:<< Tac.1 this is Alpha Gil. Recommencing operation.

:>> Tac.1 Acknowledged.

:<< This is Alpha Gil. Wildcat Alpha, prep for assault. Draugr Six go high.

:>> Wildcat Alpha. Wilco.

:>> Draugr Six. Wilco.

I gave the roll out signal to Brianna now driving the lead hummer with Lilou and Clea as passengers, Dani and I teamed up in the second vehicle. I'd had the Bravo team scouting and clearing our direction of travel in the hopes of removing any further resistance and keeping us from being waylaid any further from random mutant attacks. We would be leaving them here with Abby as support if needed, they were still a kilometer out on foot, but combined with the turrets on the wall and those on the truck I had little doubt she would be perfectly fine on her own for the next half hour or so.

While the Bravos patrolled the route as far as they were able without vehicles I had the girls confirm the new programming for the turrets had no glitches. Now they would fire a maximum five second burst, reassess target priority for three seconds, then reengage as required. There was still a potential for overheating, but that would require an hour or so of continual operation, and if that happened we were well and truly fucked by that point anyway.

And that was about as prepared as we were going to get. The assault was timed to happen a half hour prior to the on site security shift change. I could have opted for after shift change but this way the staff would likely be lax in checks just thinking about their downtime, but the crew had their barracks off site, meaning reinforcements wandering in behind us. Only good thing about that was we knew they would be coming and their direction of approach, we could lay an ambush to manage the situation. It might be a little touch and go if we hit any unexpected road blocks during the initial assault, but I'm sure my girls are up to the challenge.

We were on final approach now and about to pass the designated ambush site. Shai and Gili, the spearhead crew, would remain here both with the big APC and two others, Carmel and four... can you believe I still didn't know the names of two of my girls? I had stuck to the word of our agreement from that first morning, something both girls were turned on by to no end. The black stencil of Draugr Wildcat cell stood out like dogs balls on the side of the building when you knew what you were looking for. We had passed the ambush kill zone.

:<< Alpha Gil. Boots on ground in 20... 19

We knew there were likely slicers on site, so to prevent sending out an invitation to test our firewalls we would maintain a minimum of radio chatter for as long as possible. Shouldn't be a problem, the assault had been planned out in detail thanks to the information the Wildcats had gathered about the facility over the previous several days. Neta and Carmel would be designating priority targets from their hide for Brooke, the balance of the girls joining us after the initial assault to breech the facility.

The closest point to our ingress on the roof of the single story, but acres large building blossomed in fire. Tracers lit up the night sky, automated weapons fire tracking the Harbin as Brooke led them with a broad arc before she jinked diagonally across the building. Just as it looked as though the automated turrets had lost interest she flipped the little gunship inverted and took out the second heavy weapons turret protecting the approach road. If she were on board the g force of that maneuver would have seen her blacked out in a heart beat. She was currently piloting from the pod back at the secure forward base.

The harbin engines screamed in unison as they both fought against the weight of gravity and the will of Brooke egging the craft into forward momentum whilst inverted. With our assault trucks travelling line abreast for maximum forward firepower we broke into the open from the relative protection of the surrounding buildings at around eighty kilometers an hour. We had one hundred meters of open ground to cross, the speed a combination of 'oh fuck' and 'nah nah can't shoot me'. Yes. Those are technical terms.

If the turrets didn't identify either targets of opportunity or priorities, such as one of the several missing sentinels, they were programmed to lay down covering fire with the thirties in a broad repeating arc to our front, and that's exactly what they did as soon as we emerged from relative safety. The wildcats remained in place observing our approach, they would provide covering fire for a retreat if there were any unexpected nasties waiting for us.

A mere second before impact with the side of the building several FFAR rockets shot by overhead from the repositioned gunship to soften up the side of the building where we knew the central guard station to be located. The turrets switched over to the fifties to add their limited support in the time available. Gotta say, this wasn't my favourite part of the plan. My ass clenched involuntarily as we broke through the side of the building.

We were immediately slewing sideways with bits of wall, furniture, bodies and various other shit flying everywhere, the fifties continued firing at something deeper within the building. Possibly not good. Thankfully Dani had managed to maintain a relatively straight momentum after impact, I could only hope Bri had been likewise successful.

