Turn 5 – Across The Bright Face

AHaving been hired by Arlent Streen, an executive of Oberlindes and significant shareholder in the Dinom Corporation, as bodyguards while he is on a tour of the Dinom facilities, the crew was treated to the one jump trip on Streen's luxury yacht, the Happenstance.  The trip there was uneventful, which the crew was grateful for.
Streen wanted to tour the twilight zone of Dinom - the planet is tidally locked, with a monorail almost completely encircling the planet.  Constructing the monorail allows both workers and bulk ores from the mines to be transported to the starport easily and cheaply.
This morning, the crew woke early, ordered a luxurious breakfast from room service, and then attended a briefing by the corporate public relations officer.  Today's itinerary calls for an inspection of a model ore processor utilizing a radical new technique that could not only improve efficiency but would allow the Dinom company to reduce staffing.
The crew donned vacc suits for the demonstration.  As security for Streen, the crew was allowed to bring their weapons.  Streen went unarmed, but kept firm grip on a vacuum-rated briefcase.
With the demonstration over, Streen started walking away from the monorail station, heading for some additional equipment.  He was looking at it oddly, and the crew heard him say "That's odd."  
As they turned, they noticed a bright red dot bobbing about on the equipment.  Hkaaie leapt into action, and with a great burst of speed, he grabbed Streen and leaped behind the equipment just as a bullet struck the equipment.
A voice came over the open channel "This is the Worker's Union.  We want Streen, and Streen only.  Surrender him, and you are free."
Magnus jumped on the comms.  "That would have been more convincing had you said it before you shot at us."
Arlent Streen's voice came on the crew private channels, fear and panic in his voice "you have to get me out of here!  I'll pay extra!  I can get you more work!  I have connections!"
Hkaaie responded, "Being around your weakness is appalling to me.  If we did not have a contract, I would rip your helmet off and watch you suffocate.  It would be more merciful than letting you continue to live with your cowardice."
"It may be mercy, Hkaaie, but he's got to be alive to pay us."
Another shot struck nearby equipment.  "Situation, CR4NK3?"
"The camera systems here are woefully insecure.  I see 6 people.  Standard vacc suits.  Four with rifles, two with shotguns.  The shooter was up on the monorail station; he is climbing down and they are advancing to intercept.  Besides the monorail, which would probably not be safe, there are three All Terrain Vehicles parked near the station.  I suggest we make for the ATVs and call for the yacht to pick us up."
"Copy that, CR4NK3.  You, Ouroz, Hkaaie and I will advance and open fire.  There's plenty of cover.  Seeker Paul and Ru will escort Mr. Streen around to the right.  Stick to hard cover, move only when you can do so unseen.  Mr. Streen, you are luggage.  You stick with Paul and Ru, and we will get you out safely."
Arlent Streen looked at the vacc suited figures of Seeker Paul and Ru.  "A.. are they good enough to protect me?  I hired you for the Aslan."
"I personally have seen the girl kill thirty pirates with a crouton.  And Seeker Paul was trained as an assassin by the Emperor himself."
"You're mocking me.", Streen said angrily.
"Yeah.  I am.  Now move, Mr. Luggage."

CR4NK3 and Magnus moved straight towards the oncoming workers.  Hkaaie and Ouroz made for cover closer to the monorail.  Streen started to follow Magnus and CR4NK3.  "Mr. Luggage, stick with Paul and Ru.  We're moving towards the guns.  They're moving away."
"Stop calling me that.  You work for me!" Streen said, but he moved to be with Paul and Ru.

With the workers all being on the ground, no shots were fired.  CR4NK3 and Magnus ran full speed for additional cover, while Hkaaie and Ouroz moved to where they could get shots off, but at the distance, and with the narrow gap in cover, their shots did not  connect.  "We just want the briefcase Streen has.  Nothing more.  This does not have to end with death."
"I am Hkaaie Khawiyi.  If you know anything of my kind, you know how incorrect that statement is."

As the crew continued their advance, they moved around a small stone outcropping, Hkaaie to the left, CR4NK3, Magnus and Ouroz to the right.  Magnus was able to wing the apparent leader of the workers, at the same time being hit by a weak ricochet, putting a small crack in his vacc suit's faceplate.  Other shots went wide.

"Yeek!  Boss!  You OK?" Ouroz shouted.  "Not dead yet.  Keep firing!"

Hkaaie climbed to the top of the stone outcropping, quickly firing at the leader.  The leader, seeing Hkaaie aiming at him, dove to his right, and ended up in Magnus' sights.  Magnus' shot struck true, shattering the leader's faceplate, dropping him.  One of the other workers' shots hit Hkaaie, shaking him up.

Over the radio, Magnus could hear Ru shouting "Keep your head down, Luggage!  I saved a crouton from dinner last night!"  She seems to be fitting in with the crew nicely.

The workers were clearly becoming panicked.  They charged directly at the Crew, ignoring cover.  Hkaaie dropped one hard, and Magnus winged another.

That was clearly enough for the workers.  They turned and fled towards the monorail station.  "Let them go." Magnus said.  "We don't need the trouble, and may need the ammo on the way to the rendezvous."
"Captain", Hkaaie said, "These pathetic weaklings do not deserve such mercy.  Permission to chase them down and maul them with my claws?"
The workers surprised the crew by running even faster towards the station.  "I didn't think they could move that fast!" Ouroz replied.
"To the ATV's, team."  Magnus said, "You'll have to hunt weaklings another day, Hkaaie."
On their way to the ATV's, Ouroz discovered the corpse of another person.  "This ain't one of ours, boss.  I'm gonna take a look-see."  "Be careful, Ouroz.  Random corpses on the ground concern me."

Ouroz grabbed a computer terminal that the corpse.  Later, in the ATV, he was looking through it.  "Hey boss, you gotta look at this."  Stored on the terminal were a series of files related to the Octagon Society - a group formed to help lost and distressed spacers.  But among them were notes on various planets that still had the octagons, as well as surveillance pictures of Seeker Paul.  Magnus handed the terminal to Paul.  "I don't know what this means, Captain, but there's multiple references to Twilight's Peak and the Octagons.  This is fantastic!"  "Fantastic or not, someone has your picture, knows what you are looking for, and was lying dead on the system we were visiting.  Nothing in that equation is good."

"But think of the adventure!"