“You know, the Legion is supposed to be a military organization, dedicated to the defense of Duke Shasta’s interests, but we also take on counterintelligence operations from time to time. As a result, we go through monthly training courses on counterintelligence protocol to prevent us from being followed by any hostiles. Normally, we grumble about it, but I guess this time it paid off. But, I guess we’ll still go back to grumbling about it tomorrow.”
- Corporal Tamaber Rutha
16 April YC123
Torrinos V Lunar Mining Colony - outside some bar
“Whoo, that was … fun,” a Legionnaire said, swaying.
“Whoa, whoa, watch it!” a nearby Legionnaire shouted as the first trooper nearly fell over. “Man, you definitely drank too much.”
“ … Yeah, probably … probably,” the trooper replied.
“Alright, alright, all of y’all had a few too many drinks! For that reason, we are officially going back to base!” a Legionnaire sergeant ordered. His men groaned. “Well, what do you expect? Y’all are way too ■■■■■■■ wasted to be doing anything! Geez, if y’all go hit more bars, y’all’ll have a nasty ass hangover in the morning, and the boss’ll chew out my ass for your sorry state!”
“Alright … … Alright,” the trooper slurred, nearly falling over again. He began to walk down the street. “Fine … Fine, I’ll go home.”
“Hey, hey! That’s the wrong way! Hey, get back here, you dumbass! Yo!” The sergeant said, running after the drunken trooper.
“The hell are these guys doing?” a cloaked figure asked, watching from the end of the street.
“I would say that they are drunk,” the figure heard. He raised his comlink to his lips and said, “Yeah, maybe. Wait for them to start moving, then follow.”
“Yes, lieutenant.”
The six Legionnaires walked down the darkened street, with a pair of corporals in the lead and the sergeant bringing up the rear.
“Hey, private! Trooper! Stay in line!” the sergeant suddenly shouted, drawing the attention of one of the corporals. “No, not you! Corporal, get that trooper back in line! No, you stay right where you are!”
The corporal ran after the wayward trooper while gesturing for the other Legionnaires to stay where they were. “Hey, get back here! Yea, you!” the corporal yelled, pushing the Legionnaire back in line.
“Damn, these guys are really out of control,” the sergeant remarked. “How far from the safe house are we?”
“Sixteen more blocks, sir.”
“Ah, geez. This’ll be … painful,” the sergeant groaned. “Alright, corporal, get back in line.”
“Yes, sir,” the corporal said, running to the front of the pack.
“Hey, trooper! Get back in line!”
“How is it?” a cloaked figure asked, a few blocks away.
“Subjects are still drunk, sir. They don’t know I’m here,” the reply came.
“Excellent. Keep it that way. Don’t blow the op,” the figure responded.
“I won’t.”
“Yo, trooper! Stay in the ■■■■■■■ formation! Geez,” the sergeant groaned. This is going to be a long, long night.
“Hey, sir,” a corporal said, dropping back. “You see that figure over there, at the last intersection?”
The sergeant took a discreet look back. “That cloaked figure?”
“Yeah. He’s been tailing us for the past few blocks. I’m pretty sure I saw him in the bars we were drinking in,” the corporal replied.
“ … Yeah, he looks familiar,” the sergeant said, thinking deeply. “Alright, here’s what we’ll do. Have the boys turn right at the next intersection, and then go down two blocks, and … ” he continued, laying out his plan.
The cloaked figure strode down the street, searching the area. Where the hell are those goddamned Legionnaires? He wondered. Suddenly, his comm buzzed.
“Yes?” he asked, raising the comm to his mouth.
“Status?”
“I lost visual contact.”
“You what?!?”
“I said, I lost visual contact, do you copy?”
“Urgh. Well, find them!”
“Roger that, lieutenant,” the figure spoke into his comm. He stuffed the device into a pocket and turned down a nearby alley. Maybe they went down here? Suddenly, a man clamped a hand over his mouth, muffling his shouts, while jamming an activated stunner into his stomach. The man dragged the figure further down into the alley, where he was met by the rest of the Legionnaires.
“Well, well, well,” one Legionnaire remarked. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
The sergeant unceremoniously dumped the unconscious figure next to a dumpster. “Man, he’s heavy!”
“Who the hell is he?” a corporal asked, letting his eyes run over the figure.
“Damn if I know,” the sergeant said. “I gotta go call it in. Y’all start searching him.”
“Sergeant Satsuko?” a man dressed in the Legionnaire civvie uniform asked.
“That would be me,” the Legionnaire sergeant replied. “You my backup, corporal?”
“Yes, sergeant,” the Legionnaire replied. “What the hell happened?”
“We got drunk, and picked up a tail,” Sergeant Satsuko summarized.
“Alright, what do you need?”
“I’m guessing you have a full fire team with you?”
“Yes, sarge,” the corporal replied as his four comrades entered the alley.
“Excellent, excellent,” the sergeant thought for a second. “Alright, Corporal Tuwon, take my men back to the safe house. Corporal Kwyen, you’re staying with me.” the sergeant added, walking to the still-unconscious cloaked figure lying next to the dumpster. He squatted down next to the figure and threw the man’s hood back to reveal a youthful face.
