The Commander keeps her commitment to meet with Captains Crawley and Zhang the next day. Both officers agree that the troops need additional training. The majority of the recruits have little to no military experience. Having joined resistance cells around the world they rose to the top of the heap after showing a little talent for weapons or other specialties.
On January 1, 2020 the world's military forces were officially disbanded. When the peace accord was signed in 2015 the ADVENT propaganda machine was the first thing implemented. Through it, ADVENT built trust with the counties of the world and their people, before implementing the breakdown of the armed services. It took only three years. During that time proposals were made to redistribute resources and repurpose facilities within the individual borders. Council members advocated that military funds be redirected to ADVENT to allow a stronger "peacekeeping" force on the ground.
When the time came for Central to build the troop roster for the new XCom he found his military options limited. There were about a dozen "soldiers" within the initial crew. Several of them had been lost during the long search for the Commander, others had been wounded and then there were those who just walked away from the fight having lost hope. He had found Crawley in a resistance cell in York, England. He had been a sergeant in the British Army in January of 2020. He had watched the dismantling of a millennium of the British Empire. The Brit came from a long line of military men, with his grandfather having boots down on the beach at Normandy-he had been among the British troop who had liberated Bergen-Belsen in April 1945. His Grand didn't speak of such things, but when William was old enough he read about the horrors. Crawley saw a new variation of that history repeating itself and it was his duty to stand on the side of right.
Then there was James Hass who had managed to make it through basic training without getting kicked out of the United States Army and had risen to the rank of Corporal before he was escorted off Fort Polk in Louisiana with the rest of the staff. Hass went back home to Texas where he met a nice girl named Millie. He'd tell you they had a good time and after they had been together about 3 months, she introduced him to some of her friends. They turned out to be a group known as the Defenders of the Alamo. The name had a long standing history in Texas and while Hass said it sounded like a group of superheroes he knew exactly what they stood for. He honestly didn't have much issue with ADVENT except that they had taken what would have been his livelihood from him with the closing of Fort Polk... so he tagged along. He had a way with explosives and the Defenders had those. The small fringe group was known for causing havoc for the forces-from disrupting supply lines to harassing local collaborators. Texas did it because it was something to do and Millie believed in the "cause". His attitude toward the newcomers quickly changed when he watched Millie being dragged from her trailer by two sectoids. He couldn't get to her in the chaos of the raid and had never seen her again. A short time later Hass heard about an old guy looking for people with military experience - he found Bradford.
The Commander explains to the officers what she had walked into when she stepped into her role at HQ and how until the addition of Colonel "Chilong" Zhang it hadn't been her XCom. "Central built this team with your assistance. I'm still learning exactly what I have here, so that means I'm relying on his and your counsel." She tells them. "I'm can deal with the comm chatter, as long as I know when things get real they know it too." She requests they supply her with skillsets for future recruits which will fill gaps in their current roster. Along with that both captains are to pull together a training schedule for the squads. "We need to get some of our recruits more ground experience. I'd like to see you increase squad sizes to accommodate the rookies when the mission permits it. There is no telling what ADVENT has brewing for us and we need to be ready."
With that they are dismissed. The Commander glances over at Bradford who had kept quiet over the course of the meeting. "Did you want to add something to the discussion?" She asks him.
"Not at all Commander," he says and he doesn't. He thinks she has shown great restraint after the last few days she had. Still tonight's mission would tell if she has come to peace with the XCom from the past and what they are now. The lists and schedules will have to wait for later.
The Commander gets up from her chair, with a lopsided smile. Walking over to him she hands him the data pad and leans in giving him a kiss. "Well if that is all, I have to meet with Shen and I have time on the firing range before liftoff."
Central gives her a speculative look. "The range again? You're not planning on suiting up anytime soon?" He asks taking her into his arms.
"If it gets that bad, I just might," she says with a smile. She is joking, but Bradford won't put it past her.
"It won't come to that," he tells her. "I won't let it."
"Alright, but I'm still going."
He frowns at this, "Commander? You're safe on the Avenger." Bradford can't help but feel that
this harbors back to her abduction.
