The National Police Agency's Story

0.0

It was at that moment that several Terran Seraphim carriers descended upon Gambit's, hovering protectively over the city beneath the looming Reverence. The insignia of the National Police Agency was plastered over their hulls.

"Militiaman Ryder," one of the pilots commed into the spacer's headset, "don't worry about the Aschen. They're conducting sanctioned investigations under TNG authority. Nothin' to worry about."

Despite their assurances, Jayden might have noticed a brief flare in the Seraphim's shields. It would appear as if Terran-Aschen relations were as tense as ever.

Not far behind the mucky car trailed a small contingent of three NPA police vans, their waxed hulls and flashing lights drastically out of place in the murky gloom of Darkhammer. They halted abruptly as the approached the makeshift gates, lingering there a short time.

"This is a fucking bad idea," the driver of the first van, a young-looking agent, had his hands rung nervously about the steering wheel, "look at this place. It's even worse then the pictures intell gave us."

"Of course it is," the passenger, a slightly older fellow with dark eyes responded impassionately, "they were taken two months ago back when the TNG was still actually trying to save this place. Did you actually think its condition would IMPROVE after the government stopped sending relief funds?"

"I don't know," the driver gulped. The tag on his jacket read Hawkins, "I just don't get why we're here. It's not like we're gonna make a difference in this place..."

"No, we're not," the passenger nodded, "but we're not here to make things better. We're here to make things LOOK better. Get the trash off the streets. Give the media some nice pictures. Make it seem as if we haven't totally abandonded this hell-hole." He shifted in his seat, his gauss pistol briefly potruding out of his own jacket. "Come on. We need to get that gate open."

With that, the two NPA agents would exit the van, waiving to whatever guards manned the gate to Darkhammer.

"Open up," the dark-eyed man shouted gruffly, "NPA. Official business."

"Hm. Easier the I thought," the dark-eyed agent looked mildly surprised as the gates swung open to admit entry to the NPA vans. He looked about the slums suspiciously, locking eyes with several guards. What was going on here.

"Alright. Back in the van." The two agents quickly retreated to the car. A moment later, the three vehicles were rolling through the moggy ruins of Darkhammer, their lights strobing red and blue across the charred carcass of the once-great Scatteran flagship.

"You," the dark-eyed agent rolled down his window as the van approached the first checkpoint of gunmen, "who the hell's in charge here?"

The armed guards remained silent. Although they did not search through the NPA vans as they had with the Stamp's car, they gave no help to the officers.

The dark-eyed agent sighed. "Looks like we've got to do this the hard way..." He unclipped his seatbelt. "Keep at the wheel, Hawkin." With that, the officer exited the car, trouncing towards the armed Scatterans.

"Hey. You. Yeah, you. Dipshit. Look at me."

The guard snarled, turning reluctantly, rifle cradled in his arm. He said nothing.

"I asked you a question a moment ago," the officer continued, his tone irritated and demanding, "I expect you to fucking answer it. You have guns. You have authority in these parts. Someone gave it to you. Now I want to know who and where they are."

The guard wisely kept silent, his stone-cold eyes stoic and emotionless. Unfortunately, one of the other guards came up to flank him, teeth grit tight enough in his mouth to shatter.

"Shut the fuck up, pig," the hotheaded guard growled, "you get the fuck out of here before I shit down your throat. We don't need your goddamn-" The other guard silenced him quickly, slamming his fist into his chest. Too late. The officer smiled wickedly, stepping backwards away from the checkpoint.

"Threatening an officer," he tsked, "I'd say that justifies an arrest." The back of one of the NPA vans was thrown open suddenly, five enforcers piling out of the vehicle to flank the agent.

"Now," the dark-eyed man continued, "are we going to answer my questions, or are we going to get beat up and thrown in jail?"

The moment that first gunshot roared through the slums, the NPA agents were in a blur.

"On the ground!" the Enforcers roared to the guards, "throw down your weapons! Hands out in front, ankles crossed!" The soldiers initially turned raging, perhaps considering putting up a fight... but reluctantly decided against it. Slowly, they lowered their weapons. The next moment, there faces were meshing into the concrete as NPA Enforcers cuffed them.

"I want this whole goddamn block secure!" the dark-eyed agent barked orders, two more teams of Enforcers piling out of the vans, "run scouters on every building in a mile radius. They shouldn't microwave a pop-tart without us knowing about it."

"Sir, we have lock on the heat-signature leftover from that gunshot," another agent raced up to the dark-eyed officer.

"Upload it to me real-time map," he nodded, his fingers moving up to fiddle with the buttons on his own scouter. He looked towards the nearby van. "Hawkin!"

The boy jumped.

"You're with me," the officer nodded, turning and tapping on the shoulder-plate of a nearby Enforcer. "So are you. We're going after that heat trail. I want to usurp whatever maggot-chewn authority owns this place as soon as possible, which means we start where the shooting is."

The NPA was hard at work. Enforcers scurried down the streets, taking cover behind various 'buildings' and running relentless scouter checks over everything they could as they fought to secure Darkhammer's entrance. They kept in constant contact with one another.

