The spindly branches of the heedre trees wave in the thin desert breeze, dancing to an invisible song in the dull orange of the afternoon haze. They cluster closely around the rim of a wide, shallow depression in the ground, their branches twining and scraping in the thin desert wind, filling the air with a haunting rattling that lingers just on the edge of Meer's perception. The chirping of insects hums alongside, joined by the endless howl of the wind across open plains.
Meer stands on the rim of the depression, looking downwards into it. Down there, he knows, his officers and sergeants wait for his arrival, though he dreads to face them. It is the afternoon of the day Tekk's body was found in the south hills and Meer is still groggy from sleep, having been kept awake by incessant nightmares. In each of them he sees a dark figure looming in the shadows, a figure in the shape of a man, but freakishly tall and thin and whose eyes glow with an impossible color his waking mind has trouble comprehending. For now, he pushes the dreams from his mind and tries to focus on the task at hand.
The depression itself lies on the western side of the encampment and is the place Meer has taken to using for meetings with his command team. Besides the shelter provided by the heedre that rim the depression, the ground at its base is littered by several large stones that the gathered soldiers use as seats. In the center, a peculiarly large, flat shelf of limestone rises from the ground, and it is around which Meer and his crew discuss their plans. Gathered below wait his two lieutenants, Jerris and Goudspire, and four sergeants, First Sergeant Yuhji, Master Sergeant Cross, and Sergeant First Class Tyber and Listhe.
As Meer picks a deliberate path down the side of the depression, all six men snap to attention, and he walks up to the head of the great stone table before relieving them. He sits on a boulder positioned there and observes his men. Yuhji sits on a stone on the opposite end of the slab of lime, while Goudspire and Cross take seats on either side of Meer. Tyber sits halfway down the table to Meer's left, but Listhe and Jerris continue to stand a good distance from the table and watch from afar. Meer frowns, but doesn't order the men to take a seat.
"I'm sure you've heard." He begins, "That last night we found the body of one of our soldiers."
The response is about what he expected, that being flat murmurs of lament from the majority of those gathered, though he can't help but notice that Jerris remains silent, eyes fixed on him in an unreadable expression.
Meer continues to speak, "Specialist Tekk left his abode late last night for reasons still unknown to us. He left alone and without alerting anyone to his intentions. It is believed that around a half hour before midnight, Specialist Tekk fell victim to a violent attack by an unknown adversary on the northern side of hill 342. As of yet, we have no leads, save for the fact that the attack was brutally violent and left the body in a state of extreme disfigurement."
"How do we know the death was the result of an attack?" Jerris asks, "My men informed me that the body was found wedged between two rocks, as if the late specialist had accidentally fallen."
"Trust me, lieutenant," Meer says, "If you'd seen the body you'd know it was not the result of any sort of fall. And," he adds, "The attacker made sure to remove the victims ID tags and chip, likely in an attempt to obscure the identity of the victim."
Gray-haired First Sergeant Yuhji grumbles silently in his seat, "Perhaps the lieutenant would have an easier time believing this theory if you hadn't restricted access to the corpse. As it stands, none of us can verify what you've seen."
"And you will be able to verify it soon." Meer responds, "But for the moment, I think it best that the corpse is undisturbed until the coroner can give us a full report."
Yuhji mutters something under his breath while Jerris shakes his head. Meer knows he's treading dangerous ground by denying access to even his highest ranking affiliates, but the risk that one of them might accidentally tamper with the corpse still exists. It's better to wait until the cause of death can be confirmed before allowing a service for Tekk to be held.
Changing the subject, Meer says, "We should concentrate our efforts on finding Tekk's ID tags or chip. Whoever turns out to be in possession of them– if indeed someone turns out to be in possession of them– will become our primary suspect. Listhe, gather a squad and begin searching the hills for the missing items. Tyber, you do the same, but search the buildings here in camp, and do so discreetly. We don't want to cause undue worry among the men."
"That's a violation of individual soldier rights." Jerris interjects, "Are we going to violate both imperial law and our soldier's privacy by digging through their personal quarters?"
