One of the first operations for the newly formed 303rd Marines was to assist our coastal neighbor Vesuvina in neutralizing the leader of the Sibary Pirates. They have been plaguing the Northern Aegean trade routes for too long. The Sibary Pirates turned the abandoned Malto Island into their base of operations. The island was hidden in a Gray Zone amidst the Aegean Archipelago. The islands transformed drastically since the Gray Summer, and the terrains were unknown and complicated. We were issued a squad of “Raptor” Speeder Mk1m - highly mobile all-terrain transformable SAs newly built by Laurel Inc. to complement the Stronghold ST1.

We launched our assault at dawn. The Raptors led the initial landing on the Northern shores, unloading in their bipedal forms. Once they landed, they quickly transformed into their vehicle forms, speeding through the crossfire and disrupting enemy beach defenses. With their disruption, our remaining surface assault elements landed successfully. We made short work of the enemy forces at the beach but we could not locate their leader. We then received a transmission from the Vesuvina allies that they had spotted a group of vehicles heading south towards the woods. We immediately pursued, but the decrepit woodlands destroyed by acid rains were a nightmare to navigate. I ordered the Raptor Squad to take point - only they could hope to cut through in time. I watched as the leader of the Raptors Squad juggle between its two forms and circumvent the rugged terrain at great speed. What an agile beast! It sure did remind me of the real raptors mentioned in the books. We struggled to keep up. This was when our Vesuvina allies sent us another transmission - enemy vessels had been spotted in the South. We knew these must be enemy reinforcements here to rendezvous with their leader. High command made it clear that there would never be a second chance to catch this elusive leader if we were to fail here. We couldn’t afford to let him get away.

We finally caught up with the fleeing pirates. They discovered us and showered us with everything they got. The trunks around us blasted, splashed, and collapsed. We were slowing down - at this rate, we would never be able to catch up. The Raptor leader knew this as well. We exchanged a glance and a nod, and he quickly broke apart from us and accelerated full speed into the woods. He zipped through the woods as we covered for him and drew enemy fire towards us. We continued to give chase but the pirates exited the woods ahead of us as the Southern docks became visible in the distance. They cheered and jeered at us as they sped away. Yet just when all seemed lost, a beastly shadow leapt out in front of them and showered a round on the lead vehicle with its Vulcan gatling cannon. The lead vehicle flipped and crashed, along with a trail of vehicles rolling and colliding behind.

The Raptor’s agility was made possible by Laurel’s advanced “THORN”. Since its release, the Raptor gained widespread popularity, leading to the formation of various army divisions and custom models. Although the Raptor is easy to learn and operate, to this day, I still haven’t seen anyone who can truly “command the beast” like the Raptor squad leader that day - his name was “Redface”. I wonder if there’s a story behind the unique red war paint he used on his mask...