Mission 1 - The deliverance of Yelena Romanoff
The legion, on the run from Blighters troops has crossed the Tigris river, but Yelena Romanoff, the commander of the legion, has been cut off by the undead forces and captured. The legion got word that she is held in an old Aldermani keep, now overrun by the enemy. Even more unsettling news was that the Cinder King himself has sent a powerful undead to turn the commander and make her reveal information about the Legion. A team of specialists: Valentina Valentinovna, Silver Moon Moon, Malcolm White and Landsknecht Bella IV have been sent along with a squad of Star Vipers to prevent the Legion's secrets falling into enemy hands. By any means necessary.
The team approached the fortress on a dark and stormy night, crossed a moat filled with parts of undead corpses that nearly did in a Star Viper rookie, and used their equipment and military training to force their way into the sewers below the fortress. Silver Moon Moon scouted ahead and managed to locate a squad of Rotters standing between them and the exit to the courtyard. One coordinated attack was all it took for the Legions best to dispatch the undead. The way into the fortress courtyard was clear, and the undead roaming inside were busy fending of the diversion attack by Zora, the Legion's Chosen. Using the cover of night the team made their way inside the fort barracks hoping to find the commander, according to the intel they gathered before the mission. The intel proved wrong, as the barracks were full of prisoners, waiting whatever foul fate Blighter had in store for them.
Landsknecht Bella IV managed to convince the prisoners to hold on for a bit more, and promised to rescue them after the primary objective was met. However, a Zemyati mother recognised a fellow countryman in Valentina Valentinovna and pleaded for the rescue of her three year old daughter. Nobody knew that the teams Heavy had a soft spot, as Valentina took little Kristina Careyena into her care, strapping her to the back of her heavy armor.
The rescue squad made their way into the keep and managed to stay out of sight of undead patrols, reaching a large ballroom on the fourth floor. Screams from the legion's commander could be heard from behind the door guarded by a huge undead clad in heavy plate and wielding a large claymore. The specialists quickly realised they were facing a Cinder Guard, one of the Cinder Kings personal retinue. A carefully aimed shot by Malcolm the Sniper sent the guard to his knees, and as Valentina and Malcolm stayed behind to finish the monster off, the rest of the team burst into the room where Yelena was held. The Cinder Kings torturer held the commander in its grasp and Bella IV ordered the Rookies to flank and dispatch him, while Silver Moon Moon used her Scout expertise to distract the other Cinder Guard who was in the room. However the situation proved too much for the rookies, and the Lansknectht had to finish the monster himself. A shot to the head killed the torturer and made it and the commander flying through the keep window. A last minute jump by Bella IV prevented Yelena falling to her death in the courtyard below.
A bitter battle ensued, and the rookie squad lost their lives trying to stop the hulking Cinder Guard, while Valentina and Malcolm finished off the Cinder Guard in front of the room, paying the price for this victory with a part of their sanity. Wounded and traumatised they managed to muster the strength to proceed thanks to an encouraging speech by their commanding officer, Landsknecht Bella IV. The squad retreated with Yelena in tow.
Mission accomplished!
