Keeper Hunter

The forest started to thin out and Copper pulled the ATV onto a narrow overgrown dirt track and turned off the engine. She sat in silence for a few minutes deep in thought.

“Best we recon the situation first?” she said.

I took note of the worry in her voice. It was easy to guess she suffered something before. Something she’d walked into without checking first. Actually what she was saying made sense.

“Good idea,” I replied. “I’ll go.”

“Would you?” Copper seemed relieved by that.

“Yes, now you wait in the ATV and I do mean stay put this time.” I considered my options I was totally unfamiliar with the area this was her home turf. “Ok, got any image intensifiers?”

“Box behind the driver’s seat.”

I reached over rumaging in the box. The image intensifiers weren’t what I was expecting. I could see they were old-fashioned optical binoculars. They didn’t have the function of modern equipment nor did they give off an EM signature. All electronic devices gave off an EM signature that sensors could detect. Since I wasn’t sure what to expect I deemed it good enough. To mask my EM signature further I removed my comms bracelet.

“Take care of this.” I told Copper.

“Won’t you need it?” she asked alarmed.

I shook my head. “If they have any scanning equipment it would give me away.”

“I didn’t think of that,” Copper said.

“Now stay with the ATV,” I warned her. “Hear any shooting get the Hell out of here!”

“I can’t leave you!” Copper sounded even more alarmed.

“Just stay here!” I felt my patience waver. I pulled myself back from the brink.

“Please do as I say?”

Copper nodded reluctantly her hands taking a death grip on the steering wheel.

I left her there and crept into the forest.

Paralleling the road I eased my way through the brush. Most it seemed to be newer growth but I wasn’t sure how old it was I just didn’t have the experience. In a way it reminded me of the untamed forest on Alfheimir. Then I had Miranda and Cinders to guide me. I sent a quick prayer to the Mother of All to see them safe. I shook myself that was too Valkyrie. I had to concentrate on the here and now. The forest came to an end opening out to a series of fields. In the distance about seven hundred metres away was the remains of a town, larger than the abandoned town in the scrubland. I put the binoculars to my eyes and took a closer look. I had difficulty adjusting the zoom on them I wasn’t used to using such primitive equipment.

A fire had swept through the town at some time. Most of the buildings had fire damage and several had collapsed to ground. If I were surer about it I’d say some of these buildings had been blown up. It was something I would have to ask Copper about. For now I was more interested in the column of smoke coming from the centre on the town. It was more of a controlled fire with the smoke rising into a cloudless sky. I scanned the smoke column too many building obscured it. I did note there were two larger buildings within the ruined town and one of them had a comms tower. It seemed more intact than the rest of the town as if it had been maintained. I surveyed the rest of the town through my binoculars unable to see anyone moving. I turned my attention back to the fields around the town. They’d once been used for cultivation. The forest had started to encroach on the fields, which were a mix of wild plants and the remnants of crops long since gone to seed. Whatever tragedy had befallen this town was long ago possibly before the war with the Confeds. Suddenly things clicked this was what Copper had been talking about. This had been her town I couldn’t believe the devastation that had occurred. I felt sick to my stomach it wasn’t enough to destroy the cube they had to destroy the town. Yet I didn’t gel with what Copper had confessed. I felt myself go cold in fear. The Empire hadn’t wiped out a town to destroy the cube they had wanted it. I couldn’t think which was worse and pulled my mind away from the depressing way my thoughts were going. I noted a weed filled ditch that paralleled the road deep enough for me to creep closer. With that thought on mind I returned to the ATV.

“Oh!” Copper said as I returned. She looked shocked to see me appear at her door.

I told her what I’d seen. “I don’t think it’s the Separatists or a gang I couldn’t see any guards.” I didn’t add that they might be arrogant enough not to need guards on the perimeter. Cooper was having enough problems as it was. “Do you have a holo map of the town?” I was gambling on the fact that she did.

Copper hesitated for a moment before answering. “I do but it isn’t recent. There’s one on the reader.”

I powered up the reader and glanced at the 3D holo map of the town. It was laid out on a grid pattern. Dominated by a Security office and a store cum motel. I could see warehouses and homes as well.” I pointed to the position I noted on the map reconciling it with what I’d seen from my survey earlier. “This is where the smoke is.”

“That’s the square in the middle of the town,” Copper sounded concerned. “Could you try and find out who is here?”

I gave her a look. “Too much open ground I’d be spotted before I got half way?”

Copper shook her head. “There’s a deep ditch that runs to the town it will give you cover all the way. It’s hard to spot its got a little overgrown.” Her eyes practically pleaded me to go.

I’d already planned to use the ditch but I didn’t tell her that. I gave sigh and put my comms back on and checked my Seven Double ‘M’. I had fourteen rounds left if I got into trouble I’d have to make every shot count. With that in mind I headed back.

Overgrown my ass it was a virtual jungle in the ditch it was going to take longer than I thought. For once I was glad of the synth cotton pants and Marine issue boots I was wearing. I was also wearing a jacket in a grey almost Confed in colour. I dropped into the ditch feeling a squelch beneath my feet. The bottom of the ditch was a muddy hellhole. Carefully I eased my way through roots and mud. Half-crouched I made my way down the ditch. Copper hadn’t warned me there would water in the ditch. I just hoped it wouldn’t rain that would sure ruin my day. I edge closer fighting with every step to keep myself on two feet. Finally I was through. A large grating loomed in front of me. I’d reached the town. I squatted down reserving my energy and listened. The sound of children playing had me concerned. I picked up the voices of at least two children but there may have been others. I commed Copper.

“Copper,” I said.

“Glenda that you?”

She was still using my alias. “Yes I can hear children,” I stated simply.

“Children?” Copper sounded alarmed.

“Bring the ATV in slowly,” I told her. I climbed out of the ditch.

A low wall topped it. I surmounted that landing in what I could call a trash filled back yard. The building that of a homestead was burnt and blackened like it had seen an intense fire. What roof, windows and doors were long gone consumed by the flames. All that was left of the rooms were piles of sodden ash with a few planets growing out. I crept through the back door and out through the front in a scene of ancient devastation. Whatever happened to the town had happened some time ago. From my position I had a good view of the square. A comms tower was attached to what I could only guess was the Security office and across the square was a store both buildings at least two stories high. The store and the Security office seemed to have fared better than the rest of the town. I guessed both had been constructed with duracrete the hard wearing building materials used by the military. In front of the store someone had dragged a load of broken furniture and other rubbish and were burning it. A battered ground car was parked close by its roof covered with bundles, possessions if my guess was on target. In front of the fire were a man and woman T’Arni by the looks of it. And playing in the street were two children possibly aged five or six but that I was unsure of that.

Checking my weapon was concealed. I walked slowly towards the square. I was reluctant to shoot but I was prepared to defend myself. The woman spotted me first and screamed. I held out my hands away from my body as I approached.

The woman grabbed her children and ran to the ground car. The man stood his ground. He was typical for a T’Arni his long pale hair tied with a simple ribbon.

“I mean you no harm I want to know who you are and what you are doing here?” I spoke using my old Security training.

“Who… who are you?” the T’Arni man said his voice stammering with fear. He was shaking visibly.

“Glenda Hampton,” I replied with a lie. I realised he had spoken in USE and I’d replied in Galactic.

He stared at me. “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question?”

“You Humans drove me out of my home you aren’t going to drive me out of another!” His words sounded defiant but his voice belied his fear.

“And what makes you think I’m Human?” I countered.

Just as he was about to reply Copper drove her ATV into the square.