Inferno

14 - The Breaking point

The IMC outpost wasn't particularly impressive to look at, but it was definitely something of interest.

Something to help them figure out this mystery.

Tobias tossed a ratio bar over to Tyra. She caught it easily, and gave a small nod of thanks. He looked over to where KT and the other Titans were standing guard on this hilltop they'd decided to settle on. It was roughly a klick away from the outpost, but due to its elevation, it would be hard to see them here. So they had the advantage of both distance and visibility.

The outpost itself was fairly average size; a dockyard for ships, a military facility, and what looked to be a vehicle bay connected to it. Nothing of real value, if it weren't for their current situation. Its location was out of the way and on the edge of a cliff, so they wouldn't be here if they had other options.

It had been four days since they'd discovered the ruins. In that time, they had discovered that there were several other dig sites as well, all of them abandoned like the first. What exactly the IMC were looking for, they didn't have any ideas yet. But with the information they DID have, they could put another plan into action. Try to piece together the puzzle.

They just had to get back to the Militia.

Unfortunately, an extraction from Erebus was not an option. Their own dropship had been shot down almost immediately upon entering IMC space, and the same would happen for any kind of rescue team. Which left plan B, one that involved the IMC outpost... and the dropships parked in its dockyard.

"How much longer until we want to make a move?" asked Vale, glancing over at him while he sat against a mound of snow. He checked the time on his wrist pad.

"Give it another twenty minutes. It'll be getting dark out then, and it'll be harder to detect us. Might as well start getting ready, though." The Stim nodded, and turned back to look out towards the base. He stood up, ready to carry out the first part of the plan.

He walked over to the Titans. "Alright, it's time."

Skids turned and nodded, then bent down to his level. Presenting his main optic, Tobias reached forward and removed the unique rectangular casing of a Ronin's eye, and watched as the main data core of the Titan was revealed. Circular and blue in appearance, data cores were universally accepted by all Titan chassises, and were interchangeable. Feeling for a release mechanism, he found it and slid the now removable eye of Skids out. He held it in his hand, and looked at the side of it where SKD-3812 was engraved. He placed it in a pouch, and moved on as the Ronin chassis remained where it was.

Cee also knelt, and presented his eye for removal. The main spider-like eye with so many lights was just the outer case for the main eye inside, which was just one large blue light. Removing that revealed the data core hidden behind it. Taking it and looking at the side showed that CH-1134 was written there much like Skids' core.

He walked over to Tyra and handed her the pouch, now full with both Titans' data cores. "Keep that safe." She didn't really need to be told that, but it never hurt to be safe. She gave him a nod, and walked over to where Vale stood, psyching themselves up for what they were about to do.

Without a data core, the Ronin and Scorch chassis would be relatively easy to destroy, no more than a distraction. But that was all they needed; a distraction.

He glanced over at KT to see her staring right back at him. She was the only Titan whose data core wouldn't be stored with Tyra, and also had the most dangerous job as such. They stayed like that for a few seconds, understanding how risky the plan they were about to attempt was. She gave a small bow, and he gave her a thumbs up. That was all they needed to do to know how the other felt. He looked up at the sky to see it beginning to darken as the faint sun on the horizon began to disappear from sight.