Getting into the Compound

Posted on Sun Jul 7th, 2019 @ 5:33am by Lieutenant Commander Adlyn Rowley
Edited on on Sat Aug 3rd, 2019 @ 3:54am

Mission: Preludes
Location: Undisclosed Syndicate Location
Timeline: 2385
Tags: Prelude

Time: 2385
-----------------------------------------------------

The recon teams had proven the intelligence reports twice over, they had taken out the guard outposts at Firestorm Bay, and they had their tanks and fighters ready. Now they were ready to head all in, two units strong. Adlyn knelt next to Marine Commander Racktor as they sized up the Dark Valley in front of them. Everything had pointed to the entrance to the lab buried between the rock formations a klick in front of them. There was a lot of open space between them and the rock formation where they knelt behind a craggy outlying formation. "Nothing so far," she whispered to Racktor. "Too quiet though."

"I don't like it either." James agreed, frowning. They had three tanks, and five bombers, as well as the dropships. All of them were ready to launch the attack. "Anything in the intel about the defenses?" James asked.

"The outpost was listed as the heavily guarded portion of this attack. I assume that they have some form sensor system underground or a proximity alarm that we will probably trigger. If I was in charge, I'd have all of the above plus active defenses like mines or turrets. We only have the blueprints from before the facility fell into Syndicate hands; we are walking into the unknown. Sensors are actively being jammed." She closed the tricorder and switched the view on her implant. "I see nothing; nothing to suggest a facility other than the entrance in the crevice." She continued scanning the horizon. "Wait...two snipers, up top. Just tips of body heat. Equally spaced apart. Time it right, they won't be able to signal for help or get a shot off. I'm surprised the tanks didn't alert them of our presence."

James nodded, and signalled for the sniper team to take aim. "Nice and easy lads," he said softly. "Fire when clear." They watched as the Snipers found and took out their targets. "Alright, that's the first part. Can you scan for any explosive residue in the valley?" He asked.

She shined a laser over the area and scanned over the ground surface and through the air, making sure that she didn't spot anything. "Nothing of the known substances." Her neck twinged. It was a similar feeling to what Humans had called a gut feeling. She wasn't going to report on something that she couldn't nail down, especially since he already knew how she felt about the situation.

James nodded. "Alright people, let's roll out and take them down. Send the tanks in, let's create a door." James said, as he stood up, gripping his phaser rifle.

The tanks rolled forwards of the infantry line as they held at their craggy formation. Adlyn ducked back under the edge of the formation when the tanks fired sending rocks and shielded door explosively out. She peered over the ledge looking at the destruction. The infrared imaging was skewed by the heat of the blast. Surprised that the enemy wasn't rushing forth, she provided a status to Racktor. "Doorway open; no sign of the enemy - yet."

James frowned. "Something is very wrong here. We should pull out, confirm all the intel we have. I don't like this at all." James said.

"I agree." but before any of them could say or do anything, the sound of rapid phaser fire came from the cliff walls. Scattered commands were barked within moments, and two of the bombers fell from the sky. "Taika!" she yelled. "I say it's wrong; I say it's all wrong!" She aimed her rifle hoping to see anything that she could shoot, but there was nothing except rapid phaser fire from all areas in the new found hole.

The tanks started their barrage again. A high pitch whine pierced through her cochlear implant. She grabbed Racktor by the shoulders out of instinct and pulled him down from the edge covering his body. It wasn't a moment too soon: the tank closest to them exploded sending shrapnel through the air. She let out a sigh of relief as she brushed off some of the debris on her shoulders and she helped him back to his feet.

James got up seeing the remains of the tank. "Someone made a big goddamn mistake. ALL UNITS, PREPARE TO RETREAT!" He yelled into his device.

"Colonel, the enemy units are reinforcing from all directions!" Marcus called out.

"It's an ambush." James said, as a second tank was destroyed. "We need to get into that base, use it as cover," he said looking out over the battlefield and then at Adlyn. "Can your sensors tell how many enemy troops we're facing?".

"Twenty-five fold, give or take ten. My sensors are having problems getting through the heat of the tank and molten metal where we smashed our way in," Adlyn stated looking up at him. Turning, she looked at what they had, when the second tank fired as a whine happened again. "DOWN!" she yelled. She pulled him back within the cover. "There is no retreat..." she trailed off as the tank exploded. "Incoming heavy fire units. We could use the base for cover until extraction " Her vision bore into the back of his helmet as she concentrated. There were no sounds of fire coming from the cliff wall though. "We need to move, NOW!"

"ALL UNITS, CONVERGE ON THE BASE, NOW!" James shouted into his comm link. The final tank fired the last cannon. Both of them fired at the same time, and both struck their targets. A loud explosion filled the air as both the tank and the cannon exploded. James stood up and gripped Adlyn's arm. "Let's go."

