High above the coastline of Bataan, the MQ-9 Reaper drone cut through the clouds like a silent predator. At 25,000 feet, it was all but invisible to those below. Its onboard FLIR and high-resolution EO/IR cameras scanned the terrain relentlessly, picking apart every detail of the sprawling base nestled between the ridgeline and the sea.
Inside the UAV Operations Center at the refinery, the hum of electronics filled the room. Screens glowed with telemetry data, maps, and live feeds. Javier Cruz sat at the controls, one hand on the joystick, the other hovering near the comms panel. His eyes flicked across the monitors as he zoomed in on various sectors of the military encampment below.
"Overwatch HQ, this is Reaper One-One. Eyes on target. Beginning full scan of Area Lima-Bravo. Feed live on Command Net Zero-One."