"Last I checked, it was fully within a commander's rights to order routine inspections performed on common areas and living quarters." Meer responds, then turns his attention back to Tyber "Explain that concept to the men if there's significant pushback, but try not to put yourself in a situation where anyone thinks anything is amiss. We don't want to give a potential killer time to act."
Tyber and Listhe both nod in understanding. Meer turns to Yuhji.
"Yuhji, I want you to look through our personnel records and identify anyone with a history of violent activities or criminal involvement. You know the men better than anyone and I could use your insight here."
"Yes, sir." Yuhji says, though a frown darkens his face. The first sergeant is a proud man, and no doubt he feels that this assignment is beneath him, but Meer knows that he will do as ordered and complete his orders to the best of his abilities. What he said was true, Yuhji knows almost every soldier under his command and is incredibly active in motivating and encouraging his soldiers, and that makes him the best qualified to identify soldiers with the capabilities of committing this crime. Meer respects the older man, despite Yuhji's rigid loyalty to the Empire and its protocols, though he can't help but feel that the sergeant has a less than charitable view of his own command.
"Gouspire. Jerris. I want the two of you to tighten up security around the edge of camp. Nobody goes out alone, and ensure the entrances to the barracks and living quarters are watched at all times. Use however many soldiers you need to accomplish this. I won't tolerate another death." Meer's words are firm, and he looks Jerris in the eye. The balding man nods in response, though there's a hint of defiance that lurks in his gaze.
"Don't worry, captain. We'll get it done." Says Goudspire, "We'll appoint some of the sergeants and more experienced specialists to help. Nobody will leave without us knowing."
"Good to hear." Says Meer.
"And an increase in patrols." Adds Jerris, "I'll up the number to four soldiers per patrol and schedule two more patrols a night."
"Granted." Meer allows. It's not a bad idea, and it's a sign that Jerris is taking orders seriously. "Just make sure that no soldier goes on patrol more than twice in a five day period."
"I can provide assistance." Cross adds, "My men were already hard at work on the perimeter defenses and it would only take a few adjustments to routine to implement a patrol aspect during daylight hours."
"That's a good plan, but you'll need to assign it to one of your sergeants." Meer decides, "You and I have another task."
"Sir?" Cross asks, thick eyebrows furrowed.
"You and I are going to make contact with some of the local Wentslypp tribes. It's possible they might have some useful information about the wildlife or area that we have no knowledge of. Is it correct that you have had the most contact with the Wentslypp of anyone?"
"Close to it." Cross responds, "A few of my specialists are better with their language, but I've managed to establish a good amount of rapport with the closest two tribes."
"Good. You'll come with me then. Bring your translators." Meer stands and those who are sitting rise with him. "We all have our assignments." Meer says, "Let's get to work."
The gathered officers and sergeants go their separate ways. Meer and Cross ascend from the depression by the eastern side and quickly make their way into camp. A low wall of red stone has been erected on the eastern side and stands around two meters high, stretching off into the north and completing a quarter circle of the encampment before ending. Construction started only a few weeks ago, and the rate of progress has been steadily increasing as the techniques used to extract the stone in usable chunks are refined. The stone of the desert is unusually powdery and prone to crumble when extracted from the ground, so the construction detail must mix the powdered rock with reclaimed water and sediment from the nearby hills to form a brownish-red mud that has the strength and appearance of concrete.
Beyond the wall stands a collection of low metal structures erected by the Empire in the early days of Nellor's occupation. The paint that once identified one structure from the next has been scratched away by years of rolling dust storms, so most structures have wooden signs carved from tough and brittle heedre wood. Meer knows every building even without the signs, despite their mainly uniform appearance. On the right side of the packed earth road, closer to the hills, stand the warehouses and storage areas, while to the right are the larger buildings that encompass the soldier barracks. Farther down on the left side stands the only two-story building, that being the massive metal structure that houses the generators, the entrances to its dull durasteel exterior stained black by olmite residue.
