First draft
Contrary to Dia's expectations, the Greenhouse wasn't that hard to find. At first sight, it was just a dull two-story building, a big warehouse located right in the middle of the vast expanse of snow of the southern pole. But when Dia looked more closely it was hard not to notice the landing pad and turrets placed at the top of the building. More importantly, the place looked squeaky clean despite the snowstorm raging outside. Sitting in the AMU - Armored mobile unit - a type of transport used by the imperial assault troops, Dia squinted her eyes. All the area in close proximity to the building looked like some kind of oasis, and was totally untouched by the blizzard. Dia's stomach sank. There was only one explanation for that phenomenon.
"That's not good." Rodriguez, apparently, had reached the same conclusion. "The building is surrounded by a force field."
"Mitchell?" Omen asked for confirmation.
The pilot's answer came after two seconds delay. "All the Nostromus' primary systems, including the sensors, have been disabled to avoid detection, but it seems the more likely explanation, captain."
"Fanning, is this the only way in?" Dia asked softly while she looked at the building through the military telescope.
Fanning answered with a shrug. "Yes, as far as I know."
Dia couldn't help but frown, annoyed by his behavior.
Willis, on the other hand, was much more vocal. "As far as you know?! What the hell does that mean? Didn't you say you have been here before?"
"I have been here." Fanning confirmed. "But my movements were restricted. I was under constant surveillance."
"So, what do you know?" Omen asked.
Fanning shrugged. "I know that the surface level is used as temporary storage for the Spice. That's where I went last time I was here."
"What about the lab?" Omen asked.
"It's deep underground." Fanning answered after a moment's hesitation. "We need to go down to the second level and take the elevator. That's the only way in."
The frown on Dia's face turned into a scowl.
"What's wrong?" Rodriguez said to her.
"Here." Dia handed the telescope to Rodriguez. "Take a look yourself."
Rodriguez whistled. "Motion detectors, proximity alarms, and antiblast doors." She shook her head. "I hate to say it, Sweetheart, but I don't think we'll make it. The force field is bad enough, but those turbolaser turrets..."
Willis, of course, agreed with her. "As soon as we try to get close, they will turn us into cinders."
"Unless we take them out of the equation." Omen, who had been silent so far, spoke for the first time.
"Yeah?" Willis crossed his arms defiantly. "And how do you intend to do that?"
"Well, Jacob." Omen said and Willis scowled. "I think we should follow your advice."
His words seemed to catch him off-guard. Willis looked at him with suspicion, obviously expecting some kind of trap. "My advice?"
The smile on Omen's face was positively vulpine. "We blow them up."
The AMU was suddenly very quiet, shock robbing them of speech.
"Now hang on a second." Rodriguez said in an urgent tone. "I thought we agreed to do this quietly."
"Yeah, Omen." Dia said. "That seems a little extreme, don't you think?"
"Plans change, Dia. You should know that better than anyone else." Omen's face was a mask of determination. "Besides, we're running out of time." Omen glanced at Fanning. "Unless he has any suggestions, I don't think we have much choice."
Fanning shrugged as if the whole thing had nothing to do with him. "Nope, go on, blow it up."
Willis snorted. "You're not very helpful, are you?"
Fanning gave him a glare, but other than that, he didn't answer to his provocation.
"Those turrets have a very short range." Sarah said thoughtfully, ignoring their bickering. "Mitchell shouldn't have any problem blowing them up."
Willis looked disgusted. "If that's the case, why don't we just blow up the entire place and be done with it?"
"You can't do that!" Fanning exclaimed. When everyone looked at him, Fanning coughed and hastened to explain. "The Greenhouse is located deep underground. A photon torpedo might do the trick, but have you thought about the consequences? You can't destroy the Greenhouse from the surface without risking to destabilize the planet's core."
"I'm no tech, but that sounds like bullshit." Rodriguez gave her two cents.
"This is not my area of expertise, but I have to agree with Rodriguez." Sarah said. "Since Fanning says so, it must be a lie."
"We're not talking about drugs, little chemist." Fanning looked at Sarah with unconcealed scorn. "Maybe you should just stick to what you're good at."
Dia could almost see the doctor's hackles rising.
"Mitchell? Is Fanning right?" She interrupted before Sarah and Fanning could devolve into their usual arguments.
"Daxum's planetary core is located approximately fifteen hundred miles below the planet's surface." Mitchell said. "To date, the best mining companies in the Empire have never been able to drill through the lower mantle. Although the technology at the Umbra's disposal is very advanced, the possibility that he was able to drill through the mantle and build a secret base close to the planetary core is extremely low."
"Low but not nonexistent, right?" Fanning insisted.
"On the other hand," Mitchell continued as if she hadn't heard him. "Launching a standard twenty-five-ton antimatter torpedo would have devastating effects on the planet. If our objective is to destroy the facility, a regular nuclear bomb would suffice."
"We won't nuke the Greenhouse." Omen said in a tone of finality. "We must first make sure that the Umbra is down there. The only way to do that is to go there in person."
Dia frowned when she saw Fanning breathe a sigh of relief. If she had any doubt the pirate had an ulterior motive before, she had none now.
"I think we should follow Omen's plan." Sarah was saying in the meanwhile. "Even if we exclude the turrets, we can't go in without disabling the force field first."
Everyone nodded - though Dia and Rodriguez still seemed to have reservations - except Willis. Dia saw the merc mumble something under his breath but he didn't try to oppose this time.
"Alright then." Omen said before tapping his commlink. "Mitchell, you got eyes on the target?"
"Affirmative, captain." Mitchell said. "It's my duty to point out that we might reveal our location once we power up the weapons."
"I know that, Mitchell." Omen said. There was a hint of impatience in his tone. "We don't have any other choice at the moment."
"Copy that, captain." Mitchell said. "Powering up weapons...turbolasers locked and loaded. Ready to fire on your command."
"Do it." Omen said without hesitation.
Dia, who was still looking at the building, saw the turrets disappear in a dazzling flash of light. She closed her eyes, momentarily blinded, and when she opened them again, only debris was left. Thankfully, Mitchell's targeting had been precise and the rest of the building was mostly intact.
"Targets destroyed." Mitchell informed. "The force field has been disabled, captain."
"Well done, Mitchell." Omen praised.
"Happy to be of service, captain." Mitchell said in a tone of voice faintly warmer and more cordial than usual. "A fair warning. Once you go down there we may be unable to keep contact."
"Copy that, Mitchell." Omen glanced back at the mercs who were in the rear seat. "Suit up. Let's get to that elevator."