"The Special Task Groups are the eyes and ears of the Council, the Spectres are the blades, and the JTOP regiments are the hammer and shield."
-JTOP Executive Officer Ecktar on Council tactics to new JTOP recruits.
4 Hours. 35 Units February, 2184 AD
JTOP Ship Fitroalin holding position above planet designated as
Target GAMMA XETA
Start of Operation Unmasked Retrieval
James leaned across the railing on the walkway as he stared out onto the planet. The world had somehow not appeared on Council records so it had been given a simple designation when the Fitroalin had entered the system. It was quite peculiar that a planet had escaped everyone's surveying but the more reasonable explanation was that someone had seen to the erase of the planet from most records. As James removed himself from the railing his thoughts returned to how they had arrived at this outcome.
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"Patriot, now that's an interesting code name." Visaq said as he clasped his hands as James and Bacek entered his office once more. "Well I'll have to go through our personnel records for any connections with patriot as a name or reference in their files, let me see here." The turian said as his claws sped through a series of commands into his terminal. James once again waited patiently for their contact to come up with something for them.
"Nothing coming up in relation to that name, did you have something a little more precise?" Visaq asked the pair of officers as he paused for their response.
"Do a cross check of military service during the First Contact War. I have a feeling that whoever it is spent some time in the military." Visaq nodded and then returned to funneling through hundreds if not thousands of names trying to close up the gaps.
"That did a lot." Visaq muttered sarcastically. "Approximately a thousand current members of the Corporation were in military service during the war. Only one was in the same unit as Yo'Tauros, Jardron Craoutus." Visaq tapped in another command and a projector on his desk unfolded and portrayed the image of a elder turian in full army uniform smiling proudly.
"Joined the army two years earlier than turian standards and became one of the greatest military minds of his time. At the age of twenty four he became a Spectre and served with high distinction according to his council report. At thirty eight he had moved back to the turian army and served as executive officer to General Oraka. A year later the war broke out and Oraka was one of the units sent in to fight during those skirmishes. During one of these it is reported that Craoutus got a little bit out of hand trying to crush a Alliance ship that had surrendered. He was just about to destroy the ship when Oraka ordered him to stand down. It took four officers to remand him. After that he returned to the empire and continued on with anti cooperation speeches claiming how humans were being given too many favors." Visaq furrowed his brow at the next line of text.
"It seems he didn't stop at speeches, according to this internal affairs report Craoutus started organizing ersatz pirate raids on human colonies. The raids were horrible and merciless and quickly he got the notice of the high ups in the army command. It took Alliance intelligence a few months to track down who was behind them. They brought their evidence to the Hierarchy and asked that they put a stop to it. When Craoutus was confronted with this he laughed in their faces saying that the turians had lost their honor during the First Contact War and that they deserved to treat the humans as he had done. He claimed he was a, Patriot.." Visaq said as he finished skimming through the archival report he'd brought up.
James could hardly contain his apprehension. "What was the last known location that file shows?" the soldier asked as Visaq quickly scanned through the file's contents once more.
"All record of him seem to disappear after his dishonorable discharge from the army. The Hierarchy didn't exile him because of the activities he had participated in as a Spectre, instead they let him retire with whatever honor he had left. They gave him a sort of pension plan and set him up on some fringe world according to this. Here we go, out of the way sector, high level of bio hazards. It's set up for terra-forming by the Hierarchy in twenty years so it's not going to have anything else going on there for awhile, perfect place to do things of questionable legality." Visaq said as he slowly turned around in his chair. "Window or aisle?" he said with a smile as he uploaded the information into a datadisk for the Cohort team members.
Now about to find the mastermind behind all that had happened at the Citadel James couldn't help it that a little anxiety as he closed with his prey. Of course one thing still tugged at him, nothing about the events at the Citadel were quiet. Using a top class hitman to take out one dealer and trying to kill off a member of the Council to throw off your pursuit just didn't sound very quiet. It seemed if you went through all the trouble to get those weapons, steps should have been taken to ensure it was done stealthily and quietly. Having Visaq on their team had definitely aided their cause but James was sure he and Nalick would have arrived at the conclusion sooner or later.
James pushed the thoughts away as he felt someone approaching. Turning slightly he saw Nina clad in her green JTOP suit moving with precision in every step. She came to a halt right before James and then in turn leaned against the railing as he did. The slight greenish glow emanating all the way from the planet up to the ship just seemed to play off her skin. The entire effect gave her a sort of radiance that made her all the more attractive as she turned to look at James.
"I didn't think we would be leaving home so soon, after Beloraud I thought we would earn some downtime." She said before her eyes traveled back to the viewport.
"I know, but at the same time I think it's the right decision. We were the ones at the start of this, I think we have the right to finish it." James said as he turned to look back to her. Even with all the experience she'd gathered, all the training she'd received and all the things that had gone on around her she still seemed to be that picturesque girl he'd met on the Osiris. Give or take that know she could kick him around a lot harder than before he still felt that she was a bit apprehensive about all they'd done and were going to do.
"Still it would have been nice to relax for just a bit, I mean." Her eyes caught James gaze and the words seemed to escape her. "I mean there are so many other squads in the Cohort but we have to go out to the enemy's backyard. Just seems unfair." She finished, once more staring out to the vast sea of space.