:>> Disembarked, contact front.

Oh right, I was meant to get out. Fuck.

:<< Disembarked. Hold will come to you. Go get our girls.

We didn't need to use call signs at this juncture, everyone knew their jobs. Bri and Dani reversed over anything in their way, including one particularly unfortunate semi conscious woman laying on the floor. I grimaced as her head popped from the pressure and turned to locate my reapers. The girls were headed out to pick up and deliver the Wildcat assault force, the reapers and I were to lay out the carpet. I tracked my line of sight to follow the tracers from the fifties of both vehicles still firing aggressively at a single target. I stopped worrying about what it might be when Clea skidded back into the room under her own power and quickly made a beeline directly for my position. I snapped up my rifle to the ready position as Lilou entered the room hot on her heels but skidded to halt just the other side of the ruined wall and crouched down low, both swords held to strike high.

I could hear the rounds of the heavy machine guns ricocheting from armour, traces flying at odd angles. Now I knew where the girls where at I added my own fire into the mix. In response a ruined and partially severed arm of a sentinel smashed through the rusted corrugated metal of the wall, breeching the light concrete center easily. I dove to the floor as Clea had the exact opposite reaction and jumped in to meet the attack as the unmistakable whine of the small antipersonnel mini guns mounted to the warbots wrist wound up to fire blindly into the room.

Having worked many times with reapers during the course of the war I knew exactly what to do. Stay out their fucking way least I become an unintended casualty. I watched as Clea lept, thankfully as the forearm of the warbot was partially severed the mini guns were misaligned and fired wide as Clea put her all into finishing the job. Taking the opportunity Lilou pounced to sever the barrels of the heavier cannon pods before they could be brought to bear on the now returning humvees. The turrets had tracked to different targets now that the reapers were in hand to hand combat with the primary, opening up with long bursts of the thirty calibres at separate and multiple targets.

Another explosion rocked the building from deeper within as Brooke now focused on targets of opportunity, I really hoped it wasn't another sentinel, we had gotten lucky with this one. Daliah, the Wildcat reaper was past me in a blur of motion as she entered the melee.

:>> Tango's moving to flank right.

:<< Group one with me by the reapers, group two engage.

Both assault trucks were now empty, turrets automatically focus firing on the flanking troops. Five dropped to the floor on my right, drawing a line of sight back the way she had travelled and letting off several rounds to cover group two as they moved into position. There was a scream then instant silence in response. Daniela was headed our direction at a crouch, keeping half an eye on the reapers but primarily carefully checking the bodies around us. You would imagine she was checking with the intention to tend any wounded. She discharged her sidearm into the forehead of a body that groaned at her approach. That satisfy your curiosity?

Both Neta and Shai called in separate contacts at a grunting scream of Daliah, using her considerably augmented strength to first block a wide swing from the sentinels remaining arm then attempt to hold it in position for one of the legionaries to take free shots. I snapped off several quick shots to its head area in an attempt to take out the targeting sensors with no luck. Turns out Daliah is a brawler, she has swords like the other reapers, but obviously prefers pummelling her enemies into submission. Even sentinels apparently. Colour me impressed.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

With a scream of rage Lilou struck mercilessly at the sentinels restrained arm, severing it completely in three overhead hacking motions of her blade. Clea stabbed repeatedly as though fencing with her target, intent on penetrating the primary fusion cell and causing the machine to perform an emergency shut down. Fluorescent green coated her blade, the volatile material proof her attack had been successful. The reapers immediately withdrew, scanning for additional targets. The sentinel was still standing, but it was now effectively out of the fight.

Lilou gave me a mock salute and proud grin before joining team two in a crouched sprint, Clea and Daliah stayed in position watching for any response from the considerable cover of the factory floor at her movement. The sisters weren't exactly happy with my choice, but as I explained it to them, this was our first joint combat OP with the Wildcats and I wanted their opinions of the new reapers abilities. Leaving the second team without their protection wasn't and option.

:>> Targets neutralised.

:<< Acknowledged. Hold.

I'd need to get my bearings, also now that we were inside I needed to begin the designation of targets and allocating priorities. First up, I would prefer to have any resistance here taken care of before the new shift arrived, just in case. To do that I'd need to check in on the two Wildcat teams setup outside to see what their contacts were about.

