<strong>Ice fields of Werden.</strong><br/><hr/>As the lances spread out the weather quickly changed from a calm black night to a freezing white inferno. Winds from the sea started to turn in over the islands and kicked up the powdered snow into a blizzard of magnificent proportions. The MechWarriors were reduced to slowly walking across what little ground they could see to make sure they wouldn't fall into an icy crevasse. Even with a 'Mech the drop would be catastrophic and it wasn't something they wanted to risk. Ailis found herself separated from the others by sight and sensors, but her comms kept her connected to the small recon lance that was carefully trudging along the outer limits of the facility and its outlying compounds.<br/><br/>Janos had settled in behind Ranna grudgingly. So he had been put under a babysitter. Great. This was surely no way to learn how to handle a light 'Mech. Had he been cut loose for an hour or two he would be doing flips swing on vines by now. Now he just had the Harlequins backside to look at. Had it at least been the fiery redhead's own behind he wouldn't have complained too much. But that was when he saw it. A small red spot on the back of the Hatchetman. He stopped his 'Mech and hunkered down, making himself near invisible for the naked eye.<br/><br/>"Uhm, Harlequin, I think you are tagged."<br/><br/>Which was the last thing Ailis heard before her sensors and comms went total haywire. And just at that moment she passed over a small icy cliff and saw it. A heavily armored infantryman, white with blue checkered shoulders, almost completely camouflaged if it weren't for the large circular metal plate he was standing on. For a moment they just looked at each other and then suddenly he seemed to vanish into thin air right in front of her.<br/><br/>Somewhere else along the snowy plains Erich's command lance was making slow but steady progress. There had been some electrical interference, but not of the ECM variety. After so many decades in 'Mechs Erich and Alroy could spot the difference of electric warfare and an HPG-pulse calibration. Which was how they finally got sensors of the four 'Mechs following some 500 feet behind them.<br/><br/>"Erich Oststein." a voice broke through the comms just as their sensors lit up. "Never knew you were with Bones' mercs. Lyrans didn't pay you well enough?" It was Dayan alright, he had that very distinctive hebrew sound to him that very few kept to these days. And from the sensors it would seem he was bringing a whole lance of mediums with him. "Welcome to Werden."<br/><br/><hr/><strong>HPG, Walter and Perkins.</strong><br/><hr/>"Gentlemen. Welcome to Werden." After half an hour of silence it was finally broken by the Demi-Precentor. While he had a hood on his otherwise very un-mystic business suit he kept it down, showing off his raven black hair with a few grey streaks around his temples. His smile was warm and genuine and his green eyes were fully in on the game. Overall he seemed more like, well, a businessman than a higher up in a semi-religious order. "I am Pale Hawkins, head of the facility. I hope I didn't keep you too long, I get lost in my calculations some times."<br/><br/>"Not at all." Perkins shot of a smile of his own as all three of them exchanged handshakes and introductions. "We appreciate what little calm we can get these days."<br/><br/>An acolyte approached Hawkins with a clipboard and said something in the very secretive tongue of the order, which turned the Demi-Precentor's smile into a frown. He looked at the clipboard, scoffed and handed it back with a few words of his own which sent the acolyte away. And with that his smile returned. "Shall we move to my office? I have some matters for your ears only."