“Still unconscious, ey? Well, we can’t be having that now, can we?” Sergeant Satsuko asked rhetorically, slapping the man’s face a few times.
“Mmhm … Mhm,” the Achur groaned.
“Oh, stop that! Wake the ■■■■ up!” the sergeant shouted at his prisoner, who started. “Yeah, that’s much better. Who the hell are you, and why were you following me and my men?!”
“Who the ■■■■ are you?” the prisoner said, glaring at his captor.
“Hey, I ask the questions here, not you,” the sergeant said, pulling out a stunner. With a flick of his thumb, he set the device to mid-power. “So, who are you, and why were you following me?”
“■■■■ you!”
“What did you say?” the sergeant said ominously.
“I said, ■■■■ YOU!” the prisoner shouted. The sergeant lunged at the prisoner, jamming the stunner into his midriff, causing the prisoner to scream at the top of his lungs.
“Oh, shut up and answer the damn question,” the sergeant said, sitting back.
“Fine … I’m Mamokas Dado,” the prisoner said dejectedly. “I work for Quantum Sea.”
“Quantum Sea? The ■■■■ is Quantum Sea?” one of the Legionnaires asked.
“It’s part of Airko-Tensei Group,” the sergeant said. “Run by a capsuleer named Timiko Sato.”
“ATG? That group investigating the bombing? The group that is believed to have been responsible for that Deathglow attack?” the other trooper asked.
“Yeah. Alright, Mr. Dado. Why the hell were you following me and my boys?” the sergeant asked, turning back to his prisoner.
“My boss told me to!”
“Your boss? Who’s your boss?” the sergeant asked.
“Why the hell should I tell you?” the prisoner began. Satsuko powered up his stunner, causing the prisoner to frantically yell, “Fine! Fine! His name’s Kirano! He’s a lieutenant in Quantum Sea.”
“Hmm … look him up,” the sergeant said, turning to a nearby Legionnaire. “As for you, get your ass up!”
“Sir,” the Legionnaire said, handing Satsuko a datapad. “Everything the Legion has on this Lieutenant Kirano. It’s basically nothing.”
“Yeah, I can see that. … Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. You, Dado, we’re gonna turn you loose, but you gotta do as we say. Lure Kirano somewhere where we can jump him. We’ll sweat him for info, then turn you loose,” the sergeant said. “Understood?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. Then get going. GO!”
Meanwhile, in 6NJ8-V - Moon 6 Guristas Logistic Support
“Duke Shasta!” Praetor Darim said, standing outside Shasta’s small office.
“Praetor,” Shasta replied, nodding at the Legionnaire officer. “Get my frigate prepped. We’re gonna go investigate a mining anomaly for the Guristas. Seems they want to make sure there’s nothing weird going on.”
“Yes, sir,” the praetor replied. “Sir, I’m here for your daily briefing.”
“Ah, right, right. Alright, walk with me and brief me on my way to the hangar.”
“Yes, sir,” the praetor replied, following his boss. “First thing: Agents Vitten and Jankov have completed the extradition to Eugales.”
“Extradition?” the duke asked, confused. “What extradition?”
“Four warclones taken prisoner during our raid on the Ariend Arms facility in Jakanerva were sent down to Eugales. To one Lauralite Brezia of the United Neopian Federation, sir.” Najir replied, consulting his datapad.
“Right, right. I forgot. What else?”
“Number two: Legionnaires assigned to 1st Battalion, Companies Bravo and Echo raided a pair of pirate cells, believed to be Angels. Recovered weapons, all small arms, and some narcotics. I-teams are on scene, and evidence is being moved back to the Amarr outpost. No casualties on either side, multiple prisoners. Prisoners are being moved under heavy guard back to Amarr also,” the praetor said, consulting his datapad again. “Number three: Report from Torrinos. Troopers kidnapped a pair of operatives supposedly employed by Quantum Sea, a corp in Airko-Tensei Group run by a capsuleer named TImiko Sato.”
“What? The ■■■■?” Shasta asked, stopping in his tracks. “Who the hell authorized that?”
“Apparently nobody, sir,” the praetor responded, checking his datapad. “Director Chastot’s report states that a sergeant named Satsuko was leading a group of corporals and privates back from a night of hitting bars and clubs all over the colony, when they noticed that they were being followed. They decided to kidnap the follower, see why he was tailing them. The tail apparently claimed he was ordered to do so by his boss, one Lieutenant Kirano.”
“Ah, lemme guess. The sergeant took it upon himself to also kidnap the lieutenant?”
“And take him back for questioning, yes,” the praetor answered, as the two men started down the corridor again. “Apparently this Lt. Kirano got into a firefight half a month ago, lost some Deathglow. Few days later, the Deathglow was used in a chemical attack. Quantum Sea believes that we were responsible.”
“Why? Oh, they got into a firefight in that factory that the Legion raided in April?”
“Yep, that one.”
“Alright, get me a meeting with this Timiko Sato. Let’s sort this thing out for good. Anything else?”
“No, sir. That’s the briefing. I’ll go set up the meeting.”
“Excellent,” the duke said as a private approached.
“Sir, ammo has been loaded, all systems show green,” the ensign reported, saluting
“Excellent,” the duke replied, walking towards his hydrostatic capsule.