The Galactic War: Rogue Element ~The Beginning

[Ember Nickel]

Esarvit follows slowly. It's actually easier to trust the Hork-Bajir instincts for navigating the latter; their agility in clambering through trees serves him well even when navigating the purpose-built instrument.

Still, he's more comfortable on fat ground, and hurries to stand alongside Aurellia.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ehvrin enters the shaft behind Esarvit and reaches into the hatch-release inside.  He reverses the motion of handle, pulling down halfway, rotating the handle clockwise (from the bottom), and pulling it the rest of the way down, causing the hatch to slide shut.  He descends the ladder quickly and nods to Ossanlin.  <<We're good, sir.>>

Ossanlin nods in return and walks over to the doorway, glancing through the view-port down the mostly southeast-northwest tunnel to the first junction.  It's empty as he'd predicted...this wasn't only the moon's umbral night, it was the actual night cycle.  Most of the facility's individuals would be asleep in their cubes, save the night-security staff, the two engineers in the singularity chamber, a host-cell tech, two Yeerk-cell techs, and a four-person Operations team.  Couple that with the fact that the maintenance tunnels were only ever occupied for actual maintenance, and they should have the entire level to themselves.

He pulls the door's release lever and it only hisses slightly before popping partway open.  He pulls the door open far enough to pass through and steps out into the well-lit "tunnel," which actually consists of fully-formed halls...no bare rock despite being called a tunnel.  He breathes deeply at the near-Homeworld-quality air, and motions his Warriors to follow.  He jogs quickly to the first intersection and looks both ways before turning northeast along the main-facility border tunnel.  Pipes and wires run through the walls, though their presence is mostly hidden by the smooth wall-panels, all made to be removed easily to allow for service.  He rounds the bend and continues to jog straight east along the north border tunnel until he hits the second junction and turns south, his ASAR shouldered just in case.  He reaches the curved wall of the main central lift.  The lift itself has no access to the service level, but along the outside of the lift walls, another hatch not unlike the one the team passed through in the hangar is ensconced in the floor.  One of the two auxiliary hatches into and out of the singularity chamber.  He waits for his team to gather before reviewing the next phase of the mission.

[Chad32]

The air in the tunnel was a welcome feeling as Claxter followed Ossanlin through. The first part was done, and no Andalites in sight in the tunnel. He stopped with Ossanlin at the end. It looked like a dead end, but he thought he remembered there was a different hatch nearby. Ossanlin was;t already working on removing it, so he'd probably say something before they went farther towards their goal.

[Estelore]

Enorryma stayed close to Ossanlin the entire time, her sidearm drawn and ready for use. She liked the ASAR, but she didn't like how it took two hands to operate, no matter what. For an Andalite, having both hands occupied didn't affect balance, mobility, or self-defense from behind, but the Hork-Bajir was a climbing creature, and having both its hands full made its instincts highly agitated.

Norry was ready for the next phase of action.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin nods as everyone gathers, crouching next to the hatch in the floor.  <<Good.  Claxter, Ehvrin, remember...you two will now attach the number one floor-breacher.  Head north and east along the route marked on your HUD.  Place the breacher assembly at the position I've programmed into the ARCs.>>  He uses his wrist-panel to show Claxter and Ehvrin an overview of their route as well as the location of the first floor-breacher.  <<Then move and hold your positions just outside the Eastern ramp-well.>>

He glances at Esarvit and Aurellia.  <<You two head south around the lift service tunnel and turn south at the first junction.>>  He uses the wrist-panel to cause their ARCs to show an overview of their route.  <<Open the hatch in the ceiling and lift yourselves into the maintenance room on level negative one.  I'm quite certain it will be deserted.  Then apply the number two floor-breacher to the ceiling of the maintenance room at the location I've marked on your HUD.  Once it's finished cutting, lift yourselves into the central computer chamber on level zero.  It should also be devoid of people.  I trust you know what to do after you get there, Esarvit.  Contact me on your ARC to let me know you've made entry into the computer chamber, then upload the virus and download the Yeerk prisoner data.>>

Ossanlin then glances up at Enorryma.  <<Once Esarvit sends us the signal, I'll pop the hatch and you'll drop in as quietly as you can, Norry, and I'll follow.  You'll take the far tech, who should be stationed at this console on the bottom level,>>  He uses the wrist-panel to show the location on Enorryma's HUD display, <<I'll take the security guard who should be nearest us by the lift.  Then we'll both take the second technician who should be at this console almost directly below us.  We have to be quick, Enorryma...they can't be allowed to shout a warning before we disarm those breakers...and we can't do that until Esarvit has finished with the central computer.>>

He glances again at Esarvit.  <<Norry and I will be taking position at the breakers.  Once you have the Yeerk prisoner data and have finished uploading the virus, send me another message via ARC saying as much, and then hold position.  Norry and I will disarm the main breakers.  Once the power fails, and it should do so quite abruptly, you and Aurellia must cut the computer's secondary battery breakers...merely a matter of switching the two levers off.  Once that's done, we should have freedom of the facility for several minutes.  I will send out a communication to both teams to begin the third phase of the operation at that time.  Is the second phase clear?>>  He uses his wrist-panel to return each Warrior's ARC HUD back to normal functionality.

Ehvrin tail-salutes and Aurellia nods, keeping watch around the corridors.

[Chad32]

Claxter let the ARC guide him to the designated spot for the breacher. Things were pretty quiet along the way, though at one point he heard a soft clunk. He stopped and drew his weapon, trying to listen for any other sound. When none came, he chalked it up to just some random noise in the facility. He continued along until he came to the position.

