PREVIOUSLY… When last we met, the situation on Sanctuary had devolved. The 29th UWD, in a strategically crucial mission, successfully put an end to the resistance's human trafficking ring. However, the intervening months saw the resurgence of hostilities, leading to the decision to send in an entire division to stabilize the region. This decision, though slow to mobilize, was made in response to the resistance's advantage-taking after the initial success. The proliferation of surface-to-air missiles had nearly shut down air mobility on the planet, prompting the reactivation of the 29th to combat the threat. Jimmy returned to the team, recruiting Ramirez and Jacobs to join the mission. The 29th began the hunt for the enemy supply lines and logistics that the resistance had set up to distribute weapons throughout the planet. But soon into their tenure, they were diverted to safeguard the provincial governor, as his estate was under siege by resistance fighters. Side by side with Marines, Jimmy fought his way to the mansion, linked up with the rest of the team, and evacuated the governor just in the nick of time.
Meanwhile, the garrison commander of Camp Foster, more interested in securing his legacy than accomplishing his mission, forced the team to seek support from the Navy and transferred their operation to Battleship Nemesis. Undeterred, they launched a series of missions to crack down on missile proliferation and covertly modified a store of missiles. Set to prematurely detonate and equipped with trackers, the missiles were distributed and allowed the team to discover the locations of two sites from which the enemy was operating. An Army expeditionary ship with a battalion of elite Rangers arrived in orbit, and the team hatched a plan to recruit volunteers from them to form a new fire team. This new fire team, Fire Team Nomad, was a testament to the unity and cooperation among the different military branches, as it was blended Marines from Nemesis with Army Rangers, showcasing the strength of the combined forces. They embarked on a mission where the two sites would be struck at the same time, denying the enemy the ability to provide mutual aid in the process. However, when Fire Team Nomad discovered that their target was mostly unoccupied and the trackers had been removed by enemy forces, the rest of the 29th was ambushed in the city and was subsequently inundated by enemy fighters. The fire team took flight to provide direct support to the rest of the team and inserted into the city to turn the tide of battle. Troops were requested from the garrison, but the commander refused to let them fly, and so they never arrived in time. By the time the
dust settled, Havoc had fallen to enemy fire and was no more. With no time to grieve, the team set about continuing their mission to finish the fight, demonstrating their resilience and determination. However, the enemy had something up their sleeve, a new challenge that the team was ready to face head-on. With a full-blown frontal assault on Camp Foster, the enemy laid siege. It was the final push for control of the planet, and Jimmy rose to the occasion. He and his fire team fought their way to victory, driving the enemy leader to flee the battle. But the enemy ringleader wouldn't get far, as his ship was tracked and intercepted with ease. After a brief but violent boarding action, the team found and killed the colonel, breaking the back of the resistance once and for all. And now you're up to speed!
1 "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Dagger speaking. Please be advised, we're two minutes out from the target," the overhead speakers roared to life. "You heard the man, people!" Bossman called out. "Top, get me some PCIs going." Standing, Top sounded off: "Pre-combat inspections, folks! You know the drill." Jimmy followed suit, and soon, the entire team was on its feet. With Raptor to his right and an engineer to his left, Jimmy turned his attention to his teammate. The engineers were from the Army expeditionary ship, Forestall. The distress call had come just as the team was suited up for a training mission, and so they were poised ideally to respond. The stricken ship was a civilian freighter reporting that their reactor containment was failing, and they lacked the expertise on board to stabilize it. The engineers were added to the mission for that purpose. Jimmy inspected Raptor's gear but found nothing lacking. He tapped her on the shoulder before turning about and snatching his weapon off his hardpoint. While Raptor checked over his gear from behind, Jimmy dropped his magazine, cycled the weapon, and then pulled the trigger. Click. Satisfied his trigger mechanism was in good working order, he replaced the magazine and slid the firing bolt forward. The rifle gave a satisfying click as it seated the first round in the chamber. A moment later, Raptor tapped on Jimmy's shoulder to let him know his gear was secured correctly. With thumbs in the air, they waited for Top to acknowledge the gesture. "All right, then. PCIs complete, Boss!" Top called out. "Thanks, Top," Bossman said, before stomping his way toward the center of the troop bay. He spun about as he spoke. "Listen up, people. The mission is simple. We dock with the freighter. Boomer, Nomad, you two are first into the breach. Secure the immediate area and then call back to confirm it's clear to proceed. Then, and only then, will the engineers cross-deck over to the other ship." "Sir, should we advance with weapons drawn?" the lead engineer, a junior naval lieutenant, asked. "Negative, Lieutenant," Bossman shook his head. "Your sidearms are for self-defense only. Let my operators worry about security." "Aye, sir," the