- Al-Arish, September 12, 2039
Even with the clear sky, the mountains of steel around them were barely visible in the soft light of a waning moon. When they first came here, every night was illuminated by a myriad of scavenger blowtorch sparks but all they saw now was darkness surrounding them that, somehow, not even the powerful floodlights of the Al-Arish base could dispel.
A testament to human greed, sighed Seagrove to himself. Kathryn, being the daughter of a mechanic, explained this to him a few days back, the whole trick, but even now, more than a month in this cursed desert, the sight never ceased to amaze him. He smiled, remembering that night fondly, the camaraderie and the drinks of which he definitely had had one too many, but the memory of what they had done was always there, gnawing at him like a parasite deep within.
He still felt deeply uncomfortable every time he saw a truck full of supplies enter the base and leave empty, but the sight of the Seahawk men and women with smiles on their faces after finally having a proper meal for once offered some consolation.
Deep in his thoughts, he didn’t hear her approach until she put her hand on his shoulder.
“Josh.”
A greeting and an acknowledgment both. He was slowly getting used to her talking that way.
“Admiring the scenery again?”
Her mocking tone stung a little, but he couldn’t help it.
“Tell me about it again, Kathryn. How these mountains were created.”
She frowned at his almost reverent tone.
“Tell you what? A bunch of fatcats decided that cars weren’t supposed to be repaired or sold and were only rented to suckers for a few years. After that they dumped them here and even had the local governments pay for it. And this is the merry little side effect.”
He could hear the sadness in her voice.
“And the worst part is, it actually worked. For a while. They did make a lot of money.”
He shook his head.
“That’s not it. Think about it. These mountains of broken cars... they’re going to be here for thousands of years after we are dead. We still learn about creation myths in schools, how gods and heroes rose entire mountain ranges with a wave of their hand. I wonder....” he paused for a while “what will the kids in two thousand years learn about these.”
She laughed, not sure what to think.
“You think too much.”
They stood there for a while, listening to the sounds of the sea and to the base bustle. An engine revving in the distance followed by a few angry voices. The soft hissing of welding torches coming from the workshop. The soft tones of the harmonica Moreau was playing in the mess tent.
“Blackwood wants to see us,” she said finally.
He turned towards her, his eyebrows raised.
“And you’re telling me this just now? What does he want?”
“Don’t know. Don’t care to be honest. If it was something bad, everyone would be running around screaming already. Plus,” she pointed her finger at him, “he had it easy. We, on the other hand, had to fight a bunch of grizzled angry mercs.”
“Yeah... don’t remind me. Anyway, let’s go.”
They made their way to the command tent where Blackwood was already waiting, tapping his foot impatiently. His anger was visible on his face.
“Took your time, didn’t you?”
They both threw a regulation salute at once.
“Sorry sir. Reporting for duty.”
His previous anger seems to have evaporated at the sight as he dismissively waved her hand.
“Listen, you two. We have a problem.”
He continued before they had chance to respond, pacing around the room.
“I’ve been in touch with some old friends at Clayburn, but everyone suddenly went silent. Looks like Clayburn’s cleaning house.”
His words struck Seagrove with the force of a clenched fist.
“But... my family...,” he struggled, “they wouldn’t...”
Blackwood gave him a sharp look.
“Pull yourself together, Major. We knew what we were getting into.”
Seagrove nodded numbly.
“Besides,” Blackwood’s expression softened, “Your father is a smart man. They’ll be fine. The same, however, cannot be said of us.”
Kathryn looked angry.
“What do you mean, sir?”
She was careful to make the last word sound as anything but a sign of respect. Blackwood’s frown deepened.
“Are you familiar with all the military assets of Clayburn Industries?”
“Not quite,” she responded, slightly taken aback.
“Well then, Major, let me put it like this. When the militaries of Europe went bankrupt, where do you think their ships went?”
Seagrove and Grey both turned pale.
“Oh shit.”
“Yes. Aptly put. Ibrahim sent me a coded message a few hours ago. It looks like Portsmouth is today much emptier than it was yesterday. He’s a little weasel, but I believe him.”
“And that means....”
“They’ll be here in a week or so,” Blackwood finished his sentence for him.
“That doesn’t leave us with many options.”
“Israel?”
Blackwood waved his hand dismissively.
“Be serious. They would shoot us on sight and I for one don’t feel like playing cat and mouse with their Migs in the desert. Besides, you can barely hide a man in the Gaza wasteland, let alone a unit of soldiers.”
