A voice broke through on their comms "Commander, I hope your frequency is in order. I have some news that you're not going to like." Vaukt, and it wasn't the tone of someone delivering good news either.
A mixture of morbid curiosity and relief filled the Commander as his gauntleted hand rose to tap his comms and relay.
"Reading you loud and clear, General. Unsure of enemy capability for listening in at this time, Sir."
A very much, read-between-the-lines "someone could be listening in, choose your words carefully" response. The same was to be respected by Vult per protocol and expectation.
"Copy that. The head has a read on your location and has orders for you." Vaukt started, "He wants the power plant shut down immediately for conventional forces to sweep in and cut off power to Tallum's shields."
Vult processed that mentally for a moment, carefully choosing his words in response.
"Sir, my team is combat ineffective. Doing so will alert the VDF to our position. We will be overrun." He struggled to remain cordial beneath the circumstances. This came from the top, from Grimm. He wasn't the one out here slogging it through the sewers and being ragdolled by augmented SIS Agents.
"I understand that, Commander. However I've been told under no uncertain terms that if this isn't done, he intends to make all of us a head shorter…" There was a pause, "He said that in those words if you come back without doing so. Either that, or don't bother coming back alive."
"Of course, General." Vult regurgitated with disdain. "I am only asking for time to patch the bleeding and get my deafened and unconscious team members upright. Allow us a second wind and we'll make it happen. He's waited this long, a few more hours isn't going to kill him….Sir."
Borderline seditious, but the point had to be made. It would get done when it gets done, no sooner, no later. With half of his team wounded or out of action for the time being, blindly following orders would get all of them killed in short order. Seeing Caz's team wiped out was bad enough as it were.
There was some silence, Corr standing by all the while looking concerned at what the potential outcome would be. Finally, the comm silence broke after 15 chilling seconds, "I take care of my men. Even if you're the Tallest's personal unit, you're spec ops, that's what counts to me. I can probably stall the guy for a few hours at most. So long as you get that reactor offline safely, their generators shouldn't be able to sustain their own shield. The infantry can rush in and take some of the heat off you."
"As soon as my team is upright, it will be powered down, Sir." Vult assured him. "I will have my tech specialist come up with a solution but we will need assistance with extraction."
Once again, the subtle request for a distraction from outside of the power plant. Conventional units to go on the offensive and draw the Vortian defenders outward. The less attention they garnered, the better.
"Just tell us where to be for further tasking, General."
"Can do. Radio in when it's go time, out." Corr visibly heaved a sigh of relief as it seemed to go well, then headed off to go see the medic of the team. Hesa circled back around and leaned back against a wall close to Vult, heaving a sigh.
"How you holding up?" She asked, trying to sound normal and hiding her otherwise stronger concern for him from the others. They didn't need to know what was going on between them.
By the time Hesa had arrived, Vult's helmet had come off of his head. Holding it with one hand, he rubbed at tired blue eyes with the other before sighing.
"As well as to be expected…" He answered, wary of the volume of his voice. "Grimm's wanting this plant powered down and wants to commence the offensive on Tallum as soon as possible. Told Vaukt we aren't going anywhere until we're ready to. We'll be dead before we get outside this facility if we do it now."
"Of fucking course it'd be him…" she spoke low enough for the two of them to hear it. Last thing they needed was Caz hearing their disdain for orders, even in his dazed state. She pushed herself off the wall and moved closer to stand by his side and lightly bump him with her elbow, a smile evident on her face given the shattered visor from earlier. "We're both still here, that's what matters, right? Us and the others? I think we came out on top so far all things considered…if we include that these are pretty shitty circumstances."
The subtle touch elicited a half-smirk from the weary Commander, breathing deeply with a sigh.
"Suppose so...but this is war. I haven't forgotten that. None of the others have, either…"
His attention drifted across the way to Sula as she administered aid to Volx. The weight of leadership was a heavy burden to carry. Each and every one of them relied on him for guidance as much as they did their survival. Every order, every action, every move...all hinged on success or failure. Life or death...and the odds were ever dwindling to leave them at a disadvantage this late in the campaign with their adversaries so desperate.
"Still wouldn't leave your side if I can help it, never will. I've got something that makes all of this worth it." She looked to him with a subtle smirk. "You think I should check on Haxx?"
