After letting his words sit for a moment, Asher flipped to the final slide. The projector screen now displayed an overview map of a large section of the crater, with various points of interest marked, each detailed with additional notes.
"I don't think I need to inform you," Asher said, his voice steady but heavy with meaning, "but if a human group with enough authority to interfere with the CCTS is backing the White Fang's operations here in Atlas, they're not doing it for the sake of the Faunus. They're likely using the White Fang for their own agenda, getting people desperate enough for change involved in their schemes."
The truth was simple: it hadn't worked. Not only had the individuals involved in the hijacking been arrested, but the human group behind the scenes had managed to avoid any risk or backlash. All the hijacking had done was trigger a massive crackdown on criminal activity, with military and police forces tightening their grip.
And, as always, it was the Faunus who suffered the most under that crackdown.
"I know sentiments towards the White Fang among Faunus have become divided, especially since they've become more... extremist," Asher continued, pausing for a moment to let the weight of his words sink in.
"But if any of you want to make a change in Mantle, this will be your chance. With how anti-human the White Fang has become, whatever group is backing them must have been doing this for a long time." The White Fang certainly didn't trust humans easily, but if they were trusting this group, it meant this alliance had been formed over years of mutual support.
Who knew how many of the White Fang's past operations had been funded and backed by this mysterious group? Yet, despite all that power, the situation hadn't improved.
Mantle hadn't gotten better. Not for the Faunus, nor for Humans. If anything, it had gotten worse. If this group had so much influence, they could've made a real difference in a number of ways. But they hadn't. Instead, they'd chosen this route, and that spoke volumes about where their true priorities lay.
"So these will be your missions," Asher said, pointing to the points marked on the projector screen behind him.
"All of these are potential locations where the White Fang may be secretly recruiting," he explained.
"They were identified through aerial drone surveillance, specifically set up to track any suspicious activity that aligned with the White Fang's recruitment strategies in other regions." The group glanced at the map, each of them recognizing a few of the locations and areas.
They had grown up in the crater, after all, and the familiarity of the terrain was probably why Asher was sending them—he knew they'd be comfortable working in these areas.
"Your task is simple," Asher continued.
"There are eight points marked, so you'll split into four teams of two. Tomorrow, you'll be sent to investigate these locations. If you find any people of interest, or White Fang members, you're to capture them for questioning. A retrieval team will be on standby to assist if sensitive intelligence needs to be collected."
Asher clicked the button on the remote, turning off the projector, and stepped forward, commanding the group's attention.
"The crater is technically a legal gray zone," he said, his tone dipping.
"Once we're authorized to move tomorrow, you'll be operating with partial immunity. How you approach these locations is up to you—you can be quiet or loud. Technically, nothing there is sanctioned. Obviously, you're not to harm non-combatants or cause any disruptions beyond the scope of your mission. Any questions?"
There was a brief pause before Sterling raised his hand.
"What is it?" Asher asked, his gaze shifting to the side.
"Hypothetically, if we're backed into a corner, what are we supposed to do? Do we try to subdue them, or...?" Sterling trailed off, but he didn't need to finish his sentence for Asher to understand the unspoken question.
"GAIA, the onboard AI Assistant, has been programmed with the rules of engagement and ethical guidelines written by Liv herself," Asher answered without hesitating.
"She'll be your guide and closest companion while you're in your armor. Not only will she keep you on task, but she'll also let you know what you are and aren't allowed to do. Now then, anything else?" Asher's gaze swept across the group once more, but no one else raised their hands.
"Alright then. The mission is tomorrow, so rest properly. Remember, this will be your first operation, meaning the results will be scrutinized intensely. Don't mess this up. You're dismissed." With that, he clicked the remote, returning the room's lighting to normal before setting the remote down on a nearby table.
He turned and made his exit, stepping through the automatic sliding door.
Once he was gone, the group sat in silence for a moment. Auburn, the quietest member of the team, finally broke it.
"So... our first mission is taking us home."
"Yup, looks like it," Ochre said, a slight chuckle in his voice.
"Makes it feel a bit weird, though, considering we just visited the crater yesterday after he told us we're not confined to our quarters anymore." It was needless to say, their friends and families had been wondering what was going on with them during their two months of training.