lieutenant replied. "Boss, I recommend we send someone forward to secure the bridge," Mama suggested. "Or CIC," Boomer added. "Or whatever they call it on a civilian ship." "Or that," Mama added. "But it goes without saying. How do we know they won't just transition to FTL and take us for a ride?" "Fair point." Bossman nodded. "Lieutenant, how quickly can you disable the FTL drive? Remember, if they manage to activate it, they could escape before we complete our mission." "Very quickly, as long as the crew doesn't get in the way," the engineer replied. "Then that's the plan," Bossman said. "Nomad, Boomer, once you clear the way, use Milton and a nano cloud to find the FTL drive.” Milton was the team’s AI. “Then take the LT down there to work his magic." "Got it, Boss," Jimmy nodded. The overhead speakers roared to life once more. "All hands, stand by for docking. For those of you who are just tuning in, we'll be using the ventral hatch on the deck for entry." The dropship's hull sounded with a metallic thump as it latched onto the freighter. The troop bay light flashed green. "That's it, folks. The ventral hatch is perfectly aligned with the freighter's airlock. You're welcome," Dagger announced. "Nomad, do the honors," Bossman called out. "Copy that, Boss," Jimmy replied as he lifted the deck plating, sliding it to the side to expose the hatch beneath. Boomer reached for the airlock handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Boss, if they want us to come in and help them, then they're doing a terrible job as hosts. The airlock isn't even cycled," Boomer said. "Then we cycle it from our end," Bossman said decisively. "Milton, would you be so kind?" "I've got you, Boss," the AI replied. "Nomad, would you please give me a nano cloud? I'll use it to hack into the airlock system and open it for you." "Hacker bots, I'm assuming?" Nomad asked. "You assume correctly." Jimmy thumbed the switch on his nano module, selecting the appropriate setting before deploying the nanobots into the seam of the airlock. In seconds, there was the sound of moving parts, and then the hatch clicked. Boomer reached down and twisted the handle. "We're good," Boomer declared as he unlatched the airlock hatch. Slipping inside the opening, Jimmy felt the two separate gravitational fields tugging at him from two different directions. The dropship cabin was oriented ninety degrees from the outer hull of the freighter, so Jimmy's sense of what was changed on a dime. "There's room for two more down here," Jimmy called up as he squeezed inside the cylindrical space below. "Boomer, LT, you two go first," Bossman ordered. Both men silently slipped inside the airlock and closed the hatch behind them. The airlock cycled, and Jimmy's ears popped as a result of the sudden pressure change. The light flashed green, and Jimmy reached down to unlatch the inner hatch. The door was pulled open from the other side, and a nervous-looking man in an engineer's jumpsuit, with disheveled hair and a worried expression, greeted them. "Hello! I'm chief engineer Edgar Mandrake, at your service." The man greeted Jimmy with an extended hand. Careful not to crush bones with his powered gauntlet, Jimmy lightly reciprocated the gesture. "Call me Nomad. This is Boomer and Lieutenant Simmons." All three slipped out of the airlock, and Boomer closed the hatch once more so the others could repeat the process. "Mr. Mandrake, I need you to kindly escort us to the FTL system as soon as possible," the lieutenant said diplomatically. Mandrake tilted his head in confusion. "But we have a failing containment system. What's that got to do with the FTL drive?" "It's for our safety," Nomad added. "We can't have you abruptly leaving with our people on board your vessel." Mandrake huffed in exasperation. "Fine! Follow me." Jimmy keyed the TACNET. "Boss, no threats down here. Just a nervous crew so far. You're clear to proceed with sending the rest of the engineers through." "Good copy, Nomad. Thanks," Bossman replied. Jimmy and Boomer followed Mandrake and Lieutenant Simmons through the cramped corridors of the civilian ship. Moments later, they arrived at an engineering niche recessed into the bulkhead along the main corridor. Mandrake gestured toward it and stepped back to give the lieutenant space to work. With a few simple hand tools and a deft touch, the lieutenant removed a component from the FTL drive and held it up for the operators to see. "Without this, the FTL drive is dead in the water. I'll just hold on to it until we're ready to leave," the Simmons said with a confident nod. "Boss, the FTL drive is disabled. The ship is ours," Nomad reported over the TACNET. "Outstanding. Proceed to the reactor section. I'm going to the CIC to pay a friendly visit to the captain," Bossman replied. "I copy all, Boss," Jimmy responded before turning to Mandrake. "Now, Mr. Mandrake, please take us to the containment field." "Yes, of course. Follow me," Mandrake said eagerly. Venturing further aft into engineer country, they arrived at a vaulted metal door covered in warning placards and radiological symbols. "Before we go in, let me run a radiation test," Mandrake said as he pulled a pocket scanner from his pocket. "One can never be too sure." Nomad waited patiently for the scan to run its course. Mandrake scanned the seams of the door before nodding. "We're clear. Containment hasn't quite failed entirely yet," Mandrake said, before tapping a code in the door control panel. The door slid open, and the four of them entered the large room. Jimmy was no engineer and didn't recognize any of the equipment. This was his first time this close to any ship's reactor, and he felt like he was out of his element as Mandrake