly wasn’t happy about it. Again, it made me wonder even more who this alien was.

Alien: “Deliver your message, traveler, and then be on your way.”

Very slowly I turned to properly face the assembled crowd.

Tank: “My employer wishes you all to leave this place. This place is of great value to him and he doesn’t wish to have you settling here.” I explained, trying to sound authoritative.

Alien: “Does your employer own this land?” the furry man asked.

Tank: “Uh… I don’t think so.” I answered, the question having caught me off-guard.

Alien: “Then he, nor you, have any right to tell us to leave. We stay.” He put bluntly and began to slowly walk away.

Tank: “Please! He has a great amount of power and control. If you do not do as he asks, he will make you leave, by force if necessary.”

Alien: “My fellow, I too have a great deal of power and control and my disposal. Your employer will *not* be able to move us.” He replied and suddenly I realised where I’d seen him before.

Tank: “Wait, you’re that famous Marauder, aren’t you?”

Alien: “Fru’kah Te’reh, at your service.”

I’d seen him in news reports before, he was one of the members of the secretive Marauder council! Nobody really knew much about them, other than they had a great deal of control over the crime scene in the galaxy and that they had their base somewhere here on Etrion.

Tank: “Yeah! Yeah, you’re one of the Marauder Council members aren’t you?”

Fru’kah: “Indeed. So now you understand how much influence I have.”

I certainly did! Did the Brain know that it was one of the Marauder Councillors who was trying to settle here? And if he did, was he crazy?! Or did he really think he could out-power him?

Tank: “Yes, sir, I do. But my employer is ruthless and personally, I’d rather not see lots of innocent people getting hurt.”

Man: “We’re no push-overs! Let him come!” the first man shouted angrily.

Fru’kah: “Calm yourself, Brock.”

Brock: “No! This coward hides behind a messenger and demands we move?!”

Fru’kah: “Brock!” he demanded, more forcefully this time.

Brock: “No! I won’t move! This is our home now! We’ve been travelling from place to place for years and I’m sick of it!” he cried out. “We’re settling here and that’s the end of it! Tell your ‘employer’, whoever the hell they are, that we don’t accept the deal! And you know what? Take this message to them too!”

Before I could react, the angry man named Brock had shot me. A single bullet that I felt tore into my shoulder. Pain radiated outwards and the world seemed to fall into slow-motion. The force of the bullet spun me around and I saw myself crash to the ground amidst the rubble and I was aware of shouting and screaming along with the rhythmic firing of a gun – Tracks’ shoulder gun. Still appearing to be in slow motion, I looked over my shoulder and saw most of the settlers scattering, running from the newly erupted fire-fight. Brock and a few others stayed put and were firing back at Tracks who moved into position to cover me. Fru’kah was shouting something – he seemed furious at Brock but then turned and left my field of vision.

It was at about this point that things seemed to get back to normal speed and I scrabbled away through the broken bricks and glass as best I could using only one arm. Now with more cover, I quickly checked my wound. It was bloody painful, but I could at least still feel all my fingers, which was good.

I re-drew one of my pistols and began firing out from my cover, assisting Tracks who, by now, had taken several hits. I noted that one of the settlers must have been wielding a laser pistol, because lasers kept striking the rubble amid the hail of bullets.

We exchanged shots for a minute before I called out to my companion.

Tank: “Tracks! There are too many of them! We’ve got to go!”

He growled a response, clearly infuriated by them having shot me.

Tank: “Let’s go!” I repeated and a second later, Tracks dashed towards me and together, we began to run.

We headed back the way we had come, zig-zagging through the ruins and dodging the flying bullets from the angry settlers who were pursuing us. I just hoped that when we reached the Viper, we could get it up and running before the settlers caught up with us! Thankfully it didn’t take long to heat up.

My thoughts about the Viper proved nearly fatal as a laser tore through my coat and struck a wall ahead of us. It took me another couple of seconds to realise that my coat was on fire. I didn’t have time to put it out, so, reluctantly, I yanked it off and let it fall to the ground.

