Squadpunk 2.0 : Not exactly, they don't know each other to be tsundere.

Paladin

Chapter IX

Priority: Operation Red Dawn

Briefing room B, Hendley Associates Building, 24th and West Avenue, Bekenstein

02/12/2177

10:00 A.M. (local time)

Local met. forecast: 2 knot wind from the North, 12-18°C, humidity: 15%

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen" I say beginning the briefing on Operation Red Storm: Phase-I. All the Campus fire teams were assembled and ready.

"With this attack, we will kick off Operation Red Storm. And we all know what this implies to the galaxy in the long term"

"What do you need us to do boss?" came Mason's voice, the sniper of team-3. I smiled what they called my shark smile when I replied, mirroring my friend and mentor when he went after Makarov.

"What we've been taught to do. Kill 'em all"

This had everyone sporting their shark smiles as I explained my plan.


LZ-Bravo, on the surface of Torfan

03/01/2178

03:30 A.M. (local time)

Local met. forecast:0 knot wind over the landing zone, -20-180°C, humidity: 0%

Ensign Madeline Verity Shepard:

"Green light! Go! Go! Go!" my Kodiak pilot says and I jump out of the Kodiak, taking point for my section as we charged to our target, the command and control centre. Once we had it under our control, we could take control of the AA batteries that dotted the surface of the moon.

"Section on me!" I say as we move quickly from cover to cover, waiting for the burst of machine gun fire, the bombs, the mine fields, the mortars. But all was quiet.

A little too quiet.

"All away teams. Preliminary scans show thermal concentrations in the primary target bunkers. The AA batteries are not tracking us. Be on your guard" came the voice of Rear Admiral Stephen Hackett, updating us on the ELINT and SIGINT scans.

I barely acknowledge it with a verbal reply, tapping my transmit button twice. My squad and I stacked up against the sides of the door leading into the bunker, when suddenly the door cycled open and a voice spoke in a deep monotone.

"With hopeful trepidation and challenge: Mako"

"Shark" I reply automatically to the all clear signal as I slowly step around the corner, my weapon up, and come across a strange sight. An elcor, a turian and a krogan were standing inside the command centre while a human woman and an asari stood a little further back, with a small group of children of several races peeking out from behind the legs of the adults. The woman was the first one to step forward. She was dressed in some kind of onesie, was pale as a ghost and despite being young, her hair had streaks of grey in them. Most telling of all, she had a healing sore around her neck. The kind of sore that came from a slave collar.

Tears were streaming down her face as she walked up to us cautiously. I signal my team to continue the sweep of the bunker. She stopped five feet from me and my section NCO.

"They said you would come to save us all" she said. I was a little taken aback at this statement and the obvious breach of OPSEC.

"Who said this?" I ask. The woman just gestures at the screens. I silently watch the video for the ten minutes it lasts and then walk out of the bunker, ordering my team to stand guard and treat any remaining injuries they had. Before leaving, I saw my female teammates playing with the kids.

"Sir, this Viper-Lead" I say, contacting Admiral Hackett.


Docking Bay A-21, Citadel Docks, Citadel

03/05/2178

06:00 P.M. (local time)

Local met. forecast: N/A

Staff Lieutenant Amanda Julien Shepard's POV:

"And here we have the Angel of Torfan, the woman who single-handedly organised the rescue of 500 former slaves from a life of utter despair" John comments teasingly as a blushing Maddy punches him in the shoulder. Judging by his wince she didn't hold back in the punch. I poke my brother in the ribs and pull Maddy into a hug. For the first time in ages, the Shepard siblings were in one place.

"I'm so proud of you Maddy" I say, pulling my sister into a hug, while our brother grabbed the bags. We chatted as we got into a skycar and headed for our hotel. After we freshend up,we decided to hit up the Flux.

"So what exactly happened on Torfan?" I ask after we sat down in a corner booth, watching the crowd. My sister huffed in an overwrought manner.

"Your boyfriend and his team came in and hit the place 24 hours before we arrived" she replied as she sipped her asari wine. I preferred my...what?!

"Oh yuck sis, I really didn't need that" my brother complained, wiping his face with a paper napkin. I just ignored his grumbles and groans.

"Knight was there?" I ask, not knowing how this happened. She nodded her head, her green eyes flashing.

"Yep. AIS is investigating the whole thing. But seriously, except for the footage, these guys left no traces" Maddy replies. My head was whirling. Not once, but three times these guys appeared, in the right place at the right time. It meant we, the Alliance were compromised. The fact that they were a multispecies team and left no traces meant that this was bigger than anything that we had ever seen and were very well bankrolled.

My eyes were attracted to a dark skinned man in a blue open collared shirt and black suit and pants, sitting in the booth on our left, removed by one. He was constantly scanning the crowd, when suddenly a teenaged girl ran up to him, excitedly bouncing on her heels. She said something to him and he gave a look of exasperation, shaking his head at her, with an amused smile on his face. He then gave a sharp nod and the brunette girl ran off excitedly.

"Checking out the eye candy sis?" John asked me. Dammit, how long was I drooling over him?

"uh..ahem, I guess yeah" I say as I feign nonchalance. After Elysium and the Star Of Terra, I had no lack of suitors. But all of them wanted The Lioness Of Elysium, not Amanda. Maddy gave him an apprising look then an approving nod.

"Go for it. Go on talk to him" she says and pushes me to him. I trusted Maddy and her instincts, particularly ever since she chased of John's manipulative ex when we were in high school. And how much she approved of Jill. Her judgement of character was always spot on.

"I don't need any of that" I say doggedly, knowing I would have approached him if I were alone.

"Sis, you closed out any guy after Elysium. You need to live a little" John said, taking our sister's side in this argument. I glare at him, but his cybernetic eyes help him win any glaring matches any time. I huffed in annoyance.

"Ok fine" I grouse as I down my drink, wishing I had taken something stronger than Budweiser for my nerves.

"Good luck" Maddy says and giggles at the glare I send her.

I take a deep breath and walk over to the man. He looks at me, a flash of recognition, then a look of wariness came into his eyes. I put on my best seductive smile and voice as I sat down next to him, brushing my leg against him. His wariness actually is a nice thing to have seen.

"Hi, I'm Amanda Shepard" I try and purr out. Honestly, I hope I'm not making a hash of things.

"Nice to meet you Amanda. I'm John Ryan"


Finally finished this chapter! Phew!

R&R!

Now everyone will want to ask me, why no action? Well in the next chapter will be AIS going through the recordings while Operation Red Dawn Phase-II will be executed. The fate of the galaxy is going to be turned on its head.