Post by Battledog on Feb 16, 2020 14:22:16 GMT -5
"What do you get someone who has everything and the money to buy anything they want?"
It was the question Dave had posed at Sultry Siren's show two days before Valentine's Day. Only Kait Leveque responded.
"An experience."
Dave was pretty sure she had dirty thoughts going through her head when she said it, which didn't help. Stacey has had a lot more of them then he had. It didn't help then but the idea did percolate through his brain for the evening and the next day. It sparked a loose plan which lead him to where he was now.
"Looks like it's happening tonight, Dave. They have moved to the ship named 'The Brennan Star'. Lupe is enroute for pickup."
His earcom buzzed in his ear.
"Copy that, Pancho." he responded.
Stacey looked at him quizzically as she sat beside him in the limo. She looked spectacular in her red wrap dress. He slid his hand across her baby bump and felt one his daughters move. He took a deep breath.
"Enzo, it's a go. Please head to the rendezvous point."
Stacey continued to look at him questioningly.
"Do you trust me, Beautiful?" he asked.
"Of course. With my whole heart." she answered.
"I'm glad."
He kissed her.
The limo pulled into an empty-ish parking lot and Enzo opened up the back door. The offered hand pulled Stacey to her feet as Dave exited the opposite side. He moved to the trunk and lifted out his and Stacey's go-bags.
"Thanks, Enzo." Dave said as he handed the driver a couple of bills, "Go see that lovely wife of yours before she gets mad at me."
Enzo nodded and moved to the car.
"Wha......"
The backwash of Northolme's repainted Longbow transport cut off the rest of Stacey's question. Dave moved Stacey and the bags to the transport. Pancho greeted them with his ever-present Elvis-style sunglasses. He nodded to them and rapped on the pilot compartment partition. The transport rose smoothly into the air. Dave put the bags down and started to get changed.
Stacey's tapping foot stopped him.
"Trust me, please." he said as he looked deep into her eyes.
She sighed and undid the tie to her dress. It fell silently to the deckplates as she opened her go-bag. Pancho averted his head. He blushed as Stacey unworriedly stood in her underwear, pulling out the outfit in the bag. She had done modeling work in the past, so she was used to changing in front of others. The black armored suit and tan jacket matched the others' Northolme uniforms.
She smiled.
The outfit meant that Dave and his team had welcomed her into the fold. The large velcro panels built along the sides of the armored chestpiece meant that Dave understood that her body was changing with her pregnancy. It also meant that he was going to let her out to play even with her condition. He was starting to lose his overprotectiveness... that he trusted her as much as she trusted him. She adjusted the velcro, then stepped over and kissed him deeply.
"Thank you, Handsome."
Stacey shrugged on the tan jacket.
"Pancho, it's safe now. So, what's the op?" she spoke outloud.
Dave nodded to Pancho to begin the mission brief.
"A few days ago, we came across intel that showed the Family was working on gathering materials for an Arachnos project. We tracked several of the Family's resource specialists to this area."
Pancho pulled a monitor from the wall and brought up a map of Independence Port. With his fingers, he expanded a portion of the doors to highlight a container ship.
"The Brennan Star. Its flies a South African flag but intel suggests it is a mule for the Rogue Isles. We have found no records that it as ever docked in the Isles so they must meet up with alternative transport midtrip."
Stacey nodded as Pancho continued with his briefing.
"About half an hour ago, the Brennan Star sent a departure request. It leaves in 15 minutes. All the assets have been consolidated to one container on the topdeck. Opposition has 37 bodies on the ship not counting the ship's complement. They are a mix of the usual Family soldiers plus what looks like a standard Nightwidow escort package."
"Cate and Skot are on station?"
"Cate is one klick out awaiting strike order. Skot has infiltrated the ship and has gone cold."
"Is he doing his anchor impersonation again?"
Pancho nodded as Stacey raised an eyebrow.
"He straps himself to the anchor and then goes into a deep meditative trance that lowers his psi signature so enemy telepaths can't scan him. When the ship weighs anchor, he just rides the anchor onto the ship. His new lungs will hold about an hour of air."
Dave checks his chronometer.
"It's going to be tight. "
He reached over to the monitor and pulled up a deckplan to the ship.
"We will infil at the stern. Pancho and Skot will sweep the cargo bay, working towards each other. Cate will be on asset retrieval. Stacey and I will take the deckhouse. We go on the anchor moving. Questions?"
"What are the materials they are gathering? Do I have to watch out for flammables or explosives?" Stacey asked.
