[center][h1][color=00aeef]CeCe[/color][/h1][/center]
[hider=Squad Last Down]
[u][b]Defenders[/b][/u]
Field Commander - [i]Salem[/i]
Excecutive Commander - [i]Aether[/i]
Trooper - [i]Behemoth[/i]
Sniper - [i]Calibre[/i]
Driver - [i]Daemon[/i]

[u][b]Consultants[/b][/u]
Engineer Chief Sato
[url=https://image.ibb.co/fFdE87/CC_small.jpg]Security Chief Lapin (Bunny)[/url]
Liaison Officer Xavier[/hider]

After doing a second look over of the assault rifle in her possession, her icy blues then glanced in the direction of the two males seated across from her. 

It was simple really. She was out here in the field to keep Sato and Xavier alive. Well, that was what she had to believe to keep her cool. The toothpick that served as a surrogate for a dearly craved cigarette flicked up and down as she impatiently bit at its tip. Icy blues then slid on over and trained on the female in full, yet ragged, field-combat gear standing outside the transport truck; so strange was it to see the normally regal and sharply dressed Defender wearing the garb of a scavenger. 

The woman outside had one hand on the right side of her head, pressing the earpiece to better hear the transmission she received. Her face and eyes were hidden behind the old and worn Reaver survival mask she wore, but judging by her animated body motions, it did not take a genius to see that she was quite displeased. 

The woman outside the truck was [i]Salem[/i], the Leader of the Last Down Defender squad CeCe was currently serving. And from what CeCe knew of Salem was that she was mostly calm and collected so this out-of-character outburst set her ill at ease.

Icy blues now turned towards the others in the rear hold of the transport with her. An upward chinbob CeCe tossed at the burly and a bit overweight red-headed man, Xavier, seated across from her, [color=00aeef]"You know what's going on with the delay, Mr. X?"[/color]

[color=c4df9b]"Uhhhhh hold up..." [/color]he too pressed a hand to his earpiece and shot a palm up at CeCe. A self-important look fell across his face as he nodded along, listening in on the convo between Salem and the others on the private channel. A few knowing headshakes the redhead gave as his eyes went skyward, avoiding the penetrating gaze of CeCe. Although she was his protector, he always had to assert some form of dominance or importance in her presence; it was his way of deflecting the fact that the Amazon-like blonde intimidated him. Quite possibly he was out of sorts dressed up in scavenger rags as opposed to the crisp, tailor fit suits in which he normally paraded around the E-6 hideout.

With her left hand she made a circle, and, with her other hand, she lifted her assault rifle and shoved the barrel through said opening. She tried to catch Sato's gaze and mouthed the words 'Corporate asshole' as she jerked her head in the direction of the redheaded Xavier.  A sly wink she tossed the engineer.

Out of the two, she would would take a bullet or 12 for the engineer. Without Sato's knowledge or expertise, the 'junk' sitting under the tarp on the trailer would be useless and the whole reason they were out here would not exist. Sato was going to take that 'junk' on the trailer and make the E-6 fly again; getting off this rock depended on Last Down's success.

[center]~~~[/center]

All was going well. Dressed up as a scavenging outfit, the Last Down squad gone into the field undetected. As soon as they had found the wreckage 'junk' and extracted it, it was secured and basically gift wrapped for pickup. The F5 heli, The Phoenix, had made their own pick up of 'junk' and was to pick up the 'junk' at Last Down's location. Even the 'Liaison Rep' Xavier was not putting up a whole bunch of corporate red-tape BS as expected. The retrieval was going to be on time, on budget and that pleased the suits and medals of the E-6 braintrust. Milk run smooth. 

That was until the Phoenix encountered some anti-milk run rockets and was downed behind enemy lines; the Novus Ordo territory. 

