Time: 22:09 Galactic Standard

Date: March 31st, 2357

Location: IMC base on Sydon, located in Batarian space

"Cameron, check those corners"
Thank goodness for internal comms. While the helmets we have aren't Pilot grade, they're still useful to have in a mission like this, keeping our communications clear while we proceed silently through the facility.
"Clear left… Contact right.

"Drop him"
A single, suppressed shot, and the contact – an unshielded Batarian – lies dead. I shake my head. "Most of our targets have been shielded thus far. Why was this one unshielded?"

Cameron shrugs. "Don't know. Probably a recruit, fresh from some other world"

"Bravo Actual, this is STG 1, do you copy?"

"I copy, STG 1. What's your situation?"

"We're nearing what appears to be a data center. Could be a chance to retrieve some information. Advice?"

"Be careful. It might be a trap. IMC knows someone is here, they don't know how many of us are here"

"That comes with the training. Thanks, Bravo Actual. Will keep an eye out"
I sigh. Hopefully it's not a trap, and Kirrahe gets his info. Meanwhile, we're nearing a control station.
"Contacts forward, Sergeant"
I nod. As expected, IMC forces around the control station have fortified their positions and prepared for a possible assault. "How many contacts?"

"Unknown. Two at least, but possibly more"

"Lyon, pulse knife. We need to know how many contacts are waiting for us"

Lyon nods, and throws a pulse knife at the ceiling. "Twelve hostiles, Sergeant"
They outnumber us three to one.
"Orders, Sarge?"
I nod.
"Cameron, drop a flashbang. Bravo, get ready to engage"
Cameron tosses a flashbang into the group's midst. As it detonates, we unload. Burke hangs back, his DMR primed and ready. Lyon unloads with his L-STAR, focusing on the Captain. Cameron drops two targets with his EVA-9, then slams a guy's head into a nearby wall.
"Stalkers!"
Shit, that's not good. One of them must have gotten to the local alarm switch and requested reinforcements.
"Lyon, switch targets!"

"Switching!"
Bolts of energy rain upon the robotic enemies, dropping a few and hampering the others. Eight more targets for us to drop and Lyon already dropped three. We're still outnumbered four to one
"Burke, prioritize the Stalkers. Take out their heads!"

"Copy"
Three bullets fly down the corridor. Two of them hit their marks, while the third cripples a Stalker. Knowing that the stalker's demise is close, the stalker overheats its own power supply, triggering a detonation. I kick it – hard. It slides down the hallway into the midst of the Troopers, taking a few with it when the Stalker's supply explodes.
I'm in the thick of it now. Letting my R-203 drop, I draw my pistol and let loose. One kick to the captain's groin and he doubles over, meeting the business end of my pistol.
"That's a – "
Thwap. Thwap. Thwap. Captain down. "You were saying?"

"Sarge, look out!"
I turn, only to be knocked out of the way of a Trooper with a Mastiff – by Cameron, who takes a full round just below his left shoulder, taking the arm with it.
Filled with rage, I grab Cameron's EVA-9 and unload into the trooper.
"That's the last one, Sarge"

"Good. Burke, I need you to staunch the bleeding as best you can. Lyon, if you see any hostiles, drop them. Time to finish this"
I kick open the door. The control center is empty. I shake my head. Twelve troopers and eight Stalkers. Outnumbered five to one. Near-perfect execution…
And Cameron loses his arm.
I pull a data module from one of my pouches and insert it into one of the ports. Any schematics, recent deployments, anything of tactical importance, it'll grab. A few minutes pass. Burke manages to tie off the stump of Cameron's left arm, preventing him from bleeding out. The data module beeps, letting me know it's finished.
"STG 1, this is Bravo Actual, do you copy?"

"This is STG 1, we read you Bravo Actual. What's your situation?"

"Data copied; virus planted"

"Sounds good. We managed to grab a large amount of data, but two of ours suffered injuries"

"How bad?"

"Minor. One lost one of his horns, but he'll make it. Scrapes on another. How about you?"

I sigh. "One of ours lost most of his left arm. Bleeding's staunched, but we'll need to get him to a medical facility once we extract"

"Sorry to hear that, Bravo Actual. We'll rendezvous at your location and assist"

I nod. "Thanks, STG-1. Bravo Actual out"
Explosions rock the control center, throwing us against the far wall from the control room.
"What the hell was that?"

"Bravo Actual, what just happened? We're detecting seismic events from deeper in the facility!"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I'm raising our Spectre friend, maybe he knows"
"Saren, what just happened?"

"Your Pilot friend gave me enough of a window to sabotage the foundries down here. We're outside the facility – oof! – and making our way to the secondary rendezvous site! Meet us there, over!"

"Copy, we're on our way" I shake my head. "STG 1, we're heading to the secondary rendezvous outside the facility. How close are you?"

"We're here, Anderson"

I turn, and there Kirrahe is, his squad behind him. "Lyon, get Cameron up, we're out of here!"

[-]

Time: 04:12, galactic standard

Date: April 1st, 2357

Location: Medbay of STG-RV "Logical Approach"

"How's he holding up Doc?"

"He's resting right now, SGT. Anderson. The wound's cauterized and bandaged. That's…" Doctor Chakwas sighs. "About all I can do right now. We'll have to wait until we get back to Frontier space to get him a prosthetic arm"

I shake my head. "If I'd been a little more observant, he wouldn't need a prosthetic"

"That could be true… or you could be lying here, needing a prosthetic. Cameron made his choice, and you'll have to respect it"

I sigh. "Alright. Thanks Doc"

"Bravo Actual, you are needed on the bridge"

I nod. "I'm on my way"

"Looks like you're needed elsewhere"

"Looks like"

I head to the bridge, joined by Kirrahe as well. "Anderson"

I nod. "Kirrahe. Higher-ups ask for you as well?"

Kirrahe nods. "You know how these things go"

I nod. "Some things never change, do they?"

Kirrahe chuckles. "Nope"
We arrive on the bridge, greeted by an image of Councilor Valern and Admiral Graves.
"Admiral Graves, I wasn't expecting- "

The admiral chuckles. "Most people don't. That's why I love to surprise them"

I nod. "Of course, Admiral"

"Alrighty, on to business. What happened down there?"

"Mission was a success. We retrieved tactical data from the base, and the STG team looted their data center"

"Looted is such a dirty word. I prefer 'surreptitiously removed' in all honesty"
Admiral Graves – and I – raise an eyebrow.
"Well, let's see what you grabbed, Bravo Actual. You have the module?"

I nod, and hand it to a technician. "Loading it up now…"
I read through the data. Deployments into Batarian space, the Terminus systems…
One line pops out. "Shit"

"What is it soldier?"

"Kuben Blisk is still active. He's been deployed to Hierarchy space, according to data here"

Admiral Graves shakes his head. "Making trouble, no doubt"

I nod. "Orders, sir?"

"Regroup at Shanxi. We'll discuss our next move there"

[-]

Well, there's chapter 10 finished! The stage is set! THIS ONE GOES TO ELEVEN!