Colonel West stood straight backed with his usual stern expression as one by one the commandos filed into the briefing room. The commandos arriving within short intervals of each other. The Colonel nodded to them all in turn as they entered and took a seat around the briefing table. "Welcome gentlemen, thank you for joining us promptly at such short notice," he said, beginning the briefing.
"Us?" Jet asked, as an older woman with shoulder length hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, stepped out of the shadows beside the presentation screen as it blinked to life.
"Yes, us," she replied. "I am Chelsea Zeigler, Executive of Human Resources and Public Relations with Cinazine Incorporated," she said, introducing herself.
"Never heard of it," Jet interrupted.
The Colonel shot him an icy glare, and Grim cleared his throat.
Jet put his hands up defensively. "Sorry."
The woman exhaled and continued. "For those of you not familiar with us, Cinazine is a major defence contractor with the Federation. We supply the regular army with armoured vehicles, battle, and support droids, as well as producing weapons for said products," she said. "This evening we had an emergency situation at the factory where several prominent members of our IT and security team rebelled and took control of the facility, at the behest of the head of Research and Development, Doctor Sebastian Gray. They clearly had this planned well in advance and seized control of all computer, security, and manufacturing systems, in an attempted coup of the company. Gray and his co-conspirators are holding a number of important executives and employees hostage and refuse to negotiate or release anyone until their demands are met."
The Colonel stepped forward, "This is where Revenant Squadron come in," he said. "The executives are important people who must be rescued at all cost. They are your main priority, besides recapturing the facility. Gray and his conspirators we want alive, and I must insist upon the factory being taken with as minimal damage as possible. None of your usual running in guns blazing, and tearing the place apart," he said, looking them all in the eye one by one before his gaze settled on Grim. "Discretion is the key to this mission gentlemen. If word of this situation got out, the rogue press would have a field day with it. You're to get in, navigate your way through the complex, disable any opposition you meet from the automated security and defences, shut down the factory, infiltrate the boardroom where the hostages are being held and secure their safety. And finally apprehend Gray and his henchmen," Colonel West said, detailing their objectives. He turned to the display behind him as a layout of the facility's plans was spread out before them. "Our strategic team has already assessed the situation and detailed the best method of approach for the operation to have the highest chance of success."
Grim grunted and the colonel turned to him, the two men locking gazes.
"Yes Lieutenant? Do you have a problem?"
"With all due respect sir, I'd rather my team formulate our own plan of action," Grim said.
West nodded. "I understand that Lieutenant, but rest assured you can trust in the ability of our strategic team. You've worked with them plenty of times before on successful operations, there's no reason this would be any different," Colonel West said, his voice stern, but sympathetic. "Your hasty deployment aside, Echo One were on station when the situation was reported and immediately set about attending to the logistics. Your team was recalled due to no other squadrons being available on short notice."
Grim held the other officer's gaze for a few moments, then nodded in acceptance. "As long as it's Echo One co-ordinating the mission and not another team."
West nodded and said nothing further as Zeigler began to speak again. "Because it's a military production facility there is a significant number of newly commissioned battle droids standing by, waiting to be activated and deployed. Naturally we suspect Gray and his accomplices intend to activate and utilise at least some of these droids as a standing army. In addition to the regiment of active droids currently deployed on security detail, there's three battalions of other droids they're assumably in the process of bringing online and are eager to deploy. So, when I say time is of the essence, I mean that in all seriousness. You have to take the control centre before this process can be completed. But considering they have a skeletal staff and a large number of droids to deploy, that process should take some time. Getting into the administrative building won't be as easy as just walking in through the front door," she said. "The building will be locked down, and you'll have to navigate your way around the security provisions. Fortunately, we can help you with that to get you into the building. We've provided Echo One with all the data, tactical and statistical information they'll need to guide you through the process of circumnavigating the security systems," Zeigler said.
"Oh?" Dex asked, raising an eyebrow. As the team's sniper and infiltration specialist, the tasks of hacking and gaining access to security systems fell to him. "Complicated defence mechanisms such as?" he asked.
"Getting into the building isn't too difficult, but there's only one way in and out of the control room, and that route is guarded by automated defences to prevent intruders from infiltrating the control room and taking control of the complex," Zeigler explained.
"That seems like an excessive amount of security for a manufacturing facility," Grim commented.