"Unfair for the squad, or unfair for you?" James moved slightly closer to her, closing the distance to a matter of inches. Moving slowly James brought his hand to her chin and turned her back to face him.
For a second she seemed to be frightened and then her eyes glowed with anticipation. "Both." She said before the two embraced. In the coldness of the ship confines the warmth they shared could have lasted forever. James wanted it to last forever, but nothing ever does. Slowly he felt Nina's lips part with his but a smile crossed her face warranting his attention. "I think that will do for now marine, its about time you check out what Bacek is up to." She said curtly as she left the gangway as curtly as she had come.
Caught a little bit off guard it took James a second to get back to himself. He grinned a bit and exited the gangway just as Nina had. He'd have plenty of time to pursue other goals once he was done here.
The briefing room of the Fitroalin was a dark shade of steel grey with over three dozen seats in a circular formation. In the middle stood the familiar figures of Troaviel and Ivizzes as they stood besides James, next to them two new individuals were present.
Captain Eleesia, an Asari huntress turned squad leader and Captain Signius, ex elite commando operative in the turian army. Both had proven themselves according to Ecktar's pre briefing report. Both had done well in the missions the JTOP had sent them on and James felt that if the general had assigned them to this special task.
"The planet itself is uninteresting for most aspects. Average amount of flora makes for good foliage and coverage for our advance to the structure." Troaviel noted as he once more took the position of head coordinator for the operation. "Plans for the structure are not on hand as this is a privately owned facility. Could be a small time retirement home or it could be a advanced weapon development plant we wont know till were groundside. The Fitroalin will drop each team roughly 50 kilometers from the energy signature we've been picking up. Each team will start in from a different point making a rough pentagonal area of operation." He tapped a series of commands into the main council and a bird's eye view topographical map appeared showing the different levels of altitude of the specific area. 5 yellow dots appeared in the geometric formation and in turn each dot closed on the center of the shape.
"Once we reach the base it will be up to us to make a complete rationalization of its defenses and support. After this things will be turned over to Captain Ivizzes and Captain Fields to carry out the closing operation. Any questions." Troaviel asked as he finished up the pre briefing.
"What's our exit strategy?" one of the new squad's members asked where he lay leisurely in his seat.
"The Fitroalin is only here for purpose of insertion. Once the mission is accomplished we have suitable communications equipment to alert a Turian base a few sectors away. If needed they will send in a grey fleet for retrieval." Troaviel finished as his sharp eyes surveyed the room awaiting any more questions. Grey Fleets meant a military force using non military or ghost vessels. For all intents and purposes if things went bad a unidentifiable group of ships would appear at the planet stay long enough for exfiltration and be done with it. It was a sound strategy but it had be executed with impervious secrecy otherwise people would know outside parties were involved.
"Very well, squad leaders will go over final preparation for the insertion and then we'll be on our way. It is absolutely essential that we maintain com silence until we are at the structure so watch each others backs out there. We're going into the big blind." The turian finished as the group began exiting the briefing room.
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"I'm beginning to think brining in patriot the operation was a mistake," the first speaker spoke softly and in complete control of their emotions.
"He has resources essential to gaining the upperhand in the battles to come. We both knew there was the chance that he may proove too, expensive to our interests. But his contacts within the Hierarchy have prooved quite useful in moving the items." the second speaker responded quickly and curtly. The voice was almost a match to the first voice but seemed a little deeper if not even edgier.
"Yes but I fear his usefullness has reached its limits."
"I'll make the arrangements."
6 Hours. 35 Units February 2, 2184 AD
JTOP Ship Fitroalin
Holding position 10 meters above Target Gamma Xeta, Dropzone Charlie.
Visors down and weapons at the ready the squad stood fully prepped at the edge of the Fitroalin's exit ramp. Overhead was a series of cable routing systems critical to their insertion point, too big for a dirt insertion the teams had to rappel down to the planet's surface via the attached cables. Now on their final checks and double checks of gear James took the opportunity to address his friends and comrades.
"Listen up, I know we didn't have a lot of time to run any simulations back on the Citadel, but that doesn't matter. What does matter is our ability to stay the well maintained and well disciplined unit we've been since day one. Remember the threat we're going after now is the quintessential reason that the Cohort was ever formed. Remember that." He finished just as the green light signaling the group to descend turned on. "Let's move it out." With slow and calm prescision each squad member latched onto the overhead cables and making sure their harnesses were secure, promptly walked up to the edge of the ramp and jumped down to the ground.
James feet hit the turned with a resounding thud, though the sound was muffled due being in a full helmet. Quickly scanning the immediate area he saw no threats to be seen and then moved forward as not to get trampled by a fellow squad member. Bacek moved to his side and brought up his omni-tool and projected an image of the immediate area to the squad leader.
"There's a river her," he titled his head up slightly to indicate the direction. "about a kilometer north east of our current position. And here's our projected defensive screen." A red ned appeared on the projections top right edge and climbed down to a position roughly 10 kilometers from the river area had just indicated. "If we follow the river down it will take us right into their perimeter."
"If the projection is right, if you were doing something you weren't supposed to be doing and you had the money for it, I doubt you wouldn't put some backups in place." James replied as the remainder of the squad landed and made sure the immediate area was secure. "Got a long walk ahead of us, everyone stay sharp."