Faction First Strike | Final Dawn

[Saltare Dothon]

INFERNO SQUAD

Ronhar Tane Nimian Totan KV-027 Thorus Valerian Dayna Rhyss​

---

Saltare and Inferno squadron awaited at one of the evacuation coordinates leading out of the city. Prior recon elements had confirmed some of the city's leaders would use this evacuation route to exit the capital should something occur.

The route was hidden within a traffic tunnel that led from the city's center to its spaceport. About three-quarters of the way through the tunnel, a side passageway could be opened using secret government codes. Inferno Squad did not have the codes, but they didn't need them. Once the tunnel opened, they would hit the convoy that carried the planetary officials, specifically the Minister of Finance and Communications.

A shock-and-awe ambush that would hopefully lead to the capture of these officials, not their deaths. However, recent intelligence indicated that the city's higher officials had outsourced high-end mercenaries to guard them, which could lead to a higher casualty rate.

To try and combat this, Inferno had mag-clamped themselves on the roof of the tunnel, their No-Show sensor scrambler hiding their signatures.

Their armor, which was usually a blood-red color from the Corellian Bloodsteel used in its creation, now had a matte grey paint coating to better blend into the durasteel tunnel. Ion, shock, and fragmentation mines had been prepped and placed along the tunnel route, intended to disrupt the lead vehicles and halt the convoy.

"ETA 2 minutes for the convoy," a voice crackled over Saltare's comms.

"Acknowledged. Break, Iron and Gold squadrons, what's your status?" Saltare replied.

"In position, no movement," Logan replied.

"We've engaged a small element of high-end security en route to our location. Our cover is blown, so we expect our targets to use a different evac route. We have drones up, we'll advise when we have more."

"Good copy," Saltare replied as he watched headlights began to pierce the gloom of the tunnel.

"30 seconds, Inferno, final prep," Saltare said, voice slightly elevated from the adrenaline that was beginning to pump through his body.

The lead vehicle, a heavy infantry combat vehicle, boosted around the corner at what had to be full power. The vehicle's repulsorlifts sprayed dust and debris throughout the tunnel as it continued unimpeded past Inferno's position.

Hot on its heels were several more vehicles; however, they were less militaristic. Up-armored landspeeders and several speeder bikes, all carrying either security or lower-ranked city officials, sped through the tunnel. Saltare imagined they were also riding high on adrenaline, knowing their exit and escape was just second away.

You're feeling the adrenaline high of near escape, now feel the soul-crushing pain of death and defeat, he thought.

With a click of the detonator in his hands, the tunnel erupted in explosions of orange from the fragmentation grenades, followed by crackling blues and whites of the ion and shock grenades.

"Engage!" Saltare barked, detaching from the roof of the tunnel and dropping onto the hood of a landspeeder that had come careening to a stop. The speeder bucked beneath his weight, the hood crumpling as his boots absorbed the kinetic force of the fall and kept him upright. The purple blaster bolts that left the barrel of his weapon tore through the window of the speeder and began killing the guards inside.