Vax and the Laser Crocodiles.
There had been rumors of Laser Crocodiles in the area, it wasn't confirmed, so Kaz and Specter were sent to investigate. They decided to take 5 Speartail volunteers with them, since 2 people weren't enough.
The Speartails were: Vax Murdock, the Sak Blade, Zack Hope, Mimi Harkonn (F), and Zee Gordon (M). Zee and Sak both used Ulaks, while Vax, Zack, and Mimi used longswords.
Kaz used a winged spear and an assault rifle, while Specter used his shotgun.
Their mission was simple, check out the north west area, if there's Laser Crocodiles, call for reinforcements and retreat to Banshee Tower, the windswept lookout to the south.
Zack Hope: "Hey, Sak and Vax, long time no see. I heard you ran a bar here."
Sak Blade: "True, it's the only meeting place in Ghost Sector. What are you doing here?"
Zack Hope: "Well, I decided I might leave the apartment like you did, it's gotten worse since you left. Then I heard from Kaz that there were Laser Crocs here, and I decided to tag along, get a kill."
Vax Murdock: "Yeah, those mattresses, ugh. But you can't kill the Crocs, their hide is tougher than a Goliath's."
Zack Hope: "I just need to get on it's back, nothing it can do then."
Kaz Blackthorn: "Laser Crocs never travel alone." Kaz had listened in on their chat. "Anyway, it's time to leave to look for the Laser Crocs, get your armor."
They all put on a set of the body armor that was there, most of the Speartails were too small, so parts had to be removed, but it's better than nothing.
Most of the Speartails had boots, gauntlets, breastplate, and the nanoweave coveralls, though Mimi had full armor and the power rig (enhances strength).
They journeyed out, to the north west, the walk took an hour, and they watched around all the time, for that's the difference between life and death with this foe, seeing them first.
They came across a part, hotter than usual, Kaz and Specter put on their thermal goggles, and looked around.
Kaz Blackthorn: "Zee and Sak, you're with me, the rest go with Zazz. I go around the south, and Zazz the north. We need to see how big this hotspot is, keep radio contact."
North Group climbed up onto the buildings, edging the hotspot while staying at range, while South Group stuck to the ground.
They circled the hotspot and met up with each other, it's at least 1 300 square meters.
Kaz Blackthorn: "(Radio) We've found a hotspot, at least 1 000 square meters. Orders? ... Understood." "Let's get in there, look for red hot metal, and if you see a Laser Croc, run."
Kaz and Specter took off their thermal goggles, and walked in, the Speartails followed. There were holes in the metal at places, but no Laser Crocodiles.
Zack Hope: "Hey, Vax, how about I bring Koge here when I move in? The more the merrier."
Vax Murdock: "That'd be nice, she's ni-"
Zee Gordon: "CROC!" A laser is shot from behind the group, it punctures a hold through Mimi's chest, and then goes through Zack's right arm, severing the limb.
Everyone looks at the attacking Laser Crocodile, but then from the right, another emerges through a door and shoots at Specter.
Vax immediately runs up and shoves Specter out of the way, and the laser hits her arms instead, severing both.
--
Specter stumbles forwards, before regaining balance and leaping to higher ground, while Kaz sprints to the nearest cover she can find.
Sak and Zee run forwards, while Vax uses heir Combat Fluff hair to grab Zack and run into the building to their left.
Another laser hits Mimi, this time in the neck, and then graces Specter, on the left arm.
A third laser takes off Zak Blade's left leg, Zee pushes him to the left, behind cover.
A fourth laser then hits Zee in the left arm, upper torso, and right arm, before continuing into a building.
A laser comes from the right, taking off Vax and Zack's right legs.
A laser from the left on second level barely deflects off Spectre's breastplate, before going into a nearby tall structure, going through and off into the sky.
Kaz Blackthorn: "(Radio) Confirmed Laser Crocs, I repeat, there are several Laser Crocodiles here, we've been ambushed, we're pinned down, send reinforcements. ... Got it."
"They're sending reinforcements, we need to stay alive until they get here!"
Vax and Zack make sure to fall to the sides, so they're out of the Laser Crocodiles' line of sight, Vax falls to the left, Zack falls to the right.
