ACT III — BLOOD AT THE FREIGHT LIFT

[Pale Rider]

KWAN ORBITAL FUEL DEPOT — FREIGHT ELEVATOR CONCOURSE / BAY 02
RELENTLESS ARRIVAL: T-MINUS 58:42

COUNTER 01

The freight concourse detonated into violence the instant Cerberus and Fenrir pushed into Bay 02.

Gunfire cracked across the loading lane. Rounds sparked from cargo cages, forklift housings, and the armored frame of the freight elevator. The deck was slick with water, oil, and fresh blood. Steam rolled low through the bay, lit red by the emergency strips over the lift.

Four hostiles had the far side of the concourse locked down.

Jonah Kast moved first—cold, efficient, firing from behind a loader cradle with the confidence of a man who had already planned his exit. Above him on the catwalk, Zhara Drax directed the fight like a battlefield conductor, rifle tucked hard into her shoulder. Off to the flank, HK-72 stood almost too still behind cover, disguised no longer to anyone paying attention. A fourth hunter shifted through the smoke near the cargo stacks, working angles for a kill shot.

At the base of the freight elevator doors, Dana Wynn lay half-upright against a cargo case, bleeding through her shuttle jacket. A hard case sat beside her hand.

“Package first!” Kast shouted. “Kill the Marines if you have to!”

Wynn shoved the case weakly toward the squads.

“The Relentless... don’t let them—”

<Tag Cerberus Actual. Tag Fenrir Actual.>

[eyeball]

“Fenrir squad, weapons free, suppressing fire!” Paulson barked over the squad channel.

Switching to command he reported “ laying down suppressing fire try to reach objective if you can.”

The incoming fire reduced a little as fenrir opened fire forcing the opposing side to take some cover.

[Pale Rider]

Gaston listened as the firefight broke out. It pained him to be sitting elsewhere.

"Rex and Johnny, I will be on board in 5. I want us moving out to Bay 2 ASAP. Our team needs our help!"

Gaston grabbed his gear and raced to the dropship. He was radioing for them to take off as soon as his feet hit the compartment. He dropped into a seat and buckled in.

<Tag Air Crew>

[Tamizhan007]

A bead of sweat dropped from Rex's forehead snaking its way to his neck, he was intently listening to the chatter -- the tension palpable. The the comm crackled with the platoon lead barking instructions, Rex turned to Jones his lips pursed, " jump start her fusion core" as he stowed his PR-PUT Uplink Terminal.

He radioed back 2nd Lt. Soles "waiting on you sir" he replied as his hands gripped the ever familiar console of the ship, closing the cargo door as soon as the Lieutenant rushes in.

Giving Jones a nod, Rex activated the thrusters maneuvering the ship to the intended location.

[BarbarianMathematics]

With the currently poker faced Jones, he gives a nod, knowing what had to be done. "Right on it. Turning fusion core on," Jones called out. He quickly went over to the service panel and activated the fusion cores, keeping an eye on their diagnostics to make sure they were up and running before calling back to Rex.

"Core's hot, sir," he called to Rex, keeping his hands steady before finishing up with the service panel and getting back into the co-pilot's seat. “Let’s just make sure we watch her so we don't get any other visitors."

[JuanPerez]

The first burst of gunfire sent Sonny down behind a cargo pallet. So much for incognito.

“Fenrir squad, weapons free, suppressing fire!” Paulson barked over the comm.

Sonny spotted Dana Wynn through the smoke, slumped against the cargo case at the base of the elevator. Blood was already soaking through her jacket.

“Paulson, keep their fucking heads down!” Sonny shouted.

He waited for Fenrir's next volley, then broke from cover. Sonny sprinted low across the slick deck, rounds snapping past and throwing sparks from the machinery around him. He slid the last few feet into cover beside Wynn and immediately dropped the act of dockworker.

“Dana Wynn! We are here to bail you out. Stay with me.”

He pulled open his first-aid bag and put a hand against the wound, quickly checking where the blood was coming from and how badly she was hit. His eyes flicked toward the hard case beside her.
<First Aid Check>

“Someone secure that damn case!”

