"Good work Revenants," Ortega congratulated them over the comm. "But don't celebrate just yet, you've got some way to go before you reach the admin building, and the nearby droids have all amassed to form a welcoming committee," she said. "...and they've brought some backup."
"I don't like the sound of that," Grim commented. "What sort of backup?"
"One heavy tank and four light MAPS. There's about a dozen droids accompanying them," she said.
Grim grunted in response. "Great."
MAP stood for Mobile Artillery Platform, and was essentially a small, two-man speeder with a gun turret stationed behind the cockpit.
The lieutenant inhaled before he checked his status display and addressed his squad. "Well Revenants, let's move out! Form up and make ready to engage with the welcoming committee. Those MAPS shouldn't be anything we can't handle, but that tank is another matter entirely. We're going to have to play dirty this round if we have any hope of taking it out."
A series of comm clicks confirmed the squad acknowledged the order as Revenant Squadron fell into line and began following their commander. Grim was about to ask for a readout of the tank when Ortega fed the design specs into his helmet. It was a Devastator V class battle tank, the latest model procured by the Federation's army. He hadn't seen one in action, but his military experience and the tank's stats gave him enough information to formulate a plan as to how to combat the mechanical beast. It followed the basic design of most tanks, a top heavy gun, with a heavy quad, repeating blaster cannon pod on either side of it, as well as a front facing duel cannon situated below and beside the main gun. Grim studied the vehicle's readout, heavy armour situated at the front and sides of the tank, with the rear relatively exposed and comprising of its thruster and repulsorlift engines. The Devastator being the first line of tanks that relied on anti-grav technology as opposed to traditional tracks. Grim smiled as a plan formulated itself in his mind, it'd be tough going, but he knew how to take the vehicle out.
The team moved through a storage facility full of complete speeder components that had been manufactured and awaited installation into their parent vehicles. Then turned the corner and made their way down an adjacent hallway that opened out into a large showroom the size of a stadium pitch. Grim glanced at the timer inside his helmet to see they had six minutes before the horde of incoming battle droids arrived. The left side stood empty, but an assortment of vehicles lined the right side of the showroom, including a light tank, armoured troop transport, and several speeders of various sizes.
They didn't have to wait for the enemy forces to arrive, the Devastator tank, a dozen battle droids and the MAPS were all waiting for them up the other end of the showroom. As soon as they detected the presence of the commandos, they moved to intercept them.
The tank's heavy gun roared to life with a loud mechanical grinding before it fired. The projectile exploding forth from its barrel with an electronic twang as it intercepted its targets.
The commandos scattered out of the way as the shell fell to the ground and hit the floor of the showroom with an explosion that rattled the entire building.
"Jynx!" Jet swore, "How the shock are we going to take out a tank?" he asked.
Grim clenched his teeth as he cocked his rifle once more. "The hard way," he said with a snarl. "Cram, with me. The rest of you take cover behind these vehicles and draw their attention away from us," he ordered.
"Copy R1," Cram replied, as he followed Grim to the far-left side of the showroom, the other four commandos running among the vehicles on display and returning fire on the battle droids as they commenced small arms fire.
The tank began a slow advance, the battle droids hanging back on either side of it as the MAPs moved forwards, two of them darting out ahead of the rest of their formation as they began an attack run.
The first MAP opened fire on the commandos' position, the gunner behind the quad barrelled blaster cannon pouring dozens of blasts of superheated energy at Wes and Jet's position as they took cover behind a sleek, unarmed speeder. The two-man pod-like vehicles zoomed past, firing volleys of weapons fire, as they came about and made ready for a return run.
Wes ducked as several bolts passed inches above his head, burning smoking holes in the ground behind him. He responded in kind with a spray of automatic fire that failed to hit its target.
Jet flinched, as a bolt glanced off his armour, the proximity of the bolts burning into the speeder coming too close for comfort.
The initial attack run had taken the commandos by surprise, being so sudden and furious they opted to take cover instead of fighting back; as they prepared themselves for when the MAPs came back around for another attack.
The MAPs opened fire as they came hurtling back around, buzzing like furious bees, blaster cannons whining as they poured blaster fire at the commandos.
Cash laced one with automatic fire that hit the gunner in the chest and sent him reeling from the vehicle, a burst of bolts from Wes taking it in the rear and hitting the engines as they exploded with a plume of flame and the MAP spiralled out of control, crashing into the ground with a crunch of twisted metal.
The other MAP sent a shower of blaster bolts flying at them, the red beams of energy blowing chunks out of the troop transport Cash stood near as black smoke wafted into the air. A stray bolt took Cash in the side as he tried to take cover, the force of the blow knocking him down as he rolled with the fall and flipped over onto his back as he returned fire.
Jet, taking advantage of the MAP being distracted with Cash, took careful aim, and fired. A grenade burst forth from his rifle and rocketed towards the speeder in a straight line that trailed a plume of smoke. It smacked into the side of the vehicle and exploded as the MAP was consumed by the explosion and went up in a ball of flames.
