DAMANIER COLONY, INTAKI PRIME – The Medusa PMC made another strike against the criminal underworld of Intaki on March 20, and in so doing caused uproar in the colony between thankful citizens and concerned administrators.
The PMC, which made press headlines not long ago after destroying a Seven Gang outpost, have since harried and dogged the breakaway criminals in multiple locations, primarily the settlements closest to the equator. Unlike the polar centers of industry and commerce, the nearly lifeless equator of Intaki Prime lends itself to unfavorable social tension.
The newest advance against the loosely organized Seven saw Medusa operatives penetrating a modestly defended, but well-hidden prostitution ring in the Damanier Colony, further inland toward the poles. The Seven have, since splitting from the Serpentis, funded their gang through prostitution, slavery, and gambling, due to their small numbers and lack of experienced combatants, either on the ground or in space-faring vessels. Their lack of brute force, however, spurred them to practice secrecy as a defensive measure, and they have learned to hide their operations in plain sight.
The prostitution operation in question had remained unseen due to a join contract with a localized shipping service, a subsidiary branch of TransStellar. Women owned by the Seven—typically down-and-out civilians and slaves purchased illegally, or even captured crew members from destroyed vessels—were shipped to “customers” via hover transport trucks.
As has been the pattern for each preceding attack, Medusa agents took out bounty rights on the Seven in Damanier and arrived via personnel carriers in the early hours, this time bringing with them a fully outfitted Cazador gunship, a staple of many militia and PMC groups due to its rugged versatility and affordability.
The PMC soldiers were met with minor difficulties during deployment, this being the first time they’ve engaged the Seven within the heart of a colony. Though it is unknown how they were so well-informed, presumably via contacts within the colony itself, Medusa soldiers used their personnel carriers to arrest a hover truck transporting seventy-eight prostitutes, forcing it to the side of bridge in the lower colony levels. Once there, the soldiers stormed the truck and detained the driver and passenger, replacing them with their own operatives and delivering the hover truck to the nearest police station.
While this was an admirable show of dedication, Medusa’s next decision is what has brought their methods to question in Damanier. With bounties still to be collected, the PMC soldiers boarded their transports a second time and surrounded the warehouse registered with the TransStellar branch responsible for harboring the criminals. It took only minutes for them to infiltrate the warehouse and secure the roster of women held captive there, neutralizing several guards in the process.
The Seven’s security force in the building responded by trading fire with the PMC, cutting off their escape and forcing them to the second level of the facility. It seemed the PMC soldiers would fail in their mission, with the Seven closing in and the Medusa soldiers backed into one half of the second story warehouse.
It was at that time the Cazador arrived on the scene, and opened fire with dual .30mm projectile cannons, strafing the lower floor and opposite half of the warehouse. Only after expending half of its ammo capacity, about 600 rounds from either gun, did the assault come to an end. By that time, the only challenge remaining was exiting the building via the ruined stairwells.
Though a roster of over 120 women were recovered during the course of the night, the officials of the colony were not impressed.
“This is a vulgar expression of savagery,” stated Chief of Police Arud LaVil, in a public response following the departure of the PMC carriers. “Intaki already suffers the arrogance of the Serpentis and the Seven. This is not a lawless frontier, this is a well-founded system under the protection of the Federation. The last thing we want is a group of mercenaries with concern except their payment.”
Added LaVil, “I’m surprised we had any bounty money to pay, after the exorbitant damages they caused just saving these [prostitutes]!”