OVERCAST: Mason's Rebellion

[Lorsh]

Hopkins begins to organize some digging parties.

You depart with your escorts in the SUV, hitting the road. You pass quite a few abandoned cars from the early outbreaks, as the government has done a rather dismal job of actually cleaning up many of these backroads. A few undead walkers can be seen shuffling along every once in awhile. They look fresh; probably from the new local infections that have been occurring due to the collapse of the buffer zone.

You reach Arkwright, a town that was abandoned during the early outbreaks. It was never officially reoccupied due to the drastically reduced population. Still, you have heard that before the civil war, it was a small black market settlement inhabited by drifters and smugglers, and would occasionally be raided by Rangers or the Denmont PD.

You can see that much of the town has been constructed "shed-style", with single-sloped roofs. Near the edge of town is one such building where the local rebels have established their main base. A few ARF guards stop you car to confirm your identity. "Are you with Mason?" one asks.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason nods his head at the ARF guards from his seat. "That we are. I believe Sinclair's expecting us."

 

[Lorsh]

Your driver is allowed to park just outside, and you are ushered inside and offered cups of provisional coffee(1). The interior of the house is spacious enough, and the furniture from before the outbreak has either been left mostly in tact, or simply repaired/replaced.

You and anyone else you brought along inside are offered seats by the table. A young man with a blue coat, blue armband, and an old combat helmet on his head eventually enters the room. Of course, he removes his headgear once inside. He sits down across from you and introduces himself as Sinclair.

"Greetings," he says. "You're with Mason?"

(1) Provisional coffee is an NPA-produced, coffee-like imitation beverage made from roasted grains. The Clean Zones don't have real coffee anymore, since coffee beans were imported from the Southern Federacies and not actually grown within the Central Republic. Due to the lack of actual caffeine, provisional coffee only serves as a placebo and source of nostalgia, not a real stimulant.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason takes the 'coffee' from Sinclair gratefully as he studies the young man, emphasis on 'young'. He didn't expect the lad to be out of his early 20's, and here he was commanding a bunch of armed people hoping to topple a well established, highly capable military force. Mason wanted to gauge Sinclair's skills a bit before he gave away too much, so as he sipped his cup of 'Prava' he thought to himself, 'Let's see how long it takes him to figure it out.'

"Yes, I'm with Mason's Rebels. I speak on his behalf and can discuss business and strategy in his stead." Mason set down his cup on the table between them before continuing. "My primary purpose here is to try and iron out a more concrete alliance between our two groups. If we're going to have any hope against the NPA we all need to come together as cohesively as we can, preferably under one label so people don't get confused. To that end I'm here to discuss terms and conditions you might have of us in order to reach an agreement."

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair might be in his early twenties, or maybe mid-twenties. He has a similar look to some of the fresh-faced junior officers back in the military before the outbreak. People look less scruffy and aged in the Clean Zone compared to individuals who have had to spend harsh years surviving out in the DZ, so he could be older than you might think. Then again, life in the CZ isn't particularly easy for very many people either.

He begins his reply, his voice steady-sounding enough. "I agree, we need to stick together as reformists. We're all just trying to work towards the same goal here; democracy, civil rights, that kind of thing. So, under one label? Alright, I'm guessing you're talking about joining the Allied Reform Front. If not, here's the spiel anyway, in case any of it sounds good to you. If you sign up with us, you'll have access to our communications, support, and maybe reinforcements... if any of the last two can be spared, of course. Then, in turn, you still keep your base, command of your men, and get scavenging rights in Front-controlled territory. You'll be given tasks, some of them more direct, some rather vague, from the higher-ups. You'll also be expected to contribute support and men to our operations, but I heard you were planning on doing something similar to that with Hartnup anyway."

Sinclair finds himself chewing on his thumb for a moment, but stops. "You could help me up here as well; Hartnup apparently told you the gist of that. Though, I'm not on some suicide mission. I'm not delusional in thinking we can win in Parliament City either; I'm just looking beyond that. I can tell you more, if you want."

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason nods, "I would like to hear more about that, Hartnup was a little vague on the details."

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair nods, beginning to explain in more depth. "The NPA will achieve... tactical victory in Parliament, maybe within only a few days from now. Word has not spread around yet, but..." He lowers his voice, leaning in slightly closer. "Yesterday, our Front's main commander for the rebellion in Parliament was assassinated by NPA special forces. He was a good leader, despite the odds being stacked against him from the beginning. With him gone, the city is going to fall a lot faster. Eighty, maybe ninety percent of Parliament has already been retaken by the government at this point. So, you understand that I'm not particularly optimistic here either, yeah?"