Cross breaks off from Meer to retrieve his translators. The master sergeant speaks the Wentslypp language fluently, though Meer does not, his duties keeping him mainly confined to the encampment and its immediate proximity. The trip to the nearest Wentslypp clan is a day by speeder and three on foot, owing mainly to the increasingly rocky and difficult terrain the farther south and east the journey takes. None of the locals live in the north or the west, where the great desert of Nulo stretches endless and desolate.
While Cross gathers his translators and troopers for their escort, Meer decides to pick for himself a few soldiers that may prove useful on this excursion. The first and most apparent is the private, Maldek, the one who had seen that figure out in the dust of the desert. He may be useful in identifying that figure if indeed it turns out to be one of the natives, and his speciality in communications equipment gives Meer a convenient excuse to bring him along. The second would be Sergeant Ukram, who in addition to being one of the largest and strongest men in the 801st, has also witnessed the circumstances around the death, and given that he's Maldek's direct superior means that the two will be used to working together. Meer pulls aside a soldier who's been assigned to watch the door to the barracks and orders the two be made aware of their role in this new assignment and to report to Cross.
Almost instinctively, Meer finds himself wandering to the spot on the edge of the encampment where he spends the last few moments of his evenings. Corporal Korden waits there, just as Meer knew she would, contemplating the northern horizon. She looks troubled, brow furrowed and brown eyes lost in the trance of deep thought.
"Don't you have duties to attend to?" Meer asks. He himself is not sure why he's sought her out. Perhaps it's the few words they've exchanged over the past two days– the haunting dreams that plague them both in the dark of night and the churning sensation of dread that looms in the back of his mind.
Korden shakes her head, "I'm just taking a few minutes to rest. It's been a busy day." It has, Meer notes, there's been an influx in equipment being checked out of the warehouses in camp, and Korden is a part of the staff that manages them. She somehow looks even more tired than he feels, dark circles apparent under her eyes, her black hair dishevelled and voice hoarse.
"How long has it been since you last slept?" He asks.
Korden shrugs, "Wasn't able to sleep last night. Something just kept nagging at me, like a scraping in the back of my head. It kept growing louder and louder until around midnight when it just… stopped. And that was the most terrifying part. It felt like the world itself went silent."
"That's… odd." Meer says, "And what you said to me this morning, 'It's come.' What did you mean?"
Korden shivers. She turns away from him, and Meer can tell that there's something she's trying to hide. He puts a hand on her shoulder and finds that she's trembling.
"I saw it." She breathes, "In the morning, right as the sun crested the horizon. It stood, watching me, and when it knew that I had seen it, it pointed at me and I heard it speak."
"And what did it say?" Meer asks.
"I don't know." Korden admits, "It was in a language I've never heard before. Not the language of the natives, but something else. Something older. But it sounded ominous, like a warning. Or a threat."
For a second, Meer is unsure of what to do. He wants to comfort her, to tell her that everything will be okay, but to do so would be a violation of protocol. He's her commanding officer, the highest ranking official on this planet, yet a thought within him reminds him that the fate of the universe beyond Nellor is uncertain. The Empire could well and truly be gone, the rules that bind its soldiers dissolved, yet he hesitates from acting, just as he has for months before today, when he and Sable have met and talked and nearly crossed the line.
Korden makes the decision for him, sliding into his arms, and he feels himself pull her close. This could spell the end of his command if they're discovered and he glances over his shoulder to ensure they're alone before he deepens the embrace.
"You say the figure came from the west?" He asks. Sable nods. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. Tomorrow, just after first light Master Segeant Cross and I are leading an expedition east to meet with one of the Wentslypp tribes. After what you've told me, I think it's best if you come with."
"Are you sure?" She asks.
"I'm simply ensuring the safety of one of my soldiers." Meer says playfully and Sable smiles back at him.
"I'll take a look at the equipment in storage." She says, "I wouldn't be surprised if we're suddenly short on tents. Some of us might need to double up." She gives him a sly smirk and Meer once more checks to see if anyone is watching. They're remote enough that nobody is around, but still, something seems off. Korden seems to sense it too, because she disentangles herself from him and starts scanning the landscape.
"We should return to camp." Meer says, and the two warily retreat back the direction they came, skin burning under the gaze of some unseen force.