Inbound, Mizar
Word of Blake Protectorate
14 February 3076
OPERATION DESERT DISK
“Attention passengers.” Jake called out over their communications network. “We are now approaching sunny Vasistha Island. Please fasten your safety belts and ensure that all your luggage is stowed in preparation for landing. Thank you for flying with us, and we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in paradise”
“Nice one.”Reg shot back.
“Yeah, bucket of laughs” Sandra commented as she checked over her Thor’s systems. “Okay, listen up you bunch of hairy tools. Recon shows that the Word have towed a floating launch pad and moored it near the island. That’s where the Gunners’ Dropships are parked, but there’s also static defences around them which means we can’t just drop into them. We’re going to land on the north end of the beach and hit the Gunners where they’re currently stationed in the resort proper.”
“The 88th Wildcats will land on the beach proper and push towards the resort, circling around to cut off the Gunners and prevent them from getting to the ships.” She continued. “Objective is to do as much damage as possible and ensure that they don’t escape, but we want Gibbons alive”
“I’ll be riding comms to ensure just that.”Reg added. “Once I eyeball him, I’ll let you all know. Best if we can get some Battle Armour on him, but whatever works”
Pity Elezha isn't here, Sandra considered. Operational needs and all, but she'd be great for locating and capturing him.
"I'll keep eyes and ears open too," Levisha added. The response was a simple, cold, silence.
"You just do what you're told," Jake bluntly stated. "And nothing else."
"Understood" Levisha's reply was as cold and expressionless as Jake's had been angry. If she was defeated or upset or had even the slightest inkling of doing anything else, then it didn't show in the slightest.
"Just a pit we're goign to trash such a nice resort," Reg finally spoke up. "I wouldn't have minded coming here"
"You couldn't afford it, Reg," Jake shot back.
"A man can dream"
That was enough to warrant a small chuckle from Sandra, just before the all-clear signal came from the Una's bridge. "Bridge says we're clear to drop", she called out, a small timer on her heads-up display counting down. "Ready to go on my mark"
The Leopard's massive doors rumbled open, a slow whistle of wind quickly growing to a ferocious howl as the ship continued its flight towards the target area. Outside, Sandra could barely see a vast expanse of gorgeous, open blue ocean underneath a crystalline sky. "Okay, that's nice" she managed in a small voice.
"Enjoying the view?" Levisha laughed. It was the most genuinely amused Sandra had heard her sound since the whole nightmare on Lone Star.
"It’s to die for", Sandra muttered back as the counter hit zero. "Go!"
Her BattleMech stepped out into the air, joining the other three members of the lance as they fell away from the Dropship, plummeting like stones. Below she could see an island; ringed by white beaches and that same gorgeous blue water, the only disruption to its otherwise serene beauty being the blatantly artificial annex of the drop-port. And then the brilliantly clear skies lit up with fire as fighters wheeled around each other, weapons stabbing away in short, violent flashes.
And then they were down, the Thor landing with a bone-jarring thud on the once-soft sands of the beach. Other 'Mechs came down around her, kicking up clouds of sand and debris as their jets stopped their fall. As they did, she quickly took in the situation, checking her map and the surroundings. Everything lined up; the gorgeous white sands of the beach blending with immaculately manicured lawns and trees, while the gleaming white buildings of the resort could be seen clinging to the hills nearby.
Reg is right, she thought. It is almost a shame to blow it up.
"This is Black Stig to all units," she called over the command channel. "Form up on me and advance on the resort. Keep your eyes open for defences and mines; there's no telling what the Word might have done to this place" After all, we still have no idea why they're here in the first place.
The unit advanced, Battle Armour scurrying in among their larger brethren as fighters continued to wheel and dance overhead. Recon elements fanned out, probing the way ahead for their units. Within moments, Bob was calling over channel, reporting contact with enemy scouts and the first exchanges of fire. Sandra pushed forwards, knowing full well what would come next.
