MARS: 15 - Seeker - TITAN Contractors
23 Aug 2022Aurora Adair-Levine (Radiumio)
NOTE: This story contains themes of violence and strong language.
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DATE: 14th of August, 3308 [07:33 UGT]
LOCATION: CCV Katana, RutuAurora Adair
With a distinct hiss, the door leading into the Katana's briefing center parted, granting passage into the room, a soft blue light washed over the center as the holographic table displayed a slowly rotating graphic of a Victory-class carrier.
Brushing a hand back through her raven curls, Aurora sighed softly and stepped inside, her partner in tow as they approached the briefing table. Like the numerous times before, Captain Faust stood in his usual spot. He was alone, seemingly deep in thought before their entry disturbed his focus, glancing up at them from the table. With a nod, he straightened up and placed his hands at ease behind his back, glancing at Aurora first, and then Isabella.
"Ah, Commanders. I hope you've been resting well, and that this won't be too much of an interruption."
Aurora smiled softly, glancing at Isa by her side as she took her hand, interlacing their fingers and squeezing gently, before she returned her attention back to Faust.
"No problem, Captain. What's up?"
"Well, as you know... the Solaris - after a month of hard work - has finally returned to the bubble. No doubt you've seen it out of the various viewports aboard the Katana. Our home - our flagship, is finally safe. The frankly... absurd amount of money you authorized for repairs are being put to work, and the temporary hired crews are carrying out repairs to bring the Solaris back up to full capacity."
"However, naturally... we need to turn our focus back to EMBER. There has been little activity noticed by our enemy, despite our efforts in attempting to uncover more information from the relay we still control. There are no further sightings of the enemy carrier, or any attempts to interfere with our operations. One might see it as a good thing that the enemy's attacks have yielded, but... as you can imagine... that is not necessarily a good thing."
"We cannot allow EMBER to regroup, or utilize their superweapon once more. It's imperative that we locate the carrier, while protecting our own assets. I was wanting to bring up my concerns of logistics and manpower. Even with the Solaris back in operation - or at least slated to be soon - we do not have as much manpower as we used to have. CSF is down into a few dozen, and the crew are... tired."
"While we're all determined to do our duty, and to bring down this enemy once and for all... any strike or action we take must be well-planned and calculated. Any further losses will be... devastating... much like the loss of Damocles. Maybe, the enemy will not attack us head-on, but the more time they have to counter our efforts and plan ahead, the harder our goal becomes."
Aurora sighed a bit and thought, swaying with Isa's hand a bit as she shrugged.
"... uh... well, I mean... we... have the upper hand... at least in defence. We should just... t-take the damn fight to them. We can do it."
"No, Commander. That's... a bad idea for several reasons. But primarily because we just don't understand enough about the weapon. The tidbits we know are based off incomplete intel and observations. We need that databank of yours decrypted. However, in the meantime, we need to think of ways to bolster our capabilities, particularly logistics if needed. We can handle a defence effort in the bubble, and the Solaris will soon be ready..."
"However, as the Solaris disaster proved, putting all of our eggs in one basket is a terrible idea. And, since we don't have the numbers to make up for any shortfalls via sheer force, every move must be considered carefully. Simply put, we need a stronger, broader logistics backend for our troops, and a larger force projection to split the enemy's focus. Unfortunately, I didn't bring this up earlier... and now our budget is predisposed with the Solaris."
Aurora frowned a bit, looking down at the Solaris hologram projected from the table.
"... so... are... are you saying... that the Katana and the rest of Tethys's vessels aren't enough? That the Solaris won't be able to support our operations? What about all the squadron carrie-..."
"Not exactly what I'm saying, no. The squadron carriers in service have proved useful throughout the Solaris Repair Initiative. However, there is only a handful we believe we can rely on - less if they are already predisposed with other tasks. Taking the fight to EMBER is important, but it could require us to move at a moment's notice. And, if the Solaris is deployed to the field, a support vessel may be needed to make up for its lesser numbers in crew."
