Skye Rosalind Lyons
Kaitiaki HQ, New Zealand
Team Talk
The team had gotten their chance to enjoy their day, and come evening, after getting some food in together once again, came the usual briefing. The same thing, but this time, it felt like rather than the glacier like progress that had been plaguing their hunt of Artemis, they had some significant leads. The kind of leads that the team would have to divide and conquer for.
With everyone assembled in the briefing room, the team was in one place and ready to be given that insight, and Skye stood as usual in her casual yet serious demeanour, knowing the next ops were going to yield the beginning of the end for Artemis.
"Alright. We're dividing and conquering for our upcoming work, because there's two targets of note. You don't need to know all the details, but the data we recovered from Pavel's computer has proven to be quite valuable."
"Sam, Freya, you're with me as part of Fireteam Condor. Mateo, you're with Tahlia, who'll give you sniper support, and Chuck, one of our new heavies, who will blast your objective to bits if you need it as Fireteam Piranha. Apt names, for your tasks." Cutting to the next slide, it came up with an AR diagram of the next. No goggles needed, it was like a hologram but way easier to flick through, and actually rendered in more detail.
"
Fireteam Condor, this is Observatorio Cruz del Sur, the Southern Cross Observatory in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. A dark zone for light, and signals, which makes it absolutely perfect for one of Artemis's key ground stations for a satellite network that could break and cripple plenty of infrastructure assets, as well as containing a healthy dose of information on our targets. The base isn't defended with significant amounts of troops, but is near impenetrable, from all angles, containing hidden SAM sites on the top of the observatory, checkpoints all over the mountain road, and the fact is, the only way onto it is via a cable car. To that end, we'll use a radar-silent, helium lifting piece of equipment that Freya is very keen on, so me and Sam will hitch a ride, drop into the base, disable the defences and quietly pick off anyone inside to get Freya close. We'll need to keep our stealth for as long as possible to give us the best window to tap into the satellite controls. If needs be, we'll need to down a satellite out of the network, then worry about recovery later. Then we need to leave, with the mission going hot. Extract will need us to clear the observatory deck and call in Vincent, who can provide air support with the VTOL, and pick us up. Expect resistance to be small, but elite trained. I expect the troops there to be well armoured and more than a match to us, including drones. They will take more than a few rounds to drop, and likely will be very well paid mercs. So hence why our method is unconventional. Fast in, fast out. If the satellite is coming down, we will chase that. Given the tonnage and payload of what they are, wherever it hits, it'll make one hell of a bang."
"
Fireteam Piranha, your target is an island off the coast of Colombia, near Cartagena. Formerly an eco-lodge front run by the Tejador Cartel, it's now inhabited with drug labs, storage, and distribution for onward cocaine and other narcotics in plain sight. Irrespective of your thoughts on the war on drugs, it's a shithole with lots of bad people in it. We have reason to believe that Thiago Tejador is meeting a HVT of Artemis, regarding a concocted drug that they seem to be taking great interest in. Your job is simple. Mateo is to infiltrate the island with Tahlia providing sniper support and our heavy, Boomer, on backup and as a distraction. Gather intelligence by any means needed, collect samples of the drugs and eliminate Thiago, and find out who Spectre is before eliminating or capturing them. There will be a lot of enemies, but I don't expect them to be well equipped- drug operations like this aren't, they prefer quantity of eyes over quality of guards. We need details, and we need to know what is going on. I imagine it's the other half of the puzzle we're trying to solve. If we're trying to hear what they're saying, this is about finding out what they're going to do. While removing one bad scumbag from the earth. You'll then extract via boat, dash and dine."
"Everyone on the same page?" Skye asked, clicking to the next, bringing up a darkened screen, but by no means done. Skye's look and voice continued, a leader's and unwavering, almost unspent.
"We are getting close to finding out what we need with Artemis's structure, and their setup. I don't have any doubts you share some of what the post mission debrief has to say when it comes to Artemis's capabilities and willpower, even if it's heavily redacted. Point being, we're up against people who believe they're right. I don't half doubt what they're saying, Pavel is an asshole but there's a reason people believe in what he says. But they want to make your families, friends back home, countries, fellow operators hurt in the process. Keep that in mind. We are getting closer to ending this."