Zeigler nodded. "If we were just that I would agree with you, but Cinazine conducts a lot of research and development projects that include not just vehicles, but weapons, armour, biological agents, and classified projects of a volatile nature. Access to the more secure areas of the compound can only be granted by seizing control of the control room, hence it's a prime target for any insurrectionists, or enemy forces. Which dictates the need for the high security," she said, folding her arms across her chest.
Grim nodded; but didn't say anything. It made sense. He didn't bother asking what sort research and development, and what projects. He knew there was no way she was going to tell them.
Colonel West nodded. "Thank you, Ms. Zeigler. Echo One will be guiding you through the process once you get to the administrative building. So, you'll have plenty of support on how to counteract the security systems and work your way into the control room. Echo One have moved to mobile HQ, so I'll defer to Captain Ortega to fill you in," West said, as he addressed the officer in charge of the co-ordination of the mission.
"Thank you Colonel," a woman's voice replied, being broadcast from the armoured vehicle that was acting as the mission HQ, and was undoubtedly already on the scene. "Good evening, Revenants."
"Good evening, Captain Ortega. Nice to hear your voice again," Grim said.
"You too Lieutenant. I hope you all enjoyed your leave. I'll cut straight to the chase," she began. "All entrances to the facility have been blockaded and are under heavy guard. Ergo, attempting any sort of frontal assault is out of the question. We've found a much more subtle means of entrance via the ventilation system that can be accessed by the roof," the captain said, the areas lighting up on the display in front of them as she spoke. "In this manner you'll be able to bypass the bulk of the security forces and insert yourself well within the complex. Analysis of the layout of the facility has designated this the optimum route, but you'll still have to navigate your way through supply rooms, inventory, maintenance bays, an armoured vehicle factory, droid assembly lines, and several administrative levels before you come to the boardroom," she explained, detailing their route through the massive complex. "Keep in mind it isn't your typical boardroom. It's a combination boardroom and control room, where the factories are controlled and overseen, which means your approach is guaranteed to be noticed and retaliated against," she explained. "Ergo, it is important that you take the control room and disable the security systems and defences as quickly as possible. Law Enforcement have been scrambled and are currently setting up a blockade around the site. They'll move in to clean up and handle things once you have the situation under control and neutralise the threat."
Cash snorted. "Send in the troops to do all the dirty work, then move in and do the easy stuff; typical pigs."
The captain ignored him. "A gunship is standing by ready to transport Revenant Squadron to the Cinazine facility. Suit up, arm up, and head out. I'll link up with you once more when you're on site. Bye for now," Ortega said, as she signed off and the line went dead with a click.
Colonel West glared at Cash with his dark, penetrating eyes, unblinking as he stared the commando down.
Grim caught his gaze and smirked. "Typical flyboys," he said. "Just can't help but run their mouths."
West narrowed his eyes at him. "Just make sure you keep them in line Lieutenant. You're dismissed."
Grim raised an eyebrow as Cash as the commandoes filed from the room.
Cash smirked in response and shrugged, "Just statin' what we're all thinking," he said.
Grim rolled his eyes, but said nothing further on the topic. Instead, he motioned for his men to hustle as they moved towards Revenant Squadron's dormitory where all their weapons, armour, and equipment awaited.
The commandos approached their individual combat units, scrambled into their padded jumpsuits, threw open their armour storage units and began putting on their armour.
Cram stepped back into his torso piece as Cash held it for him, then pulled it closed as the two sides sealed with a whine and its systems powered up, then he did the same for the other Sergeant.
Dex pulled on his gauntlets and flexed his fingers inside the flexible mesh, getting himself used to the slightly stiff feeling of the combat gloves. Like the other components of their armour, the gloves gave a beep of acknowledgement as their internal systems powered up and connected to the armour's computer network, the different components of the armour all coming online and becoming aware of each other as they were activated by being donned.
Grim fastened his utility belt and picked up his helmet with one hand, carrying it as he selected his sidearm from the weapon's locker and slid it into the holster at his side. Lastly, he placed the helmet on his head and picked up his blaster rifle as his Heads-Up Display flashed to life and began running a system's diagnostic. The other commandos quickly followed suit as they followed his lead out of their headquarters to the designated launch zone.
A gunship patiently awaited their arrival. Roughly shaped like a lower-class t, its stubby wings sloped down over the loading bay at 45-degree angles, the front of it vaguely resembling a bulbous faced bird of prey.
