Prepared by Probationary Engineer Banks
I was assigned to join a fresh faced FEF Team with the intention of venturing towards the current Fortitude occupied zone to make contact with the resistance and establish a more permanent method of communication.
First mile or so out of base was the usual wide eyed, slightly terrified looks of the first day on the surface. But the soldiers quickly got organised and formed a marching order.
We made contact with some savages tribals, the diplomats and scientists had a decent length conversation and got some information of a local Fortitude outpost and that some areas had “metal men” in them. An agreement was made to try and recover some plants that would be exchanged for supplies.
We then encountered some other random surface dwellers, I didn’t even see them really, the soldiers dispatched them pretty quickly. This was followed by some Fortitude troops, full on committed soldiers, took some serious fire this time, but managed to push through. We discovered an irradiated zone with some interesting looking plants and stuff, the scientists masked up and recovered various samples.
Next was a more distressing encounter, several Hive soldiers along with a scrapper and commander type. We came close to losing a few people here, but a pincer move by a group of soldiers allowed us to gain the upper hand. Again scientists and medics studied the creatures for further research (it’s strange seeing this kind of activity).
The soldiers reported signs of a Fortitude patrol that was acting strangely. This sounded like the team we were there to meet. I recognised the voice of the squad commander as a member of the resistance and made introductions to the FEF Crats and Soldiers, it was testy at first, but apparently a decent conversation happened and a couple of things where agreed.
- Provision of Supplies for Resistance Ops
- Assistance with human resources for Resistance Ops
- Information on the structure and running of Bunker Ascendant along with pre-war history
In exchange for the following
- Full information on Fortitude; population numbers, current supply levels, details on ranking personnel.
- Inside loop on operations, ability to sabotage / influence operations.
- Access to Fortitude strategic asset locations.
- Fortitude are currently engaged in a defensive war with Hive constructs to the East of the Bunker. Most troops have been redeployed to that area. Casualties are high, and a number of those casualties are being converted into enemy troops.
- The Bunker is led by General Sykes, a 53 year old Recon specialist. He recently succeeded the previous General, who was killed in an assassination. The Assassination happened in secure Fortitude territory, and the perpetrator was never found. Not much else is known as the whole thing was covered up by the Military.
- The Military are receiving reinforcements regularly. The troops and equipment come in from the South and over the past year number in the hundreds.
They provided the location of a local comms relay and instructions to the engineers to patch a secret channel in to allow communication with the resistance.
We proceeded to the location, engaged heavy Fortitude troops (thankfully no Ironclads). We lost several members of the science team and a tribal warrior allied to the FEF. The comms relay was hacked and we made the position look like it had been attacked and overrun by tribal warriors.