The other two speeders leapt on the attack as the tank fired once more, the concussive BOOM! of the shell being fired echoing throughout the cavernous showroom.
Wes and Jet leapt to their feet and took off running as their helmets screeched a warning in their ears. The blaster bolt riddled speeder leapt into the air and exploded with the force of the blast as the shockwave bowled both commandos over.
Cash and Dex exchanged volleys of blaster fire with the incoming MAPs as the speeders weaved this way and that, the rhythmic whine of blaster fire ringing through the showroom.
Dex ducked as several bolts left smoking holes in the speeder, an inch from his head then popped up once more to return fire before quickly ducking behind it once again. He changed tact and sidestepped out from behind the cover of the speeder and sprayed automatic fire at the MAP. Most of the bolts laced the ground around it, a few flying off harmlessly through the air, but some hit their target, burning holes in the MAP's fuselage. Dex opened fire again with another volley, his rifle vibrating with the sustained firepower, as it blew a series of holes down the side of the passing speeder, the last couple puncturing its engine compartment as its engines screamed in protest and began to vent black smoke.
It slowed as it passed and turned as it came back around for another sweep at their position. The MAP had barely completed its wide arching turn when a grenade fired by Cash smacked into it, and it vanished in a hail of flames and flying debris.
Grim and Cram hustled their way down the far side of the showroom, managing to go unnoticed for most of their trek before the droids surrounding the tank detected their presence. The tank's cannon fired once more, the deafening boom vibrating throughout the building as one of the speeders on display was vapourised by the powerful shell as it exploded.
Jet, his armour aflame, stumbled away from the flaming wreckage and threw himself behind one of the four remaining vehicles available for cover.
The heavy tank slid forwards on its anti-grav thrusters as it opened fire with its left side heavy blaster cannons and forward gun.
The last MAP broke off its engagement and selected Grim and Cram as its new targets, and four of the droids stationed around the tank broke off to engage the two commandos. The other eight flanked the tank in two groups of four as they advanced and opened fire, peppering the commando's defensive position with small arms fire, while the tank's weapons hammered them with artillery rounds. The MAP bore down on Grim and Cram's position, weaving back and forth as it shot at them. With nowhere to take cover the two commandos had to rely on their mobility and keep moving to present themselves as difficult targets as possible. Blaster bolts sung through the air with their distinctive whine.
Grim poured automatic fire at the vehicle to distract it as Cram skidded to a stop and cocked his rifle, loading a grenade into the chamber.
The gunner noticed him, a split second too late as it turned and fired at him, but not before he could launch the grenade.
Cram danced away from the enemy fire, taking a bolt to each side that knocked him onto his arse, as his armour screeched a warning. "Jynx!" he swore, as he felt the fiery pain in his side, from the familiar feeling of a blaster wound. The heat was so intense it made him see stars as he tried to clear his vision and regain his feet.
The MAP however, exploded, strewing flaming debris in all directions.
Grim turned his attention to the four droids as they began firing at them. "Cram, what's your status?" he demanded, the concern heavy in his voice.
"Took a couple of shots from that damn MAP, one glanced off my armour, the other hit and penetrated, just a flesh wound sir. I'll be fine," Cram replied.
"Ok," Grim said, focusing his attention on the incoming battle droids. "Like we discussed Sergeant. Make your move now while I draw their fire."
"Copy," Cram said, as he began to run for the far end of the showroom. The rest of Revenant Squadron had most of the enemy forces distracted, but they soon caught the enemy's attention.
One of them fired at Cram as he ran, while the other three focused on the lieutenant.
Grim grit his teeth and engaged in a standoff with them, a short burst of auto fire from his blaster tearing through the torso of his first target and riddling it with holes. Blaster fire whined all around him as bolts flashed past, one taking him in the stomach and causing him to take an involuntary step back, yet he stood his ground and continued to return fire. His next stream of bolts hit their target, tearing it to shreds as his sustained fire ripped it apart. He ducked under a bolt that came screaming at his head, only to take another to the thigh that rattled him and made him drop to one knee. His HUD screamed warnings at him which he ignored as he flicked over to semi-auto and put a bolt between the eyes of the droid that'd shot him.
The droid that had unsuccessfully been shooting at Cram returned its attention to Grim as it realised its brethren were down, but too late. It barely had time to register the situation before Grim took it out with a bolt through the neck that severed its head from its body.
Cram made it to the end of the showroom and headed towards the tank, hidden out of sight of its crew as they focused on assailing the commando position in front of them. The squad's demolitions expert crept up to the tank and set to work, rigging an explosive to the underside of one of its engines.
The tank's main gun gave another roar as it fired, a troop transport vehicle exploding as the shell blew it apart and the shockwave sent Cash sprawling. "Shit!" the commando swore as he hit the ground. Their cover was fast disappearing, and with it their chances of getting taken out by the tank were increasingly dramatically.