"Central, I know that." She says placing her hand on his chest, her fingers tugging on the zipper of his shirt. "This is just my way of getting out of my head and who knows I might have to save your ass someday." She tells him with a giggle. He chuckles giving her a kiss and leaving her for the bridge.
They convene on bridge at 2100 hours. When Bradford sees her he thinks she looks relaxed, perhaps getting her nervous energy out on the range has done her some good. Delta squad is in the pike and about to drop on the blacksite they had started calling the Forge. Crawley has followed the Commander's directive and added Corporal "Jackal" Najjar to the roster for this evening's festivities. The 5 member squad would touchdown and investigate the site. Mission objective is to collect any information and rendezvous at the evac site for extraction.
Aerial photos show the blacksite is made up of three structures. The first two buildings line a main access road. They are surrounded by thick tree cover. The road extends past structures and curves to the right, running parallel to the rail line, which cuts across the front of the main structure. From the photos the large facility resembles a factory with tall smoke stacks towering over the structure. The team drops south of the site.
Delta squad takes a slow approach towards the east building. Crawley takes point, drawing up to its corner. From his location he can see two figures at the end of the building, just as the road curved to the right. "Two - a drone and a snake." He whispers into his comm. Leaning against the building he turns back to the squad, he waves High Castle to head up. Getting her up on a perch was the best way of using their one eyed sharpshooter. She slides into the spot next to him. Swinging her sniper rifle over her shoulder she starts to make her way up the drain pipe which runs down the side of the building. He flags Hack to move to the end of the ADVENT vehicle parked on the side of the main access road. The specialist moves quickly, his GREMLIN silently moving with him. As High Castle makes her accent, Najjar slides in next to Crawley leaving Texas room to move up behind a large pine tree by the edge of the road.
High Castle reaches the top of the pipe; she swings herself up over the ledge of the building as quietly as possible. "Scheisse." she says through the comm. "Turm"
Bradford goes to open the comm. "Turret," the Commander tells him. He raises and eyebrow at her. "I learned that one today." She says smiling.
"Crawley, that things going to be heavily armored. We need to take it down quick." Bradford tells the Captain. Crawley nudges Najjar and sends her up after the sharpshooter.
"Timing people," Crawley says, "Hack?"
"Snakes mine."
"Ladies got the machine, which leaves me the drone," Texas says. Crawley nods.
"On High Castle's mark," he tells them, taking aim at the Viper.
Above them the German slips into position behind an air conditioner unit, allowing her teammate access to the roof. Najjar steps onto the roof and scurries behind an air duct for cover. She looks over at High Castle, she can see her pink fauxhawk just over the unit. As she leans back they make eye contact with the medic. She is raising three fingers.
Into the comm the team hears the countdown, "Drei...zwei...eins." High Castle takes her shot at the turret. Sparks shoot from the top as it slowly turns to face the two soldiers. The shot has clearly damaged the hydraulics but the unit is still functional. Jackal takes a breath, allowing the snipers shot to strike before taking her own. Pulling back on the trigger she feels the rifle vibrate against her shoulder. Her rounds hit the machine as it begins to cycle up to fire. There is a flash as the unit explodes with black smoke billowing from the top.
The women hear gunfire and yelling from the ground. Each moves to cover by the edge of the building. They can see the engagement below. The ADVENT Trooper is down, riddled with bullets from the gunner's machine gun fire. The Viper is another story. It dodged Hack's attack and is sheltered behind one of the barracks. Its focus on the specialist has allowed Crawley to graze the creature as it moved for cover. Najjar can see the Viper is pulling back its head in Hack's direction. "Hack get down!" She says into the comm.
The Specialist seems to look around as he touches his ear piece. He keeps low, turning his back in the direction of the snake. Hack feels the venom strike the side of the car and burst into a cloud of poisonous gas. Holding his breath he backs away from the side of the vehicle, until he hits the barrier that lines the road. The large Texan reaches over the barrier and grabs the back of Hack's armor pulling him over the side. He lies on the ground, coughing a little.