:<< Alpha Gil. Wildcat Two. Sitrep.

First our spotters, only a group of two, they were the most vulnerable.

:>> Wildcat Two. Nil hard targets. Mutants are being drawn in by the noise, engaging targets of opportunity, but expect additional company.

Meaning the spotters had no emplacements or other targets to prioritise, at least from their current position. They were three hundred meters from the ambush team, so now the question was wether or not to have the two girls sit tight and hope that between them they could handle what came their way, or move them through potentially an unknown number or mutants over unknown ground, in the dark, to the more secure location of the ambush team. Second option sounds really bad right? Welcome to command, first option could be far, far worse.

:<< Alpha Gil. Acknowledged. Wait One. Wildcat Nine. Sitrep.

:>> Wildcat Nine. Same here my Alpha.

The vehicle crew had been engaging with their personal weapons rather than the vehicles. The target of the ambush sure as shit wouldn't go anywhere near the heavier weapons of the vehicle, thereby negating the ambush setup. Good news though, the spotter team would be within its effective range if they ran into any trouble when on the move.

:<< Acknowledged. Wait One. Six Sitrep.

:>> Draugr Six. Nil hard targets.

With its armaments the gunship would be far from efficient at engaging the incoming mutants unless they were clumped together in very sizeable groups. Meaning Brooke had the gunship circling around five hundred meters above our heads waiting for more suitable targets.

I checked the time, twenty two minutes past the deadline for the ambush, if it hadn't happened by now it either wasn't going to or they were waiting to respond in force. I considered the options, and figured the ambush team were relatively safe in their hide at the moment, the spotters were in the greater danger.

:<< Acknowledged. Wildcat Two, Five, move to Nine. Nine support if required.

:>> Wilco.

:\\ If it moves I want it dead.

I growled over the cell comms, before switching to the official tactical channel to get the show on the road. It was a slow and arduous six hours to clear the building in its entirety, I didn't split the teams. We moved to the background tunes of the turrets opening up randomly during the entire process on mutants as they stumbled into range, drawn by the noise. I had the second squad advance, remaining to our front and within our line of sight at all times as we moved in a half arrowhead formation. Every hour I had the squads switch the point role to keep the two assault teams as fresh as possible to avoid potential mistakes.

We had gathered outside by the humvees, now three in the morning we are all well and truly fucked. And not in the good way.

"Before we break up for some rack time, anyone got anything to say?"

"They aren't making anything, at least not yet." Brianna yawned.

"Yeah, most of the bits and pieces were clearly older components. I did see a couple of new ones though, scattered around the different stations. Ideas?"

"I disagree. I think they have already completed their production run and that they might be reverse engineering sentinels." Anika spoke up.

"They?"

"Random evil corporation, Chinese. Don't know, don't care. Someone cashed up. Let's just agree it's a pretty fucked up situation and think about what we know and what that could mean."

"Sure."

"A sentinel outpost goes dark. Not glitched or hacked, the IFF and networking just not in place. Several units missing, some disassembled in the compound. The couple of units here, that we engaged, the balance if you were keeping count, disassembled throughout this facility."

"Which leaves us with two options." I nodded my head in thought.

"Industrial espionage, or the Chinese."

:>> We hadn't considered the first option, but then again, you are forgetting about the wolves.

The girls all dropped and raised rifles at the uninvited interruption over the tactical channel. With someone listening in over the secure network to off comm conversations they made the right call. I was only half expecting it, given that our cypher contact had mysteriously disappeared in conjunction with our operation, but it was nice to have confirmation.

:<< Anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop? Also, where the fuck are you? Wildcat Nine, prep to move.

I knelt and slowly rotated in the center of the circle, my arm pumping in a slow motion, pushing my palm to the ground to let the girls know to stay sharp and in place. It was the Cypher that had setup the Wildcats under my command, his chosen entrance into the conversation leaving me with doubts as to his actual intentions.

:>> About that... a little help? Third row from the left, seventeenth unit down. Nine you can stand down.

He was attempting to be nonchalant in his response, but there was definitely a little stress in there.

:>> No thanks. My Alpha?

