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The first sessions begins with S.T.A.R.S. Delta Squad of the 4th Offworld Marine Division enroute to one of their final training
missions. While in low orbit over AC-4, they receive a distress signal from the surface of the neighboring planet, AC-3.
In accordance to a new law passed by The Unified Federal Government, all military ships not on top-priority missions must
investigate any and all off-world disturbances. So, Delta Squad must land on AC-3 to investigate the distress signal. They
locate the source quite easily, it being a massive freighter ship of unknown origin. The area surrounding the ship is loose,
fine sand, giving way to dense jungle. This type of terrain is completely alien to them, and they can't explain it. Delta
Leader immediately splits the team, assigning Delta 1, 3, 5, and 7 to secure the perimeter around the ship. He would lead
Delta 2 and 4 inside the ship to search for survivors. They enter the ship by planting C4 on a ventilation duct located next
to a bay door. Immediately, they notice something is wrong. There is no power, no bodies, and no signs of any battle. The
progress through the dark, empty corridors, examind storage rooms and air vents for anything at all. Finally, Delta 4 finds
fragments of a strange egg-like object in a ventilation shaft. By this time, the squad is on edge, and to make things morse,
they lose contact with the rest of the squad outside. They rush to the hole they blasted, and find that sand had poured in,
sealing the inside the ship. They have no choice but to continue deeper into the ship, searching for another exit as well
as any survivors. Entering a mess hall, they find a flight of stairs leading upward. Ascending the stairs, the squad finds
the same featureless, empty corridors as on the level below. Again, Delta 4 examines the air vent above them, and this time
sees something at the corner of his vision, but cannot identify it before it is gone. The squad progresses very cautiously
in a tight formation, constantly eyeing the vents for any movement. They enter a room filled with computer terminals, and
finally find bodies. There are three men wearing gray, non-descript uniforms with the only identifying mark a blue circle
over their heart. All three carry no weapons, and seemed to have been killed by being run through, as they all have large
bloody holes through their bodies. As the squad exits through another door, Delta 4, standing in between Delta Leader and
Delta 2, is stabbed through the gut by a long, segmented, barbed tail and collapses to the ground, unmoving. Immediately,
Delta 2 spins around and spots a large creature dart back around the corner. He checks Delta 4's pulse, finds him alive,
and gives chase, as Delta Leader heads the other way to corner the creature. Delta 2 turns the corner, only to see a grate
on the wall has been torn open. He alerts delta Leader, and they both run back to Delta 4. They both arrive at the same
time, and see the creature had hooked Delta 4 through the chest and is hoisting him into the air vent. Panicking, Delta Leader
fires a grenade into the vent, blowing a small section of the vent open. Delta 2 shouts that Delta 4 was alive, and Delta
Leader decides to retreat. He runs at full speed back through the corridors, with Delta 2 right behind him. Meanwhile, the
creature had dragged Delta 4 about 50 feet through the vent, dropped him off, and scurried off stealthily to ambush the other
two S.T.A.R.S. Delta 4 was still barely alive, but paralyzed. The creature easily passes up the Marines, and flicks it's
tail down from a vent directly above them. It skewers Delta Leader, paralyzing him as well. Delta 2, keeping his cool, lobs
a hand grenade into the vent, grabs Delta Leader, and begins dragging him back to safety. The creature, unharmed but enraged
by the granade, drops down onto the ground and pounces on Delta 2. Thinking quickly, Delta 2 falls back onto the ground,
and fires a single shot from his OICW right into the braincase of the creature as it lunges over him. Acidic blood splashes
both Marines, but the creature is dead. Not even taking the time to examind the creature closely, Delta 2 drags his squad
leader back behind a vertical blast door and had been left half-opened. He patches up both of their wounds, and takes a
defensive firing position at the door. After about a minute, Delta 4 regains control of his body as the paralyzation wears
off. Dazed and wounded, he unholsters his Falcon .45 and begins the long, agonizing crawl to the open grate. He is attacked
by a small, white lizard-type creature. He panics and shoots it off of his shoulder, instantly killing it. He limps back
to the door that Delta 2 is waiting at, much to Delta 2's relief. About this time, Delta Leader regains consciousness. They
are all alive, but are still stuck inside the ship. While they are thinking about how to escape, they are knocked off their
feet by an enormous explosion. Another explosion hits, and the entire wall of the room they are in is blown apart. The Dropship
had blown them an escape route. They hastily board the Dropship, and take off from the planet. They fly to the Antillios
Space Station to rest and deliver their report. They have survived their first "mission."
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