Your troopers are already spreading out in the empty square as you and Shah descend the ramp. The morning air is cool against your face, but that metallic smell of the Cerberan atmosphere makes you cough. Sirius is low in the sky, a huge, golden orb illuminating the whitewashed buildings and casting long shadows in the streets.
"We'll leave Squad Three here to guard the ship," Shah says, before pointing toward the street leading away from the south end of the square. "Our objective is two blocks that way."
You nod, having been studying the intelligence brief for the past hour. Each platoon of the Hoplites has set down within a square kilometer, the drop ships using whatever open space they can find. You examine your forearm display for a moment, figuring out where the other platoons are in relation to yours. None of them are far, but there are crowded buildings and shadowy streets separating you from your allies. You're effectively on your own. Looking around, you see that the locals seem to have gotten over any surprise at an Astral drop ship landing nearby. They're going about their business, although eyes frequently glance your way.
Squad Leader Garcia jogs up and offers a quick status report. She's speaking to Shah, but you can tell she's watching you out of the corner of her eye. You've been watching how the different squad leaders interact, and it's pretty clear that Garcia is the most respected. Shah tells her to take point, then turns to you.
"Platoon ready, sir," he says. "How do you want to deploy?"