Asteroid Blues

From: O-12 Assistant Commissioner Mabel Walker Williebrandt
To: Aleph High Functionary Frank J. Wilson
Message Reads:
We got him, Frank! We have nailed his ass to the wall this time. He is in the Gallery Maze at the Chimneys on Novyy Bangkok. I know you have operations running there, but dammit this man has prepared to smuggle that cursed Daim over half the human sphere! What few resources we have there are tied up with the Shasvastii, but this is too good a chance to let slip through our fingers. Armitage must be brought to justice and his operations taken apart for good. You know what that drug does to people. I know I can count on you. Coordinates attached.
- Mabel Williebrandt

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From: Aleph High Functionary Frank J. Wilson
To: O-12 Assistant Commissioner Mabel Walker Williebrandt
Message Reads:
Mabel,
We know well the harm that substance can do to the human body. We have a team near to that location preparing for an operation, I will order them to perform a recon sweep of the coordinates you have supplied. The orders will be to neutralise Armitage and impound any Daim he has stored. He cannot escape our reach.
- Frank J. Wilson

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From: Aleph High Functionary Frank J. Wilson
To: Commanding Aspect Thamoz
Message Reads:
New Mission Objective: Neutralise criminal designation 1932 - Armitage
New Mission Objective: Capture and contain illicit substance known as Daim.
Proposed Mission Parameters:
Perform recon sweep at the attached coordinates to locate the criminal and any illicit substances he has stored.
Projected risk: low
Operational freedom: complete

Good hunting.
- Frank J. Wilson

What follows is the report of Aspect Thamoz, uploaded to Aleph shortly after the successful completion of the mission.

By happy chance or prescience, our forces were well equipped to handle this new mission. Retasked from an infiltration sweep to prepare for the next stage of Operation [REDACTED], we took up positions around the periphery of our new operational area then sent our infiltrators forward to secure the canisters of Daim and locate our target - the criminal Armitage.

The mission was going without any substantial setbacks. Out infiltrators met no resistance and, whilst they could not immediately locate Armitage, they did identify the canisters containing his stores of Daim. Our Naga assault hacker, who had deployed in the centre with Dart, activated and secured the central canister whilst our Yadu HMG lead the Haris fireteam out from behind a crate...

As the Yadu operative stepped out to lead our team towards the canisters, the enemy made contact. A sniper shot took the Yadu clean through the chest, causing such collateral damage that even the resilient Lhost of a Yadu could not withstand the shock.
Reports came in from our infiltrators - the Qapu Khalqi were again interfering in our operations.

Under ordinary circumstances we would not seek battle with the forces of Haqqislam over the pursuit of a criminal, however it was clear they did not share any such compulsions. With regret, we changed our operational parameters: Punish those who would interfere with the law.
With restrictions lifted, our infiltrators engaged the enemy. A naga operative stormed the enemy position, using camouflage technology to enter effective range, then unleashed the wrath of Aleph upon the Djanbazan and Al Hawwa who opposed us, before finally succumbing to the dreadful wounds it suffered.

The enemy seemed caught off balance by the vicious reprisal, seemingly out of nowhere. They were not to be underestimated however. Plumes of smoke erupted skywards as the raucous Yuan Yuan moved forward, throwing their smoke grenades to cover the advance of the remaining Djanbazan and an Odalisque. As is usual with such untrained and uncoordinated mercenaries, they did their job but incompletely and almost fell prey to the treacherous terrain in which they found themselves engaged. Cautiously, the Djanbazan team claimed one of the Daim canisters then moved to take up covered central positions. The Odalisque remained just inside the building on suppressive fire in an attempt to contain us while they secured more of the narcotics.

Although our left side was covered by an enemy Feuerbach, the enemy had given us a perfect opportunity. Our posthuman comrade slid out from hiding in her mk2 sniper form and dispatched the waiting Odalisque from beyond the enemy's range. That done, she turned her sights to a badly concealed trooper hiding behind a building and eliminated them with calm efficiency. This would later turn out to be the trooper in command of the enemy, causing a catastrophic break down in their command structure.
Seeing the chance, the Posthuman Dart leapt from cover and attempted to storm the central building where the Djanbazan were cowering. Whilst her actions proved her undoing, this rash move succeeded in downing the Yuan Yuan, though not before the pirate threw down more smoke to cover them.
We then commanded our Deva Spitfire operative to move out where the Yadu had failed. Their smoke proving no defence against our superior MSV technology, the enemy Yuan Yuan and Djanbazan marksman were soon neutralised, with only the doctor scrambling away behind cover.

Scrambling to restore their chain of command, the enemy forces attempted to take back control of the situation but to little avail. Another naga fell to their machinations and their doctor managed to get one of the Djanbazan troopers back into the fight, whilst the Azrail started to obliterate what stores of Diam the enemy had managed to locate.

Moving to take total control of the area, the last remaining Naga moved to secure another storage container then engaged the Djanbazan doctor and marksman, falling to enemy fire before this last task was achieved. The Proxy sniper used anti-material rounds to put the container beyond the reach of any mortal force.
Seizing the opportunity, our Shukra consultant moved out from their observation station to claim a container and guard another from any remaining enemy action.

Though outnumbered and outmaneuvered, we cannot fault the courage of the sultanate's soldiers. Their momentum gone and the majority of their forces littering the floor of the Gallery Maze, nonetheless the remaining troopers made a grab for what containers they could. First the Azrail then an Al Hawwa engaged the Shukra to make it safely to the nearest Daim container, but through luck and skill the Shukra dueled them to a standstill. In the last moments before they fled to whatever extraction awaited them, the Djanbazan doctor ran to secure the central container. Although he was unsuccesful, we must admire the bravery needed to run the gauntlet of a Deva spitfire, a Shukra consultant and a Proxy sniper. Out of respect, as soon as he gave up his run we ceased engagement. The enemy was routed and the stores of Daim were impounded, but after the battle was finished and our recon sweep resumed we could not find any trace of the criminal Armitage.

Mission complete. Report uploaded to Aleph for evaluation and assessment by Aspect Thamoz.

** Addendum from Shukra Consultant **
Admonitions regarding caution and restraint appear to have taken too deep a root in Aspect Thamoz. Far from leading the charge, this time the Aspect did not engage with the battle at all, instead taking an entirely command and control role. Whilst this is an improvement, we may wish to reintroduce elements of aggression into the Aspect, as Operation [REDACTED] is unlikely to succeed without a degree of daring and calculated risk.
Final note: Quality control of Yadu Lhosts must be inspected, the Yadu operative on this mission should not have been rendered unusable by the collateral damage of shock ammunition.

From: Aleph High Functionary Frank J. Wilson
To: O-12 Assistant Commissioner Mabel Walker Williebrandt
Message Reads:
We are sorry Mabel, the criminal eluded our team. The forces of the Sultanate engaged us as we searched for him and disrupted our operation. We can confirm that the stores of Daim are now in our control and due for enzyme-breakdown. Armitage may still be out there, but without anything to sell it is possible his clients will move against him. Any related activity from mercenary groups will be flagged and forwarded to you. We would not wish to spread disharmony, but were you to contact the Sultanate to reinforce the importance of staying out of OSS operations then future actions may not be so disrupted nor cost so many human lives.
Yours in partnership.
- Aleph