He draws in a breath, all of those thoughts seeming to trouble him quite a bit. Though, smiles after he begins to continue his explanation. "I believe that my men, and the resources we have at out disposal here, could damage NPA efforts to secure a strategic victory, though. They can, or well, will take the city. However, much of Parliament was destroyed during the fighting. They'll need time to fortify it again, and make it suitable for new bases. I plan on using my men to attack the caravans that they will no doubt begin sending after their victory. We'd be able to take out their construction troops, engineers, supplies, etcetera. Not only that, but..."

He lowers his voice quite a bit. "Alright. Do not tell anybody about this, but we have heard rumors that the Central Marshal(1) may be preparing to visit the troops in Parliament to congratulate them on their victory. Or, depending on how early he arrives, their 'impending' victory.


(1) The Central Sectoral Marshal and Central Vice Marshal are the two primary military dictators of Clean Sector Central. The Supreme Marshal outranks them, but resides in the Clean Sector East, leaving the Central Sectoral Command with quite a lot of autonomy. Rumor has it that the Supreme Marshal is actually quite displeased about how the Central Sectoral Command handled the events leading up to their zone's civil war. Regardless, Clean Sector East is known to be providing air support to them.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason raises a brow when Sinclair drops the implications about the Central Marshal. That alone was enough to get his attention, and raised quite a few warning flags in his mind. "That's a rather serious development if it's true. What sources do you have to confirm that?"

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair gives the best answer he can. "I was told that it was information gathered from ARF intelligence agents, and that this knowledge has only been given to relevant ARF commanders. Someone took photographs of the Central Marshal speaking with Army Air Force(1) personnel in one of the airbases to the south. There is also an increased presence of government reconnaissance aircraft along a specific local route, possibly scouting to make sure a helicopter trip to Parliament would be safe for the Marshal. Not only that, but rebels in Parliament intercepted a transmission ordering 'the establishment of a secure LZ'."

(1) Many Air Force assets were lost during the outbreak, or were simply rendered obsolete by the precedence of zombies. The Central Republic Air Force ceased to be an independent branch after NPA junta leaders signed the Armed Forces Reorganization Act about nine years ago. The remaining Air Force elements were tacked on as a new component of the land force branch, as the Army Air Force. The Army Air Force also includes all helicopters, which were previously managed by the Army Aviation Corps (now merged as well).

 

[KamiKahzy]

"So it's from third party sources.' Mason shakes his head slightly, unsure if the intel can really be considered reliable unless he himself was able to look at it. But the implications were promising. If the ARF could gain access to such surveillance then at least they had capabilities that could be used to greater effect.

Mason picked up the mug again and took another sip before gesturing towards Sinclair with it, "So, what's the plan then? How are you going to capitalize on this?"

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair shrugs. "That's true. But they're obviously preparing for someone, to get there," he says. "Anyway, I was able to get my hands on some man-portable air defence systems from an armory we took over, early on in the rebellion. They're, uh, surface-to-air missile launchers. I don't have a lot of them, but we do have some RPGs and other things that could supplement their purpose. For the latter, we'd need lucky shots, though. We could use those to take down helicopters and low-flying planes, and use our regular weapons to ambush ground caravans. That's basically what I'm going for, here."

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason nods at the assessment, "There's potential in this, and a lot of danger. Do you have any idea when they expect these transits to occur?"

 

[Lorsh]

"For the supply caravans and construction troops, they will probably be ready to move relatively soon, as my scouts have reported convoys being prepared in Denmont. I don't believe they'll be escorted by anything too heavy, since most of their tanks, helicopter gunships, and other serious fighting equipment are already in Parliament. My scouts have reported armed humvees and machine gun-mounted jeeps, however. Their transport helicopters may also have door gunners," he tells you.

Sinclair rubs his chin. "Uh... as for the Marshal's possible trip, I'm not sure. My men will look for signs, though. If a single transport chopper is being escorted by a bunch of attack helicopters, then that's probably him. Here's the problem, though. If we begin our attacks on their caravans, especially with our SAM launchers, then the Marshal will definitely not come through the same way, or maybe not come to Parliament at all. But if we don't attack the caravans, then how many are we willing to let just pass through in order to catch the Marshal off-guard? Those are some things I've been wondering."