Vult's brow knitted in confusion, turning to look at the Corporal.
"Why do you need to check on him?"
"Well…" Her voice went lower, "I've noticed something about him recently...the way he looks at Volx. He's not very subtle, but I know the look. I think the two of them are involved much like you and I are. He could probably use someone to talk to who understands what he's going through, if you can trust him with this if I need to divulge it."
The blue-eyed Commander blinked, processing what she was insinuating. Maybe it was the combat fatigue...or maybe she was more observant than he. The comparison to their own...association, for lack of a better term, put it squarely in clearer focus as he mentally connected the dots.
"...Really? You think him and…?" He left hang, authentically in disbelief.
She gave a silent nod, glancing around once more before continuing, "Do you think you'd be any different if something like that happened to me? I think that's what's going on here. If there really is something between them it's beyond physical."
A simple question with a not so simple answer. Their own relationship was anything but simple. He, the commanding officer, she the subordinate. Fraternization was the least of their concerns considering the Empire's draconian, dogmatic approach to outliers that did not fit the ideal mold. All of them were no better than the supposed inferior aliens they sought to subjugate and conquer. Mutants, freaks, and worth nothing but execution or deactivation.
Even so, that left an entirely separate set of questions and variables that he had not considered in depth or made a priority with all that was transpiring. Being present amidst an active war zone and involved in an operation to stop an entire city from being turned into a nuclear wasteland had taken precedence. Focusing on the tasks at hand, the Commander replaced his helmet atop his head, yet to fasten it in place once more.
"I...don't know," Vult earnestly responded with uncertainty. "...but if you think talking to him will help, do so. Keep it brief. Less time spent idling here, the better. VDF regulars are bound to assume suspicion the longer we linger."
"Yeah, sooner we're out of here, the better." She moved towards Haxx, looking to Sula tending to her on the way over and turned her attention to the heavy gunner. "She'll be fine, I'm sure of it," she started with an attempted line of reassurance to him, "how are you holding up?"
The Heavy Weapons Sergeant, much like the rest of the team, was haggard in appearance. Uniform filthy, speckled with plasma scoring, shrapnel, and bloodstains from rendering aid to his squadmates and himself alike were offset by the exhaustion and fatigue etched into sunken eyes set against grimy, sweat-filmed skin.
Despite his appearance, he was not lacking energy fueled by concern as he frantically paced just behind the team's medical expert.
"She's gonna be alright, right?" He all but demanded of Sula.
"For the third time, Haxx, I don't know." She tiredly responded without sparing him a glance.
The short-statured Lieutenant lay on her back. Helmet removed, neck stabilized, Sula's gloved digits spread one black eye open, shining a light into it.
"You're the medic here, ain't you?" Haxx persisted.
"Yes and I'm trying to do my job." She answered with annoyance, moving to check the other eye. "You pestering me isn't helping."
He walked around in front of Sula in an attempt to get her attention as he went to his knees on the other side of the Lieutenant. "What can I do to help, then?"
Sula, patience thin, dropped her pen light on Volx's chest before looking up with a surprisingly harsh glare for a soft-spoken woman at the man. "You can help by leaving me alone and letting me work! She has a concussion and I'm trying to figure out how severe!"
"A con- You have to fix it! Wake her up!"
"I'm trying!" She snapped at him, exhaling heavily in frustration. "Just...go. Let me work."
"But-"
"Go! Now!"
"Haxx," Hesa interjected to put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on," she looked around aside from the control room and saw another empty room nearby, looked like an office, "There's an open room over there," she directed her head towards the office, "I'll stick with you. I know how you're feeling right now, talk to me."
Before he could fire back verbally on the defense at the Medical Officer's demands, Hesa intervened. Reluctantly, he stood to his feet being snubbed by Sula. Logically, he knew Volx had the best care in the universe at her side in that moment beneath the circumstances. It didn't put his worry to rest though.
Only once they were away from the others and behind closed doors did the stress fracture through the facade and reach the surface. Haxx growled in agitation, tearing his helmet off of his head before flinging it across the room. It struck a lamp, knocking it to the floor and bounced into a terminal screen, shattering it.
Hesa took off her own broken helmet and set it down on the desk along with the acquired Vortian assault rifle. She kept her cool as his helmet flew across the room and did its damage. "Haxx, I know what you're going through. Breathe. Sula's tending to her. She'll come through, I'm sure of it." She paused and moved closer to him, "Trust me, I know how you're feeling more than you realize."