"A support vessel would also... 'bolster' our numbers, if you will. In the sense that... the enemy may think twice before striking two targets in close proximity, rather than picking on a single carrier. It's a force projection of numbers we don't exactly have... in the hopes that we could trick EMBER into making mistakes."
"So... you're... you're suggesting we just... buy a new carrier? Faust... we... repairing the Solaris was..."
"Extremely costly. I'm aware. And this concern may not be warranted at all. The Solaris may function fine on its own, provided we can shield it from the superweapon. But it is still a concern we should conside-..."
Isabella perked up, interrupting the both of them as she looked at Aurora, stepping forward a bit as she squeezed her hand.
"I can help."
With Faust's attention now turned to Isa, Aurora looked up at her partner, studying her curiously for a second, before it finally clicked in her head. But Faust was first to ask the question anyway.
"How, Commander?"
"... Well... Aurora and I were... actually talking about it a while ago. Got a... a lot of money left over from... ah... it doesn't matter. But... let me fund the purchase of a new carrier. For the squadron. I mean... five billion, right? No big deal... ha..."
"Well... there's a lot more to it than that, Commander. It's a big responsibilit-..."
"She can handle it, Faust. And... I'll... authorize a transfer of 1 billion credits to her. Just a... a little extra injection of cash to get a new carrier running?"
"Aurora, you really don't-..."
"I wasn't asking, Isaaa~..."
Looking up at Isa, Aurora smiled warmly, holding her lover's hand close. Faust seemed to find it amusing, chuckling a bit as he shook his head and sighed quietly.
"... Well, it's a lot of money you two are suddenly throwing around. But... I'd be lying if I said we didn't need every advantage we could get in our fight against EMBER. Plus... I can't stop you anyway. If anything... it's a good idea. Are you absolutely sure you're prepared for this, Commander? We don't need a Solaris disaster 2.0."
"Yeah... I think so. I don't know what this is going to be like or... hell... what I'll even call her. But... I want to help."
Faust nodded, turning his attention to Aurora as he leant forward on the holographic table.
"Fine by me. But... while we focus on our logistics and preparations against the enemy... have you had any updates so far? Any progress?"
"... I... uh... I reached out to a contact I know. He's following up on the lead we have. I'm not the... most enthused about it, honestly, but... he said he should have an update in a few weeks... maybe less, depending. Did kind of send him on a random chase in the middle of nowhere, with basically no intel."
"Do you think he'll turn up anything?"
"Uh... well..."
Aurora glanced between Isa and Faust, and shrugged her shoulders casually.
"I guess we'll be finding out... eventually."
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DATE: 18th of August, 3308 [00:07 UGT]
LOCATION: Unregistered Subsurface Structure, Unknown System'Predator'
A loud clang rang out in the hallway as the cover of the vent buckled, the grated surface protruding outwards. It was silent for a few seconds, before another clang came, the locks of the vent giving slightly as the cover buckled further.
A third kick finally did the vent in, the cover springing off, its echo filling the corridor as the metal panel collided with the floor, rattling slightly before it came to a rest. Carefully squeezing down through the vent, a figure dropped themselves down into the hallway, landing square on his feet as he came to a kneeling position, glancing around the hallway from beneath the brim of his hat.
"Ah... well... not the quietest entry..."
Getting to his feet, Predator carefully rested his hand on his right thigh, hovering near his Tormentor as he observed his surroundings. His suit light highlighted dilapidated, grey industrial walls, fading into the darkness as he looked down the corridor. The place was clearly not in the best of shapes, only a few dim lights lighting the way. But in a way, save for the obvious structural degradation, the place was... clean. Maintained, to an extent. Lived in.
Straightening up as he slowly began to advance down the corridor, Predator listened carefully, the only sound being his footsteps as he traversed the dark corridor. There was no telling the layout of the structure exactly, but the prefab nature of the corridor gave him some idea as to what to expect. His advance was cautious, minding every shadowy corner and pillar, treading the latticed floor with care as he disappeared into the darkness. He knew his suit light gave him away... but that, in a way, was the point.
