MARS: 17 - Hyperion - TITAN Contractors
10 Oct 2022Aurora Adair-Levine
NOTE: This story contains themes of violence and strong language.
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DATE: 22nd of September, 3308 [18:45 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris, Q4V-40NAurora Adair
"Captain, what the fuck is going on?!"
As Aurora charged into the flickering briefing room past the overridden door, Isabella followed swiftly, the both hastily dressed in their normal suits. Her partner followed with a mild limp, but Aurora continued on, practically running over to the holographic table at the center of the room as she looked around at the various figures that surrounded it, before settling on a frustrated Captain Faust as she came to a stop.
He looked at her, a scowl across his face as he shook his head and folded his arms.
"A cyberattack just hit the Solaris, but it's big. Engineering teams are trying to shut down systems manually to prevent the spread, but it's happening too fast. We've got a massive virus attack spreading throughout this carrier and we can't stop it. We're losing control rapidly, Commander. And we just..."
"... H-... how... how did this happen, Faust? How the fuck did they do this?!"
Faust snapped at Aurora, picking up the PDA on the holotable surface as he tapped on it while he spoke.
"I don't fucking know, Commander! The G.R.I.D. operator said he got a system lockout when one of our Commanders decrypted an enemy transmission. We're thinking there's a hidden backdoor that was either implemented recently or just went completely unnoticed. The attack bypassed every firewall and authorization measure the network had. We're completely vulnerable now!"
"W-wait... you... said this could've been implemented recently? Are you saying someone is... doing this? Within the squadron? Another mole?"
"We don't know... nor do we know when this would have happened. It could've occurred during any of the maintenance or new installations we've applied to the carrier's communication and security systems. It could just have been a lucky enemy infiltration. It could be an inherent vulnerability introduced into G.R.I.D with all the attacks that have occurred. We have no real way of telling, not without access to G.R.I.D's systems anymore."
"Take a look at this, Commander. The last thing the operator reported was that the attack was triggered by some picture... something regarding the interstellar anomalies."
Reaching over and handing the PDA to Aurora, she took it, observing the image on screen.
<<<<< RECOVERED G.R.I.D. IMAGE - 22nd Sept >>>>>
"The... the weird... spiral things in deep space? And the message over the image..."
"Yeah. 'Take a look at our true salvation'. We suspect, considering the enemy's first frontal transmission to us in the past, that EMBER believes the Proteus Wave summoned some kind of Thargoid reaction. It's unclear if they're avoiding it, using it as some kind of cover... or... if they're embracing it. Fucking fanatics..."
"S-so... what the fuck do we do?"
"There's nothing we can do, Commander. We can only hope the engineers get control over some of the manual overrides so we can at least retain jump capability. Major security and weapons systems already had to be shut offline manually to avoid them turning against us."
"Likewise, we've had to sever all communications, which has brought down the squadron's network in its entirety. We're trying to retrieve our isolated backups to try get the network at least somewhat functional again, but there's a good chance we'll need to delegate that duty to the Azure Star."
"Most, if not all of the major squadron carriers that assist our operations have some capability to support our network. They just need the right authorization and team to install it. However... it's unlikely we'll be able to bring the network in its entirety. We'd be lucky if we even got parts of it back. It depends on how much the teams can recover."
"Listen, Commander. As we speak, the Solaris is failing again. It's clear now that the carrier is inherently vulnerable. Until we figure out how this happened, we cannot have the carrier at the forefront, risking all these people onboard. Commander Levine, we need to utilize your carrier for future operations."
Isabella looked between Aurora and Faust, a bit caught off-guard by all the sudden information. She frowned a bit, looking back at the Captain as she shook her head, shrugging her arms.
"... What if the Azure Star has the same vulnerability? Like... what if the network can be compromised too?"
"The vulnerability came from G.R.I.D. For that reason, we'll rely on the carrier's normal security measures for the time being. If we need to restore networks such as the concourse or Internal Affairs, the technicians will come up with something to keep them secure and separate. Even if those were to be compromised, there'd likely be minimal damage if we keep it isolated from everything else on the carrier."
"... Okay... fine. Sounds good I suppose."
Aurora sighed, taking her lover's hand with a gentle squeeze as she looked at the Captain.
"Captain, what can we do to help?"
"... Well... not much right now, Commander. It's a race against time for the engineers to lock the carrier down and try, at the very least, retain jump control. We can deal with the rest, although the Solaris will be extremely vulnerable. While we focus on getting it back to safety, we need you both to move to the Azure Star. Everything military needs to be transferred over. I already gave the order to all the CSF teams."
"The longer we take, the harder EMBER will hit us. So... let's get going. Take your ship to the Azure Star, and link up with the CSF teams there. While the Solaris jumps back, they're going to try recover that crashed Crusader at the Thargoid site. When that's done, we'll move back and reassess. Plus, we need more information about the databank... otherwise we're going up against the enemy blind. I'm starting to pray that the information your father kept on there will be of significant use."
Gritting her teeth, Aurora shook her head and looked over at Isabella, sighing internally to herself as she squeezed her hand and tugged on it slightly.
"Fine... we'll go. But the Solaris needs to get back to the bubble as soon as possible, Faust. We can't... lose any more people..."
"At this rate, Commander, I'm not so sure we have a choice in the matter. The harder EMBER pushes, the faster we're losing a grip on the situation. Likewise, the virus that hit us has complicated the data retrieval efforts. We can't exactly detect when the enemy weapon fires anymore, nor can we detect the presence of the enemy carrier. We're not even sure if the weapon countermeasures aboard the carriers will work."
Brushing a hand back through her raven curls, Aurora clenched her fist and gripped bundles of her hair, shaking her head as she found herself getting angry.
"You... have to be FUCKING kidding me. All t-this... constant effort... for what?!"
"Commande-..."
"No, Faust! For every fucking step forward, w-we... we just... stumble two back! When does it fucking end?! When do I get to h-..."
Aurora felt her hand squeezed back as her partner paused her, looking at her with concern as she tried to placate Aurora.
"Aurora, babe. Let's just... focus on the task at hand, okay hun?"
With a heavy sigh, Aurora let go of her hair, her curls falling into place as she took a few steps back to the briefing room door, looking back at Faust.
"... Captain... get a... a team or... somebody we can trust... to look into how this happened. Uh... take... take most of CSF to the Azure Star. Isa and I will remain with a few elements to... keep the Solaris crew safe until we get back to the bubble. And I'm not asking."
The Captain sighed heavily, shaking his head as he folded his arms and shrugged.
"Alright... I won't argue. You're the boss..."
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DATE: 26th of September, 3308 [22:01 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Solaris Q4V-40N, LTT 2974Isabella Levine
"...-saaa..."
The gentle breeze caressed her skin as Isabella slowly opened her eyes, hearing a voice call for her. She woke up on a beach chair, an endless horizon of water stretching as far as the eye could see, with a star above their heads. She let out a relaxed sigh as she felt the light warm her body, relaxing on the beach chair until that same familiar voice called again.
"... Heyyya... come on honey~..."
She turned her head to look towards the voice, and there she stood. Aurora - in a black bathing suit she recognized from the time they visited that resort. That's where they were now, right? She smiled, admiring her lover's black curls that perfectly complemented her outfit, and the angelic glow that radiated off of her body. She was beautiful.
Isabella rose from her seat as she felt the sand between her toes, and held onto the cup within her hands. She wasn't sure what she was drinking, but she felt... elated. Absolutely ecstatic. Like they were celebrating something. The two of them giggled cutely as Aurora reached out and took her hand.
And then the sun faded away. Aurora's hand... wasn't in hers. It was darker, and she wasn't on a beach anymore. She remembered what EMBER had done to them. To the squadron. That they had tried to take this from her. She moved forward, her boots scraping along hard, shattered rocks beneath her feet. She was in a suit now, her right hand gripping her sidearm tightly.
She lifted her head and looked through her fogged visor, seeing the shattered suits and corpses that surrounded her. Broken visors with frozen, shocked faces behind them. Tracers of projectiles and laser fire streaked across the hazy backdrop as Isabella tried to step forward, her foot bumping into a body at her feet.
She looked down at the body curled up on the floor by her feet, cradling themselves. She dropped to her knees, discarding her sidearm as she rolled the person onto their back... recognizing their face through the visor.