"Children. They grabbed kids, Stacey," Dave answered. "They gathered every homeless runaway they could find and are selling them off to Arachnos."
Stacey's hand went to her mouth.
"RoE?" Pancho asked.
"No mercy, no quarter."
Stacey's eyes hardened at that statement.
"We go in sixty seconds. Lupe, start your approach."
"Roger that, Dave."
*************
The recolored Longbow transport sped its way towards the Brennan Star a scant twelve inches above the water. Pancho, Dave, and Stacey positioned themselves at the drop ramp as it lowered. They held straps anchored to the walls as the transport started its pop-up maneuver. Dave focused his abilities and willed a telekinetic bubble around each of them.
The drop light went green as the turbofans shifted to slow down the aircraft.
"Go! Go! Go!" Lupe shouted over their coms.
The three Northolme operatives jumped out of the transport and landed on the deck. They moved quickly towards the superstructure. Dave raised his rifle and took out the two Family guards with a pair of suppressed snapshots.
"Lupe, orbit out one klick and await signal for exfil."
Dave motioned to Pancho who faded from sight as he wrapped shadows around him. He pointed Stacey towards the wheelhouse entryway. She patted his shoulder to signal her readiness. Dave quickly moved to the door and focused.
"Cate. In three... two... one... GO!"
Two things happened quickly. Dave released his ability on the entryway which buckled inward and flew into the gathered people standing in the wheelhouse. With a rush of air, Cate landed amongst the Family guarding the container on the topdeck. She slammed down her foot on to the deck. The power of her strike reverberated through the deck, knocking the Family members to the ground. Her eyes glowed gold as she let loose with her eyebeams on the fallen opponents. It didn't take long for her to take out the wobbly guards.
Dave swept into the wheelhouse. Stacey was close behind. She called out to Frank, her personal guardian spirit. The spectre materialized with his friends and laid waste to the targets in the small room. Dave moved quickly to the ship's controls and shutdown its engines.
"Wheelhouse secured," he spoke into his com as Stacey and Frank finished off any remaining opponents.
"Assets secured," Cate called in.
"Stern decks clear," Pancho's voice chimed in.
"Dammit! Nightwidow got away. She's heading topside... oh shit!" Skot yelled over the channel.
Dave quickly looked out the windows of the wheelhouse to see the topdeck suddenly start moving. The lids to the cargobay started to open, causing the shipping containers to slide off the deck and into the cold Independence Port waters.
"CATE!" Dave shouted.
"On it!" she responded.
Alphadove launched herself at the falling containers, getting in front of the one containing the children. Her fingers crumpled the container's steel walls as she caught the falling box. She stopped its movement and held it in mid air. From the cargobay, a small Arachnos flyer emerged and launched itself into the sky. It turned and aimed its onboard weapons at Cate and the container.
"Shit!" Dave cursed.
He dropped his carbine and brought up his grenade launcher. The launcher blooped three times as Dave sent a volley towards the flyer. The web grenade hit, followed closely by the acid and HE grenades. The flyer stuttered in air. It turned and accelerated away.
"Damnit. She got away." Dave grumbled.
"We got another problem down here," Skot called. "She set the scuttle charges. Do we disarm?"
"No. Get topside. Cate, head to rallypoint Alpha. Lupe, we are ready for exfil." Dave ordered.
Dave held out his hand to Stacey, who took it as he lead her out of the wheelhouse and onto the topdeck.
The Longbow transport came to a hover in front of them as Skot and Pancho emerged from below decks. They quickly got aboard as the first of the scuttle charges started to fire off.
"Lupe, head to rally point Alpha."
"Roger that. Looks like the authorities are on the way."
Dave looked out the viewport to see a pair of Longbow helicopters headed towards the exploding ship.
"We timed that perfectly," he said.
Stacey wrapped her arms around her husband and laid her head on his chest. Dave looked down at her and placed a hand on her belly.
"I'm fine, Dave, and so are the girls."
*********
Lupe brought the transport down in the vacant parking lot of Josephine's House. Cate stood in front of the cargo container she rescued.
"I took the liberty of calling ahead, Dave." Lupe said over the coms.
"Thanks, Lupe." Dave responded as he saw the side door of the orphanage open and several staff members emerge with stacks of blankets and bowls of soup.
"Stace, would you do the honors?" he nudged Stacey towards the container.
Cate pulled the lock off of it and opened the doors. Stacey walked into the container, looked at the thirteen young girls, and spoke.