We continued to run for a good length of time, so much so that I was just beginning to wear out when we finally past the storage shed we’d noticed earlier. That meant that the Viper was just around the corner.

The settlers were still behind us and the bullets were still flying past us. A couple more had struck Tracks but, thankfully, he was still fine.

I mentally cheered with joy as the Viper appeared ahead of us and as we reached it, I took a flying leap onto the wing and opened the canopy.

Tank: “Cover us!” I told Tracks and he stood guard while I booted up the systems. The settlers weren’t in sight yet, but I could hear them shouting, so they were clearly still coming.

Tank: “Come on, come on…” I muttered, flipping all the necessary switches and then sitting, waiting for the engines to get up to temperature.

There was a roar from outside as the angry settlers appeared around the corner of a ruined building and began shooting at us again. I dropped as low as I could get in the pilot’s seat and Tracks fired back.

Just a few moments later, a green “Ready” light appeared on the dashboard and I shouted for Tracks to get in.

He did so and puled the canopy down with him as I punched the throttle and we began to hover, just as the settlers got to us. There were a few clangs as they punched and struck out at the ship’s lower hull and some more ‘dings’ as bullets struck us.

Tank: “Hold on!” I said, knowing that having the settlers this close to the engines was going to cause some very strange updraft.

The Viper wobbled rather a lot as we took off but then Tracks whirred, pointing at something – the supply shed.

Tank: “Yes!”

I brought us back around and this time, as we approached the shed full of supplies, I opened fire with the Viper’s machine guns. The shots tore into the shed and a small section of the roof collapsed.

We flew past but Tracks grunted – it hadn’t been enough. I swung us around and we came in for another pass. This time, I primed one of the missiles and as we got in range I fired it.

The missile flew straight through the window and moments later the shed erupted in a fireball.

I whooped as we flew overhead and began to take us up towards space.

*Hopefully* with no supplies, the settlers would have to move on and find somewhere new to set up camp. Find more supplies. I knew that by destroying their food source I risked starving them all to death, but it was certainly a better choice than killing them all there and then. At least this way they had a chance at surviving. And besides, with a Marauder Councillor with them, I was almost certain that they had a good chance at surviving.

As we burst through the atmosphere ad entered the darkness of space, I keyed Mr. Grey’s code into the Viper’s comlink and prepared to give him the good news.

**Elsewhere…**

Deep inside Central Prison on Qoter, Colonel Ramson stood patiently as a security guard unlocked the cell door. There was a clang as the lock opened and the door creaked as the guard pulled it open.

Ramson walked forwards and came to a halt just inside the room. It was small and dark, lit with a single ceiling light. In the corner was a table and chair but taking up most of the space was a metal bed and on it, facing away from him, lay a single prisoner.

Col. Ramson: “Good evening. My name is Colonel Xavier Ramson. I have an… opportunity for you.” He explained to the prisoner’s back. Ramson could tell he was awake, but there was no response.

Col. Ramson: “A deal; for you to reduce your prison sentence.”

A gruff voice finally came from the bed.

Prisoner: “How?”

Col. Ramson: “I’m putting together a squad of highly-skilled individuals. Their job is to hunt down escaped prisoners. Both from the Shift and also a later prison break from this very prison.” He paused. “I want you to be squad leader.”

For several seconds there was silence but then slowly, the prisoner sat up and swung himself around to face the Colonel.

Prisoner: “If I accept?”

Col. Ramson: “You join the team and work for me. Every prisoner you track down and re-capture earns you time off your prison sentence.”

The prisoner thought about it.

Col. Ramson: “I also believe that you may have a personal vendetta against one such escaped convict.”

That caught the prisoner’s attention and he clearly knew whom the Colonel was referring to.

Prisoner: “Very well. I accept.”

**BONUS PICTURES**

The set for the landing site on Etrion.

The set for the store house. I didn't have very many brown parts with me when this episode was made and this small set used up basically all of them!

The set for the meeting with the marauders.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE