Tali and company arrived at the crime scene in the Dart, it was a mess. The cruiser had taken down a walkway on it’s arrival as well as destroying most of the bay window it had come in through. Looking through to the crash site, they could see what was left of Alpha team struggling to fall back. BESC forces had cleared one doorway and were providing covering fire, but it looked like Alpha were truly pinned down. As she watched, another soldier took a round through the head and his brain activity scan ceased. “We have a man down, man down!” a ragged voice yelled over the intercom. “Stay down! We’re coming to get you!” The rebels were edging closer to the downed ship, the volume of masonry being thrown was increasing. One of the soldiers had been shot in the leg and he leaned with his back against a planter, firing over his shoulder.

Locals had gathered on the viewing gantries of neighbouring Project Towers and begun shooting sporadically into the courtyard. The squad cars had retreated under fire to a safer LZ but the Dart was armour plated. It hung over the abyss, spinning slowly on an invisible axis as it identified all the shooters and marked them for arrest. Inside, Taliga and DI Howard were in a frenzy of activity; tending to multiple displays and talking to multitudes of people. “Platoon D Command actual, you have a green light to engage, be advised that we are danger close, over. Taliga confirmed, bringing up the 3D model again. Teams were preparing to breach the courtyard and a gunship was moments from hovering into view and letting loose with both barrels. It was then that Tali realized how important this was. Not just for the people below but for her.

If it didn’t come out right, it was her that had just given the order to attack. Part of her wanted to back down now. Let Jack live to fight another day and focus on getting everybody out alive. “This is KR14269. ETA thirty seconds.” Another voice chimed. “Acknowledged, your primary target is Jack Thegn the Third. He has resisted arrest and killed a pursuing officer.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Jack lay across the two front seats, struggling with the holo-cuffs behind his back. The battle raged on outside and he could hear it drawing steadily closer. Nearly breaking his back with the exertion , Jack grabbed hold of the weapon nearest to him (he couldn’t see what it was but it felt small and hefty.) and carefully lined it up so it would shoot through the metal holding the two holo-bonds together. Through the open butterfly door, Jack could see locals spilling into his line of sight. One of them saw him and began rushing towards the car, eyes wide and mouth screaming an incoherent tribal chant. “Oh shit oh shit oh shit.” Jack hissed, closing his eyes and pulling the trigger.

The bang reverberated around the cruiser’s interior, temporarily deafening him. Through the ringing Jack experimentally pulled both arms, and they came apart! Through squinting eyes, Jack desperately brought the gun round to bear. The man was closer now, he wore no shirt and waved a sharp piece of metal in one hand and his eyes were mad and drug fuelled.The chair’s headrest got in the way but somehow it appeared in front of him and Jack pulled the trigger over and over again. The first shot stopped the local in his tracks, the following six or seven made him jerk around on the spot before finally flying back with a shot to the cranium. The noise was intense, Jack dropped the pistol and covered his ears, whimpering like a dog at the savage ringing.

Time to leave. Jack thought, forcing himself to sit up as an incredibly loud sound invaded the whole courtyard. Peeping out of the butterfly doors, Jack discovered a large and heavily armed gunship had hovered into view outside the bay windows. It spoke. “This is Babylon Executive Security Command. Return to your homes or we will use deadly force.” The roar of the crowd outside increased, as if trying to outdo the thundering engines. “Jack Thegn, exit the vehicle with your hands up and you will not be harmed.” The ship continued. Jack grabbed two pistols firing ballistic rounds, stuck them into the holster before turning on his cruiser’s own tannoy system. “This is Jack Thegn, focus your fire on the gunship if you want to live!” He implored the crowd. “This is your last warning.” Taking a deep breath, Jack lunged from the door of his car as all hell broke loose.