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason puts his hands together under his chin as he thinks on the situation. "...Here's the way I see it. Even if you held off and allowed the Marshall to arrive, or whichever official is coming through, and managed to take them down, that's still not a guaranteed victory in the end. For all we know the Marshall could just be a figurehead while the Vice is running the show. And on top of that there's no guarantee the people in Parliament or Denmont even want the NPA to be dismantled right now. They've kept a lot of people safe and fed for the most part, and if we take out their primary leader when there's still a majority support in their favor then we end up looking like the bad guys."

"If we really want to win this thing, long term even, we need to be careful on how we pick our battles. Taking out supply convoys is a good idea, especially when they're trying to rebuild and refortify. But if it's at all possible you'll need to make sure you're only hitting the convoys that are carrying military armaments and such. If you take out every truck coming up the road then not only will you put the NPA on high alert, you'll also be cutting off food and comforts to the civilians stuck in Parliament. If that keeps up the people will resent you, label you as raiders or terrorists."

"Right now our priorities need to be dismantling the NPA's capabilities and gaining the support of the people. If we don't have majority support for our cause then we're fighting a losing war."

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair appears to appreciate your input, but he frowns a bit when you mention how much support the NPA might have. "Okay, may have been too hyped up about the Marshal possibly showing up. I suppose someone would replace him if he was taken out, but I think it would do wonders for our morale if we actually managed to get him. Hutton is not a popular guy, and things have really gotten worse ever since he took over from the last marshal that in charge of this sector. So I don't believe that, in our sector, the NPA has much support outside their loyalty hub of Parliament. In the East, yeah, I think they might be more popular all-round, but not here. The people the provos arrested, slaughtered and tortured during the initial protests are still fresh in the civilians' minds."

He takes a sip from his mug, pursing his lips a little. "I'm not sure how we'd be able to figure out what caravans should be attacked, then. It wouldn't be a very good blockade if we allowed any exceptions, really. People might just blame the military instead of us, if there happens to be a supply shortage. Just like in peacetime, the soldiers get first dibs on food and essential supplies. Still, I can see the provos trying to sway people to hate us anyway. How about... if we manage to get our hands on any intact food trucks, we'll try to distribute it to civilians ourselves?"

 

[KamiKahzy]

"That'd be a good start. Also make sure you're not taking any unnecessary risks when it comes to these guerilla tactics. You're no help to anyone if you're dead."

Mason leans back in his seat and clasps his hands over his knees. "You've certainly given me a lot to think about here. Was there anything more specific you'd like to discuss before I head out?"

 

[Lorsh]

"Of course, we'll try to make it out alive if we can. Speaking of 'dead' though, I'd like to show you our tac-map, in case you find any information that needs to be updated on your own maps," Sinclair says as he spreads his map out across the table for you to view. "There's, well, a lot of zombies inside the CZ now, as you can see. They've been crossing the rivers, something they haven't actually done before- apparently they can just walk along the bottom, underwater. The buffer zone has a lot of fences and such on the other side, but they've fallen into disrepair in some areas. Many border guards have been killed, or pulled into front-line units by the NPA. We've detected there's a few hordes already in the CZ, which have a thousand zombies or more each. So be careful." He drums his fingers on the table. "We plan on eventually clearing them out, and establishing our own rebel-controlled border zone."

Spoiler: Updates

You notice a few changes on Sinclair's map:

• Government security forces have taken Hammon from the leftist rebels.
• Government security forces were defeated by reformist rebels in Gauston, but it is now contested by rebels and the undead.
• The previously abandoned DZ town of Gabry has been inundated with zombies.
• Undead have taken the DZ town of Knights from Warlord Tom's soldiers.
• Warlord Tom's soldiers, as well as government security forces have been overrun by the undead in Copperdale.
• The government-controlled towns of Darven and Subry have been overrun by the undead.
• Unaffiliated raiders have taken up residence in the previously abandoned CZ town of Cardston.
• Warlord Tom no longer has any CZ territory.
• Contested zones where the rebels are currently losing against the government have been marked faded green.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason's eyes went wide when he saw the sheer number of settlements the infected had managed to take. He held his chin in his hand as his eyes scanned over the map, going from point to point as his mind processed the information. "Hell, it's worse than I thought." As hateful as the NPA is, it was hard to argue that they weren't keeping the infected at bay. Now with all the chaos happening there was no way for them to man the barrier at all. But from the pattern Mason was noticing, how the infected just kept pushing west...