And what made CeCe crave a smoke again was the fact that not only did they not have the 'junk' they needed, but the pilot of the Phoenix was her brother, Chevy. And part of the 'junk' cargo was not machine, but flesh and blood. Her name was Captain Alina Reid and CeCe spent years of her life in the depths of despair and misery for what she had done to Capt. Reid. Salvation was getting that woman on board the Endeavour. No questions asked. No answers given.

And so here they were now. In visual range of the Novus Ordo camp, helpless as they watched the N.O. tractor trailers drive their way towards the gates of the camp. The important 'junk' of the Phoenix's wreckage undoubtedly was strapped to the flatbeds, and, undoubtedly in the cargo hold of the lead transport were the people she so dearly cared for.

The second in command of Last Down, [i]Aether[/i],  was spotting for the sniper, [i]Calibre[/i], in a most advantageous vantage point. The massive gun setup of Calibre was trained on the watchtower near the entry gates. Aether, held her binoculars to her mask, awaiting orders from Salem for next course of action. Suddenly, she reached down and patted the sniper on the shoulder and motioned for him to move his scope in another direction. Some kind of comotion was just beginning to stir from behind N.O. walls; hope sparked in both these Defender's eyes. 

[center]~~~[/center]      

[color=00aeef]"So, Mr. Sato..." [/color]said CeCe casually as she immediately stopped her gun's thrusting motions through her fingers once Xavier glanced over at them, [color=00aeef]"what exactly is this 'junk' we have on the trailer? And what exactly did the Phoenix have in her hold? Like, more specifically, how sensitive to agressive activity is this 'junk?' Are we talking white gloves and a whole bunch of bubble wrap care or what?"[/color]

As soon as Xavier looked away, CeCe made the circle with her hand once more and smirked at Sato. But truly her questions  were valid. They had been briefed on the 'junk' but as to how fragile it was, they were not given specifics.

[color=00aeef]"Alright. But if we have to go in live, just stay near me and keep your side-arm handy; I seen your dossier... you can handle yourself. But just in case, I just want to double-check you know how to handle a red-headed meatshield..."[/color]

Another smirk and a not-too-subtle chinbob she directed in Xavier's direction. 

[color=c4df9b]"Not right now, Lapin...! I'm on the comms. I'll get to you when I get to you. Capice..?" [/color]Said the red-headed meatshield as he shook his head at her; obviously oblivious to the shade she was tossing his way.

The massive blonde woman just shrugged and opened her mouth to toss some more sass but suddenly from the front cab, [i] Behemoth[/i] banged on the transport ceiling to get their attention. This man truly lived up to his namesake; he was huge. [i]Daemon[/i], the driver leaned out from his seat in the front through the opening to the back and yelled out at them, [color=fff79a]"Alright babies, get yer diapers cinched up and strap on in cuz you gunna crap yourselves; we movin' on out!! That is one big A-firmative from Saley boss-lady! I mean it! All strap in!!"[/color]

Salem whipped open the passenger side door and leapt in. A rough shoulder pushed Behemoth on over to the centre seat. They could hear her barking out commands to Aether and Calibre. She was setting up a shot.

[color=00aeef]"Mr. X... Hey! Xavier!"[/color] CeCe kicked out a leg and caught the redhead's shin to get his attention; she even flicked her toothpick at him for good measure, [color=00aeef]"you need to sing now. What is going on? Just what the hell--"[/color]

The explosion rocked the transport and CeCe shut up as she craned her neck to see what was happening. A plume of black smoke roared up in to the open skies above the N.O. camp.

[color=00aeef]"X!! Sing, man!! What the actual fu--"[/color]

[color=c4df9b]"BREACH! Security breach! N.O.'s Camp's been breached you guys! Insurgency...? No confirms. Gunfire! Holy shit! Gunfire! They're under attack! Jesus! Live fire-- wait... Wait!! Look!!"[/color]

A pale meaty hand with an equally pale and meaty finger pointed out the window. His big green eyes grew even bigger as he trembled, [color=c4df9b]"Holy shit! It's stuck! Jesus eff, DUDE! The trailer got pinched by the gates!!"
[/color]

And it was as he said. The vanguard of the transport convoy made it in, but emergency protocol had all the gates automatically lockdown once red alert was sounded. And so the gates closed in and but last of the convoy did not make it. The transport with the 'junk' on it was stuck fast halfway in. The rearguard vehicle had smashed up into the trailer, and was partway pinned underneath. The rearending had lifted up the trailer and loosened up the chains and straps keeping the 'junk' in place.