He wheeled around to face his female counterpart with tight features and an incredulous sneer.
"What would you know 'bout how I feel?!" He all but demanded of her, stepping closer. "You weren't there! You an' the others were off doin' Irk knows what while the giant freak and his friends turned Caz's guys into paste an' almost killed the rest of us!"
Keeping her cool, she gestured to her helmet with only fragments of glass left where the visor once was, an evident dent from being hit by half of her own machine gun. "I know because one of those big bastards almost got me, and then almost got someone on this team that I really, really, care about. If that happened, odds are I'd be just like you right now. Trust me, I know, that feeling in your spooch you're feeling right now, I know what it is because I felt it before too."
Despite this news of facing similar opposition and having their own handful of close calls, Haxx struggled to find his center and calm down as he paced back and forth with agitation in his posture. The events replayed over and over in his mind with crystal clarity.
"She's hurt because of me, it's my fault. I had to reload an'...she went in. By the time I topped off and came back up, she hit the wall...an' hasn't moved since. She's gonna die an' it's my fault…"
"And if you ran in too you'd have been in the same way as her if not worse. She's breathing, Haxx, she'll pull through." She stopped to take a breath, "I almost had someone blow up on me earlier...he's still here. I know you care about her, I really do." She sat on the edge of the nearby desk, "You trust Sula to fix her up, yeah? You just need to give it a bit. Volx is tougher than most people I met back in my old unit. She'll come around. It'd take more than a bump on the head to kill her." She tried to lighten the mood, "Besides, you wanna show off the strong and resolute man I know you are when she wakes up, yeah?"
He wanted to refute every word she said. Her optimism, grounded in reality, remained hopeful while he had all but given up. She wasn't there when it happened, she didn't see! She wouldn't be so quick to claim a speedy recovery had she been there...right? Sure, she was in arguably the best hands available at that very moment...but sometimes that wasn't enough. Reality cared not for their hopes or wishes.
Breathing deeper with a heavy, shaky exhale of a sigh, Haxx's palms rest flat on another desk. Leaned over, weary eyes closed. His only response was a slow nod. Hesa was the voice of reason in that moment. She never struck him as the type to deceive or lie. She spoke the truth, bluntly so. Something he could appreciate.
Hesa slipped off her desk and made her way to Haxx's helmet and picked it up. "I may not know the full extent of what you're feeling, but I know some of it," she started as she made her way to him, "and I know it's out of love." The helmet came to rest on the desk as she stood by. "That much I'm sure of. She'll come through, I'm sure of it."
The Heavy Weapons Sergeant's eyes opened with a mixture of confusion and uncertainty as he stood upright, turning to face Hesa properly.
"Love?" He repeated, unsure. "What's that? Some kind of food?"
"It's complicated," she started, "it's not food though. With Volx, I'm betting you consider her far closer than a friend, yeah? That you care deeply for her, want the best for her? That you want to be with her, spend your life with her?" It was an array of questions, to be sure, but it was a point to be made, "That's a pretty strong indicator of it. That you'd do anything for her above anyone else, that she's far more than a friend, something far closer." She paused for a few moments, "Even being physically close to each other."
"I...guess?" He shrugged, mulling all of it over mentally with a tired rub of the back of his neck. "...care what happens to anyone of us. We're a family, ain't we? Ain't like the Empire is looking out for our best interest. Someone's got to."
"A bit more than that, damn straight we're family but more," she rolls one hand for a few moments as she tries to form the words in her mind, "more that you want her as something of a partner, for life. Wife I heard it put by the Vortians. Not that you'd neglect any of us, but she holds a far more special place."
That made more sense...and was still confusing, but less than before.
"...there's what I feel for everyone else...then there's what I feel for her. It's different." He reasoned abstractly through his ignorance on the matter. "Don't want to see any of us get hurt, but...seeing her like that…"
"Yes, that. That's part of what I'm getting at." She smiled, "I have someone just like that. It's been going on a bit longer. It hits more, you feel more, she's really special to you. I'm still trying to work through all of it myself, but I know how you feel about her very, very well."
Haxx's burgundy gaze tightened in confusion before turning to address her properly.
