Planet Telex

The Accord's ground invasion strategy confused their Core opponents. The deliberate targeting of government buildings was to be expected, but rather than use the orbital kinetic weaponry, the Accord was very careful to identify civil buildings and leave them intact and storm them later. Attacked as the first ground targets of the planet, special forces swept through the floors, identifying and disposing of political staff and rounding up the regular workers. City planners, civil engineers, those running the domestic airspace, transport systems, and governmental logistics were all sent back up to the ASC Managed Civility in orbit to be processed. Each one chipped and interrogated in turn, and then sent back down to the planet to return to their desks.
They knew that, at least for the short term, it was useful to keep things running as usual, and the intelligence that they provided was invaluable. Not only what building materials were most effective on that planet, and other information valuable for the eventual rebuilding, but also the layout and construction of every building on the planet, through decades of civil planning approvals. Seizing on this quickly meant that not only did the Accord have a list of cities and towns to target, but also a detailed list of the inhabitants. This was important on The Accord's first Core target -- the world named 'Chire-02', where intelligence was sparse and the military response was fiercer than expected.
They had been waiting.

The Accord had, of course, not expected the inhabitants of the Core to simply lay down their arms, and so quickly devised infiltration plans. They expected the populace to have heard rumours about the chip, from the propaganda that was planted weeks before, but not actually know what it was capable of.
As such, a small town not far from the capital city was chosen as the source of these infiltrators, light on military presence and with a sports field right in the centre capable of hosting the Managed Civility. The Accord called it Settlement 103, but the locals called it 'Orrit'.

"Kettle 3-2 in sight of landing zone, preparing for drop-off."
A trio of landing ships zipped over the rooftops of Orrit, a manoeuvre done purely to keep the residents on their toes and indoors. Each ship tilted backwards as they approached the landing site behind the Managed Civility, slowing to a stop, landing legs touching down on the torn up grass of the field.
"Kettle 3-2 is disengaging engines. Enjoy your stay, boys, girls, and greys!"
As he left the craft, Melipha grumbled at the pilot, who gave him a playful smile in return. "I wish they'd stop calling attention to that..." He mumbled to nobody in particular as his boots sunk into the mud. "Uh... what's the ASC doing here already?"
The captain banged twice on the metal frame of the landing craft, signalling the pilot to close it up once they had all piled out. "I was about to ask you that question, Assistant. I thought we were supposed to be the first ones here?"
"I... there's nothing over the Mesh, sir, other than that our landing zone changed to behind it." Melipha said, confused, rubbing his head. He looked past the ship's massive engines to see the loading bay opened up, an Agent and security staff inspecting some crates. "Should I go ask the crew?"
"Sure." The captain replied, waving over a soldier. "Graphite, go with him. Figure out what's up."
The soldier saluted, and began walking over to the loading bay, Melipha quickly following in their footsteps.
"You know, for a grey, you've been rather useful." Graphite commented, on the walk towards the Agent. "I hope you live longer than the others."
Melipha opened their beak to respond, but didn't figure out how to process the sentiment before he reached the Agent.

"Uh, excuse me..." Melipha said, lifting a hand to get the Agent's attention.
The Agent looked up from her datapad, raising an eyeridge at the Assistant before her. "Yes...?" She responded, curtly.
"I'm Communications Officer Melipha of Kettle 3-2, we were supposed to be doing the initial clearing of the town before you landed, and we're not sure what's goi-"
The Agent held up a hand to quiet Melipha. "Yes, we moved ahead of schedule. We requisitioned some assets directly from orbit to clear the town, and will be setting up the initial processing facilities by sundown."
Melipha nodded. "Should we request a new assignment?"
"Your squad? No, you'll be answering to us -- in fact, me -- for the next couple days." The Agent chuckled and looked Melipha's grey camouflage uniform over. "However, you look like you personally got your assignment a while ago. It's interesting they let you call yourself 'communications officer' simply because you have the Core language added and can use the radio in your head..."
Melipha lowered his head and mumbled quietly, disdaining the attention the Agent was giving him.
"What was that?" The Agent said. "Speak up, say it again."
Melipha found himself compelled to -- it was hard to not do what any old Avian said, but a Ministry Agent was impossible to resist obeying. "I'm a Class C volunteer, ma'am..."
"Yes, well, how unfortunate that distinction is lost after the chip goes in." She said, tapping away at her datapad. "I've assigned your squad a block to clear. Some of our clearing units had to be pulled back, there's a push for a morale target in the capital. I'm sure that your squad can handle it, hm, Communications Officer?"
"Y-yes, ma'am." Melipha replied, before turning away, humiliated. It is probably best to not argue with an Agent about titles, he decided.

