RP: YSS Aeon [Mission 5.0] Darkness and Ice

Josea felt his pulse quicken as they approached their objective. He saw three passages and wondered which one would be the best for them to use. Hearing Arkase's comment, he did a quick system check and assumed a position behind Kim.

Kim merely nodded her accent to Arkase. So far they had been lucky. Once they entered the tunnels ahead the risk increased rapidly.

Athena moved a little closer to the rest of the team as the visibility gotten worse. Last thing she needed to do in case there was an ambush was to shoot her own squad mates because she forgot where they were. She was a little surprised the NMX had not detected them when she got the communication intercept, guess it was a good thing they did explode that location. Provided them cover and a distraction for the moment.

She looked on to the three tunnels when they arrived to them waiting on hor to proceed.

Yoshiro fell in to protect the flanks of the science team and looked around. He launched one of his drones to make sure that he could see what was trying to flank the science team if it came down to it. Dang, this mission is taking a lot out of me. I am sure glad that I work out once in awhile. Yoshiro thought to himself.

"Alright, given the chatter, they know that somebody's here. They don't seem to know it's us yet, and I'd like to keep it that way. Send drones into the tunnels first, then follow suit. We break into two teams, one taking the center tunnel and the right tunnel. The Science team should take shelter in the mouth of either of the two tunnels we enter, so they're less likely to be spotted. Alright now, double-time!" Kyoka barked, snapping into gear finally. Dividing their forces wasn't the best solution, but it certainly would increase the speed they found their objective. Hopefully.

Yoshiro followed the science team to the mouth of the cave. He was given express orders to protect the science team's flanks and that is what he was going to do, even if he had to sacrifice himself. "Launching drones, Tsubei-hei." He said as he launched his drones first before entering and waited for the science team to enter first.

Saki caught up with others. She recalled her drone so it could replenish its power. Blue haired neko still kept watch. She held her LASR at the ready. Her Gauss cannons won't be of much use in the tunnels, due to their size. She was prepared for that though, it was the reason she put SLAG on her rifle. Magazine of HIE rounds was loaded in the launcher.

As Saki stopped behind other her leg slid on slippery ice and she fell right on her butt with surprised "NYA!" She then looked at others. Saki was sure glad no once could see her face as it caught red colour. She qucikly stood up.

"Be careful. It's slippery here." Said quietly, hoping no one will make a big fuss of it.

A quick check of the passages showed that the outer two were sloped gradually upwards. The center one was sloped downward. The drones were able to proceed 100 meters in a straight line. The passage on the far left ended at a vertical shaft, the drone detected warm air rising from below in the shaft.

The passage at the far right forked into two paths that moved off at 45 degrees to the left and right.

The central passage opened in a round chamber, there were what appeared to be three doors. The drone showed that it was 30 meters below the away surface.

As Trowa entered the tunnel he paused to examine the floor, looking for evidence of recent travel. As the team split up, Trowa went down the right tunnel. He stopped when the tunnel forked again and took a good look around. Something didn’t feel right. They should have seen some security measures, a camera, motion trackers, a guard, something. “Heisho-Tsubei, the right tunnel makes another fork after about 100 meters.” Trowa paused, “Ma’am, I don’t like this. They should have some kind of alarms or monitors or guards or something around an opening like this. What are you seeing over there?”

The floor was seamless. While it was flat it was very smooth, walking on it without the CFS would be pretty much impossible.

The drone in the room with the three doors identified probably cameras above each door, angled so they looked a few meters in front of the door.

The drone in the right passage detected the faint reflected energy of lasers. It identified was was probably a laser beam to detect someone passing into the passage.

"Tsubei-Hei, I am detecting some security systems. Some lasers to detect passers by and some cameras." Yoshiro said over laser comms "Also we might want to use our CFS to get across the floor."

Kyoka examined the round room in front of her. Three doors, three cameras. Reports from the secondary group in the tunnel mentioned a laser system or something to trip intruders.

"Well, it's obvious this place isn't fake. Tanaka-Hei, you and the other members down there scope out all the laser paths, and maybe a way through. I'm going to try to figure out a way to get through without alert the guards behind those cameras."

Kim and Josea were holding there position outside of the tunnels under cover. From there they were conducting scans with their hand scaners. Comparing their readingsmthe determined that that product facility was most likey acessible from the passage with three doors. Echo scans showed they were tunnels running up to the surface.

Using the team's laser com they relayed

Kim-Juni to Infantry. Passage with thre doors appears to be elevators to the production facility above. The other passage that leads downward would seem to lead to a network of caverns, probable ore or some other material needed by the faciliry.

Click to expand...

Athena looked around her surroundings somewhat amazed with the limited scenery. Disabling security systems were really not her area of expertise. She was trained to destroy objects and gifted with both the power to kill and save people's lives. Or at least that is how she likes to view herself.

