Nine Years before the Storm

Strakis Skorpeois

Southern Atenohtep Desert

Scorpia Colony

It had been a long day for the fire team, working their way through the tortured ravines and chasms of the region known as the Strakis Skorpeois. They had found no sign of their quarry, and Janovic had ordered them to camp for the night. Mitchell was assigned first watch, and had climbed to higher ground above the camp site.

Dedrick broke out rations, and popped a thermopak to heat water for the reconstituted food. While he prepped the food, Janovic and Hedgewick complained about the mission, about their elusive target, and about Mitchell. Waiting for the water to boil, Dedrick checked on the battalion's progress using a minicomp, a down-sized version of the battlecomp that had most of the bigger unit's core features, just with less range and power. Although still just a rifleman, Dedrick's proficiency with electronics had already come to the LT's attention, and when an 'extra' mini had become available it was given to Dedrick.

Dedrick finished up checking the current intel on their search, then passed the unit to Janovic so the Corporal could check in. Tossing two ration packs to Hedgewick, he gestured at the pot of heated water. He then climbed the rock face to the ledge where Mitchell had taken up watch, bringing an extra ration pack with him.

He found Mitchell laying prone, scanning the maze of rocks below with a pair of low-light binoculars. The lenses were coated with a non-reflective substance so that the huge, light-gathering surfaces would not reflect and give away their position. The binoculars were bulkier than a night-vision scope, but in partial light they gave better resolution, and they were far less likely to have technical problems.

Mitchell had spread out his desert-camo poncho across his back, and had a wide-brimmed desert hat pulled low over the binoculars. The man was nearly invisible in the near-darkness of dusk, and had Dedrick not known where he was he would never have spotted him.

Mitchell shifted noiselessly, scanning another sector of the rock formations below. He did not acknowledge Dedrick's arrival, but Dedrick had no doubts that Mitchell knew he was there. He settled back against the rock face a few meters from the ledge, and began to eat.

A few minutes later, Mitchell crawled backward away from the ledge, sitting up only when he reached the rock face beside Dedrick. Even then, he kept casting glances back toward the ravines.

"Something's bothering you," Dedrick said, making the comment more of a statement than a question.

"The desert is strange tonight," Mitchell responded. Dedrick held out the extra ration pack he'd brought and Mitchell accepted it with a resigned grin.

"This whole place is strange, and it doesn't seem much like desert to me," Dedrick countered. "It's still known by its clan name, isn't it? Means something like 'bones of the earth' if I recall."

"Strakis Skorpeois," Mitchell answered. "Shell of the Scorpion, but your interpretation is very close to what the clans meant when they named it."

They ate in silence after that, and when each had eaten as much as they could stomach of the ration packs, Mitchell produced a package from within a uniform pocket. Unrolling the small piece of dark, worn leather, he revealed a small collection of brown strips. Taking one, he bit off one end and began to chew. Raising his hand, he offered the unknown substance to Dedrick.

Taking an average size piece, Dedrick noted that it looked very much like the dried meats he'd eaten before. He took a bite, tearing it off with his canine teeth and then shifting it to the back of his mouth to chew. It was slightly salty, and although it tasted like nothing Dedrick had eaten before, it did remind him somewhat of the shark steaks he'd had once or twice.

"Rock dagger," Mitchell explained. "Killed it myself, although old man Sun dried it for me." He handed Dedrick a second strip, then began working his way back toward the ledge. He looked back at Dedrick, saying "You may not be pureblood, but you are still a true son of the desert, Private Dedrick."