It was Aurora. Squirming in pain. Isabella's heart nearly stopped as panic invaded her mind. She tried to figure out what was wrong. Why was she in pain? Why was Aurora suffering? She couldn't understand it. She tried to reach back for a medkit, only to find she didn't have one.
All she could do was watch as the love of her life suffered. Gasping for air. Isabella wanted to scream but couldn't. Her heart sank with hopelessness and desperation as she held on to Aurora tightly. She couldn't let go. They needed each other. This wasn't fair. She loved Aurora.
Heaving in a gasp, Isabella shot up and took in deep breaths, her body trembling as she looked around their quarters, slowly starting to calm down. But something wasn't right. Aurora wasn't by her side. Their lockers were open, the wall TV extended on its pivoting arm, and all the kitchen cabinets open.
Hearing a loud, metallic clang from the kitchen, Isabella quickly leaned over to her nightstand and slid open the drawer, reaching in for her sidearm, before she paused, hearing a soft curse from the kitchen. She looked over, and watched as her black-curled partner popped up from behind the counter, a loose-fitting red t-shirt covering her torso. She spoke nervously, looking at Isabella with wide eyes.
"H-... hey honey. Are you... okay? Did I wake you? I'm so sorry... I... uh..."
Aurora looked down sheepishly, her curls a bit of a mess as she leant forward onto the kitchen counter, brushing a hand back through her hair to fix it as she looked around the room. She was as beautiful as ever to Isabella, prompting a soft smile before it slowly faded when she took in the room again as well.
"Uh... yeah... sorta. What... happened?"
"I... uhm~..."
Looking back at Isa with nervous eyes, Aurora offered an uncertain, soft smile as she began to walk around the kitchen counter, approaching the bed.
Climbing up onto the bed, Aurora sat down on top of the sheets, crossing her bare legs as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap, gazing at Isa. Her curls hung in her face slightly, her deep blue eyes locked onto Isabella as she sighed softly, shrugging.
"I... woke up and... couldn't shake this thought I kept having. You remember how people decrypted that... random date earlier today? In that one... 'compromised' Internal Affairs article? The 29th of July. That was the same date... on which Quinton's will was found in this exact quarters..."
"And... it showed up again in another article. Then I kept thinking about how my father hid my databank. How he had a hand in all of this, alongside Quinton. So I... I figured that... maybe the date is a hint, somehow? I guess... I don't know..."
"Just... seems so coincidental for it to show up now, of all things. So I... started to search our quarters to see if I could find anything hidden but... I'm probably just being silly. I just... can't stop thinking about the fact that we never... properly searched the Solaris. And every location the passcodes have been in so far has been... important... to me..."
Isabella reached over and gently took one of Aurora's hands, gazing at her lover curiously.
"I'm... uhhh... I'm a bit lost. You're looking for... what exactly?"
"I... don't know really..."
She shrugged again, taking Isa's hand gently as she interlaced their fingers.
"Maybe a hidden wall or... safe. I don't know. Something that went unnoticed all this time. And since this was Quinton's quarters at one point... well... that'd be... an easy secret to keep..."
Isabella watched as Aurora's blue eyes focused on her more, studying her face. She became self-conscious of her act, feeling Aurora's hand around her slightly clammy palm, still a hint of sweat on her temples.
"... are you okay honey~...?"
She glanced around the room, before she focused back on Aurora and nodded slowly.
"Hmm? Y-yeah. Just... dreams. Ha. I'm... more worried about you. You're really driven to find this. Want me to help?"
A look of relief crossed Aurora's face subtly as she eased and smiled, gazing into Isa's eyes.
"Yeahhh... if you... don't mind. I'm just trying to find like a... a false wall or something. That'd be the thing to look for I guess..."
Isabella pulled the covers off of herself and released her hand as she slid over to the edge of the bed. She straightened her pink tank-top, brushing her flowing chestnut hair back as she looked over at Aurora.
"Okay... where should I start looking?"
Hopping off of the bed herself, Aurora scratched her neck and looked around the room, sighing softly as she dawdled by the foot of the bed.
"... Uhh... well..."
"I haven't looked behind our lockers since they're... y'know... bolted to the floor. Haven't really checked under the bed or the bathroom fully yet. Plus... all the walls and stuff..."
Isa stretched her arms above her head, relaxing her body before she looked back at Aurora.
"Time for some renovation I guess... hmm?"
Her partner gazed at her, meeting her eyes with a soft smile as she brushed her raven curls back slightly and scratched her neck.
"Ha... yeah... guess so. There's some tools in the locker if you... wanna try move them..."
Aurora stepped forward, passing Isabella as she gestured to their open locker closest to their bed, starting to approach it. Isabella turned and began to walk over to the locker with Aurora as she passed, thinking for a moment.
"Tool? Huh... so like... it's some secret safe or... something overlooked, or whatever?"
"I guess so... something the crew wouldn't pay mind to or think of reporting since they... repaired our quarters after the... yeah..."
Aurora sighed sadly, looking around at their quarters. Isabella's eyes followed hers, taking in the room devoid of the trophies and ornaments that used to decorate the walls and shelves.
Looking back at Aurora, Isabella watched her smile weakly, before turning back to the locker and reaching inside. Isa knew it was all bothering her, slowly stepping next to her as she smiled gently.
"Right, so... you think behind the locker or... something... will have this safe we're looking for?"
"Well... I've searched every other possible place I can think of... and I was... uh... trying not to... wake you. But... I guess now that you're awake, I can move the locker and see if anything's behind it... if Quinton did even put a safe in here..."
Fidgeting in the locker as she opened a tool case, Isabella watched Aurora pull out a ratchet, attaching a socket of a specific size to its head. When done, she looked up at Isabella, fidgeting with the tool in her hands.
"So...we move this big ass thing? Hope there's something otherwise...I'll catch a few more winks~..."
Isabella smiled softly, to which Aurora responded with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah... I... I'll just undo the four brackets and we'll... carefully move it forward a little... together~..."
"Whaaat? I'm careful...like all the time~..."
Aurora chuckled as she walked over to one side of the locker, squatting down and placing the socket over one of the bolts securing the locker to a reinforced bracket which held it to the floor. She began to swiftly undo the bolt, moving quite quickly.
It wasn't long before Aurora had done all the bolts while Isa watched, collecting them into a pile that she placed to the side with the tool, before carefully getting up and glancing at her partner.
"... Okay... you ready? Gotta slide it forward."
Clasping her hands together as if dusting them off, Isabella nodded with a smile, walking over to one side of the locker where she grabbed the edge, readying herself.
"Easy peasy~..."
Aurora did the same, grabbing the edge tightly on her side as she looked at Isa.
"Ready? Three... two... one..."
With a groan, Aurora began to pull with Isa, sliding their locker forward as it screeched across the floor slightly. Although the low gravity made it easier, the locker was still rather heavy, taking a little bit of a struggle for them to move it away from the wall.
Soon, the locker had been moved far enough from the wall to step behind it, and Aurora stopped, taking in a breath. She looked behind the locker, stepped back, and... sighed heavily. Isabella looked with her, only to find the metal wall was smooth and seamless, just like the rest of the room. There was nothing hidden.
"Well... time to start ripping down walls... somehow..."
Isa brushed her chestnut strands behind her ears, returning the heavy sigh as Aurora shrugged and looked down at the floor, thinking.
"Maybe I'm just... chasing shadows or something... ugh. Even if there was something in here... how would we find it...?"
Isabella shrugged as well.
"I don't... I don't know. Under somewhere? Maybe a... secret button hidden under the couch? I really don't know, hun."
Aurora closed her eyes and went quiet for a moment, before she squatted down and picked up the ratchet she used moments ago. Stepping behind the locker, she crouched down and ran her hand along the wall, frowning while she examined it carefully.
"... There has to be something here. Why else would that... date show up?"
Isabella bit her tongue, not wanting to crush Aurora's hopes of finding something, but she also had no idea where to look. The room was practically turned inside out and still, nothing turned up.
"... Coincidence?"
Aurora sat back on her haunches and fidgeted with the ratchet, shaking her head.
Aurora withdrew her hand from the wall and sat back on her haunches, looking down at the ratchet in her hands as she fidgeted with it, shaking her head slightly.
"... No... no, you saw the date, Isa. It can't be a coincidence. It showed up multiple times! It has to be here somewhere. It has to be. None of this has ever been a coincidence. They... they planned it..."
Isa frowned and looked at the wall for a moment.
"Y-yeah... you're right, I guess. I just... I'm a bit tired. Sorry."
