Preparation for the Attack

[Goddess Astra]

(Joint post with Jan/Lennox)

Remembering when he was here the last time, Lennox entered the docking bay of the Barrier Gate Station with his Eagle, slowly settling it down on one of the gravity breaks in the hangar. Those memories weren't too nice, but now he had another motivation to come here, instead of running away again.

The former Overwatch climbed out of his vessel as the cockpit opened and looked around. He probably had to wait for the Captain of the Sanguis. For him, it had been some time since he last met someone along his wavelenght. At least, that was what he thought. He leaned against the hull of his Eagle, waiting for the captain to arrive.

Sanguis was a vessel too large to fit into a conventional docking bay, but through the view ports of the hangar, it was easy to see the distinctive silhuouette of the Hathor as it aligned with the side of the station. An airlock extended and clamped to the side of the vessel.

Felicia Ariss stepped into the hangar before too long, her crew visible behind her, but they went their separate way and left their captain alone with Lennox. She had her pale blonde hair tied back with a ribbon, as was typical for her, and she wore a short, black coat over a white undercoat. Dark leggings were visible beneath as she walked.

She stopped before the former Overwatch, and gave a slight nod. "Lennox."

Wearing a special combat suit as always, visible it was made my the Order, he returned the nod at her and extended his hand for a handshake. "Captain Ariss. Glad to see you're still up for doing this." He took a look at the crew before back at her. "Let's not wait too long, no?"

"Of course." Felicia glanced toward to corridor to the rest of the station, her crew gone by now. "I have secured a private room that we may use to converse, though it is not much. It is simply a typical bedroom for those who wish to spend the night on the station, but I believe that will suit our purposes well enough." She met Lennox's gaze again. "We hardly need a full-scale meeting room for this."

He nodded and slightly pushed himself away from his ship. "Lead the way. Something special won't be needed anyway." He walked to the rear of his Eagle and opened a hatch, taking a case out of the cargo hold before closing the hatch again.

After Lennox secured his case, Felicia set off through the myriad corridors of the Barrier Gate at a walk, leading Lennox through an elevator and to the residential section of the station. She stopped in front of one of the doors and punched a code into the keypad. With a small beep and a green light, the door slid open.

Felicia stepped inside the small room, furnished only with a single chair and a desk against the left wall, and a bed and a closet against the right. "Make yourself comfortable, though we do not have much to work with."

He looked around the room and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "Everything is in the case. Should do its job." He placed the case on the bed and opened it. Something that looked like a small laptop plus several data discs in seperate slots of the case were to see. He took the computer and put it on the desk, opening it and switching it on. "It's not some kind of business meeting after all."

"What do you have to show me?" Felicia stepped up next to Lennox and folded her arms in front of her, scanning the computer screen as it flickered on.

He glanced at her. "Basically, what will expect us there, in Omicron 100. Take a seat." He gestured at the chair at the table. He then typed something into the computer, using a seemingly highly complex security key to get into the system. After a second, a window popped up on the screen, showing the structure plans and reports of Lisbon, from the date when they last were updated, as well as visualisations about the defenses and the battleship around.

Felicia sat herself down in the chair and watched the screen as the various images flashed across it. "I see that this is why you want the operation to go ahead early. This is all time-sensitive information." She interlaces her fingers in her lap. "How accurate is it, would you imagine?"

"Very accurate. Those plans aren't older than three weeks. And there are rarely things, that change in Omicron 100. You know, it's the most secured system the Order has. Unless there is a big security breach, countermeasures and security tasks remain as they are." Lennox typed on the laptop again. It visualized Lisbon only, with all corridors and all informations, linked to several dots on the structure plan.

Lennox pointed at the top of the station. "That's where we can achieve the data you need." He then pointed down at the docking bays, which were located in the middle of the image. "The docking bays are frequented almost 24/7. We have no chance of getting in there. But...there." This time, he pointed at the bottom of the station, the 'lowest' point of the station. It was easy to see, that it was the longest way to their destination from that point.

"It seems as though it will be risky either way. Station security will not just ignore that several hostile vessels have just approached, and it seems likely that they will reappropriate their security to compensate for our different entry point." Felica pored over the station schematic. "I suppose it is not likely that we would be able to burn our way in through another location...perhaps one higher up than the docking bays."

Lennox thought for some time and nodded afterwards. "Agreed. The station security on Lisbon is higher than on any other station the Order has. From a few levels above the docking bays, we should be able to run our...assault." He sat down on the bed. "Our chances to get to the rooms of the High Command are the best there, indeed." Lennox rubbed his chin as he was thinking about how the assault should go. "And if we attack from different sides, we surprise them and can proceed to the data core much faster."

"Yes...my crew has training in tactics and combat, as do I." A very small smile forms on her lips. "I have a contact as well, who may be able to appropriate some marines to assist us as well...provided I can convince her to join our cause. With numbers like that, we may be able to more effectively storm the facility, and be in and out before anyone has a chance to respond."

"We will need every help we can get. It's not much less than some kind of sucide mission anyway. We're talking about the place, where the High Command of the Order gathers... "He said and stood up. "Everyone who is trustful enough, will increase our chances of success." He sounded a bit grim as he said that, thinking about how he would fight or maybe even kill his former colleagues. He slightly shook his head. "Anyway. Who is your contact?"

"Her name is Akaisha Kusunagi, and she is the captain of a pilgrim liner called the Heavy Metal Queen." She glances to Lennox. "I believe that she can be trusted. We have worked together in the past."

"I have seen a vessel named like that in the past." He nodded at her. "Although, I don't know much about it. And you think she might work with us?" He asked as he looked at her.

