EliteCommander

The Cradle

It seemed like there was little that Vreta, or anyone, could do to control Kjartan. In truth, he was starting to understand why the Sacred Band was less-than-enthused to have him assigned to them, but these were the tools he had been given. He could still try to come out of the scenario with a victory.

Vreta still intended to play to his own strengths. He was not a soldier, and certainly no Datius, but he still had his advantages. While Athena set up in her position, Vreta moved up along the corner of the building off to his right. The simulation had formed wrecked vehicles, rubble, and other obstructions to serve as cover in the streets. Vreta climbed up on one of these obstacles just high enough to get sights on anyone who poked their head up above cover down the street. He could fall back down into cover quickly if his shields started taking hits, but he was confident in his ability to take such duels at range.

At first, Vreta would naturally be aiming down the street along with Athena. In particular, he wanted to see if he could pick off Carthage before she could cross into the apartments. That, more than anything, would give Kjartan a decisive edge inside the building. But, he also tasked his neural implant with keeping up awareness beyond his own point of focus. Vreta’s natural mind could only truly focus on what was in the center of his vision, but his implant could scan his peripheral vision in much greater detail. It could identify Carthage quickly, as well as pointing out anyone aiming at him from the street, or the windows once the enemy reached the apartments.

The Cradle

Though Vreta did have military training, his expertise did diverge from the kind of fighting that soldiers were responsible for. Espionage required planning, but of a different sort. Still, the concepts of how to read a battlefield and judge the strengths and weaknesses of his own team were not unknown to him. More than anything, if there was one skill his experience had prepared him with, it was to think and act quickly.

“I know how skilled Carthage is reputed to be, and I cannot know if we would be able to overcome her without an overallocation of resources. I do not think it would be wise to make a plan that depends upon holding the apartments. Controlling the apartments does provide access to the windows and a flanking route, but it does not give direct access to our flag. They still have to cross open ground for that. Let us still push mostly for controlling the streets. As long as we can prevent them from getting too much value from the windows, we can diminish the value that the building gives them. Kjartan, if you feel like you may get overwhelmed inside, try to retreat back and draw them out into the open. As soon as Carthage leaves that building, she loses her advantage.”

The Cradle

At the very least, Vreta had tried to contribute to the battle plan. Still, it was not as if they were doomed. If Kjartan could at least keep Carthage sufficiently occupied in the apartments, then the rest of them could gain an advantage out in the street. Vreta’s best position would still be the one with the best ranged sightlines.

The countdown was nearing its end, so with a sigh, Vreta drew his marksman rifle and got ready to move. “Well, any squad who isn’t going with Kjartan, push to hold the center position. Athena, let’s set up overlapping fields of fire down the street. I see a few spots we can climb onto to get some elevation. Let’s make it suicide for them to poke their heads out. I’ll keep an eye on the windows, you focus your scope down the street.”

“Knossos.” Vreta continued. “I suppose you’ll be the one leading the squad taking point in the street. I think I can trust your instincts. Thebes decided to make me a team leader, for some reason, but I know better than to try and micromanage you. I’ll just say that, If you end up getting pressured too much, try to take cover that would force them into our sightlines if they wanted to push you.”

The Cradle

Vreta crossed his arm and looked at the map. The simulation area was building around them, so it would not be long before they would start. Kjartan had taken his suggestion…as expected, based on Vreta’s impression on him. But, he still wanted to try to contribute his tactical wisdom to the team. “The apartments are a complication, but I do have an idea to deal with them.”

On the map, Vreta zoomed in onto the three usable floors of the apartment building. “The windows do give strong sightlines onto the street, and while that would certainly be an advantage for snipers, we cannot guarantee that we can keep them out of the building. It would be safer for us to position back down the street where they can’t reach us, but we can still reach out and touch them. Do we have any explosives? If so, I say you take them into the apartments and just collapse its hallways on top of one another. Just remove the apartments as a viable path. Both teams have close-quarters specialists, but I am confident that we have a firm advantage at range. If we can just remove the apartments from the equation, then our team will win a straight up fight.”

