Place of Great Prospect (Part Two)

Calina Tereshchenko rose from her desk, "I would like to show you one other room, if I may, before you go."

"Please," I replied, "you have done wonders here..truly."

"Oh!" she started, "You should also see the view!"

She led the way around the bunnies and across the carpet to a door that opened to the outside.

"Do you miss Boros?" I asked as we stepped out onto a balcony. The hot, dry air gave unintended weight to my question.

Calina nodded, "I miss green and the waterfall. A lot." She pointed to the large ship with the circular window, perched upon a nearby landing pad. "That is Shanjian's Grace... the house shuttle."

"Excellent," I remarked, as I regarded the luxurious looking craft, "your House has done well here."

The Companion smiled, "We work hard on that."

-----

We returned to the relative cool of the indoors.

I followed Calina through her office and into the hallway of her manor house. She stopped before one corner and opened a sliding panel to reveal a hidden door. Inside, a small windowless chamber with five walls.

There were rugs and pillows scattered on the floor. There was an altar to one side and the scent of incense pervaded the air. But, that was not the striking feature about the room.

Wherever one looked, wherever one turned...

Parvati, Tara, Sarasvati...

We were surrounded with images of the Divine Feminine.

"Goodness!" I exclaimed.

"This is our meditation room... temple if you will."

"I am honoured," I said, truthfully.

"Should you ever need a place to come, be still, you are welcome to visit," she offered.

"Those thangkas," I asked, indicating the Tibetan wall hangings, "White and Green Tara?"

"Yes. Wisdom, knowledge, love."

I smiled warmly, "Beautiful."

She explained, "One of my former students was... pan-religious... you might say. She collected the images of other Earth-That-Was goddesses and brought them up there." She then chuckled, "I, however, grew up on one of the last few Russian Orthodox churches. They have one large cathedral in the capital on Londinium."

"Do you speak Russian?"

Calina nodded, "Da. Ya paninmayu pa Ruski..." then after a slight pause, she said, "Yes, I understand Russian. I learned Russian and French before going to Sihnon. It was one of the things that impressed the Guild."

"I imagine it would," I remarked.

She continued, "I was already well beyond many of their students in the academic subjects, even though I started at Madrassa later than most students."

I took a sudden, little breath.

"Is the incense too heavy in here?" she asked concerned, "Even when it isn't lit, it can have a potent smell."

"No, it is pleasant really," I replied, "Will you be returning home to 34 Tauri, for U-day celebrations?

"I plan to. My parents would send a squad after me if I wasn't back home for the celebrations. Can't be the child of a Parliamentarian and not be there for Unification Day!" Calina shook her head and smiled, "The fireworks are good, though."

"Now I did not know that about you..." I said, my interest piqued, "Who was in government? your mother or father?"

"My father was the General Counsel to Parliament. My mother stayed at home but served on the board for many different non-profit organizations."

"That's wonderful," I said, "so your involvement in politics here... a natural step." It made sense, but I was impressed just the same.

Calina leaned over and with a puff, blew out a lingering candle, "It was his job, as is the job of any good attorney, to keep secrets." She smiled, "You might say it is a family business."

I smiled in return, making a decision to entrust her with a bit of information. "Ardra is protected here by the Guild," I said.

"What Guild?" she whispered.

"The Spacing Guild," I explained, "Little is known about them."

"Even the Consulari knows little?" she asked, "She is most adept at gaining information."

"She is indeed," I agreed, "I mention them... just in case you hear of anything."

"If I happen to hear anything," she said, "I can certainly pass it along. I overhear lots of things at the market or the Highport."

-----

We returned to the hallway.

I thanked her and took my leave. "Thank you again for your time... maybe we will see each other back home."

"Thank you for visiting, Major," she replied, "I hope that you will be well soon." She smiled, "Safe travels!"

Place of Great Prospect (Part One)

August 13 - Al Raqis

Situated close to the Magistrate's keep, separated only by a narrow bridge, lies the manor of House Shanjian. A magnificent structure, in a style I could only describe as Gothic Arabesque. Its balconies overlook the central landing pads of the region. A narrow path to the side leads to the Wadi Emet.