Trowa listened to the report from the science officer and thought about it. Up and into the base, or down into the caverns. Both had its own set of dangers and unknowns. Which way should they go? Trowa opened a channel to speak to the science team and Tsubei-Heisho in particular, but left it open so the rest could also listen in. “Well, we have two choices. Up or down. Kim-Juni and are esteemed Liaison correct me if I’m off target, but from what we know of this planet it’s got a lot of methane. That could be what they’ve got down below, methane refinery to use as either a fuel or make explosives. If that’s what they’ve got down below then a couple of well-placed explosives will blow this whole place sky high. But we also need to investigate up top to see exactly what their up to.”
Trowa paused and took a deep breath. “Tsubei-Heisho, though I hate to say suggest it, I think we should split up. Send myself, another and maybe one of the science team below to investigate and if possible, set up some charges to blow this place off the grid, while you lead the rest up into the main facility to find out exactly what they’re doing here.”

Kyoka took careful thought into considering the possibilities. The Mishu clearly don't know that they are there. The refinery, in case of intruders, could be rigged to explode either manually as a last resort or automatically if an intruder takes the wrong passage. The former seemed more likely, in any event, but even that chance seemed slim. And she needed several to aid her in taking out the cameras subtly.

"Alright, Trowa. Approved. Take one Away Team and Science Team member with you down there, and if you meet opposition, get out of there immediately." She told him, locking onto the three cameras in the room. With one swift motion, she fired an arc of three pulses of aether at the cameras, hopefully destroying them without detection.

Yoshiro fidgeted with his weapon and waiting for orders on what to do as he guarded the science team. He called his drone back and prepared to move on orders. Geez, this is making me more nervous as time goes by. Yoshiro said to himself. Empty tunnels and hidden bases are making my heart beat a mile a minute.

Arkase stood near Josea and Kim, keeping his eye out for the NMX.

Not for the first time, he was stuck being idle. He reflected on the mission; how it began, how it is, and what it may be.

War crimes. He hadn't really thought about it too much on the Aeon, he had been too busy worrying about methane pockets, the NMX and Tsubei taking command. Now, though, he shivered a bit. He didn't believe he was guilty -- what he had ordered had been well within his rights, given their capacity for prisoners in that moment, and he had never fired -- but the thought of being accused, or even the remote possibility of being judged guilty, produced a small stone of fear in his gut. What would he do, if they made that decision? Just the shame of being accused made him want to hide his face forever. Could he command, with that hanging over his head?

What of his failure? He had burdened Tsubei with command, and despite what he said he did have regrets. He regretted not being there for his team. He regretted leaving them with a junior NCO, whatever her abilities. The truth was, he would have regretted leaving the Team in anyone else's hands but his own.

Tsubei had done as well as she could have -- minor mistakes that Arkase would likely have made himself. She had done her job; whether she excelled at it or not remained to be seen, but that was all that was asked for. In combat, in command, and -- damnably -- being better at taking the thoughts of her team into account than Arkase's history with the Aeon pointed to.

What of the mission? They had reached the NMX facility. They had engaged what was ostensibly the perimeter guard, and now Tsubei appeared to be in the process of breaching.

Arkase shifted uncomfortably, noticing Kim and Josea making the motions for a laser communication. So much could still go wrong. He turned away from the pair, looking out at the frozen planet.

Saki was moving with Yamamoto-Heisho, the man a certain aura of confidence. She felt good with him next to her. If there was someone supposed to cover her and watch her back, this pilots seemed like right man to do. Not to mention he could use trained infantry-woman like her at his side. She would go with Yoshiro, but she knew Yosh could handle himself with no trouble.

"Ma'am I volunteer to go down with Yamamoto-heisho." She said to Kyoka and once again checked her weapons.

Trowa smiled behind his helmet. He was beginning to feel excited about the mission. This was what he had signed up for, sort of. He was a pilot after all but the prospect of taking the fight to the enemy, tingle of danger up your spine, the rush of adrenaline, the… Trowa shook himself. That line of thought would get him killed, and everyone else. He took a deep, steading breath and exhaled it slowly. “Aye, aye Ma’am.” He acknowledged.

Trowa turned in mild surprise at Saki as she volunteered to go with him. “She can’t stand to let a dashing rogue like myself out of her sight.” Laughed Trowa. “Glad to have you along Arai-Hei.” He spoke to Kyoka again. “I’ll take Kim-Juni with me too; figure you’ll need our Liaison’s skills up top more than we will.” Speaking to Saki and Kim, “Alright ladies, gather up some extra explosives from the rest of the team then meet me over here in the right tunnel.”

Trowa knelt down about 20 feet away from the fork in the right tunnel and examined the area. Using his suits sensors to scan the area he then took the data and fed it into his cybernetic implants. Through his left eye, he could see exactly where the lasers were. Most seemed to be along the floor, which they could easily step over. Now he just had to decide left or right.

As the away team prepared to split up, the drone by the chamber with three doors detected motion. The left door open and out came five NMX nekos wearing jump suits and respirators. They were carrying a blood soaked Neko. "Damn I hate those scroungers, do not know why the masters keep them." a blue haired neko said as she rushed to the central shaft and stabbed the call button.

"That's easy Alzi, the scroungers are best for finding the rare minerals they need. And the masters are more than willing to shed some of our blood if we are careless."

The center door opened and they stepped in, it closed behind them and the indicator above them showed it was moving upwards rapidly.