A soft, warm light emanated from a doorway ahead as Predator turned deeper into the structure, lowering his profile as he began to slink through the corridor, his pace slowing. His hand remained over his Tormentor, almost conscious of his breathing as he maintained the steady approach, following the guidance of the dark hallway walls. Distant music could be heard from within the lit room, although hardly anything could be seen within from this angle. Pausing slightly, he decided to take the risk, carefully advancing towards the door as he stepped through its threshold, and peeked inside.
"Anybody h-...?"
His reflexes were milliseconds faster than the plasma bolt that cracked past his face, stepping back behind the cover of the doorframe. A voice sounded out from within the room, not loud enough to make out as the shot echoed through the corridors. It appeared his entry wasn't entirely unnoticed... and so he'd be doing this the hard way. Besides, words were overrated.
Quickly turning back to exit out the room, Predator suddenly recoiled as a feminine yell filled the corridor, a blade swiping inches from his faceplate as he stumbled back into the room. But instead of drawing his sidearm and placing two rounds point-blank into his target, Predator raised his fists, and swung.
A second plasma bolt passed as he lunged forward, his strike connecting with the armoured figure in front of him, prompting a pained scream as the figure tumbled backwards into the doorframe. Grappling the figure as they stumbled, Predator ducked as a third round rang out, narrowly missing the plasma projectile as he simultaneously swung low, using his target's momentum against them as he kicked their legs out from beneath, throwing them to the ground as a pained yelp came from them.
Another yell came from deeper within the room as the shooter became visible. In the dim light, it seemed like both donned the same type of armor - dark, heavy-duty plates adorning the form, visors obscuring their face. But, there was little time for nuances and absorbing details. The shooter began to charge him directly, brandishing a shimmering blade he recognized distinctly from his second encounter with the Crimson Venators, after eliminating Griffin.
Quickly jumping to his feet, Predator lashed his arm out aggressively, knocking the plasma knife aside as it swung towards him. He followed up with a charge, barging into the figure in an attempt to knock them off balance. But it appeared as if the man anticipated the movement, twisting to the side and throwing Predator deeper into the room, entering the cool yellow light of a portable lamp. Enough was enough.
Staggering into a stack of boxes as he almost lost his footing, Predator quickly caught himself on a table bolted down near one of the walls, pushing off towards his target as he quickly toggled his shields - just in time to stop a plasma round shattering his armor. The shields almost gave, but it bought him enough time to grab a box nearby, throwing it as he lunged. With a satisfying 'dink', the metal box pinged off the helmet of the figure, closing distance as he whacked the knife from their grip, grabbed the wrist of the shooter's firing hand, and pulled.
What happened next was lightning fast. Snatching his own Tormentor from the holster on his right thigh, Predator promptly pressed the barrel underneath the chin of the figure, tipping their head back slightly as he placed his finger on the trigger. The man froze, evidently struggling to gain control again, what with Predator restraining his firing hand and keeping the plasma pistol pointed away.
Just behind the man he restrained, Predator spotted the woman carefully getting to her feet by the doorway, making no effort to continue the fight, albeit she kept her weapon in her hands. A smart choice, he thought, as he redirected his attention to his target of priority.
"Hello, Dawn. I suggest you and your associate drop your weapons right now... before I reconsider my decision to keep the both of you alive."
There was silence for a second, Dawn grunting at the predicament he found himself in, before he finally answered.
"W-who the fuck are you?"
"Most of my clients call me Predator... at least, those that are alive."
"What kind of fucking name is 'Predator'?"
"That's rich... coming from a Crimson Venator called Dawn."
Dawn chuckled, the sound of a weapon clattering to the floor as he released his grip. With a shove, Predator stepped back, keeping his pistol steadily trained on Dawn, making sure both of them were in his field of view.
"Not exactly a very welcoming duo, are you?"
