The Haven hung silently in space. Holding near the Crayterian carrier in Omicron Tau for safety, it was far from safe, but it was as close to its destination as it could be while supported by allies. The smaller ships arrayed around it would be its support. Three gunboats patrolled the space idly around the carrier, and occasionally snub-craft would launch from Haven itself, all tasked with scouting and recon flights.
Zero and Rousseau had already seen the coordination of the Forlorn snubcraft, as no sooner had they entered Omicron Tau, had they been picked up by one of the patrol wings. Escorted back to Haven and quickly ushered inside, they found themselves inside Haven's main hanger bays.
The amount of activity around them was shocking. In addition to the fighters and bombers that were constantly undergoing maintenence and preflight checks, the engineering and flight crews that ran the aforementioned tasks, were the transports. Transports that were currently neatly lined up and being stacked with Forlorn's signature combat droids.
Before either of the guests could inspect the droids closer however, a small group of marines approached them. "Commander Stenn is waiting for you on the bridge. This way please."
"The Haven" - Omicron Tau (Berne)
Zero and Rousseau had faces of astonishment, this is one of the largest vessels they'd ever been aboard, after all. Zero walked alongside Rousseau, a single step behind him so Rousseau was always ahead. After the approaching group had addressed them, Rousseau spoke up.
"Lead the way" He sounded rather blunt and had decided to go along with the skipping of pleasantries. Save them for the good Commander, he thought.
He lightly tapped Zero to grab his attention, despite Zero already being fully aware of what was being requested. The duo began to follow the squad through the halls and corridors of this grand ship, it would appear that The Forlorn Hope takes a large amount of pride in their ships. After numerous corners and room changes, they had walked the length of the ship and were escorted into the bridge.
"Gentlemen. Glad you could make it." Stenn says without turning as they entered the bridge. Silhouetted by the star, he cuts an imposing figure, his cybernetic left arm gleaming softly in the light. "I trust you enjoyed your tour of the Haven. We've just finished preparations for the strike." Turning his head slightly he nods at one of the uniformed men at a nearby console, and as the mans hands fly across his console, the stars around them fade to darkness, followed by light suddenly illuminating the bridge, as they find themselves staring out into a completely different system than the one they had boarded the Haven in.
"Jump successful, position is sector A3, Picardy." A woman stationed at a second terminal calls out moments later. Stenn turned and approached the duo. "So, we've got some time to discuss last minute changes. Any that stand out to you?" He says with an undeniable grin on his face.
"Simple works in these cases. Too many moving parts and things go wrong quickly." Nick says as he moves alongside them, the holographic map springing to life in front of them. "Our best course of action is probably a quick strike targeting the hangers and main control centers of the station. The combat droids we brought are ideal for locking down sectors without risk. Our main concern is control of the life support and venting systems. My droids might not need air to survive, but any humans we send will." Stenn navigates through the holographic map.
"If there are any nasty surprises such as traps, special forces, or high powered ground weapons on the base that you know of, now would be the time to share." Stenn says, an edge of steel on his words.
"Alright, so we'll hit the hangers here and here first. Followed by a mass insertion of the combat droids as an initial shock factor. They are EMP-shielded, so that will be a surprise for any quick thinking defenders. After the initial wave secures landing points and begins to push for the atmosphere control center, a second wave of troops, consisting of a mix of my own marines and yours will breach the station here." Stenn gestures at applicable points of reference on the holographic display as he talks and moves through the room. "The intent being to split the defenders along a second avenue of attack, while pushing for the main control center. Blast doors will present a temporary barrier at worst, given that all units will be fielded with breaching charges, and we don't need to flush out every corridor of resistance once we have the life support under control." Stenn smiles grimly.
"I believe the original plan was to replace this entire cell with men loyal to you. If that remains the case, I suggest venting the station of atmosphere once we have the droids in the necessary places. We'll take far less casualties, and a large percent of the opposing force is unlikely to have zero-atmosphere equipment on hand." Stenn pauses, and waves at the map. "If you would prefer we don't kill everyone on board, its possible."
"I'll need to know who "him" is. A name is good and well, but I don't know his face, or where he will be." Stenn says simply. "However, that's not a problem. Its why we have the droids, so that we don't lose men taking hard targets alive. If theres nothing else, we can commence the operation. We'll still prioritize the main life support and control centers, but we won't vent the station."
Stenn turns to the two of them, his words fresh on their minds, clearly waiting to hear what else they may have to say.