"You do?" He queried, caught between disbelief and morbid curiosity.
"Well, yeah…" she paused for a bit to think to herself before continuing, "You able to keep something quiet? The both of us have really been trying to keep things very quiet."
The Heavy Weapons Sergeant seemed to calm down, taking this into consideration as he faced her fully. Volx was not forgotten, but his panicked concern had subsided. Clearer thoughts prevailed under the guise of logic.
"Depends…" He hesitantly began. "...already antenna-deep in it as it is with everything else going on."
Hesa took a breath before she spoke up once more, "What you have going on with Volx? Vult and I have that going on." She seemed a bit relieved to finally tell one of the others, oddly enough, "Remember when we went to Irk for that long term operation? We ended up starting this then."
Surprisingly, Haxx did not seem that shocked. His eyes widened only slightly as he mentally pondered those events and the time that had passed since then. Small things in passing and their interactions, comparing them to his own memories of what he shared with Volx, he saw the similarities.
"...guess that explains a lot of how he acts 'round you." The Sergeant reasoned with a shrug, heaving a sigh. "Nice to know I ain't alone though. You get it."
"Yup, I do. I can get how you'd feel right now. I'd be feeling much the same if something happened to Vult. Though, if you ever want someone to talk to about relationship stuff in the future, I'd be glad to be there for you. Actually something of a relief to not be alone in this."
Haxx gave a humorless laugh of a huff.
"We ain't alone, that's for sure...not with this...insanity in the works for us." He explained, shaking his head. "Too late now, no going back from it. Not that I want to...I just want off of Vort."
"You, me, and I think everyone else. Considering last time I was here one of Grimm's half-brained ideas landed me a job as a Vortian test subject...then again, good came out of that." She shot Haxx a smirk, "Good friends like you. The others," she slipped off the table and moved close to him, "Vult. Was worth it in the end. You think you're good now? I know Vult could possibly use us out there in case the regulars come knocking. I'd rather not be made prisoner a second time."
The battle-scarred pauldrons of his filthy uniform rose in a shrug as his arms fell to his sides once again.
"Good as it's gonna get 'til the next half-baked scheme, I guess." Haxx concluded, finding his previously discarded helmet to pick up once again. "...honestly? Being taken prisoner is probably the best outcome at this point, all things considered, but you're right. Don't wanna give anyone any ideas now, do we?"
Hesa gave him a nod and got her own helmet, "Who knows what's in our future. Though, well, I suppose we can always talk about some more details once we're back in our temporary abode." She led the way out, making her way over to Caz, still sitting where she left him. "Hey, Sergeant Caz, right?"
He didn't say a word but glanced up to the Corporal and gave her a nod. She took a seat next to him, "Rest of the team's dead...Daz and Phyk just vaporized right before my eyes. Your officer getting thrown and knocked out...I thought we were gonners."
"We didn't have it much easier in the sewer either...I know how that goes. You injured?"
"No...not that I know of," he stopped as Hesa looked him over, not a single injury on him. "I'm the only one of my squad to live…"
"I know there are some others on my team who know the feeling. I do even, I'm the only survivor of my unit before I joined up with them."
Caz turned to look her in the eyes, "How'd you manage?"
"Sheer stubbornness, resolve to live. Just need to keep moving forward. I know this aches, but nothing's going to bring the others back. You got it good under Vaukt by the look of things. I'm sure he'd look out for you. First thing's first, you need to get out of here. Can you pull it together."
There was a pause, but Caz nodded, Hesa rising to her feet first and helping him up. "I think I can manage that."
She looked around and found Rha, pointing him out, "Stick with him until we're back out. Then we can get you a ride back to Vaukt's HQ once we're free and clear of this place." Caz nodded to her once more and left to stick with the newly promoted Sergeant as Hesa made her way through the hall. Looking in the control room as she moved she saw Aero and Vard at work on the consoles. "Got Haxx calmed down, Caz is back on his feet. How are things?"
The Communications and Tech Specialist furiously typed away at the keyboard, his goggle-obscured eyes rapidly scanning line after line of code. Aero, far slower on that front, stumbled awkwardly through the Vortian system as she flipped through a ringed binder of schematics and prints.
"Really wish I paid closer attention to learning their language, that's for sure…" the tall, willowy First Sergeant muttered.
