Mayhem at Maison Dieu

Senior Arbites Paschal bleary eyed looked over the latest orders from the sector house.  She and her team were to head to the old Maison Dieu industrial area and apprehend any looters.  She had been on patrol for 72 hours, kept on her feet by a cocktail of stimulants, and the situation did not look like it was going to change any time soon.  The whole city had suddenly gone crazy; an eruption of crime, arson, assault, murder, theft, rioting.  It was as if something had infected the minds of the people coercing them into committing crimes they would never have contemplated otherwise.  

Paschal`s hand twitched as an urge to shoot Beech washed over her, his never-ending prattle was starting to grate on her nerves, the sooner this patrol ended the better it would be for her.

YT-75 did not like risking her crew out in the chaotic city, but she had received a tip off that a cache of jewels and coins had been hidden in a shipping container in the Maison Dieu industrial zone.  If the value of the jewels were half of what the rumours said they were she could deal with most of her creditors. 

Torrential rain poured down as the Arbites continued their patrol through Maison Dieu. The industrial zone took on a more sinister feeling in the reduced visibility, and the air itself was electric with the expectation of a thunderstorm.  Arbites Beech kept up a nervous stream of chatter as they walked through the neglected storage yard.

YT-75 felt uneasy as the crew were searching through the shipping containers, the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the storage yard made her skin crawl.  Leaving Shino S to continue the search for the cache YT-75 took cover by a crystal cluster and scanned for any trouble. 

Through the rain she saw two shapes moving and instinctively opened fire with her bolt-pistol.  The muzzle flash from her gun illuminated the area for a brief second as the shapes dove for cover.

Four bolt-pistols barked loudly as the arbites returned fire on YT-75, the rocket propelled rounds slammed into the crystal cluster she was using for cover and exploded.  Shards of crystal fragments peppered the ship`s captain, but she came out unscathed.

Hearing gunfire, the other members of the Belgrave crew rushed to their captain`s aid.  Mandrake charged through the mud of the storage yard letting loose with his las-pistol.  Deadly beams of light flashed through the air, one cut across Minto`s thigh and he fell to the group clutching his leg.

Bolt-pistol rounds and las-pistol bolts flashed though the air as the two sides blindly shot at each other. In this orgy of blind violence YT-75 was hit three times and slumped down over the crystal cluster, and Arbites Beech was cut down by Mandrake’s accurate las-pistol fire.

Wells rounded the corner of the shipping container, his flanking manoeuvre complete, and opened fire with his auto-gun.  The new danger from an unknown quarter made up Paschal`s mind and she ordered Broadgate to pull out until reinforcements arrived.

After a few sporadic shots the fighting ceased, and the crew of the Belgrave had time to regrouped.  Mandrake saw to YT-75s injuries as best as he could, they were not as serious as they could have been, with some aid she would be able to limp back to the ship.

 Shino S climbed down from the shipping container clutching an old hessian bag. Inside the bag there was a crudely made sword.  Its age pitted blade was kept in place with rusted wire that led down to a skull shaped pommel.

YT-75 was about to tell the crew to get back to searching when the sound of a siren broke through the sound of the rainstorm.

The crew looked at the sword and glanced at each other.  It was not the treasure horde they had been led to believe, but at least things had gone more smoothly than the last job.