And so, yes, the gates were still open. This was the moment they were hoping for. This was that miracle CeCe begged for. Hastily she wiped at her eyes.

[color=f26522]"Okay, listen up squad. We have one chance. I mean it..." [/color]Squad commander Salem was speaking to them all through their earpieces, [color=f26522]"on that flatbed is our Holy Grail. On that flatbed is our mercy off this goddamn'd rock! Aether and Calibre are our cover fire, but we need to move fast. Bunny, you and Sato are with me n' Bee. We are going to cut that sucker free. We will have very unfriendlies very upset and firing very unfriendly bullets at us. Sorry, Sato but dying a hero is one of the on-the-job perks of signing on as a 'Field Engineer.'"[/color]

CeCe chuckled with Salem then glanced up to see Xavier getting all red and sweaty in the face, his head shaking in disbelief. CeCe thought it looked as if his head was atop a washing machine in rinse cycle his head shook so violently.

[color=f26522]"Daemon is going to get us into position to move the 'junk' from their bed to ours. Now comes the most important job. Mr. Xavier...? X, you need to get the tarp off one side of our bed. If you don't, ain't no way we can shimmy on over the 'junk.' Am I clear? All you have to do is run over, yank the straps off the tarp and run on back into transport. That's it. Okay, so we are going to--"[/color]

[color=c4df9b]"W-why the hell can't we just cut the tarp off now? WHY NOT NOW?!" [/color]his was the shrill voice of a petulant, defiant child.

[color=f26522]"GODAMMIT, man!! We cannot chance losing anything on route! We keep secure until we get to ground zero! All you have to do is [i]loosen 4 straps,[/i] mister! We need you. This is [b][i]Last Down[/i][/b], X!! You wanna' stay on this rock till you rot?! No. Oh hell NO! You have to do it when time comes a'knockin'. It is Last Down. X. Will you do it?"[/color] Salem was practically all the way through the opening to the rear hold, a finger pointing right at the bulky E-6 rep. [color=f26522]"You are the most important role. We. Need. You. Liaison Officer of the Endevour-6, Mister Reginald Xavier. Will you do it?"[/color]

The redhead licked his lips. A silence in eternity then: [color=c4df9b]"Y-yeah... I will... Affirmative, Saley... Important. I can do important.. y-yeah..."[/color]

A dead-eyed glared she held upon the man for a heartbeat longer before slipping back into her seat and strapping in. [color=f26522]"Very good then. Stand by, team. Cool your heads, take those breaths and get your damned game faces on."[/color]

CeCe frowned as she looked over Xavier. A dry swallow she gave. This man was going to get them killed. [color=00aeef]"You can do it, Mr. X. You do important. You do."[/color]

She feigned a smile. So did he. He was paler and sweatier than usual. But at least he stopped shaking his head.

Momentarily, she looked away, athoughtful scowl creasing her face, icy blues softened. [sub][color=00aeef]"How...? Chev...! How the fu--underneath...!"[/color][/sub] she whispered aloud to herself.

A single affirmative nod she gave before she reached over for her mask and helmet. She paused a second and caught Sato's gaze. Hopefully he paid no mind to her comment or even better, did not even hear her. She gauged his expression a moment before tossing him an upward chinbob. [color=00aeef]"Sooo... ready to enjoy the perks of being a 'field engineer,' bruh...?'[/color] she let out a small laugh before tossing him a smile, wink and nod.

One final deep breath of real air she took. CeCe then secured the beat up Reaver survival gear over her head and face. 

[center]~~~[/center]