The four of them scurried behind the two vehicles that remained to provide them with cover, firing frantically at the enemy as they downed two of the attacking battle droids.
The tank's blaster cannons screeched to life, hammering the speeders they hid behind with bolts that quickly began to tear them to shreds.
Dex threw himself to the ground and covered his head with his arms as blaster bolts screamed past just inches above his head, pieces of the ruined speeder raining down on him as pieces were blasted out of it. He cried out in shock as a stray bolt hit him in the shoulder, blowing a chunk of armour out of his shoulder pauldron.
"Sir, we're pinned down and need assistance!" Wes cried over the comm.
"This tank's going to tear us apart!" Cash added.
"Get out of there!" Grim shouted, as he could only watch as the tank's turret moved to take aim at their position. He removed a grenade from his belt and hurled it at the tank, successfully distracting one of the blaster cannon pods as it turned in his direction through a haze of smoke that erupted from the gas grenade, obscuring the tank crew's view of their surroundings. Grim threw himself to the ground as a volley of blaster bolts sprayed all around him, several grazing his armour as he hit the ground hard, rolled and came up on his knees as he pushed himself to his feet once more and continued to run.
"Fall back! Fall back!" Cash ordered as he retreated from the now burning speeders as bolts flew through the air around them. Their situation had quickly become dire as their cover was blown and they were left out in the open against a tank that was determined to send them all to hell. The commandos retreated as best they could as red streaks of cannon fire whirled all around them.
Then, as if on cue, an explosion behind the tank blossomed in a plume of flames that was followed an instant later by the tank's hatch being blown open with a mushroom cloud of flames and molten steel as the tank exploded from the inside out, hurtling pieces of itself in all directions.
"Hayo!" Cram cheered over the comm. "….and not a moment too soon," he added, the smugness in his voice evident.
With various grunts and groans the commandos picked themselves up off the floor and reassembled, running systems diagnostics on their armour and weapons as they assessed their conditions. All things considered; besides a couple of flesh wounds and damaged armour they were in relatively good shape.
"Don't all thank me at once," Cram said, with a frown.
"Ours is a thankless business, you know that," Dex said, slapping him on the shoulder.
Cram sighed. "Yeah, I know."
"Form up! Move out!" Grim barked. "We've got two minutes before those droids show up, and I don't want to stick around to have to deal with them too."
The rest of the squad quickly did as he ordered, falling into line as they moved out and headed for the Cinazine administrative building.
They exited the showroom and made their way around a wide curving corridor, following it as it passed various hallways and rooms that branched off as it straightened and ran directly to the admin building. They finally came to the end of the hall and passed through the doors that led outside. An expansive courtyard and plaza surrounded the Cinazine Incorporated administrative building. The towering matte black building loomed menacingly in front of them as they made their way towards it at a trot.
Grim checked the clock on his HUD to see they had just over a minute to gain access to the building before the group of battle droids bearing down on them arrived.
At his urging Dex knelt before the door and got to work, busting the panel on the maintenance hatch for the door's operational systems as he retrieved some equipment from his belt and set about the task of bypassing the security system. He plugged a cable jack into an access port in the maintenance bay and plugged the other end into an input in the side of his helmet. "I'm connected to the system," he informed the lieutenant and Captain Ortega, who was standing by on the commline.
"Excellent, R4, stand by and I'll execute the data feed into your HUD so you can begin bypassing the system," she said.
"Copy that," Dex replied. He waited for the stream to begin and as soon as it did he set to work, typing away, selecting options, transferring data, calibrating inputs and navigating his way through the security system as he worked to adjust settings and gain access to the door's network terminal. Doing it all mentally and with movements of his eyes. As an infiltration specialist and being trained in hacking computer and security systems, along with the help he received from Echo One, it didn't take Dex long to bypass security and command the doors to open. They responded to his command with a beep as the two doors slid apart with an electronic whistle and hiss, and not a moment too soon.
The incoming platoon of battle droids emerged through the entrance to the plaza and shuffled towards the commandos as they opened fire, the whine of blaster bolts echoing throughout the courtyard as the flash of red energy filled the air as the commandos returned fire.
Wes and Jet ducked inside the doorway as Dex detached himself from the computer system and joined them.
Grim downed a droid with a shot to the head, then backed into the building. "Fall back, we're not here for a battle," he said, motioning for his men to follow.
Several droids fell to the ground, being hit by Cash and Cram's blaster fire as the commandos followed Grim's lead and retreated into the safety of the building.
Dex fiddled with the control panel as the doors slid shut behind them and turned to Grim. "I changed the access codes for the door, so they won't be able to gain access right away," he explained. "We should hurry though, it's a quick fix and it won't take them long to override it."
"Copy that," Grim said, "Let's get moving. Form up and move out!" he ordered, motioning down the hallway that led into the depths of the building.