"No amount of fluency would make this go any quicker," Vard assured her as he worked. "Little more complicated...and dangerous than opening a door or downloading files."
"Yeah, no kidding...doors don't melt down an' vaporize you in radioactive fire," She huffed, looking to Hesa. "That's good...be better if I could understand this crap….this is superbrain tech-wizardry stuff."
"You're doing fine, Aero...I just need access to the fuel rod actuators and coolant pressure valves and we can start safely powering down."
"Working on it…" She tiredly sighed, squinting as she studied the countless, intertwining industrial drawing paths for power, water, and various controls. "Can you not pull this stuff up on that terminal there? These people are the brainest of brainest people around, right? Surely its all digitized."
"Normally, yes...but this reactor is old, as is its architecture and design...or maybe it's purposely like this to make what we're doing that much harder."
"...stop being such a smarty-pants."
The short-statured Specialist resisted a smirk as he typed away.
"No promises."
Hesa walked over to a table nearby, a cold cup of coffee remained from earlier when the civilians within were forced out by SIS. The Corporal kept looking around, opening various drawers and found a photo in the center drawer, looked to be someone in the plant with her family out front during a picnic. She put the photo down and looked at the screens displaying the reactor status. She stopped to think for a few moments and looked at the turbines.
"Vard, question for you...if we can't get the reactor shut down fast enough...what if we sabotage the turbines? That would accomplish the same thing, wouldn't it? They'd just be running a reactor and getting nothing out of it?"
"One of the contingencies but I'd rather not do that if we can avoid it. Not familiar with these systems and it could have an adverse effect." He reasoned aloud as he worked. "Rather not be responsible for carrying out the SIS's plans for them by accident if we break the wrong thing at the wrong time."
Aero huffed in frustration, running weary palms over her curled antenna with a pursing her lips.
"...what am I looking for?"
"Anything that connects to this terminal that involves hydraulics, magnets, or fluid transfer. Stuff like valves and switches." Vard patiently explained, glancing to Hesa. "Will you help her out? I can't do both at once. Intranet security kicks you back to login after so much idle time and repeated bypasses might lock me out entirely."
"Right," Hesa put her helmet down nearby and started typing on a nearby terminal. She started going through the various subsections trying to find what Vard was looking for. While she searched, a voice came over the radio,
"Cobalt here, elevators jammed, stairwell rigged, headed back, out."
Looks like Zurrak and Kazak have also been busy. A bit more searching finally yielded a result. "Hey, Vard, I think I just found the coolant controls."
The Sergeant paused from his own work, leaning over to look at the screen.
"Nnn...don't see any actual variables there. Just readouts. Looks like inlet water levels. What we're looking for is in that binder. This system is old. Really old...and like I told her, it's made this way on purpose to make it more difficult for outsiders to cause trouble and mess something up. We just need the correct inputs to access the systems. Should be an alphanumeric tag next to the callout on the print."
"Right...and normally, stuff like this is color-coded with different line types...this is black and white...with a mess of symbols and words...in a foreign language." Aero reasoned in exasperation. "We should have drug that guy from the cistern in here with us."
"Yeah, well, hindsight…" She huffed and remembered something. "Wait, I have his chest rig on." She looked at the various pouches briefly and saw one pouch that looked like it was meant for something other than ammo. Opening the zipper she withdrew a piece of paper and unfolded it. It looked like what was in the binder. "Aero, Vard, take this. I'm sure this was meant for a meltdown but this might give us something to work with."
"That doesn't change the fact I can't read it very well." Aero pouted.
"Let me see it." Vard offered, reaching back to accept the sheet. "...perfect. Exactly what I need. Fuel Rod and Control Rod manipulation...this is calling for 100% retraction of control and 100% induction of fuel...so we will do the opposite."
"Wait...not a space magic brain like you here but somethin' tells me that isn't a good idea." Aero reasoned aloud as he began to manipulate the values on their appropriate screens.
Vard pondered that for a moment, immediately stopping in realization.
"...you're right. If there's no control rods retracted with them, they'll melt down anyway…"
"...just need to bring it down and offline, right?" Aero queried, pointing to the screen. "Put them all in. Fuel and Control. Controls stop the reaction, right?"
"Right," Vard nodded in understanding. "Glad you're here, I almost made a big oops."