It was here I came to meet Calina Tereshchenko.

She welcomed me cheerfully, "Major! What a pleasant surprise. How are you today?"

"Feeling better thank you," I replied.

"Were you ill?"

"A slight injury," I explained, "Nothing serious."

"I suppose that goes with the territory in your line of work," she remarked.

I conceded the point with a nod and a gentle smile. "And how are you doing?" I asked.

Calina walked over to the bird cage and tapped it lightly, "I am well," she replied, "Not injured and just moving from day to day. For some odd reason, it has been very quiet. It makes me nervous.... that quiet before a storm. Were you ever on Sihnon when the storms would roll out of the mountains?"

I remembered those storms, from my summer holiday with Brooke and her family, so long ago.
"You mentioned you had some information," I said.

"Oh! Yes. I did mention that... Ardra? Why don't we go upstairs to my office. It is a bit more comfortable."

-----

We walked up to the second floor. Calina led the way to a large office. Oriental decor adorned the walls, but not so much as to be overpowering.

Antique chairs, each one of unique design, each one a solitary remnant of a larger collection of matching furniture. Together, they were survivors of another time and another world.

The desk was a masterpiece. A black enamel base with gold trim, heavily decorated with painted birds, flowers and idyllic country scenes. Accented with inlaid jade, and coral, turquoise and Mother of Pearl.

A large carpet covered the stone floor. Two rabbits hopped playfully about the room. One began thumping its little leg on the floor, indicating its pleasure at seeing Calina, much in the same way a dog wags its tail.

I was impressed. "I must say..you have made this stuffy Al Raqis architecture seem airy and bright. Very different from what I have seen so far."

It was remarkable, in fact. The Zenobian government had decorated their own manor in a style suitable for the Borgia or the Medici family. Dark and full of intrigue. The Orions had turned their manor into a nightclub. Loud and decadent. By contrast, Calina's manor was a relaxed space. You felt calm, at ease immediately upon entering, even though the architectural elements of all of the manor houses were the basically the same.

The Companion smiled, "Thank you. I try to make it as comfortable as possible. Please, have a seat."

I chose the seat on the right, careful not to step on the rabbits.

Calina noticed me giving attention to the pets. "The bunnies are Malcolm... he is the white half-lop and Inara, the gray bunny."

"Are these yours or Jade's?" I asked pleasantly.

"They are mine," she explained, "I brought them with me when I moved from Boros. Jade has cats. An apartment full of cats, last I saw."

I laughed gently, "I remember chickens." Jade had a clutch of chicks in her room above the dressmaker's shop in Eavesdown Docks.

"I think she finds alot of comfort in animals," said Calina, "They have simple needs... not all of the complications of human relationships."

"How is she doing these days?"

"Last I saw, she was doing well. She was recovered from her .... tussle ... with the Orion pirates. Back to spice mining and trading. If you ever need something and want it cheap, that is the girl to go to. She can wheel and deal like no one's business."

I smiled. "Well, I could use a new hydrosuit..."

Calina grinned as she typed something on her computer, "I will let her know. As to Ardra, Lily said she saw Ardra here... well, in the Wadi. She even took The Hyperion of the Myrmidon Order to meet Ardra."

I adjusted myself in my seat so my back did not touch the back of the chair.

"Ardra was on fire in the photo I saw," she added.

"In the Wadi?" I asked, "that is interesting."

Calina continued, "She said that Ardra was on her way to 34 Tauri to 'harvest.'"

I sighed. Harvest could mean collecting monopoles. It could mean body parts...

Okay, I thought, let's back this up.

"Why would Lily bring the Hyperion to see Ardra?" I asked.

The Companion grinned, "They were on a date. In Lily's mind, anyway."

Oh bless them both, I thought.

Calina continued, "Krakken was being gracious and humoring her as he had never experienced the force that is LilyBell Snoodle before. She spent days waiting for him to return to Morloch in some kind of gown. And a silver case to go on a honeymoon."

I smiled in spite of myself.