"I'll be damned. I think the NPA is letting the infected through. Look." Mason pointed to the cluster of purple outlined on the map and traced his finger along it. "The 'fecks are coming through the breach in the buffer zone, but they're spreading faster towards the west. Right where the ARF has its strongest hold in the region. I'll bet good money the NPA is going to use this 'outbreak' as leverage against us. They'll let the infected roam free in the west, fortifying their own borders as best they can. The 'fecks will kill or severely cripple any reformist movement in the west, and then the NPA will come right back 'round and blame the rebellion as the cause of all the death. Something like, 'If we had all simply come together and embraced the Marshall's will, none of this would have happened,' I'm sure." Mason leaned back in his seat and exhaled greatly, lifting an arm up in the air for emphasis before letting it fall limply to his knee. "Fucking politics."

Mason shoots Sinclair a serious look as he sits up again in his seat. "So how is Broxbane faring? Do they have any plans to deal with the 'fecks?"

 

[Lorsh]

Sinclair nods. "They'll definitely try to find some way to turn it into propaganda, as well as make sure the outbreaks affect the rebellion more than themselves... but the fact that the undead hordes have already overrun government positions in some areas suggests they don't actually have much control over it... and to be frank, I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

He sighs worriedly. "Broxbane is still in the process of pushing out the remaining NPA forces, so they may have trouble responding to local outbreaks. The NPA is practically surrounded, but they still have a few strongholds in that city that haven't been snuffed out. If the infection spreads too far and starts getting more important than actually fighting the government, then the Broxbane rebels might be forced to work out some kind of deal where the NPA can withdraw from the city, to end the fighting so that the rebels can focus on the outbreak. This is just speculation that I've heard; I am well aware the chances of this happening are practically zero, since the government has never negotiated with us, and doesn't see us as lawful combatants."

 

[KamiKahzy]

"And we're stuck out here in the east, trying to put a pincer on the NPA." Mason sighs and looks down at the map again for a minute, pondering future options. "Maybe if we're able to push south around Granger at some point we can create a supply chain from east to west. A lot of little stops on the way but it would be simpler than going through the city right now."

Mason checks the time on his wrist watch, noting that the hour is starting to creep into the afternoon. He stands up from his seat and dusts off his shirt a little before he addresses Sinclair again. "I feel like this has been a very productive meeting. There's more to plan but I think this is about as much as we can hope to coordinate right now. If there's any further developments we can reach out over radio. I'd appreciate if you kept me updated on any future attacks you have planned. Right now we're planning to assist Hartnup with a push into an NPA camp, a small one but a significant gain if we succeed. Our men are tied up in preparation for the time being, but afterwards is up in the air. Supplies are going to be a concern for us soon. We haven't had a chance to properly scavenge or establish food sources since we setup. But like I said, details for later most likely."

Mason offers his hand for Sinclair to shake before leaving Sinclair's HQ with his guards.

 

[Lorsh]

(Sorry for the wait)

After a few more minutes of discussion, you wrap up the meeting with Sinclair. He bids you farewell, and assures you that he'll keep you updated with anything important that comes up. You get back into your vehicle with your escorts and leave Arkwright back for your base, and thankfully have an uneventful return journey. By the time you make it back, the fortifications you had requested are mostly complete. The day is winding down, and coming to an end, though.

Before you rest, you receive a supply report from your quartermaster. 106 units of food, and 27 units of alcohol were consumed by your forces today. 3 units of fuel were used by generators and vehicles.

You wake up to receive a report from your comm officer, Anderson. She tells you that Sinclair called on the radio and informed her that an uprising has started in Denmont. There had been several large-scale protests by civilians that were demonstrating in opposition to ration reductions and military brutality. Several policemen were beaten to death, and soldiers were eventually called in to open fire on the crowds, resulting in at least a few hundred casualties. Parts of the city, mainly in the slums, have now been seized by armed civilians supported by ARF elements.

 

[KamiKahzy]

(Also sorry for the wait, work's been nuts lately)

Mason is glad that the people have decided to take action in Denmont, but the rash nature of the rebellion has him worried for the people's safety. Mason makes a note of Denmont's status on their battle map and continues on with matters of the day.

First Mason convenes his advisors for a status update. He wants to know if there's been any new developments around their compound, and he wants to confirm details with Harry, Greaves, Stalkman and Ryan about the upcoming joint assault with Hartnup. Specifically he wants to know the current status of the squads, and how many men they can feasibly provide for this attack while maintaining their own defenses.