The Cradle

Vreta was honestly not sure how this was going to go, but he figured he could give it a try. He was surprised to see the Agent wander in at the last minute, and he wondered if it was coincidence, but he still planned to participate. As he moved to his team’s side, he reviewed the layout of the arena they would be fighting in. It mimicked an urban environment, with two main lanes of approach between two, mostly symmetric objectives. Given the terrain and his team composition, he was satisfied with his weapon choice. Since he could not use a Rothian weapon, he had chosen a Human-designed, high-powered marksman rifle. Vreta did not have the same degree of physical augmentations as a Rothian soldier, but the one enhancement he did have that exceeded the specifications of a Rothian soldier was his neural implant. Quick thinking, reactions, and exceptional accuracy were the best of what he could bring to the table in a firefight.

Before the round began, Vreta felt it prudent to try and devise some kind of strategy with his teammates, particularly the members of the Sacred Band. He approached Kjartan and brought up a projection of the arena between them. “Given the layout of the arena, I think it is important for us to make sure we win the opening engagement. There is a position here, in the middle of the right lane, that would be very strong to hold. It gives good sight lines with strong cover. If we can claim and hold it, we’ll have a firm advantage in that lane. Just based off of my…impressions of you, Kjartan, I think our opponents are going to expect you to go in aggressively. I think we can use that to bait them into a trap. You can take a small force and push out into their territory straight away on the right lane. Make them think that you’ve overextended that your positioning can be punished. But, let’s stay myself and Athena take up positions here and…here. If you push to this spot initially, then do a fighting retreat back to the middle when they push you, then we will have clear sightlines on your pursuers. If we hold our fire for just a little bit to let them chase, then we can catch them out in the open and deal a heavy blow in the first fight. They won’t be expecting us to have two oppressive snipers. And if for some reason they don’t chase, that will still give us a chance to claim the center position.”

The Cradle

Thebes did not outright deny Vreta, though he did keep his pistol holstered instead of scanning it in. “I…think I will just use a Human weapon. I’m not actually allowed to scan Rothian technology on Human equipment, you understand.”

Before any other simulation could begin, however, there was another, apparently less-welcome Human that intruded in on the simulation. He was loud, boisterous,and he seemed to have some kind of history with the Sacred Band. And not a pleasant one, by the looks of things. Vreta doubted it was going to put them in any better of a mood, so he hoped this new development did not end up impeding him from doing what he sought to accomplish.

“I will admit, I am not entirely familiar with how your team fits into the Human military’s rank structure. But, if you are assigned to the science team’s protection, I suppose I should introduce myself to your newest member as well.” Vreta remarked, casting his gaze over to the strange, bearded man. “I am Vreta’Sori, Rothian liaison to the Human science team.”

The Cradle

Once he had returned to the Barbarossa, it had not taken Vreta too long to track down the Sacred Band. It was not as if they were trying to hide themselves, after all. Vreta was still assigned to Freyr’s team, and so he was still an official guest of the Barbarossa with access to some of the facilities. As he had no intention of interrupting, he simply observed the combat simulations along with the crowd of other Humans that had taken up positions as spectators.

Vreta had drawn a few eyes when he arrived, but his weeks spent on the ship on the way to Rothia did mean that much of the crew he commonly encountered were used to his presence by now. Most of them quickly returned to watching the much more interesting display skills unfolding in the simulator below. Vreta had already seen in the recordings how these Humans fought in truly dangerous situations, something that simulations could not ultimately replicate. The danger would never be the same.

Vreta hummed to himself for a moment in thought when Thebes opened up the simulator to the other soldiers in waiting. It had not been his intention when he came here to join in a combat simulation, but a part of him felt that there might be opportunity in it. There would probably be few other ways to establish the kind of connection he wanted. As such, he too joined the soldiers in making his way down to the simulator. “Is that an open invitation?” Vreta asked once he was in a position to speak to Thebes.

The Cradle

As much as Vreta was glad to be able to stretch his legs after the end of the meeting, he still wished Roth’Orsa would have stuck around longer. The reality still had not fully set in for him that he had just met a member of the Rahn’Saki themselves. Even though he had not spoken to her directly, he still felt honored just to be in the room. And Freyr…he could not help but to admit to himself some jealousy towards her. He doubted that she truly understood how much of an honor she had received. It was not the same as meeting one of the Human leaders in person. To a Human, he doubted there truly was a good analogy to describe what such a meeting would mean to a Rothian.

Vreta did miss Freyr before she departed the building, but he needed only ask Nirann to find out where she went. A Human shuttle heading up into orbit could only be heading to one place. He supposed he should not be surprised. Whatever it was that Freyr and Roth’Orsa had discussed, she had been the first Human in history to get a private audience with the Rahn’Saki. They would likely have hundreds of questions for her. He had his own questions he wanted to ask, though certainly for quite different reasons. He did not have any secrets he was trying to learn, but rather his own personal curiosity to fulfill.