Calina nodded in agreement, "It was rather amusing."

Circle back.

"This picture you saw of Ardra... she was on fire? or could it be a cloud of spice?"

"It looked like fire," replied Calina, "but given the quality of the image, you could be correct that it was some kind of red dust cloud. Lily also said she went inside Ardra's ship because she liked all the shiny things and the computers."

"Lily is...." I struggled for the right word,"...sympathetic towards Ardra."

"I tried," she added, "to get Lily to tell me where Ardra was going to go once back in 34 Tauri but she wouldn't say. She said Ardra and the girls had been to Hale's Moon."

I nodded and added grimly, "Of course, any evidence there is gone now..."

"And in another conversation, Lady Rashad asked Lily about Ardra's propulsion.... direct mass to energy conversion. But Lily said it was not as efficient as a ship."

It did not surprise me that Lady Rashad had shown an interest. I'm sure a number of factions here would like to get their hands on Guild technology.

"The heighliners are huge," I remarked, "monstrous even."

Calina scrolled through her screen "I had to make notes... I write lots of things down so I do not forget them. Journaling is a lost art, it would seem."

"I appreciate your efforts," I said sincerely.

She read from her notes, "Ardra has collectors... looked as though it was on fire... had wings... Lily said Ardra wanted her things and Lily made Ardra a new body.... Wylder not Ardra's father... there are millions of Ardras as they wear out...."

"Lily's words?" I interrupted.

"...She kept saying over and over about Ardra being everywhere. Nothing about a location. She mentioned Audrey, Constance, and Miss Mercedes."

I frowned as I tried to put this together. Like fragments of a shattered mirror. A mirror that was Ardra, while the reflection was Lily.

"Oh... I'm sorry," corrected Calina, "that's Aruda... not Ardra. Millions of Arudas. Not the same as Ardra."

I nodded. "The Arudas are drones," I explained, "much like an office bot." Information scavengers.

"Ahhh. She kept on about Ardra being every where but not as everywhere as AuroraBlue."

"Naturally," I replied, "Lily is a mother first." Nothing can compare to your own.

"Then I asked if Ardra wanted AuroraBlue and Lily changed. She looked dead at me and said 'AuroraBlue mine.'"

I mused aloud, "Ardra being everywhere..."

Calina completed the thought,"...and Lily is bringing her parts."

"Yes," I acknowledged, "well, thank you for this information."

The Companion smiled, "Then she said that she heard I was much more than a Browncoat, which would be funny since I was not even in my teens during the War. And on Londinium. So, whatever that means."

I chuckled, "Was that before or after she saw you in your judicial robes and wig?"

She laughed, "Before."

I stood and almost blacked out as my belt pressed against the wound on my back. Calina noticed.

"You look like you are still hurting, Major," she said kindly.

I hesitated. "Yes... I will have it attended to... soon."

I admit, I have been denying that my injuries could be serious. I hated the inconvenience of seeking out medical attention, and the loss of independence that accompanies illness or injury like a handmaiden.

"What is Ardra?" she asked directly, "I've heard it mentioned... it's like some spectre from a ghost story."

"I would venture to say she is a composite being... part machine certainly."

"Artificial intelligence?" she asked.

"In my opinion, more than an AI." If I was correct, Ardra was part machine, part flesh, with the mind of a dead girl.

Spectre was a good word.

The Storm in the Desert

August 8

"We used to wonder where war lived, what it was that made it so vile. And now we realize that we know where it lives, that it is inside ourselves." - Albert Camus

-----

To avoid stumbling across any more Myrmidon emplacements, I took a circuitous route on my return to the settlements.

It was a risky decision. With my hydrosuit punctured I was now running low on water. The injury on my back was inflamed, and I suspected I was fighting a low grade fever.

By chance, my new path brought me to a twisting canyon and another surprise. A deep, cool oasis, surrounded by a scattering of trees and greenery. It was the first open water I had seen on this dry, desert planet.

It was a welcome sight. I filled my litrepacks and moved on.

-----

With the coming of morning, I crossed the rough expanse to the east of the Wadi.