"It is very possible. It is more than she has ever done for me, but we have...somewhat of a close-knit friendship."

He slightly smiled at her and nodded once more. "That's good. Friends to help your cause are always better than hired mercenaries...or something into that direction." He sat down on the bed again, rubbing his forehead. "Does she know about the Omicrons?"

"She runs cargo to and from Malta on a fairly regular basis, yes." Felicia eyed Lennox, seemingly gauging his reaction.

"A smuggler..." He said almost directly after Felicia mentioned Malta. "Cardamine and slaves..." He sighed and looked up at the captain sitting in the chair. He was obviously hesitating about it right now. But he didn't have another chance for himself anyway. He eyed her. "Alright. So you will call her then and ask about this...if she is up to help...you." He nodded.

"She will be. I can guarantee it." Felicia seemed not to want to stick on the topic too long, though her facade forcibly concealed any meaningful emotion. "In any case, what matters is that she will be able to contribute marines to our assault. She is a good woman."

"I am just going to trust your judgement about her. We need marines, yes. The more, the better." He looked at the screen for a few moments before back at Felicia. "Mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"You may."

"How do you feel about the assault on Lisbon? We will do it. For sure. I know you have been fighting Order assets before in space. This is a ground operation." He spoke without emotions on his face, looking into the eyes of the captain.

"Do you mean to ask how I feel fighting the Order face to face?" Felicia pursed her lips.

"Indeed." He simply answered, keeping his look at her.

"They have thrown me to my knees, and they would have gladly kicked me while I was down if I had given them the opportunity. I invested my trust in them, my entire existence was devoted to their cause, and in return they have treated me as though I were just another rat in the pipes to be exterminated, as though I were filth staining their perfect world."

She stares at him, fire evident in her otherwise icy blue eyes. "I hold no love for them. Not anymore."

"I am sure you know, that the feeling of vengeance won't do anything good for you. Nor for your crew and the mission." He flashed a barely visible smile. "I probably know what you went through." He began and stood up. "What counts is that mission." He nodded at her. "If we learn what's up about this, you will also find a reason why all this had to happen." Lennox was still looking into her eyes, convinced she would rather find it annoying to hear, like many people before her did. "You know. Emotions shouldn't be relevant in a suicide mission like this..."

"Without emotion, we are no longer human, are we?" A faint smirk crosses Felicia's face before she banishes it from sight. "I will keep my emotion in check when the time comes. I know how it can be destructive."

Fading away in thoughts for some moments, after she mentioned that, he eventually nodded slowly. "It can cause devastation. And you would feel responsible for that. Most people underestimate the psychological aftereffects if they...'retaliate'. It's self-killing." He said like he would have experienced such situations already in his life. He slightly smiled at her. "It would be a shame seeing someone like you becoming someone, who is totally not you. If you understand."

"I understand completely. It will not happen."

His expression turned back cold. Lennox nodded and stood up from the bed, walking to the desk, next to her again. He looked at the screen and typed something on the keyboard. Seconds later, they both could see an image of a room, plus the plans of it. "That's our desination. The data central of the Overwatch. It's secured by an iris scanner and several other security mechanisms. However, by sending a feedback impulse into the system while we try to get into the room, we might get through. Maybe."

"It will no longer recognize you, I assume."

"It won't, indeed. And you can't break into the room by using force. Not without damaging everything valuable. We won't have much time in there, once we are in. The room will be isolated after a maximum of two minutes again. Without the needed codes and keys, we wouldn't get out anymore."

"A convenient way to trap an unwitting intruder...but you know where to look?" She glances back to the plans of the room.

"Yes. Unless they reconstructed everything. But I doubt that. So we won't even need more than one minute and a half to get in, find the files, download them and then get out again. If everything goes well, that is." He walked around the room, thinking.

"What if the download takes longer than expected? There may be security measures to act against an unauthorized source attempting to hack the system."

"I've got this device here to compensate that. A micro computer, which was matching the functionality of the data core itself. That one of Lisbon. Security breaches won't happen. Unless they...well, as I said. Unless they changed the whole system. Something, that is impossible to do in less than three weeks." He stopped near the closet and looked at her. The only difficult part of that will be to enter the room...once that's done, everything else should go as intended."

"It seems as though the logistics of the operation are more or less in order, then." Felicia stood from her chair to face Lennox.

He nodded. "I doubt you and your crew wouldn't say no if we are gonna train situations like that?" He flashed a faint smile. "Could only be useful, if you agree."

"Training can only help us, in my opinion...it takes more than simple theory to prepare for something such as this."

"How fit is your crew?"

"They are in shape, but it has been months since we had any real training for a personal combat op. There has been little need for it."

"A refresher is definitely in order."

"Do you have a place, where you could train? A rather big hall with holoprojectors would be ideal. Although, I doubt someone could arrange that, no?"

"I am sure the Heavy Metal Queen has something similar."

"So you are going to contact your friend, while I will train a bit with your crewmen, if that's alright. Since I am not in the Order anymore, I don't have to do much other things anyway, except for this mission." He nodded and walked to the laptop, switching it off.

"I do not mind if you work with my crew while I attempt to contact Akaisha. They need the briefing."

"I suppose there will be another meeting then. I would rather not want to step in the darkness, in terms of working with other people."

"I will ensure everyone is on the same page before the operation commences."

"Right." He took the laptop and put it back into the case, closing it. "Then we're all good for now. I guess I should now have a look on your crew?"

"Yes...I will inform them of your wish to speak to them."

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Freelancer Reimagined: Complete Music Overhaul