"If you're h-here to... fucking kill us... just get it over with."
"No. Actually, Ms. Adair sent me. Rings a bell, doesn't it? You have quite a bit to answer for Dawn... and a lot to make up for."
Sighing, Dawn relaxed, glancing over at the woman by the door, but Predator didn't yield. His Tormentor remained precisely fixed on Dawn's upper torso, his grip tight and steady.
"... We've already lost, 'Predator'. Maybe Aurora should open her eyes for once..."
"Seems like she can see better than you can, Dawn. But I'm not here to negotiate. You're coming back with me, whether you like it or not."
Shooting a glare at Predator, Dawn folded his arms and shook his head, leaning back against the nearby wall.
"... How'd you even find us?"
"Well... everybody has their price. The few people you paid off to bury some trails were no exceptions. Turns out the price for most of them was a broken limb or two."
Stepping forward into the light, the woman clenched her fists, promptly stopping in her tracks as Predator turned the Tormentor on her, drawing his second pistol from within his bandolier, holding it by his side in his left hand.
"You're a s-... sick bastard..."
"Watch it, princess. You must be Trojan. Or... is it Kohen and Lexi? Hm? The last two Venators... with quite the price on your head."
Lowering her head sheepishly, the woman turned her attention to Dawn, who stood up straight once more, looking at Predator face-on.
"Don't talk to her like that."
"Don't fuck me around, Vance."
Dawn scoffed, looking between the two of them as Predator carefully tilted his head just a tad, glancing at Dawn.
"Pack your stuff. Now."
"Where are we going?"
"Back to the Solaris."
"TITAN's flagship? Wasn't... it destroyed?"
"No. Ms. Adair wants to talk to you."
Dawn went quiet and just stood there, staring at the X-shaped faceplate of Predator's helmet. The tension of the room seemed to drop... although one of them still had a firearm pointed at the other. Eventually, Dawn spoke, his attitude somewhat shifting to a more... 'worried' tone.
"We thought the Solaris was lost. After... the enemy compromised Aurora's past, and blew everything wide open, we monitored the squadron. For a while, her face and name was all over local news in the Federation, although authorities tried to keep it on the low down. Y'know... escaped black-ops operative and everything. I tried to reach out to a Commander apart of the squadron close to all of this, who might've been able to help... but... I never got a response."
"Then... we saw the reports of the crew... and the final disaster at the end of that expedition trip. The enemy... and this... 'superweapon'. It brought down everything. Admittedly... we gave up. You - I assume - killed the rest of the Crimson Venators... and were coming for us next. As far as we knew, Aurora and the rest of the people who could've stopped this were killed as well. So... we cut our losses and ran."
"So, you're a coward too."
"Are you really going to stand there and chastise me? F-..."
"Ever watched someone's life fall apart, Dawn? More accurately... have you ever been the reason someone's life has fallen to pieces?"
There was no response.
"Some might just see me as a mindless killer, a mercenary in it for the credits, who does whatever they feel like, whenever they feel like it. But, once upon a time, I was in a position like this. And... my mistakes and poor decisions cost the life of someone I cared dearly for. Nothing I can do will ever bring them back, and that's all you need to know. But it's people like you that caused it, willing to do whatever it takes to appease their corrupt overlords."
"Your superpower's fractured and corrupt, Kohen, and so is this galaxy. It's a fucked up place, and it's filled with fucking scum like you that take innocent lives, without ever paying up for it. I'm willing to recognize that you realized your mistake, but did you ever try do better? Did you ever try make a difference? Did you ever make half the effort Commander Adair has? No. You didn't. Instead, you're hiding in the shadows, leaving a young, brave woman to face it all. Someone who could actually make a difference, and not enough people are standing by her side."
A dark tone crossed Predator's voice as he lowered his head a bit, imperceptibly tightening the grip on his pistol for a moment as he peered past his hat and paused, before he continued quietly, relaxing once more.
