Operation: Ice Breaker

The Desert Rider rolled backwards to give the pod door room to unfold. The engine revved as it prepared to drive up the ramp and into the pod, before Vier's hand landed on the machine, causing it to pause. "This body? You think I can pick and bloody choose? I've just got the one!" Essex had sent her specifications to Vier, so she wasn't sure what the weird mostly-human didn't understand.

The delay allowed Jace to hurry up the ramp before she could roll her ride inside. "Allow it!" Essex was left grumbling as he slipped inside the pod, looking so pleased with himself as he lounged in a seat and called out to her. "I'm s'posed to have a proper partner for this ruddy business." Her superiors/employers didn't seem to trust Essex with a body capable of firing herself. She wasn't even left loaded most of the time. "I won't run Jack's precious little toy off into a ditch or anything." She hrmphed at the thought. Although the Desert Rider wasn't exactly built for ice...or water...or hallways, if they actually got inside this castle they were storming.

SPACE
The fleet had by now finished their formation, forming a moving curved wall. More guns unleashed rounds into the oncoming ships, sending vibrations from the recoil, as well as the ships detonating nearby they hit. Debris was quickly beginning to build up between the two opposing forces. So much that it was beginning to fill the gap more and more between them. Another ship burned against one of the battle carrier's shields before being blown apart.

USV-Hammer
Bridge
Jack's eyebrow twitched ever slightly, "And what training, what combat experience, do you think even qualifies you to be able to survive. This isn't some videogame, it's a warzone. You're not prepared for that kind of hell, the death that comes with it. So, you are going to stay put here on the bridge with me. Where I can watch you. Sit down in the chair next to mine." He said with a seriousness that said it wasn't up for debate.

Flight deck
Neera retook her spot in the pod, "Boy, I do not envy the ear full she must be getting."

Bridge
"Well..." stammered Adria, trying to think of something. She heard Jack tell her to stay in the chair. That chair. That fricking chair. She wasn't going to sit in that blasted chair and watch them save Amit without her- if they succeeded. Her face turned pink with fury, a loud whipping sound could be heard as her long furry cat tail thrashed on the floor in rage. "No I will not sit in that chair," she stated, undaunted. "I am not staying on the bridge, I'm going to save Amit." She glared at him sternly with her crimson eyes, though it was hard to be intimidated by her in her very short butterfly-winged form.

USV-Hammer
Bridge
"Sir, all enemy contacts eliminated. It's all quiet...for now."

"And do what, get yourself killed, or worse. Capture is not something you want with these people, and they won't be merciful. You saw what they did our home,....your aunt. Do you even have a plan, hmm. If you want to help, then you need to stay here, where it's safe.", Jack said his serious tone unchanged and unhindered by his daughter's bravado, and stubborness.

Jack stood and kneeled before Adria at her height to even it before hugging her, his voice now more warmer, "I will get your brother back, and I can understand wanting to help yourself. But I will not risk another one of my children. I love you too much to put you at risk without knowing your ready. Beside who will be here to welcome him back if we're all down there."

After a moment he let go and retook his seat, "Please Adria, take a seat."

SPACE
He sent the fleet the signal to regroup and send shuttles for the survivors aboard the two crippled cruisers, the helpless ships soon having USV-Anvil, the other battle carrier, and hook lines attached. Once secured, they were tugged along by the much larger ship as they resumed course towards the planet.

The signal for all pods to enter standby was sent, setting for the occupants to strap in as the drop approached. U-1s and a couple of the frigates gathered and prepped to act as escort.

USV-Hammer:flight deck
Mark sat in the egg shaped space in his mind that represented the shared space he and his copilot Chlorate shared for communication. The tarp covered mech still knelt unmoved, and now served as the host body for the pairs minds, the armor plating feeling like just another layer of skin. The deck plates beneath them were cool to the touch as Mark ran a few last diagnostics and system checks. All readings were green, bringing a smile to his face as the new unit showed ready and waiting.

The standby signal was what he was waiting for, as it was his que to start the short brief before leaving feet first into an icy hell. He whipped the tarp off of them and stood, his mechanized joints whirring almost silently as he did so. With his optics panning across the readied force, his vocal speaker made the sound of a clearing throat.

"Alright, game time ladies and gentlemen. We've reached out destination and are now descending towards the planet below. Once we reach high altitude, all pods will deploy, and will be escorted by U-1s, along with frigates USV-Liberator, and USV-Vortex. This drop is in two waves. Wave one will be landing on the ground just a little ways from the facility. Their objective is to secure the top half of the base, eliminating the majority of the enemy's forces. Expect heavy resistance and AA fire.", Mark broadcasted both over comms and his vocal speaker before pausing.