All of the Roughnecks raced down the path, emerging from their hiding locations, towards the entrance the tanks had made. As they ran, energy blasts started shooting towards them, lots of them. James grabbed his rifle, turned and fired several shots before continuing to run for the entrance. "ALL UNITS, OPEN FIRE!" He ordered, watching as the Marines began firing back at the massive force coming towards them. James could only watch as he saw several marines cut down instantly, while others were racing to avoid being struck by the energy blasts.

Adlyn ran forth into the Frey knowing very well many of them were not going to make it through 'til Dawn. The enemy poured from the hole in the cliff wall running towards them. The insurmountable force met hard their strength cutting through them. She knew very well that they all had at least twenty heads a piece to male it through and knowing that the Marines were falling against the sheer numbers made their ticks larger. She fired her pulse phaser from the hip as she ran full force towards the entrance. Knowing that she was stronger in tighter quarters made her book it.

Her lithe body sped across the valley as if she glided over the surface. The training she had on the higher gravity of Ekahl gave her the strength and agility that she needed to survive this gambit. A marine fell down in front of her forcing her to leap over his crumbling body. Now she was only just meters from the entrance to the underground compound. As she neared the entrance, she dropped the rifle, slinging it to her back as it had a strap, and pulled out two small swords from their sheathes along her lower back. Twirling the one in her right hand around, the one in her left hand remained tip to her elbow.

She continued her charge forward, dodging out of the way of the enemy coming out of the compound. As she dodged away from them, she thrust her sword forwards making purchase with enemy flesh, dropping them to the ground. The pulse phaser rifle bounced along her backside as she moved through the enemies. Her prerogative was getting into the compound taking anyone out that got in the way. Close quarters led to an ease of combat for her. Her training was based on agility and deftness and the closeness would make it difficult for the charging enemy to get out of the compound.

As the marine commander neared the entrance, he quickly knelt down besides a rock formation and aimed his phaser rifle. Firing off as many shots as he could, only half of his men were reaching cover. Removing three smoke grenades from his belt, he activated them, and threw them towards the oncoming enemies, blocking their view long enough to give the Roughnecks a few moments respite, to let them get to cover.

With a break in the flow of the enemy, Adlyn took advantage of it and got into the unknown compound. Her implant HUD distinguished between the green of the marines, and the red of the enemies. Charging down a darkened corridor, she stole into the shadows and silently sheathed her swords. Swinging around the pulse rifle, she slowed down and started to work on clearing room by room as the marines handled the still charging enemies that had started to flow towards the entrance again.

She started to wind herself down the darkened area of the complex putting distance between her and the entrance. It was easier picking off targets for her, as she was deadlier in the dark. Switching the implant spectrum, she looked around for a power source; a nice place for explosives. It would take out some of their power, allowing the darkness to envelope the compound. Looking along the ceiling of the corridor, she found the one that she wanted and switched her spectrum back to the infrared to detect the heat from the enemies. As the corridor started becoming a labyrinth, she kept to the right, making a mental map of where she was going. Her phaser rifle lamp was off, and she slowed her breathing to make a quieter approach. After charging into the base, it was easier thought than done. As she struggled to slow it down, she realized that the oxygen levels were increasing, decreasing the amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere around her. It forced her to take in deeper breaths as she continued fighting her way down, deeper into the compound.

=/\=Wisp, your twenty?=/\=

A beep came from her waist. Annoyment ran through her. Tapping her communicator, she opened the channel and whispered, "somewhere, hunting. Found a pocket of rich oxygen," she said on her breath, which was heavier than normal. She preferred not to take the other two implants offline to use her internal communications system as she was already running low on her batteries. "Did everyone get in?" she asked quietly.

=/\=We lost at least thirty.=/\= he replied darkly.=/\=How are you doing for power?=/\=

"Spent half defending the entrance until I can get to the communications system and call for evac, or back up. I am still in hunt of a power relay center to create some distractions and knock out some lights." She picked up her weapon and looked down the sights as she continued moving deeper and deeper into the complex.

=/\=We need to call for evac, and then regroup. We won't be able to stay here for long. But we also need to find the weapon.=/\=

"Understood," she replied as she rounded the corner. There was a bit of static that came from her communicator. "Sir?" she called out. There was nothing. She deactivated her communicator, and continued stalking down the corridor.

Upon turning a corner, an energy disturbance fluctuated her ocular implant. Even though she was having problems seeing, she continued on. Not much further down the corridor, her HUD pretty much gave out. Turning it off, she hoisted her weapon and aimed down the sights. She turned another corner and found an exposed power relay transfer conduit. With the higher than normal amount of oxygen in the air, she knew that she needed to book it out of here before her bomb detonated. Still holding the rifle with her right hand, she pulled from her waist a small circular device. Kneeling down, she set it carefully on the exposed conduit, and turned the dial setting it for five minutes.

---------------------------------
Then Lt. JG Adlyn Rowley
Marine Intelligence Attache