That was maybe the most surreal thing I've every seen. The smile of the Baba Yaga. It's brief duration, blink and you missed it, placed it among the most rare of events.

Unlike a double rainbow it's wasn't beautiful, but it was amazing.

I cast Regrowth on both of us to clear any linger damage to our hearing. The growling sounds of Metal from the radio came back into focus.

When we were near Rocky Ridge, I let the boys in back know to be ready for action.

Bullets start pinging off the truck's armor almost as soon as the town was fully in view. Nothing with any real power came into play.

I canted the truck and skidded to a halt with the rear of the vehicle facing the main road of the small town. I hit the ramp's quick drop which also pops the clamps on the armor free at the same moment. Out leaps leaps Raynor followed by the rest in quick order.

They don't even pause, by the time the Probes and Sentries exit, even as rounds bounced off their shields, they are already taking cover and exchanging fire with the Raffen scum.

I was pleased that Raynor trained them to get behind concealment or cover. Their shields would shrug off most rounds, and the thick plates of the power armor would deflect the rest, but it's a bad habit to stand around taking fire even if it's ineffective.

The Sentries projected their more stable shield forward as the Probes started assembling a War Pylon. No reason to hold back. We were going to crush these raider bitches.

Anything giving my people more of an edge was a good thing in my books.

With the troops dropped off, I closed the flipped the switch to close the ramp and we went hunting in the truck. I swept wide around the east side of town.

Mr. Wick had already started sending rounds into any vehicles he thought might be a threat, and especially any that were trying to flee the scene.

To say we were overprepared, was an understatement.

I noticed that some of our troops were using their power armor to demolish the buildings, bringing the rubble down on the Raffen fools. There was nothing here we needed to keep intact so it was a smart play.

I also noticed their ammo was devastating, often penetrating the cover of our foes and splattering any flesh and rendering cyberware into its base components.

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Once I had reached the North exit from the town I slowed to a stop. Letting Mr. Wick pick his shots with greater ease.

On one hand part of me wanted to leap out and join in the fun. But that wasn't the plan, and fucking with a plan that's already working well is usually a recipe for disaster. So I once again found myself watching others carry the fight. It really sucked.

A few minutes later and the War Pylon was finished. However its cannons didn't get to fire a single shot. The fight that had already been in our favor became a rout, the few remaining Raffen shiv, no longer able to see or sense our troops, were slaughtered like bugs.

The Probes were already building another War Pylon on the Northern edge of town, while the troops swept each building they had left standing. To be fair that wasn't much.

Later, I'd come back and we'd disassemble everything here and perhaps build a new town for folks wanting a quiet life away from the corrupt city. For right now it was time to push north to the area I actually planned to claim for an outpost.

A small plot of land with a trailer home and a corrugated metal shed. A larger propane tank off to the side. Someone wanted their own place away from others, maybe to try to forget something or maybe they just didn't like other folks underfoot all the time.

Only a few Shivs had been stationed here. To keep an eye out for trouble and to scout out the northern trade routes for vulnerable convoys.

It took also no time for us to put them all down. They were unprepared and underequipped. Mostly handguns and blades. The boys didn't even waste any ammo and just beat them to death. So far the power armor was far outperforming any cyberware we had come across.

While I wasn't surprised, I hadn't quite expected just how well the armor held up. As we set up camp to wait for the Pylons and Forges to be assembled, I broke out some of the rations for everyone. It might not have been much of a workout but good work deserves a reward.

Raynor and Mr. Wick were training the boys in some bushcraft techniques, I kept half an ear out while I went over their armor and weapons looking for any damage, finding none. Most of it was simple stuff, basic shelters, starting fires, and finding edible plants. Given the simple lives most of the troops had led on Azeroth this was more like a refresher course, than an education, hell a few of the boys had good tips themselves.

After we established the other outpost I'd bring Wisps out to set up Moon Wells and start some trees growing.

Project Underbridge had finished before we set out, meaning we had a tunnel from New Lordaeron to Japantown. The first reservoirs were being finished up. we would link these new Outposts to the tunnel system down the road. Eventually folks would never have to travel the Badlands again if they didn't want to.

Of course, at some point it would all be green again and maybe, just maybe, folks would like what they saw. Though with some of the critters popping up in the Valley I'm not sure it would be any safer to travel just better looking.

Raynor had found himself a portable radio, and a station that played an interesting combination of synth country western and electric honkytonk and some electro swing. As night fell the boys and him were swapping stories and telling tales around a crackling campfire. Just missing a pot of chili and some cowboy style coffee.

Even Mr. Wick even seemed as much at peace as he ever did.

Everything seemed to be going too well. I didn't trust it. I decided to keep watch.