After forming the unit, then commander Alexander Barnhill decided that the unit would benefit from a few years training together. With this in mind he went searching for a long-term contract that involved mostly garrison work to give the unit the desired training time together. Originally contracted to escort a group of employee/colonists to a new mining facility in the Pictor (43) system, and then garrison the site until KODA works could send in a security force of there own. This seemed to be exactly what Alexander was looking for.

Fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Within weeks of the colony setting up base, all hell broke loose. It started with an unprovoked raid on the ore storage facilities. The Reavers, having been caught flatfooted and due to their relative inexperience working together let the raiders escape with a sizeable portion of the valuable resource. After the battle the gun camera footage was sent back to the KODA works HQ, and it was discovered that the raiding force was actually a security force for Mark IV. Mark IV had apparently also spent considerable money on a mine of their own on a mining colony or this world. Due to bad planning or just plain bad luck, they managed to set up in a location that wasn’t as profitable as the spot the Reavers were garrisoning.

The incident created a political nightmare, with ludicrous accusations flying back and forth of sabotage among other things, the situation in the Pictor system got worse. The raids were now occurring frequently this time without even the attempt to hide the identity of the attackers. The whole situation came to a head just 3 months after the colonist compound was setup.

In the middle of the night forces from Mark IV, reinforced by an unknown mercenary unit attacked the KODA works compound in force. The Reavers heavy assault elements formed a defensive line while the faster CAV’s and APC’s loaded up and escorted the colonists out of the compound and into the thick forest for cover.

The rearguard elements of the Reavers put up a great accounting of themselves repulsing attack after attack while the rest of the unit escaped. Eventually, the numbers allayed against them proved to be too much and they were overrun and wiped out to the man. Among those lost in the defense of the colonist were Alexander’s sister Tyra and her husband. This has been the cause of a longstanding feud between the Reavers and Mark IV.

After getting deep in the forest and setting up a rearguard the Reavers took a roll of all of the colonists, at this time it was discovered that there were three people missing. Alexander decided to send two small search parties back down the trail they made in the forest to look for stragglers. When the first search party returned they had disturbing news. Apparently one of the missing colonists had gotten lost and strayed into the path of a hunting party of wild Donats, a large feline predator native to the planet. All that was left was a bloody shoe. There was no sign of the other two missing colonists.

When the second search party returned they reported that they moved to within observation range of the settlement. After dressing down the officer in charge for risking his command on a senseless gesture Alexander was shocked at his subordinates report. Apparently the Mark IV force had setup a defensive perimeter around the mine and were relocating their entire mining operation to the site of the KODA Works mine.

It was also in this report that Alexander learned of the fate of the other two missing colonists. According to reports, the commander of the Mark IV force executed both of the missing colonists after finding them hiding in a work shed on the outskirts of the colony base.

After hearing this report Alexander ordered the faster half of his remaining forces to take the colonists and head deeper into the woods. They were to avoid travelling during the day and were not to initiate any long-distance radio communications until they heard from Alexander himself. He then took the remaining half of his force and waged a hit and run style guerrilla war against the Mark IV defenders.

The two forces of the Reavers were out of contact with one another for nearly a year and a half as they both struck out and took what supplies they needed and then faded into the woods or the mountains again. When the KODA Works relief team arrived they pushed the Mark IV attackers out of the original colony base and setup their HQ there. During that battle the remnants of Alexander’s force joined in to help push them out of the colony base for good.

Once the colony base was clear Alexander gave the recall order. It took two weeks for the survivors to straggle in. Apparently, a month earlier the Mark IV forces had found the area the Reavers were using as a base camp and ambushed them when the were returning from a raid. The Reavers took considerable losses before breaking through the trap and evacuating their staging area. They then decided to split up into several smaller groups to make it harder to discover their location. All of the groups returned but one.

Of the three Company sized Detachments the Reavers landed with they only had enough functional machines to field one Company sized Detachment. The good news however was that of the 1300 colonists the Reavers were to escort and safe guard, only 10 were lost in the fighting.

Aftermath:

After the KODA Works forces landed on planet and pushed Mark IV off of the planet for good, the Reavers were finally able to rest a little. Due to the high survival rate of the colonists KODA Works allowed the Reavers to salvage what they could from the Mark IV forces. The Reavers managed to salvage enough machines to equip three more Detachments. KODA Works also allowed the Reavers to setup a permanent base on planet. In return for the land on the planet the Reavers promised to help train CAV crews and technician’s for KODA Works from the local populace. This training has allowed the Reavers and the local populace to become very close, as many of the Reavers older pilots and Wizzo’s retire from active service and accept a position in the militia of the planet.

This unique form of training has benefited both the Reavers and KODA Works in turn. It gives the Reavers a constant supply of new recruits and the knowledge that there family members are safe at home with other Reavers. It gives KODA Works a free militia unit, cost of the CAV’s notwithstanding, that is extremely well trained and battle proven.