text: [Themes: sci-fi]
  
  It's a brutal world and it just got more so. Rushing in outnumbered, isn't likely to save anyone and most likely going to get you killed. You radio in for reinforcements and keep an eye on the farm in the mean time. Later when the darkness comes you see a group of them come out with torches, form a circle in a nearby plain and begin chanting. You count ten of them altogether Soon two more come out with one of the prisoners from earlier. She's bound, gagged and naked; you know what's going to come next.
  
  Reggie and another one in your team wants to do something, but you insist that they do nothing and to keep quiet. It's all over soon anyway, as you see them sacrifice the poor girl for whatever outlandish beliefs they hold. You take first watch for the night. The next day your reinforcements arrive...both of them.
  
  "What the fuck? I asked for at least five more people!"
  "Sorry, but that other recon group you sent also ran into trouble, in fact two of them are already dead, and we had to send a rescue team to fetch the other two since one has a broken leg."
  "Oh that's wonderful."
  "So should we call this off?" one of you team asks.
  "No Vivica, we're going through with it, but we're going to employ some stealth, they had three prisoners, I get the feeling they'll be doing the same ceremony they did last night."
  "Are we going to attack them now then?"
  "No Leonard, I don't feel like fighting a bunch of fanatics armed with machine guns in an open plain with no cover. And we can't just start firing on them from here, we need to wipe them ALL out as quickly as possible without them having a chance the regroup, fortify or any of that shit. We're gonna sneak into the house and ambush the whole fuckin' cult while they're doing their little ceremony."
  
  You wait until night and sure enough they all come out like you thought, then come the others with the prisoner. That's when the six of you quickly sneak through an overgrown field towards the house. You get to the stairs when Reggie and Leonard break off towards the area were the cult is performing their ceremony.
  
  "I can't just let them kill another! We can take 'em now! They're off guard!"
  "Reggie get the fuck...shit!"
  
  Reggie and Leonard begin firing, the fucking idiots aren't even taking cover, they're going head long in like they're stupid ass action heroes. You and the others lay down some cover fire, but it's not enough. Reggie and Leonard are cut down after killing a whopping ONE cultist and not even saving the hapless girl, who's shot instantly. The cultists start spreading out, moving forward, and circling around you at the same time, they're also better shots than you too, as they're carefully aiming rather than just firing in the general vicinity. After seeing another one of your team members go down, you and the rest fall back into the house itself.
  
  The inside of the house looks like something out of a horror movie, there are skulls and bones littering it, along with it blood stains everywhere.
  
  "Holy shit! What've we gotten ourselves into?" Vivica yells.
  "Shut the fuck up, I hear something...like crying...it's downstairs."
  "What about the cultists?"
  "Well it's the same plan, they just know about us now, let's hope we can still get 'em in a good ambush."
  
  You and your team members spread out in the house, you head down into the basement, which looks more like a small temple layout. You see a young woman in a cage, and when she sees you her eyes fill with hope. You hear the cultists stomping around upstairs and some gunfire, at which point you try to find a good place to hide.
  
  A bunch of footsteps run down the stairs, you wait in anticipation...closer...closer...
  
  You pop up from your spot and begin firing, you kill six of them before they can even react, and the remaining two barely get off some wild shots before you splatter them as well. Still breathing heavy among the dead, you finally hear some good news.
  
  "Hey! Are you still alive down there?" Vivica shouts.
  "Yeah! What's going on up there?"
  "We got a few of them, but I think most of them converged on your position though."
  "Of course they did, I've always been popular." You reply.
  
  You release the girl in the cage who's very thankful. She mentions her name is Ophelia and she's from a place called Ashtown which is far from this place. She says the cultists came storming into her town specifically trying to capture young girls; they took three before they finally were driven away, and unfortunately Ophelia was one of the three. You tell Ophelia your story; she seems to think you've got the right idea about going about things.
  
  "I think I'm going to tell my people back in Ashtown that we need to start getting better organized as well, and I'll be sure to tell them all about you and how you rescued me! Maybe we'll see each other in the future."
  
