B2 Carinae - Operation Bootstorm
17 Apr 2024Dwengo
The acrid smell of burning hair clung to the back of his throat like slick oil. "Push the button, idiot," came Loki's calm voice. His helper turned, and nodded in acknowledgement. The acid searing his skin was sucked into the vacuum of space. A moment of relief was quickly overtaken by sheer, unbelievable pain as his blood began to boil, seeking escape from every orifice. His vision darkened, and he could feel his eyes bulging from their sockets..."You're having another nightmare, darling," Jane said, gently nudging his shoulder. It was like being rescued from drowning; relief washed over his face. His robotic voice, however, couldn't convey the terror he had felt. "Thank you for waking me." His chest heaved and his skin glistened with sweat. The multiple operations and stem cell treatments had erased the physical scars from his years of torture, but the nightmares lingered.
"I just need some air," he murmured. His skin was smooth and youthful, incongruously making him look like a child in a man's body. As he rose from the bed, the damp sheets clung to him. Out of habit, he pinged his neural implant—there was a level 3 top secret message waiting. He opened the message, its details streaming directly into his augmented retina:
**Operation Bootstorm is a go.**
He froze momentarily, absorbing the message. Then, turning to Jane, he said, "My mission has been moved up. I need to mobilize immediately." He spun on his heel and exited the room.
---
"CMDR Dwengo, good of you to join us," greeted the briefing officer. All eyes in the room turned to him, whispers circulating about his legendary past ordeals. "Commander Dwengo reporting for duty, sir," he responded, his robotic voice betraying no emotion, regardless of his efforts.
"Dwengo will oversee our infiltration and is tasked with extracting a high-value target," the captain explained, scanning the room. "I've sent you an image of this person. Please, don't kill this one," he added with a sigh.
For Dwengo, the briefing passed in a blur. He already had his orders from Imperial Intelligence; his presence here was merely a formality.
"Alright, everyone. We kick off at 0600 Imperial time. Dismissed."
Pilots resumed their chatter, some casting wary glances at him. His advanced hearing allowed him to pick up on every whispered conversation.
"They say he can see in complete darkness," one pilot muttered.
"I heard he was killed, and the Federation's top scientists pieced him back together—a real-life Frankenstein... Shh, he's looking this way."
---
Dwengo piloted the INC *Look the Other Way*, a heavily modified Courier, as part of a small squadron escorted by a Corvette hovering menacingly in orbit. "Imperial Navy Cruiser Squadron Foxtrot, begin descent," he commanded.
Back in the cockpit, he felt alive. The *Look the Other Way* rocked and swayed in the upper atmosphere as he struggled with the controls to maintain formation. As they neared the settlement, missile lock warnings screeched through the cockpit. Dwengo remained silent, maneuvering deftly; he deployed ECMs and activated his point defenses.
"This is a hot drop, Marines," he announced over the intercom, deploying six Recon Marines as close to the power station as possible. The Courier shuddered under small arms fire, the hull pinging as shields were depleted.
"INC *Look the Other Way*, packages deployed and entering holding pattern," he reported, tilting the craft for a better view. The resistance was fiercer than expected.
"Big Hawk, this is—" a pilot started, cut off as a massive explosion shook the station. "It's overrun, too. Red horn, I repeat, Red horn."
"Red Horn," Dwengo acknowledged, his voice cold and metallic. There was a brief pause as the gravity of the call was absored. Red horn was only called when a marine unit was being overrun. "Start the run, weapons hot, fire for effect."
Adrenaline surged as he aligned the bombing run, the squadron following his lead. Mines dropped silently from their silos, devastating the settlement below.
"Big Hawk, this is Condor. Get down there and find your target. Charlie Two is evac in five. The rest of Foxtrot, provide air support. Medevac shuttles are 2 mics out."
The mission was unravelling, Dwengo had just minutes to locate his target amidst the chaos.