Lifting her head, Aurora paused a bit before she glanced back over her shoulder, looking up at Isa with a bit of concern washing over her face.
"... I'm... sorry for... for waking you. I just... wanted to find something. I just... want to... yeah..."
She went quiet, slowly turning away as she shook it off and looked back at the wall, raising a hand. She started to run her hand along the wall again, carefully exploring its surface as she gazed at it intently. Isabella just shrugged it off, leaning against the locker as she watched Aurora.
"It's fine... it's alright. I woke up myself, really."
"... okay..."
Aurora simply sat there on her haunches quietly, her hand brushing against the wall before she stopped again. Hesitating for a second, she swiftly took the ratchet and flipped the tool around, carefully starting to tap the bottom of the handle against the wall as she moved along. The room filled with the soft sound of the dull, dense metal tinging back with each tap as Aurora continued.
Isabella just watched as she tapped along the wall, following a zig-zag pattern as she started from one side of the wall, before moving to what was effectively the 'end' of the wall where the edge of the locker would typically be, and then up to the next row where she repeated it.
Watching this for a few moments, Isa sighed and stood up straight, looking around the room.
"So... should I be... looking other places? Our quarters aren't too big. Did you try the bathroom?"
"Yeah... I tried the bathroom. Can't move half the stuff in there anyway..."
Brushing a hand back through her curls, Aurora sighed and continued to tap along the wall, sitting up a bit as she had proceeded three 'rows' up by now.
"... It just... has to be here. Somewhere! I checked the kitchen, under our bed, near the couch, the showe-..."
Isabella heard the tapping of the ratchet change for a moment, before Aurora suddenly paused and got up onto her knees again, tapping once more on the same spot. Isa focused on it, realizing that that part of the wall sounded distinctly different than the others. She watched as her partner ran her hand along it, mumbling slightly as she felt the wall.
"... here."
"Oh... wow... uhhh... okay."
Isa's eyes widened at the prospect of something being behind the wall, walking over and dropping to a knee behind Aurora. She extended a hand, gently touching the wall and pressing against it to see if there was an indent of any kind. But the panel didn't budge in any way. Aurora placed the ratchet down and frowned, sitting back as she thought. Isabella thought of possible ways to get through as well, thinking of the tool case.
"What if it's like... weak and we hit it? Really hard. With a tool."
Isabella knocked on the hollow panel a bit harder.
"Uh..."
Aurora scratched her neck, glancing over at Isa.
"What if we try... pull it out instead?"
"Pull? Pull... how?"
"Get me... one of our... uh... magboots, maybe?"
Aurora looked up at Isa, sitting down on the floor with her legs crossed as she rested her hands in her lap. Getting to her feet, Isa stepped away for a moments as she grabbed both her own brown boot from their locker just behind them, and the tool case, moving back to her partner. She got to a knee beside Aurora and handed her boot to her, placing the tool case behind them.
"You do the honours~..."
"Ha... okay..."
Taking the boot carefully, Aurora turned her attention back to the wall, tapping on it with her knuckles to find the exact center before she lifted the boot, and placed it against the panel.
With a satisfying, soft thud, the boot attached to the wall, suspended there. Carefully gripping it, Aurora slowly started to pull, the panel shifting slightly as the magboot remained firmly attached to it. She tugged a bit harder, the boot popping off but the panel was now quite prominent - a distinct square of wall flush on all sides. Aurora gently put the boot down and grabbed the edges of the panel with her fingers, grunting a bit as she tried to pull the panel out herself, managing to shift it slowly but surely.
"Here..."
Isabella turned and reached behind her for the tool box. Grabbing it, she brought it to her feet and looked for a flat head screwdriver to slip in between the loose panels, soon grabbing one from the case. Aurora looked back and watched, smiling softly with a hum as Isa brought the screwdriver forward, using it to pry the panel out from the wall as Aurora pulled.
The tool Isa used made the job a lot easier, prompting the panel to soon abruptly spring out of its hold. Aurora fumbled to grab the panel, catching it in her lap as she giggled softly and placed it aside, taking in a breath.
As the duo looked into the new hole in the wall, they spotted a grey, small reinforced safe door. A lit-up keypad was the most obvious thing on its surface, but it seemed extremely hard to bypass any of the mechanisms or electronics of the safe. Aurora sighed.
"Of course..."
Isabella looked at it closely and then sighed, placing a hand on her chin.
"It needs to be cracked. Unless you have a pass code. If not... I... ha... I know someone who might help."
"... Who?"
"Someone who tinkers and messes with things she shouldn't..."
Isabella rolled her eyes playfully, and Aurora giggled as she understood what she meant, nodding.
"Ha... sure... we haven't seen Violet in a while either. I was... meaning to ask how your mum and her were doing. Feel kinda... shitty for not..."
"You wanna invite her over? Even though it's... pretty late. It's that or I brute force the keypad with every number combo I can think of..."
Isabella waved a dismissive hand.
"I can contact her, yeah. She just got over to the Azure Star not too long ago. She's been fine. Been... well, been Violet. Mischievous as ever and... I've gotten a few complaints of her being... a typical rebellious teenager."
"Ha... yeah. I... I miss her. Just hope she'll be safe during all this..."
Aurora looked down a bit, shrugging her shoulders as she fidgeted with her hand in her lap as she sat there. Eventually, she looked back up at Isa.
"Is it... worth it for this? I mean... I'm not saying no I just... want her safe aboard the Azure Star."
Isabella focused on Aurora, reaching over to take her hand gently.
"If you want, you can attempt to brute force first. If we can't figure it out then we can contact her and she can pop by and... mess around with... this. She's good with... breaking into things..."
Isa sighed, feeling Aurora gently squeeze her hand. With a soft smirk, Aurora winked and looked back at the keypad, reaching out for it.
"Yeah. I'm good at breaking into things too~..."
Aurora thought for a moment and then raised a hand, typing in the code
3307. It was denied."Or... uh... at least I... hope I still am..."
Isabella smiled and let go of Aurora's hand, sitting back on her rear as she propped herself up on her hands, leaning back slightly.
"Maybe... try... I don't know. Service number? Who put this here? Your dad and Quinton, right?"
"Yeah... I guess so. And it's a four digit code... so... uh..."
Biting her bottom lip, Aurora typed in
1234, blushing slightly when it was denied. She sighed and rolled her eyes at herself, trying to think of another number as she rested her elbow on her knee and propped her head up on her hand. Noticing the attempt, Isabella smiled and playfully nudged Aurora in the shoulder."That's a password I'd use. But... hmm... maybe try... your birth year?"
"Gosh... how old am I? When was that...?"
With her head tilted slightly while resting on her hand, Aurora glanced back over her shoulder at Isa with a soft smirk, only her deep blue eyes visible as she intently watched her partner. Isabella hummed and looked at the pad. She thought for a moment before she reached out and entered the numbers
3283.As Isa entered in the number, the safe suddenly 'clunked' and the door unlocked, the keypad accepting the code. Aurora just gazed at Isa with slightly surprised eyes, her smile growing as she bit her bottom lip and looked back at the safe, and then back at Isabella. Surprised it even worked herself, Isa leant back in surprise, her eyes wide.
"Uh... wow..."
Aurora just laughed softly, brushing a hand back through her hair as she looked back at the safe in disbelief.
"... well~..."
Gently reaching forward and grabbing the edge of the safe door that had slightly opened, Aurora opened it the rest of the way, revealing the reinforced, thick metal interior, a small black case and note atop it sitting within.
"... that did not just happen."
Isabella smiled.
"I... I think it just did..."
Getting up onto a knee, Aurora reached into the safe hesitantly, retrieving the note and the case as she took both out. The case was rather small with round edges, fitting perfectly in Aurora's cupped palm. However, the note drew Isa's attention more, looking over at it as Aurora read it too. But she didn't understand it, frowning slightly.
 |
"I... don't get it."
"... shit..."
Aurora went quiet after she cursed, frowning. She understood the meaning of the note. With a sigh, she slumped back on the floor and sat back against the locker, her legs laid out flat. She dropped the note on her thigh and ran a hand back through her curls, closing her eyes and shook her head.
"It's... it's an old codename for the facility I trained at in the Navy."
"'Hyperion's Lance'... is where I became a Red Hunter..."
========================================================
DATE: 2nd of October, 3308 [07:29 UGT]
LOCATION: T.O.C. Azure Star, H7V-BXHAurora Adair
"Everyone listen up! Let's get started."