"Sniper. Third structure down. Fifth floor." An Enforcer commed in, huddled under a mountain of debris.

"I see him. Engaging." Another Enforcer copied, raising his aether rifle and flicking a switch with his thumb. Squeezing the trigger, the Enforcer fired a non-lethal electric 'shell', the round unleashing a paralyzing electric current through the sniper's nervous system as it impacted over his skull. He crumpled to the ground, spasming in pain.

"Neutralized." The Enforcer nodded. "Block clear. Advancing heat signatures. Fourteen in all."

"Armed?"

"Likely."

"Bring Wilson detachment up to our position. This is where they're laying down the offensive."

---

Hawkin, an Enforcer and the dark-eyed officer, meanwhile, had taken a detour. With most of the insurgents gone off to do battle with the main NPA military body, sneaking into the depths of the city had been relatively easy. They approached the bonfire that Stamp had passed earlier, a collection of nervous-looking mendicants huddled around the fire.

"The heat-sig from the round went off near here..." Hawkin gulped, gauss rifle at his side as he perused through his Caddy.

"Let's see if the local populace can help us," the dark-eyed agent mused, approaching a nearby Scatteran. "YOU! Who came by here just now? A round went off. Who's fighting?"

The streets of Darkhammer were in an open firefight now. Swarms of insurgents poured out of the skeleton of the Coalition flagship, brandishing assault rifles and rage alike as they prepared to defend their meager homes from the clutches of the NPA. The Enforcers, calm and steady as ever, quickly took up positions behind various buildings and supports. Unlike the wild bursts of their opponents, the Enforcers fired with uncanny accuracy, each sparkling electric shell meeting the body of an insurgent. Curiously, they were still using non-lethal ammunition.

"Fifteen more incoming," an Enforcer commed into the rest of his group as his scouter picked up another mass of rebels charging down the distant streets. Bullets clattered against his power armor, ricocheting harmlessly off his breastplate.

"Nine from the three," another Enforcer nodded, planting a cell between the eyes of a charging insurgent, "they're trying to-" He grunted as a shotgun blast sprayed into his right leg, his shield's rippling and his armor denting ever so slightly. Rolling on his back, he took aim and fired at the source of his pain. Another guard went twitching to the floor. "...they're trying to flank us."

"Let's clean house," another Enforcer growled, posted behind a large steel support. He produced a small grenade from his belt. "PSI in." Winding his arm back, the officer threw the device in the midst of a particularly large horde of enemies. The ball bounced twice before exploding in a vibrant orb of cackling psionic energies. Six insurgents screamed and collapsed, their minds literally pummeled into unconsciousness under the sheer telepathic force of the device.

"Bring two men on our right, stave off the flank."

"Shields are at sixty. We can't hold them like this."

---

The unfortunate Scatteran hobo didn't feel much like talking. He shrugged lazily, his movements lethargic and slow. "Dunno' man." He grumbled. "Dunno' what'cher saying. Dun'remember anythin."

The dark-eyed man strode casually forward, grabbing the refugee by the throat and sticking the barrel of his gauss pistol into his leg. "Would you remember better if I blew your kneecap off?" Behind him, Hawkin startled. What on earth was this guy doing? Cops weren't supposed to threaten civilians like this...

The hobo's pupils shrunk a full inch. "T-there. He's there. He's fucking there, I'm sorry." The man desperately pointed towards the building that Stamp had been directed to earlier. "Came in. Said shit about... Coalition. I dunno' man. I really dun'know, I'm sorry."

"That's more helpful," the dark-eyed man smiled, throwing the mendicant to the ground. Motion to the group, they started towards the building that Stamp and company were currently holed up inside.

^^ Did that

"Woah. Holy shiiit..." the pilot whistled, "Alpha 0-8, we have a... a fuckin' military base down here."

"I see it," another pilot commed in, "and I don't like it. If this is at all related to the recent attacks on the nearby village, we need to investigate it immediately. Send three teams down."

"Copy. Chuting in ten."

A few moment later, a series of drop pods would descend from the Seraphim carriers and collide into the forest floor not far away. The NPA was coming...

Not five minutes later, three teams of NPA Enforcers were on the scene, aether rifles trained in front of them. They took up positions round the massive opening in the ground, quickly setting up large computers and other equipment.

"Let's get scouter passes on this thing in five," an Enforcer barked orders to the others, "I want a full real time map in another two. Sonar this shit. We need to know exactly what's doing there." They were all but oblivious to the stealth troops.

"Elevators. Sound dispersions." The Enforcers were closely monitering the base just above the opening.

"I see it. Someone's moving down there. Heat sigs?"

"Nothing. If there are people, they're cloaked."

"Do we have radar?"

"Incoming now." Another agent's fingers flitted over a holo screen, quickly downloading the sonar scan and trasnmitting it to each trooper's real time map.

"Shit. This thing is huge."