"Kit on in 30 minutes. Lift off is in an hour. We're headed to Easter Island for fuel, then dividing from there. Condor, we're staying with the VTOL, Piranha, you'll be taking a charter all the way to Panama, and boating from there on a RIB boat."
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Down in the armoury, Skye had the chance to suit up in her exoskeleton once more, returned back to it after an operation and in skin that felt a little more comfortable than spying her way into a billionaire's party. Weapon in hand and crossed over her arm, Skye had her helmet on too alongside her usual tactical glasses, an easier setup for now given they were about to be on the move soonish- and well, it was like a ritual really. The team was all here, and it was their last chance before they split their separate ways, given more likely than not, everyone was gonna sleep on this flight.
Weapons wise, she'd gone for a different setup- her silenced MCX, an M32 Grenade Launcher, FNX pistol and her usual squad leader equipment was to hand, as was her helmet, baseball cap and well, a tin of blue paint for later. A winterized variant of her advanced, thermally-resistant fatigues followed, the one-piece equipment sat in the exo, giving her a blue digital camouflage pattern, mixed in with a hex and black pattern unlike the usual MTP that would be used. It was a short change, but well, considering they were going to an observatory at 3,500m sitting on the tiniest of precipices that could take it, warmth was a considered option. That and the long ride they would have to take. The jump-jet secured, and her tactical pack, and exo fuelled, Skye knew this was time for some ritual fun.
Turning to face Mateo before he left and in a quiet moment outside of the rest of the team's kit up process, Skye rested an hand on his shoulder, knowing full well he'd understand this was a favour to have pulled, and a half.
"Listen to me. This isn't about revenge. And not a blood feud. This is business. Promise me that now, because it ends with Thiago. I know what he did, and I know this is a long time coming, and you should be the one to do it. But do it the way a professional does. Are we clear?" Skye looked him dead in the eyes, and whilst the Colombian was quiet, the facts needed to be broken, now. Skye was kind and caring, but right now, in this moment, given it was the last time she'd say it, she had to tell him that one more time. And the Scot knew right now deep down, it wasn't what he would want to hear. But it would sink when he got to rest, at least, she hoped it would.
Behind him, Tahlia had walked by, and holding her plate carrier and her own equipment.
"So no suicide missions or anything. Good luck out there, and put him down." Like good cop, bad cop, Skye knew that Tahlia would keep an eye out, but was probably less mothering. More just happy to be focussed on the job at hand, because beneath it, there was a little fear left over. It felt odd, surreal even to see her here, but then again, risks had to be taken sometimes on people. Like with Mateo, Tahlia was a good shot, and significantly above average. It would hurt not to have the help given she couldn't get any marksmen on the line. Blue Sword had something prospectively, but after Singapore, there was a lot of damage control. Skye had thanked Carl for the help, given it had bought them a significant amount of time out of there- but with every gain came cost.
Skye's intercom chattered away and tuned into one signal in particular, as she heard the voice of a very excited pilot could be heard, and well, it was quite something.
"Ma Capitane, we are ready to go. Give me the signal and we are go. This machine is quite something, c'est incroyable."
"You're not the only one with new toys. Affirm, start pre-checks and we'll be there in five."
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Isla Langosta / Lobster Island, near the coast of Cartagena, Colombia
Retribution
Fireteam Piranha
1000 Hours, Two Days Later
The humid, hot swampy morning morning was taking hold on Isla Langosta, the private isle.
And in it, lay Tahlia, with her gloves on, ghillie suit making her blend into the jungle that she sat in, on a hillside overlooking the bay, against aquamarine sea the green lush vegetation full of bugs, critters and mosquitos. She didn't feel superpowered. She didn't feel particularly superhuman either given her leg, but here she was, with not her Mk14, but an FN Ballista sniper rifle, with a large-bore suppressor on the end of it, subsonic ammunition, and .338 Magnum loaded in. The dark green and olive ghillie-suit wearing Kiwi certainly felt like she was back in the game, and while she was off active combat, she was on sniper support today, and picking out targets.