"You're safe now. No one will hurt you here. I promise."
It was the question Dave had posed at Sultry Siren's show two days before Valentine's Day. Only Kait Leveque responded.
"An experience."
Dave was pretty sure she had dirty thoughts going through her head when she said it, which didn't help. Stacey has had a lot more of them then he had. It didn't help then but the idea did percolate through his brain for the evening and the next day. It sparked a loose plan which lead him to where he was now.
"Looks like it's happening tonight, Dave. They have moved to the ship named 'The Brennan Star'. Lupe is enroute for pickup."
His earcom buzzed in his ear.
"Copy that, Pancho." he responded.
Stacey looked at him quizzically as she sat beside him in the limo. She looked spectacular in her red wrap dress. He slid his hand across her baby bump and felt one his daughters move. He took a deep breath.
"Enzo, it's a go. Please head to the rendezvous point."
Stacey continued to look at him questioningly.
"Do you trust me, Beautiful?" he asked.
"Of course. With my whole heart." she answered.
"I'm glad."
He kissed her.
The limo pulled into an empty-ish parking lot and Enzo opened up the back door. The offered hand pulled Stacey to her feet as Dave exited the opposite side. He moved to the trunk and lifted out his and Stacey's go-bags.
"Thanks, Enzo." Dave said as he handed the driver a couple of bills, "Go see that lovely wife of yours before she gets mad at me."
Enzo nodded and moved to the car.
"Wha......"
The backwash of Northolme's repainted Longbow transport cut off the rest of Stacey's question. Dave moved Stacey and the bags to the transport. Pancho greeted them with his ever-present Elvis-style sunglasses. He nodded to them and rapped on the pilot compartment partition. The transport rose smoothly into the air. Dave put the bags down and started to get changed.
Stacey's tapping foot stopped him.
"Trust me, please." he said as he looked deep into her eyes.
She sighed and undid the tie to her dress. It fell silently to the deckplates as she opened her go-bag. Pancho averted his head. He blushed as Stacey unworriedly stood in her underwear, pulling out the outfit in the bag. She had done modeling work in the past, so she was used to changing in front of others. The black armored suit and tan jacket matched the others' Northolme uniforms.
She smiled.
The outfit meant that Dave and his team had welcomed her into the fold. The large velcro panels built along the sides of the armored chestpiece meant that Dave understood that her body was changing with her pregnancy. It also meant that he was going to let her out to play even with her condition. He was starting to lose his overprotectiveness... that he trusted her as much as she trusted him. She adjusted the velcro, then stepped over and kissed him deeply.
"Thank you, Handsome."
Stacey shrugged on the tan jacket.
"Pancho, it's safe now. So, what's the op?" she spoke outloud.
Dave nodded to Pancho to begin the mission brief.
"A few days ago, we came across intel that showed the Family was working on gathering materials for an Arachnos project. We tracked several of the Family's resource specialists to this area."
Pancho pulled a monitor from the wall and brought up a map of Independence Port. With his fingers, he expanded a portion of the doors to highlight a container ship.
"The Brennan Star. Its flies a South African flag but intel suggests it is a mule for the Rogue Isles. We have found no records that it as ever docked in the Isles so they must meet up with alternative transport midtrip."
Stacey nodded as Pancho continued with his briefing.
"About half an hour ago, the Brennan Star sent a departure request. It leaves in 15 minutes. All the assets have been consolidated to one container on the topdeck. Opposition has 37 bodies on the ship not counting the ship's complement. They are a mix of the usual Family soldiers plus what looks like a standard Nightwidow escort package."
"Cate and Skot are on station?"
"Cate is one klick out awaiting strike order. Skot has infiltrated the ship and has gone cold."
"Is he doing his anchor impersonation again?"
Pancho nodded as Stacey raised an eyebrow.
"He straps himself to the anchor and then goes into a deep meditative trance that lowers his psi signature so enemy telepaths can't scan him. When the ship weighs anchor, he just rides the anchor onto the ship. His new lungs will hold about an hour of air."
Dave checks his chronometer.
"It's going to be tight. "
He reached over to the monitor and pulled up a deckplan to the ship.
"We will infil at the stern. Pancho and Skot will sweep the cargo bay, working towards each other. Cate will be on asset retrieval. Stacey and I will take the deckhouse. We go on the anchor moving. Questions?"
"What are the materials they are gathering? Do I have to watch out for flammables or explosives?" Stacey asked.