She didn't have long to wait as the first artillery shells came down, tearing into the landscape and flattening stands of precision-planted and tended trees. Debris and fragments rocked her forces, less damaging as they were disruptive. "Push forwards and try to close the distance!" Sandra called out. "And someone take out those spotters!"
A round of acknowledgements echoed through the command cannel, Sandra nodding before opening a new channel back to the ship. "This is Black Stig to all teams. DESERT DISK is go"
-----
Port Malibu
Elezha's portion of DESERT DISK was unusual for her; not because of what she was doing, but for the way she was doing it. Normally she plunged into these sorts of things in the field, equipped with her Kage suit to shield her and provide a means of both insertion and escape. This time a more discrete approach was called for, one where hundreds of kilos of military hardware would be more if a liability than anything else.
Her team had ridden down in a shuttle, using the main assault to shield them before breaking off. They'd made a high speed dash over the ocean, travelling at altitudes that presented as much risk as any potential Blakist interception. That hadn't been a concern for her. The pilot was one she'd chosen herself, a fellow Far Looker who had years of experience in the Hyades cluster. Compared to that, skimming the ocean at supersonic velocity was a walk in the park.
They'd put down outside of Port Malibu, a stretch of disused highway serving as a landing strip. Time had been of the essence, Elezha hurrying her team off the shuttle as soon as it was down, quickly unloading equipment before moving out. Theodolite Man and members of his squad had volunteered to help her in the assault, providing quick transport to the city itself.
The cross-country ride had been a rough and bumpy one, Theodolite Man's route chosen for stealth and speed over passenger comfort. The dry grasslands of the surrounding foothills had soon given way to the glitz of the resort town itself, everything manicured and trimmed to perfection, an idyllic playground for the rich that had been devoid of visitors to populate it. That didn't mean they were being any less cautious for it, the ATVs dashing through back streets and side roads, avoiding the broad thoroughfares of the main roads wherever possible.
The glamour gave way to more functional buildings, their squad entering the city's administrative district. Here the buildings were designed more for day to day functionality, but at the same time, there were plenty of concessions to vanity. Broad streets and green spaces helped break up the monotony, while many of the buildings had greenery adorning their exteriors to break up drab forms.
The Data Centre was one such building, squat and largely featureless, built to last with some success. Like much of the district (or the whole planet) it was a relic of the Star League, a building that had been constructed to last forever. So far, it was doing a good job of it.
Dismounting, her team approached the rear of the building on foot, eyes and other artificial senses open for any signs of anything amiss. So far, all seemed quiet, in keeping with the tranquil nature of the world and its populace. Mizar has been invaded twice since the fall of the Star League, she noted, both of those in the last few years. This is hardly a weary, shattered population, and they're a lot less likely to be overly cautious.
The rear service entrance didn't seem to sport anything more complicated then a combination keypad lock, something that Elezha was able to effortlessly bypass through her own systems. From there, she also fed the cameras into a loop, showing a silent, unoccupied back alley. "We're clear," she announced. "Go"
Lightweight body armour and featureless helmets lent her team a degree of anonymity and presented a frightening face to those inside the building. The first employees they met managed a few gasps of alarm before opting for a more sensible approach, quickly and quietly surrendering. One downside to a world that has been free from invasion and the fear of attack is that its people become soft, Elezha noted as she directed her team to secure their prisoners. They don't expect to be attacked, but don't know what to do when it happens.
It was so much different for me, she considered as they advanced. They made sure we were ready for the inevitable invasion by the Davions, come back to finish off what they started or whatever nonsense. It was hard to forget that air of paranoia and fear she'd grown up with, the feeling drummed into her by the Taurian government and its people that they could be invaded at any day, and that only through being ever vigilant could they protect their way of life.
That mindset had a profound effect on her, driving her to find something that offered a better alternative to living a life of fear. That was how she had found the Far Lookers, and chosen not only to take refuge in a disgraced philosophy, but to make such a great sacrifice to bring about their idea of a better future. A future free from fear, one where we would not look over our shoulders all the time, convinced that our doom was coming for us.
