SWRC: OC-49 (Part 1)(Book 2.675)

Chapter 7 Vergesso Asteroids

Michael 'Raptor' Burns was one of the unfortunate 'pirates' assigned to the Vergesso Asteroid mission to draw out the illusive Mercenary Company OC-49.

Raptor had long ago assumed that the mysterious deaths surrounding the little known clone company, Orange Company 49, were the real members of the mercenary company.

But he was but a lowly grunt stuck in the Black Sun Corporation's operations in the Outer Rim.

And the Vergesso Asteroids were about as far Outer Rim as one could get.

Juan Piniantor, the head of his branch of the Black Sun, had assigned him to this particular assignment for an unknown reason to Raptor Burns.

Sure he was considered to be directly under Juan, but he did not particularly like these kinds of Black Sun missions.

Even before Kane Axebriy had been offlined by former Black Sun operative Neeran Zaneshi, many in Juan's branch of the Black Sun had been fearful of the silent spectre that seemed to haunt their branch halls. Raptor almost never spoke to anyone in the branch, the exceptions being Juan Piniantor and Kane Axebriy, though rarely to them either.

And yet, here he was.

On 'prisoner guard duty'.

Waiting.

Waiting for the illusive company to show themselves to the operatives and their 'captives', who were really just more members of the Corporation in disguise.

Ever waiting...

Eventually, their signalling equipment pinged them to an incoming vessel.

"Confirmation?" asked Issam Gartez.
"It's a medium class transport vessel," replied Samaac Orte. "No designated name to the vessel. It's been scrubbed from the ships records."

"It's them," whispered Raptor.

Everyone looked at him but he pretended not to notice. Issam, sensing that what the spectre-like man was right, turned to Samaac and said, "Contact the others. The party's here."

The fight was definitely on then.