Seagrove nodded.
“What about west?”
Blackwood sniggered at the question.
“You want to take Cairo with three hundred men? Egypt is bristling with corporate units. We are lucky Suez is too scared to send its men after us after we kicked their ass here because they do have plenty of men left. They won’t be scared once Clayburn gets here.”
“And south is out of the question,” Seagrove added, ”because it’s just a desert full of angry mercs. On the upside, we could make wagers on what would get us first – hunger, thirst, mercs or Clayburn.”
All three cracked up despite the tension.
“Alright. What DO we do then?”
Commanders,
Here’s your chance to decide what the Seahawks will do. You have the following options what will the Seahawks spend their remaining time and resources doing:
Static Defense – true to his nature, Joshua Seagrove is proposing to fortify the base against the upcoming attack while selecting a number of positions where the remaining Strykers can be used to snipe at the oncoming enemy. Additional barricades and defensive positions will be erected and the Seahawks will defend the area with their lives. Kathryn Grey strongly objects, but she has already caused the region to become hostile by her approach.
This option will have the following consequences:
- Joshua Seagrove standing increased (currently Unhappy)
- Kathryn Grey standing decreased (currently Happy)
- Episode 3 Bonus Objective will be aimed more towards Tank Destroyers
- Safe defensive positions will decrease any Seahawk losses in Episode 3
- Being dug in will, however, not increase the Seahawk Morale
Active Defense – Kathryn Grey is proposing to catch the enemy in the open and demolish them on an open battlefield. Plans have to be drawn and the area has to be properly mapped by the Seahawk forces, which will prevent them from erecting solid defense. Joshua Seagrove objects, arguing that such a risky approach might turn into a disaster. Plus, Kathryn Grey was, in his eyes, completely wrong, turning the region against her.
This option will have the following consequences:
- Joshua Seagrove standing decreased further (currently Unhappy)
- Kathryn Grey standing increased further (currently Happy)
- Episode 3 Bonus Objective will be aimed more towards Armored Fighting Vehicles
- Such a risky battle will increase Seahawk losses in Episode 3
- A flashy victory will surely improve the Seahawk morale
A Peace Offer – an alternative proposal by Joshua Seagrove. After the Seahawk rampage, the entire region is in turmoil. Joshua Seagrove proposes to give up some of the resources gathered by Kathryn Grey to appease some of the locals and to make amends for some of the things the Seahawks have done. This will, he claims, prevent some of the mercenaries from allying with the enemy, making them effectively neutral.
Kathryn Grey’s Domination result from Episode 2 prevents the mercenaries from joining the forces with the Seahawks.
This option will have the following consequences:
- Joshua Seagrove standing greatly increased (becomes Happy)
- Kathryn Grey’s standing greatly decreased (becomes Unhappy)
- Seahawk morale will greatly increase
- This will, however, make Episode 3 goal requirements somewhat more difficult
Take Hostages – an alternative proposal by Kathryn Grey. Instead of vying for peace, she proposes to scour the desert for the remaining mercenaries, defeat as many of them in battle and prevent the rest from joining the enemy by taking hostages from their camps and settlements. This will prevent the mercenaries from joining the enemy for the fear of their loved ones. Joshua Seagrove is appalled at this prospect and argues that this is highly immoral and it is strictly forbidden by the Bordeaux Treaty.
This option will have the following consequences:
- This will make Episode 3 goal requirements somewhat less difficult
- Joshua Seagrove standing greatly decreased (becomes Vocal, Angry)
- Kathryn Grey’s standing will not change (she is not happy with the prospect but believes she’s doing what needs to be done by any means necessary)
- Seahawk morale will greatly decrease (committing such acts is no joke and the men are aware this might turn them into complete pariahs)
- This option will cause some losses in Episode 3 (some hostages will not go willingly)
Be careful! The hostage option will have far-reaching consequences in other episodes. Word will get around and potential allies will no longer trust the Seahawks.
Please note:
- Seahawk Manpower is a number that will become very important in Episode 5
- Seahawk Morale will become important in Episode 4 and Episode 5
- Joshua Seagrove and Kathryn Grey standing will become important in Episode 4 and Episode 5
- You can vote on our forums (only votes from accounts older than 1 week will count)
Choose wisely, commanders. Episode 3 is about to begin!