"Children. They grabbed kids, Stacey," Dave answered. "They gathered every homeless runaway they could find and are selling them off to Arachnos."
Stacey's hand went to her mouth.
"RoE?" Pancho asked.
"No mercy, no quarter."
Stacey's eyes hardened at that statement.
"We go in sixty seconds. Lupe, start your approach."
"Roger that, Dave."
*************
The recolored Longbow transport sped its way towards the Brennan Star a scant twelve inches above the water. Pancho, Dave, and Stacey positioned themselves at the drop ramp as it lowered. They held straps anchored to the walls as the transport started its pop-up maneuver. Dave focused his abilities and willed a telekinetic bubble around each of them.
The drop light went green as the turbofans shifted to slow down the aircraft.
"Go! Go! Go!" Lupe shouted over their coms.
The three Northolme operatives jumped out of the transport and landed on the deck. They moved quickly towards the superstructure. Dave raised his rifle and took out the two Family guards with a pair of suppressed snapshots.
"Lupe, orbit out one klick and await signal for exfil."
Dave motioned to Pancho who faded from sight as he wrapped shadows around him. He pointed Stacey towards the wheelhouse entryway. She patted his shoulder to signal her readiness. Dave quickly moved to the door and focused.
"Cate. In three... two... one... GO!"
Two things happened quickly. Dave released his ability on the entryway which buckled inward and flew into the gathered people standing in the wheelhouse. With a rush of air, Cate landed amongst the Family guarding the container on the topdeck. She slammed down her foot on to the deck. The power of her strike reverberated through the deck, knocking the Family members to the ground. Her eyes glowed gold as she let loose with her eyebeams on the fallen opponents. It didn't take long for her to take out the wobbly guards.
Dave swept into the wheelhouse. Stacey was close behind. She called out to Frank, her personal guardian spirit. The spectre materialized with his friends and laid waste to the targets in the small room. Dave moved quickly to the ship's controls and shutdown its engines.
"Wheelhouse secured," he spoke into his com as Stacey and Frank finished off any remaining opponents.
"Assets secured," Cate called in.
"Stern decks clear," Pancho's voice chimed in.
"Dammit! Nightwidow got away. She's heading topside... oh shit!" Skot yelled over the channel.
Dave quickly looked out the windows of the wheelhouse to see the topdeck suddenly start moving. The lids to the cargobay started to open, causing the shipping containers to slide off the deck and into the cold Independence Port waters.
"CATE!" Dave shouted.
"On it!" she responded.
Alphadove launched herself at the falling containers, getting in front of the one containing the children. Her fingers crumpled the container's steel walls as she caught the falling box. She stopped its movement and held it in mid air. From the cargobay, a small Arachnos flyer emerged and launched itself into the sky. It turned and aimed its onboard weapons at Cate and the container.
"Shit!" Dave cursed.
He dropped his carbine and brought up his grenade launcher. The launcher blooped three times as Dave sent a volley towards the flyer. The web grenade hit, followed closely by the acid and HE grenades. The flyer stuttered in air. It turned and accelerated away.
"Damnit. She got away." Dave grumbled.
"We got another problem down here," Skot called. "She set the scuttle charges. Do we disarm?"
"No. Get topside. Cate, head to rallypoint Alpha. Lupe, we are ready for exfil." Dave ordered.
Dave held out his hand to Stacey, who took it as he lead her out of the wheelhouse and onto the topdeck.
The Longbow transport came to a hover in front of them as Skot and Pancho emerged from below decks. They quickly got aboard as the first of the scuttle charges started to fire off.
"Lupe, head to rally point Alpha."
"Roger that. Looks like the authorities are on the way."
Dave looked out the viewport to see a pair of Longbow helicopters headed towards the exploding ship.
"We timed that perfectly," he said.
Stacey wrapped her arms around her husband and laid her head on his chest. Dave looked down at her and placed a hand on her belly.
"I'm fine, Dave, and so are the girls."
*********
Lupe brought the transport down in the vacant parking lot of Josephine's House. Cate stood in front of the cargo container she rescued.
"I took the liberty of calling ahead, Dave." Lupe said over the coms.
"Thanks, Lupe." Dave responded as he saw the side door of the orphanage open and several staff members emerge with stacks of blankets and bowls of soup.
"Stace, would you do the honors?" he nudged Stacey towards the container.
Cate pulled the lock off of it and opened the doors. Stacey walked into the container, looked at the thirteen young girls, and spoke.
"You're safe now. No one will hurt you here. I promise."