The Agent, Melipha had learned, was the Ministry's command presence on the ship. The closest to a name that he had heard her called was 'Corvus', a rather fitting codename considering the Agent's jet black plumage. She was coordinating the operation in Orrit -- which seemed to be more important than Melipha had first thought, to have a codenamed Agent heading it.
"Anything over the Mesh, grey?" One of the soldiers in his unit asked, occasionally, to which he would shake his head. After the initial, eventless block clearing, they were sent back to get set up for occupation.
"Corvus hasn't assigned us anything..." He said, always double checking with the chip. It was almost like they were being given a holiday, but the other soldiers had been getting antsy and going on patrols around the Managed Civility, just to stretch their legs.
The landing zone had been surrounded by the various units pitching tents for quarters; Kettle 3-2 included. The five soldiers and the attached landing craft pilot each had their own cots, but Melipha had to make do with just a sleeping bag in the corner.
While the others had various books to read during the waiting, he didn't have the opportunity to pack any materials, so spent most of his time walking around the makeshift base, keeping an eye on what was outside the wire fence. Occasionally he'd see a civilian poke their head out from behind the curtains, and then draw it back in when they noticed him looking back.
The small, quiet town of a few hundred had never expected anything like this to happen, and was completely unprepared. Not even any civilian resistance had been noted; it didn't seem like any of them had any weapons, and what the tiny military garrison had was quickly confiscated during the initial assault. They were all just… waiting.
"You, grey!" Shouted out a voice as Melipha snapped back to reality. "Who are you with?"
Melipha turned to the Avian officer waving him down. "Uh, I'm Communication Officer Melipha of Kettle 3-2, ma'am." He pulled up his hand up to salute.
The officer nodded, looking down at her datapad. "Only one here to have a grey attached, so I thought that'd be the case. Your squad's assembling for an assignment in five."
Melipha gave a bit of a worried look. "Oh, I... sorry, the chip hasn't told me anything..."
"No, that's correct, the specifics are being kept off-net. You'd better get moving, your services will be required."

Melipha wriggled into the extra body armour, being allowed it for this mission.
Despite her initial dismissiveness, Corvus had explicitly ordered the Assistant be provided extra protection, as well as provided a full-size firearm. Despite never having touched one before, he knew how to use it, the relevant training being uploaded to the chip before deployment. It swung from the strap over his shoulder as he moved, the extra weight of the plate-carrier and rifle taking a bit to get used to.
"Shoot first, ask questions later." The captain had said to him, as they gathered just outside the gates of the field. "Anyone that tries to meaningfully resist will be used as an example. Just don't hit any of us."
Melipha nodded, gripping the rifle tight in nervousness, but maintained trigger discipline, keeping his finger off it. He was sure he wasn't expected to actually use it.
"Just down this way, the target's that apartment block there. We're to go door by door with Kettle 3-1 and 3-3, and take everyone in there back to the Managed Civility." The captain gestured down to a nondescript looking apartment building, just two stories tall, with apartments all joined on an outside balcony. "Melipha, you're to tell us what they're saying."
"Yes, sir." Melipha looked forward to the apartments as they began to move, and shuffled a bit closer in formation to the captain. "May... may I ask what for?"
"Infiltrators, remember? That's what we're here for."
Melipha's mind wandered back to the Civility, and all the equipment they had been wheeling out of it and in to large tents alongside theirs. Kicking down doors didn't sound like an effective way to get double agents, so... there was only one other way the Accord could produce such assets. "They're going to chip them."
"Yes, that's right." The captain said, as they neared the front garden of the apartment building. "Oh, this is your first field deployment, isn't it? Well, look forward to not being the lowest ranking property of the Accord very soon..."
The thought stuck in his mind. That's why the Ministry of Internal Affairs was here, and not some more covert group that could find the defectors they wanted in secret. They were going to chip them. They were going to chip everyone.