"You're welcome," She beamed proudly. "...so drop them all in...increase coolant circulation...right, just like that."
As the short Specialist worked, the readouts on nearby panels began to show the results of their work. Slowly, but surely, the manipulation of the reactor rods saw power production steadily decline in a safe manner. The temperature remained steady within expected levels. By then, Vult made his way up the stairs to the platform where they worked from, overseeing their work.
"Vard, status?"
"In-progress, Commander. Powering down as we speak. No alarms are warnings so I believe we are in the clear...so far."
"Good work. ETA until completion?"
"...unknown, Sir."
"Why?" The Commander pointedly queried. "I needn't remind you we're on borrowed time before the VDF figures out something is wrong here."
"Yes, Sir, but there is one final step."
"That being?"
"Manual removal of the fuel rods individually from their channels. This facility is labor-intensive for the sake of safety and following protocol." Vard explained, bringing up the schematic of the reactor. "So long as those fuel rods are in the reactor, they will still continue to produce power even with the control rods inserted. Just the nature of the process."
Vult's tired, blue eyes took in this information with disdain.
"How long?"
"Assuming there's no complications…a few hours."
"We don't have a few hours, Vard."
"Removing them any other way does SIS's job for them...Sir."
Vult sighed with annoyance, rubbing his eyes briefly before queuing his radio.
"Penumbra, Priority One." The Commander uttered over the battle net.
"Go ahead," Vaukt came back over the radio rather quickly.
"Vult here, Sir," He began, looking over Vard's shoulder as he continued to work. "My team and I have run into complications. The control room has been secured and my specialists have reduced the reactor's output, but in order to bring it fully offline without triggering a meltdown, the fuel rods must be manually removed individually. I am told this will take upwards of three hours to do with our current manpower, over."
There was silence in response, at least for a good ten seconds while Vaukt quickly ran through his options. "I take it you're asking me to keep them occupied while you and your team work at this?"
"It's that or the alternative being we trigger a meltdown and make this mission null and void," Vult concluded, mentally considering their own options. "The only feasible alternative I see at this point is severing the hardlines from the plant to the rest of the grid. That would entail engaging VDF regulars and civilian defenders outside of this control room. Any other form of sabotage or destruction will expose the reactor or cause melt down, over."
Yet more silence. On his end Vaukt quickly drafted orders to hand off to nearby teams to cause some mayhem and to get the infantry and artillery involved. "Continue with the removal, things should be getting rather loud outside. Don't let that distract you. Any further?"
The Commander picked up what Vaukt was implying. Far from an ideal situation but it was better than the alternative. "Understood, Sir. I will keep you updated as the situation develops here. We'll get to work on it. Vult, out."
A quick switch to their team comms, he spoke again.
"Purple 1, Red 1, status?"
"Interior secure, Commander. Stairways are booby trapped and elevators are jammed at the top floor. We have effective control of the building, over," Corr responded over the comms.
"Good work. Report to the control room ASAP. We've had complications. I'll explain in person. Out."
Corr made his way up to Vult's location. The smart munitions in the stairway worked as intended. One of the snipers may have been in a strange mental state, at least as far as Corr knew, but when it came time to perform...he was satisfied with what was offered to say the least. He stopped near Vult, "Reporting as ordered, Commander."
Vult nodded at Corr's arrival, gesturing to Aero, Vard, and Hesa's work at the control panels.
"Good news, the reactor is being powered down. No meltdown today. Bad news…" He began, turning his attention specifically to the readout Vard showed him, tapping the screen. "The fuel rods have to be manually removed individually to complete that process. As you can see on this screen here...this is a large reactor and there are a lot of fuel rod channels. I notified General Vaukt. He is going to buy us time but the window is shrinking quickly before we are surrounded without an escape route."
"We still have our underground escape route that you came in. That may very well be our best path out." He looked at the displays for the reactors, running some numbers in his head. "Sergeant Vard, assume we can't remove all the rods. How many need to be removed to lower power output to the point where they can't maintain these two phasic barriers?"
Vard paused from his work, looking at the diagram once more to do a quick bit of mental math in his head. "...assuming we are unable to remove all of them in time...the greater the distance between them, the better. Less reactivity means less power generated. In theory, we could start alternating their removal, Sir."
"Meaning?" Vult sequestered clarification.