He took out the floor breacher and started attaching it to the ceiling. Lasers would cut through to the next level when he flipped the switch at Ossanlin's command. Until he got that order, he'd hold position at the eastern ramp well. At the ramp he tried to listen for any sounds that would tell him someone was walking around. Even when they're supposed to be asleep, somtimes people wake up and take a walk for one reason or another.

[Ember Nickel]

<Understood, sir,> says Esarvit.

"Norry." Really? It's not enough to have three names, oh no, we're going to have nicknames too. Any scoop in the winds, of course, he's glad that there are talented women in the military, but there's a time and a place for the familiar and this facility is not it.

He stiffens. Need to keep focus, the plans have already shifted slightly and he doesn't want to waste any more time. As distracting as some of his superior's habits might be.

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin is concentrating so much on the mission planning, running things through his head, that he doesn't even realize he'd used Enorryma's familiar name when speaking with someone other than she herself.  He watches as the other two teams depart, glancing up at Norry again.  He doesn't allow his nervousness to show, and emanates an air of stolid confidence.  <<Now we wait.>>


Ehvrin trots down the corridor after Claxter, ASAR held ready.  His ARC shows the breacher's location and he watches down both corridors as Claxter attaches the assembly.  <<It's quiet.>>  He speaks privately to Claxter.


Aurellia trots around to the first junction and turns right, heading to the location of the hatch in the ceiling.  She opens a side panel next to the hatch and pulls a small lever, causing the hatch to retract and slide sideways.  She lifts herself into the maintenance room and bears her ASAR around, making sure there are no personnel.  She waits for Esarvit to lift himself into the room so that they can attach the floor-breacher.  <<Clear, sir.>>  She sends a private thought to Esarvit.

[Chad32]

<<Yes, but that's what we want, right? All those personnel are sound asleep in their rooms, completely unaware of us. Then they'll be so confused when we finally make ourselves known, that we'll all get out without much danger.>> Claxter said. He certainly didn't want to get stuck in a narrow tunnel while being fired at. Hopefully he didn't sound nervous. <<I think I heard a clunk earlier, but it was probably nothing.>>

[Estelore]

Enorryma prepared for the next descent, waiting for Esarvit's signal and Ossanlin to open the hatch. Once again, she would be assigned to take down the more distant of two targets, and speed as well as precision was essential.

She winced internally when she realized Ossanlin had used her familiar name openly, but now was no time to call his attention to it and break his focus. She responded, <<Ready, Sir,>> business as usual.

[Ember Nickel]

Esarvit pulls himself into the maintenance chamber, again letting the Hork-Bajir instincts carry him through the initial uneasiness. Is this really the best Andalite designers can do? Letting our enemies be better able to get around than us?

Grunting, he installs the breacher once he's made sure Aurellia has followed from behind. He steps out of the way, towards the back wall, before the ceiling gives way. Then he reaches for the ensuing ceiling, which takes him a few tries to build up enough momentum to pull through.

Once within the computer chamber, he immediately punches at his ARC without waiting for Aurellia--he doesn't want to let her see his shame at how long it took. Hopefully she can't tell from inside this Hork-Bajir face...

<<We're inside,>> he brusquely informs Ossanlin. <<Time still all right?>>

[Luke Skywalker (Ossanlin)]

Ossanlin nods to himself and responds to Esarvit's communication.  <<Good, yes.  Get started on retrieving that data and uploading the virus.  Let me know once you're done.>>  He uses his wrist-panel functionality to see the same thing Esarvit's holo-emitter sees and notes that he is indeed in position.  He nods again, steeling himself.

<<Enorryma, I'm going to pull the hatch.  Get in fast and quiet and I'll follow.  Once we both have beads on our targets, we'll fire simultaneously.>>  He pulls the small release lever and the hatch hisses quietly as it opens.  The ambient noise of the Singularity chamber would deafen anyone inside to the slight disturbance. 

The hum of large amounts of energy and electricity are now audible at the top-side of the hatch.  <<You're up, Vanarx.>>

~

Aurellia lifts herself into the computer core-room behind Esarvit and shoulders her ARC, taking up a position near Esarvit.  She keeps her eyes on the surroundings.  The room was indeed clear, but she watches the door just in case.

~

Ehvrin nods to Claxter.  <<Yes, sir...I know.>>  He watches as Claxter installs the floor-breacher.  <<I just...>>  He falls silent, voicing nothing further as he returns his eyes to watching the deserted corridors.

[Chad32]

<<You just what? You're nervous? If so, I can assure you that you're not the only one. We just have to hold our positions, and hope everything goes well on their end.>> Claxter wondered what would happen if the others got captured. Would they just be killed, or would Claxter and Ehvrin need to rescue them and the rebels too? Would that even be possible? <<You can feel free to talk while we wait. I don't mind.>>

[Ember Nickel]

Esarvit plugs in the ARC. First step, downloading data...the easiest approach so far as he knew had been to modify his own clearance settings to allow him to do this anonymously. He feels intuitively that if he had been younger and more familiar with the technology, he could have probably found a more straightforward way to get at the data, but no choice there. He does know a lot about computer science! In theory.

<<Almost there,>> he tells Aurellia as he waits to move into the virus uploading mode. He's not sure whether she's really the one who needs convincing.

[Estelore]

Enorryma tucked her sidearm away and descended quickly down the hatch, finding herself uncharacteristicall y pleased by this morph in one particular way: this climbing motion was as easy as breathing, and the Hork-Bajir's hands and talons made no noise on the way down.

She lowered herself until she could place her feet on the floor below with complete silence, and then she did a rapid visual scan of the area, <<Clear, Sir,>> before stepping clear of the hatch so Ossanlin could follow. She took out her ASAR and carefully, quietly dialed in the aim on her target, waiting patiently for Ossanlin to catch up and do the same for his target.

Everything up to this point had been business as usual, but she stayed alert.
So far, so good.