Nuevo Amanecer

[Chenzo-]

Upon his return to Malta, a journey which took hours in a standard Sabre, he found himself come across an Omicron Alpha similar but not the same that he had remembered.

Gravitational anomalies had drifted or disappeared altogether, Valetta shipyard was missing. On his approach to dock on Malta, he found himself concerned with what the hell was going on. How long had he been away? What had he missed? Where were the glorious Ghosts of Razgriz which would usually have been patrolling? The feeling was deep with uncertainty and it was clear that although his personal assets had been growing steadily, Maltese affairs were not as he was used to them being.

Uneasy with what was going on, the old roads of Malta on which acted as veins for the many different farms to work were as they had always been, rough but well maintained. They served their purpose flawlessly, why change that?

He was most surprised to see that Granja Justa had expanded from the humble few fields to almost a third of the planet. No wonder supplies were rolling in so steadily and in such quantities. He was sure this was all Granja Justa, the perimeter walls were like no other on the planet and well armed, just as he'd instructed. The Luciano family had indeed been busy.

No sooner had he crossed the northern most perimeter wall, he found two Sabre's on his tail. Immediately notifications that they had locked on to his ship and a comms link opened. They told him he's in a protected and restricted area and that he's to state his intensions. HE advised he is to meet the Luciano family at his old home, that he's Chenzo of the 101st and he was most impressed at the first taste of a Maltese presence he was used to. Swift, professional, elite and without mercy.

The pilots of the tailing sabres advised that weapons are to be switched offline or they would engage, Chenzo complied with a beaming grin on his face. Upon stepping out of his Sabre, he was surrounded by over a dozen well armed individuals. Through the armed individuals at the top of the mansions steps which was by far in need of serious renovation, stood Lucky himself.

Lucky called out "Things have changed, senor Chenzo, but I see you have not!"

Upon hearing the words of Lucky, the guards lowered their weapons and parted as Chenzo approached up the steps. When he was but a few feet away, he complimented Lucky on his endeavours, the farm and it's security were indeed as Chenzo had asked.

Luciano went on to embrace Chenzo with a hug but as he went to do so, stopped as he remembered Chenzo does not like being touched. He'd seen men killed for trying in the past. Luciano went on to walk Chenzo around the mansion estate explaining what had happened in his absence with regards to the farm itself. Schooling and social community amenities alongside healthcare were kept underground to avoid arousal of suspicion and also advised that multiple encounters with other groups over time had been made in an attempt to overthrow the farm but were quickly paid off. The reason the mansion itself looked in tatters helped maintain this image.

Chenzo asked of the 101st, the trusted allies? Lane Hackers, Rogues, Chrysanthemums, Junkers Congress. As Chenzo kept listing names Luciano kept shaking his head and as Chenzo had named to the 20th group name at this point being verbal diarrhoea Luciano interupted him.

"Senor, we've heard nothing in years from anyone, you were the first visitor we've had bar the Shetland collections and those who come to collect payment. Nobody else seems to exist or at least nobody keeps contact."

Chenzo absorbs the information with great shock. How had things come to be? What were Malta's defences like now?

Luciano went on to describe a civil war between the Outcasts and Contori Lance not six months after he had left, that all Maltese external affairs were but a shadow of what they used to be.

---