"That ends now. Pack. Your. Stuff. You're both coming with me, and I'm not telling you again."
Dawn stood there for a few moments, seemingly taken off-guard, before he slowly walked past Predator, approaching a table deeper in the room that contained a bunch of equipment and bags. He began to quietly pack up his equipment, Trojan following suit, but Predator maintained his vigilant gaze, the Tormentor only lowering slightly. Whatever came next... one thing was certain.
He had a promise to keep.
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DATE: 21st of August, 3308 [17:50 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, LTT 2974Aurora Adair
With a short mechanical whirr, the door leading into the Solaris briefing room parted, a CSF soldier slowly stepping through as two figures followed suit - both wearing dark, plated armor but missing weapons of any sort, as heavy-duty cuffs linked their hands together. They were flanked by another pair of soldiers, and a man with a round hat integrated into a helmet with an X-shaped faceplate, a short cloak strapped around his waist, no weapons mounted to his holsters either. It was Predator.
Aurora and Isabella stood by the blue-lit holotable - seemingly the only ones in the room that weren't wearing a helmet covering their face. Two CSF soldiers clad in armored suits highlighted with golden stripes stood alongside them, standing guard as the new figures entered the room. Behind the table, leaning on the edge, Captain Faust glanced up from behind his black visor, at the new arrivals.
With a nod towards the duo, Predator carefully made his way through the CSF soldiers, coming to a stop near Aurora and Isa, facing the two Venators that had entered the room. As the soldiers guided them towards the holotable, Faust straightened up, folding his arms and examining Dawn and Trojan for a moment.
"Well... Dawn... you've been quite difficult to find."
"That was the intention."
Faust chuckled at Dawn's response, but Aurora felt her anxiety steadily kicking in as she watched Dawn's gaze travel the room, passing over her. Her grip on Isa's hand tightened slightly as she took a subtle breath in, keeping her cool as Faust continued.
"Let's cut to the chase. You're going to help us and do this our way... or you're spending the rest of your time in the brig until we solve this."
"You've already lost... whatever your name is. We've already failed to stop them. This... bringing back the Solaris... it's only a temporary measure. Haven't you learnt anything from what this enemy has done to you? Haven't you seen their power?"
Faust sighed and shook his head at Dawn's response, glancing back over his shoulder. Aurora couldn't bring herself to say anything, too lost in her own thoughts as she just listened, looking away a bit. Isa glanced at her, frowning at what Dawn said, but the two remained quiet, allowing Faust to continue as he turned back to face the holotable.
"And... we've proven that they're not invincible. That we can fight back. Seems like you spent too much time under that rock of yours, Vance. So let's give you the bigger picture, shall we?"
Tapping on the controls of the holographic table, Faust brought up a projection of a Drake-class fleet carrier, the information on the rotating graphic indicating it as 'The Black Edge T4J-64F'. Gesturing to the projection, the Captain looked up at Dawn once more, continuing.
"This carrier, known as the 'Black Edge', is the operations base of our enemy. We've established that their weapon, the 'MARS Device', is present aboard it. We've learnt a lot while you've been hiding away, Vance. Here's a refresher."
"The 'EMBER Syndicate', as they identify themselves, are a criminal organization hailing from a disbanded Federal weapons research group - the same group that manipulated the Red Hunters into covering up their tracks. The same group you were duped by into attacking the Solaris, and stealing data that would have been pertinent to us stopping their prototype superweapon."
"You also ordered the death of a vital link in our chain of information. In your attempt to 'do the right thing', Vance, you have caused the death of thousands. I don't give a shit about your motivations at the time, but listen carefully. No one will ever forgive you for what you did... but now's your chance to do the right thing."
"You're going to tell us everything you know about your time in the Red Hunters, and your interactions with Admiral Isaiah Adair. We have a databank belonging to him in our possession, and we believe that if we crack it open, we can expose the EMBER Syndicate. But, we've hit a brick wall regarding the passcodes. If you know anything, now's the time to open your mouth."