Communications began to filter in. A lot had happened while I was in the desert.

Reports of Myrmidon aggression on distant worlds. Again, the rumblings of war. Who were these berserkers? What drove them to these excesses?

Even more disturbing was the news from home. Unstable seismic activity on Hale's Moon had forced a general evacuation. Days later the moon itself crumbled. And now, the task of relocating the former colonists.

Fortunately, we have a government that works.

I came to a small plateau that jutted out into the desert sands to the east of Al Raqis and the Splintered Rock outpost. Here I made my turn north.

I heard the speeder approaching before I saw it. I had no choice but to wait and see what news this would bring.

It was my contact. "Hello there!" she greeted me warmly over the din of the hovercraft.

I waved back.

"Came to give you this, " she called as she hopped down from her speeder and headed to the rear of the vehicle. She lowered the gate. A large, dark crate disengaged itself from the craft and slid down the ramp to the desert floor. "Sandstorm," my contact said quietly into her comm unit, before turning back in my direction, "I do believe you ordered one Acclamator class anti-starship weapon, did you not?"

"Thank you, yes." I hoped this was a package inspection, and not a delivery. I had visions of myself walking out of the desert dragging the crate behind me.

She stood firmly as the wind began to gust.

"Send this to my ship," I said. It was a ridiculous thing to say. I blame the fever.

My contact nodded politely, watching as the sand swirled up in large clouds.

"I heard you were injured," I ventured, "Are you feeling better?" There had been an assassination attempt in fact.

"True," she replied, " I was. Feeling better now, thankfully."

"Good," I said, wishing I could say the same.

"Sandstorm should give us cover from people watching in orbit," she added.

I crouched down and inspected the crate seals and markings. It gave some shelter from the storm.

My contact covered her face as a powerful gust of wind blasted past, whipping sand at her suit, "We've upgraded it a bit since you last saw it."

"This is good," I raised my voice slightly to be heard, "it should present no difficulty getting off world."

"Nope, as you can see it's marked as a harmless crate of ammunition."

"And the paperwork?" I asked.

She passed me a control pad that would easily attach to the uniform. I activated it and the holographic display flickered to life, mapping itself over my right eye.

My contact checked her comm device, "The crates are already at your ship. As for the paperwork, we don't do that."

"That will be fine," I replied. I would get something official looking from one of our clerks. "What modifications have you made?" I asked.

"For starters, it won't black a whole city out powering up anymore."

I played with the buttons on the control pad. I ran through a quick simulation. Lights turned from yellow to red, from red to green. Cannon Locked, it whispered. Satisfied, I powered down the tool.

The interface was intuitive. A good artillery man could call in orbital support quickly and effectively. I would pass this along to the appropriate department.

The storm seemed to be getting stronger. "We best head for cover," I said, with growing concern.

"Yes," my contact agreed.

"I will be in touch," I said. I did not want us to be seen together. Despite my condition, we would have to return to the settlement separately.

"Alright," she replied. "Farewell."

I nodded and headed towards the rocks on the eastern side of the basin. Contrary to my expectations, the storm began to lift just as my contact loaded the crate into her vehicle.

Dark of the Moon

August 3 - Wadi Emet

"It needs unconquerable courage to begin to tread this path. Here is a weird, deceptive life. The fiery sense is baulked. The moon has no air. The knight upon this quest has to rely on the three lower senses: touch, taste and smell. Such light as there may be is deadlier than darkness, and the silence is wounded by the howling of wild beasts." - Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth

----

General Belavidorico had said that the Marauders had abducted a woman from Highpoint Station and removed her to their hideout.

While not officially on the case, I had given the matter some thought. It was unlikely the kidnappers would keep the woman in the settlement. The Magistrate's men would be going from house to house. There was too great a risk of discovery.

The outpost in Splintered Rock was also an unlikely refuge. The Marauders had few friends there, I was certain, since the downing of a civilian transport some months ago. Even if the Constable's forces were stretched to capacity, there would always be a mercenary or offworld adventurer that would turn in the kidnappers for reward or simply to curry favour with the local authorities.