The briefing room fell silent as a dozen figures huddled close to it, glancing at the data projected from a central holographic table. Aurora watched as Captain Faust straightened up, all eyes falling on him. Looking at Isabella by her side for a moment, the two exchanged a gentle smile as she felt her hand squeezed gently. It reassured Aurora slightly to have her by her side, exhaling quietly through her nose as she turned her focus back onto the briefing.
"What you're about to be told is extremely vital, and does not leave this room. You all understand the importance of what we're doing here, so listen carefully. Thanks to Commander Adair's efforts, we have located the third passcode of a databank in our possession."
"You may have heard mention of this databank, although its exact contents are unknown. However, this databank is closely linked to information about the EMBER Syndicate, and was created by Adair's father. Our knowledge of the situation so far indicates that he was likely the only Admiral that knew about EMBER and their criminal acts, and survived long enough to collect a substantial amount of compromising information about them."
"Since obtaining the databank, we have obviously attempted to decrypt it, but it became clear that specific passcodes would be required to unlock it. Unfortunately brute forcing it would wipe the databank and render it useless, and we would lose any chance - no matter how small - at understanding the enemy in time to strike back."
"So, while we focus on trying to keep the squadron alive for as long as possible, Commander Adair has been trying her best to discover these passcodes and bring them back to us. The first one was discovered at her parent's home in Sol, and the second one aboard a historical tourist location on Earth. Both have been retrieved by Aurora since, however the third one did not reveal itself so easily."
"Because of this, our efforts against EMBER... stagnated. It is why we explored other avenues of figuring out the enemy's weapon by searching and analysing Thargoid sites, no matter how dangerous it was. And... at the time, I believed the databank was too much of a liability to rely on."
"It is unclear why the second passcode did not contain data leading us to the third one. It might have been missing data, or perhaps it was even intentional. It's possible Admiral Adair did not want to lead the enemy down the breadcrumb trail, and instead thought it best to rely on Aurora's intuition instead."
Captain Faust looked at Aurora, smiling softly as he folded his arms and gestured to her slightly.
"And... it would appear that reliance was well-placed. When the Solaris was compromised from the inside out a week ago, several of our networks were placed into an emergency backup mode. Internal Affairs has been doing their best to maintain news for the squadron, ensuring Commanders were kept in the loop with what is going on."
"However, it was quickly noticed that several of the articles were erroneous, but intentional. Somehow, an article had been tampered with upon being published, and it is unclear what did this and how. Regardless, the errors within the article - when pieced together - revealed a special code, which Commanders swiftly decrypted."
"The code then revealed a date - the 29th of July, 3307. To those who do not know, this date is the same day the will of Quinton Marshall, the squadron's first leader, was located in his quarters. That same will is responsible for promoting Commander Adair to her current position and allowing her to take control of the squadron. That leads us to now."
"The date showing up now, of all things, was not a coincidence. And, the one place we have not extensively searched for a passcode is our very home - the Solaris. When Commander Adair opted to stay behind to ensure all the logistics moved smoothly to the Azure Star and that the crew was safe, she decided to search the quarters she had inherited from Quinton."
"That led us to the discovery of this..."
He gestured to the data projected by the table.
"A data-chip containing the third passcode. Upon being decrypted and applied to the databank, we have unlocked a slew of information and intelligence pertaining to a Federal military training base known as 'The Anvil Academy' publicly. However, there is a nickname colloquially used among spec-ops soldiers once trained at this base - 'Hyperion's Lance'."
Feeling her anxiety slowly grow, Aurora held onto Isa's hand more tightly, feeling a gentle squeeze in return. She knew to keep quiet about what Faust was about to share, they had discussed that. But still... it did not make this any less unnerving.
"You may ask why this is important for us to know... and simply put - 'Hyperion's Lance' is where it all began. We all know Commander Adair was once... a Red Hunter. They later became the Crimson Venators. I also know several of you may have your own opinions regarding this... so let me make one thing clear."
"Since her instatement, Commander Adair has always been on the side of this squadron. She has put her life at risk alongside you all, and she has given TITAN her all, even when she didn't have to. Her involvement in the Red Hunters ended right when they defected, when they had realized they had been manipulated into working for a corrupt Federation - for EMBER."
"Out of everyone here, she has seen the power this organization holds. Despite trying to escape it and leave that life behind, the machinations of her father and Quinton had pulled her into the squadron as a contingency plan. We were used as a shield by Quinton. She was. If you want someone to direct your anger to, I invite you to do so towards the very man who ran away into the shadows while leaving Commander Adair here to deal with it."
Faust glared around at the soldiers and personnel surrounding the table, the room in absolute silence. Not a word was said for several moments, before he nodded and eased, continuing.
"... Good. With that clarified... let's get down to business. 'Hyperion's Lance' is the facility where the Red Hunters were trained and indoctrinated. Intel obtained from the databank indicates that the facility serves as a way for EMBER to 'leech' and manipulate Federal soldiers into working for them. It's exactly how they did it with the Red Hunters."
"These soldiers eventually turn against the Federation, believing them to be corrupt and false. Information from the databanks allows us to conclude that EMBER uses this as an advantage to recruit new operatives into their organization, blinding them with the promise of 'fighting back' against the Federation. These people usually do not understand that it was EMBER that is corrupt, and those that do are summarily removed."
"Because of this, a fair portion of the facility is effectively controlled by EMBER. Naval personnel there may be working under their guidance, either knowingly or not, and the Federation itself is none the wiser. The fourth passcode for the databank is believed to be here, stashed away by Admiral Adair right under the nose of the enemy."
"It's incredibly risky... but the squadron is in a unique position. Some of you may remember a Commander by the name of 'Sharales Kryik', and his assistance in TCON operations. He is our Federal point of contact, a trustworthy man who can assist us with this operation."
"He belongs to a spec-ops team known as 'Valkyrie', who were also trained at The Anvil Academy long before EMBER's corruption had spread through it. By enlisting his help, we will be able to infiltrate the facility and gain access to a specific database as indicated by intel on the databank."
"That, however, will be handled by Commander Adair. Sergeant Locke."
A helmeted man straightened up by the table, looking at Faust.
"Yes sir?"
"You and your team will be accompanying Commander Adair, Levine and Kryik to the facility. Exact procedures will be given when ready, but the plan is essentially as follows. Your fireteam will be provided a set of Federal marine armour, and non-lethal weaponry. You will portray a guard detail for the Commanders, who will be acting as Federal agents visiting the facility."
"In case anything goes wrong, or we are compromised, your proximity to Commander Adair and Levine will be vital. We've been told that, for the sake of appearances, Commander Kryik will attempt to 'stop you', however he will figure out ways to impede himself to allow you time to escape."
"Your absolute priority will be to protect Commander Adair and Levine until they get the critical information they need. Sergeant Kato in charge of Dagger will be acting as the extraction team. If anything goes wrong, they'll pull you out. We'll have Federal ships arranged and vice versa to keep it on the lowdown for as long as possible."
"Also... it should go without saying, but going lethal is a big no-no. We don't want to risk the Federation raining more hell down on us and sending in reinforcements, even though Commander Kryik will try run interference and prevent any alarms from being raised."
"Right. So, in the meantime, you'll spend the next few days preparing for the operation at another location - not the Azure Star. It'll be all off the grid from this point onwards, until the objective is complete. Any questions?"
The room was silent.
"Good. Let's get to it."
========================================================
DATE: 10th of October, 3308 [20:13 UGT]
LOCATION: Local airspace of 'The Anvil Academy', Nanomam 1SGT. Rocco Locke, Sabre 1-1
IDENT: {Oracle} "[Approaching the facility now, Sabre. Five mikes out.]"
"Copy that. Everybody check your gear."
Shifting in his harness as he glanced around the bay, Locke observed six figures clad in Federal armour, the dim lights of the bay catching on their visors as the ship shifted, muffled winds whistling past the exterior. They had already passed the most difficult part - atmospheric entry through the military cordon.
Distinguishing the figures that sat before him and by his sides, Locke glanced at the two lightly armoured figures further into the drop bay. Two slim, feminine individuals held tightly onto their harnesses - almost wearing a sort of light armour stylized into formal military attire, chevrons decorating their shoulders and a Federal badge placed right on the forehead of their darkened Dominator helmets.
