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Laslow Airbase, the largest U.S.F. military installation in the city of Gateway. This massive military installation was Mars’ primary bastion of defense, the complex was a multi-role military platform, staging area, shipyard, and command center. Heavily reinforced, and bristling with reinforced weapon emplacements, defenses, and round-the-clock watches, Laslow Airbase was widely regarded as an impenetrable fortress, and the UN’s symbol of power on Mars. Sprawling across an entire sector of Gateway, this installation was capable of projecting military power across the western hemisphere of Mars within hours with its massive fleet of gunships and vehicles.
The airfield hangars were a buzz of commotion as engineers rushed to service a flight of combat gunships that had just finished a sortie, engineers and equipment bearing machines pouring towards the vehicles as several squads of USF soldiers and pilots exited their machines. The hangars were always a hub of action as engineers made fine tune adjustments and repairs to vehicles and planes that they wouldn't trust machines with. The sounds of welders, sparks, computers, and dropping machinery could be heard as the small army of engineers went about their daily duties taking care of the USF’s sleek Naginata fighters and Sparrowhawk gunships with trained efficiency.
The only thing out of the ordinary was a small confrontation going on at the gates of the hangar, a pair of engineers were protesting the appearance of a group of Aux Troopers and mechs in their hangar. Aux Troops, or Auxilary Hunter Troops, were a unit of USF regulars that supplemented Hunters and their actions- putting them a cut above the standard USF trooper, with more advanced training and efficiency than the regular troopers, as well as typically the first pick on low availability equipment, a fact that many Aux Troops often gloated about, occasionally putting them at odds with the rest of the USF regulars.
“Y-You’re not supposed to be in here!” The engineers protested as a massive A-1 Tactical Enforcer pushed past them, flanked by a trio of Aux Troopers and two X-3 mechs- each one of them fully armed and bristling with weapons.
‘Stand aside.’ The A-1 merely commanded, its deep voice shaking the ground almost as much as its footsteps did. The armed contingent walked across the hangar- causing silence wherever the stepped, and parting the sea of scrambling engineers with ease. Stopping at the side of one of the recently landed Sparrowhawks, the group faced off with the gunship’s dismounting soldiers- who eyed eachother uneasily, and its pilot.
//TARGET ACQUIRED
CASSANDRA WELLS_
CITIZEN ID: 4561-2407-9485
AGE: 27_
GENDER: FEMALE_
STATUS: ANOMALY_
THREAT LEVEL: LOW_
COURSE OF ACTION: CAPTURE_
‘Citizen 4561-2407-9485, Cassandra Wells.’ The A-1 boomed, its voice causing a few passing engineers to jump in fright. ‘You are under arrest. Do not resist.’
The massive A-1 leveled its weapon at the woman’s chest. Several of the USF soldiers that had been in her gunship reached for their weapons instinctively, but quickly stopped as the rest of the A-1’s group leveled their weapons at them. The immediate surrounding area fell silent, soldiers, pilots, and engineers alike watched the commotion. One or two of the other pilots appeared to want to step in and interrupt, but were ultimately held back or discouraged by their fellows and crewmen.
It had been a routine op in the Harrier gunship. Patrol over to New London and around the Spire as the vessel remained low and slow, it wasn't the most glamerous work for a pilot but it was work and it kept her in the air. A lot of other pilots in the regiment were in the same boat, previously injured and then reassigned after recovery. Either that or they were fresh faced newbies who didn't have the chops to cut it out in space so decided to stick to a planetary body. Space wasn't for everyone after all, some men had been known to go crazy in the vastness of deep space.
She brought the vessel back into the hangar, throttling down as it slowly touched down on the surface. As soon as the engines were turned off the ground crew ran over and began refuelling and running their checks. It was a well oiled machine, that's what she loved about the military. There was a burst of static in her headset making her cringe before a strange male voice came through the speakers. "Cassie, be ready to run."
She turned to her co-pilot. "Adams, you hear that?"
"Hear what?" He cast a look up at her, his seat being lower than hers.
"Nothing." Strange, her comm was on the same channel as Adams. Anything that came through her headset should have also come through his. Unclipping her flightvest out of her seat she moved back through the craft, through a small cargo hold that had seats lining either side and out the back, patting her gun ners on the backs. They were green, but had managed to resist leveling a civilian district so that had to count for something. That's when something that shouldn't be there, was there.
An A-1 unit with X-3s flanking it, not that she wasn't used to seeing mechs the hangar was loaded with C-19 heavy loaders and 'Grunt' mechs. Tehy never had any military hardware, and they never aimed at pilots. Her crew instinctively went for the pistols attatched to their hips, but she raised her hand slightly as if to tell them not too.
Her headset burst through static again. Run Cassie, run.
Shaking her head through it she turned to the A-1.
"Under arrest for what? Exactly."