High Castle sets her rifle and takes aim from above. She fires as Crawley readies his next shot.. Her shot destroys the Vipers head, its brain splatters the ground around the corpse. Through a half choking cough Hack manages, "thanks," to his teammates. Texas stands over him keeping watch until he is ready to move.
The bridge crew watches High Castle make her way across the building to take a look. They can see the installation but no movement. The loading dock near the parked train cars is stacked with long storage containers which have a green glow. "Crawley I want a closer look at those units," the Commander says through the comm.
"Certainly Commander," he says as the team starts to move on the loading dock. Najjar joins the others on the ground as High Castle keeps vigilant on the roof. Crawley moves the squad in on the train tracks. He directs the team to keep their distance from one another; he doesn't want a well-placed grenade to take out their entire group.
Najjar steps up to the container closest to the edge of the dock. Leaning over it so the crew on the Avenger can see inside. Lying before her is a young woman, not much older than 18. She looks to be sleeping. The medic looks down at the readings on the side of the container. "Avenger it would appear that she's alive," she tells him. She lets her body cam run over the containers controls. "There are at least 30 containers right here on the dock."
Crawley reaches up and pulls Najjar down and quiets her. The Captain gestures to their right up ahead by the facility. They can hear movement. He slips away from her moving to the next set of containers. From Hack's body cam they can see Viper, a Lancer and a Trooper approaching. "I hate snakes," the specialist whispers.
"Want to try to hit this one, little buddy?" Texas asks through the comm. Hack turns back to look at the oversized gunner and gives him the finger. "Don't be that way."
"People let's focus on the matter at hand," Bradford tells them.
The team on the ground sets for overwatch. "High Castle, take the Viper." Crawley orders through the comm. From above, she moves her scope from figure to figure, until taking aim on the snake's smooth-skinned head.
Her bullet strikes the Viper's between the eyes. There is little blood this time, the creature stiffens and a low throaty hiss is heard before it slumps to the ground in a heap. The German sharpshooter smiles to herself as she watches the action through the scope. The Lancer and the Trooper move in a panic, one darts left and the other right. Each meets with oncoming fire. Crawley's shotgun drops the Trooper before he is able to reach cover, while Hack and Texas focus on the Lancer who is too fast for them.
The Lancer sidles up to the Captain and strikes him with 50,000 volts of electricity. Crawley crumbles to the ground as the lance hits him in the side. Najjar, just a few feet away, raises her rifle and fires at the Lancer taking him in the neck. She drops her weapon to her side and rushes to her commanding officer's side.
Texas reports into the Avenger, "007 has been struck. Doc is assessing. Holding position. Team overwatch."
Najjar kneels beside Crawley. She can feel his body still quivering slightly from the stream of electricity which has just coursed through his body. "Captain?" She says as she takes his pulse. He looks up at her, his eyes slightly glazed over for a moment before he focuses on her. He nods.
"I'm alright," he tells her. She takes hold of his arm and stops him from standing up.
"Hang on a minute, we're off comm. Take a second - that had to smart a bit," she says to him.
"Jackal, status on Crawley?" Bradford says over the comm. Crawley looks over at Najjar with a lopsided smile as he stumbles to his feet and reaches for his comm.
"Avenger, ready to move on," he reports. Najjar gives him a disapproving look as she swings her rifle into her hands.
The Commander opens her comm, "proceed when you're ready Captain." On Najjar's body camera they can see Crawley get to his feet. His moment of uneasiness is quickly shaken off and he sets himself to continue towards their objective.
"High Castle, visual?" Crawley inquires to his eye in the sky.
"Trum, left."
"We'll keep right. Let's stay out of its range." He tells them and starts moving the squad to the large bay doors to the left of the loading dock. "High Castle, would you join us?" She doesn't respond verbally, but jumps into action-climbing down the drain pipe and running to catch up to the group.
Each team member takes a moment to reload. Crawley and Pak flank the door. Texas slips to the left against the low barricades which surround the perimeter of the loading dock. He gets down on one knee and sets his focus on the door in front of him. The gunner can see Jackal take position behind one of the containers which hold the human bodies. She had told the Avenger they looked like they were alive in those things. What if Millie was in one of those he thinks. He shakes his head, trying to remove the thought. It was no time to think of that.
