As I neared the family's suspected location, Aquaria relayed more intel to me. "Halberd, it looks like the family is currently holed up in an abandoned bunker. The place seems to be heavily fortified, so we're going to have to play this smart."
"All right. I am going to set up cameras, but keep me informed about Kiri'aK. Once I have my eyes up, I will pull back, and then you can pick me up," I said, reaching to my side to open a compartment in my suit.
I found several small, high-resolution cameras designed for remote monitoring inside the compartment. Using my jetpack, I carefully maneuvered around the exterior of the bunker, placing each camera in a strategic location that would give us a clear view of every entrance and exit.
Once all the cameras were set up, I contacted Aquaria to confirm everything was working properly. "Aquaria, do you have a visual on all angles?"
"Affirmative, Halberd," she replied. "I can see everything clearly. The family seems to be busy with various tasks inside the bunker, but there's no sign of Ziri'aK yet."
"Good. Let me know if anything changes or if you spot her. I'm going to pull back and wait for pickup."
As I retreated from the bunker, my mind began to consider how best to use the information we now had at our fingertips. We needed to find a way to capture the target without hurting his siblings, which meant causing some sort of disruption within the family.
As I mulled over possible strategies, an idea began to form. If I could cause one of the siblings to turn against Drexel – preferably one who was skilled in combat – then they might be able to subdue him for us, but that was too easy. I needed a plan that would make him feel betrayed, but from the description, this guy was a cold-blooded killer.
As the ship got closer, he decided to focus on undermining his confidence and trust in his own family. I was going to have to get more than one or two of them to cooperate with me, but that meant getting them alone. I was going to have to figure out a way to capture the family members without hurting them.
"Any suggestions on how we could cause a rift within the family, Aquaria?" I asked.
"Well," Aquaria began, "I've been analyzing their communication channels, and it seems there's already some tension brewing between them. Rhea, the mother, appears to be at odds with Tala and Jace – perhaps you could use this existing conflict to your advantage."
"That might work," I agreed, seeing potential in the plan. "If I can create a situation where those two believe that Drexel is plotting against them or putting the whole family at risk, they might be more inclined to help us bring him down."
With our strategy forming, I made my way back to our dropship, where Aquaria picked me up. As she piloted us to a safe distance from the bunker, I relaxed into my seat. As I did, a blue hologram of Aquaria looked amazing in the seat beside me. She was wearing a tight blue jumpsuit that complimented her form perfectly. I couldn't help but smile at her appearance.
"Wow, you look great even as a hologram," I commented, and she smirked in response.
"Just trying to keep up appearances," she replied playfully. "Now, let's focus on the plan."
She pulled up a video feed from some of the cameras that I had placed, but I pulled up the feed from a drone we had left in orbit. On the screen was a large spaceship equipped with numerous weapons and advanced technology – undoubtedly Ziri'aK's ship. "That ship needs to be dealt with, but first, let's work on creating that rift in the family."
As we monitored the family members inside the bunker, I noticed that Tala and Jace were often together, discussing something privately. Rhea would observe them from a distance each time they did so, her expression betraying her concern.
Deciding to capitalize on this opportunity, I had Aquaria hack into their communication system so we could listen in on their private conversations. From what we overheard, it was clear that Tala and Jace felt Drexel was becoming more erratic and dangerous, posing a threat not only to their enemies but also to their own families.
I looked over at Aquaria and pointed at the mother. "I think that she should be our first target. From what I have seen so far, she seems like a bit of an outsider," I said, pulling up all the feed we had so far over the last three hours.
Aquaria nodded in agreement. "Yes, it seems like Rhea is already at a breaking point with Drexel's behavior. We are going to have to watch them all for a bit longer to find out their routines. As for the capture, we should use non-lethal weapons that incapacitate them without causing physical harm. Once we have Rhea on our side, it will be much easier to get through to the others."
Over the next several hours, we studied each family member carefully, gathering as much information about their habits and routines as possible. We also continued listening in on their conversations, learning more about their thoughts on Drexel and the direction their family was headed.
As night fell, we decided it was time to make our move. I suited up once again, making sure to bring a selection of non-lethal weapons with me: tranquilizer darts, flashbang grenades, and electrified netting designed to entangle and immobilize anyone caught within its reach.
Aquaria wished me luck as I left the dropship, guiding me via comms toward the abandoned bunker where the family was currently residing.
Using my stealth abilities and the cover of darkness, I crept closer to the bunker, carefully avoiding detection by any guards or security systems they might have in place. From our surveillance, I knew that Rhea typically spent much of her time in her private quarters, reviewing plans and analyzing data for their criminal activities.