Near them sat a single male, his dark, armoured suit distinctly sporting a naval spec-ops insignia and typical military badges as well. What distinguished him the most, however, was the lack of a glove on his right hand, instead exposing the cold metal of a sleek, cybernetic hand. Commander Sharales Kryik.
For the remaining three, they looked the part - appearing no different than heavily armed Federal soldiers, although sporting unique, specialized non-lethal weapons.
Locke took in a breath and held on tightly to the modified Oppressor in his lap, his free hand tightening around the harness handle as the ship lurched slightly, cutting through the atmosphere as its thrusters continued to power it ahead.
"Alright... remember, people. We're here as a guard detail. Just keep in mind the Commanders are our priority. They'll get the dat-..."
"Yeah, yeah, Locke... you went through this a million times."
"And... there's no room for fuck-ups, Helvet. Faust didn't exaggerate when he said this was vital. We're lucky to even have an escape plan this deep in Federal territory."
Helvet chuckled, shaking his head as he looked up at Locke, sitting across from him.
"Yeah... here's hoping that escape route doesn't end up taking a detour into the thick jungle. I'm sure that'd be a lot of fun..."
He paused.
"Look... no offence to anyone here, but this is the most idiotic thing we've done, Locke. Seven of us, infiltrating a high security Federation training base? Even Dagger won't be able to pull us out of this one if shit goes really bad."
Cut off by a smooth, distinctly Federal voice from within the bay, Helvet turned his head towards the source.
"You're right, this is idiotic. Would you rather call the base ahead of time and ask for the data we need?"
Helvet stared at the Commander sat near the two women, before shrugging and looking back forward at the floor beneath his feet.
"... Point taken."
"Chin up, Helvet. Not like this'll be the end of the world or anything."
Helvet just shook his head, much to the amusement of his team around him. The drop bay fell into relative silence once more, the ship starting to shudder as it clearly was beginning to slow down, the roar of its engine humming through the hull.
Locke remained quiet, shifting in his seat as he prepared himself for what they were about to do. There was no doubt this was extremely risky - if not borderline suicidal.
But... for once... he found himself truly trusting the instinct and orders of Commander Adair and Tethys. Maybe they could make this all right once again.
IDENT: {Oracle} "[Landing permission granted. Moving into land now, Sabre. Get ready.]"
The ship rumbled as the reverse thrusters kicked in fully, the faint, muffled whirr of the landing gear audible as the ship approached for its landing.
Locke waited there in suspense, listening to the drives of the ship slow down before the ship suddenly lurched slightly, the gear clunking as it settled and the thrusters hummed before disengaging, and powering down.
IDENT: {Oracle} "[Touchdown. Opening the ramp now. Good luck... I'll be waiting here.]"
"Thanks Jason. Okay, let's go. You know the drill, Sabre."
A single warning alarm sounded out in the bay as the ramp hissed, starting to lower as the operatives disengaged their harnesses and got to their feet.
Turning swiftly, they waited as light flooded into the bay, the ambience filling with the sound of a bustling, large hangar. Large spotlights that projected outside the mouth of the hangar illuminated a dark, dense jungle, trees stretching up and obscuring the sky. With a loud groan and a sharp, resounding alarm that caught Locke off-guard, the massive blast doors of the hangar slowly began to close, a faint blue shield forming over the exterior outside. That was their easy exit closed... for now.
With a metallic thud, the ramp touched the surface of the solid hangar floor, allowing them to walk out onto it as they slowly exited the Federal dropship. Taking lead, Locke held his rifle low and held it close to his body, the fireteam marching out of the ship. He raised his head as they exited, glancing around the landing pad they had settled on before he looked around at the wider hangar.
Massive structural supports towered overhead with catwalks suspended from the ceiling above, and some kind of elevated control room deeper inside the hangar. It appeared that the hangar was large enough to accommodate three medium ships, although only their dropship seemed to be docked at this stage. Federal personnel walked around the hangars, moving crates and equipment, paying no mind to the armed soldiers that just exited the ship.
With Locke and his team stepping off the ramp, the Commanders followed suit, exiting the ship with them. Locke couldn't help but pause for a split second as he took in the entire hangar, amazed.
"Damn..."
His shoulder was nudged, looking over at the man that stood by his side - Helvet. Getting the message, Locke swiftly turned and began to lead them around the dropship's left side. They began to walk along the pad, the Commanders following between the formation of the four soldiers. Spotting a large access door for the hangar and a group of figures standing near it, Locke recalled the plan in his head and began to steadily approach.
As they advanced towards the door, the man and his guard element became clearer. Commander Kryik had stated they would meet with a well-known acquaintance of his, and use a base tour as cover to get close enough to the local server databases. Commander Adair and Levine knew what to do from there.
The man - who held a warm smile despite his grizzled, rough appearance - saluted loosely, stepping forward to meet them halfway as Locke came to a stop, remaining completely quiet. He snuck a look at the identification badge on the man's chest, watching the Commander step forward and exchange a handshake with a 'Lieutenant Commander Jacobs', his booming voice filling their surroundings.
"If it isn't Sergeant Kryik himself! It's good to see you after all this time, son."
Jacobs' eyes examined the man before him slightly, before a chuckle escaped him and he corrected himself.
"... or should I say Commander. Ha!"
With his back to Locke, it was hard to gauge the Commander's reaction, but he spoke smoothly regardless, withdrawing his hand.
"Good to see you. Lt. McAvoy sends her best, but couldn't make it this time. All the fun stuff with Aegis, the 'goids, Imperials... you know how it is. Valkyrie wanted to offer an appearance to the current trainees, if you think they're up for it?"
"Yes, yes, of course. I received your message. The Federation's finest will always be welcome! Come, come."
Waving them along, Jacobs turned and began to lead the group through the access door, which slid open with a sleek hiss as they entered a well-lit, grey and white hallway. As the short hallway split off into numerous different directions, a large lift with reinforced glass doors could be seen ahead.
"It is quite busy around here too, you know, what with everything - as you said. And, the recent Popontia deployments were certainly no exception. Many pilots were dispatched from this base, and vice versa. Say, you mentioned Valkyrie. How is your team doing?"
He glanced back at those that followed, his gaze meeting Locke and his team. He already wasn't a fan of this 'Jacobs' character. He talked too much... but that was an opinion Locke kept to himself.
"It seems they didn't travel with you."
Sharales chuckled.
"Wanted to make sure nothing was waiting for us en-route, so I brought some extra hands and came ahead. The others should be here in a bit."
"I see. Better safe than sorry, hm? Not to worry, Commander. The enemies of the Federation wouldn't dare venture this close."
Reaching the lift, Jacobs swiftly waved his own guards away, tapping on the console. The doors slid open, prompting Jacobs to step in as the rest of the group followed. Coming to a stop near the center of the lift, Locke faced the door, listening to the conversation as the Lieutenant Commander tapped on the console, the lift doors shutting as it slowly began to ascend upwards.
Jacobs looked over at Sharales, who stood directly opposite of him on the other side of the lift. He placed his hands behind his back at ease, slicking back his ruffled, grey hair as he looked around the lift slightly.
"So, tell me, Commander. What have you been up to recently? We both know there's no shortage of work to be done nowadays, of course."
"We were investigating a rogue special ops team, then helping a squadron who had been attacked by them, and now we're back to being errand runners for the admiralty. Next op I hear will take us into Marlinist space, so that will be a nice change of pace. Oh, and I know this place is safe, just... don't trust not getting shot down by some trigger happy Imp squad trying to level the field. Especially if they knew Valkyrie was the team in their own capital last year."
Jacobs chuckled again, pausing for a moment before he responded.
"I see. Say... now that you mention that rogue spec-ops team. You wouldn't happen to be referring to the... Red Hunters... was it?"
Locke's eyes narrowed, his finger idling over the trigger guard of his weapon as his eyes glanced between Sharales and Jacobs slowly, not moving his head at all. Not only did this Jacobs talk too much... he asked too many questions...
The Commander paused for a split second as well, a low hum coming from him before he answered.
"That's what their callsign was before defecting, yeah. Called themselves the Crimson Venators ever since. Though, some assassin beat us to most of them. If I ever find who did it, they'll get a handshake before I put them down."
"Right. The Crimson Venators. Yes, I remember now. A true shame. I wasn't aware they had fallen, to the hands of some assassin of all things. Nevertheless... I can't say I feel bad for them. We train the best here, Commander. The very finest the Federation has to offer. Their high treason is truly a disgrace against everything we stand for and work hard to protect."