Crawley looks back to check everyone's position before giving Hack the go ahead to open the doors. There is a MEC unit just inside to the right. Texas can see the white shine of its armor as the doors slide open. He whispers into the comm "Move Hack!" as he loads his rocket launcher. The Korean specialist dives backwards towards the container that shelters Najjar. As he moves out of the way, the Texan takes his unchecked anger out on the MEC approaching the door. Using his rocket launcher he targets the machine and shreds its armor. The machine stutters at the hit, but continues to move. The Captain aims and fires stopping it in its tracks. The robot falls to the floor in a heap. "Entering facility," Crawley reports stepping inside.
From Texas's body camera the bridge sees the specialist giving the gunner props for this quick thinking. Raising a hand and pointing to his teammate. The Texan grins and swings his gun towards the door, ushering him into the ADVENT Facility.
The three male soldiers are barely inside the doors when two ADVENT Troopers rush them from across the room. Crawley who is quick on his feet, pumps his shotgun and shoots one, dropping him back into a pool of green liquid which is at the center of the room. Hack engages the second, leaving them alone in the room once again…
At the center of the room, the team can see green glowing tubes suspended vertically on hydraulic lifts. They are stacked in two rows of five, one on top of the other. It's clear that the glass cylinders contain human subjects. Something in the facility activates the lifts, seven in all, and begins to submerge them in the green glowing liquid of the pool. Najjar feels her heart catch in her throat as she watches as 70 people are -
"So many victims processed with such brutal efficiency. Test subjects for some sort of weapon perhaps?" Tygan says over the comm as they watch the team's video feeds.
"That looks more like a refinery to me, Doctor," Shen says. It's clear from her tone she isn't as awed by the "efficiency" as the doctor is.
"Once we get our hands on that sample, we'll know for sure." Bradford tells them. "Captain, please proceed."
The team stays to the left avoiding the green glowing pool of liquid. From this point the squad can set for engagement, while one of them obtains the sample. "Awfully nice of them to give us a back door out of this place," Texas says gesturing to the door behind him.
"Let's not get too comfortable," Bradford reminds him.
Crawley and Najjar converge on the sample which is in the center of the room to the right of the team. Crawley takes a position on the opposite side of the floor to ceiling containment unit which houses the sample. He watches the right side and the view over the pool. Najjar steps up to the vial. The glass tube has a similar glow as the green liquid in the pool behind her, but has less of a green tint - it's more pure. "Avenger, confirmation to proceed?" She says into her comm.
"Guessing that's not water in there. Shen, any readings?" Bradford says.
Shen reviews her scans, "No signs of radioactivity. No significant energy signature of any kind. Whatever it is it's safe to handle."
"Alright then, Jackal go ahead." Bradford tells the medic.
She glances at Crawley and then reaches up and lets her fingers wrap round the cylinder. With a slight tug it comes free. "Package acquired Avenger," she says slipping it into the sling hanging from her side.
The team suddenly hears the sound of incoming aircraft overhead. "Just in time Doc!" Texas calls out.
"Crawley move to extraction," Bradford orders. The team doesn't have to be told twice. Hack has the "backdoor" open and he and Texas are out the door to secure a clear passage to the evac site. The extraction point is just outside the facility at the top of a large rock facing.
Looking up at the blue trail lights on the ridge above, Texas gives a huff over the comm, "Christ! Do I look like a mountain climber?" High Castle steps out into the night air, she looks to see the red glow of the ADVENT drop marker just ahead and glances up to the ridge. She can see a strong oak tree on the edge of the precipice. Raising her arm, she shoots off her grappling hook and rides the line to the top. "I'm beginning to dislike that one." Texas says to Hack who watches the action.
Crawley and Najjar exit the facility behind them, Crawley moving to the left and Najjar moving to the right to the edge of the building. They are contained within a ten by ten foot space surrounded by low barracks. As she looks around the corner she sees Xrays approaching from the side. "We're being flanked," she says into the comm.
