The legionaries stopped at the door into the comms center their IWS grenade launchers loaded with a toxic gas that would kill anyone breathing it in seconds. It would take almost two minutes for the toxic gas to dissipate after the last grenade was fired, and their armor would give them three minutes worth of air. It meant they had less than one minute of time to use the gas before it would be fatal to use. The second squad would breach and move to hold the exterior door that lead out to the dock. He'd already handed over the heavy repeater and hopefully they would find another upstairs. Between the two they created a good field of cross fire.
Sargon's squad would follow and move straight up towards the control room. The blueprints came up on his heads up display as well as the optimum route. The first floor was Optio Tiber's problem Sargon's people would move immediately to the right up the stairs to the second floor. The plan was to launch three toxic grenades and to move up to the third floor immediately let the gas do the killing the debilitating effects of the gas were almost immediate. The third floor was the fun floor, it was the security checkpoint if there was anything heavy it be there. Three gas grenades would be fired again, but they had to be quick about it. If the enemy sealed the blast doors going up to the fourth level the mission would be a failure.
Fourth floor was desks and a couple of offices the distribution information was kept here profitable information. It would practically give them all the sales information for years and allow them to keep the profits moving. The top floor was the control room for the comms center and once they took it they'd have total control of the port. The violence had to be controlled on the fourth and fifth damage the controls and they lost control of the dock. Hit the equipment on the fourth floor and they lost financial information. At that point in time they could seal the tower from the third floor mission accomplished. At least that was the plan.
Taking one last look over their respective squads the Optios nodded to one another, go time. Pressing a small button there armor sealed and a small timer appeared on their heads up display counting down the time until the oxygen ran out. Sargon heard three dull thudding sounds as the grenades were launched before the door finished opening. A heavy thud was followed by the sound of a dozen bones breaking one of the grenades no doubt went through someone's chest. As the last member of second squad moved in Sargon's point man moved in behind. His squad moved behind making a straight bead towards the stairs.
He casually glanced over the action his mind clear as he analyzed the details. Tiber's men had done their job well, and were already setting up to defend the door. Most of the enemy were convulsing in seizures as the toxic gas did its work. The rest were already dead without enough time to alert the upper floors.
Sargon was the fifth man to reach the second floor his men already fired their grenades. The gas was a sickly yellow-green color the quick release grenades sprayed the gas out of multiple ports quickly filling the room. His men had fired perfectly giving optimum coverage for the whole room, and again even as the enemy inhaled to scream their lungs were paralyzed. Tapping his point Sargon took the second position as the three who had already fired their gas grenades would follow at the rear. They would give the room a quick sweep to ensure everyone was dead and follow at the rear. Two minutes twenty eight seconds left on the heads up, their timing was perfect thus far.
They had twenty seconds to fire the last rounds off. They'd saturate the third floor with gas and hopefully the fourth floor would be filled through the ventilation. As he hit the third floor a flood of information hit him even as he went down to a knee as he aimed to his weapon to the right rear of the room and pulled the forward trigger. Most of the security were already armed and lifting their blasters to fire. A wide eyed officer turned and ran towards the a few console, no doubt it controlled the blast doors and shielding for the control rooms. The room was occupied by roughly two dozen enemy security members, and it was obvious in less than a second they were professionals. It didn't help any though, they'd been unprepared for a chemical threat and lacked full body armor.
Sargon pulled his primary trigger as he his heads up outlined the enemy through the thick cloud of gas that swallowed up the room. A few had been quick enough to strap on some type of rebreather, but most were already affected by fatal doses. Sargon's squad spread out throughout the room creating a broad field of fire and flanking the enemy, eliminating cover. A few bursts of fire and the room was clean.
His squad formed up towards the back of the room moving unto the lift. He had three casualties on his hands, one of which wouldn't make it home. “Trooper Kragon, check the wounded and hold the room. I want your hand over the sealing controls. Any trouble from downstairs seal us up in the upper floors and call for notify me.”
It was to the trooper's credit when he just nodded and said, “Understood, Optio.” Every man knew that to seal himself below the fourth floor was a death sentence if they were hit hard. The blast shielding could only be disengaged from the top floor and anyone below that could be used as leverage against their comrades above. Kragon couldn't allow himself to be taken alive, and he wouldn't. With a nod Sargon closed the doors to the lift and went up into the control rooms. The heads up display gave them just over an eight second window between when the gas would become unstable and molecularity fall apart into its individual elements.
Sargon pushed off relief as the doors to the fourth floor opened. Emotion disinterested him in battle, it clouded the mind and his instincts. The entire room was filled with the dead and a cloud of gas. With a quick hand gesture he sent out a three man team to sweep the room. “After you complete your sweet check the third floor for any heavy weaponry. Then get down to Optio Tiber and reinforce him with any found.”
The point man of the team nodded a quick acknowledgment as they moved out into the room the lift doors shutting behind him. “Tessera Labath, as soon as this room is clean I need the defense systems online and the dock sealed. Legionaries, switch weapons the single fire. If we destroy the wrong console we will lose the ability to control the dock prevent reinforcements through the docks. We expect no resistance on this floor. Spread out take your shots to kill and I'll buy a round back in the Fringe.”
It was a simple plan. Nothing more complicated was needed for this floor. The doors opened his squad fanned out in both directions to surround the room. The complication factor went up almost instantly as directly ahead of him a man in pirate's armor face was lit up by the glow of a lightsaber. Every rifle was sighted on him as the air became tense. The smell faint smell of the oxygen around the saber burning and reformed left an odd smell. The even breathing of his men was calm and disciplined. Sargon decided later he would do more than buy a round after this. They hadn't gone into a panic and were calmly awaiting the order to fire.
Sargon knew that if the force user deflected a shot it could make the objective impossible. “Stand down. You're surrounded and while I might lose a few you will still go down.].” Switching his comms to speak to command he reported in. “Command, we've encountered a force user in the communication center. Reinforcements may be required to hold objective if there are more.” So much for a clean operation.