  You and your team search the farm house which just like you thought was stocked with all sorts of goodies. You're going to have haul some of it back, but you decide that you could also establish another base of sorts here after it was cleaned up. You'd also like to establish more of a relationship with this Ashtown. So you allow Ophelia to take one of the vehicles for her to drive back there, she certainly doesn't have a problem with that!
  
  Before heading back you put Vivica in charge of the place and tell her you'll be sending some more folks to help get this farm up and running. Not bad for a first try.
  
  Four more years pass...
  
  It's been five years since you joined the Compound and things are going fairly well for you, the farm house has been converted into a way point to Ashtown, with which you have good relations with and is now producing food. You are no longer solely dependant on the Compound for supplies which might be just as well...
  
  You get less and less reports from the Compound itself other than its undergone a name change and due to its inclusion of a few towns now, its called the Combine and the Compound itself is called Fort Justice. You know about how the Colonel has gotten sick and seems to be getting worse as more time passes and how the population rate is growing, but it's slow. The major theory is the elevated levels of background radiation are probably affecting fertility. (You wonder about yourself and Marina since she hasn't once gotten pregnant in the five years you've been together) There have been more people sent here, mainly because they hear about how great it is in Pandora as opposed to the miserable place Harry has made Fort Justice since he's been getting freer reign of the place as the Colonel continues to get sicker.
  In fact you've been hearing some disturbing stories from others who have come here recently. Ranging from needlessly violent occupation of towns, sending people on dangerous unnecessary missions to the city, and recruiting desert scum into the Combine! People are saying Harry's going nuts with power.
  
  One day, one of your assistants comes in and has something to report.
  
  The Colonel has died, Harry has taken complete control of the Combine and his first order is for YOU to return to Fort Justice for reassignment.
  
  Harry's just plain gone completely nuts if he thinks you're going to do that.
  
  Speaking of nuts, that same day after you convince everyone in seceding from the Combine you get a radio message from someone who's been quiet until now.
  
  "Well well, it seems you've got a problem on your hands."
  
  It's Alex. You're guessing he's been surviving on rats and roaches down there.
  
  "What the hell do you want and how do you know what's been going on?"
  "How do you think? I've been listening in on all your incoming and outgoing radio transmissions since you betrayed me and trapped me down here! I must say though, you probably did the intelligent thing. And your progress with establishing your own separate territory has been intriguing...but I can tell you right now, you are going to need help with your current problem, a problem I will be willing to help with if you're willing to talk."
  "Alright, I'll play. What're you proposing?"
  "There are still a lot of those high tech weapons down here that you were coming to get when you came here five years ago. I'm sure they would be very useful in your up coming war with Harry, and don't tell me there isn't, because I know you aren't going to run or meekly follow his orders to return. You've obviously set your sights on higher ambitions than just following orders and survival. I'll be willing to give them to you, in exchange for my freedom."
  "Oh that easy huh? How do you propose we go about this? I send people down there to retrieve them while your death machines ambush them as soon as they enter?"
  "It would be kind of hard for that to happen since all my cyborgs are long dead and my robots have fallen into disrepair...I'm basically alone down here. You were guarding nothing!" Alex laughs.
  
  You're pretty skeptical about this little tale, but if it's true, those weapons would certainly help.
  
  > disbelieve Alex
  "Nice try Alex, but I'm not falling for it, now don't bother calling me again, because I won't be listening to anymore of your lies."
  "Alright, suit yourself. I guess I better prepare for a change in landlords then. Pity, because I don't think Harry will be willing to let me just live down here, I guess I better prepare myself as well."
  
  Alex disconnects and you don't hear from him again. You radio Vivica to let her know what's going on as well; she's behind you and will make sure to send a few people to harass Harry's men when they decide the lay siege to Pandora. Everyone spends time preparing and organizing for the battle that's sure to come.
  
