Durgama Takeover

Lieutenant Edward Okiro lifted his eyes from the digital paperwork projected from his comlog and stretched.
It was still strange, feeling the skin pull taut over his ribs, where the artificial tissue started: a thin layer of polymer keeping his new mechanical organs isolated from the outside world. There was no other way to ensure his survival, the doctors said.
He shook his head, focusing his attention back on the virtual screen. The week passed in the medbay had not been the most fun, but at least he was alive, and on the station.

That was about all the good news he had.

High Command had not appreciated their initiative of joining the fight, and for the moment they were all stuck on loading bay duty. The 404's men and women were as frustrated as he was, but orders were orders.
Today at least they would be given a chance to prove their worth: a White Banner ship was supposed to deliver food supplies for the Nomad troops and, as part of the "Durgama Defense Coalition Collaboration Program", a training session was scheduled between them and a small squad from the 404.

Having the hardened veterans of the Svalarheima conflicts humiliate the newcomers in a mock fight was High Command's way of teaching discipline, it seemed.

A proximity alert pinged on the sensors, and Okiro stood up, giving orders to prepare the "dock" for landing: soldiers in EVA gear moved towards the airlocks, setting up the jury-rigged mechanical arms protruding from the station debris-reinforced bulkheads.
In the meantime, he started putting together a squad for their upcoming training. It wasn't a matter to be taken lightly, as the result would surely influence their chances to be regarded as a real fighting force by the High Command, and to help with the station's defence in the days to come.

A group of Jaguars that were eagerly dismantling empty cargo containers caught his attention. They surely fancied bashing some heads in that evening. He made a beckoning gesture towards Ottie, their red headed leader, and the girl ran up to him with the hands tucked in her yellow jacket's pockets.
- 'Sup bossman? Tummy aching again? -
He gave her a sideways glance, even though he couldn't help but smile
- Nah, Ottie, I'm feeling just fine today. Tell you what, I was wondering if you and the boys were up to beat up some Yujingu later, might need some muscle. -
Her eyes went wide.
- You forreal? They let us throw hands at chin-chins? -
- Yup. Not too hard though, it's supposed to be training. -
- I'm your girl Sir, me and the others are in for sure. We'll take care not to spank them too hard just for you. -
- We start in twenty, be there.- He dismissed her, sending a call to Not-The-Real-Jazz's comlog.

He figured he could take with him one of the EVAders that were now unloading the crates from the massive White Banner ship, a good friend of his nicknamed Widget, to have a pretty decent team.

Justine, the O-12 officer assigned to their force at the moment of arrival on Raveneye station, emerged in that moment from a nearby corridor and headed towards him.
- Evening Brigada Okiro, I trust your wounds are healing well. - She greeted - I supposed you have been informed of the scheduled training session, yes? -
- Yes miss, I was mustering the needed troops just now. Are there new orders? -
- I came to inform you that I will be joining you in this exercise. I'm supposed to be working with your troops on the battlefield after all, and this way I will be able to give a more accurate estimate of your combat capabilities to the High Command. -

The imposing figure of the Daofei stood as motionless as a jade statue, his hands on the hilt of his sword, while the cackling jaguars emptied the crates of O-12 sanctioned Low-stopping-power ammunition, fitting rocket propelled stun grenades to their brightly coloured launchers with delight.

The battlefield had been set up in an empty cargo hold, populated only by small prefabricated modules, and the Yujingese troops were surveying cover and lines of fire with consummate skill.
- My men are ready to begin whenever your "soldiers" are done. - The contempt in the Daofei's voice washed over Okiro like the chill winds of Svalarheima. He shuddered.
- Of course. We'll take position, and fire a green flare when ready. -
The officer nodded, and turned back to join his troops without uttering another word.

While Akram, who had nothing better to do, was positioning himself as the "Nomad force High Value Target", a businessman-looking yujingese did the same on the opposite side of the hold.
Ottie and the other Jags swarmed the tallest building they could find, hauling up the ammo crates and shooting joyously at the ceiling while they waited for the hostilities to start.
Some of them, Gero included, went back down the stairs, to keep an eye on ground level.

Justine positioned as far away from the jaguars as she could, setting a mine that just displayed a huge number of "You've been hit!" yellow-and-blue holographic confetti.
Okiro, Jazz and Widget, trying to ignore the rave party that was starting on the nearby roof, moved forward and fired the signal flare.

When a similar green light was spotted high on the opposite side of the battlefield, the ruckus abruptly stopped: everyone knew it was time to fight.

- Ok boys, we need to clear up the area near to our dear HVT from hostiles, we don't want any civ to be injured. - Okiro peeked from cover to get a view of the enemy defensive positions: just a lone security remote. - Widget, take care of the REM, then the Jag squad can advance. -
- Copy that. - Answered the EVAder, bracing his Spitfire. The fight was short and loud, and soon the remote collapsed to the ground.
Seeing that the threat was neutralized, Okiro signalled Gero to advance. The jaguar, followed by his mates Kid and Abe, quickly reached the building behind which Akram was hiding. Making his way through a patch of vegetation, that for some reason had been installed there by O-12 planners, he reached his side. The "HVT" was absentmindedly scrolling through his comlog, but there was something suspicious going on, like a faint shimmer in the air before him.
Gero knew all too well what that meant.
He squinted, trying to locate exactly where his enemy was. Suddenly, muzzle flash to his right, and he let loose a volley from his chain rifle. Blank bullet hit his arm, but the guilang was splayed on the ground, groaning in pain. He laughed triumphantly.
- Good job squad, retreat back to Ottie's position. - sounded Okiro's voice from their comlogs.
- Nah boss, I can get these clowns. Watch this! - Gero ran forward, where he had spotted another strange movement behind a crate. He rounded the corner, and he found himself facing the wrong end of a gun, held by a woman with a featurless faceplate. -Uh... Hello there - he managed to say, before being blasted in the chest.
Kid and Abe retreated back to their squad leader giggling uncontrollably. They had taken some good pictures of Gero's "unfortunate accident", and they would make sure to share them all across Arachne later.

