Dennis Quad seemed to watch Nicholai and Patrick switch places momentarily, as if sizing them up through the comms screen. His eyes were sharp and some would even say seem to glint with an eerie glare through his irises. He spoke seriously, "Nothing to worry about, Captain. Of course, wars are never pretty in any manner or form. My people sometimes find themselves in the line of fire, and we do understand that such conflict is normally shadowed by the chaos of aftermath. Manpower, finance, morale. Everything tends to scatter everywhere, yes?" He paused to nod his head slightly, "I understand your enthusiasm to look for your people, Lt. Nicholai. Any sound minded man would be, and I can tell that the both of you sound like sound minded men. Conmen or heroes, I do not know, but I have a hunch...." He paused again to relax, leaning back into his chair, suddenly calm all of a sudden. "Very well. In the spirit between human beings, I suppose I should allow you a day on the surface of our planet to conduct your search. One shuttle with as many escorts as you wish. One day until the strike of midnight tomorrow. However, be warned. The Badlands is now wilder than what it once was. Your movements will be monitored, but we cannot ensure your complete safety. Rogue Zerg, pirates, bandits and dangerous creatures roam these parts." He gave them a wide creepy smile, "Have a good day now, and good luck."<br/><br/>The comms screen switched back to the lady from before, who settled back into her seat after adjusting something on her console, "Churchill, Head Supervisor Quad has given me your clearence. You are clear to land one shuttle on any area of your choice. As a precautionaty measure of security, your shuttle will be escorted to your destination until landing by one of our Wraith squadrons. Should you arrive in any populated area, the local militia will be warned of your presence. Please refrain from causing any trouble and good luck on your search rescue. New St Angels out."<br/><br/>Elsewhere off screen, the supervisor stared at the blank screen. Standing up from his chair, he approached his nearest officer and stood by him. "Sergeant, I want to know what they are<em>really</em>after. Send Beta squads to track them. Make sure they do not leave the planet until I know what they are looking for...."<br/><br/><strong>Location</strong>: Mar Sara, ruined capital city<br/><strong>Planetary time</strong>: Afternoon come dusk<br/><br/>"Dang, this piece of crap tastes like shizz."<br/>"You high on stims, Bozo? This stuff is whack!"<br/>"I dunno, Carl. A little different from the cigs I smoke at home."<br/>The firebat called Bozo looked at the Ghost standing some distance from them, "Hey, Cash! Quite swingin that rifle and chill, man!"<br/>The Ghost turned to face them, "Dammit, guys.... I told you I feel something. Something aint right!"<br/>"Yeah? You see dead people now, bub?"<br/><br/>The whole squad laughed loudly, all except the Ghost. The joke between mercenary guards was common. Not a lot of people on the hired force trusted what Ghosts could do. Mix and match a few of the wrong types together and nothing gets done. The hearty moment suddenly died out instantly when the entire group jumped to the sound of creaking metal. Everyone fell into alert combat positions, weapons raised and fingers on the triggers. Everyone fell silent. Lit cigarettes fell onto the dirt. Eyes flew outwards and upwards as each soldier scanned their surroundings. They counted on another rogue zergling to appear for them to roast. They counted on more serious excitement than the patrol duties that they were tasked to each day.... but none of them counted on spotting the wreckage of a rusty Vulture flying towards thier direction.<br/><br/>"Hit the deck!"<br/><br/>The cluster of men scattered in several directions, but Bozo was too slow. The heavy suited man was hit full on. His armor could not hold, and he was crushed under the weight of the ruined vehicle, sent sprawling down the road like a ragdoll. The other men had dropped prone on their bellies in their rush to avoid the broken steel. The first man to painfully look up shouted.<br/><br/>"Zerg!"<br/><br/>The massive Ultralisk barreled in and the Ghost standing closest to it let out a cry before he disappeared under the monster's hoof in a spray of red, grey and brown. In a quick rapid motion, one of its kaiser blades ripped forward, tearing at the downed marines with merciless fervour. Carl's remaining comrade was cut down where he kneeled, trying to get up to reach for his gauss rifle. Covered in a mess, the remaining mercanary was able to stand up, cursing under his breath and staggering around to keep his distance. Cocking his rifle, he was finally able to open fire, bursting high velocity rounds into his target. To his horror, the bullets seemed to bounce and dance around its armor. When his clip ran out, he struggled to reload, his attention so concentrated in getting his new mag in that he did not notice the deadly blades slash straight for his chest.<br/><br/>After the last man laid dead, the Ultralisk stood over his handiwork in triumph. A successful ambush. No survivors. They would not be missed any time soon. This was a particularly desolate part of the city.<br/><br/>(( ooc: I hate being sick. Have a flu and I cant type well. Sorry for the delay, guys. ))