 

[Lorsh]

"These new rebels in Denmont seem like they're mostly Foodies(1)," Greaves tells you after he hears about the newly-reported uprising. "They don't seem like they got much going for them in terms of tactics, and ARF can only do so much to guide them. Still, if there's enough of them, they might actually have a chance to rout the NPA," he says with a shrug.

Greaves says that the Medics would be useful to bring along for the attack on the outpost, since there will likely be many wounded (including allies). The Heavy team is best suited for defence, so Greaves suggests that they stay behind, along with the Recons for lookout duty and possibly being posted to warn of threats to the base in advance. The Assault team and at least two or three regular squads would be squads that should obviously brought along, while the Snipers would be useful for either defence or offence.

Hartnup radioed in this morning, telling you to start making preparations to attack, either today or tomorrow.

A civilian vehicle approaches from the east road and is stopped by your guards. Your sentries radio you, telling you that the occupants of the vehicle (two men) claim they are (or were) being chased by bandits.

(1) Term for civilian rebels that take up arms over ration shortages rather than political reasons.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mason agrees with Greave's assessments, both on Denmont and the eventual attack plan. For now Mason orders that the Medical and Assault squads, along with squads 1, 3, 4 and 7, and Camroy Sienley and Meaghan Strong from the Sniper squad make preparations to move. Mason wants them loaded with vehicles, with at least one of those vehicles a Technical with the .50 cal for fire support, and two dirtbikes in case a runner needs to get sent back quickly.

As for the civilians, Mason is leery of the news. If they're lying then anyone he sends out could be at risk. But then again most wouldn't be stupid enough to approach an armed compound by themselves. If they're telling the truth then it means that bandits are operating nearby, which was not something Mason wanted to hear at all. What concerned him most was how the civilians found the compound in the first place. It could have been luck, but if it wasn't then he needed answers out of them soon.

Mason orders squad 2 to assemble near the east gate as backup as he heads down to see the situation for himself. From a distance, of course.

 

[Lorsh]

Your squads start getting prepared to head out. Your lieutenants ask if any RPGs, grenades or bombs should be brought along.

Your squads are organized and vehicles are retrieved and given brief inspections, and fueled if needed.

Spoiler: Attack Group

Attack Group

Medical Squad
Sedan
♂ Dr. Cayden Smart | Doctor | Snubby [6/6, 6/6, 6/6]
♀ Jackie Clark | Militia Medic | .22 pistol [10/10, 10/10]
♂ Kerry Bartson | Militia Medic | Snubby [6, 12]
♀ Kit Turner | Militia Medic | Snubby [6, 12]

Assault Squad
SUV
♂ Mark Byers | Militia Elite ☠ | Assault rifle [25/25, 25/25, 25/25] & .45 pistol [7/7, 7/7] | Ballistic vest
♂ Joshua Holden | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Assault rifle [20/25, 25/25, 15/25] | Flak jacket
♂ Scott Fitz | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Assault rifle [20/25, 25/25, 10/25] & Machete
♂ Payden Carter | Militia | Gov't carbine [15/15, 15/15] & Machete
♀ Sandra Goode | Militia | Tac-SMG [25/30, 30/30, 5/30] & Hatchet
♀ Betty Bardum | Militia | Tac-SMG [30/20, 30/20] & Baseball bat

Sniper Detachment
♂ Camroy Sienley | Militia Sniper | Scoped hunting rifle [5/5, 5/5, 4/5] & Snubby [6]
♀ Meghan Strong | Militia Sniper | Scoped single-shot rifle [1, 10] & Assault pistol [20/20, 20/20]


Squad 1
SUV
♂ Tyson Heggie | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Assault rifle [25/25, 20/25] & 9mm pistol [12/12, 12/12] | Ballistic vest
♀ Bethany Harvaan | Militia | Compact SMG [20/20, 20/20] | Flak jacket
♂ Walter Sargent | Militia | Burst rifle [15/15, 15/15] & 9mm pistol [12/12, 0/12]
♂ Chad Cummings | Militia | Hunting rifle [5/5, 5/5, 5/5] & 9mm pistol [12/12, 12/12]
♂ Jeremiah Reck| Militia | Repeater [8, 8] & Hunting knife
♂ Edmond Moon | Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 6] & .45 pistol [7/7, 7/7, 5/7]
2 Dirtbikes
♂ Mike Roth | Militia ⛉ | Pump shotgun [6, 12]
♂ William Griffith | Militia ⛉ | Hunting rifle [5, 10]