Taking advantage of Gero's diversion, Okiro and his team advanced towards the enemy High Value Target. Widget used his magnetic boots to climb up the building, where he set up a firing position, while Jazz stopped near the wall, and began extracting the "classified information" from the target's comlog. He probably wasn't anyone important, but she also installed some real backdoors in his system, you know, just in case.
Okiro went around the building, spotting the diplomat on the other side. He handed him the holocard "Civillian Secured", which he reluctantly accepted, and quickly browsed through a nearby crate of equipment. The Brigada figured extra protection would be helpful, so he installed an Adaptive Sealing Component over his armour on the chest, so that it could absorb the first one or two hits.

Ottie was starting to lose her patience.
Almost two minutes had passed since the start of the battle, and she still hadn't fired a panzerfaust shot. That was outrageous, given the fact she had around more ammunition than she would ever need. Suddenly, Lottie, her girlfriend and fellow rocket launcher enthusiast, jolted up:
- Hey hey hey! There is something there! -
She turned around. Lottie was right, something was moving towards the Tummy-aching-Lieutenant! And it was one of the stealthy, mean somethings. She didn't stop to think, or to aim for that matter, and they started blasting the stretch of open ground in front of the building like a true happy couple.

The Daofei was concentrated on his target. Jazmine Caticovas, one of the most famous hackers of the Human Sphere. She too would fall before the might of Yu-Jing. He loaded his hacking suite, smiling with the anticipation of the epic quantronic duel to come.
He acquired his target in the datasphere.
Wait. This wasn't the real Jazz Caticovas, her ID was all messed up; what kind of trickery were the Nomads up to? He didn't have time to be indignant for the loss of a worthy opponent, because stun grenades started raining on him like hailstorm, and he was thrown to the side, momentarily dazed.

A thick cloud of smoke was obstructing the panzerfaust girls field of view, and they soon realized it wasn't due to the excessive amount of explosive they used.
- Ed, I think you have bad guys inbound! - yelled Ottie on the secure channel, and she was immediately proven right:
- Contact! - Yelled Widget, shooting at something he could see from his vantage point. A hail of bullets answered his shots, and he fell over the railing and onto the ground, his armour smoking from the multiple impacts.
The black, featurless faceplate of the shadow of Huangdi emerged from behind an electric control panel, opening fire on the Mobile Brigada.
Okiro, Crouching behind the equipment crate, returned fire, but the woman was either incorporeal or inhumanely fast. Luckily, his carapace absorbed most of the hits: he was still in the game.

- We need to get out of here! - Yelled Okiro over the gunfire. He shot one last volley towards the menacing woman, and rolled over to the wall where Jazz was waiting for him.
- Justine! Think you can come down from that roof and keep her at bay? -
-Y...Yes Sir! - She answered on comms after a moment of hesitation.

While the duo retreated towards another equipment crate, where Jazz found some kind of bulky thermal goggles, Justine ran down from the stairs of the small structure she was guarding.
She reached the corner of the wall, and took a deep breath.
It was just like the simulations, just like the simulations.
She tossed a mine in front of her, and, when she heard the "click" of the triggering mechanism, she leaned out and started firing with her SMG.
Jing qo moved, unbelievably fast, avoiding the confetti from the mine and her bullets with effortless grace.

First half of the magazine gone. She was moving closer.

Three quarters of the magazine. Another step towards her between pirouettes.

Her eyes started tearing up. Last two bullets.

- Why won't you DIE?! - she desperately yelled. She could almost extend a hand and touch the Svalarheiman fur collar.
Silent, Jing qo lifted her blunted sword...
And flew backwards, hit square in the head by an explosive shot, that sent her tumbling to the floor.

- Sorry J., we wanted to watch the show 'till the last minute. - Justine turned, still shocked, to see Ottie waving from the roof behind her, panzerfaust smoking on her shoulder.
- I... you... This is not... - She breathed in, regaining some of her composure - I thank you for your assistance, but this is not the appropriate conduct to be keeping on the battlefield! -

Meanwhile, Jazz had scanned her surroundings for enemies.
- Only two contacts, behind those building in front of us. - She told Okiro with a smile
- Well done, lets get this over with. -
The brigada rushed forward, bursting into the enemy's last entrenched position. A shaolin monk and an engineer tried desperately to open fire on him, but they were so dumbfounded by the swift defeat of their comrades that their shot wildly missed, and they were eliminated in two short bursts.

The Daofei's farewell was a simple, silent bow while he embarked back on his ship. Some of his men limped slightly, but they were otherwise fine.
Okiro bowed awkwardly in return, hoping to have earned some respect for his crew with the laconic yujingese. Then, when the frigate had disengaged from the docks, he turned towards his squad:
- Job excellently done everyone! We showed the High Command that the 404 is ready to take on anyone! - a loud cheer from the Jaguars covered his words - Now Justine will file her report and... Wait, where is she? -
They searched the whole cargo hold, but the O-12 officer was nowhere to be found.

Hours later, Okiro received a call from commander Asuncion:
- I don't know what the hell you've done in that sparring match Edward, but even those arrogant jerks in High Command had to reassign us to active duty. Well done! -
- Thank you Sir. I'm looking forward for our first real deployment. -
- You need a bit more time to heal completely. Don't fret, Saint Mary gave me a vision, and I am sure your moment will come soon enough. -