Part 5: Steelworks approach
The briefing finished, the enforcers and your group board the vehicles that will take you to to the factory and then, hopefully, to the compound. One of the vehicles is an old enforcer van, held together by spit and prayer, but the riot squads are using a pair of light APCs converted for riot control. Both are covered in dents and scratches, as if they had been repeatedly pelted with rocks. One also sports burn marks, likely from incendiary cocktails, on which lieutenant Navarro comments: "They though the fire would dissuade us from advancing. They were wrong."
"Cost you an arm, though" adds another enforcer, pointing to the lieutenant's augmentic hand.
"Worth it, if only to beat down those blockheads. And the replacement the commissioner got me is more than up to the task.", closing his augmentic hand in a massive metallic fist.
The vehicles leave the precinct, following potholed streets and boulevards bordered by crumbling buildings. The traffic is light, but you spot many idling on the sidewalks, most likely bereft of a job by the exhaustion of the mineral ressources.
"The Meulun quarter is on the East side of the town, same as the compound, so at least it won't be much of a detour." says lieutenant Pradier, who you are riding with.
"We'll have to deal with the group at the factory first. Regarding that, how many enforcers are already there?" you asks.
"Should be Saive and another guy, with a few servo-skulls. They're conducting their surveillance from a hab-block across the river from the factory."
"River?"
"Yes, the factory is on an island on the Almont river, which crosses the town. The factory itself is part of a steelwork complex, now shuttered. But you'll have a better idea of the situation once we're closer."
As the drive continue, you can smell the river before seeing it, the chemical smell wafting from it bitter, a reminder of more productive times, where mine runoffs and waste from the ore processing and refining was dumped in the river. The river's appearance is just as repulsive as its stench, sloppy, dark brown in color with oily streaks of black and purple, its banks stained and barren of vegetation. You finally can spot you can spot the steelworks, the blast furnaces half dismantled and surrounded by smaller buildings, with one being your target.
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Your small convoy parks behind the hab-block where observers are hidden, who then explain the situation. The factory you are targeting is a low building on one end of the island, close to the bank, between a pair of bridges. There's five cultists outside keeping watch, all carrying weapons more or less discreetly, while the rest is inside the building. According to the observers, there is at most a dozen of cultists.
As the matter of how to attack comes up, Navarro asks "Are you any good with your guns?", pointing to Electryos' lascarbine and your autogun.
"Good enough, why?"
"Well, I propose that you take position in the hab-block and cover the advance of the two riot cars. That way we'll advance up to the building via the South bridge. Once arrived, my squad will immediately enter the building, while Pradier and his boys will finish anyone left outside. While we get started there, you join Cordier's squad in their car and join us for the mop-up. What do you think?"
"That'd split us in three groups and your squad will be left alone to face what's inside the factory". You remark. You'd also prefer to avoid leaving unsupervised enforcers next to cultists and whatever they are doing.
"And from the other direction?" Telemacus asks
"Further away, it's the blast furnaces, currently being dismantled by work gangs led by a few cogheads, who've locked down the area tight, no one can leave or enter by this side; though that mean the targets won't be able to flee in that direction." answers Pradier
"I don't think they'll try to flee anyway. Pradier, you have an idea?"
"I still think splitting up is the right idea, but in two groups, both striking at the same time, via each bridge. My team with our riot car, plus two of you guys", pointing to you and Telemacus, "via the North bridge and the rest via the South bridge. We strike hard, clean everyone outside then go inside from both sides. Your call, anyway."
AN: when writing this part, I prepared a picture to show the situation by using a dataslate found on internet and a google map picture, it's available at imgur dot com slash yP8nNkT. This time the choice was between Pradier and Navarro's plans and the option for the players to write one, with Pradier's plan winning the vote.