Since he was not sure when exactly she would be done with her meetings, Vreta simply sent a message to Freyr asking her to contact him when she was able. In the meantime, he supposed he did have a few things he could accomplish that were relevant to his job. The expedition into the simulation had not come without cost, and now that the meetings and other “professional” obligations were finished at the moment, Vreta could do his part to show that the Rothians were not cold to the Humans’ loss. He set out to find where the rest of the Sacred Band had gone. Again, with Nirann’s help, it would not be difficult to track them down.

The Cradle

“The Skinners are the terrorist group with the naive views on societal and technological advancement, yes? That is to say, your government considers them to be terrorists.” Roth’Orsa replied after doing a quick review of the relevant intelligence on the Skinner Guild. “We find it unlikely that they would make for useful allies, but still, it is possible that they have gained useful information regarding the Cradle Institute throughout their existence. It may be worth performing an investigation on them. It would not be difficult to justify the attempt publicly. We intend to propose a long list of contingencies to handle any unforeseen effects of our plan, and to prevent anything from disrupting it. Including assistance with a counterterrorism investigation into any organizations that might interfere with our plans would blend in perfectly well with the rest of our propositions.”

Roth’Orsa closed all of the current holograms she had opened. She did not want to hold Freyr too long in this private meeting. Every minute longer it lasted likely meant more questions the Agent would have for Freyr. There was one more issue yet to be resolved, but she understood that Freyr may not have had any relevant answers. It was not Freyr’s political knowledge that made her help valuable. “In the weeks and months ahead, it will be important to know our potential allies. Perhaps the Cradle Institute is not hiding its motives; perhaps it is truly acting in the interests of Humanity. But, in the event that it is not, we will need to have those with influence in your government who can overrule, or at least resist, the decision-making power of the Director-General. Your president…she serves in an elected position, yes? It would not be likely for a clandestine organization such as the Institute to confide in a high-profile position selected by the common citizens. She may be an outsider to them. Manipulated by them, perhaps, but not a part of them.”

Suddenly, Roth'Orsa turned around and stepped back towards the door without warning. When she did turn her head back to look at Freyr again, she had more haste in her tone. "But we should not keep you here for much longer. As we said at the start, it is your choice what of our conversation you hide, and what you share. We only ask that you act in the interest of preserving the lives of both your people, and ours. Should you believe it necessary to speak to us again, then simply speak that desire on any Rothian world. We will contact you."

The Cradle

“We can approve your plan to enter the device.” Roth’Orsa answered, this time without hesitation. “We know, without a doubt, that the simulated world within is dangerous, but we can give you our support. We have, of course, been studying the technology you use with the Cradle in-depth since you arrived. We have gathered enough data that we believe we can improve it. It will be a…brute force solution, granted, but we can produce a smaller, prototype transit station for you. One that will be more convenient for you to transport. We will also make the proclamation that no individual who has entered the device once may enter it again without full medical scans and treatment, citing the observed negative health effects of some members of the first group as justification. This will not be a problem for most of you, but we expect, based on her prior behavior, that Agent 595 will not submit to detailed scans by Rothian devices. This will give you natural justification to enter the simulation without her watching over your shoulder, at least for as long as it takes for us to debate over the disagreement.”

Roth’Orsa once again brought Freyr’s attention to the files of the Cradle Institute members. “But we should be cautious in the investigation of this organization. Based on our records, the lawyer Masgard was assigned to you at the same time as you first met Agent 595, correct? Likely by her organization. He may not be trustworthy, so you may wish to look elsewhere for assistance. We must make ourselves prepared to act in the event that our investigations bear fruit. If we discover evidence of deception, this plan we have in motion regarding the device may yet be halted. We know you are an outsider to the Institute, and many factions of your government, Dr. Lang, but we ask you again to try and think of any information that may be helpful. You may know more than you think you do. The Cradle Institute, the Director-General, the Agent, who can you think of among your people who have acted at odds with them? Are there any people or groups who you would see as being outsiders to the Institute? In the event that there has been misbehavior on the part of the Institute, we will need to be able to convince the rest of your people to act against them. Although, we are cognizant of the potential risks this might bring. Do you believe that this path may lead the Institute to bring harm to you?”