The more she heard about what was happening in the Concordat now, the more convinced Elezha was that she had made the right decision. Giving up her limbs had been so small a price to pay.
But that was in the past. Right now, they had a job ahead of them, one that would, hopefully destroy another group who preyed on fear and paranoia. However, it seemed that the Word had no idea what lay here or of its value, given the lack of response and security at the facility. Don't get cocky. You have enough experiences with elaborate traps and setups already. Don't assume a thing.
Great, now I'm thinking like a Taurian again, she mentally chided herself.
It wasn’t until they reached the actual core that they met any actual resistance. A single security guard, overweight and middle aged, fumbling for his stunner as the team entered the room. “Drop the weapon and pout your hands in the air!” She called out, the helmet modulating her voice enough to transform it into something unrecongiseable. Multiple rifles were levelled at him, an overkill response to his single, non-lethal weapon. “Now!”
He quickly complied, one of her team disarming and securing him as Elezha headed for the core proper. The handful of technicians on duty stood back, clearly fearful of these unknown intruders and worried as to their intent. Elezha simply ignored them, taking au pa spot at one of the workstations, analysing what was before her. Star League era solid state computer core, still running to its original spec centuries later. Truly it was an age of miracles. She was reminded of the observatory core they’d found on Kanon, one that had remained operational even after the death of the world. This should be nothing compared to that.
She quickly connected herself into the system, reams of data coming up on the screens. Centuries worth of administrivia, births, deaths, water bills, government meetings… all fantastic in its inanity and in many ways a waste of such amazing computing power. Ignoring all that for a moment, she plunged into the structure of the drive proper, searching around for something wrong or out of place.
High-level commands flew from her fingertips while her internal systems executed searches of the data, feeding off key information she’d been provided. Reg knew what he was talking about, for once, she considered as she looked at some of the data ranges and dates involved. As was Levisha. That one soured her on any potential discovery, knowing that they had only come to this point because she ad lead them there.
When Wrylok had made his comments about their one-time commander, Elezha had done her best to remain impassive. This was not because of any desire to defend her, anything but. The truth was that she agreed entirely with his thoughts, but at the same time, she also was driven by the needs of their operation. However, the simple fact was that deep down, Levisha’s use of her and everyone else hurt immensely.
Is this why she recruited me in the first place, Elezha wondered as she continued her search, screens of information flying by at breakneck pace. She had been working towards this goal for years, and she needed someone capable of extracting the data she wanted. I was a means to an end, and everything else was secondary. She tensed a little as she worked, trying to keep her mind focused. I was her hand, much like-
Something caught her attention, cutting off her train of thought. Hidden within the depths of the file system was a large block of data, shielded through privacy protocols and heavily encrypted. The metadata on it revealed little about who or why it was there, but the date was promising. That matches to Reg’s information. Could this be DiSchmitt’s portion of HYBRID RAINBOW?
It was as good a lead as any. Cautiously Elezha began to copy the data, making sure to erase it as she went. “Ascendance lead to Black Stig,” she quietly sent. “I have located the objective. Extraction is underway”
-----
Inbound, Mizar
“So,” Rex Malik began. “Drop out of a high-speed shuttle pass onto an ancient flying city.”
“What of it?” Scott Archer shot back. The pair of them, as well as the rest of his small team, were cramped into the shuttle’s passenger section, clad in dull grey pressure suits. Most of them save for Malik and Archer were already buttoned up, their helmets covering their heads and obscuring their identities.
“Nothing, just that it’ll be kinda fun.” He grinned. “Something I’ve never done before and all that. Just wish I could take a few photos on the way down”
“Save the tourist crap for later.” Archer growled. “We’re on the clock now, and we have our objective. Get in, get to the data core, find the information we’re after and get out again.”
