The squad had stepped out in an even patch of ground just off the road, in front of the husk of a recently burned down speeder stop.
One squad of army soldiers was standing guard, watching over the road, another milling around two open top troop carriers, the light, low-lying vehicles contrasting with the blocky APC Kal had stepped out, itself an updated copy of an Imperial model, back from the Galactic Civil War, thick armor slabs protecting its cargo and an heavy blaster atop to cover their exit. For the carriers, being open topped meant that they exposed the soldiers to the elements and enemy fire, but also lowered its weight and profile. It was a trade off, but the precise calculus that went in deciding which one to give to which unit went over Kal's head. Or maybe it was just some form of corruption, something that Kal had been way too familiar with way back on Coruscant and he reasoned that whatever the color of one's stripes, it always went down to money.
Unlike the white integral armor of the stormtroopers, the soldiers wore lighter armor, with helmets leaving the face visible and armed with heavy blaster rifles. The armor and fatigues were camoed in dappled light brown, matching the color of the desert where they had been stationed on Salaund, though the white of the stormtroopers on the planet had been quickly covered in a patina of dust, with the recent addition of scorch marks from blasters, all that despite the best efforts of the officers. From the second APC came the heavy weapon fireteam, lead by First Class stormtrooper Pel, the massive man swaggering with the same assurance he handled his heavy weapons. Pel and his three troopers had left their weapons in the vehicle, but Kal knew their heavy repeating blaster and rocket launcher, each manned by a pair of troopers, could be devastating if used correctly. If used correctly. He, like most troopers who had seen active combat, could tell stories of friendlies cut down by too hastily-aimed repeater fire and of rockets exploding at the wrong location.
The Army lieutenant was standing next to one of the troop carriers, fiddling with a datapad projecting an holographic map. Kal would have found her easy on the eyes if she didn't have a bitchy resting face, while her armor and loose fatigues didn't do anything to her figure. But he refrained from making any comments after his sergeant glared in his and Deku's direction.
"Sergeant Tak, First Class trooper Pel? Lieutenant Lanika. We'll do a quick briefing with team leaders, then we move."
And with that Kal found himself next to Tak, Pel and four Army soldiers, facing the lieutenant, next to an holographic map showing Red Rock crossing.
"Trooper Pel, what's your loadout?", asked the officer, not wasting any time before going down to business.
"Standard heavy repeating blaster and rocket launcher, we only have high-ex for the launcher, couldn't get any stun and I didn't see any point in trying to get armor piercing. Supply's complicated enough on that backwater that I'm happy we got a standard load." Came the answer, the trooper not missing a beat.
"That'd do. Capture equipment?" the lieutenant asked, turning towards sergeant Tak.
"Stun grenades, we'll set our blasters to stun when engaging, unless it looks like the reception will be heated from the get-go. And we've got some cuffs in the APCs". The non-com explained.
"Good enough. Regarding capture, I see no reason to change the captain's orders, try to capture, but don't take risks. Now for the plan of action…" She paused, looking at the assembled soldiers.
Taking advantage, Pel raised a meaty hand and asked "We need a plan? Usually things go FUBAR quickly enough that any plan's going to be useless anyway."
Lieutenant Lanika stopped for an instant, mouth half-open, as if she had been about to deliver a snide remark and caught herself at the last moment. Instead she explained "So that we don't go in half cocked. All of our jobs will be much easier if we don't have to answer a dozen questions in the first five minutes. And when all goes to crap, we'd have some basis to deviate from."
She then gestured at the map, "Now the crossing is a bridge over a canyon that cuts through the mesa, on the road linking Scrag Hole to older mines in Upper Volta. There are buildings on both sides of the bridge, intel says that the potential targets are on the other side from where we'll arrive, but we'll still sweep all of them. We'll capture anyone there, grab any droid and datapads, then drop everything at the base for Intelligence to go over."
Pointing at the map, sergeant Tak said "There's this steep path that goes from the bridge to a track in the bed of the canyon, fugitives could try to escape that way. If we plan to capture everyone at the crossing, having some make a runner would make command unhappy."
"And those who'd bolt at the drop of a hat would be exactly the kind of people we'd want to nail. Why do we never have speeder bikes when we need them?" an Army corporal who had introduced herself as Dukat said.
"Tell that to command. Though that might have to do with how the last bikes we had in the company got taken on a joyride by a few drunk idiots and slammed on the side of a mountain?" The lieutenant retorted, with a pointed look at her subordinates. "We'll use the heavy weapons, a few rockets would make anyone think twice about running away. If the weapons set up there, they should be able to cover the path and the buildings around the crossing", Lanika pointing at a spot off the road and just next to the canyon.
"We'll swap the heavy weapon team from the second APC for Dukat's squad and myself. The two APCs will rush across the bridge, before blocking the road away from the direction we will arrive, while one troop carrier will block the other direction with the army squad commanded by sergeant Med. The heavy weapon team will ride on the second carrier and take up position on the side of the canyon, to engage anyone who tries to make a run from it by the canyon." As she talked, icons started appearing on the map, showing the plan. "The squad in the APCs will sweep the building one by one, by fireteam, covered by the rest. Engagement at discretion of the team leader. Do you have any questions?"
"What about the chain of command?" asked sergeant Med, a weasel-looking fellow, the resemblance accentuated by the dubious grooming of his facial hair. "I get you'd lead, but if you…"
"If I'm incapacitated, you'd take command. Then sergeant Tak." The reply came quickly.
"How are we going to manage to avoid friendly fire from heavy weapons? Like they'll be on the side of the canyon and any shot at those buildings risks hitting us. The shacks seem flimsy, like a heavy blaster could cut through half of them without even trying." This time it came from Tak.
"First we'll properly communicate which building we are in. And Pel, make sure of where you are firing. Your primary role is preventing anyone from bugging out. Don't fire at the buildings unless you get orders to."
While Pel was nodding in agreement, Kal asked, "What if shooting starts? Like an actual firefight, not a bum accidentally firing a jawa peashooter."
"Depends on the strength of the fire. If it's just a handful of shooters, suppress, rush them and capture what you can. Otherwise we'll back to the APCs, move away and use the heavy weapons and the guns on the APCs to reduce the target. If there's civies in the area, they are aiding and abetting criminals and will be treated the same way, so don't sweat it if they end up as collateral. Though going by your rep I don't think you'll lose any sleep over it." The last remark prompted a quick chuckle from Kal, who was pleased to see that his Army counterparts didn't seem bothered by it either.
AN: For the army troop carriers, I was thinking something like the open top vehicle from the ambush on Jedha from Rogue One and the APCs the stormtroopers are using like the one from episode 7 of the first season of the Mandalorian (just without carrying people outside the hull, which is dumb shit for an APC), which seemed to have appeared in Rebels too, but I haven't watched that show.