August 21st, 2015

Pre-Mission Briefing: Operation Riftseal - Ceres Assault

Ranger Operations & Military Command - Cincarion (Formerly Cincinnati)

Repurposed from the Former Cincinnati Museum and Train Terminal

The holographic display of Ceres hovered above the group, casting a rotating light over the room. Earth's Rangers, standing in perfect formation, were surrounded by leaders and military personnel from Earth and allied worlds. The air was thick with tension, as every individual in the room understood the magnitude of what was about to unfold.

General Kassens, a towering figure with a commanding presence, stood at the forefront. His dark military uniform, adorned with medals from countless campaigns, gleamed under the dim light. His sharp gaze moved from the holographic display to the Rangers assembled before him. He radiated authority and determination, embodying the steel resolve of Earth's defense forces. Kassens was the top commander in Cincarion, the repurposed megacity that now served as the hub of Ranger Operations and military command, and his role as the 5-star general in charge of the city's defense operations made him a pivotal figure in this mission.

Beside Kassens stood Wei Lǐngyuè, the Imperator of Earth. Born in China before the Countdown to Destruction, Lǐngyuè had witnessed firsthand the collapse of the old world and the formation of the new megacities. She was not only the civilian leader of Earth but also the political heart of Sangara, a sprawling metropolis built atop what was once Beijing. Sangara, a consolidation of many Asian cultures, was a beacon of cultural unity in the aftermath of Earth's reconstruction. Lǐngyuè's composed demeanor, dressed in the ceremonial robes of her office, concealed a mind sharpened by years of crisis management and diplomacy. Her calculating eyes took in every detail, from the projected images of the asteroid to the subtle body language of those around her.

Trey of Triforia, leader of the Triforian people, stood tall and resolute, exuding a regal calm. His golden armor, etched with intricate patterns, shimmered under the lights, reflecting the values of balance and unity central to Triforia's culture. The faint glow of his eyes indicated not only the wisdom of a leader who had survived many battles but also his unwavering commitment to the alliance. Trey's experience in managing Triforia's tri-auric energy had made him invaluable in the strategy room, where his insights often guided the course of tactical planning.

To his right, Ambassador Andros of KO-35 exuded a quiet intensity. His dark, angular features and the sleek, geometric designs of his armor mirrored KO-35's militaristic and technologically advanced society. Andros was no stranger to war, having fought against intergalactic threats for most of his life. His sharp, vigilant eyes scanned the room, his posture straight and controlled, radiating the readiness of a soldier who expected battle at every turn. His presence was commanding without needing to speak, the quiet authority of a man shaped by war.

Next to Andros, Delphine of Aquitar was the embodiment of serene focus. Her translucent skin, shifting in subtle hues, reflected the depth of her emotions as she observed the briefing. Aquitar's culture, deeply connected to water, was visible in Delphine's graceful movements and bioluminescent skin, which rippled with faint color changes as she processed the unfolding situation. Currently, a soft indigo hue pulsed through her skin, reflecting her solemn responsibility in this mission. She stood silently, but her large reflective eyes missed nothing.

King Dax of Edenoi was the final leader standing among the group, his muscular form solid and imposing. At first glance, Dax appeared nearly human, but upon closer inspection, the slight insectoid texture of his skin hinted at the unique nature of his people. A silver hexagonal gem, marking him as royalty, gleamed on his forehead. It caught the light as he regarded the holographic display with a quiet intensity. His presence, though understated compared to some of the other leaders, radiated a patient strength—the hallmark of someone used to leading under pressure.

As the leaders absorbed the information before them, a contingent of support personnel from every corner of the alliance quietly entered the room. The array of military strategists, engineers, and communication officers filled the space, each of them wearing the colors and insignias of their respective worlds. Despite the silence, the atmosphere was charged with focus. The flicker of holographic screens, the low hum of data transmissions, and the whispered exchanges between officers added to the weight of the situation. Live feeds from Sangara, Triforia, KO-35, and Edenoi streamed in the background, where personnel from each of these worlds monitored the briefing, their homeworlds as invested in the outcome of this mission as those present in Cincarion.

At the center of it all, the holographic model of Ceres continued to rotate, displaying tactical data, troop movements, and energy signatures. The briefing moved into its next critical phase as General Kassens stepped forward, commanding the room's attention.

"Our objective is simple in theory, but execution will demand the full strength of this alliance," Kassens began. His voice, steady and deliberate, filled the chamber. "As you've already seen, the rift between dimensions is anchored by a facility embedded within the asteroid Ceres. Our mission is to destroy that facility, close the rift, and secure the future of our worlds. Failure is not an option."

He gestured to the rotating hologram, which zoomed in to show the saucer-like structure nestled deep within the asteroid's surface. The glowing lines that highlighted the facility's key components pulsed with a faint, ominous light.