There's no regeneration of lost limbs, the lasers were so hot it disabled it, but it did burn the wounds shut as well.
Kaz Blackthorn took time to assess the situation, she'd be shot if she ran out of cover, but she'd also be shot if she stayed in cover as well.
Specter ran away from the Laser Crocodile on the second level, then out a window on the other side, landed on the ground, and got in position to flank the Laser Crocodiles.
Specter: "(Radio) In position to flank 4 Crocs."
Vax made her hair into 2 arms, and crawled on the floor, up to a wall with a window on top, like a basement window, while Zack opened and stumbled through the door next to him.
Zee and Mimi has been shot and killed, while Sak Blade lies on the ground.
Kaz Blackthorn: "(Radio) Do it." Specter ran up next to the Laser Crocodiles, shot one in the eye, and climbed up on one when 3 lasers came from elsewhere.
One hits Specter in the left knee, severing it, then continues and goes through Kaz's jaw, and then through the head of Zee's corpse, before going into the ground.
The other hits Specter in the right arm, severing it, and he had his shotgun in his right hand.
The third whizzes by him, and into a building. Specter, with only one leg, decides to jump away, he manages to crash through the 3rd floor window of a building.
The other Laser Crocodiles are distracted, so Kaz runs up to Sak, picks him up, and runs away, by the time the Laser Crocodiles notice, it's too late, she turns a corner and gets away.
Vax jumps up to the window, breaks the glass, crawls through, and finds herself face to face with a Plasma Crocodile, she raises her body with her hair arms and jump beside the Plasma Crocodile.
Zack crawls through a room, a door, up a flight of stairs, into a kitchen, and hides in a cupboard. While Vax climbs the Plasma Crocodile, who stands up and tries to wipe her off.
The Plasma Crocodile's standing made Vax at the height of the 3rd level, and Vax jumps, through a window, and ends up meeting with Specter.
Then, they wait.
Zee and Mimi are consumed, Sak Blade and Kaz meets up with the reinforcements, Zack stays hidden in his cupboard, and Vax and Specter stays silent in their building, as it's barraged with lasers.
Due to the Laser Crocodiles only having a faint idea where they are, they shoot the entire building.
Voice: "(Radio) We've arrived, where... holy s***, this place is destroyed, are there even survivors?"
Voice: "(Radio) Only one way to find out." "(Megaphone) Hey, anyone still alive?" Vax crawled to the window, and saw a group of Swamp Tanks nearby, and some VTOL personnel carriers.
Vax Murdock: "You fools, there's a Plasma Croc here!" She was too far away to be heard.
Specter: "(Radio) Plasma Croc nearby, I repeat, a Plasma Croc has been seen in the area." The building was hit with another barrage of lasers, and then, a jet noise came incredibly close, and some gunshots.
Vax Murdock crawled to another window and saw her, The Crocodile Slayer, adorned with Thrud Valkyrie Armor, and wielding a Tyrfing Lævateinn. She shot down Laser Crocodiles left and right.
The VTOL personnel carrier used this opportunity to fly up to the building, and got Vax and Specter out, then they flew away, while the other forces engaged the Laser Crocodiles.
It seems the Steel Dragon Army decided to reinforce this area.
--
At the Banshee Tower, Vax and Specter was brought to the Living room, where Kaz and Sak Blade were, Sak was lying on the couch, and Kaz was sitting in her comfy chair.
Some hours later, Zack was brought there too, there were medics present, they gave temporary legs to Zack, Vax, and Sak.
The regeneration would take a long time to restart, so they were expected to use these legs until that time.
Then there was no significant events with Vax for a time.
The Steel Dragon Army decided to send a small force to Ghost Sector to deal with the Laser Crocodiles, staying there until they'd got rid of all the Laser Crocodiles nearby, which took 5 years.
Zack would return to the apartment, and then return with Koge Wrath, moving into Ghost Sector.
The Speartails eventually regained their regeneration, and Kaz and Specter got mechanical replacement limbs, along with becoming the ones in charge of the Ghost Sector operations, as they knew this area.
The Ghost Sector was lively again, though it was mostly military personnel.