HIDDEN IMPERIAL FACILITY
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN “THE RIG” and “DEEP FREEZE”
Major Mos and his task force immediately breached the facility from their Prowler, coming out into a drydock at one end of the modestly-sized Imperial facility. The shockwaves from the naval battle outside rocked the station every few moments. It was clear that if there was a direct hit on the facility itself, half of it would probably collapse immediately. It wasn’t designed to be a permanent base, that much was clear the instant they breached inside.
They didn’t breach all at one location, but split into a pair of fireteams. Mos and three others broke through at the drydock, while the remaining four, led by Warrant Officer Caw, relocated to the opposite end of the station. Mos was not sure of their status, as the constant shockwaves and Imperial comm chatter made the communication equipment on their suits seem awfully inadequate. However, they forced that from their mind and set to work.
Without hesitation, they opened fire at any that moved and which they didn’t recognize as friendly. The entire facility, which was in a frantic panic from the arrival of the Brotherhood Carrier “Beholder,” wasn’t prepared for a team of Spartans to come into their midst with firearms hot, and within moments several dozen Imperial marines, interceptor pilots trying to board their crafts and join the battle, and even noncombatants had ceased moving as their blood leaked from the new holes in their bodies.
This was not an operation meant to take captives, but instead to rescue the rebel captives being held here. They did not have time to leisurely restrain the multitude of Imperials who attempted to surrender, and the Prowler did not have the space needed to bring them as captives either. With the naval battle between the “Beholder” and the Imperial Frigates still raging on, they were racing against the clock. They needed to find and rescue as many captives as they could find, and get out before the frigates or even the remaining personnel on-site decide to scuttle the facility.
They ran down corridor after corridor, cleared room after room, and mercilessly neutralized anyone they came across. The station continued to shudder and rock as shockwaves from explosions in space continued periodically, adding a dull cacophony to the sounds of gunfire, screaming, and the unintelligible mess that was the comms.
Around this time, the facility suddenly shook violently and alarms started going off. Sure enough, it seemed that the station was losing integrity, and fast. Perhaps a stray missile or a disabled interceptor had crashed into the hull somewhere, as the warning sirens blared, drowning out the previous sounds with the new.
Eventually, the comms started to clear up, and they reestablished contact with the other fireteam. The voice of Warrant Officer Caw came through, “We’ve found the prison block, innermost section of sublevel 3. Freeing the captives! Where are you now?”
“Level 2, just cleared a mess hall. Time is short. Get them masks in case of depressurization. We’ll meet up at sublevel 2 for extraction,” Mos responded as he reloaded a new magazine into his assault rifle. He immediately redirected his fireteam into the nearest stairwell to head towards sublevel 2.
After reaching the sublevels, the number of Imperials they came across dropped markedly, and once they arrived at sublevel 2 it was all but vacant, aside from the bodies that the other fireteam had previously dealt with. Another violent shake spread throughout the facility, forcing them to brace themselves on the nearest wall. It seemed this time it was closer, and a blast door started closing back behind where they had come from. Mos headed toward the nearest airlock and immediately jettisoned the lifeboat which had been occupying the spot. He then used the autopilot of the Prowler to direct it to their location. As this was happening, he informed the other fireteam, “Get to airlock 4 immediately! Blast doors are starting to close and some sections are depressurizing!”
“40 seconds out! Prep the ship, we’ll be there!” After receiving the response, Mos didn’t waste any more time. Once the prowler had reached the airlock, him and one of the others in his fireteam boarded, leaving the other two to guard the airlock until the others arrived. The two onboard the “Reverence of Stars” began preparing for immediate departure, and Mos reported the situation to the “Beholder” which was engaged to combat, letting them know that they can withdraw if needed, or destroy the Imperial Frigates if it had the advantage.
While Mos reported the situation, the other member of the task force went to the opposite end of the ship and deployed one more HORNET mine. Once they leave, they’d blow up the facility using it. By the time that was deployed, the remainder of the task force had boarded the ship, bringing along nine haggard-looking men who had been held captive here by the Imperials. Once they were securely onboard, Mos detached themselves from the airlock and gained some distance from the base. “Who wants to do the honors?” he said toward those whom they had rescued, presenting them a nicely conspicuous red button.
Together, as if it were a team effort, four of them pressed the button simultaneously, and the display which had previously been looking toward the facility was now showing a vast explosion which soon gave way to the crumbling remains of an asteroid and chunks of steel.