"... You train the Hunters, LT? Or was that not here?"
"Ah, no. From what I understand, it was in fact here, at this fine facility. But no, I did not have a hand in their training. It was completely segmented and locked off from my normal work, which nowadays is admin and onboarding, ha! In fact, I doubt many even knew of their existence... only now their faces are the target of every hotshot team looking to make a name of themselves, so it seems."
Sharales went quiet, the lift falling into silence as only its hum was audible, its droning starting to slow as the lift began to arrive at its destination. Lt. Commander Jacobs glanced around at the individuals that stood in the lift with him, not saying a word before he turned to face the door. Coming to a halt, the lift dinged and opened the doors to yet another large hallway, bustling with Federal personnel and leading out into a large foyer.
"Right this way."
Stepping out of the lift, Jacobs began to lead them through the corridor, the small crowds of personnel parting to make way for them as Locke followed the both of them, glancing back to make sure the other two Commanders were still following. They were, as quiet as ever. He wondered what might be going through Aurora's head right now... hearing the words about her very own past that came from Jacobs.
Turning his focus back onto where they were heading, they were swiftly led into the large foyer. Although they had gone up, there was no telling where they were exactly now, due to the lack of the windows. It didn't take away from the impressive construction of the large room, however. Along with a large reception and security checkpoint, there were several corridors all around leading to various parts of the facility, and bridges overhead connecting the second floor to other areas as well.
Although Locke noted the signs that mentioned the primary training facilities, barracks and vice versa,
VERTEX LANDING PADS stuck out to him. If this was at the top of the mountain, he wondered why they didn't just utilize the alternate pads... and then he frowned to himself. There was an unsettling possibility that maybe, just maybe... they were intentionally guided towards the lower, restricted hangars..."Right, Commander. I understand that we can visit the training facilities when Valkyrie arrives, but is there anything else you would like to tour in the meantime? The base has received quite the upgrades over the years."
Sharales nodded, speaking with a smile.
"Sure, I'll take the grand tour. My colleagues here will check in with administration, got some stuff to sign in and get ready for the workshop with Valkyrie later."
Jacobs returned the smile, nodding as he glanced at the two masked officers behind him. They split off with a nod of acknowledgement, swiftly turning and walking off towards one of the general corridors. As Sharales and Jacobs began to proceed towards the armoury and ranges, Locke looked over at the duo that parted. He sighed internally.
He could only hope that Aurora and Isabella would be able to pull this off. He knew they had a reputation among the squadron for their skillset and determination.
But... he also knew that, sometimes, the universe had a reputation for working against them too.
<<<====================>>>
Aurora Adair
Quickly marching towards the hallway as she recalled the layout in her head, Aurora shakily exhaled within the confines of her helmet as she glanced back, watching Sharales walk off with the Lieutenant Commander. Looking forward once more as she entered the corridor with her partner by her side, Aurora continued to walk, following the signs and passing personnel as they made their way towards the administration and security section.
However, instead of heading all the way, Aurora turned sharply as she started to walk down a completely separate corridor, walking down a long set of stairs that led them down towards one of the base's several server rooms. Swiftly reaching the bottom of the stairs, Aurora and Isa came to a stop by a large security checkpoint door, two guards standing guard near it.
They asked no questions as Aurora produced a card from a pouch on her vest, stepping towards the console and swiping her card. Her heart raced in her chest, but the console flashed green with minimal wait, the door sliding open with a hiss. She stepped through, starting to walk down the cold, dark blue corridor, the ambient temperature starting to change slightly as they advanced.
The corridor was empty, and so she quickly popped open a pouch on her belt, pulling out her PDA and quickly sneaking a look at her messages. As expected, one unread message was pending.
========== PDA INBOX ==========
SENDER: Tempest, AX-SR3
Cameras have been looped. You should have ample time to reach the server room, designated A-12.========== PDA INBOX ==========
It was a message from Sharales's personal ship that had been idling in orbit secretly. It was always a little reassuring to have an eye in the sky, and so far, their plan had been proceeding quite smoothly with all the help.
She stowed her PDA and took in a breath, glancing over at Isa by her side as she started to walk again, keeping her voice down.
"... All good...?"
Isabella nodded.
"All good, hun..."
Aurora hummed in response, looking forward again as she took in a breath, nodding to herself in reassurance as they continued to advance down the corridor, taking note of the signs along the wall. Several reinforced doors lined the corridor on both sides, each with a respective sign to the server room they sealed. It didn't take long for Aurora to eventually find A-12, the sixth door on the right.
Approaching the console, she held her breath and swiped her card carefully. Responding with a beep as it ran the authorization check, the door clunked as it unlocked, and the console flashed green.
Grabbing the rotary handle of the door, Aurora twisted and pulled, the heavy door budging with ease as the motorized assistance systems kicked in, the door opening with a slow hiss. Cool, frosty air trickled out around the edges of the door frame as the duo slipped in through the gap, leaving the door open behind them as they entered the frigid server room.
Coming to a stop as she stood on the grated metal floor, Aurora looked around at her surroundings, towering racks of computers and databases surrounding her, dividing the server room into rows filled with small, flashing LEDs along each column. She grabbed her PDA from her belt once more, pulling up a wireframe image of the databases.
"Server rack... M-26..."
Sighing quietly, Aurora carefully started to walk along the panelled floor, the map guiding her along through the server towers, before she turned and walked deeper into the room. She counted her steps slowly, focused intently on the map as her partner followed quietly behind.
"... 23... 24... 25... 26..."
She stopped, and turned to her left, looking up at a server rack. She crouched down, her finger tracing along the glass door before she stopped, pointing at a server rack labelled
M-26."Here."
Opening the door carefully, Aurora grabbed a device from a pouch on her belt, which almost looked like a circuit-board, with an assortment of wires and shielding weaved around some of its components, and an omnidirectional interface port on both ends. It looked a little hacky... but hopefully it'd do the work. She glanced at Isa sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders as she nervously laughed a little.
"N-not really my... 'greatest work'... ha~..."
"It's fine. You'll do fine, honey. But... let's not stick around longer than we have to, okay?"
"... yeah..."
Turning back to the server rack, Aurora sighed softly, hesitating a moment before she balanced her PDA on her knee, and grabbed the handle of the rack, sliding it out slightly. Running her hands along the front slots as she read the labels, Aurora settled on an open network I/O port, bringing the device in her hands up to the port and plugging it into the server rack.
Picking up her PDA and opening a small, circular cover on the side of it, she pulled out a short cable and connected it into the hacking device. Swiping on the screen, she navigated to a script that Sharales had helped her prepare to breach the server's firewall, combined with instructions and a digital hash provided by her father's databank. It had all been automated for her - all Aurora had to do now was push a button.
Tapping on the screen of her PDA, the device beeped quietly, a LED lighting up on the board of the hacking device. She waited impatiently, clutching her PDA tightly as she waited for the screen to give her some kind of positive readout. All she could do so far was watch the unintelligible stream of data as the automated script made its way through the firewall, searching the server partition for data that matched the hash the databank had provided them.
"Such suspense..."
Aurora chuckled quietly at the comment she heard come from her partner behind her. She glanced back, smiling behind her visor, before she was interrupted by a beep from her PDA.
Turning back and looking at the screen, she quickly read it, breathing a sigh of relief. The script found the data, and had started to decrypt and download it. It didn't seem particularly big, but according to the readout, it seemed heavily encrypted - hidden deep within the layers of data on the server. It'd take some time to download without tripping any security protocols or silent alarms, or worse - corrupting the data. This was all stuff the program had to figure out itself.
Kneeling down next to her, Isabella glanced at what she was doing, rubbing her hands together slightly before she looked at Aurora.
"So... how long is this going to take, hun?"
"It... depends on a few factors, so I... I don't know exactly. The e-breach I made isn't... really that good... so it can only do so much at once. That, and most of it is up to that program Sharales provided... which we had to intentionally... like... 'bottleneck', I guess, so the script doesn't go ahead and start tripping anti-tamper measures on the server, if it goes too quickly or does the wrong thing."
Isabella nodded.
"... Huh... okay. Cool."
Lifting her PDA as she placed it on top of the extended server rack, Aurora sat back on her haunches and sighed, resting her hands on her lap.
"Well... now all we can do is... wait..."
