Chapter Twenty: As Above, So Below
February 18, 2018. BAINE Safehouse, Kandahar.
The good men and women of BAINE were still reeling from recent revelations. For many, it felt like their mission statement, their entire purpose, was based on a lie. This entire time, the woman they looked up to most, the one responsible for the organization's very existence, and one of their greatest enemies, who had long been thought to be responsible for the Gem War, were one and the same. How exactly did they recover from such dissonance?
However they would do that, it had to be done later. Now, they had more physical threats to deal with. With the reveal of Mr. Echo's base of operations, the Fireteams had been called to a safehouse located near the area they had been investigating. By this point, the concern of Echo tracking their movements was a lower priority. Whatever he was doing, it was a little late to worry about preventing it. But hopefully, there was still a chance to stop him.
Fortunately, this safehouse was a bit larger than the last one, able to comfortably house the several groups. Plus, Director Mills had flown all the way out here in person. Any lingering uncertainties from the previous announcement, in addition to strife between the soldiers, would have to be set aside.
"Ladies and gentlemen…we have reached the point of no return." Mills sat in front of a congregation of BAINE members, Valdain and Steele at his sides. "Mr. Echo has, at long last, revealed his hand. The Sunset Apogee has been unveiled. Unfortunately, what ends he has in mind is, at this time, completely unknown."
"Who cares?" one of the agents said. "Now that we know where he is, we should go in there, guns blazing! He can't stop us if he doesn't see us coming!"
"But he will see us coming," said Valdain. "Mr. Echo has managed to infiltrate two of our satellites, giving him unrestricted access to all of our communications. That is how he has stayed one step ahead of us. In fact, because it is very likely he knows that we have regrouped, he is preparing for an attack as we speak."
There was more chatter among everyone as this news sunk in. Should they strike now, before he could prepare his defenses? Or did they try another option, one he wouldn't see coming? Luckily, command had an idea.
"Alright, alright, everyone settle down!" said Steele. "Yes, we have been looking into Echo's ship, and yes, we think we know how to infiltrate it. However, doing so at this time would be too risky. Seeing as how Echo can track our every move, he'll know the moment we give the word to attack."
"Fortunately, we also know exactly where these satellites are," Mills continued. "If we conduct a joint attack, and destroy both of them at the same time, Echo's backdoor into our network will disappear. We must assume he will have prepared for that, however, so we'll need to take action before he has a chance to launch any backup plans. I estimate this will give us twelve hours to coordinate our siege."
"That doesn't give us a whole lotta leeway," said Luke. "And how do we know he isn't listening to this conversation right now?"
"I'm pretty sure he only listens to radio transmissions," Hester answered. "That said, he may very well have overheard us all being called here." Far from assuaged, Luke glanced nervously upward, expecting Echo's forces to attack at any moment. Hopefully he didn't know exactly where the safehouse was.
Bridge stood up, clearing his throat. "If I may, what exactly are the details of this assault? If we don't have much time to prepare, then I'd like to know exactly what it is we're in for." Several other Captains agreed.
"You make several good points," said Mills. "The strategy is this: hit him hard, and hit him fast. As we have learned, Mr. Echo excels at operating from the shadows, controlling every aspect of the battlefield. So our best bet is to provide him with as little opportunity to seize control as possible. And by kicking his support out from underneath him, we give him even less than he already has."
Vargas, leaning against the back wall, approved. "'Bout time we took the fight to him," he said. "We'll see what's what after that pink punk is finally in the ground."
"We sure will," agreed Ichigo, shooting Daniel a look. Rook glanced between the two of them–there was still clearly a bit of animosity there. Although he himself wasn't sure what to feel, he did hope that this all sorted itself out before they moved in.
He then felt himself tapped on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about them," said Farouk. "I've known this Fireteam for years now. They might get shaken up sometimes, but nothing can get between 'em. All of this will pass in time."
"I hope it will," Rook replied. But as much as he wanted to believe that, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head that there was more to this argument than he was aware. For now, he would have to wait until their current crisis was over to know for sure.
February 23, 2018. Atlantic Ocean, BAINE Light Cruiser.
"Alright, just a moment…okay, you are go!" said Gina. Her tablet was successfully connected to Fireteam Charlie's helmet cams, now seeing what they were seeing. And what they were seeing was the bottom of the ocean. "Ready to proceed when you are, Captain Hugo."
Fireteam Charlie had been decked out in modified scuba gear, each member equipped with weaponry similarly designed for underwater use. "Heard, Dr. Packard," Hugo said. "Moving towards target. Staying dark."