"The rift acts as a terminal," Kassens continued, "allowing the enemy to send their soldiers and supplies through from their dimension. If we destroy the reactor core buried deeper in Ceres, it will trigger a chain reaction that will not only collapse the facility but seal the rift as well."

The Red Ranger, standing at attention near the front, stepped forward, her eyes hard with focus. "What about the fleet currently stationed inside the rift?" she asked. "Once we disable the terminal, what happens to them?"

Kassens paused before nodding toward the Blue Ranger, who stepped forward to address the room. His voice was calm but carried the intensity of someone who had thought through every possible scenario.

"Once the anchor point is destroyed, the rift will close, and Billy Cranston of Cranston Enterprises will be standing by in the Command Center to re-initiate the lock that holds the rift closed. If everything goes according to plan, this lock will be permanent, and we'll ensure that this pocket dimension remains inaccessible indefinitely," Kassens explained, his tone resolute.

Red Ranger nodded, her focus unwavering. "So once the rift is sealed and Ceres is destroyed, we're looking at the final phase of the war."

Kassens stepped forward, addressing the room as the hologram zoomed in on the asteroid's surface, revealing intricate layers of tunnels, structural weaknesses, and energy grids. "Correct. The forces we've encountered on Ceres are critical to the enemy's supply chain and reinforcement capabilities. Once this facility is neutralized, the isolated enemy cells across the alliance's territory will be cut off, unable to regroup or resupply. We expect resistance to taper off within two years. But make no mistake—Ceres is the blow that ends this war."

Blue Ranger stepped forward, his voice calm but deliberate as his eyes scanned the room. "Nova and I have run through every possible scenario. After analyzing the facility's defenses and energy output, we've concluded that the only viable option to completely neutralize the rift and the saucer facility is to trigger a core overload."

He gestured to the holographic display of the core deep within Ceres. "This reactor is heavily protected by layers of automated defenses and fail-safes designed to prevent exactly what we're planning to do. The system was built to withstand catastrophic failures, which means we'll need to disable those safety measures manually. My neuro implant will allow me to interface directly with the core's systems, but I won't be able to do it alone."

Nova appeared beside him, her voice smooth and efficient. "We'll need a team of combat engineers to accompany us. Their primary job will be to bypass the reactor's fail-safes and disable any physical locks or barriers that might prevent me from initiating the overload. This will require precision and timing—any missteps, and the system could either lock us out or cause a premature failure that we won't be able to control."

Blue Ranger stepped forward, his voice calm but deliberate as his eyes scanned the room. "Nova and I have run through every possible scenario. After analyzing the facility's defenses and energy output, we've concluded that the only viable option to completely neutralize the rift and the saucer facility is to trigger a core overload."

He gestured to the holographic display of the core deep within Ceres. "This reactor is heavily protected by layers of automated defenses and fail-safes designed to prevent exactly what we're planning to do. The system was built to withstand catastrophic failures, which means we'll need to disable those safety measures manually. My neuro implant will allow me to interface directly with the core's systems, but I won't be able to do it alone."

Nova appeared beside him, her voice smooth and efficient. "We'll need a team of combat engineers to accompany us. Their primary job will be to bypass the reactor's fail-safes and disable any physical locks or barriers that might prevent me from initiating the overload. This will require precision and timing—any missteps, and the system could either lock us out or cause a premature failure that we won't be able to control."

Blue Ranger straightened and continued, his tone resolute, "Once we've breached their systems and disabled the fail-safes, I'll manually jack into the reactor's interface and trigger the overload. Based on Nova's best estimates, we'll have a maximum of ten minutes to evacuate after the process begins."

Nova materialized beside him, her projection glowing slightly in the dim light. "Once the overload is initiated, the reactor will go critical, and the energy surge will begin destabilizing the core. After ten minutes, the entire structure—everything from the reactor to the saucer facility—will be vaporized. The surrounding area will be obliterated by the explosion."

Blue continued, gesturing to the rotating holographic model of Ceres. "The energy output from the core, combined with the volatile gases and rare metals in the asteroid, will result in a chain reaction. The blast will consume everything within several kilometers. If we don't make it out in time, we won't be leaving at all."

Nova's voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent of urgency. "Once the overload begins, there's no way to stop it. We're working on a strict timeline, and any delays could prove fatal."

The room was filled with the weight of the reality they were about to face. There was no room for error.

Blue Ranger, his tone growing more serious, continued, "The teleport enhancers we're using will need to be daisy-chained together, automatically forwarding patterns from one enhancer to the next. If there's any break in the line, the interference will be too great, and the transport pattern won't hold."

He paused, letting the gravity of the situation sink in before adding, "There's another risk as well. Without a mobile transport pad, there's a chance that when the interference peaks, we may not rematerialize at all. The disruption could scatter our patterns before we complete the transport, meaning the team could be lost between points."

