บท 181: Chapter 179

Vincente and his team proceeded towards their objective, moving swiftly and silently through the thick alien forest. The terrain was uneven, with jagged rocks and the occasional spire of alien plant life rising from the ground, their bioluminescent color casting an eerie glow in the dim light. Despite the distractions, Vincente's squad was focused, as they moved through the unfamiliar environment.

Saya led the way, her sharp eyes scanning every shadow and movement with precision. Her sniper rifle, an advanced model designed for long-range engagements, was slung across her back, but she carried her sidearm in hand, ready to react to anything. Zara, the tech expert, kept her hands close to her tech pack, a small array of tools and gadgets that could disable or hack alien tech if needed.

Rourke and Tarkov, the demolitions and medic specialists, moved carefully behind Vincente, their gear adjusted to give them the greatest mobility without sacrificing firepower.

"We're nearing the target zone," Saya whispered over comms, her voice soft and controlled. "No signs of movement so far, but something feels off."

Vincente gave a short nod, tapping the side of his helmet to adjust the comm frequency. "Keep your eyes peeled. They may be hiding in the trees. Zara, check the surroundings for any enemy tech or traps."

Zara nodded, pulling out a small device from her pack. It was a compact, high-tech scanner, capable of detecting even the slightest interference in the environment. She waved it around, passing it over rocks and vegetation as they moved forward.

"No traps so far, but there's definitely some interference," Zara reported, "It's faint, but it's there. Could be some sort of jamming or cloaking tech."

"Understood," Vincente said, "We'll stay alert and move slower. Watch for movement."

The squad continued forward, moving at a crouch now to minimize their noise. As they approached the outskirts of the designated area, they could hear the faint crackling of static and the murmur of voices, too low for them to discern the exact words, but enough to confirm that the survivors were nearby.

"Enemy activity?" Rourke asked, his hands flexing near the trigger of his grenade launcher, ready for anything.

Vincente shook his head, glancing at the map again. The survivor beacons were all clustered together in a small clearing just ahead. But there was something else, movement in the forest. Not just the occasional sway of trees or distant rustles of wildlife, but deliberate, calculated movements.

"Hold up," he ordered quietly, signaling for the squad to halt. They crouched low behind the cover of a large rock formation, blending in with the shadows. Vincente took a knee, scanning the forest through his helmet. He could just make out shapes, alien soldiers, their forms only half-visible through the dense foliage. They were moving in a loose formation, but their presence meant one thing: the survivors were either trapped or under guard.

"Saya, take the high ground," Vincente said. "Zara, find us a way to disable any jamming or cloaking. We need full comms." He glanced at Rourke and Tarkov. "The rest of us will stay low and move to engage."

Without a word, Saya slinked away, disappearing into the shadows as she moved to a high vantage point. Her sniper rifle was now in hand, her focus absolute. She was the eyes of the squad, and her keen instincts would give them the information they needed to make their next move.

Zara was already working, her hands moving quickly across her tech board. "Got it," she said with a satisfied nod. "The jamming is coming from a device about 50 meters out, slightly uphill. I'll disable it, but I'll need cover."

"I'll give you five minutes," Vincente said.

"I only need 2," Zara replied, then began to move toward the location she'd pinpointed.

With that, the rest of the squad moved forward. Rourke led the charge, his demolition pack heavy with charges that could obliterate anything in their path. Tarkov moved right behind him, ready to face the enemy. Vincente kept his focus on the task at hand, they were close to rescuing the remaining crew of the Endeavor.

As they approached the location of the alien forces, the distant sounds of enemy chatter grew clearer. They were too close now to remain undetected. Vincente raised his hand, signaling for everyone to halt.

"Five targets ahead, spread out in a defensive line," Saya's voice came through their comms. "They're well-armed and looking for something."

Vincente nodded. "We take them fast and quiet. Tarkov, Rourke, you're with me. We'll move in from the left. Saya, you provide overwatch. Zara, keep your position until the jammer is down. Once we have eyes on, you disable the tech."

With a plan in place, they moved again, this time with deadly purpose. Rourke and Tarkov stayed close to Vincente as they advanced, their silhouettes blending into the shadows. Saya was already in position, her sniper rifle trained on the enemy squad, waiting for the signal.

"On my mark," Vincente muttered, his finger resting lightly on the trigger of his rifle.

Saya's voice crackled over the comms. "Ready."

"Mark."

At that instant, a single shot rang out from Saya's rifle. The high-energy rifle tore through the air, piercing the skull of the first alien guard. Before the body even hit the ground, Vincente was moving, his squad falling in behind him. In perfect synchronization, they engaged the remaining four, their movements swift and lethal.

Tarkov's sidearm fired with precision, each shot bringing down a target before they could react. Rourke lobbed a grenade at the farthest enemy, the explosion sending a shockwave through the trees, obliterating the last two alien soldiers.

The squad took a moment to regroup, weapons ready. Vincente glanced at Saya. "Good shot."

She gave him a brief nod. "Target eliminated."

Zara's voice crackled through their comms. "Jammer down. I've hacked their comms. We can now track the survivor's beacons again."

Vincente gave a nod of approval. "Let's move out. Stay sharp."

As they advanced towards the survivor's beacons, Vincente failed to notice a figure watching him, while the figure failed to see that Vincente was a fellow Spartan because of the thick forest. As a result, the figure lunged at Vincente resulting in a short brawl between the two before they noticed that they were on the same side.

"Blue!! Blue !!" called out Vincente causing the other Spartan to stop.

"Oh shit, I thought you were one of the aliens." said the Spartan as he released his hold on Vincente and turned towards the forest.

"Everybody, stand down" he called out as about a dozen figures began to emerge from the forests revealing Ascendency marines. Some had torn armor from their battle with the aliens.

"Sorry about that, I'm Lt. Gavin," said Gavin.

"I'm Commander Vincente, we're here to get you out of here." replied Vincente grabbing Gavin's

"I didn't think any other Ascendency forces were within this galaxy, where did you come from?" Gavin asked curiously as to where they came from.

"I'm sure you have dozens of more questions, but let's first evacuate the people and get off this damned planet" Gavin nodded and led them back to where the remainder of his group was.

Once there, Vincente called for a transport ship to come and pick them up. The other MCU squads had also achieved their objectives resulting in the rescue of remaining crew on the planet. However, there were still a few crew missing and they wouldn't know until they get a full count of all the people they rescued and compare it to the original number people aboard the Endeavor.