Melipha did not enjoy being the only one to understand the language that their targets spoke, nor having to relay the commands to surrender.
As a stronger soldier kicked down the door, two more would rush in, weapons raised, clearing the room of anyone visibly armed, with the captain and the last soldier then following with Melipha once it was safe. Melipha would, in as calm of a voice as they could muster, tell the unfortunate occupants to get down on their knees, hands behind their head, and not to struggle. Not all did so; one of the occupants put up a fight. The cougar in Apartment 203 wasn't ready to give himself up, and took several stun rounds to the chest before two of the squad could push him to the ground and restrain his arms.
"It would be better for you if you didn't resist." Melipha said to the cougar, now restrained with cable ties around his ankles and wrists, Indigo holding his foot down on the captive's back.
"Fuck you." The cougar replied. "When this pigeon gets off me, I'm going to tear you to shreds first."
Melipha looked a little aghast at the insult, stepping back from the scowling feline.
"What did he say?" Graphite asked, levelling her rifle at the captive's head. "It didn't sound nice. Should we write this one off?"
"He... uh. Didn't say anything important. Can we take him out to Kettle 3-1?"
"Grey, what did he say?"
He glanced back down at the cougar nervously. "Oh, um. Just something about ripping me to shreds... but, don't kill him!"
"Fine." Indigo replied, flicking the trigger control on her plasma rifle to 'stun', then putting two bolts into the back of his neck to knock him out completely. "I know you're used to being insulted, but you don't have to take it from a to-be Exotic like this."
Melipha looked at the open, drooling mouth of the unconscious cat and wondered if they knew that he just saved them from death.
Not that the life they were going to live was any better...

The various captured Core citizens rounded up in front of the Managed Civility_ confused many of the Avians staffing it. Why were they all so different looking? Sure, Avians came in basically every colour imaginable, a few even with patterned patches of feathers, but it wasn't anything like this. Different builds, sizes, and teeth. The teeth of the cougar, in particular, still kept Melipha on edge, even though they were now muzzled by some fabric tape that an engineer had provided. Although rumours of avian-looking Core civilians had spread throughout the occupying forces, none were in the group.
"So if they're going to chip them… where are they going to do it?" Melipha asked, to nobody in particular.
"Those tents." The captain replied, motioning towards the small village of white fabric on the other side of the captives. "Probably not as comfortable as the processing facilities back on our worlds, but they'll come out fine the other side."
"Could even send you in for a check-up." One of the soldiers said, giving Melipha a gentle bump, to his annoyance.
He wasn't some sort of vehicle, just because he was chipped! "I think I'm fine."
"C'mon, we've got things to do." The captain snapped, gesturing the others away. "Melipha, you go see if you can make yourself useful with the Civility_ crew. Heard they don't have any interpreters on board."
Melipha nodded, not sure if he was glad to be away from the teasing of his squadmates, or dreading what the staff of the Ministry ship had to say to him.

The Managed Civility_ was, in fact, lacking an interpreter, and welcomed the help from the Assistant. He stood there, as each one was called, and asked for a name, which he looked up from the census results the Accord had downloaded from the Universal Network earlier. The cougar, with their muzzle, was unable (and unwilling) to respond, and was dragged away by Accord soldiers once it appeared he was preparing to bodyslam Melipha. Everyone else went without incident, many visibly scared and confused about what was going to happen, with a few who had paid more attention to the rumours on the Network resigned to their fate.
One by one, they were led into a tent, and pushed into the metal chair inside. An Agent from the Civility_ would be waiting for them, give the soldier the nod, and have the subject bound securely. Once they were prepared, it was only a small matter of applying a general anaesthetic, taking the chipping device, mounting it on the back of the chair where the subject's head fit, and switching it on.
Everything else was automatic, and the Agent just had to wait. The only mark left on the subject was a small scar, which would mostly heal within the coming months of servitude. It wasn't even really visible on these furred beings -- Avians had to have the feathers plucked to give the chipping device space -- which was fortunate for their role as infiltrators for the Accord. The Ministry didn't want their double agents discovered, and their loss would be an avoidable waste of resources for the coming rebuilding of the planet.