Seeing as how the fallen satellite was protected by Rhinestones, with no telling how many or alongside what, stealth was necessary until they reached it. Ideally, they would be able to plant the charges without even being spotted, though everyone doubted that was actually possible. Still, it didn't hurt to be optimistic.
Another voice came over the radio. "Hey, I just got word that our flyboys are in the air," said Rhodes. "Let me know when your team finds that thing, and I'll send 'em into battle."
"Got it. Should be just a moment here," Gina said.
Sure enough, it was only a few minutes later that Fireteam Charlie arrived at where the unmanned sub had discovered the crash. "We have eyes on the fallen satellite," said Hugo. "Nothing on the radar, though. They could be jamming it somehow."
"Move in whenever you're ready," Gina said, "but wait for my signal to blow the charges." She contacted Rhodes. "They're ready. Go for it."
"Heard. Moving in."
And so, Fireteam Charlie swam towards the target, keeping low to the seafloor and doing their best to stay camouflaged. Their heads were on a swivel, eyes open for any Rhinestones hiding in the darkness just out of sight. The eerie stillness only made it feel more like they were being watched.
Just as one of the agents was about to attach the explosives, a beam shot out from the sand, narrowly missing him and hitting the satellite's side. Following this, over a dozen Rhinestones burst up from their hiding places under the seafloor, quickly churning up a cloud as they opened fire on the intruders.
"Contact! Get to cover!" shouted Hugo, darting beneath one of the satellite's solar panels. The rest of her Fireteam scattered, hiding wherever the landscape allowed. Seeing as the ground was mostly flat, there weren't a lot of options, though thankfully there were at least a few rocks and a small ravine they could take cover in.
Fireteam Charlie returned fire with their own weapons. While modified for use underwater, their guns weren't rapid-fire, meaning they had to be precise with their shots. Which wasn't easy with the Rhinestones darting around everywhere, not to mention the cloud of sand they had kicked up.
A flurry of lasers rained down on the team. "We're pinned down here, Captain!" shouted a soldier. "Can't we call for backup!?"
"There is no backup!" responded Hugo. "Either we blow this thing up, or it keeps transmitting!" She leaned out from cover to fire a shot, successfully downing one of the Rhinestones. Unfortunately, that was barely a dent in their numbers. "Ugh, this is my fault! Why didn't I think to bring any heavier weapons!?"
Her question gave one of her agents an idea. "But Captain, we do have heavy weapons!" She held up the detonator to their explosives. "If we can get them all in one place, this should have more than enough yield!"
Of course, doing that was easier said than done, though not impossible. "I'll draw their attention, you set up the charges. Everyone else, cover me!" Hugo shot up from her current spot, kicking her legs in tandem like a dolphin to dart through the water. She fired down at the Rhinestones as she went, trying to attract as many of them as she could. Sure enough, the whole lot of them focused on her, giving chase.
Even as quick a swimmer as she was, Hugo wasn't faster than them without some sort of propulsion. As they gained on her, the best she could do was move unpredictably to avoid their shots, while returning some of her own. Luckily, her team was able to pick off more than a few Rhinestones as they were focused on her, though they still gave chase.
The other member of her team used this opportunity to affix the bomb to the side of the satellite. Meanwhile, Hugo had taken a few hits, though thankfully her breathing apparatus hadn't been compromised. Though if this kept up, she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. She darted down to the seabed, firing upwards at the Rhinestones who were now forming a neat cluster. "Captain! I've set up the bomb!" he called. Hugo darted towards it as he swam back to cover. As expected, the machines gave chase, continuing to fire at her.
"When I give the signal, blow these things out of the water!" she ordered.
"But Captain," said her subordinate, "You'll be caught in the blast!"
"Not if I'm quick enough," she said quietly, continuing to speed her way through the water. As she approached the detonator, she thanked her lucky stars that the Rhinestones were rather poor shots. She would only get one shot at this, and if her timing was off, she would share the same fate she intended for them. This was the moment–upon reaching the satellite, she grabbed its side, pulling herself over it and taking cover. "Blow it, now!"
She did. The group of Rhinestones converged on Hugo's hiding spot just as the bomb exploded, with most of them ending up right at ground zero. Metal ruptured and water boiled, creating a momentary air pocket that pulled in any stragglers who hadn't been caught in the initial blast. But more importantly, the fallen satellite was torn in half by the force of the explosion.