No, they would head for the sand.

And I reasoned that even if the Marauders entered the settlements by crossing the desert basin, to safely move a hostage they needed a way to move quickly through the desert, with someone who might be unconscious or resistant.

The logical route would be through the Wadi.

I still had some exploring I wanted to do, and I figured that anything I could find out might help the General and his men succeed in their mission to rescue the woman, and help minimize the loss of life to his forces.

So I ventured south, using the cover of the dark moonless night, through the Wadi Emet, intent on extending my knowledge of the area, and watching for any trace of the missing woman or her abductors.

Despite General Belavidorico's warning, I did indeed go wandering after dark.

I took a direction 27 degrees to the West of my previous course through the Wadi.

This area was eroded in such a way that the valley resembled an ancient riverbed. I could imagine water streaming down this channel from the elevated regions to the southwest. The ground was hard and I found I could keep a good pace, even with the incline.

The path eventually resolved itself into an area of sharp peaks. The rocks here were darker than the valley floor. I started to do more climbing than actual walking.

Thinking that I had reach the limit of where I could safely travel, I was about to turn back when I came across a wide depression where the rock was of a lighter colour. It appeared smoother and more rounded than the surrounding area, and was noticeably narrower on the eastern side.

Further to the east, there was a drop to the valley floor far below. Only when I climbed down to the valley floor and faced west did I see the true nature of the narrow portion of rock.

It was a tunnel.

A dark gaping hole, that reminded me of the mouth of a giant lamprey eel. Undeterred, I stepped inside. My eyes soon grew accustom to the gloom.

At the end of the tunnel was a large, round, steel door. There were no markings. It looked effective. The blast that could crack this door would bring down the tunnel.

A pad to the left of the door was illumined. Pale green, it served as a beacon in the darkness. I passed my hand across it.

My father used to say that when I was a little girl, if there was a rock sitting out in the middle of the field, I would go over and take a look underneath it. Nothing has changed, I guess.

The door opened with a groan. It rolled slowly to the right. As I had judged, it was thick, very thick, with teeth around the circumference like a gear. It opened to a small chamber with an identical door on the far wall.

I stepped inside and let the door close behind me.

I paused.

No alarms. No voices. No obvious scans.

I passed my hand across the pad next to the inner door.

Locked.

I could go no further. Not tonight.

Retracing my steps, I returned to the air outside. Lost in thought, I followed the curve of the rock wall to the south.

-----

This area looked vaguely familiar. I stopped by a dry cactus at the edge of the flat and frowned as I tried to get my bearings.

In the distance, I recognized a silhouette against the starry night sky. It seemed I had wandered close to the Myrmidon fortress.

There was a metallic sound coming from the wall of the canyon. My blood suddenly ran cold as I heard the unmistakable sound of sentinel drones powering up.

I hit the ground running.

Back to the tunnel.

Run. RUN!

Feet pounding on the valley floor.

Picking up speed.

Drones firing.

The first sting. A glancing blow.

Boots on the sand. Sand on the rock.

They are close now.

Two from the sound of it.

My heart pounding against my rib cage.

Red flash.

White hot pain.

Smell of burnt cloth, seared flesh.

Almost there.

Breath rapid. Mask choking.

Another hit. Like fire.

Scream.

Don't stop.

Legs protesting. Lungs rebelling.

The gaping mouth of the cave.

A sudden drop in temperature.

Down the tunnel now.

Go. Go. Go.

Slapping my hand against the pad.

An eternity as the giant gear shaped door rolls slowly to the right.

Drones hovering by the mouth of the tunnel. Angry hornets.

Trying to make myself small. Ruby lines drilling through the air.

I slipped through the opening and reversed the direction of the door.

-----

It was a few moments before I recovered myself.

I checked my wounds. A few needed attention. Most were minor. Drones kill you in inches. I didn't like the feel of the one on the right side, low back.

Peeling the melted hydrosuit from one nasty area, I tore off some skin.

Next time take the painkillers first, Pepper.

I treated the worst of my wounds with anti-bio and patched them with derma-seal. Then a sip of water. The worst of it over, I settled in the antechamber and waited.