Squad 3
Technical
♂ Peter McAllister | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Heavy SMG [20/20, 20/20, 10/20] & Machete | Flak jacket
♀ Jayden Skitzey | Militia | Mini-carbine [12/12, 12/12, 10/12] & Hatchet
♂ Jim Belfiore | Militia | Hunting rifle [5, 5] & Hatchet
Pickup Truck
♂ Santana Trece | Militia | Hunting rifle [5, 10]
♀ Brandy Otterson | Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 10] & Snubby [6, 10]
♂ Terry Juicer | Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 10] & Baseball bat
♀ Ashley Martins | Militia | Short shotgun 3, 10] & Switchblade
♂ Stanley August | Militia ⛉ | Single-shot rifle [1, 9] & 9mm pistol [12/12, 12/12, 5/12]

Squad 4
Armored van
♂ Edward Ryan | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Pump shotgun [6, 10] & 9mm pistol [12/12, 12/12] | Ballistic vest
♂ Garrett Racco | Militia | Mini-carbine [12/12, 12/12] & Tire iron
♂ Thomas Wiltshire | Militia | Mini-carbine [12/5, 12/12]
♀ Lucy Bay | Militia | Rimfire carbine [10/10, 10/10, 10/10]
♂ Jay Bay | Militia | Hunting rifle [5/5, 5/5] & Baseball
♂ 'Chapel' | Militia | Sporter compact [5/5, 5/5, 3/5] & Hatchet
♂ Nathan Dub | Militia ⛉ | Single-shot .22 [1, 15]
♂ Hunter Pollock | Militia ⛉ | Double-barrel [2/2, 5]
♂ Spencer Lavan | Militia ⛉ | 9mm pistol [12/12, 12/12, 0/12]

Squad 7
Pickup truck
♂ Sam Tatten | Militia Veteran ⚔ | Mini-carbine [12/12, 12/12] & .45 pistol [7/7] | Flak jacket
♀ Kelley Wood | Militia | Hunting rifle [5/5, 5/5, 5/5] | Strap armor
♂ Polonius Drozdek | Militia | Hunting rifle [5/5, 5/5, 5/5]
♂ Justin Heiden | Militia | Sporter compact [5/5, 5/5, 5/5]
♂ Derek Person| Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 12] | .22 pistol [10/10]
Pickup truck
♂ Jeff Markel | Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 6] & Hatchet
♂ Devin Gillespie | Militia | Pump shotgun [6, 6] & Hatchet
♂ Logan Creighton | Militia ⛉ | Varmint rifle [5/5, 5/5, 5/5]
♂ Boris Cohen | Militia ⛉ | Single-shot rifle [1, 5]

Nathan Dub approaches you. He's one of the new kids, a recruit that you picked up shortly after returning to the CZ. "Hey, uh, sir. I only have this here single-shot .22... can I sit this one out, maybe?" Dub immediately gets chastised by Garrett Racco, who had been nearby. "Dub, you fucking idiot, there's a chain of command. You don't waltz up to the goddamn CO for that question, you tell Ryan first, THEN he'll tell Mason. Sorry about that, sir," Garrett tells you while Dub looks flustered.


After that business has been sorted out, you and Squad 2 head over towards the gates where the civilians have been stopped. Both look like farmers, with one being middle aged and the other being more elderly. Father and son- or even father and grandfather, possibly. The younger man, the driver, rolls down the window and holds his hands up. "We got guns(1) in here, boys, but we ain't gonna use 'em. Take 'em, we mean no harm."

Wallace Tren orders his men to move forward, and they confiscate a lever-action shotgun, and a lever-action rifle from the cab of the truck.

The older man speaks. "They might still be after us, we ain't sure. There's not very many of 'em, but they got shit like that," he says, gesturing at Wallace Tren's assault rifle. "You boys are Reform, right?"


(1) For the most part, the NPA restricts firearms. However, CZ civilians living in rural areas (with little military/police presence) were allowed to own firearms like hunting rifles, shotguns, and .22s to defend their property from threats like wolves and undead stragglers. In some smaller towns, there are also sanctioned 'neighborhood watch' groups that had gun vaults overseen by an NPA registrar, where they could only be taken out at certain times. Due to the onset of the civil war, however, it can be assumed that most of these rules and groups have been suspended.