Chapter 1

The ship rolled slightly with the waves. The sun a bleak sight behind the gathering storm clouds. Corporal Damon Baird stood on the deck of the CNV Cutter 3 miles from the coastal cliffs, observing the coast through a pair of binoculars. They had been sent up the coast from where the CNV Sovereign was stationed to collect whatever scrap materials that they could find from sorties onto the land and also to determine what was happening to the coastal stranded camps that had sprung up in the last six months. They had been mysteriously going dark and deserted with no reasons so far as to why that the remainder of the COG was aware of. This itself was unusual given their proximity to the old COG base at Port Farrell.

So far the Intel from other stranded camps revealed anyone found in one of the decimated camps had not died of natural causes and mysterious immulsion stains had been found everywhere. Some of the reported populations had even gone missing.

According to the scanners a large storm was rolling in and they would have to head back soon or find a safe harbour to wait out the storm. This was the last day on their 5 day excursion and by this point in the trip Cole had managed to get used to the seasickness that usually accompanied the ex thrashball player. The sun was beginning to set and it was almost twilight. Perfect time for the locust to be out and about, given their previous home being underground and their dislike for broad daylight.

Cole stepped up to the side of the ship where Baird was stood, still looking a little Green around the gills but at least he had stopped heaving a couple days before. "Hey, man. It sure ain't gonna be much fun if we hang around here much longer. I don't like the look of that storm none."

Baird sighed and let the binoculars hang from their strap around his neck. "You're just sick of being sick, I swear all you've done for the past few days is spend your time leaning over the side of the ship."

"The Cole Train can't help that his legs ain't steady unless they is on dry land Baby!" Cole replied, well used to the dry, biting nature that Baird frequently used with people. He was well aware that Baird got on far better with machines than people.

"Well, you should be glad to know that I'm about to-"Baird stopped mid-sentence as he spotted movement on the coast where there wasn't before. "D'you see that or am I finally going crazy on this floating rust bucket?"

Cole squinted as he looked in the direction Baird was pointing at. "Could be some Stranded, doubtful it would be any wildlife. We ain't seen any in that large a group for a long while."

Baird raised the dropped binoculars and trained them on the movement. "Shit!" he swore. "It's a locust convoy!" He could clearly see the convoy now. They appeared to be escorting two catapults over the cliffs. "From what I can see we have at least 20 drones, a few grenadiers and around 8 Bloodmounts all escorting two catapults." He passed the binoculars to Cole.

"What are they doing so far up north and where are they going?" Cole wondered out loud.

"Oh! I know! We can go ask them!" Baird retorted, pulling the binoculars back. "We need to report this and see whether there are any interesting targets the other recon groups have found that they may think are worth attacking. Anything of value even to them has long since been picked clean by the stranded"

Suddenly, as if they had been tempting fate, a Gas barge appeared from behind the cliff that the locust were traversing. "Oh, great! The rest of the family have turned up to say 'Hi!'" Baird muttered and dropped the lens letting them slap against his armour.

The barge appeared to hover over the convoy, slowly turning. Then, as it always seemed to be for anything involving the team members of Delta, they were spotted.