Luckily, Hugo avoided the worst of the detonation, shielded by the satellite itself. That isn't to say she wasn't blasted back by its sheer force, pulled back towards it by the water displacement, and nearly seared by the extreme heat, but that was nothing she hadn't dealt with before. When the sand finally settled, she risked peering out from cover.
Their target had been damaged beyond function by the blast, as had most of the Rhinestones. A few had managed to survive being blown to pieces or vaporized, but they were made short work of by Hugo and her Fireteam. "Status report," she said once they had all been dispatched. "Are we done here?"
"That we are, Captain," said one of her team. "Scans indicate that this satellite is no longer transmitting.
Satisfied, Hugo contacted Gina over comms. "This is Captain Hugo of Fireteam Charlie. Target has been neutralized. Surfacing now."
Skies over Florida Island.
"Weapons readings are go. Propulsion systems are also go. Life support, hull integrity, fuel intake…go, go, go. How're we doing, Falcon Squadron?" asked Vortex
"Falcon-2, ready and willing!" said Tailspin.
"This is Falcon-3. Systems are nominal. Ready to engage," said Jump.
"Falcon-4 here. Green across the board, and ready for action!" replied Mayhem.
"Falcon-5's ready too," said Rattler. "Let's drop some heat and raise some hell!"
"Always great to hear," said Vortex. His team ready, he called it in. "Command, this is Falcon-1. All systems are in the green, we are prepared for atmospheric breach. Awaiting your signal."
"Roger that, Vortex, stand by for engagement." The five Lightray aircraft stayed level as they prepared for battle. Truthfully, none of them knew exactly what it is they would be going up against. It was probably that Echo's compromised satellite was protected by something or other, but they had no idea what it was, or even if there really was something there. For all they knew, it could just be a simple bug. Still, it didn't hurt to be prepared.
"Fireteam Beta's in position!" came Rhodes' voice over the comms. "Go for it!"
"You heard the man–punch it!" said Vortex. Falcon Squadron all pushed their engines to the max, pulling back on the throttles and rising up into the sky. They climbed even higher than they already were, and soon the blue sky gave way to dark and starry surroundings. Gravity pushed each of them back into their seats as they wrenched free of the planet's atmosphere. For the second time, they were in space.
Their destination on their radars, all five jets sped off towards the location. Off in the distance, the satellite appeared, drifting through the emptiness. It seemed normal at first, but given Echo had tampered with it somehow, looks were definitely deceiving. "Fifty bucks it turns into some kinda giant robot," said Tailspin.
"That's…very unlikely," Jump replied. "Still, if you insist on putting money down, I am more than willing to–"
As they approached the satellite, it became obvious that something was wrong with it. Its surface appeared cracked in places, with some of its inner workings jutting out. And yet, everything indicated it was still functioning perfectly. "This thing's seen better days," said Mayhem. "What exactly did Echo do to it?"
"Nothing good," said Rattler. "But also nothing a couple missiles won't fix! Let's blow this thing up and get back…what the?"
Her reaction was to what else they saw on the satellite. As it turned, it appeared to not be alone. Like some manner of technological parasite, a large machine was attached to it. A whitish cylindrical object, numerous tentacles extended from it, working their way inside the satellite and permeating its innards. Whatever it was, it certainly looked like Gem tech.
Worse still, it was apparently autonomous. No sooner did the squad arrive then its sides opened, releasing a swarm of smaller objects. "Heads up, it's doing something!" said Vortex. These objects began moving towards the planes–they were almost perfectly circular, pale green in color, and not much larger than a beachball. The ones in front split apart into thirds, revealing a glow from within that soon became a laser fired from each at the Lightrays.
"Contact! Return fire!" Vortex dove underneath the incoming drones, with the rest of the squadron similarly taking evasive action. They fired back with lasers of their own, dispatching several of the spherical foes, though there were many more where they came from.
Whatever these Gem drones were, their beams didn't do much damage to the planes, but they were highly maneuverable. They could easily keep up with them, keeping a beam locked on one spot to gradually tear through its armor. "These things are harder to shake than burrs on a dog's coat!" said Jump. He suddenly braked, returning fire as the drones rushed past him.
"Whatever they are, forget 'em!" said Rattler, heading towards the satellite. "I'm going for the mothership!" She locked onto her target, letting two missiles fly. Before they could reach the device, a pair of lasers shot out from its center, causing the projectiles to detonate. "Oh, come on!"