The commandos shuffled on board as its engines whirled to life with an ascending electronic whine, and once Grim confirmed to the pilot that they were all safely on board, it lifted off from the launchpad and took to the sky. The gunship cruised through the air, making a beeline for their destination as it climbed and glided gracefully over the labyrinth of spacescrapers, making minor course adjustments to navigate around the occasional building that stood higher than the rest.
Grim went over the mission parameters with his team as they approached, the blueprints of the facility's layout filling their HUDs; their path of entry being highlighted in blue among the green plans. Enemy units popped up as red dots, spread throughout the maze of factories, R and D buildings, offices, storage facilities and a myriad of other buildings and spaces that made up the expansive complex.
"Leave it to us to have to infiltrate a facility that just happens to be host to an entire factory of battle droids," Cram said.
Jet chuckled over the comm. "Just our luck, eh?"
"Sounds like fun to me," Dex said, with wry amusement. "Afraid of a challenge, Cram?"
Cram snorted. "Not at all. Just pointing out that we get all the more...interesting jobs."
"Because we're the best there is," Wes said.
"Revenant Squadron to Echo One, do you read?" Grim said over the commlink, hailing the mobile command centre.
"Copy Revenants; reading you loud and clear," Captain Ortega replied. "What's your status R1?"
"We're all green and inbound to the drop point. ETA 10 minutes," Grim replied. "How've you been Aria?"
"Pretty good Lieutenant, extremely busy. You guys might have got a holiday, but we've been as busy as ever. How was your time off?"
"Boring," Grim said dryly. "I'm glad to be back on duty."
She tsk tsked. "You've got to learn how to enjoy yourself more, Grim."
"I'm not too great at that admittedly," he said, then noticed the other commandos all staring in his direction. Suddenly remembering himself, he straightened, and his voice took on its professional tone once more. "So, what're we working with?"
Their HUDS flickered as Echo One's line was patched through to them and Captain Ortega began filling them in. The red dots representing enemy units filled the display. "As you can see there's roughly a regiment of active battle droids deployed on security detail inside the complex. Although fortunately, you won't find yourself going up against all two hundred and fifty of them. Most are stationed around the outer parameter of the complex to fortify it from attack. Only approximately fifty are stationed within the greater complex itself, these will form the bulk of your opposition, provided you manage to infiltrate the administrative building and capture the control room before they can move to intercept you," she said.
"Only a regiment," Cram commented.
"Personally, I like those odds," Cash said. "Forty for each of us."
"Well, 41.6 to be exact," Dex said.
"How do you get .6 of a target though?" Cash asked.
Grim growled inside his helmet. The sound being heard over the line as the others took the hint and shut up.
They heard the captain sigh before she continued. "You should be able to make some significant headway before you run into any real threats and your presence becomes known. If you can make the factory checkpoint before you're detected you would have an estimated ten minutes to reach the administrative building before you run into trouble with the approaching enemy. They'd no doubt follow you into the building, but once you're safely inside you should be able to seal off the building from the forces outside while you secure the control room. Zeigler has provided us with all the information on the complex, its security systems, defences, and general intel we could ever need. I'll fill you in on what you'll need to do as we go, but it's relatively straight forward. Nothing Revenant Squadron can't handle."
Grim nodded, then heard a snicker from one of his subordinates as he remembered he was talking to her via comm and cleared his throat. "Affirmative, Captain Ortega," he said, glad he was wearing his helmet.
"Approaching the site, engaging stealth mode Lieutenant, prepare to disembark," the pilot's voice interjected from the cockpit.
"Acknowledged, Revenant Squadron standing by for deployment," Grim confirmed, turning to his squad. "Status report?"
The five other commandos all signalled they were ready for action.
The squad stood in silence as they watched the gunship approach Cinazine's expansive factory complex. The facility encompassed a huge area in a local industrial sector, a rectangular ring of connected buildings encircled it, likely being reserved for heavy artillery and vehicle factories and warehouses. An assortment of smaller factories, research, and development buildings, testing facilities, and warehouses were scattered around a central administrative complex, a towering block shaped building with a slanted rectangular prism base, with a smaller block on top that was shaped like a pyramid cut in half and laid on top of the prism. All the buildings were connected via a mazelike network of hallways, tunnels, and wings.