Nova nodded in agreement. "That's why we've mapped out these routes so carefully. We have to stay within the parameters we've established, and once the overload begins, we'll have no time to correct mistakes. It's a straight run out."

The room remained silent as the weight of this additional risk settled over the team.

Red stepped forward, her tone shifting as the holographic display refocused on the saucer facility embedded within the asteroid. "Unlike the core, the saucer section doesn't suffer the same radiation risk. The rock between the saucer and the core acts as a natural shield, but even if that wasn't enough, the enemy has already adequately shielded their living and training facilities."

As the layout of the facility rotated in front of the assembled group, Red gestured to each sector. "The saucer is divided into four critical zones: the North, East, South, and West tunnels. Each one leads to a different section of their facility. Black, you'll be responsible for locking down the simulator rooms in the West. Pink, the barracks are your target in the East. Yellow, the medical bay in the South is where you'll find our captured personnel in stasis."

As she continued, each Ranger reacted to their assignment, their AI assistants chiming in as well.

Pink smirked, leaning slightly into the holographic display as she eyed her section. "The barracks, huh? Looks like I'll be thinning the herd. Can't wait to watch those commanders scramble when I pop their little heads off."

Prism, her AI, materialized beside her, a glint of mischief flickering in her form. "Why stop at the commanders?" Prism purred, her voice filled with an almost sadistic glee. "Take your time, Pink. Play with them. Make them fear every second of it."

Pink's grin widened, her tone dripping with dark excitement. "Now you're speaking my language, Prism. Nothing like the thrill of making them beg before I take the shot."

Prism's form shimmered with approval. "Draw it out. Let the dread sink in. Then, when they think they've got a chance... pull the trigger."

Black cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing as the holographic display highlighted the simulator rooms. "Perfect. I'll lock down the simulator rooms and smash through any of their elite soldiers. They won't even have time to think if I'm in their face."

Bastion, his AI, appeared at his side, steady and calculating. "Your armor's fully prepped, your weapons are in peak condition," he commented in a firm, no-nonsense tone. "You'll be right in the thick of it. Just the way you like it."

Black grinned, his muscles tense with anticipation. "That's exactly where I need to be. Keep them off balance, hit them hard, and don't give them a second to regroup."

Bastion nodded. "Maximum pressure. No time for them to strategize."

Yellow spoke up, her tone calm but resolute. "Our vessels are reinforced with a keratin-like structure, grown specifically to absorb the impact of landing. This biological armor will allow each of our four ships to break through the asteroid's surface and deliver us to our target locations safely."

She gestured to the hologram's depiction of the medical and prison wings. "My team's objective is to extract any prisoners being held by the Elvanurus in their medical bay. Once located, they'll be sent to the Tempest for evacuation to Aquitar. The Tempest is prepared for immediate medical intervention, but the conditions will be unpredictable."

Echo, her AI, added in a precise tone, "We'll use transport tags developed by Blue and Nova. These tags bypass the need for daisy-chained pattern enhancers and will allow direct transport of the prisoners, avoiding interference from the asteroid's radiation. Every prisoner we tag can be extracted swiftly, no matter how volatile the environment becomes."

Yellow nodded, her voice steady. "The tags will ensure we can extract the prisoners quickly, without the complications of pattern relays."

The Red Ranger stepped forward, her tone firm. "I'll be stationed in the central chamber, coordinating relief personnel and providing backup where needed. The bulk of our automated platforms—machine guns, drones, missile platforms, energy barriers, and barricades—will be set up here as a fallback point."

She pointed to the holographic display, focusing on the North Wing. "The North Wing is a priority target. The Triforian fleet's Tri-auric cannons should render the bay inoperable, cutting off the enemy's battlesuits and mechs. Our goal is to stop them from accessing their heavy assets, and any drones or fighters they deploy will engage the fleet in orbit."

Aegis, her AI assistant, added, "By fortifying the central chamber, we prevent enemy forces from reaching key areas. If necessary, we fall back here and hold the line."

The leaders of the alliance exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of resolve and silent contemplation. Each one weighed the gravity of the mission, the complexities laid bare before them. Finally, it was Imperator Wei Lǐngyuè who stepped forward, her posture dignified, her calm presence commanding the room. Her eyes swept over the Rangers, then the assembled military personnel, before settling on General Kassens.

With a quiet nod, she gave her approval. "The alliance stands united in this effort," she began, her voice soft yet carrying the weight of her authority. "You have trained for this moment, and you have prepared your minds and bodies for the battle ahead. Remember that strength comes not only from your skills but from your unity. In this final strike, you carry the hopes of many. Stay focused, stay vigilant, and above all, return victorious."

Her words were simple but profound, her gaze unwavering as she met the eyes of each Ranger, instilling a final wave of confidence in the team before they faced the task that lay ahead.