Chapter 662: Locating the Spacecraft
Following the confirmation, an internal briefing was immediately convened.
Inside the Trailblazer's tactical planning room, the entirety of Maine's squad was assembled. Asuka, wearing an exploration suit, followed them in with overt curiosity. Ryo had specifically requested her participation in this operation, citing that "the dynamic visual acuity and rapid reaction times of an EVA pilot are required as an additional safeguard." She found this highly validating.
Ryo stood before the tactical display table. A three-dimensional holographic projection of the Hallelujah Mountains hovered in the air, with a specific sector highlighted.
"Objective: An extraterrestrial spacecraft. According to the decrypted memory fragments, it is concealed within this sector of floating mountains. The exact coordinates require on-site tracking," his gaze swept across the room. "Maine's squad will handle vanguard reconnaissance, perimeter security, and breach operations. Sergeant Reynolds' Hellfire Squad will provide heavy fire support and flank coverage. Trudy will pilot the Samson for rapid orbital insertion. I will assume personal command."
"Doctor, regarding your security—" Maine spoke up steadily, his eyes lingering on Ryo's standard research uniform, which lacked any form of heavy armor.
"If necessary, I will remain aboard the Samson," Ryo cut him off, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The critical factors of this operation are speed and precision. We cannot afford to give any potential secondary threats time to react. All personnel, finalize gear checks. We deploy in one hour."
Without any further questions, Maine's squad immediately moved out to prep.
Asuka folded her arms and looked at Ryo: "Hey, Doctor. Since I can't bring an EVA down there, what exactly is my role? I'm not just here for sightseeing, am I?"
Ryo looked at her, his eyes calm: "Your role is to 'look,' Asuka. Use your eyes—the eyes of an ace pilot—to observe the environment and identify any unnatural details or latent threats. In certain scenarios, your intuition and reaction speed may prove more reliable than our scanners."
This answer made Asuka raise an eyebrow. While she was still somewhat dissatisfied about not piloting an EVA, being entrusted with such a responsibility made her feel a sense of value distinct from pure combat.
"Hmph, then prepare to witness my true capabilities."
Ryo said nothing further, turning and walking toward the equipment bay.
He indeed chose not to wear power armor. He merely donned a tactical vest over his research uniform, providing basic environmental hazard protection and integrated communications, and secured a respirator mask over his lower face.
His body, compressed by his psychic might, looked no different from that of an ordinary human youth. Yet deep within those black eyes was a cold luster forged by countless calculations and the fires of war.
He did not require external armor to project power; he himself was the most devastating weapon in this detachment.
Insertion
The Samson's massive rotors churned the spore-rich air of Pandora. Under Trudy Chacon's steady hand, the chassis cut through the sky like a muscular iron bird, skimming over the endless, magnificently glowing ocean of the forest below, heading straight toward the distant Hallelujah Mountains—colossal peaks that stood in defiance of gravity, as if cleaved by the axe of a god.
Inside the passenger bay, the atmosphere was heavy with focus.
The eight operators of Hellfire Squad were fully geared up, wearing heavy combat plating with their plasma rifles resting across their knees. Their eyes were sharp beneath their visors as they silently ran final checks on their hardware.
Sitting near the open bay door, Sergeant Reynolds periodically checked the flight path and localized environmental telemetry with Trudy over the comms.
On the other side of the bay, Maine's squad presented a different dynamic.
Maine and Dorio wore lighter but equally durable tactical suits. Though their weapons were readied, their posture was more restrained—like leopards coiled to strike.
Pilar and Falco occupied a small corner, several datapads spread out before them. Complex signal waveforms and topographical modeling data streamed across the screens as they conversed in hushed tones regarding scanner parameters.
Valerie sat with her eyes closed inside the cockpit of her Iron Guard mech, though the slight twitching of her fingertips indicated she wasn't truly resting.
The other Iron Guard, piloted by Jake, stood silently at the rear of the bay like a loyal metal giant.
Asuka sat beside Ryo, gazing out the viewport at the surreal, yet deadly landscape rushing by. Her cerulean eyes sparked with a mix of curiosity and vigilance.
She occasionally cast a glance at Ryo beside her. He was looking down at his wrist terminal, comparing the topographical map with the memory fragments extracted from Celtic. The profile of his face, partially obscured by the respirator, was perfectly calm, betraying zero emotional fluctuation.
"We are approaching the target vector," Ryo said without looking up. His voice came through the comms into everyone's earpieces, clear and steady. "The localized magnetic field in the target sector is intensely disruptive; conventional scanners will suffer severe interference. Trudy, locate a secure LZ. We will proceed into the core zone on foot."
"Copy that, Doctor. Scanning now... Damn, the magnetic readings here look like a tangled ball of yarn," Trudy's voice crackled from the cockpit, carrying a trace of tension. "I've spotted a relatively flat rock ledge we can squeeze onto. Hold on tight!"
The Samson began to rapidly shed altitude, weaving nimbly between the colossal, floating landmasses.
Viewing the mountains up close was breathtaking. The jagged rocks were draped in glowing moss and bizarrely shaped flora. Waterfalls cascaded like ribbons of silver from the cliffs, atomizing into vast clouds of mist in the void and refracting rainbows of light.
The roar of the gunship's engines echoed through the valleys, startling small, crystal-winged avian creatures from their roosts within the crevices.
The gunship shuddered violently before finally touching down securely on a wide rock ledge protruding above the mist layer.
The bay doors slid open, and a rush of cold wind, thick with moisture and the sharp scent of vegetation, instantly swept into the cabin.
"Move out!" Maine barked a low command, leaping from the bay first. Dorio followed closely behind. The two instantly secured vantage points at the edge of the rock ledge, raising their weapons in a perimeter guard.
The operators of Hellfire Squad poured out in a textbook tactical formation, establishing a defensive perimeter.
Next came the remaining members of Maine's squad. The two Iron Guard mechs, piloted by Valerie and Jake, stepped out with heavy strides, their metallic feet slamming against the rock with dull thuds.
Ryo was the last to exit. He stood at the edge of the rock ledge, looking out over the surreal, wonderland-like terrain.
Condensation gathered into tiny droplets on his respirator mask.
He closed his eyes, seemingly reaching out to sense something—not merely relying on Celtic's memory fragments, but extending a subtle psychic perception, attempting to establish a connection with this zone saturated in intense life energy and anomalous magnetic fields.
"Doctor, the scanner is practically blind," Falco reported, smacking the side of his device in frustration. "The background noise is overwhelming. Effective detection range is under fifty meters."
"Expected," Ryo opened his eyes. "Switch to passive reception mode. Prioritize monitoring unnatural energy signatures and metallic returns. Maine, you have tactical command of the vanguard; proceed along the preliminary route I've marked. Sergeant Reynolds, your squad is responsible for flank and rearguard security."
"Understood."
"Copy that, Doctor."