Log: 6000001.0.13, Personal, Captain Yormdrill

  It took Trevdi a several hours to obtain information from the shuttle company. It helped when she ordered the remaining men of the ship to come and back her up. It was well though, since it took us several hours to return to the ship. Gregory ran all of the men through some basic accuracy tests in the armory, and made two teams of four, myself at the head of one and Yaemdrill at the head of the other. Then, he ordered us to get some sleep. I found it difficult, but I understand his reasoning. By rights, I should be the one giving orders, but he's in his element. He knows what to do better than me. In fact, if it was up to me, it would have been... I would have... I'm just so furious I can't even think.

  We took the shuttle down to the planet, to the city, and went directly to the "bad part of town" as some might say. Gregory immediately took a position on top of a tall building. He ordered me to take my team, Soadron, Brentan and Pavdroll, to a "cluster of likely gangers" a block south, and Yaemdrill's team, Peandroll, Quindrum and Roundouk to another three blocks to the east. We had to rely on our visors to know what he meant, as we're not used to planetary navigation. The equipment is uncomfortable, but it lets Gregory show us things through his scope, or Yaemdrill and I to do the same through our cameras.

  The gangers knew little. They'd heard about how Star Sailors were taking charge of the station, and were eager to demonstrate that their criminal activities were limited to caffeine powder dealing and petty theft, and to beg us to not discipline them. The stories that have reached the planet have been blown out of proportion, but this is well for us. Fear shall keep the scum cooperative.

  I noticed that we were circling the neighborhood, tightening and tightening, and Gregory's scope view often shut off and was completely changed when it returned. He was directing us to groups of gangers clothed alike after the third position change. Their hostility was increasing. Their fear returned when one of them drew a weapon and suddenly was missing his head. Gregory's scope view shut down shortly before the plasma bolt streaked through the group, and when it returned I saw he had moved to a slightly different position.

  By the end of the day, we had settled on a derelict apartment building with a high concentration of the like dressed thugs clustered about the entrances. Gregory ordered us to a mostly abandoned building across the street that offered a good view of several of its entrances from multiple locations. We had a short conference.

  "There is a high degree of likeliness that Linus is being held in that structure."

  "The unaffiliated locals are afraid of this gang," Quindrum offered.

  "A frontal assault is likely to incur collateral casualties," Gregory agreed.

  "I would prefer to avoid hurting civilians, but my nephew is the priority."

  "Agreed. His safety is the only thing restraining us though, and the counterpoint to that is that they know they can threaten him to a point to gain time," I mused.

  "He's safe for the moment. Any criminal seeing what I did to googly eyes would be apprehensive about what I'd do without restraint. There are multiple species in this gang, the googly eyes, the clickety clacks, the fuzzy people. Others. It looks like the feather people aren't a part of the gang, and are mistreated by them."

  "Recent immigrants," Brentan offered.

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  "Vulnerable to extortion and recruitment. Yet nobody's joined up. It is unknown whether this is useful data."

  "They have a strong culture around hard work and respect for the laws, joining a gang would destroy a person's family relationships," Saodron explained. I didn't know my pilot was interested in other cultures. Strange, what jumps out at you.

  "They may be willing to sharing information if they recognize you as authorities by the treaties like the stationers do."

  "The building is large. It may take several hours to clear and search."

  "It takes as long as it takes. Linus is getting rescued. Hostiles are getting eliminated or neutralized. Then the teaching happens."

  "Teaching?" Roundouk asked.

  "They shall learn what happens when someone touches my family. I will teach them. Break up into teams of two and surround the building. Get some food, get some sleep in shifts. Keep eyes on all of the entrances. I'll be on overwatch from this building, but keep in mind that I can't cover all angles and I'll be catching some sleep too. Observe and log any activity. Alert if you see Linus or any other kidnap victims."

  We obeyed.

  Dear Diary,

  Mom has been coordinating with the Magistrate and other ships all day. I think the fact that Greg put together a team to go and rescue Yoiv is the only thing stopping thirty ships and their crews descending on the planet. That, and some of the more level headed people pointing out that landing on a planet is not like taking a ship. When Greg came back to get his team together, it was scary. He felt... please be okay.

  It was up to Yaig and me to keep the littles distracted, and we did it by running through the drills for a dart battle again. It felt like Yaig was being overly harsh with his criticisms, so I took him aside.

  "Are you taking out your frustrations on the littles?"

  "Not on purpose. I am trying to stay under control, Tran. I'm trying."

  "Do you want to talk?"

  "No. But I should."

  "I can listen."

  "I know it's a game. But... it FEELS like I should be able to USE this stuff."

  "Do you know how Sneaky learned to fight?"

  "No, Mom won't let me ask your dad."

  "The Consumptives took his homeworld."

  "Stars!"

  "He was ten when it happened, and the military men in charge of his hobby group put real rifles in their hands and told them to kill. They saw what happens to people who didn't, so the children's hobby group killed to live."

  "I... I didn't know..."

  "I think... I think he doesn't want you to go through something like he had to."

  "I'm not a little kid-"

  "But not a man grown either."

  "I know. I know, I just feel... he's family. I want to help."

  "You are. The grown-ups all need to focus on restoring order to the station, so it's up to us to make sure the littles, and really some of the older kids too, don't panic, still do their lessons, still get exercise, still eat properly, still go to sleep. We are doing something," I told him.

  "Thanks," he said.

  Be safe, Greg. Be safe, Yoiv. Be safe, Daddy. Be safe Uncke Yaem. Be safe, crew.

  Dear Hero Logary,

  The bad guys started yelling inside.

  They were looking in the wrong place because we were not in that building.

  Some kids did not want to listen at first.

  I told them I got away so I am in charge.

  I made my voice strong like Daddy.

  They listened.

  Mission Log: 3. Date: 1/6/2. Name: Gregory George

  Mission: Planetary rescue

  Mission objectives:

  Rescue Linus from unknown hostiles connected to a shady lawyer

  --Linus located on planet

  --Shuttle company name determined: Shuttle by Green

  ---Gang identified

  ---Gang headquarters identified

  ---Likely information vector identified

  Eliminate or neutralize all hostiles

  --One hostile neutralized nonlethally

  ---One hostile eliminated

  Teach the criminal elements a lesson

  --One example provided

  Mission parameters:

  Minimize collateral casualties

  Minimize collateral property damage

  Evade detection by station security

  Minimize station damage

  Protect allies

  Potential Action Plan:

  Observe headquarters over planetary night.

  Inquire local crime victims on recent gang activity

  Identify defensive weak points

  Identify gang leadership

  Observations irrelevant to mission:

  Gang has high concentration of GEF. Might be local to planet. Planet has many googly eyed lizard people unaffiliated with gang, even in bad neighborhood. Non-hostile contact likely.