"Wave two. Your target is the lower half of the facility where there will likely be fewer forces. Hammer and Anvil will hit the ice above the body of water underneath our recon drones deep scans picked up. Given the weather the image is spotty and the lower half's presence is the only solid certainty. Now it's unlikely there will be many defensive measures offensive wise down there, but be prepared for anything. Once they hit that ice with the main guns, the rest of the fleet will concentrate their fire there blowing a hole. The second wave of pods will then deploy into the water and breach the lower facility. Secure it and any captives, prep them for transport. Once first wave has secured the top half clearing the way, we pull out with everyone we can. Then we nuke the place to hell from orbit.", He continued a moment later.

His part was simple, move in with first wave and neutralize defenses, and enemy armor if present, marking hard targets for precision orbital strikes, then join them on foot to secure the topside half of the base. After reconnecting the lifts, they would need to defend them.

"Now who's ready for a combat drop? Who's ready to rain the hurt, and teach these assholes they don't mess with our people? SABER, are you with me!", He shouted enthusiastically, hoping to drum up moral.

A chorus of voices rose to answer the call.

Neera was nodded slightly, "Dad was always one for hype. What do you think LT? Think we have a good chance at success?"

Jace looked to Vier and the others "guess this is it, any last words before we possibly die from a multitude of things?" he chuckled settling into his seat, he didn't expect that his career would take him into a full-scale battle but that would mean that he would need to be more alert than usual. he checked his link to his team and his coms "testing team coms" he knew he could hear them after hearing the speech that was given so he was just covering his bases

Green Lights

"Time to go," Veir said, boarding the pod along with the Desert Rider, the pods sealing themselves up one at a time, and sliding into the backs of waiting flat-grey U1s.

"I should mention," Vier added, "These pods were designed and built in the past 20 hours. All of the pods we completed are currently here, and since the breaching charges are one time use we did not have time to do live testing of the equipment."

She paused for a moment, the U1s starting up, latching on to the breaching pods as they taxied towards the launch area,

"Are you rated for underwater and low temperature operations?"


---

The Squadron of 50 U1s would launch outward under Vier's control, joining the two that had been launched earlier. Each had an assortment of small PACT missiles, a gun pod, and EMP pods on either wing with their breaching pod tucked between the main engines. The squadron heading towards the far side of the planet, looking to descend towards the facility from outside of the line of sight of the facility's defensive weapons.

At the same time, a Trio of anti-ship missiles would be fired towards the facility itself. The missiles shooting out ahead of the fighters, heading towards the far side of the planet before plunging down towards the surface, turning to hug the surface as they made their way along the ice ridges towards their target.

Jace blinks several times giving her a look of like really? and said "thanks Vier, i need to know that, it totally helps me feel better that we're using untested equipment for the first time" he was being sarcastic and hoped that she picked up on that as he buckled up when the pod started moving "i just hope we don't explosively decompress in space before we have a chance to get shot down in the air or crush in the water cause that would be SO much more fun" he said being a sarcastic smart ass again

Space
The defense satellite would remain silent instead relaying data back to the base on the position of the incoming force. In response the base would finish it's warm up cycle.
Planet Side
The base's ADS system would detect the incoming missiles and deploy countermeasures to neutralize them. Those within the base could hear a loud humming coming from the EM cannon before it fired with a loud boom. It would hit one of the frigates and disable all of it's systems and those of any U1's caught within the beam. The EM cannon would immediately begin to warm up to fire again. The AA guns would rotate to face the incoming threat with an audible *chak* as they were loaded in unison.

Jay looked Neera in the eyes as he received the scan data from Vier.

"That depends on your definition of success. If by that you mean rescuing the hostage, then yes there is a good chance. Casualties, however, are another matter completely."

Hearing reports of the EM cannon, he signalled Neera to wait as he contacted one of the Indigos.

"USV Wraith this is Lieutenant Nagato. Release the package and relocate towards sector Lima-Niner-Delta. Authentication is Hotel-Juliet-Foxtrot-Zulu. Relaying potential landing sites now."

SPACE
Flight deck ---> Spora atmosphere
Mark watched as the lift off happened, ready to launch himself, but something was off. He tallied only thirty pods, "ah fuck." He cursed as realized wave two had launched.

"Osiris leader to team Onyx, what the hell are you doing?! Wave one hasn't launched yet, you don't have cover. Abort and return now. I repeat RTB for retasking.", Mark said frantically as he wondered who had made carl team leader today.

