In order to retrieve their heavier weapons, the five friends walked briskly back towards the docks and the Kyara who was waiting. Now much more mobile due to the ship's medbay's quick healing, Nora went over their prearranged course of action.
"Alright, listen up," Nora said in a clear, determined voice. "As soon as you're on board, make sure you have at least one combat knife, plenty of extra ammunition, and your main ballistic weapons. Once we're back on Earth, Nayla, you'll get ahead of the main group; be our spotter and blend in with the crowd. If you see Treskan, let us know.
"Tactical loadout assessment: who's packing the most overall ballistic firepower for this operation?"
Simply put, "That would be you, Nora," Luna said.
"All right. "Knew that." Nora bounced back fast. "All right, tactical formation. I'll stand in the middle. Yan, right flank. Luna, left flank. You'll come in last, Kieran. This allows for overlapping fields of observation within the crowd and a broader search pattern.
Kieran said, "Agreed," in response. "We can use my small communication units on board the Kyara to communicate securely as a team. As Nora advised, I'll assume the rear guard position. I'll make sure our quarry regrets trying to approach from behind." His voice implied that his shotgun would be a major part of that remorse.
Yan muttered ominously, "He deserves far worse than just regretting it,"
"Perhaps," Kieran admitted dejectedly. "But the top priority is to swiftly and effectively eliminate the threat. Let's get going." They arrived at the entrance ramp of the Kyara. They went to their cabins to arm themselves after boarding the ship.
Yan sadly recognized the limitations of his usual arsenal outside of the arena's controlled environment as he gathered his gear. His wrist-flamethrower lacked the accuracy needed for this type of targeted operation, and his concussion grenades were too indiscriminate to be used in a potentially crowded civilian area. That basically left him with his backup daggers and his two 9mm pistols. Checking the loads in his magazines, he reasoned that at least he could puncture the target numerous times.
In her cabin, Nora had no such worries about a lack of firepower. She decided to use her combat dagger, her pair of high-capacity kinetic pistols, and her twin laser-sighted Uzi submachine guns as her loadout. Nora believed she had more than enough firepower for both Yan and herself, should Yan feel underprepared. In order to make sure she had enough ammunition to effectively "express her displeasure" to their target, she carefully inspected her spare magazines, making sure she had well over a hundred rounds overall.
Nayla was quietly preparing her own special arsenal nearby, which included her compact crossbow and her high-velocity pistols. Even though her pistol magazines could only hold about one-third as many rounds as Nora's, the specialty ammunition made up for it. Despite their diminutive size, they were able to cause catastrophic internal damage by firing smaller caliber, needle-like flechettes at incredibly high velocities. Her crossbow was a contemporary marvel that was inspired by an old Terran idea. She had designed the weapon herself, commissioning skilled technicians on her homeworld to custom-fabricate each component since she couldn't find an existing weapon that met her exact specifications. The small gun used a rapid pump-action cocking mechanism that was conceptually similar to some older shotgun designs, and it had a five-bolt internal magazine. The magazine housing was mounted next to a tiny infrared targeting sight. Strong, quick-acting corrosive acid dispensers were attached to the crossbow bolts themselves, which were made to burn through thin armor or, in this case, flesh.
Luna was loading her assault rifle in the cabin next to her, putting cartridges into two spare high-capacity magazines and then putting a third into the assault rifle itself with a mechanical, almost mindless efficiency. She usually carried just one sidearm, unlike the others, a viciously large-framed revolver chambered for potent.38 Magnum equivalent rounds, which are among the heaviest practical handgun cartridges available. Her main rifle bore a striking resemblance to the venerable Terran M-16 pattern, whose basic dependability and ergonomics maintained the popularity of variants among some fighters for millennia. Her particular model used thirty-round box magazines to fire standard 7.62mm ammunition. The rifle had surprisingly low recoil and a unique muzzle brake that, when fired, produced an odd six-pointed starburst flash pattern instead of the usual spherical fireball.
Kieran prepared his weapons with the usual care and attention to detail. He loaded his shotgun's three spare five-round magazines with care. The weight of the weapon's specialized ammunition continued to be its main logistical disadvantage. A special bracket built into the shotgun's custom stock held the long, relatively thin box magazines in place. The underside rail was free for other tactical attachments, such as his favorite set-up of laser sight, integrated rangefinder, and small low-light optical scope, thanks to this mounting position. In his ship's fabricator, he had essentially constructed the shotgun from the ground up, starting with a dependable core action design and drastically altering almost every other part until it barely resembled any standard production model. Although not as extensively modified, his.45 pistol had a comparable built-in laser sight module. It had a powerful shot. 45 caliber hollow-point rounds are made to produce devastating wound channels and a great deal of stopping power.
The rearmed group reassembled in the egress bay less than ten minutes after dispersing, loaded, locked, and determined to bring about justice. The small, inconspicuous earpiece headsets that clung firmly to the wearer's ear were distributed by Kieran. Until Treskan was found, they decided to keep their larger weapons hidden or slung across their backs, initially using holstered sidearms to avoid giving away their intentions. As a result, the five friends disembarked again, blending into the thronging crowds close to the arena complex and spreading out in their prearranged search pattern, examining faces in an attempt to find Treskan. Yan's voice crackled over the secure comm channel after almost 45 anxious, uneventful minutes of searching.