<<<====================>>>
SGT. Rocco Locke, Sabre 1-1
With a smooth hiss, the door leading towards the live fire range opened, allowing Jacobs and Sharales through as they continued down the winding corridors. Locke followed, not paying much mind to the conversation the two were having anymore... that, and he was already quite sick of Jacobs' constant rambling. He instead took in the grey-white corridor they passed through, studying the occasional guards they passed.
The hallway was quite empty for a hallway leading towards the live fire range... only for Locke to realize that it didn't seem like they were heading there anymore. He glanced up at the signs as they continued, seeing that they were proceeding towards the 'Observatory'. Of course... things wouldn't be so simple without some kind of complication.
Locke almost walked into Jacobs as he looked up at the signs, quickly stopping as he realized they had come to an abrupt halt. He watched as Commander Kryik took a few steps ahead, before he glanced back too, realizing Jacobs had stopped.
"Say, son..."
The rest of Sabre stopped, watching as Sharales walked back slightly, glancing at the Lieutenant curiously. The two men stopped in the middle of the corridor, facing each other as Locke watched Jacobs intently, frowning to himself as he listened.
"You... mentioned that there was a... squadron, right? When we spoke about the... Crimson Venators? What's this squadron called?"
"It's an independent squadron, TITAN Contracting... or... Contractors maybe? They used to be pretty big, but the Venators really knocked them down a bunch. Last major thing I knew was that their flagship carrier had an FSD failure, and they just rebuilt it with the last resources they seemed to have."
Locke glanced at Sharales, his own hand imperceptibly tightening around the grip of his Oppressor rifle as his finger edged closer to the trigger. He could hear a slight edge in Sharales' voice, but it wasn't clear if Jacobs picked up the subtle, defensive tone either..
"Why do you ask?"
The Lieutenant Commander shrugged nonchalantly.
"Ah, well... you mention the Venators, and it reminded me of... 'recent events', shall we say. I wasn't aware the Crimson Venators had been eliminated, but... you did say most of them. Not all. And for a while, their names and faces have been circulating throughout the intelligence office every now and then, as I'm sure you know. Some Federal taskforce even went all the way out to Colonia to try apprehend one of the Venators, can you believe it? Ha! A 22 thousand light year trip, for one woman..."
"I believe her callsign was... Foxhound... yes? That Adair woman. Trained in this very facility with the rest of them. Strangely... that same squadron you mentioned... she was their leader, right? Seems the squadron was pretty quick to drop her when she evaded arrest, but... yet... she was sighted again in Sol five months ago. And now, you say this squadron has... rebuilt itself, correct? Well... their 'flagship carrier', at least."
As if the whole world stopped and his senses heightened, Locke grit his teeth and fixated on Jacobs, not saying a word. His thumb carefully brushed over the safety, his index finger resting on the trigger guard as he stood there and waited.
Sharales shifted casually, letting his weight rest on his left leg.
"Yeah, Valkyrie got tagged in at that point, we didn't expect her to go for Sol. Speaks to her training and skill I guess, they were one of the best until they defected. Anyway, the trail went cold and this squadron couldn't help themselves let alone us, so we're keeping an eye out but other priorities have come up."
Sharales scoffed.
"Almost exactly like what happened with the original betrayal of the hunters. Evaded long enough for other shit to hit the fan and get the teams reassigned from the trail."
A slight frown crossed Jacobs', his brow wrinkling.
"Indeed. Hm. But you say... Valkyrie was 'tagged in', correct? That you didn't expect her to go for Sol, implying you're hunting her down. But I recall reports mentioning your team's involvement - or rather opposition to the Colonia case. And you say you're... 'helping' this squadron, who are being attacked by the 'Crimson Venators', a group now conveniently killed by an anonymous assassin? I think the better question is... are you helping a fugitive, son?"
"It strikes me as... quite... coincidental to want to have a tour and host a workshop, at this exact base... at this exact time. After all, you said it yourself... the galaxy is a busy place for men like you. The Thargoids, those religious cultists... the Imps. But alas... we stand here, Commander. So I can't help but truly wonder... why did you come here? Who are those officers you brought with you?"
The Lieutenant Commander's stance shifted slightly, but Locke remained quiet, keeping a close eye on his hands, not even daring to look away for a second. Sharales simply chuckled, before responding.
"LT... You just followed the path of logic we want Adair to. This place should be their next target, as far as the intel we have suggests, it follows the trail after that station they raided and the desperation. The two officers that accompanied me are personal guards from Admiral Yorke, here to watch the places I can't be in. This squad..."
He gestured towards Locke.
"... is here to protect those two officers and be backup if need be. Hopefully Adair acts as we expect and we catch her here. I'm trusting you LT, though I'd appreciate it if you didn't blow appearances in front of anyone else. McAvoy and Valkyrie are standing by to intercept in orbit if something goes wrong, but my priority is apprehension and returning those two officers back to the admiral. If I have to, I'll send them off base to protect them while you and I deal with the rest."
Jacobs nodded, but his cold eyes locked onto Sharales, a sly grin emerging on his face.
"Fair enough, son. But an old man can't help but wonder... why your guard detail here is following you... instead of protecting those two female officers you dismissed towards the administration section. Maybe you are correct after all. Maybe... this Adair woman has acted as expected after all, hm? Imagine the kind of help she would need to slip into this facility undetected..."
His hand shifted on his belt, his fingers grasping a communications device.
In one swift motion, Locke flicked the safety of his rifle off and rapidly shouldered it, his finger sliding into the trigger guard and squeezing as he trained the muzzle of his weapon on the Lieutenant Commander. With a flash of light, the barrel arced and exploded in an array of sparks, a bright, electrical beam connecting with his side before he could react.
Jacobs' uniform scorched slightly as he yelled out in pain, his body seizing before he promptly collapsed to the ground, dropping the device. A second shot rang out from Locke's side, Commander Kryik quickly reaching to grab his sidearm on his right thigh, turning to respond before his armour sparked for a split second, the second bolt hitting his torso head-on. His right hand malfunctioned as the electrical discharge coursed through his suit, the cybernetic hand clenching tightly as he squirmed and fell to the ground, falling unconscious.
Taking one last look at Jacobs, Locke swiftly turned, looking at his team near him as he checked the hallways for signs of anyone else. It seemed to be clear for now, but the sound would draw the attention of any nearby guards before long.
"Okay Sabre... new plan. Looks like we've been compromised. We don't have the numbers for a fight. Head back, break right, and we need to get to administration as quick as possible. I'll raise the others, let's go!"
With their weapons at the ready, Sabre spun around and began to backtrack, keeping their weapons lowered as they broke into a jog. Taking the first right they came across, the team turned and lowered their weapons once again, following a more relaxed posture as they began to traverse the empty corridors, before taking the next left that led them back through towards the main hub.
"Sabre to Oracle. We've been compromised, get us an immediate extraction at the vertical landing pads."
IDENT: {Oracle} "[What the hell, Locke? Fuck. Give me a few minutes, the ships hooked up to fuel lines and everything...]"
"Just take off, goddamnit. Why did you get them to service the fucking ship?"
IDENT: {Oracle} "[Do you want me to risk blowing a fucking hole out the side of this base?! This was the plan we were supposed to stick to. I was told to blend in, goddamnit! Plus, they won't let me take off while the crew is st-...]"
"Fuck it. No time to argue. No way in hell we'll make it down there in time. Dagger?"
IDENT: {Dagger 1-1} "[We hear you, Sabre. We can get to the vertex pads, but it's going to be a close one without landing permission, Sergeant. You sure you want t-...]"
"There's no..."
Locke quietened down as he watched several soldiers pass the corridor ahead, seemingly in a hurry. Sabre continued to walk down the corridor, picking up their pace once again.
"No time, Felix. We need to get out of here right now."
IDENT: {Dagger 1-1} "[Fine. Give us three or so minutes. You better move your ass and make sure you're there.]"
"Yeah... no fucking kidding..."
<<<====================>>>
Aurora Adair
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[Commander Adair, this is Sabre 1-1. We've been compromised. Only a matter of time before the rest of the facility finds out. Get back to the main hub now, we'll meet you there. Extraction is at Vertex Pad 01.]"
Jumping to her feet, Aurora quickly grabbed her PDA and looked at the screen. She shakily exhaled, pressing the side of her helmet as she watched the readout.
"We're almost done, Sergeant. Just a few more minutes... the script needs to check if the data is intac-..."
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[Commander, listen to me! There is no time. We won't make it out of this facility if it goes lockdown. Get the fuck out of there now!]"
