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Post by fen on Dec 29, 2018 17:30:50 GMT -6
“So, with that said, the Nias will escort the newly completed fleet back here.”
“Do the brass really think this is a good idea? Come on, the Martians will see this coming, they’re in orbit, and lunar ain’t doing much to stop them.”
“Lunar is doing their best to make sure we can even think of making this operation a reality.”
“Yeah, and I think that’s bullsh-”
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Meetings were her least favorite activity.
Whether it was meeting with pilots, meeting with the engineering crew, meeting with maintenance, meeting with the bridge, meeting with Cinco, meeting with-
“And I’m telling you it’s-”
No, meeting with other captains was probably the worst.
She tapped away at the table the three were allotted. It was only Admirals Reyes and York, their COs, her, and Jack. The top secret operation plans they were responsible for, in paper, were strewn in front of them. Perhaps what made things worse was their meeting location: a hitched tent along Camp Delta. Enceladus was considered too risky, in case there was some sort of hidden martian equipment that could spy on them, and none could agree on a ship to meet on.
Admiral York was a hard-headed man, but a man with skill and experience. The way his arms were crossed, little else seen but his rugged, beard-laden chin and beady (but somehow soul-crushing?) brown eyes only made him a tough to approach compatriot. It didn’t help that Admiral Reyes, the somewhat younger, somewhat smaller, and somewhat softer looking gentleman sitting across from him, met York’s tenacity with some of his own.
Though Adamaris was not an Admiral proper, her unique position as the overseer of the Menaulion had placed her on a somewhat equal playing field.
Somewhat.
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“We all have reservations about this operation, but what choice do we have?”
Though tentative, it seemed that her words managed to draw a temporary ceasefire, though both Admirals slowly turned to focus their attention on her. Arms crossed and eyes shut, her expression barely hiding her annoyance and discomfort at being stared by them, she continued.
“As it stands, we can’t engage them in orbit without the risk of losing Luna. Losing that would mean losing control of Earth’s defensive line and-”
“Losing the war.”
Admiral York was quick to agree.
“...correct.”
“Which is something we can’t afford…”
Admiral Reyes slid back in his seat, arms folded in agreement.
“No… Not ever…”
Though they had their differences, the two men were nothing if not patriotic in their support of the ESU.
“The way I see it, this might be our best chance at removing their orbital fleet and striking back. A no holds barred, all out assault that ends with the total destruction of their orbital invasion.”
“Leaving us with the ground war-”
“Which we can win.”
Though there was still some hesitation, the table had mostly calmed now. Mostly. Reyes was the first to speak again, arms still crossed as he gave the plans a careful glance over one more time.
“...in any case, before we finalize these, we should probably talk about the spy.”
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Post by fen on Dec 29, 2018 20:34:45 GMT -6
A chuff from York brought the table into a new round of discussion, this time making Adamaris the one not wanting to talk. A fact that Jack was all too aware of as eyes centered on her. A brief flash of her tablet shifted her notes on the battle plan to her notes on the ‘spy’.
“Do we even have confirmation that’s true? Any plan leaks? Suspicious movement?” York leaned forward, resting his head just behind his steepled hands. “Supposedly it’s one of yours, right?”
“We don’t have any confirmation beyond what an enemy combatant stated.”
It had been some time since Lana was given the task of ‘keeping an eye out’ whatever that was supposed to mean. Since then, nothing new had emerged. Though they had peered through records and discussed possibilities, they couldn’t find a chink in their armor, or a misplaced fact. Their pilots all added up to being exactly who they were, even the Martians- the first to be suspected.
York, as ever, was the first to go. “You have… Two Martianborn. Both transferred some time before the war, and both enrolled in the ESU during the transfer period. One of which has been trained extensively by one of our finest academies, the other… Less so.”
“Oh come on, he probably deserves a pass for sticking with us through Sibera, no?” Chuckled Reyes, a joke that got only a scuffed glare from York.
“Har har. He has connections with Tartarus Industries, something conveniently overlooked-”
“Purposefully chosen.”
A new voice emerged, and with it a new figure. Formed by a hologram, the ever benevolent and agreeable (if not princely) figure of Admiral Forescythe joined the fray.
“I’ll be honest, though, I disagreed with the council on it being something not worth briefing you all on. Unfortunately that’s no longer here nor there. He was chosen purposefully for his connections.”
“Is this about the meeting?” Asked Reyes, arms folded as he directed his stare towards Forescythe.
“Why yes, very perceptive! Unfortunately the council botched the preparations for that, but it ended up working out in our favor anyways. ‘Gabriel’ was our guarantee.”
“How unlike them to engage in trickery…” Another chuckle from York, but the sarcasm could practically melt through the table.
“In any case, the Martians aren’t under suspicion. Really, as per the good Captain’s reports, it’s hard to draw ire at any of her pilots. Everything seems to be under control… Perhaps it’s best we simply look at this situation as, ah, an enemy combatant having a bit too much fun with his mouth, yeah?”
The three nodded, some more begrudgingly than others.
“Very good! Now, if I’m looking at our docket… We are missing an important part of this discussion.”
“That unless this mission goes perfectly, a country or several will have to deal with disastrous fallout?”
A shadow seemed to loom over the group, and it would not dissipate until someone spoke. York, the most rambunctious of them all, finally broke the ice.
“The fallout can be managed.”
