UMX- MP_610. A mining planet, held in certification by United Mineral X-terra, is where Lazarus finds himself now. The area is very dry and at a nominal 46F almost the entire cycle, the climate is perfect for digging out minerals and rare metals. Except there's not much mining going on right now. The greater part of UMX's operation should be in full swing, right here in Quarasek Flats, but they are barren. No low hum of generators or steady thump of heavy mining equipment. No raised voices, calling out directions…. Nothing.
MP-610 is one of the newer acquisitions of United Mineral and quite the find! Her resources are virtually inexhaustible and UMX planned to put that theory to the test. As recently as half a cycle past, the company had touched down with enough equipment and manpower to begin the first generation mining without off-world replenishment for the next 60 cycles. This is a mining colony and most who come to a place like this, work the mines and raise a family. Seniority equals the opportunity to retire and claim a plot and enjoy the twilight of your days. On a planet like MP-610, this could continue for dozens of generations…..but not always!
Going over the intel readout on his head gear's visor, Lazarus searches for anything he may not have previously memorized before dust off, while simultaneously scanning the vast expanse of the barren flats. Having an eidetic memory is just one of the lead Reaper's natural skills but adherence to protocol is what makes him and his kind not only the most methodical monsters in the known universe but the leaders of such, as well. He is the product of cycles and cycles of vicious brutality. All served, one bloody moment at a time. His dark cadence of standard and code far overshadow any mere ego the thing, once likely, a man could ever have possessed. Horrid in its efficiency, yet simple in design. He is more like that of a machine than man but the truest horror is his ability to change protocol of his own, independent volition. To turn those otherwise, predictable processes on their collective ear at will and flip the script! He is trusted beyond any other of his kind, by the most elite of his masters, to think for himself in times when protocol simply won't do and it has always born fruit. Lazarus 214 is the superior soldier in the entire 237,634 asset collective. There are thousands of unit commanders, who share these responsibilities but none have achieved the operational tempo of Reaper unit 12 and none have boasted such a leader as Lazarus 214.
UMX had suffered minor inflictions at the hands of the Hindertahl Brotherhood for the past seven cycles or so but it had mostly been minor occurrences of theft and the occasional murder that often accompanied that sort of thing. The company would send out a handful of mercs to neutralize any threat and it was back to business as usual. These terrorist organizations rose and fell with great frequency throughout the known territories and for the most part, tolerated as a biproduct of an uncertain world. Sometimes even regarded as an "essential" evil that lent to helping keep balance in power. Except this particular movement found a way to gain momentum over the cycles. No longer considered a mere nuisance and no longer affordable to be regarded as necessary, UMX realized that their largest commodities were at risk and steps would need to be taken.
Mogue Morton, the self-proclaimed Prime Chancellor of the Hindertahl Brotherhood, was the most dangerous kind of man. He is supremely intelligent, handsome and charismatic but he lacks a conscience. He is a true sociopath who walks a single minded path of self-righteous want. He doesn't know what drives him. His pathology is an enigma, even to him. All he knows is he must have more and with every success, he draws more followers into the ranks and with more numbers comes more ambitious movement against the corporate giants that propagate the endless planets. He only knows he will never stop until he is stopped and so far, so good……..until now!
Lazarus 214 stands almost motionless, save the slow, even rise and fall of his broad chest. The leader and tactician of the three asset unit Reaper 12, looks out across the barren flats as he calculates the most efficient course of action. He has no doubt that his unit, being the most productive and most feared in all of the Reaper Corps, could very easily walk right into the terrorist stronghold and dole out wholesale slaughter as easily as ham handed giant could swat a fly….. but that's exactly what it would be! Ham handed and clumsy! The kind of thing a platoon of drunken mercs would stumble into. The 6'6" unit leader does what he's done so many times before. He begins to calculate each and every factor. Cross referencing each detail with previously provided intel. The monster slowly, methodically plots his unit's course of action.
"Gray leader to gray two. Do you copy?" The unit leader calls out across his coms link, to the groups second in chain and designated recon specialist, Jezebel 623. Lazarus' voice carries a deep, commanding tone that's accompanied by a slightly synthetic undertone as his vocal chords were replaced due to one of countless injuries taken in one of countless battles. "Gray leader. This is gray two. Coms are wide and secure, over." Lazarus immediately recognizes the voice of his number two but that voice is anything but natural. More a grating, grinding rasp of a voice. Tattered and ravaged. A voice that Lazarus has come to be very confident in and somewhat dependent upon. The voice of paralyzing death! " Position and situation, two." The leader formally requests, expecting a full report from his second. "Position is 2.3 clicks southeast of your mark. ETA is 6 minutes. Situation is nominal. Relative intel collected and intact." Jezebels grinding hiss claws it's way into her commander's headset as she complies with his directive.
Lazarus turns and begins to slowly make his way back to the first of three heavy support crawlers. Massive combat vehicles, designed to provide ground units with armored bulk and incredible firepower. The BFH of the reaper Corps.
"Gray leader to gray three. Do you copy?" The commanding vibration of Lazarus' synthetic voice once again, projects out into the coms but the response is not the familiar audible reply but rather lines of text populating the display mounted just inside the commander's left forearm, above the wrist. "COPY, GRAY LEADER." The display read. " Prep for heavy bombardment on my mark." Lazarus continued. " ALL SYSTEMS ARE GREEN. WILL POSITION AT PREDIRECTED LOCATIONS. THREE OUT." The silent march of indigo blue characters across Lazarus' display were sent by his third in chain. Goliath 447. A hulking beast of around eight feet tall and not wholly human. His physical abilities are astonishing and further enhanced by several bionic augmentations, making him an unstoppable golem of pure force. His primary duties revolve around remote support but when necessary, he will leave the encapsulated fuselage of his war wagon and he is a sight to behold. However, if this is what you see, chances are it is the last thing you ever will.
Piloting the lead crawler manually and two more by remote, Goliath 447 slowly begins to move the massive vehicles into position and optimal range of their targets. Lazarus' gaze fixes on the rapidly closing shape of Jezebel. A dark shadow skimming just inches from the floor of the barren flats, marked only by the dust clouds gathering beneath her jet pack and her glowing, synthetic eyes. As she closes, the jets decelerate and her feet slowly find the solid base of the flats again. " We're clear to begin on your go, boss!" A crooked smile creeps across the tattered face of reaper 12's Recon specialist as she spits out confirmation to her leader. "Any indication that our intended target is present?" Laz asked dryly. " Negative. All indicators lead me to think Morton evacuated well before our arrival. "Will we be standing down, sir?" The tall, lanky woman was more formal in her tone but Lazarus knew she was hoping for a fight. One of her drawbacks as a potential unit leader was her willingness to ignore a more antiseptic path and move directly into the bloodletting! In the entire corps, there is none more brutal and vicious than Jezebel 623. Although she does possess the ability to see and act upon those parameters accordingly, her hunger for raw violence has a potential that can't readily be trusted. "No! We are here to send a message and secure this facility. We have specific directive that will be met."
Lazarus is not concerned with Mogue Morton. His directives are clear. Kill everyone and secure the real estate. Secondary objectives like Morton are icing on the Hurk Stalwart cake and he was clearly not present.