-----

Later.

The gear shaped door rolled to the side like a mighty stone.

The night was silent once more.

I could see evidence of the sentinels at the mouth of the tunnel, like scratches of a wild animal on the sand and rock. I could see the path my footprints had made on my desperate rush to safety.

I chose another direction.

-----

I heard the wind chimes first.

From an outcropping I could see the tent. It was sheltered among the tall, sharp rocks.

Pebbles scattered as I slid down the side of the rock face.

The tent itself was square, and of the kind favoured by nomadic tribes. The entrance was open to the night air. A decorative fringe ran along the top edge of the flap.

I approached cautiously.

Inside, the light from the fire was warm and cheerful. The ground was covered by a hand-woven carpet. Plush pillows and low tables accented the space. There was a good collection of books to one side, and some candles, here and there, for light. A privacy screen stood towards the back of the tent.

There were no occupants. It was as if they had just stepped out to visit the neighbors, leaving a light on behind them and the door unlocked. Clearly, not city dwellers.

Out of respect, I touched nothing.

I glanced at the books. The titles on the bookshelf. The volume resting open on the table.

Religious texts.

I frowned and bit my lower lip. This could go either way. I hoped this meant they held to the same code of hospitality observed by ancient cultures on Old Earth.

"The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in M'tzra'yim."

This could present an opportunity, I thought, a place to stand in any future negotiations between the native population and the offworlders.

The sound of the wind chimes was very relaxing.

I started to feel sore and slightly sleepy. My back hurt. Not really thinking it through, I removed my cloak and folded it neatly.

I was tired after my ordeal. I sat down on the carpet to the one side of the tent...

I will just close my eyes for a moment.

...and was soon overwhelmed by sleep.

The Return of the Marauders

July 29 - The Deep Desert

"I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: `Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies..." - Shelley

-----

I could see him approaching.

From a distance, it appeared that he was walking on water, as the hot air radiating from the desert surface turned the horizon into an illusion of the sea.

He wore black. Light armour. His face was concealed by the visor of his helmet.

He made his way towards me across the dunes and flats, through the remains of fallen craft and broken drones. The debris of the recent war, scattered here and there.

As he got closer, his body language indicated he was more than a little frustrated.

"Hello," I called as he drew near.

The man looked passed me to the remains of some sort of droid poking through the sand. He pressed a button on his wrist, and said aloud, "And that should be the last one." His business completed he turned his attention to me. "Hello there," he said, his voice rich, his accent pleasing.

"Are you hunting bugs?" I asked pleasantly.

The man chuckled, "You could say that," he said, pointing at the wreckage of a robot nearby in the sand. He then tilted his head to one side, "Say, you look familiar..."

I frowned slightly, "Your voice sounds familiar," I agreed, "but I don't think I know that uniform."

"You're the woman I asked about the station, aren't ya?"

"My goodness," I exclaimed, "that was some time ago!" Almost two years ago, in fact, in the main square of Al Raqis.

He laughed, "Certainly was."

There was a click and a hiss as the man took off his helmet. He twisted his head to one side and I could hear the cracking of his neck. "Gotta say," he remarked, "things were a mite different back then."

I took a moment to appreciate his handsome, rugged features. Dark skin like polished mahogany. His face lined and worn with the passage of years.

I spoke, "Yes, they were. A lot of changes since then."

"Yup. Even had a whole war blow through," he added.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"I've been good."

"I'm glad to hear that, especially since the war..."

"Course, I'd rather be fighting with my boys then stuck on guard duty for HN," he sighed.

"...and now I hear there is a plague of insects."

"Aw them?" he grunted, "That's what happens when ya don't keeps your pets on a leash."

It was in the local papers. Insects, some over a metre in length, coming out of the desert. Reports of attacks on civilians. Acid burns. One theory was that meatbeetles from one of the ranchers had broken loose and had crossed with the indigenous species.

"HN?" I asked.

"House Narstrom."

"Ah," I replied, "I have heard the name." I didn't elaborate.