The scene in front was quite a messy one. From her point, Tahlia knew she'd need to move from one side of the jungle to the next on this side of the bay, but it wasn't far- and it gave her a perfect view, at about 1km away from the main complex of buildings that made up the eco lodges, shipping containers and drug labs that Mateo was going into. Sniping meant she'd have to shoot bodies that wouldn't be findable- guards in towers, near bushes, or close to Mateo so he could hide them. What that meant was. On the other hand, she wouldn't be too close in. He had a marker she could spot him on, so she wouldn't at least snipe the blur of movement that would be him tearing through the base. He had his options- from in the forest, from the sea, Tahlia wasn't sure what he would do, but whatever his choice was, she was almost certain that blood was getting spilled today, and plenty of it.
"Taniwha is in position, Jaguar. Rounds from the rifle will take a couple of seconds to get to you, I've got a good view of the area. This is your op, but don't forget what we're here for. And don't be afraid to ask for help if it goes hot. Chur." Tahlia called out, knowing on this one, Jaguar had been left to his devices on setup. For Tahlia, it felt odd, weird to be back in the field, and even weirder to be working with the elite team. A bit of imposter syndrome, but she believed Skye was right. And she knew she could shoot. So she'd do that. Already knowing that was reassuring enough, and right here, right now, helping Mateo get revenge would be something to savour. He seemed like a decent chap, quiet even, but Tahlia could tell he was being eaten away at for this. Like he wouldn't stop when he got close. Perhaps Skye had prefered that they were here so he didn't do anything too stupid. But same time, Tahlia knew he was a good man. He'd do it respectfully. And even a superspy light like him, a ghost and a spectre through his work would need another pair of eyes when there were this many on look out, and this much shit to hunt.
That left the other member of the team. The Heavy, the new American one who Tahlia had briefly met, and briefly gotten to know. A brute to say the least, but well, he'd raise all shit once he arrived. Make for more than a distraction. Which would be perfect, and Tahlia left that detail to Mateo, knowing he could call him in on the other side of the island and have an instant, perfect distraction. Or support. Whichever he preferred, things were going to go boom, and a lot of firepower was going to get leveraged, the giant likely on his side of the island and going through jungle.
"Boomer, how are you and Duke settling in?" Tahlia added, adjusting her ranging, thinking much about that Shepherd.
"I hope he's had his treats today for this weather."
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Somewhere near Mirador Serrano Glacier, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile
Through the Looking Glass
Fireteam Condor
2000 Hours
In quite the opposite to Colombia and later in the same day, the mountains at the other end of South America were awe-inspiring, with spires of sandstone rock dusted in snow, surrounded by glaciers, lakes, boreal forest and total quiet made it clear that here, they were very much at the end of the world. With the VTOL parked up, the impressive beast sat at the tiny clearing of the forward operating point, a hastily organised site by a wide open glacial lake, the water peering through, and the beautiful hut that sat by its side. They had gotten the lion's share of the view, and well, an opportunity to use the hut as a temporary post. Final checks on the observatory, weather, equipment, gear, and the like. Oh, and a nice little fire too, crackling with wet wood, the glacier outside the hazy window in absolute glimmery splendour. It was possibly the most beautiful place on planet earth, the clear sky turning to a hazy yellowy-orange and reflecting in pink off the mountains, about to disappear and open up the cosmos itself. The stars shone bright with almost no light pollution, though for their purpose of infiltrating, there was no moon out tonight.
Vincent wouldn't shut up about the VTOL from the moment they had landed here couple of hours back- a stealth-capable V22-iterated airframe that had taken on radar cloaking, extended range and well, dropped props for powerful jet engines, and even an armament of it's own- a retractable 20mm cannon under the front of the fuselage, storable for longer flights, as well as a set of electric motorcross bikes in the back for the satellite hunt, if it came to it. Quite the tool, and he wouldn't shut up about the V-38 Sioux's capabilities, so hell, it wasn't just Freya getting treated today to aerial work.
