DELTAZULU BASE CAMP, Sal Kari desert — Though the squad has yet to return from the night’s sortie, garbled communications have established one tragic fact - the squad has suffered a loss in their battle against Sal Kari forces, with a Hound destroyed and its pilot lost and assumed dead.

At this time it’s not known what happened during the battle, which took place during a raging sandstorm, or even who the casualty was. Embedded reporter Rod Oracheski was not with the squad during the battle, but has been unreachable due to the weather conditions.

More details are expected to become available as the day progresses. The squad is scheduled to return to base camp within four hours, though they may have been delayed by the battle and resulting fallout.

2:50 a.m. — We’ve established a tenuous connection with reporter Rod Oracheski, who confirms that a DeltaZulu Hound has been destroyed. It’s unclear at this time whether early reports of the Hound’s pilot being killed were accurate, and the identity of the Hound and pilot are still unknown.

Oracheski relayed that he was able to connect briefly with DeltaZulu commander FlatTopFoley, as well as with Skippy LeBeef - neither man’s Hound suffered more than minor damage during the skirmish that claimed one of the unit’s Hounds. Weather conditions continue to play a role in the mystery surrounding the incident, as sand storms pound the region.

More as it becomes available.

10:30 a.m. — DeltaZulu arrived back at base camp, more than four hours past their scheduled arrival. The camp is a flurry of activity as mechanics assess damage and prepare ammunition resupply. A quick survey of the Hounds in the camp shows only one missing - the striking pink and blue Hound known by the callsign LooSeMeaT.

A quick conversation with FlatTopFoley, who had the best view of the skirmish from his Commander Hound, reveals the shocking details of LooSeMeaT’s final minutes.

“Yeah, I saw it,” FlatTopFoley sighed with a shake of his head. “We were approaching a COMBAS on a dune and you couldn’t see shit because of all the sand, right? I get a reading of a Hound taking off down the other side of the dune, relay that to the guys and Skippy goes left around the dune, LooSeMeaT takes it right - classic pincer movement, they’ve done it a million times.”

FlatTopFoley paused, as if giving it some more thought.

“Well, I guess LooSeMeaT’s done it a million times,” he clarified. “Skippy’s normally more of a recon guy, he’s off by himself blowing the shit out of buildings and civilians and crap - you know, instilling fear in the local populace to stave off rebellion. It’s effective as fuck, having a Hound come stomping through your front yard and stomping down your fence, and Skippy’s good at it.”

Wiping sand from his face, FlatTopFoley goes back to the battle description.

“So they get around the dune and the other Hound has booked it, he’s fucking gone. I radio in to tell them they’ve lost their target and LooSeMeaT answers back but Skippy…well, Skippy doesn’t hear so good sometimes. It’s all the spacers, you see, they’re a double whammy - all the metal blocks the radio frequencies and they transmit vibration like crazy so he can’t hear half the time anyway.

“So yeah…Skippy didn’t hear the call-off. He swung around the dune and saw a Hound, so he engaged. His first rounds caught LooSeMeaT in the side of the cockpit, and we figure those knocked out his radio and lights. Without the ability to flash his lights to warn Skippy off, he had no chance. Skippy pounded the shit out of that Hound before realizing who it was, and by then it was too late.”

FlatTopFoley sighed…then brightened a bit.

“Gotta give him credit though, that was a hell of a job. He’s really improved his targeting.”

As for the fate of the Hound’s pilot, FlatTopFoley said that’s still unknown.

“Skippy and LooSeMeaT were off in their own sub-squad for the COMBAS capture,” he explained. “Skedoozy was our closest Hound, and by the time he arrived on the scene, the Sal Kari response forces were rolling in. We were outnumbered 2:1, and that was just the Hounds showing on radar at the time, so we had no choice but to surrender the position and book out of there.”

Asked if their man could still be alive, FlatTopFoley shrugged.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess it’s possible, but he was alone in a desert during a sandstorm with enemy forces closing in, so I don’t think the odds are in his favor.”

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While zombies would seem the perfect housepet (they don't eat much, they're generally quiet, and they won't poop everywhere) they really aren't.
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