Mayhem groaned. "If there's one thing I hate, it's deterrent systems! Let's just hope our guns will be enough!" Experimentally, he fired a barrage as he passed by the device, but the lasers seemed to have no effect. Even the satellite itself, which normally would have been shredded by the shots, held up relatively well. It was obvious they would need another plan.
But first, they would need to deal with these annoying drones. "Gah, these things are worse than mosquitos!" said Tailspin, firing wildly into a swarm of them. "I'll give Echo this, he really knows how to properly annoy someone!"
"Then what do you say we annoy him back?" Vortex let loose a pair of missiles, these ones heading towards the densest cloud of the drones. They weren't nearly as durable as the thing that dispersed them, with many being blown to pieces. And some of the pieces collided with the satellite, striking a few minor dents into its hull. One even tore a hole through its solar panel.
"Hey, did anybody else catch that?" said Rattler. "Whatever's protecting this thing doesn't work against its own thingies! I bet we could use that to our advantage!"
"Knock yourself out," Mayhem said, working on thinning out some of the drones. "As for me, I've got another idea." With a triumphant yell, he sped straight for the satellite, driving his Lightray right through its solar panel. Bits of metal and glass rained out everywhere as he emerged on the other side.
Although his plane was undamaged, Vortex didn't approve of this method. "Vortex, don't do that!" he chided. "It's all fine and good to break the fins, but you're putting yourself at risk for negligible effects!"
But Tailspin had his own ideas. "It's not negligible if we can knock it out of orbit!" he said. "What do you say we go bowling?"
Likewise increasing his speed, Tailspin picked up a tail of as many drones as he could get to follow him, before speeding past the satellite. Once they were collected into a sizable cluster, he cut his engines, turning around to face them. Locking on, he let loose as many missiles as he could in short order, blowing the swarm to kingdom come.
Just as before, the shrapnel from the explosions, including a few nearly-intact drones, was scattered, a good deal of it colliding with the satellite. It was slight, but the impacts appeared to be knocking it closer to Earth. "It appears to be working," said Jump. "If we keep this up, reentry will neutralize the target for us."
"Then let's keep it up!" said Rattler. She tried a similar strategy to Tailspin, cutting her engines to whirl around and unload a salvo on the drones giving chase. This wasn't an exact science, so only a few bits and pieces actually hit the satellite, but there sure weren't any shortage of bogeys to use to their advantage.
Jump had likewise picked up a number of tails. Rather than shooting them down, he opted for a different approach, leading them over to the satellite. Making sure they could keep up with him, he gradually increased his speed, darting past the object inches from its hull. Too focused on him, the drones weren't watching where they were going, crashing into the satellite at full speed.
After keeping this up for a little while, the satellite finally began to drift on its own power. Caught in the Earth's gravity, it began to spiral down towards the planet, bits and pieces of it flaking off. Then, like a meteor, it caught fire as it streaked through the atmosphere.
Not willing to let it get away that easily, Mayhem chased after the falling object, launching a few missiles its way. They sped towards and collided with it, further blowing it to pieces. "...What?" he said when his actions were met with silence. "Don't you want to be sure?"
Mayhem's last attack may or may not have had any effect, but either way, the drones around them gradually went still. Their dormancy was a likely indicator that the force controlling them had been neutralized, which meant that their mission had been a success. "Alright, so, did we do it?" asked Tailspin.
"I believe we did," answered Jump. "This node of our network has been destroyed. Awaiting your orders, Vortex."
Vortex radioed their base. "Command, this is Falcon-1. Target successfully destroyed. Heading home now." He and the rest of the flyers made their way back into the Earth's atmosphere, their mission accomplished.
Undisclosed Location.
"Understood." Steele put away his phone. "That was Rhodes. Both satellites have been destroyed. We don't have long now to move in."
Mills was beside him, looking through binoculars at the emerged form of the Sunset Apogee. Most of what was visible was a huge antenna extending upwards, though there was a small section of hull just beneath that. That was where they could breach. With any luck, there wouldn't be a whole lot of surprises waiting in there for them. But the Director wasn't willing to base this entire plan on luck.
"Call it in," he replied. "Every Fireteam, every squadron, all the firepower we can muster. I will not let Echo slip from our grasp once again."
He continued to stare at the ship as Steele organized the attack. Hopefully, severing his connection to their network would be enough of a shock to lower his guard. Whatever it was he had planned, it was sure to jeopardize the safety of the entire world if he was allowed to succeed. They couldn't let that happen. Not this time.