"Wave one launch, we need to distract those defenses and take that topside. I repeat, green light, green light!", He sent to his wave as he sprinted in his mechanized body to take a running leap into the black, taking flight. He was followed by 4 autonomous possessors.

THE DESCENT
Neera held onto the seat restraints waiting for the hard part to start, mentally prepping for the AA fire that would come their way.
"So, how is the first wave doing, think they got the guns distracted, or better destroyed yet?", She asked slight nervous, but calm.

BRIDGE
Jack looked pained from Adria's accusation. "No honey, that's not what I meant. You're strong, more than you could know, but you need to learn how to channel that strength. That is something I will teach you to do, but not now, not when time is not on our side. No I need you here, so that I know I have someone waiting to welcome me, your sister, and your brother Amit when we get him back. You are not useless, you will be our source of strength, bringing us moral through your own courage. I want you to use that comm system and cheer us on, remind us what we are fighting for.", Jack said meaning every word, trying to make her see how important she was to him, and how staying safe would help.

"Uuuuuhhhhh...Commander? They left...both waves."

Jack all but spun around, "What the hell do you mean they left? I didn't give the signal to launch, god damnit Vier! Try hailing them, and get them to turn back for now."

"I have been. They aren't coming back."

Jack growled in anger, "What are they going to do? Fly in circles above the ice?"

"Missiles were fired but most were intercepted."

"Order the fleet to concentrate their main guns here, three klicks due South East of the base. I'm going to grab my Possessor and move to the FMJ. Have the Indigoes bombard that orbital.", Jack said disconnecting from the ship.

"A powerful EM cannon just took out one of the escort frigates and a few of the U-1s, 47 still enroute."

"Target it with a orbital strike, use the telemetry of the group for targeting.", Jack said before leaving the bridge.

The fleet angled their prows down towards the planet below before firing their main guns in unison, the projectiles collectively blowing a large hole through the ice.

The orbital station would find a barrage of missiles headed towards them at relatively high speed.

Group 2

"My group is taking the round-about path to the facility. If your assault is on time then our group will breach the target shortly after group 1 has secured the upper area."

Vier's response was pretty much a request to get on with it. She seemed quite confident in her capabilities.

Her missiles were approaching first. The three large anti-ship missiles getting closer and closer, two pulling up away from the surface while the facility's anti-missile defense systems started firing. Before the projectiles could reach their target the two missiles detonated. The bright flashes going off far away from the facility, hiding the third missile as it detonated close to the ground, blowing a deep hole in the ice.

Even before the shockwave fully subsided, the squadron of U1s dove into the gap they created, the craft forced to slow down considerably due to the weight of the ice cold water they started pushing through.

While miles away, the facility would feel the shockwave from the blasts reaching it, a blinding light and the first real heat the facility had seen blanketing anyone outside.

(update)
The missile would detonate near the ice, but it did not create a hole as thought. The water was just the top layer of ice that had been melted, the first couple of U-1s finding this out the hard way. Diving only to crash into the remaining ice under the water's surface.

"Pull up! Pull up! Aaaaagh........" One of the pods occupants shouted to tell rest before meeting the same fate as their U-1 and the other two who had crashed.

@Ace @Zack

Space
The ADS equipped to the orbital station would activate the crew manning it manually to deal with the large amount of incoming fire. The crew would pick off as much as they could and hoped that the shielding would handle the rest. As a precaution they would also fire the maneuvering thrusters to move out of the line of fire. A warp signature would be detected as a new fleet appeared to have set cordinates for the system and were preparing to jump. The signal that came through would be that of NMX.
Spora Surface
The ADS coupled with the heavy shielding covering the base would prevent any major damage from coming to it while damage teams immediately got to work on repairing any damage that did occur. The AA guns would split their areas of coverage as another wave was launched. Infiltration teams would radio in the size, strength and number of the forces and take aim with their weapons awaiting the signal to engage. By this time the EM canon would fire again taking out the other frigate escort. The cannon would then fall silent as its power source was hit and shut down as a precaution. Damage teams immediately went to work to get the cannon back up and running as soon as possible. Teams would move in to capture any survivors from the pod crashes and set up traps around the crashed frigates.

Bridge
The little butterfly stood there, infuriated. "So that's it?! You think I'll be of any actual help to anyone sitting in a chair groaning some stupid cheer over the comms once in a while?" She narrowed her eyes and watched as he was informed both waves left. "Oh and apparently your group doesn't even listen to you," she bitterly criticized. "Source of strength in that chair... yeah right..." she muttered.

