You’re a part of a mobile base of operations on Hanorat that was assembled to take care of a recent influx of small groups of insurgents showing up. They’ve been targeting mining facilities, it's suspected that they are trying to impede the flow of supplies off the planet.These groups aren’t like what most are used to facing from the UKD, it isn’t large organized forces with formidable weaponry. Rather it’s numerous smaller groups. Your team is charged with the mission to clear out a local refinement factory that a unit of insurgents have taken up in. This issue is considered more of a pest control job than a force worth sinking many resources into, according to higher ups.
We’ll enter in on our team in transit on a shuttle being piloted by Nora. Bravo
Squad.

Lieutenant Major Christian McTavish

Chris looked over his briefing notes quickly before starting to speak into the coms, licking his lips and running a hand through his hair he mentally chastised himself for the nervous ticks. Glancing around the cabin at his squad he took a deep breath and barked.

Okay Bravo, listen up people. We've been deployed to deal with a group of insurgents who have taken control of a refinery that is crucial to the war effort. Our main objective is the elimination of the threat the insurgents pose to the operations of this facility and keeping damage to the refinery to a minimum. If possible capture of any intelligence that would aid in further hindering the insurgents options from here on out.

He stayed seated as he delivered the briefing everyone knew who was speaking there was no need to draw attention to himself. Pausing momentarily he thought back to the layout of the facility he had hastily studied before they left the base and the various plans he had formulated, then after choosing one he continued.

Intel says there is a total of twelve enemy combatants and six hostages, the hostages are being held in the office block of the compound and most of the hostiles are spread over the rest the compound. We'll set down just north of the offices and drop Ozymandias and Outsider then myself and Asteria will move to the east side and provide over-watch while Ozymandias and Outsider breach and secure the hostages, then we will rendezvous and sweep the rest of the buildings. Questions?

The morning sun in the east would provide them the cover they needed to get in position and he would be able to see the whole team the entire time.

Petty Officer Brandy Carson

The last few hours had gone by in a rushed blur, receiving orders, being transported to the planet surface, being shuffled around then receiving more orders, now finally with her newly assembled squad on their way to the action. The experience was exhilarating yet overwhelming. It wouldn't be her first time in combat but it certainly wasn't her preferred set of circumstances. Like a methodical song in her head she went over the things that had been drilled into her mind during training. As she did so she checked over each on of her weapons being sure they weren't going to fail on her when in the line of fire. Despite the adequate proof that they were all in perfect functioning order she decided it was best to double check, after all there wasn't anything else to do with her hands in this moment.

The Lieutenant Major's voice snapped her out of the rhythm of inspecting her weapons and forced her mind back into reality. Carefully she listened to each word he said and did her best to envision what type of environment they'll be going into. What would these insurgents be like and why are they there? A thousand questions raised through her mind but none that her squad leader would be able to answer. Her eyes drifted and glossed over as she stared out the windshield of the ship. The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, it was early morning and that meant the factory had been taken during the night, which made sense with why there were so few workers present, likely just a skeleton crew to keep an eye on the machines over night.

"Why didn't they just blow up the factory and everyone in it?" She mumbled to herself. The answer was a mystery to her but she had the feeling that before it was all said and done they would have an answer to that question.

---

From her spot in the front of the ship, Nora listened to their esteemed lieutenant major, paying as much of a mind to the briefing as she could while still keeping an eye on the controls. Having been informed of where to land the ship, the chief petty officer marked the map displayed on the dashboard and adjusted her course slightly to match. Her face scrunched up in a frown as they were told the plan.

Nora had never been one for ground combat. She could do it, of course; it was a part of basic training. It was just that she was more of a float-in-from-above-and-blow-them-all-to-hell-with-a-fighter kinda gal. This wasn’t an option, obviously, as it would guarantee casualties on the part of the hostages, but a girl could dream. The plan itself was fairly straightforward and well thought out. Nora spent a few moments wracking her brain to see if there was any information she needed to know that the lieutenant major had missed, but nothing came to mind, so she stayed silent and focused on her piloting instead. The thought came to her mind of an extremely undisciplined officer (she had no idea how he even graduated from the academy) who probably would have argued about the plan and done everything within his power to take over the mission, and she snorted a bit, the thought bringing her some amusement as she recalled the day this same officer was kicked out. That was a fantastic day.

He was probably the only person on base Nora refused to sleep with.

Petty officer Carson's muttered words were just barely audible to Nora above the roaring of the ship's engines, but they struck a chord in her brain. Why hadn't they just blown it up? She had been assuming they wanted to destroy the facility in order to hurt the war effort, but if that were true then why take the hostages? From her experience, innies weren't really the type to demand ransom money, so there must be some other angle. However there wasn't much use in speculating on the matter without obtaining more facts first. Instead of burdening her brain with meaningless theories, Nora just focused on getting them where they weere going.

Twelve hostiles, six hostages. An unfavorable 2:1 ratio. Arlo mindlessly rubbed the side of his jaw as he poured over the facts bouncing around in his head. To some people six hostages meant six tries until you failed the mission but Arlo had a tendency to look at it from another perspective, slightly more pessimistic albeit also leaning closer towards realistic in his opinion; six extra ways to fuck up. He disliked the fact where the main objective seemed to be the elimination of the insurgents but rather than stand up and risk getting written up for insubordination by criticizing his superior, Arlo instead opted for exercising the benefit of the doubt and went with the interpretation; your priority is to terminate the threats, but captures are a bonus as opposed to terminate targets primary, hostage retrieval secondary. Ah yes, he adored his over-thinking brain.

Next thought, the breach. Arlo knew nearly nothing about his partner except that she was seated not far from himself. He could actually see her from here and could easily start a conversation, if he so chose, without the need to get up. Okay so there was his partner but... what about the plan? They'd been informed that their rendezvous point would be an oil refinery but without a blueprint map layout it would be difficult to gauge the structure's layout (thus openings to avoid or good spots to find cover). Where were the hostiles? Where were the hostages? Arlo thought back to Lieutenant Major McTavish's monologue, he's mentioned the structure's office block. Okay fine so that would likely be closer towards the center as opposed to the layout's outer perimeter. Should this be a stealth breach so they could focus on securing the hostages first or one meant to attract the hostiles and draw them away from the hostages while the team inevitably picked them off one by one? 'Screw this' he thought to himself. Arlo stood, stretched, and approached Ms. Carson AKA Outsider. He selected an empty seat right beside her and plopped himself down. "Ozymandias, at your service" he introduced, sticking out a hand to shake. "So, first impressions, what do you think? Of the scenario, not me." He added the clarification quickly in order to avoid an awkward assessment.