Planning
They planned out the incursions into the camps. Grrr and Kovak would take the shuttle and infiltrate the seacliff camp. Bletherin, Grendel, and Alex’s human form avatar would infiltrate the estuary one. The objectives would be to rescue the prisoners and destroy the air defenses prior to the arrival of the fleet.
There were two small shuttles at the sea cliff base, and one smaller and one larger shuttle at the estuary base. The sea cliff base only had a dozen prisoners. The rest were at the estuary base.
They would infiltrate on the evening of the sixth night.
Investigating the Crashed Ship
The second patrol ship started approaching the investigate its crashed peer. The third ship was sufficiently far enough away that it would lose communication with the second. Alex attempted to use the experimental camouflage paint, but turned the hull bright yellow and was noticed.
Alex fired at the patrol boat, but barely missed. Then he was hit by the enemy.
Alex shot back and disabled their engines. The enemy fired and missed. Alex hit again and breached the hull. The enemy stopped shooting back.
The third ship noticed that the second one was not responding anymore and plotted to intercept it. They fired at Alex from extreme range. Alex retreated out of range and removed the yellow.
The third ship pursued the disabled ship. Alex closed and attacked again. The third ship lost its communications. They fired back and missed.
Alex shot again and did minor damage. The third ship retreated, but Alex closed in and further damaged the ship. Then he detected multiple ships dropping out of hyperspace.
Alex shot again and missed. There was no reply. He fired again and hit it again.
On the Planet
From the surface, there were bright lights in the sky. Personnel on the ground came outside to view the scene above. It was quite a distraction.
At the Seacliff Base
Grrr and Kovak went in hot in the shuttle. It was hit, but Grrr scattered the ground crew. Kovak lined up the shot and Grrr destroyed the gun. Kovak lined up the shot and Grrr destroyed the second gun. Then he destroyed the ammo dump and the lab next door lit up.
Kovak landed the shuttle near the prisoner barracks, which was on the opposite side of the base. A crowd of people dressed in pajamas emerged from the barracks. A man took a shot at the shuttle and Grrr, obliterated him.
Kovak opened the shuttle doors and the refugees ran in. There was an aryan among them, but Grrr ejected her from the vehicle. The fire was spreading. Kovak took off and retrurned toward the Alex Murphy.
One of the shuttles started following. Kovak challenged them, and the shuttle surrendered. They landed in an isolated area and took control of the prisoners while natives watched curiously.
The rescued prisoners were taken to the Alex Murphy on their shuttle, while Grrr, Kovak and the two red shirts went to retrieve the survey crew from the native base camp. They left the captured aryans bound and sedated at the landing site.
At the Estuary Base
The tide was in. The patrol boat was nowhere in sight as Bletherin and Grendel swam to the dock. The defenders were manning the air defenses.
The water was warm and brackish, and the crew were inspected by the sea life. The sole guard on the dock spotted Bletherin. The captain shot from the water and wounded the guard. They put him in a rowboat and cut it loose.
They heard gunshots and headed toward the prisoner barracks. Grendel was was grazed at long range. They engaged the defenders and were aided by native attackers. They found the prisoners and loaded them onto the aryan shuttles.
Bletherin and Grendel headed for the nearest air defense site. The resistance was stifled when the guards were struck by arrows. Grendel shot a grenade launcher at the missile launcher and destroyed it.
They headed for the other air defense station. The defenders failed to hit them. Bletherin’s gun was shot from his hands. He stopped to pick it up. The defenders were shot by arrows.
Grendel shot at the missile launcher with his rifle to avoid the melee between a native and the operator. He hit something critical and it blew up. The two fighters were propelled in opposite directions.
They returned to the first launcher to ensure that it was disabled. There were shots from the direction of the shuttles. There were fallen natives and aryans littering the ground. The larger shuttle took off. The smaller one was still on the ground.
Alex’s avatar emerged from the rice fields and discovered prisoners attempting to load wounded onto the second shuttle. They were being fired upon by aryans. He opened fire and wounded one of the shooters.
The ramp started to close, and one of the defenders shots managed to get inside. The ship took off. Grendel and Bletherin went to aid the natives.
In Space
Alex fired on the retreating third ship and altered their course out into deep space so that they did not gain access to additional resources.
Alex sent instructions to the three approaching shuttles for rendezvousing with him.
At the Base Camp
Kovak flew the aryan shuttle to the base camp, but there was no one there. Using the short range communications, they located the scientist at the native village. They packed up the base camp while waiting for the scientist, and then took off when she was in board.
Kovak updated Bletherin and he instructed her to come and provide air support. They were assisting the natives in reclaiming the area so as to promote positive relations with them.
When the shuttle arrived, the defenders were in disarray and the defenses were destroyed. Grrr laid covering fire down and decimated the remaining defenders. Nine survivors surrrendered.
In Space
Alex was hailed on Collective frequencies. The fleet arrived early. Alex reported that the three patrol vessels had been disabled, that the seacliff base had been disabled, and that combat was still under way at the estuary base.
The fleet split and two ships headed for the aryan moonbase, while the other two pursued the third patrol ship.
Aftermath
The natives looted the aryan base and took everything that was not nailed down, including the dogs.
The captured aryans left at the temporary site had been nearly eaten alive because the natives smeared them with insect attractant.
The captured aryans indicated that not all of them on the planet had been found. Two prisoners were killed in the escape, and four others had died before the arrival of the Alex Murphy.
The Collective quarantined the planet as inhabited by a sentient species and occupied the aryan moonbase to monitor their progress.