[dcs_p]Regardless of the looming danger, Ryan knew he was going to have to leave the
Headquarters main hall and make his way to the barracks area just down the
street. He was surrounded by books, dozens of them, all research done on
known terrorist organizations. Here was a document detailing the latest actions
by the Black Dragon movement, there an anthropological field study done on one
of the Blakist militia sects of Wasat in the Free Worlds League. Ryan had been
racking his brain for more information on their unknown attackers, and now it
seemed they might have struck again.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]As he walked across the room and turned off the lights, he quickly came up with
an idea for dealing with tonight’s situation. Choosing to go directly to the main
security building, he hoped to find someone who could help him investigate the
living quarters. He looked out the closed blinds just to the left of the main door.
He could see nothing for the moment but hoped his eyes would adjust soon.
As he waited, Ryan readied his weapon, a gyrojet rifle he’d picked up from a
stash in the main hall’s security room. The guard usually posted there had been
called off early so Ryan could ensure he’d had privacy while examining the
documents. Things had been completely sideways for the past eight months,
with a Marik S.A.F.E. agent discovered amongst the Striker ranks and an
Alamo-class nuclear explosive detonated during a training exercise. No one could
be trusted, and that left the original team members depending solely on each
other for fact-checking.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Ryan’s mind rushed through the suspects again as his eyes started to focus on
the shadows outside the hall. Black Dragons. Word of Blake. The
Denouncement. That last one hit several nerves in Ryan, some in his left arm, a
grim reminder of injuries received while fighting the Denouncement sect on this
very planet nearly two and a half years ago. The scum had dared invade the
Irece Prefecture then and had nearly destroyed the team. What hated enemies
we’ve made with those freaks. [/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He looked again through the blinds, this time slowly and carefully over all in his
field of vision. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was time.
As he opened the door slowly, Ryan slipped out and locked it manually with his
security card. He tiptoed his way to the right edge of the building, keeping far
from the footpath and staying hidden in the depths of the hall’s encompassing
shadow. He peeked around the corner, then moved further towards the security
building. It was across the way, almost directly in front of him. He suddenly
realized the night watchman’s light had been turned off. Peering at the spotlight
tower, he squinted his eyes in an attempt to see anything suspicious.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]It was then that the building exploded in a resounding thump, glass shattering out
of its windows and the northern portion splintering into hundreds of fragments. In
simultaneous explosions, the security building and the command lance barracks
building blew apart. Smoke bled from the buildings, though open flames could not
yet be seen. Strider. Mace. Pike.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Ryan knew Colonel Strider had probably been away for the night, no doubt
slipping out after dark to join his girlfriend Jasmine Geutie of the Acer’s Hueys
partner unit. However he also knew that he’d never seen Mark Pike, or Maverick
as he was known, out at this time. Mace was also usually home at this hour. He
prayed they had been warned in time via the emergency transmitters each of
them wore.[/dcs_p]