Following news of a Reaver attack on the Lilac town of Amesbury on Thursday, Bentley CEO Andronicus Crowley is known to have departed the company's Lavinia headquarters en route to the site of the attack, accompanied by some 15 to 20 Bentley employees whose identities have yet to be confirmed. The flagship remained in broadwave contact with the Bentley outpost in Amesbury until approximately 1900h local time, when the final transmission is recorded as taking place. Since then, no distress calls or signals have been picked up. After the flagship failed to respond to broadwave messages, the outpost's chief supervisor, Maiki Riesgraff, notified local authorities, who in turn alerted Alliance officials on the nearby Aventine station. In the wake of the attack, Amesbury mayor Lon Renten said, emergency resources could not be spared from the town to join in the search.
Engineering entrepreneur Andronicus Crowley is known as a pioneer in his field, and with Bentley Aeronautics has secured lucrative government defense contracts on the border planets under the IIGA - the brainchild of Senator Gabriel Tam, a political ally and financial beneficiary of Bentley Aeronautics in recent elections. However, recent weeks have shown a growing discontent amongst the border towns where Bentley defenses and fortifications have been or are being built, growing largely from disappointment over a job market that has, in the eyes of some, failed to live up to expectations. Several incidents pertaining to this issue have escalated into violence, leading some to voice concerns over Bentley Aeronautics' suitability for a defense project of such vital importance.
Once such confrontation occurred in Amesbury last Wednesday, the 27th of August. Although none involved were seriously injured, it is being questioned whether this incident is linked to early testimonies from survivors of the Reaver attack stating that the Bentley installation not only failed to initiate defense procedures against the Reavers, but in fact went into lock-down, denying refuge to the townspeople of Amesbury. In turn, speculation has been raised as to whether the failure of the Bentley Aeronautics flagship to arrive on Lilac is somehow related to these rumors. Representatives of Bentley on Lavinia have strenuously denied such accusations, stating that "the safety and well-being of the people of Amesbury and our employees is of the highest priority". Senator Tam could not be reached for comment.
At this time, it is not yet known whether Alliance authorities have ruled out foul play in the disappearance. However, officials have warned that the recent Reaver presence on Lilac may point to a similar fate for the Bentley flagship, and that although the search remains ongoing, the chances of its recovery, along with its CEO and all aboard, are not high.
( 1,919 )