began conversing with Lieutenant Simmons. They might as well have been speaking another language. But that was when Jimmy's wandering eye locked on to something, or someone, rather curious. Another crew member, in coveralls, feverishly worked on something in the corner. What intrigued Jimmy was the compliance collar around her neck. She wore no makeup, which was no shock in itself, but she also didn't have any name tags or other identifiable markings sewn onto her clothing, unlike Mandrake. Jimmy switched his comms to a private channel so only Boomer could hear. "Do you see that woman with the compliance collar on?" "That's the first thing I noticed when we came in," Boomer replied. "Milton, is there a way you can tell if she's got a neural interface?" "She does. Obata Defense Solutions model NBI-101. Military-grade, no doubt," the AI replied. "So, she's ours," Boomer said plainly. "Milton, how do you know for sure?" "Because she's been granted limited access to the ship's comms node, and I'm currently analyzing their recent comms traffic." Jimmy toggled the radio to the TACNET. "Bossman, this is Nomad, over." "Send it," Bossman replied. "We've got a confirmed SNA neural interface being coupled with a compliance collar back here. Request guidance on how to proceed." "You've got weapons, and we have a dropship. That's all the guidance you need, Nomad." "Roger that," Jimmy smiled beneath his visor, knowing no one else could see his face. Jimmy glanced over at the woman in the collar. She had blonde hair tied back in a messy bun and a soulless look about her. She looked as if she were consigned to a life of servitude with no chance at redemption. In fact, she didn't glance towards anything except for her task. Mandrake and the lieutenant kept talking, and soon Wraith and Ghost walked in with a small horde of engineers. While the two lead engineers were busy focusing on the task at hand, Jimmy stepped back from the crowd and walked over to where the woman in the compliance collar stood. Not wanting to frighten her, Jimmy removed his helmet and leaned in to get within her field of vision. She gasped and stepped back; her skin was pale from excessive time aboard a starship with no natural light. "It's all right," Jimmy said softly. "You can stop working now. It's fine. What's your name?" "Tinker," the woman replied. "The master named me Tinker because I'm good at fixing things." "And who's your master?" "The captain, of course," she stated, as if it were obvious. "What is your real name?" Jimmy asked.
"I-I can't. I can't say it without being punished," she said, pointing at her collar. "I can't say what I want to say without being punished." "Just hold that thought," Jimmy said, as he slipped his helmet back on. Now, with a modicum of privacy, Jimmy could speak to the AI without being heard. "Milton, how do I get that collar off her?" "Either the captain needs to relinquish his biometrics, or we have to get her outside of the compliance field being broadcast throughout the ship." Jimmy offered the alternative: "Or we could disable the field and just bring her with us." "That works, too. I'll set a waypoint to the signal source," Milton said. A waypoint popped into Jimmy's HUD. Jimmy then turned to Tinker. "What if I asked you to come with me?" "Well, my last instructions were to cooperate with the rescue personnel, so if you insist I come with you, then I have no choice," Tinker said nervously. Jimmy got the impression that she wanted to say more, but she kept shooting Mandrake nervous looks, as if he were watching her like a hawk. "Mr. Mandrake," Jimmy called out, interrupting the man in mid-sentence. "Yes?" he replied, seeming annoyed. "I'm taking Tinker with me. She's going to escort me to the bridge," Jimmy said, in a tone that defied rebuttal. "Uh, all right. But send her back here at once. We have a lot of work to do," Mandrake said with a frown. "No promises," Jimmy said flatly, as he gestured for Tinker to follow him. Mandrake opened his mouth to say something, but Lieutenant Simmons demanded his attention and resumed asking questions. Jimmy took it as his opportunity to leave, so he gestured for Tinker to follow him. She hesitated at first, but then nodded and stepped forward. Together, they traveled through the corridors without incident. But when Jimmy turned toward where the waypoint was pinging, Tinker stopped dead in her tracks. "What is it?" Jimmy asked. "The bridge is this way. That compartment is off limits to me." It made sense she would be restricted from accessing the compliance node, so Jimmy nodded. "Give me a minute, and I'll be right back." Tinker nodded sheepishly as Jimmy made his way to the waypoint. "All right, Milton. What am I looking at?" "This, my dear operator, is a standard broadcast relay for a compliance field network," the AI replied. "Okay. And how do I break it?" "You're the trained killer. How should I know?" Jimmy curled his upper lip in response but didn't reply. He simply cocked back his armored fist and punched the device, burying his fist into the mechanism while sparks flew. "How's that?" "Well done, primate! You've successfully smashed it out of operation." "Uh, thanks, I guess," Jimmy said with a shrug. He then quickly walked back to where Tinker stood. He reached up, grabbed her collar, and despite the terror filling Tinker's eyes, he snapped it in half. He dropped the remains of the collar onto the deck and nodded. "What's your name?" Jimmy asked once more. She placed her hands around her neck, rubbing the red mark left behind by the collar. "Petty Officer Lisa McDowell of the cruiser Conquest." "Well, PO, let's get you back to your people." ...
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