Kryss sat calmly in her chair listening over comms to get an idea of what was going on outside the small room she was working out of, Dawn had been producing and discarding various suggestions from the get go with everything from correcting the ships flight path to alternate drop zones for the teams that had just deployed. However many of them had been obscure and seemed to be focused on sustaining as many losses as possible while the majority were trying to minimise it. When the 2nd team had launched first Kryss and Riccard had nearly jumped out of their chairs as the AI suggested shooting down the pods that had acted independently, while it had its issues for the most part the judgement of the AI had been close to the decisions made by the Director.

"I feel as though even this small scale confrontation may be too large for the system Riccard, I'm going to pop up to the bridge for a couple minutes if they'll let me in."
"So what do you suggest Kryss, we can't just turn it off with all this useful data."
"As a compromise I suggest we merely focus it more, perhaps the landing pods? Disable the inputs from the ships and disconnect it from their local network, have it focus on combat efficiency with secondary protocol being preservation of life, should make it interesting if nothing else."

As she left the room Riccard began to type in various commands flying between her panel and his own to perform the compromise at she had suggested, meanwhile the blonde had made her way to the bridge and could hear the raised voice of Adria along with Jack who she knew was staying on the ship to command from space. Announcing her presence Kryss waited in the hall, "Directer Pine, if I may I'd like to join you on the bridge for a few moments to get some updates on the situation as well as informing you of some of the developments with the Dawn system."

Group 2
The Remotely controlled U-1s would end up nosing into the ground at a shallow angle far harder than they had intended, expecting the water to be considerably more water than it was rock. The sudden impact partially transforming the front of the craft from fighter mode to crumpled-mode. The breaching pods leaving behind the U-1 and re-coupling with the two spare U-1s that had been brought along.

"That impact was well below your personal G-tolerance," Vier responded to the well shaken occupants as they were picked up and moved down the field. The U-1's launching a swarm of mini-missiles, creating a set of smoke screens out infront as they made their way to the hole that the fleet had blown.

Space
The first of the NMX ships would arrive, spheres with tendrils trailing off the rear and a single glowing eye out front. The ships would begin spreading out, making sure the area around them was clear before a single massive ship arrived.

The NMX carrier started deploying a large swarm of smaller craft, its tendrils releasing their grip on still more NMX craft as the prow turned towards the Hammer and Anvil.

They were outside of the system, and it would take them a little less than an hour to reach the Section-6 carriers.

Space
USV-Hammer
Jack gave his daughter a glare, "You are staying here and that is final....Kryss, sorry but it will have to be quick. I'm needed on the ground and the idiots ran ahead."

Fleet
The ships spread out to keep from bunching up, and with telemetry from the units below we're given targets. Running a few calculations and pin pointing the source of the high energy output beam, the guns silently thundered again as they sent shells to the surface below. All fighter and frigates save the Indigoes, took a defensive posture in case enemy reinforcements showed up.

Ground
Group1
Neera braced herself as the pod shook from AA fire bursting close by and from the fierce icy winds pelting their crafts. Even in the pod, the cold crept in.

"Well at least most of group two made it into the water, let's hope they have a better time then us.", She said looking to Jay as the icons for group 2 on her HUD submerged.

Mark flew amongst his battle group, the U-1s and Possessors under his command trying to give suppression fire. But both sides were finding it more than difficult given the blizzard, shear winds, and low visibility.

Psychopomp base
Lazarus began to move as soon as the battle started. Engaging ECS he quickly crept forward looking for the enemy commander, hopefully "father". With panning optics unseen, he watched, waited, searching for his target.

Bridge
A very loud SMACK! could be heard as Adria's tail slapped the floor again, enraged. She sternly glared back at jack with piercing red eyes that were almost burning with their stare alone. "I'm not staying here. I am going whether you like it or not," she boldly declared to him, angrily.

Ground
Chlorate helped to stabilize Mark in the winds, but was having trouble marking targets due to the snow. "Optical input is being hindered," she reported, "efficiency is decreased."

Spora Surface
The AA guns would converge all of their fire on the incoming wave as the one of the groups went underwater. Groups would move to secure the lower sections and underwater vehicles would be deployed. For the most part they were just hastily refitted mining subs meant for breaking apart the ice and earth below the base to harvest minerals. Above surface the teams hiding in the snow would get their signal to fire. The groups would pop out of their hiding spots blipping onto sensors on either side of the wave and firing missiles and other heavy weapons into the wave with pinpoint accuracy before heading back into hiding to reload and relocate for another volley. The shield would continue to do its job by taking the brunt of the damage from the orbital barrage as the ADS did what it could to lessen the damage. Those inside would begin to move to premade foxholes within the base just in case.