"Fine! Ughhh... fuck..."
Quickly yanking the device from the port, Aurora slid the server rack back into its spot, closing the glass door behind it as she turned to her partner, stowing her PDA and the e-breach. Isabella looked at her, gesturing to the pouch Aurora stowed both devices in as the two anxiously rose to their feet.
"Did we get it?"
"I d-don't know... there's no time to check..."
Aurora exhaled shakily, quickly grabbing Isa's arm as they began to run for the door of the server room. Making their way to the reinforced door, the duo quickly slipped out from it, shutting the door tightly as she twisted the handle. They began to walk down the corridor they had come from, approaching the security door. Composing herself quickly, Aurora swiped her card at the authorization reader, praying that it worked...
With a beep, the console flashed green, the door opening with a loud metal clunk as it unlocked, the motors hissing. Swiftly stepping through, Aurora started to walk normally - as normally as one could with two Federation soldiers staring at them as they exited. She half-waited for someone to yell or for her to get shot... but nothing happened as they ascended the stairs.
Her heart pounded in her chest, trying to keep her breathing steady. She had expected it to not work out flawlessly... that was usually how her life went. But now, actual stakes were back on the table. They couldn't get caught... or she was dead. The both of them would be. And they would have failed everybody.
Reaching the top of the stairs, Aurora quickly turned the corner where they came from, walking through the corridor as she glanced up at the signs that guided her back to the main 'reception'. They could make it, they just had to.
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[Commander, where are you?]"
"I... we're coming out of the server room now... in one of the corridors..."
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[Dagger is almost at the pad. They're violating airspace, Commander. Only a matter of time before shit goes haywire. Run if you have to, just get to those pads immediately.]"
Aurora sighed heavily, keeping her head down as they started to pass through groups of Federal personnel, some guards standing at ease near pillars along the corridor. She picked up her pace slightly, still walking as Isabella followed her. There were just a few more junctions to pass through. Just a few more...
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[Commander, Dagger is approaching now. We're at the hub, but it's starting to look suspicious. Where the hell are you two?]"
"We're almost there..."
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[We don't have time for thi-...]"
Aurora snapped over the radio, trying to keep her voice down as she quietly seethed a little.
"Just wait, Sergeant...!"
Almost practically jogging now as she picked up her pace even faster, Aurora turned into yet another corridor. This place was a maze - as if intentionally designed to be confusing... or maybe she was getting lost in her panic. She looked up at the signs. The hub should be ahead... but yet...
A blood-chilling sound echoed throughout the corridor. Red lights lining the corridor flickered on as an alarm sounded. She wasn't sure what had caused it, whether it was their approaching ship, whatever Sabre did, or if she had been spotted. But none of that mattered anymore.
Grabbing her lover's arm, Aurora broke into a sprint as she dashed through the groups of people in the corridor. Shouts followed her as she weaved through normal Federal personnel, shoving people aside that tried to block her path as the two ran as fast as their legs could carry them. A loud shot rang out, echoing through the corridors. She flinched, half-expecting the round to land true...
Deafening gunfire filled the corridor ahead as they turned, spotting the hub. The vertex pads connected directly to the hub via a set of security corridors - one of them already open. A team of four figures stood, their weapons erupting with brilliant flashes of light as they stood with their shields online. A shield projector covered the mouth of the door, kinetic and lasers rounds chipping away at the energy shield.
One of them glanced to the side, spotting Aurora and Isa as they dashed towards the foyer. A shout called out, before a more clear voice came over the radio.
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[RUN, Commander! We'll cover, go!]"
Two of the figures quickly broke away, running towards the two Commanders, their shields flashing as they quickly shielded them from the incoming fire. An arm came around Aurora, pulling her in as the soldier covered her with their body, quickly rushing towards the open security corridor. She looked back, seeing another disguised CSF operative assist Isa as they passed through the shield.
She was released, nudged forward slightly as she continued to sprint down the corridor, following its signs. The CSF team followed, their boots echoing throughout the corridor as gunfire followed them. Aurora did her best to stay focused, heading straight for Pad 01 as she passed unconscious Federal soldiers and personnel alike that had been cleared out in the hallway. The corridor began to open up, widening to accommodate a large bulkhead door ahead at its end.
With a single klaxon, the door began to suddenly open, its hum filling the hallway as yellow warning lights illuminated their only exit out of this facility. As the door opened to unveil the dark sky, a single Dropship sat atop the landing pad, suspended above a sprawling jungle. The rear ramp opened, the shields of the ship flashing as something impacted it from outside.
She just prayed the Federation weren't brazen enough to...
Stumbling as she tripped and collapsed to the floor, a deafening boom rocked the facility as the double catwalk leading out to the pad erupted in a cloud of fire and shrapnel beyond the door. She cursed to herself, her head and senses sent spinning from the shockwave, unable to hear her own words over her ringing ears. Her body shook with fear, lifting her head as she struggled to her feet, but fear paralyzed her on the spot.
She heard somebody shouting over the radio, but her body refused to carry her forward. She was pushed towards the bulkhead door, almost losing her footing again as someone grabbed her shoulder and continued. Every instinct in her body cried out to prevent her from going forward, but she could hardly resist, forced to continue their advance.
They broke out through the bulkhead, stepping through the hazy smoke that slowly cleared. Through the condensation that had collected on her visor, she spotted the Dropship still sitting atop the pad, the catwalk sheared in half as the structural supports of the landing pad wobbled, unsteady. And then she heard that unbridled yell - an order, commanding her to push forward.
IDENT: {Sabre 1-1} "[GO! FUCKING JUMP!]"
Adrenaline coursed through her veins... and she pushed forward, breaking into a desperate dash. Whether it was the pure fear she felt right now or deep bravery that maybe existed inside of her, she didn't know. Sprinting across the broken catwalk, Aurora kicked off right at the edge, jumping as far as she possibly could to the other side.
Her feet landed, almost slipping on the grated metal as she stumbled forward. She spun back around, watching Isabella perform the same feat directly after Isa. Tracers cut through the slight smoke behind them, the CSF soldiers standing their ground as they, one-by-one, made the jump... at least a lot more deftly than the duo did, what with the jump assist on the rear of their suit.
Turning back around towards the ship, Aurora quickly continued, listening to the landing pad groan and screech as the metal support beneath began to give way. The Dropship's bottom thrusters fired as its landing gear disconnected from the pad, relieving the weight as it hovered. She glanced up into the sky as she watched lasers streak across the black, the shields of their escape ship shimmering and flashing once more.
With the last bit of energy she could muster, Aurora pushed towards the ramp, quickly jumping onto it. She hated being first, spinning back around as she extended her hand, reaching out for her partner who followed. Grabbing her arm, she yanked Isabella into the ship, and then turned to the next operative in line. The ship lurched, almost throwing them off the ramp as she lowered her profile, trying to keep steady as she helped the next CSF soldier in line.
Looking past them, she watched as Federal soldiers paused at the open bulkhead, their rounds and lasers uselessly pinging off the superior shields of the Dropship. The enemy ship in the sky - wherever it was - was a much bigger threat... but they didn't have time to deal with it.
Grabbing the hand of the last soldier, Aurora was suddenly pushed back into the ship by them, the ramp slowly starting to close as someone yelled out. The man grabbed Aurora by her arms, practically chucking her into a seat as he slammed the harness down over her, securing her. Isabella had already done the same, the soldiers getting settled in their seats as the ship's engines roared.
Aurora grimaced and whimpered quietly to herself as she laid her head back into her seat, feeling the thrusters accelerate them as the wind rushed past the ship, whistling through the closing ramp door before everything became muffled, sealing shut.
She could hear projectiles and laser fire impacting the exterior of the ship... but at the very least, they felt safe now. A voice called out in the bay, spoken through a helmet from one of the CSF soldiers. She vaguely recognized the voice - presuming it to be Sergeant Locke.
"Dagger, get us the fuck out of here. Get the Azure Star to jump somewhere nearby! We'll try lose this Federal tail and extract at the carrier. I don't care, just do it! We have the fucking data! Let's go!"
... Only... Aurora had hoped they had gotten the data they needed. She never had time to check...
She glanced down at her belt, resting her hand on the pouch that held her PDA as her body tried to come down from her adrenaline high. She held onto the pouch tightly, closing her eyes as she gritted her teeth and breathed deeply to calm herself, as the ship maneuvered violently.
In the end, only time would tell if any of this was worth it after all.
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Credit:
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