Re: Within the Asteroid II
The plan was to break out the main expedition (trapped at the top of the elevator) by sending a smaller group up the side emergency stair well to outflank the mercenary blocking force. The main expedition was quickly briefed and a plan hastily put into place. Whatever they did would need to be done fast, as presumably the surviving mercs had reinforcements on the way and would sort themselves out sooner rather than later.
Although the stairs themselves were compromised and likely to fail under the weight of more than one or two at a time, grav belts were used to quickly ferry the members of the strike team (Ken, Linus, Angus, Shukhunaar, Blake, Jedec, Hanno and Jerri) to the top. This did not take time but they could hear over the enemy comms that they were starting to realise something had gone wrong with the blocking force below them.
At the top, they found their hidden grav sleds. Now they were fully grav-mobile. They were reminded how eerie and gloomy this ag module was. Vast columns of fibrous materials criss-crossed above them, partially blocking out the sun. They thought they could maybe see movement along these stalks, or in the surrounding forests, but they couldn't be sure.
The top of the shaft of the large freight elevator was a small building holding a lobby and some mechanical equipment. (The elevator platform was not raised and lowered by cables but small independently-powered redundant motors.) There were two doors, on opposite sides of the small building. The trapped expedition members said they thought there was a dozen mercs, six each covering both doors, using rocks, trees and the terrain for cover. Comms traffic indicated they were hesitating on rushing the building and digging out the trapped expedition members with grenades due to the risk of damaging the loot they were carrying. This what Kalananaru valued most. They were intending on waiting for reinforcements before rushing in.
They could see there was a gully that would allow someone to get behind one of the group of mercs and remain unseen. Or they could use the grav sleds and belts to conduct a "death from above" attack.