"We're seeing life signatures inside. Very large. Very hot. Whatever's moving down there, it's not human."

"Human enough to work an elevator. We need to move now if we want to catch whatever's running away." The Enforcer clacked his rifle. "I want a dozen men on my flank. The rest of you stay here and set up a peremiter. Call for backup. We're going to need more firepower."

That said, thirteen Enforcers grappled themselves to the rim of the base and began descending into the darkness of the council structure.

Rather then drop their weapons, the NPA agents turned and pointed their rifles directly at the stealth agents.

"Drop your weapons!" they ordered, "NPA! On the ground! Ankles crossed!"

The NPA agents could not be reasoned with. The guns stayed up. "Last chance!" they roared, "put your weapons down! We can talk AFTER you've been disarmed!"

The Enforcers still grappling to the wall swung their rifles beneath their arms, taking aim at the droids that had assumed positions in the bottom of the pit. Clearly the NPA wasn't one for equal negotiations. Either they were in charge or they were dead.

"Take cover!" the Enforcers shouted, bullets clattering richocheting against their armor and rippling their shields. Although a few of them stumbled under the force of the projectiles, no one went down.

They returned fire as well, sparkling orbs of high-voltage 'shock shells' flaring out of their muzzles. If a trooper was struck with one, a massive current of paralyzing elecricity would jolt through his body, likely rendering him unconscious immediately. The droids might short-circuit entirely.

For some reason, the NPA was using non-lethal ammunition...

"Down down down!" the Enforcers took cover behind trees, rocks... whatever they could find. Although the Council soldiers were stealthed, the heat from their guns was still ripe on the Enforcer's scouters. Until they cooled, the NPA knew exactly where their enemies were, tracking their energy signatures on their scouters. They were quick and agile, their shots steady and accurate.

The thirteen troopers that were descending flat out cut their lines, attempting to land on the droids and crush them under their weight.

In the closed space of the tunnel, there was little room for the Enforcers to hide. The rockets struck four of them head on, the force of the attack driving them back into the tunnel. There shields flared violently, unable to keep up with the force of the attack.

The other nine opened-fire, launching a volley of electric shocks into the droids.

Above ground, Mark succeeded in downing two Enforcers. Although he would find their armor extremely difficult to penetrate with his knife, simply landing on them from the trees seemed to generate enough force to knock them out. As he took down another Enforcer, a nearby trooper charged his camouflaged form, attempting to drive the butt of his rifle into where he thought the man was.

The rest of the Enforcers, meanwhile, continued to down Mark's men, the Council soldiers spasming and drooling into unconsciousness as the shells met their torsos.

"Holy hell!" the Enforcer shouted as a mutant pounced on top of him. For a moment, their fight with the droids was forgotten. They had bigger problems to deal with. Swinging his rife around, the trooper jammed the barrel beneath the beasts neck and blew it away. All about him, the other Enforcers were caught in heated melee-battles with the other mutants.

Above ground, the Enforcers continued to fight with Mark and his men. Both sides were winning AND losing. Mark was simply untouchable, his skill easily surpassing that of the Enforcers. Unfortunately, his men were taking a beating. The NPA had managed to neutralize most of his soldiers, their bodies lying unconscious on the forest floor. Only a bare handful remained. Two more Enforcers charged Mark, attempting to pry him away from their comrade/human shield and wrestle him to the ground with enhanced strength.

Unfortunately for the terrorist, they'd picked the wrong day to mess with the citizens of Terra. It was at that moment that several NPA Armored Vans rolled into the streets, driving at an initially leasurely pace... before speeding up in a hurried frenzy at the sight of the bazookas. The agents had been on their way to the bar for a passive examination. Now they were coming to kick terrorist ass.

As the vans charged the enemy line, several Enforcers opened the port hatch on the vehicle, firing sparkling orbs of high-voltage 'shock shells' flaring out of their muzzles. If a trooper was struck with one, a massive current of paralyzing elecricity would jolt through his body, likely rendering him unconscious immediately.

"This is the NPA!" a megaphone blasted, "lay down your arms and submit to arrest!"

The rocket hit the van head-on, the armored vehicle blasted back against the street, dented beyond repair. Several Enforcers managed to scramble out of the back, barely kept from death by the protection of the armor. They groaned, attempting to collect themselves. The drivers were not moving...

The other van, however, DID reach its mark, the gunner hopefully sniping down the rocket men with a few well-placed shock-shots. If struck, they would fall to the ground in jerking spasms, immediately incapacitated. As the van veered around, a battalion of Enforcers stormed out of the back, charging the terrorists dead-on. Several were blasted to the streets by their opponent's energy weapons, knocked back and injured, but not dead. An Enforcer's power armor was made of stronger stuff then a single plasma shot could pierce through.

The Enforcers stormed through the terrorist ranks, hopefully downing scores of them with well-placed shots. Some took cover behind cars and various buildings, sniping from afar.

"Get DOWN!" one of the Enforcers roared as he pounced upon one of the terrorists, attempting to bloody his nose with the butt of his rifle.