Hauling out the equipment from the back of the VTOL had gone quickly, and they were remarkably, ahead of schedule. So much so that they'd had the chance to even enjoy what was left of the sunset at the mountain hut. A fairly hefty drop had bene made here earlier, organised through Raven's black contacts- the one that carried a significant volume of highly compressed helium in it. It had been helidropped into the woods nearby, and well....it had stayed there, but not before the long rubber hose had been pulled out of it, and run all the way to the shore of the lake's water. After all though, helium was light, and the sheer volume it would take to carry about half a tonne of heavy operative, and two passengers. And speaking of that very lifting tool, here it lay by the shore, the craziest of cargo tools, deflated yet the outline of it at least over fourteen foot tall, and almost as wide. The Russians had invented it for Spetsnaz troops, it had been stolen by the CIA, bastardised by the FSB again, and then in the hands of Freya's mother no less, who had turned what was a fairly mundane tool into an incredible, potent infiltration, and aerial attack tool for heavies. If you wanted to attack a base as a heavy from the sky and wanted to make everyone tremble in fear, a helium suit was what was needed. Gigantic, yes, but silent, and virtually invisible until an operative wanted to make it so. And anthromorphically shaped on the very operative herself, as Skye knew Sam was in for a shock if she hadn't seen this toy in action yet. It was about as bombastic as you could make something, and for any good heavy, half the fun was the drama you caused.
Vincent chuckled as he looked at the large black-rubbery and foam-lined suit sprawled out, looking across to Skye, Freya and Sam, sitting on the bench at the side of the hut, the mountaineer's hut very barebones and basic- but enough of a post to do work in, and appreciate this before setting forth.
"Putain, you are fucking crazy...you cannot be serious. A high altitude drop, rock climbing, even some cruise missiles, that I would understand. But you're going to fly a fucking balloon at it? Over that mountain there? They will puncture it, no?" Vincent rarely spoke out, but well, on this occasion, he had to check her boss hadn't suffered any head injuries over the planning of this.
"Absolutely we're doing it. And technically, Freya's half inside the thing, so more of a suit....oh yeah, you haven't seen it inflated. So, once the sun drops, we pump that thing full. Freya steers it, we attach ourselves to the outside with rappel harnesses. Ride Freya's considerable backside, and I mean....it's a magic carpet. A steerable one, but a silent, and well, against this night sky, nearly invisible one, self sealing no less so it'll take some heat. Natalie also put thermally absorbing compounds in it, Freya's mum being an absolute enchantress meaning that it basically stays nigh impossible to spot out of direct light." Skye said, looking to Freya, then to Sam.
"First time for everything then?" Skye remarked, chuckling as she shook her head, Vincent still unsure of even the team leader's insanity on this one, and well, while he knew she had a plan, this was the maddest one yet.
"Mon dieu, even by my standards, this is crazy, mec. Alright boss girl, fine." He replied, cooly as ever as Skye checked her watch, standing on a perch by the shore, then looking across to the other two, her watch blipping with a subtle vibration. She put her helmet on, and glasses back too, the serious-looking special forces major now leading this fireteam of misfits about to do something that she was pretty confident, would be wild. But then again, fast, hard assaults was her bread and butter. Even without the MG3, Skye was ready to make them pay, get the info they needed, and finally put Artemis under.
"Alright then. Let's stop enjoying this view and get to work. Sam, plug the suit up to the tank and fire up the compressor, would you? Freya, check systems, harness yourself in. Vincent, clear any trace and as soon as we're gone, pack up and get off station. We'll be on target in about an hour, and we'll call you when we need you."
"Affirmatif, boss. Sam, you'll have a link to the 20 mil if you need it, and Freya, your spare rounds are available quickly if you need more ammunition. This will be quite the sight."
As the two got onto their tasks of inflating a Freya-shaped helium suit, Skye opened up the little can of paint, and gently pulling it out onto her glove, smeared it across her face, her glasses off and coated under her eyebrows, then along her cheeks, and almost around. For an operation like this, her face was as pale as the moon in the sky, so culling the colour of it was always something preferred. A balaclava would normally go as a better option, aye, but this felt a little more homely and didn't fog up her tactical glasses, and it took the pale out of her skin...and well, it felt right. After the chats with the team, it was almost half a reminder of home. Half a reminder of her identity, and to that, her person. The pattern from her chin to the bottom of her eyes, it turned her from a pale to a blue and red coloured illusion, rather contrasting yet somewhat battle hardened.
As they got on, Skye checked the distant peaks, the direction of the flight, past the glacier, the mountains, and ultimately into the pitch black night to a mountain observatory, before coming back to her senses and helping load up the helium suit's equipment haul, and preparing her attachment point on the right hip of Freya's soon to be very, very large bottom.
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