“And by that, you mean ‘jack the first thing we find’,”Vatour added. “Which should be fun in and of itself. The bays are probably crawling with luxury toys.”
“Get us something which offers a view.” Malik suggested. “I’m not missing out on a chance to see Mizar.”
“At least there’s one upside to this op,” Bally noted, “that sniper of theirs won’t be watching us, ready to make us into jam for crossing some imaginary line.”
“Yeah. You get the feeling she really wants to and would do it even without an excuse.”Mallik added as he checked his gun for the hundredth time. “And giggle about it too”
“I don’t know. I think she’s kind of cute. She’s probably a nice person if you get to know her.” Starling added, only to be greeted by a round of groans. “What?”
Archer simply glanced back as Mick, who offered no response at all beyond a mute, expressionless helmet. And that’s why I like you the most, he added. Because you rarely speak.
Donning his helmet, Archer ran one final systems check. All green, he noted as he glanced back over his now buttoned-up squad. Time to go to work.
Within moments they were over the target, an all-clear from the shuttle pilot also serving as a warning that he would be opening the doors. As he looked out the opening hatch into the seemingly endless beyond, Archer did have to admit that the view was rather impressive. The massive spire of the Skycity hung in the distance, like some gigantic mushroom floating in the air over the planet, while seemingly endless blue skies stretched off into the blackness of space.
That one dominating feature grew as shuttle turned, coming towards its objective, the cap of the massive structure now below them. The latest information form the shuttle fed into the displays, correcting for wind speed and direction and other variables, but everyone knew that this was always going to be a risky operation.
“On my mark.” Archer ordered as he stood in the doorway, looking down at the massive engineering marvel below, floating in the air in a way that seemed to defy all logic and reason. “Go.”
He was the first out of the ship, flinging himself into the abyss without a moment’s fear or hesitation. Instead all he had was the howl of the wind as he plummeted towards the structure. Only at the last minute did his ‘chute open, slowing him just enough to make a rough, jerky landing on the top of the dome. Within moments, the rest of his team were down, making more or less smooth (less so in Starling’s case) landings.
They clambered down into a service duct, sheltered monetarily from the harsh environment they had just thrown themselves into. “Give me a few minutes” Starling reported. “I’ll get into security and find us a way down.”
Archer nodded in reply as she went to work. This massive, dome-like section of the city was basically a gigantic balloon, the whole megastructure akin to an outsized airship more then anything else. The actual inhabited portion was largely confined to a platform that hung well below it, the two connected by both a gigantic stalk and connecting support cables. Their actual objective lay down there; however, entering from the top gave them a lot more secrecy in their approach.
"I've gotten us a way down", Starling reported. "We can abseil down the side of the main lift shaft. That should get us down to the base so we can get to the real goodies. I can't wait to have a crack at a genuine Star League relic computer" She was practically salivating at the thought
"Just don't fill your helmet up with drool" Mallik added as he pried open an access panel, allowing the team to drop down into the cavernous dome. Inside was a metal spider web of walkways, weaved intricately between the massive balloons that served to keep thousands of tons of structure aloft.
Most people would have been impressed by what they found in here. Archer didn't care. All that was on his mind was their job. "Down a level and ahead," Starling instructed.
A simple hand-wave from Archer lead the team on, Mick disappearing into the shadows to find his own way ahead while also clearing their path.They advanced in perfect measured silence, eyes open and senses alert for anything out of place in the strange, almost alien realm inside the balloon-city. Instead there was nothing but the occasional groan of metal slowly moving with the wind. They had met no resistance along the way, no signs at all that the enemy knew they were present.
Reaching the shaft, the team secured themselves, dropping long-lines down into the depths. “Take this section by section.” He simply offered. “And keep one eye on your stats boards. If anything goes wrong, tell me.”
“Hell of a way to die.”Mallik considered. “Falling off a giant city balloon”
“Not gonna happen today.” He shot back as he leaped off the edge.