"Remove one, skip the next, remove one, and so on, Sir. A single pass would look like a checkerboard of empty channels. This would reduce reactivity by half. Based on the technical specifications I'm picking up on capacitation and load-"
"Keep it simple, Vard."
"Right, sorry, Commander...if we can accomplish that much, demand would outpace supply on draw demand. Eventually, the stored power would deplete and the reactor would not be able to maintain the draw demand."
"Which would cause the phasic barriers to fail, yes?"
"Not entirely, no. They would weaken and show signs of distortion and a lack of uniformity. Fluctuations of strength. At that point it would become a matter of probability and chance for ordnance to pass through it."
Vult nodded as he processed this information, looking to his second-in-command. "Thoughts, Captain?"
"They would have to choose to fully maintain one or the other…" Corr began, "Knowing the value in Tallum is greater than the power plant, the garrison here would be forced to shut theirs down to maintain the other. However...that wouldn't be enough. I also know the Vortians are sure to have a battery backup in the city to give them some extra time." He paused, rubbing his chin, "Lower power output here, force their hand, the Elites take this facility, and since the power output from here also won't be sufficient for the overall barriers, it's only a matter of time. Grimm can finish up here and we can leave this dreadful place." He turned to look at Vult, "I think we should take this route. It may even shave some time off and give us a better chance at using the underground exfiltration rather than waiting for the Elites to sweep and clear."
The Commander mulled over his squad members' respective assessments. Both were sound takes on alternatives to stave the inevitable off while evading Grimm's vainglorious impatience. They were neither derelict in their duties, nor signing their respective death warrants on the behalf of an arrogant superior for short-term gains in an already costly conflict impacting the Empire at large.
That did not even begin to scratch the surface at the myriad of ongoing subterfuge, derision, and restlessness amongst the ranks within his own team. The brief lull in the exchange between superiors did not go unnoticed as both Aero and Vard were at an impasse to proceed further.
"Commander, Sir?" the short-statured Sergeant cautiously queried.
Brought back to the forefront from his thoughts, Vult refocused his attention on the task at hand.
"Yes, Vard? What is it?"
"How are we to proceed, Sir?"
His tired, azure gaze traded one final glance with his second-in-command before shifting back to Vard.
"...You're the expert here, Sergeant. Personal assessment, speak freely."
Earnestly surprised by the proposition, Vard was taken back for a moment. His furious typing to remain active in the system slowed somewhat as he appeared to concentrate on his commanding officer's insight.
"...Supreme Commander Grimm wants the plant powered down fully. We should ensure that happens. Time-consuming as it is, it's conclusive and leaves little room for error. Even if my calculations are correct in rendering output down to half, the phasic barrier will still inhibit the Empire's advance into Tallum…"
"That and we've been put through the grinder...again...on Vort...again!" Aero chimed in despite not being addressed to do so. That realization came a moment later as she smiled sheepishly back at Vult. "I...uh...mean we are not...combat effective, Sir?"
Vult processed two of his valued squad members' assessments for several seconds before speaking once more.
"Proceed accordingly, Vard. I want the reactor cold and offline. Once it's completely powered down, sabotage any and all control interfaces. Break them physically if you must. Not even the plant crew should be able to come back in and restart it after you are done."
Somewhat relieved at the reprieve offered, the short Sergeant gave an affirming nod as he refocused his task.
"Yes, Sir...I...may require assistance to start removing fuel rods from the channels when the time comes. They're heavy...and longer than I am."
"I'll send for Haxx and Hesa when that bridge is crossed." Vult responded, turning his attention back to Corr. "For the interim, I want a perimeter set up. Keep this facility locked down and no one the wiser beyond its doors. Rotate patrols in shifts. Render aid accordingly, hydrate, and food. Keep comms traffic to a minimum and if Vaukt or Grimm start asking questions, divert them my way. I'll handle it. Any questions?"
"I'll do what I can but, given this" Hesa motioned to her shattered helmet visor, "Haxx might be the best if things need to get physical. I'll start looking around for some automated controls, must be something we can use around here."
Out in the hall, meanwhile, a groan emerged from the short statured Lieutenant as she slowly opened her eyes. A few moments of silence passed as she looked to the ceiling and LED lighting above her. "Am I dead or did I survive that throw?"