The room fell into silence as Dawn seemed to think for a bit, before he lifted his head and looked over at Aurora.
"You're a fool for not running when you could've, Aurora."
The tension in the room almost seemed to visibly rise as every gaze fixed on him, Isabella suddenly stepping forward as she clenched her fist. Predator advanced to block her off if necessary, but she paused anyway, glancing around the room as her hand slowly relaxed. Aurora simply stood there, an angry frown crossing her face as she held Isa's hand tightly.
"How about you just start telling us information that's important to us - that we need to know - and keep the other shit to yourself..."
Faust glanced at Isabella, but said nothing as he quickly turned back to Dawn.
"It makes sense that someone like you couldn't begin to understand the sacrifices and bravery Commander Adair has displayed. But I suppose the lies distract you from your pathetic, painful reality."
Dawn laughed and shook his head with a heavy sigh.
"... Fine. I know little about our enemy... nor did I have much control over what the rest of the Venators were doing after we defected. I remember discussing the circumstances with Admiral Adair prior to that time, though he never spoke about a databank."
"The operations of the Red Hunters were heavily classified... when it came to dealing with what we thought was a bioweapon being developed by Federal terrorists. It wasn't too far from the truth, I suppose... but I assure you... we didn't know until it was too late."
"I'm sure Commander Adair told you the same. And... when we defected, her father went to extensive lengths to make sure her way out of the navy was a clean one. That file was never supposed to be leaked again, but since we were tasked by the very same enemy... well, it makes sense why they have it."
"I regret ordering his death, as much as I regret my time with th-..."
Dawn was interrupted by Faust's impatient growl.
"Fuck off with your self-pity. Do you know anything about the passcodes?"
"... No. As I said, Isaiah never spoke about it. Though, it's possible he hid it deep within the Federation... maybe right under the enemy's nose. But I highly doubt you would ever be able to reach it, if that's the case."
"Where?"
"... Well. It'd have to be somewhere that wouldn't change, no? And... if this 'databank' was intended to let you expose the enemy, surely the passcodes are hidden in places of relevance. Either of personal note to... Commander Adair herself... or the squadron."
"I'd suggest the training facility she was sent to... but that changes too often, likely. Isaiah's naval office is likely long gone... and the databases in which our profiles were held are a no-go. Any previous area of operations of the Red Hunters are likely the same."
"But... it could even be aboard the Solaris. Or... something else pertinent to the squadron, if Quinton Marshall's involvement with Isaiah is sound. Unfortunately the datapad the Venators stole is likely long gone. I realized they were tricked by the enemy too late... and that cost them dearly."
"I quite frankly don't know where this 'passcode' may be. There are many options... and a whole galaxy to search. How could you possibly hope to bring this to an end?"
Faust shrugged subtly, shaking his head at Dawn.
"We'll figure it out... whether we have that databank decrypted or not. Concern yourself more with giving us the details, Dawn, and less with what we do with them."
"Fine. My final answer is; possibly Federal military locations related to his employment, Commander Adair's past, or the squadron."
"Well... that's better than nothing. Now, the real question is; do I let you assist us directly or not? And after your behaviour and audacity... I think that decision is best left up to Commander Adair herself."
As Faust glanced back at her, Aurora found herself tearing up slightly as she desperately looked at Isa. Throughout the conversation, she had relived a past that almost destroyed who she was... and one that still haunted her to this day. Anger and upset flickered across her face as she looked at her lover for some kind of reassurance. While no words came, Isa looked over at Aurora, and held her hand with a gentle squeeze.
Aurora studied her partner as she gazed into her hazel eyes, reflecting slightly. She remembered the day they met... and the special times they spent together. The time their friendship grew into something more, something significantly special and beautiful to her. A new future that gave her hope and happiness... the determination to make things right again. She just had to be strong... for the both of them. They could do this.
Turning back to look at Dawn, Aurora took in a slow breath and turned her attention to Faust.
"No."
"We don't need his help."