High Castle turns to see a snake, a Lancer and an ADVENT Trooper approaching. She rattles them off over the comm and starts to take aim at the Viper. It will be the largest threat on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye she can see the ADVENT drop team put boots down.
As the drop team comes into view, Crawley sees they are dealing with a MEC unit and two troopers. He takes the opportunity to cut in front of his team to the right and slides into the corner of the barricade. He can now see the three enemies coming up behind them. "Drop unit is yours, gentlemen," he says into the comm. He needs to make sure Najjar gets to the evac with the package intact.
"Texas, leave the big boy to me!" Hack says, tapping away on his arm the small drone that follows the specialist around flies up to the pole to the left of the gunner.
"Alright, but don't make me save your ass!" Texas says as Hack pulls up the ADVENT interface and begins to furiously tap on his armband display. Texas can't be bothered to watch him any longer and begins shooting at the two ADVENT troopers as they step off the aircraft. The first goes down with no resistance, while the second makes a run for it. "Not today, I would like to go home sometime tonight." He says as he turns his grenade launcher on the second-blowing him into little tiny ADVENT pieces as the grenade detonates. "I'm done, how about you?" He says turning to his sidekick.
Hack smiles as the MEC walks up to Texas as puts his hand on his shoulder. The gunner turns to fire and Hack yells no. The MEC puts its hands up in surrender. "Is that you?" Texas asks. Both Hack and the MEC nod. "Oh I do love you man!"
While her teammates amuse themselves, High Castle wounds the Viper and reloads to take a second shot. She can see the medic from her position and she knows that Najjar is carrying the package. The Lancer begins to advance on her and the German sniper stops him before he can get too close. Crawley slips down the wall to Najjar and pulls her back "Protect the asset," he tells her, as they hear the sounds of a mechanized unit approach them from behind. The Captain whirls raising his shotgun placing himself between the looming MEC and the medic.
"Hold up Captain!" Texas says and the MEC walks right past the two, moving in the direction of the trooper and Viper behind them. "We're gonna have some fun with this."
Hack moves the MEC between the squad and the Viper. The Snake is confused by the advancing unit. It glances at the trooper who is yelling at the lumbering white robot in front of them.
Crawley sees that they have a diversion and grabs Najjar's arm, "Let's go," he tells her. They make a run for the vines and roots that cover the edge of the rock face. He stands at the bottom as she begins to climb. He can see Texas standing next to Hack, the two of them enjoying their new toy.
Hack walks the MEC up to the Trooper and strikes him in the head with one of the large mechanical arms. High Castle watches this from above and when the trooper goes down, she takes a shot assuring he won't get up again as Najjar rounds the top of the cliff.
The Commander looks over at Bradford and shakes her head, "Somewhere Ravel is rolling over in his grave." She tells him. He can't argue with that.
Central opens the comm, "Can we finish this up?"
"Yes sir," Hack says as he turns the MEC unit on the Viper. The snake attempts to use it's tongue attack on the unit, wrapping itself around the armored machine. Its grip tightening around it causing slight sparks. Hack taps a command on his armband and hits the gunner in the arm.
"Let's go!" He says turning to follow Crawley up the vines.
"What about…"
"Self-Destruct in 5...4...3...2...1" Hack says as he points to the unit as it explodes; setting the snake ablaze.
"DAMN!" Texas says as he watches, the serpent flailing on the ground trying to put itself out. He turns and runs for the cliff.
Crawley rushes Najjar onto the evac pad, ensuring that the package is safely aboard first, before he turns back for the rest of his team. Hack is attempting to pull the out of breath gunner up over the top of the ridge as High Castle keeps an eye on the dying snake. "See if you can climb that with all this stuff!" Texas tells him as he gets to his feet pointing at his cannon and grenade launcher.
"Let's move people!" Crawley says to them, watching each of them step into the light of the evac zone and grab ropes before he steps in. He opens his comm, "Avenger, Delta is on its way home!"
The Commander lets herself relax a little as she takes off her earpiece. She can see Bradford looking at her with a grin on his face. "By the numbers," he says.
"Sort of!"