  A month passes and sure enough Harry's men come thinking its going to be an easy victory, but it's merely a stand off. They end up falling back and try to wait you out, but you still have the advantage for the most part though.
  
  A couple more weeks pass and reinforcements arrive and armed to the teeth and despite the rugged terrain that prevents cars to come to this place, they managed to find some dirt bikes which whiz around Pandora while the riders nimbly dodge your fire while they toss grenades at (and sometimes over) the walls. Pandora is a lot less secure, and you're just glad Vivica's skirmishers are doing a good job at diverting the invasion force's attention and getting through with supplies, though you catch wind that Harry is sending even MORE reinforcements. You doubt if you can handle it, Marina doesn't want to leave, but even she sees that things are pretty grim, and is willing to leave if need be. You've already decided the place to retreat to would be the Farmhouse. If you're going to leave though, you need to do it now, because when Harry's second wave of reinforcements arrive, it will be impossible to break out.
  
  > Leave
  "We're getting the hell outta here! Get everyone ready!" you tell Marina, before radioing Vivica, to tell her that you'll be arriving soon.
  
  You and everyone else start gathering everything you can carry, and before opening the gates you purposely blow up some of the buildings in the base, particularly the building with the water filtering and recycling system. You might be running, but you'll be damned if they'll get the prize fully intact.
  
  Due to the explosions, you throw the invasion force a little off guard, since they're wondering what the hell's going on. This works in your favor when you exit and make your risky escape.
  
  "Split up and meet you know where!" you shout to everyone as you haul ass to the Farmhouse.
  
  You, Marina and a few others stick together as you battle Harry's men who are in pursuit of you. Fortunately you know the lay of the land a little better, so your escape is fatality free by the time you make it to the Farmhouse. A few of the others who split up aren't quite as lucky, but most make it. You immediately tell Vivica to start beefing up the defenses.
  
  The Farmhouse is relatively well defended, and even has two vehicles to help you. Its also further away, so by the time Harry regroups a large enough invasion force, you figure you'll be ready for him.
  
  What you weren't ready for, was the hi-tech weaponry, Harry's men arrive with months later. Granted they don't have them per soldier, but they have enough to start laying waste to the Farmhouse and its surroundings. Apparently they grabbed the ones Alex told you about. Whether the Combine just took them and killed Alex, or Alex came to an agreement with Harry is unknown, but your guess is Harry just killed him and whatever cyborgs might've been down there. (Dictators aren't known to "share")
  
  Some help comes from Ashtown, but it really isn't enough and given Ashtown's even further position away, it doesn't do much good. Eventually you hear from Ophelia on the radio who suggests that you are all welcome to come live in Ashtown, as they have plenty of room and wouldn't mind having some good warriors with a variety of skills. Reluctantly you accept, though you hate the fact you have to run again.
  
  You, Marina, Vivica and the remaining survivors pile into the two vehicles in between attacks and drive off to Ashtown. No need for scorched Earth tactics this time since the Combine soldiers did a good enough job of that during their initial attacks.
  
  Eventually you arrive in Ashtown, where you're welcomed, but now you have to remember, you're not in charge anymore and things are a bit different. You welcome the change though, after all the time of fighting non-stop and being in charge you're happy to be able to relax more often as the only problems Ashtown has is the occasional bandit attack which aren't organized or well lead. Everyday though, you expect the Combine to show up again, but a year passes without a sign of them.
  
  One day you hear about the Combine again, from a wandering traveler who stops in Ashtown one day. Word is, it's currently undergoing another regime change. Apparently, shortly after the Farmhouse was completely destroyed, someone named Damon shot Harry and took over, then just recently someone blew him up and now someone else is in charge. Even though the Combine still pursues the idea of conquest, it now constantly has problems with infighting, hampering many of their plans. For now they've been concentrating on trying to maintain control in the places they already hold.
  
  It's quite possible the Combine will eventually turn its attention in this direction of conquest in your direction again, but you'll be ready as you always are, maybe you won't win, but you know you'll always survive to fight another day if necessary.