Durgama Takeover

The cheap Ariadnan cigarette was smoldering, unsmoked and nearly completely ash, as I poured over the data pulled from the Cameliard warehouse. I stubbed it out, fished another out of the pack, struck fire to it, and inhaled deeply. As I exhaled the smoke tendrils slipped through vent of the air scrubber in the ceiling. Just like the trail of this case was slipping through my fingers, I thought ruefully. Something about this case was fishy, and like a shark I had torn into reviewing the retrieved data and my case files once again. Who were these operatives, masquerading as members of the team only to vanish without a trace when the shooting had stopped? Even stranger were these operatives who appeared to be members of the opposing forces, only to assist us in our goals...even stranger...It hit me like micro-meteor piercing the haul of the densest battle cruiser. I had seen operatives like this before, the stranger with my face. Why had it taken me until now to make the connection? This was like not noticing the full moon had resin because you were too caught up with figuring out why it was suddenly lighter. Despite the evidence to the contrary, I had a difficult time imagining my skills had become this rusty. It could have been cube data corruption, but even that seemed unlikely. The option which remained was even more alarming. Cube editing.

It took a me the better part of a day, a full pack of cigarettes, and half a pot of coffee to do a full analysis of my cube and its backups, but the signs were there, subtle bits of information removed, others added in. The kind of things that let you brush off oddities and chalk them up as happenstance.
I reached for another pack of cigarettes and struck one up. I needed something stronger than the nicotine, but it would have to wait. It the Combined had just made another aggressive push at the sensor module, the strike team was called to assist in repelling it. For the moment I would have to put the problem of who was editing my memories aside and focus the problem of not getting killed. I just hoped I would be able to remember to worry later.

As we entered the station making our way through to the main deck, combined signatures began popping up, and air thrummed with the vibrations I had heard were associated with being near the EI's voodoo tech. The Aspect of the EI's will had taken up a position behind the cantina bar top. In the back an Imetron tried to do its best impression of a bar stool. Protecting the walkway between the cantina and the hydroponics bay was a R-Drone, its flash pulse scanning for any target to blind. In the hydroponics bay itself an Umbra Samaritan had taken cover on a walkway behind another R-Drone. Another Imetron was tucked away trying to disguise itself with the plants being grown in the bay. Up on a water storage walkway the last alive members of the ALIVE activist group crouched, having taken up with the EI as some form of youthful rebellion. On the ground below, a Taigha snarled. Up above the them a signature which had registered as Shasvastii just a moment before began laying down suppressive fire on the combined within the the hydroponics bay.

The Kealtar found its way to the remote hanger and sat back waiting to take over if the situation warranted it. On a walkway junction the Surda and its Kerail took cover behind a rack of servers. Our primary contingent took up inside of the medical bay. The Kamel taking cover in a corner protected by two Kaauri while another of the enigmatic Tohaa masquerading as a Draal crouched on a foot locker, and their last member of the triad, the real Draal took up a high firing position outside of the bay. Near the false Draal, was the chaksa guarding both entrances to the bay with its heavy flamethrower. Seeing that his position was cover by the Chaksa, the Digger began rooting around in the medical cabinet it was hiding behind. Two more unrecognized signatures coming up with Tohaa validations. One of these signatures was on a walkway junction next to the entrance to the remote bay, and the other was on the junction on the left side of the medical bay.

The Taigha dashed forwards, but was quickly put down by the Draal who had been waiting for it. The Samaritan attempted to free the rest of its team from the threat of the suppressive fire, but was driven back into hiding.

The unrecognized Tohaa signature began to make its way into the medical bay, but the Kaauri began scanning this newcomer, uncovering the Speculo Killer just in time for the Digger to leap away from the Shasvastii agent.

Near the remote hanger the other unrecognized signature walked in revealing itself to be a Sygmaa agent intent on assassinating the Kealtar. The specialist just had time to fire her shotgun once, insuring that her killer would not be able to go after anyone else.

The Samaritan leapt over the R-Drone to the high services walkways and fired at the suppressive unit, but as the glow of the plasma blast faded the suppressive fire began again.

The remote Kiss ran up the walkway launching repeaters to cover the entrances to the hydroponics bay, while Bit tried to cover its advance, but the last member of ALIVE took several rounds of suppressive fire, and would need to be revived, before she could claim that moniker again.

In the medical bay the Speculo rushed the Digger. The prospector readied itself for a brawl, when the Speculo whipped out its shotgun, firing one round near point blank into the Digger, severely damaging its mining harness and one into the Kaauri which fell to the ground disabled

Clearly outraged at the death of the one of the EI's human figureheads, the Samaritan fired its carbine again. This time the shooting stopped. The Umbra operative crawled out the hydroponics bay through a small service duct and leapt onto a protrusion on the outside of the bay, but took fire from the Draal

Locked a deadly fight with the Speculo the Digger tried to end the fight by placing a detonation charge on the Shasvastii. However the Killer was too quick and found an opening in the human's defense, cutting completely through the mining harness and the flesh it contained like it a blow torch through ice. With the Samaritan pinned in its precarious position, the Draal pressed her advantage, killing the Umbra with a burst of her Marksman rifle.

The Speculo posed a threat to the rest of the team inside the medical bay, one which triggered the territorial hostility of the remaining Kaauri which moved to the Speculo's position and killed it with a burst of its SMG.

With the medical bay cleared the Draal climbed down from her vantage point, and made her way with her triad to disable the R-Drone in the hydroponics bay. She then made her way to the the communications antenna and connected to it, before she took over a firing position along the gate walkway to cover the rest of her team.

From its hiding place at the bar the Skiavoro stood and began blasting away at the Draal, hoping that luck would guide its aim to take down the Tohaa, blasts of plasma scorching the bay walls and the walkways where they hit. I do not think that aspects of the EI's will would drink, but it seemed like in this case the will was strong, but the flesh was weak.

The Kerail advanced forwards throwing smoke to cover the entrance of the cantina, however smoke was barely put down before both the Kerail and its Surda were blinded by the R-Drone. With this cover in place the Draal and her team advanced taking a position further up the walkway. Wanting to keep well back if the aspect construct should rush from the cantina.

The Skiavoro hopped over the the bar top and taking fire from the Draal, and came to the entrance of the cantina and shot the kerail with a burst of plasma.

Its sensors focused on the tech coffin which suspended in the zero gravity between the walkways, and the aspect construct advanced. However, whatever ambitions it may have had were dashed by the Draal whose expert firing downed the tool of the great enemy.

With the Skiavoro down there was left but the flashing lights of the R-Drone to prevent the Draal from securing the coffin herself.

All that was left was for me to make my way along the cantina module and connect to the communication antenna.