The Red Frontier: Wrath of the Vanquished

Chapter 54: Covert Tactics

Marcus stood with arms folded, looking around as he felt a measure of nervousness build up inside him and creep into his facial expression.

Before him, the rest of the SOSC 5th Company had all clustered close together in one of the briefing rooms of the Sirtha Prime Headquarters, gathering around the central table. They also had perturbed expressions on their faces, looking first to him for guidance, and then with confusion at the man who stood beside Marcus, whom they'd never seen before - Major Gideon.

However, the Unit 19 agent didn't have the courtesy to look back at them in kind. Instead, he focused entirely on his own business. First, he placed a large case he had brought into the room at the floor beside his feet, and then he reached for the table.

Jutting out the side of the flat metal piece of furniture was a small, rectangular panel, with a few wires running from its sides into the table. As Gideon reached towards the panel, it lit up with a holographic keypad, and the fingers of his right hand began to tap away, while his left hand took a small information chip and slid it into the machine.

"So, Major..." Marcus' gaze instant turned as he heard Jennifer's voice. She had placed herself just beside Marcus, looking intermittently between him and Gideon, who to her, was a complete stranger. 

"And who's this guy?" Ferro's gruff, blunt voice followed hers, and as he spoke, the Tartarusan flicked his chin upwards and towards Gideon, uncouthly gesturing straight at him from straight across the table.

Marcus' reply was accompanied by a warning glare. "Ferro..." As he said that, Gideon's gaze finally turned up from his work, but he remained leaning over the table, his hands resting calmly upon the control panel.

"Tell me, Major Winter..." the fair-skinned man asked in a level tone. "Who are these two?"

Marcus help up a hand, gesturing to his friends in kind. "Major Gideon, this is Captain Jennifer Sakong, my second-in-command, and Master Sergeant L.J Ferro, our NCO." Then, with a pang of reluctance in his heart , he said. "Everyone, this is Major Gideon... Unit 19."

A few murmurs escaped the lips of the SOSC 5th company - words that Jennifer covered up by politely saying. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Major" and giving him a slight smile.

Ferro, meanwhile, said nothing. But his look spoke volumes.

Gideon stood fully upright and nodded to both of them, seeming to take this all in his stride. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." He then scanned the room. "Now, does anyone else want to ask me anything?"

He asked his question, and was met with absolute, untrusting silence. But, still, he didn't seem phased at all.

"No? Then listen in." As he spoke, he leant over the table, and everyone, including Marcus gathered slightly closer to the table. Gideon held his hands aloft over the table, and as he did so, something happened.

The piece of metal furniture registered his movements, and a voice sounded through the room. "Identity confirmed. Generating tactical display."

Blue neon lines darted across several idents cut into the table's surface, and at each of the four corners, a bright blue light beamed upwards towards the ceiling, creating a great hovering field of colour that lit up the room. Inside this field, lines of text began to hover in the air, and vanished as quickly as they had come, and various images - some static, some full-motion videos that could be viewed from both front and behind - began to appear. Most of all, as Gideon's hands moved to swipe at and tap at the images, they moved where he commanded them, allowing him to organise everything with ease.

A holographic display - one of the many wonders of modern technology.

"Strategos Idriah has been clear - our orders are to get Haraq back into Union terriory at any cost." Gideon began in a calm, yet firm voice. "Following the Embassy Attack, High Command has been sending spy planes and drones over Xan-Klar territory for the past two weeks, and thankfully, we have discovered the location that he's being interred within."