They'd hardly been around between intense training sessions and being stuck in their quarters. Of course, there was also the matter of being forced to leave the Night Talons, the gang they'd been a part of.
That had caused some problems, too.
"So we're going through with this? Raiding the crater?" Gray asked, his voice directed toward the group.
"I mean, it's not like we have much of a choice," Sable responded.
"That's not true. Remember, we can refuse deployment as long as Liv Melone accepts it," Cobalt corrected, his words causing everyone to fall silent as they processed that.
Eventually, Jade glanced over at Indigo, who had been unusually quiet, and asked, "What do you think, Indigo? You're in charge after all."
Meeting Jade's gaze, Indigo stood up from her chair and said, "I think we should go through with it."
"Really?" Gray asked, his voice tinged with surprise. It wasn't because he disagreed, but rather because he had expected reluctance from her of all people.
"Yeah, think about it. They already have these locations monitored. If they don't send us, they're just going to send some other group, and I doubt they'll be very lenient towards anyone who gets in the way. At least if we go, we can make sure it's done right." Indigo paused for a moment, her tone shifting slightly.
"Also... I agree with Ashe- I mean, our Commander." There was a subtle discomfort in her voice as she corrected herself, but she pushed on.
"I used to look up to the White Fang. I think we all did. But they've changed, and so have their methods. I might not care about the rich bastards up here in Atlas, but everything they've been doing here is only making things harder for us, and it hasn't fixed anything at all."
After a brief pause, Indigo smirked slightly, a glint of something more dangerous in her eye.
"So, if we get to take them out, I'm down. Besides... if what he just said is true, and someone's backing them—secretly behind all this mess—don't you guys want to get your hands on them first before we have to hand them over?"
=====================================•=====================================
December 12th, 2033
The day of the mission arrived quickly, though neither Asher nor Indigo nor her team felt it had been that fast.
Down in the Atleasian Military Compound, Asher could be seen standing in a mission operations center, which had been reserved exclusively for his division's use. The room was lined with rows of computer workstations, each outfitted with holographic displays managing communications, system monitoring, and other essential tasks—though, at that moment, none of them were in use.
The floor of the room sloped downward, with the computers at the back sitting higher than the ones at the front, and stairs cutting through the center, left, and right. The foremost wall of the room was dominated by giant wall-mounted screens—one large central display that nearly covered the entire wall, and four smaller ones flanking it on each side.
Displayed on the screens were various real-time data points, including telemetry, system statuses, and video feeds.
There were eight live feeds on the screen. Each one was labeled with a name, and the largest feed was marked "Indigo." The feed showed exactly what Indigo saw: her and the other Insurgents sitting in an airship, flying toward their destination.
Asher stood at the central control panel area, which, unlike the other workstations, was designed for standing use. Different consoles curved in a semi-circle around him, giving him access to all the systems in the mission operations center.
Nearby, Winter stood with Graz. Winter had been assigned by Ironwood to supervise the operation, though her role was to observe and ensure everything ran smoothly without directly interfering. Graz, despite his role as the Director of Operations being largely symbolic, still had to be present for operations like this due to structural reasons.
Lastly, there was Liv, the final person present.
Before the mission, Asher had gone through the proper channels—consulting the Atlas Military Authorization Office and military consultants. But beyond that, he'd also consulted Liv. She was in charge of managing the contracts for Indigo and the others, overseeing their deployment refusals, their training temporarily, and even the rules of engagement programmed into GAIA.
Given her involvement, Asher felt there was more than enough reason for her to be present in the operations center.
Tapping the side of the headset he was wearing, Asher spoke directly into the comms.
"You're all approaching the dropoff point, ETA five minutes. Have everyone run diagnostics through their systems just in case, and double-check weapons. The retrieval teams are already in place, and once you're on the ground, you'll have access to aerial support and surveillance as needed."
There was a brief pause before Indigo's voice came through, clear and steady.
"Yes, sir."
Through Indigo's video feed, Asher could see her giving out orders to the others. She had them run diagnostics through their exosuits, checking their systems as instructed, while also inspecting their weapons. The rifles they were carrying had been designed by Asher himself, just as he had said he would.
The weapons were combat rifles, named IR-4s, or Dominions.
