Unknown System Dark Void Colony Crimson Forge The command center of the colony was deathly silent as the Mekniks assembled could only wait in place until the outer system picket sensors confirmed their preliminary readings. Though the ability to make FTL relays was within their grasp, demands for secrecy and security instead based their comms on a spiderweb of laser-comm relays throughout the wide-spanning comet and debris rings of the system's edge. Finally, the datafile they were all waiting for arrived. Tapping the holo-key to bring it up, colony governor Atraxis felt her body tense as the detailed sensor report came in. Incoming FTL signals, vectoring towards their system. "Alright people. Incoming contacts. No Union IFF or comms attempts. I'm ordering the Gambler Protocol into effect as of an hour ago." The governor barked at the shocked Mekniks around her. "All outer-ring stations and ships go dark. All bunkers into lockdown, all garrison troops mobilized, and stage-six comms blackout before they get here. Move! We need to be holes in the ground!" The command center changed into a tumult of activity as orders were shouted, programs were deployed, and a wave of signals were sent out across the system to silence them all. By the time the outsiders arrived, they would find the main colony buried within the moon of the largest world. A harsh and arid world, covered with industrial colonies and strip-mining sites while the moon had a number of hab-bunkers buried among it. A industrial colony spanning a fair amount of the inner system. They would not find anything that was hidden among the outer asteroid belts, buried on the moons of the two outer gas giants, or layered across the system's edge. They would not find the fleet of system defense boats in hidden hangers, or the network of underground army bases where thousands of Mekniks geared up for a hostile first contact. They would not know how afraid the Meknik's were at the prospects of being discovered, or what it would mean for their future. But the future was coming right to their doorstep regardless. And they would greet it with open arms, or nuclear missiles if necessary. * * * * * * * Unknown System Lost Margin Colony Civitas "We are not going to survive another rain season like that." Brigadier Fenrov panted, gulping down a canteen of water like ambrosia before dunking half of it's contents over his head. "The River Tribes are uniting in their hatred of us, and they are getting more fucking creative with their Vandite. Those were compound bows with Vandite tips, or I'll eat my beret." He recalled the original briefing based off the orbital scans before the colony ships made landfall. A jungle planet ideal for the Meknik's to rebuild from with only primative natives to pacify and keep away from mining operations. Instead it seemed the entire planet was rising against them, from hostile wildlife to the unification of the squabbling local Bokrak against the Meknik colonists. Barely a century since planetfall and two of the colonies had already fallen to the natives, and now the Central Government was facing outright invasion. "It could have been worse." Colonel Dynnmal offered in some consolation. "The riverboats will be ready in a week, although shell production is still trying to catch up after we these last few long barrages." Grim memories of the war in the jungles of this world amidst rain and hordes of hostile natives. The great guns of his battery hadn't ceased fire for a week before the natives broke, but only after driving deep into Meknik lines. "How the hell are they replacing their losses so quickly?" Inquired Colonel Tulev. "They are feudal tribes, we got flash-clone labs and guns. This is the third seasonal assault yet, and we're the ones barely keeping at strength, not them." "Satellites say we got tribes coming in from across the planet converging on our colonies and mining ops." Dynmal explained. "We got seven U-months before they likely start marching in force again. The governor is starting to get desperate. The twitchy bastard." Fenrov simply grunted, as some things were too dangerous to say even in the company of apparent friends. The paranoia of the governor was matched by his fear of the natives after assassins nearly killed him four times and gristly murdered three of his Companion-girls. "I'm more worried about what this means for C-Opsec. The strip-mines, the satellite weapons grids, the nukes we dropped. We've been losing ground on our original mission since day one, and someone is bound to notice." He was about to say more before his wrist-comp chimed. "Ugh, what now? Duty calls gentlemen, see to the troops as best as possible. We may have more work on our hands soon." "Roger." "Good luck brigadier."