:<< Good girl. Orders unchanged. Cypher sit tight, be aware we are armed, tired, and now you've gone and pissed off my girls.

It wouldn't be a good thing to directly threaten a Cypher, particularly over the official tactical network for the operation. However if he was keeping as close an eye on my cell as he appeared to be, direct threats weren't necessary.

:>> Understood Alpha. I await you at your earliest convenience. I owe you one.

Well now, appears our 'friend' was well and truly fucked, either that or he was baiting a trap. Not likely though, not with an admission like that over the monitored network.

:<< Team Two on point, lets go save us a Cypher.

The girls had smirking grins firmly in place as they began moving through the building at my open ribbing of the Cypher, well... fuck him.

I had the teams take up defensive positions around the manufacturing plant indicated, after a quick once over I had zero ideas about what it was we were supposed to do.

:<< Alpha Gil. In position. Any tips for new players?

:>> Cypher. Pull the data dump monitor, press the big red button.

I walked over to the nearby control panel for this particular equipment, conveniently the embedded screen had handles attached. I glanced over at the next machine in line, no handles. A quick visual check didn't reveal any hidden mechanisms, with a shrug I pulled the component from the operations panel. Yep, big red button. Not ominous at all. With nothing else for it I mashed it down.

Heavy machinery moved unseen in the foundations beneath our feet, the thrumming momentum building for several seconds before the entire bulk of the five by ten meter manufacturing equipment began slowly rising from the floor on heavy hydraulic rams. The barely recognisable face of the Cypher came into view before it had even finished moving into place. His exhausted face covered in dirt, filth, and smears of dried blood, the expression of relief on his face overwhelming.

"Gimme a second." He quickly disappeared from sight.

I drew my sidearm and angled around the machinery for a better view, the Cypher grunted with exertion, dragging something heavy across the floor of his hide as I tried to see what was going on.

"Ahh... I'll need a hand with this, kinda heavy." His face came into view.

I sure as shit wasn't willing to go down there, so I wasn't about to send one of my girls until I knew what was going on. Without warning I flooded the Cypher with white light, he dropped the load he was shifting and covered his eyes in the brilliance. He'd clearly been in the poorly lit room for a while, which is exactly what I was counting on. The only lighting he'd had available for I don't know how long was from the status lights of the various equipment lining the walls, most of those blinking an angry red. There was a noticeable gap, precisely matching the dimensions of whatever it was he was trying to drag across the floor.

"Back up. Lemme see what you got." I sighted my sidearm to the back of his exposed head.

"Easy." He spoke quietly and raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. His back was still to me as he shuffled to the side to give me a clear view of his prize.

"Friend of yours?" I could only describe the container as a ribbed fish tank. There was a portable power supply wired into the unit, various cables had been haphazardly spliced or severed and were trailing in the dirt of the floor. The wires that had been spliced together fed through the clear sides of the container into the cranium of a severed head. It was the eyeless head of the VIP we had recovered some time back.

The Cypher turned, hands still raised with the flat of his palms forward as though attempting to physically push the bright light from his eyes.

"Something like that. We good?" His voice was tired as he blinked up at me through his fingers.

"Looks like it. You need anything else from here or we done?" I lowered my weapon and switched my helmet light to the less intensive red filter, glancing between the reapers I caught Daliah's eye and waived her over to my side.

He eyed Daliah's passive expression warily, she was watching him with excited eyes, like a hunter observing prey as she awaited my order. Blinking rapidly as his eyes attempted to readjust yet again to the darker surrounds of his environment he answered smoothly.

"Yeah, this is it."

I nodded sideways at the hole, Daliah stepped forward and dropped like a stone. To his credit the Cypher didn't flinch as he stepped back to give the reaper the room she would need. She effortlessly lifted the head in a box, and hefted the weight to throw the box at the top of the wall. With one corner of the container balanced on the lip of the wall she stood on tip toes and pushed it clear along the floor before turning to the Cypher with a wicked grin.

He looked between Daliah and I with a worried expression. I have no idea what she had planned, looked like fun, so I winked at her and turned my back.

A moment later the Cypher blinked up at me with a groan as he rolled onto his back from where he had landed after the reaper had thrown him clear from the hole.

"Thanks... I think."