They were a deep, dark gray, made from a reinforced laminate alloy that was heat resistant and EMP shielded. They were wirelessly linked to the Insurgent Armor, meaning everything—from ammo count to barrel temperature to mode-switching—could be monitored and controlled remotely from within the suit.
At over one hundred and thirty centimeters long and weighing sixteen kilograms, the rifles were too unwieldy for any average person to carry, but they were perfect for an Insurgent.
Each IR-4 could be magnetically locked to the armor's backplate with about a ton of electromagnetic force, and they required the Insurgent's personal authorization to be fired, preventing unauthorized use.
The armor-piercing rounds Asher had crafted himself could travel at fifteen hundred meters per second, punching straight through military-grade composite armor. If aimed right, they could drill through multiple walls and still overpenetrate an unarmored target.
"How many targets are they going after?" Winter asked, her attention fixed on the video feeds.
"Eight," Asher replied.
"The plan is for them to hit the closest four near-simultaneously, preventing any counteraction. If nothing's found at those points, they'll move on to the next set of targets before the White Fang has a chance to slip away and news of the operation spreads." This prompted Graz to speak up.
"You mentioned aerial support? I don't remember any airships being deployed over the crater."
Asher shook his head slightly before responding. "Not airships—Anti-Human Spectre Units, running on the P.A.L.A.D.I.N. System. I got their deployment authorized a while ago to gather intel on the area. Just this morning, when they were redeployed, I got permission for them to engage within the targeted mission areas if necessary."
As he spoke, he pressed a button on the console in front of him. The screen shifted, and the video feeds moved off to the sides, shrinking as new feeds appeared, each labeled Anti-Human SU-P #1-5. The feeds displayed high-altitude, live video of the crater, circling the areas near the points of interest.
Liv, who had been quietly observing, raised her concern.
"And they won't be able to slip away? It would be a waste if we went through all this and they still managed to escape." Asher understood her worries. Liv knew how necessary this mission was, and she had already gone over all the details with him.
But the last thing she wanted was to keep sending the Insurgency into the crater every time they missed their window.
"No worries," Asher reassured her, tapping another button on the console.
"The drones have been ordered to keep track of any suspicious figures fleeing the scene during the raids." With that, he pressed the same button again, returning the focus to the feeds of the Insurgency. The team had finished checking their systems, and their IR-4 rifles were securely mounted to their backs.
Another voice crackled through Asher's headset, the pilot of the airship the Insurgency was riding in.
"Sir, we're approaching the drop-off point."
"They're ready, descend," Asher replied calmly.
Above the crater, the Manta airship—a familiar sight, the same type Asher and Liv had used to travel to Atlas Academy—began its descent.
The people living in the slums of the crater glanced up at the descending airship. Some appeared confused, others curious, but many immediately scattered, rushing into their homes or slipping away behind the ruins of buildings, makeshift homes, or tents made from broken-down vehicles and a patchwork of scrap metal, stone, and cloth.
The ground rumbled as the Manta extended its landing gear.
The airship didn't even bother with extending its ramp. Indigo and the others stood up from their seats, moving swiftly towards the open bay doors. Without hesitation, they jumped from the airship, their heavy, nearly half-ton armor hitting the packed dirt and snow below with a heavy thud, leaving deep impressions of their boot prints in the ground.
"You know the drill," Asher's voice crackled through their headsets.
"Split into your teams and start moving towards the first four points of interest. They're already marked on your HUD maps. Keep this channel clear, and use your squad channels to communicate."
"Yes, sir," they all responded in unison, swiftly switching channels. Behind them, the wind kicked up, whipping snow and dust into the air as the Manta began to take off. The sound was muffled by the filters and noise-canceling built into their armor, causing no problems for the squad.
"Alright, let's get this done quickly," Indigo said, her tone sharper and more focused than usual.
"The longer we take, the better the chances of something fucking us over or going wrong. Sable and Auburn, you're Team 1. Cobalt and Ochre, Team 2. Gray and Jade, you're Team 3. Sterling and I will be Team 4. Your team designations will be based on which initial point you're going after, got it?"
Everyone nodded, the weight of their first mission pressing on them, but also a drive to get it done.
"Alright, then let's get moving," Indigo ordered. With that, they split off, each team heading toward their designated points.
Though, regardless of the team's specific destination, they were all heading deeper into the crater.