The man continued, "Now I've got this huge mess to mop up with the Marauders. Dunno if you got the report they sent out over the news."

"You were with another faction back when we first met, am I right?"

He nodded, "Still am, ma'am." With that he passed me a press release bearing the bold headline: BREAKING REPORT! HOUSE NARSTROM FLEET DEVASTATED!

"Oh thank you," I said and took the item.

"Your welcome," he nodded.

I paused to scan the text of the report.

In the early hours of Monday morning a devastating surprise attack was made against the HN Trafalgar and the Royal House Narstrom Expeditionary Fleet. Reports say the attack was completely unannounced and completely uncalled for, House Narstrom was eventually able to repel the attack but at a loss of over 60% of the fleet, the Soul Drive and one satellite based anti-starship weapon....

"The UNSC... I recall now." That was the name of his group.

The man smiled, "Mhm."

I continued to read.

While reeling from it's losses the UNSC has opted to House Narstrom and all local governments in the hunt and possible eradication of the Marauder Threat....

"Marauders," I said," that is a name I haven't heard in a while..."

"Yeah," the man replied, "We chased them back into their hidey-holes with MAC cannons, and my ODST's hot on the trail mopping up what was left."

"..Not since the roads to Khayal Alramady were taken by the sands," I added.

"Well, they ain't gone," he replied with conviction, "I'll tell you that."

"Good to know," I said thoughtfully.

"I don't think that it's just the roads to Khayal Alramady," offered the man, "you remember that freak sandstorm? Well, we can't even get Khayal Alramady on satellite anymore."

"Are you suggesting the city was affected?" I asked.

"Yup," he nodded, "Whole city swallowed in an hour. Now how about that?"

That was shocking news. If it was true, the loss of human life... I shook my head, "Tragic."

The man agreed, "House Narstrom's got us diggin' for relics now."

"Any signs of survivors?" I asked hopefully.

"Nope. Unfortunately. Hel', even ONI lost the base there. Poor bast'rds probably all suffocated in that bunker."

"ONI?"

"ONI, Office of Naval Intelligence," he explained.

"With the UNSC?"

"Mhm."

"How many good souls were lost?" I asked.

"I'd say the whole staff, probably about sixty, sixty plus. Sandstorm pinned any air travel and when the bunker sealed and got buried, well, that was the end of it."

I grew quiet.

"Now Lady Narstrom's got us playing down here in the sandbox with our little plastic shovels looking for it," he added.

"I understand that," I replied, "they deserve proper treatment." A proper burial. Recognition for their service. Closure for their families.

He sighed, "'course now that the Marauders have the satellites and the Soul Drive we probably won't be down here much longer."

I glanced over the report again.

The man continued, "They don't tell me much about it. My boys call it the godhand. Really just a ray of light from the sky, damn near vaporizes anything it touches. Turned the whole test area into glass."

Another line caught my eye.

"What is this about a kidnapping?" I asked.

He gave me a puzzled look.

I quoted the report. "Local reports also include the kidnapping of Lillyann Resident..."

"Ah, that Lilly girl. Marauders went to Highport and stole her right out of her house."

"Any clues to where they took her?" I asked.

"Probably back to their hidey-hole."

I nodded, "Who is working on getting her home?"

"Soon, it'll be me and the boys from Hawk Squad." He sighed and mumbled, "I'm getting to old for this."

We both smiled.

The man continued, "Well, Marauders now have super weapons, experimental reactor cores and women! What's this world coming to, eh?"

"I never did catch your name," I ventured.

"Grigsby," he replied, "most people just call me Griggs or General."

The report mentioned a General Grigsby Belavidorico of the 401st UNSC Fleet.

"Pleased to meet you, General," I said politely.

Grigsby smiled, "And pleasure to meet you miss."

"I must be heading back to Al Raqis before the heat of the day sets in," I said.

"Gotcha," said the General, "and just as a precaution, don't travel anywhere at night. The Marauders'll drag you off to god knows where."

"Thank you. I will be careful," I replied. "Stay safe," I said as I turned to go.

General Grigsby Belavidorico nodded, "Have a safe trip."