Sula, nearby, had taken the reprieve to assess her own remaining stock of medical supplies. The audible groan from Volx garnered her full attention as her eyes snapped to her supine form. She saw the focused black of her superior's eyes. The spoken query that followed gave her a great deal of relief as her pack was set aside and moved to assess the Lieutenant's condition fully.
"Not dead, Ma'am. You were concussed and knocked unconscious." She explained. "How are you feeling?"
"My head feels like it got split in half...Last thing I remembered was….flying down the hall. Thrown by that big...Vortian behemoth lady." After a few moments of realization her eyes started darting around, only to squint as she winced in pain. "Please, tell me you dealt with her."
The Medical Officer, having been informed briefly on events prior to their arrival, gave a brief nod of affirmation.
"She has been terminated, Ma'am...along with the remainder of Sergeant Caz's team." She concluded on a somewhat somber tone. "I will leave the full debriefing to the Commander and Captain Corr but all hostiles have been neutralized and the plant has been secured."
She paused, pulling her medical pack closer to rummage through its various pouches and dividers.
"I recommend that you rest for the time being. I have medication for the headache here somewhere…"
"That's a relief…somewhat." Volx moved to sit up, resting back against the wall and resting her head against the tile wall, shutting her eyes, "How about our own? Any of ours aside from me? Any survivors at all from the other team?"
"Umm...well…" Sula began hesitantly as she procured the epipen of medication she sought. "...Aero is mending a broken arm. Lieu-...Kazak is deaf, uncertain how severe or lasting that is as of yet. Captain Corr is recovering from minor injuries sustained in the firefight."
Uncapping and unlocking the injector, she moved closer to the Lieutenant with the intention of giving the dose to the side of her neck.
"I have not had much of an opportunity to see any of the others yet to assess accordingly. Your condition has taken precedence." She admitted reluctantly, realizing the implications. "...not that anyone else is hurt severely, of course, Ma'am."
Volx once more opened her eyes, catching sight of Caz sitting down the hall within her peripheral vision. At least that answered one other question. She let Sula proceed with the injection before heaving a sigh. "How's our heavy weapons Sergeant? The knucklehead didn't get himself maimed or anything did he?" At least deep down she was hoping he was fine.
She did not immediately answer until the careful task was completed. Removing the spent injector with care, she set it aside for the moment.
"Haxx is fine, Ma'am." Sula shortly spoke, if not unkindly. A weary, apologetic sigh of realization followed. "...I had to have Hesa see to him so I could concentrate on rendering aid to you. I have not seen him since but he is somewhere nearby. He was rather...distraught."
So he had a bit of a moment? At least it seemed Sula didn't know any the wiser about the deeper content as to why Haxx was concerned. Best to keep it that way until the time was right. "That's concerning," she came off with her usual demeanor, "I'll talk with him once I can think clearly, probably once we're back at our temporary HQ. See if I can't also get a genuine apology out of him for going off on you." She paused to put a hand on Sula's shoulder, "Thanks for keeping an eye on me."
A surreal feeling overcame Sula. Fully prepared to humbly assure her superior officer that she was fine and that was not necessary, it was interrupted by Volx's gesture of camradire. The normally cold, unyielding pools of obsidian that the Lieutenant was trademarked for held an almost uncharacteristic warmth to them. Equally endearing as it was disturbing. Rather than awkwardly dwell on it, Sula settled for a wistful smile and nod.
"I...you are welcome, Ma'am. Only doing my job."
Aero, Vard, and Hesa worked on shutting down the reactor while Kazak and Surrak made sure their flanks via the stairwells were secure and elevators remained jammed and unusable to anyone. At Vard's direction after finding an automated system for removing fuel rods, Hesa saw to their removal from the reactor and movement to a cooling pond. With the reactor effectively shut down over the course of a few hours, Vard locked out the controls, followed by Haxx dumping the remnants of his PRC's drum into them. The plant would be down until some replacement controls came in, at the very least, and no meltdown.
As the Elites outside under Saro's command charged in once the power plant's phasic barrier fell, the team made their way out the way they came in, back through the underground passage. Then it was just a matter of getting back into their truck and returning to the restaurant. Mizak and Avak arrived on foot a few minutes after them, with Caz catching a passing transport back to Spec Ops to debrief with General Vaukt and receive a new assignment. Everyone was effectively drained, understandably so.