Futuristic Spectre

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

J-177 boarded the Wyvern calmly. He had no doubts or internal quarrels, there was only the mission. They had been training for this their entire short, painful lives, and he was going to make damn sure that the training paid off. He would complete the mission and make sure the squad made it through as best he could. If it were to get more complicated than the General had made it sound then there would be time for improvising later, not worrying about what might happen now. He took his seat and set in to wait for the short hop to the target area.

 

[Cokes]

F-451 took a seat in the Wyvern and drew his scanner. He flipped through the readouts. F-451, all systems normal. A-902, normal, minor skin conductance fluctuation thirty seconds ago. J-177, normal. B-925, normal. D-983, minor elevated heart rate, significantly increased skin conductance, abnormal, but F-451 had come to accept that her readouts would generally be abnormal. Of course, she was fiddling with one device or another. Her lack of focus will get her hands mangled or her head blown off one of these days. Hopefully it won't be when I'm in an enclosed space or a moving vehicle with her.

 

[Vudukudu]

A-902 put his helmet on and tapped the display button. The HUD crackled to life, a holo-projection in light blue crackled to life. He tapped the sync icon, simultaneously activating every other HUD in the bay. With a quick glance to make sure they were all operational, he nodded and leaned back into his chair.


"Command got us satellite images of the city. Should be able to access them through the HUD, if you want to. Ideally we're in and out of here as quick as possible. I'd rather not get stuck running around the city for hours while the invasion force comes to help us out. We complete the mission, acquire a vehicle, and get out of there."


He shifted slightly, then looked at F-451, who he guessed shared his concern. "I'm no strategist, but this seems too good to be true. Centralizing your command in a location near to a likely invasion zone isn't smart. So either the Confederacy has no idea what it's doing, or Command wants to see what happens when we get stuck behind enemy lines without support. I'm betting on the second one, but hoping for the first one. Conserve ammo, play it safe, because if you get hit and carrying you around slows us down, we're leaving you and taking your equipment to finish the mission. Understood?"

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Understood." B-925 said. They might run out of ammo, if they decided to fire at shadows. He had enough ammo in his pack to keep everyone supplied. AT mines and R-7 templates however were in short supply, and only one drone. Those would have to be used sparingly. But, if Command had set them up, they were in for a surprise on how Spectre handled it. "What vehicle should we keep our eyes peeled for? I'm guessing a Heracles troop carrier, so we can all fit in."

 

[Cokes]

F-451 nodded in agreement with A-902. "It doesn't add up, no. We're blind. An enemy-controlled city with moderate to high military traffic, an as of yet unknown target building, unknown target location within the building. Four operatives. Unless the targets are meeting in a shack, four operatives is insufficient to control all exits, particularly if there is a helipad. If we have not eliminated the targets within a few minutes of detection, we will have little chance of success without leveling the building."


And then F-451 watched his own blood pressure momentarily spike on his scanner. "B-925, are you suggesting we infiltrate enemy territory and steal one of our own vehicles? The Herakles is a Republic model. And even if we stole a Confederate APC, we'd be far too easily detectable. If we can't secure an aircraft that can get us to a safe distance before interceptors are scrambled, our best chance is laying low in civilian vehicles." He paused a moment. "Though that would be Outlaw's call."

 

[Soviet Panda]

"Well they have to have something similar to our Herecles, the Republic aren't the only people that think an armored troop carrier might be useful." B-925 said, being a but of a smart ass. "And I'm guessing the target building is the one with all the enemy troop movement around it." he continued.

 

[Vudukudu]

A-902 shook his head and sighed. "No troop carrier. Too easy to find. They scramble one strike craft and take us out. Gotta lay low, which means we find our way into the sewers or get a civilian car that no one will miss. Something common. Shouldn't be hard to find." He replied, thinking about how to continue.


"I'm guessing they're expecting the invasion. That means Abuja is going to be well-fortified at every major point. If we clear our way through buildings, we might be able to dodge some of the heavier fire. But we still have to deal with the command center itself, which will very likely be the most densely defended station."