"This is Yan; get in touch with everyone. On target, in the northwest quadrant close to the Vesper fountain, is a possible visual. Before the positive ID was verified, the subject ducked into an alleyway. Are you going to intercept?" Under the temporary callsign 'Lead,' Nora coordinated the search and came back right away.
"Go to Yan and acknowledge any potential contact. Negative on intercept; continue to observe from where you are. Every other unit should carefully converge on the Vesper fountain area in the northwest quadrant. Yan, avoid direct interaction if you regain vision. To scatter civilians, fire a single warning shot vertically. If it's safe to do so, pursue. Until the target is verified, keep the communication quiet. Take the lead.
After searching unsuccessfully for nearly two hours, the increasingly irate group stopped briefly for hydration and a quick energy boost at an outdoor street café close to the arena perimeter. They had just taken their seats at a table and started talking about possible different search areas or strategies when the sharp crackle of automatic weapons fire came from a rooftop just above them. Due to years of combat instinct, all five of them reacted immediately, running for the closest cover, which included overturned tables, ornamental planters, and structural columns. The nearby residents screamed and fled the immediate area as they dispersed in fear. Direct participation in another person's firefight was typically avoided, even though the majority of bystanders in this district were probably used to the idea of violence, having been primarily gladiators or support personnel themselves. In a matter of seconds, there were no more innocent onlookers in the nearby street area. The gunfire persisted intermittently, striking close to the spots where the five friends had sought refuge. Nobody was unsure of the identity of the shooter. He must have seen Yan earlier, recognized that he was being pursued, prepared for the ambush, and armed himself accordingly.
Treskan must have had to reload or reposition because the conflagration ended abruptly after maybe thirty seconds. Kieran rushed up from behind his cover as soon as the firing ceased, aiming his powerful shotgun at the rooftop ledge where the shots had come from, but Treskan stayed hidden. At the same time, Luna, Yan, and Nora emerged from their cover positions, their weapons trained on the rooftop. Hidden from the others in the initial confusion, Nayla had already started flanking, moving quickly and low, using decorative statues, recessed storefronts, and potted plants as cover, quickly approaching the building Treskan occupied. In order to maintain overlapping fields of fire concentrated on Treskan's suspected location, the four people supplying covering fire swiftly moved to better positions. He would be met with a barrage of retaliatory fire the instant he exposed himself once more. Nayla silently ascended the rooftop ledge after less than a minute of exceedingly cunning ascent through architectural elements and drainpipes. With caution, she stood up, crossbow at the ready. There was nobody using the rooftop access point. She made a brief, all-clear hand gesture that people below could see, and then she whispered into her comm earpiece.
"No target was seen on the rooftop. The platform is clear. He must have moved. Encourage a tight formation, close proximity, and ground search. Although the larger area was certainly being surrounded by Planetary Security forces by this point, it was customary to keep a perimeter around the area and let the registered gladiators settle their differences among themselves during tournament season, only getting involved if the collateral damage became too great. Nayla froze, head tilted, sniffing the air delicately, her ears twitching quickly as they moved cautiously now as a single unit through the oddly deserted streets, weapons held ready. Just ahead, she gestured gently toward a sizable public square that would open up, dotted with a number of enormous, abstract statues in the style of Art Deco. Any one of them could be used to hide their target. Nora instructed the team to spread into a flanking approach as they approached the square's entrance using silent hand signals. Each participant was in charge of covering a particular area of the square. Nayla disengaged again, vanishing into the shadows of the buildings enclosing the square, and circled to determine the precise location of their target. After a minute, she spoke softly over the communications:
"Nayla is reporting. Target attested. Slightly to the right of the square when viewed from your approach angle, hiding behind the base of the main fountain structure. From your current positions, Kieran and Nora, you ought to have unobstructed areas of fire. For tactical advantage, Yan and Luna advise you to keep using the flanking maneuver and approach from behind.
"Confirm target location method, Nayla?" Kieran asked, a little disbelieving. "Your position doesn't offer direct line of sight."
The words "visual contact negative," were confirmed quietly by Nayla. both olfactory and auditory positive. Even over background noise, Target's ragged breathing can be heard. Additionally, he seems to be sporting an overpoweringly strong type of synthetic cologne. Encourage an upwind strategy if at all possible. Nora choked back a laugh.
"I understand, Nayla. Target engagement," Nora ordered. "Go ahead with the flanking maneuver, Luna and Yan. Keep overwatch with me, Kieran, and put down any attempt to flee. Prioritize immobilization if the target breaks cover, Kieran. Shoot to wound and, if at all possible, disable legs.
"Roger," said Kieran.
The words "Copy, Lead," Luna admitted.
"Moving," said Yan.
Nayla confirmed this to her with a low growl.