Desert Treasure

[t0l]

Neural Net hubs on New London have reported severe data loss during the brief periods that they were able to get their systems back online, with irreparable hardware and software damage on most of if not all of their currently active systems.

Tal stood attentively next to a small table, surrounded by a huddle of mercenary leaders and Core liaisons, as he listened intently to a scratchy, audio-only broadcast from the Bretonian Broadcasting Corporation. The presence of such a powerful ion storm that disrupted space travel Sirius-wide and called for evacuation of smaller installations raised multiple complications, mostly concerning their isolation on Planet Nauru. So severe were the effects of this sudden storm that attempts to reestablish communications with Yaren Base, which was still in orbit of Nauru, had failed, and even worse, communications with Core command had been entirely severed. If it wasn’t for the supply vessel that stopped off three days ago, they’d be in serious trouble.

Experts have concluded that the storm will run it’s course over the next week or so, eventually departing the sector and allowing for limited space travel until the jump gates have been reassessed and Neural Net systems are brought back online.

Tal looked up and around him to find most of his comrades in deep thought, likely contemplating their next steps. Not that he blamed them, of course, for there were perhaps two-hundred displaced, angry Corsairs somewhere out in the desert, who were just waiting for an opportunity to strike at an outpost as isolated as their FOB was now.

Monetary losses are estimated to surpass the 1 trillion credit mark...

Some static, and then silence. Another mercenary, who he couldn’t identify under the dimming sunlight and probably didn’t know anyways, reached over to check the tablet, before returning a poor result that nobody wanted to hear.

“Signal’s gone again.”

Across from him, Paladin Nova Hawken stood with her arms crossed, visibly troubled. Without clear communications with Omicron Rho and Guildmaster Nodtviet, she’d been placed in temporary command of all forces on Nauru, at least, the ones that hadn’t left already.

“...Do we have heavy weaponry in stock?”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied a Core marine.

“Good. I want them installed on every available transport vehicle that we have. From the looks of it, we’ll have to take a more active approach in locating our enemies through any means necessary.”

Tal blinked at the statement, less concerned with going outside of the wire and more concerned with having to install a weapon on his transport. On the plus side, perhaps his deployment to Nauru just got a lot more interesting...

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