Though it was expected, what he said didn’t seem to actually calm the table insomuch as spark its next discussion. Adamaris, so far having managed to keep her distance, lunged.
“As much as I agree with the necessity of this mission, we should accept that history won’t look too kindly at it. The ESU’s main council have already put forth this briefing in secret and are in the process of transporting this weapon, we should just make peace with it.”
Silence followed her comment, and though Admiral Reyes had an expression that could only follow the tangent of a disagreement, he kept his words to himself. The two of them quietly replied with an agreement, and the issue was tabled.
“My my, you’re quite the responsible one, aren’t you?”
Though just a hologram, the look of the Fleet Admiral reclining in his chair, an air of smugness as he held his head against his arm, almost as if he was trying to relax during this meeting, was certainly hard to ignore. It didn’t help that his gaze was directed at the Captain directly across from her.
“Someone has to.”
He laughed.
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Post by fen on Dec 31, 2018 1:37:22 GMT -6
When was the last time the crew of the Menaulion was gathered all together in their briefing room? They were more cramped than usual this time, as a plethora of non-essential crewmembers were gathered as well. Whatever their job was this time, it was assured to be something that everyone needed to be in on. Whether that was just the Captain being nice, or making a point to how it important it was, remained to be seen…
The pilots were collected towards the front, their mechanics crews behind them, many of them with their arms crossed or with semi-worried expressions, both for the work ahead of them and what this operation might entail.
Interestingly, one group sat with no pilot. The Lucky’s mechanics were present, but they were alone. Their pilot was missing.
Adamaris sat at the main table, surrounded by Jack, Cinco, Yasmith, and other core members of the crew. Though a map waited behind them, the atmosphere of the room was quiet. The table were speaking amongst themselves, as if figuring out best how to begin their session. It was plain as day that some of the crew were anxious- whispers through the grapevine had made it sound like they were going on more than just a regular operation. Rather, that something important was going to happen, something major.
After a few moments of tentative silence, Adamaris finally spoke.
“Welcome everyone, I know it has been a while since the last time we had a meeting like this.”
The gathered crowd shifted, nodding or muttering in agreement.
“I know there have been… Rumors circulating these past few weeks, and I wanted to address those first and foremost.”
Like that, the crowd went silent.
“One of our pilots will no longer be with us, due to… Circumstances beyond our control. I’d appreciate it if we could all handle this with respect.” There was a bit of an edge in her voice, and her glare swept through the room.
“...additionally, this next operation will not be as extravagant as some individuals have been attempting to imply…”
“...yeah, it’s pretty boring actually-”
Both Jack and Yasmith nudged Cinco in the ribs, causing the engineer to lose his breath.
“As I was saying, the Menaulion will be working jointly with the Nias in overseeing the transport of a newly manufactured fleet to Enceladus. The Nias will be performing the actual escort duties, our job is simply to make sure nothing goes wrong.”
The back screen lit up, showcasing the positions the pilots would be taking together during the operation. While it highlighted the movement of the Nias and the fleet it was traveling with, the Menaulion and its pilots remained static.
“We predict that the main Martian invasion fleet will move to engage us by leaving orbit. This is, of course, a ‘big deal’. They’ve been content to stay in orbit engaging with the lunar defense fleet, primarily to provide a safe passage for their supply line to arrive on Earth undamaged. Intelligence believes that isn’t the case anymore.”
On the screen, at least three groups were highlighted. One group stationed near the coast, one stationed deep in the mountains, and another stationed with the Menaulion near Enceladus.
The first, Kara and Cain, were placed by the coast. Both equipped with long range weaponry, it seemed they were going to be picking off stragglers once the Martians deployed- though their position implied that it would be once the fleet arrived near the continent, fairly late in their trip.
The second was the largest group, composed of Gabe, Sean, Meta, and Myra. Positioned deep in the mountains, they were unlikely to encounter much AA resistance (unless the Martian ships really wanted to deploy that far in). Which begged the question: why so many pilots there?
The third and final group was stationed by Enceladus. Composed of Ernest and Lin, they would be working with a handful of fresh ESU AA pilots. This made them the smallest Menaulion group, but the largest in terms of available guns.
“As you might remember,” Jack interjected with a step forward announced by the ‘click’ of his heel. “I have sent each of the pilots a small debrief that details their role in this operation. Groups one and three will primarily be in charge of defending the coast and the Enceladus, respectively. Group two… has another goal entirely.”
Their captain nodded solemnly, a single finger gripping her chin as if she was still mulling over her words. “To be more… Specific, group two will be in charge of an ESU weapon. Our resident heavy weapon expert, Gabriel, will be in charge of firing the weapon, though the weapon will be pre-programmed with its targets in mind.” Adamaris’s thinking expression shifted into one of more certainty, even if she still seemed… At odds.
“This is important both because as our trump card it needs to be for our usage only, and also a potential miss could have… Catastrophic effects.” Their normally resolute captain cleared her throat and changed the screen behind her. “In any case this operation should not require much movement, and if our intelligence is correct, none of you should see any combat. Nonetheless, groups one and three will be on standby in their respective areas for protective measures.”
Judging by the movements put on the screen, it seemed this next operation would be a lot of sitting and waiting. “That doesn’t mean what you’re doing is unimportant, as, again, we will be responsible for shifting the tide of this battle, but unfortunately most of it will be done in secret. Do I make myself clear?”
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