Sonny hooked an arm beneath Wynn's shoulder, preparing to drag her behind heavier cover.

“Paulson! I've got Wynn! I need a lane back!”
<Tag Paulson>

[Pale Rider]

KWAN ORBITAL FUEL DEPOT — FREIGHT ELEVATOR CONCOURSE / BAY 02
RELENTLESS ARRIVAL: T-MINUS 58:30
COUNTER 02

Fenrir’s covering fire hammered the loader cradle, forcing Kast below its armored lip. Sonny reached Wynn as steam swept across the loading lane.

Blood seeped between his fingers. Her breathing came shallow and uneven. Beneath her jaw, a black needle protruded from the skin; the surrounding flesh had darkened.

“The case,” Wynn rasped, gripping his sleeve. “Data wafer… Tallon’s alive. They know.”

Above them, Drax crouched behind the catwalk railing.

“Medic at the lift! Cut off his withdrawal!”

The fourth hunter shifted toward the cargo stacks overlooking Sonny’s return route. HK-72 turned its weapon toward the elevator, tracking the gap between Wynn’s cargo case and Fenrir’s cover.

The hard case remained beside Wynn, exposed to anyone crossing the lane.

Meanwhile, the dropship’s intercom crackled.

“Marine transport, Depot Control. Bay Two reports active weapons fire. Freight approach obstructed; personnel access remains available. Transmitting approach coordinates.”

An amber proximity warning illuminated Rex’s console as a cargo tug crossed the departure corridor.

Sonny had cover for the moment. The route back was closing.

<Sonny: Resolve First Aid. Tag Paulson. Tag Cerberus. Tag Air Crew.>

What do you do?

[eyeball]

Paulson viewed the situation across the corridor, now he had two people trapped and why was Wynn constantly gesturing towards the case?

He noticed movement above the HK was changing angles to try and get clean shots.

“Sonny, fenrir actual, you are about to be flanked do you have an alternative exit?” He asked hoping against all hope something was visible from that side.

“Fenrir squad target the HK priority target and pop any chaff or smoke we have”

<tag fenrir>
<tag Sonny>

[JuanPerez]

Sonny pressed himself tighter behind the cargo case, as rounds cracked through the steam.

“Copy, Paulson. Looking for another way out!”
<Tag Paulson>

<First Aid: PASS — 2 Successes>
He turned his attention back to Wynn. Training took over. Sonny worked quickly, controlling the bleeding and stabilizing her as best he could.
The black needle beneath her jaw bothered him. He examined it carefully but resisted the temptation to simply pull it free without knowing what it contained.

“What the hell did they stick you with...”

Sonny checked Wynn again, satisfied he'd done everything he could for the moment.

“Stay with me, Dana. Tallon's alive. I heard you.”
<Tag Dana>

His eyes dropped to the hard case. “And I'm not leaving that behind either.”

He dragged the case closer and secured its handle before scanning through the steam for another way out.

“Paulson, Wynn's stabilized. She's got some kind of needle in her neck—unknown substance. I'm leaving it in until we know what we're dealing with.”
<Tag Paulson>

Sonny hooked an arm around Wynn, preparing to move her.

“Keep that HK busy. I've got Wynn and the package. Just give me a hole and we're getting the hell out of here. And Dana said that Tallon is alive. Sony out.”
<Tag Paulson>

[eyeball]

Sonny’s reply came in crisp and clear, but realistically how the hell were they supposed to stop a HK with small arms.

“Does anyone have anything heavier than a pistol we need some fire power here!”

He squeezed off another few rounds hoping for a lucky shot while he waited on a reply.

<roll shooting >
<tag everyone >

[LT_Chun]

Henniger replied on the All Hands.

"Weapons and armor at Rally Point One," he said as he hastily dressed himself.

[eyeball]

Two clean pistol hits to the head of the HK caused it to stagger slightly. This was the best chance they were going to get. Paulson stood and emptied his clip at the thing, “go, go, go!” He screamed.

<rapid fire>
<tag Sonny>