After Sergeant Emster volunteered for recon near the ruins of Novus, I had assumed that he simply wanted to make sure our borders were fortified after the operation on Bassilus (report #313402). However after both him and the nearby outpost went dark for 2 days after he was expected to return to Sokenzan, myself and the POW Whitt (who me and Lieutenant General decided could be of use and who was fitted with a device to ensure he doesn’t betray the 2nd) set out in a dropship with a simulacrum pilot (Cpl Faden) to find him. We searched near the location and eventually detected multiple heat signatures and a piercing scream that could only be that of a dying man. The kind that once heard always lmgers in the back of your head. I almost feel sorry for the bastard. Me and Whitt left the dropship by dropping into the dense forest as their was no clear place to land the dropship and eventually located the source of the screams. Emster was being torn apart by prowlers. I do not wish to go into detail about the damage as it is frankly quite disturbing but pictures are linked to this file. We neutralised the group of around 9 prowlers and I rushed to the sergeants aid, only to be greeted by a whispered battle cry and a p20 shot to my lower-right abdomen. I at first didn’t feel the wound die to adrenaline and so caved in what was left of his skull with my fist, although looking back this probably wasn’t necessary. Whitt tended to my wounds as I pieced together what likely happened. The automated defenses of the outpost had activated a while prior, after Emster took down comms to presumably make an attack later and activated the automated defenses of the outpost (human personnel hadn’t known what had triggered them and so stayed attempting to get comms online). Remains of ticks can be found up until near a prowler nest that he was seemingly chased into. They hunted and ravaged him as him jump kit ran out of fuel and he used up his ammunition and we arrived just as he was about to be killed. It is unknown why he did this but he was likely in league with the larger rebellion that is currently being dealt with. Me and Whitt moved to a nearby clearing amd evacuated via dropship shortly after. He suprisingly made no attempt to betray me and I was given proper medical attention by Commissar Mango when we returned to base From now on we are keeping a closer eye on our men in the 2nd. Emster got dangerously close to succeeding in his sabotage attempt, no one ever expected him to do this. Commander Kerminator signing off