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DATE: 22nd of August, 3308 [03:59 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, LTT 2974Aurora Adair
"Commanders, they just destroyed our relay."
Stood in the cold briefing room of the Solaris, Aurora's eyes widened as she brushed a hand back through her hair, looking at Captain Faust in shock, as Isabella stood by her side quietly. Losing the relay that had allowed them to learn more about the enemy all this time was... well, it was a big deal.
"What...?"
"Tethys operatives aboard the relay narrowly escaped with their lives. Apparently... they were able to crack open a database partition that related to the telemetry and ops of the enemy force and their carrier. By opening this partition and making it active, a communications protocol that connected directly to The Black Edge. Our instance of G.R.I.D running on the relay began to download pertinent information, before the enemy flooded back an overwhelming amount of data."
"This data acted as a 'kill-switch', taking down the relay, and forcing the team to lock down G.R.I.D. Minutes later while they were trying to restore the relay, multiple enemy ships arrived and immediately opened fire on the installation. The team barely escaped in their ship before the relay was destroyed. Unfortunately, we were not able to respond in time to such a rapid assault, with how little numbers we have."
"We suspect... however... that some of the data was transmitted to the emergency network aboard the Solaris, dumping itself into a backup host of the digital concourse. This so-called 'transfer cache' seems to be partially corrupted and was subsequently encrypted by a G.R.I.D subroutine, meaning we cannot access it without restoring G.R.I.D on the Solaris again, which will take time. We can only hope that if any of our Commanders received the message, that they can decrypt it."
"In the meantime... we need to prepare the Solaris, and consider training and arming some of the crew. CSF just does not have the manpower at this stage to be able to stand off against direct assaults outside our base of operations. The Solaris can protect us as long as it is operational, but if we do not have the advantage in the field, any operation would be extremely dangero-..."
"You mean suicide."
Captain Faust paused and glanced at Isa with an internal sigh, straightening up and folding his arms.
"... Yes, I suppose so. We don't intend to simply throw our people at the enemy. Any action we take from this point onwards must be calculated. And... with Commander Kryik and our specialists still struggling to crack the databank, as well as figure out what locations may contain any pertinent passcodes... well, we need to be more proactive."
"Proactive how? The Solaris is lost."
Both Aurora and Faust glanced at Isa with a frown, although she seemed to be unbothered by her remark.
"Isa..."
"Commander, we're standing aboard it right now. What..."
"I mean the crew, Faust. They're dead. Look at the hallways. The whole carrier. Everyone's gone. The Ops Crew... the cr-..."
Aurora took Isa's hand, albeit maintaining her frown as she squeezed her hand softly.
"Isa, come on..."
"No, it's... ugh! Whatever..."
Isa sighed heavily and threw her hand up in defeat, shaking her head. Letting go of Aurora's hand, she suddenly turned and walked away, heading for the briefing room exit. Aurora almost practically jumped after her, but froze.
"Isa!"
Her call was ignored as her partner slipped out of the briefing room out of sight, a disappointed look crossing Faust's face. Aurora glanced back at him, slight panic sparking inside of her.
"I... I n-need to go."
"Commander. Just... keep your eyes on the prize, okay? We have an objective. Handle Commander Levine and then let's get back to it when you're ready, alright?"
"Yeah. T-thanks Faust. Let me know when... G.R.I.D is up and running on the Solaris, and if we pull any important information."
With a simple nod, Faust leant back onto the holotable as Aurora almost dashed for the briefing room door, walking fast as she opened the door. With a deep breath, she quietly stepped through and entered into the hallway, the smooth, dark door closing with a hiss behind her.
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Credit:
This story is only possible thanks to our squadron and community. Join TITAN Contractors, a diverse and talented squadron, and experience our custom lore and events. This logbook/short story as well as other associated images and story is property of TITAN Contractors, CMDR Radiumio. A massive thank you to CMDR Isabella Levine for their involvement in the story. Thank you so much for reading!
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