That's not the kind of answer Quintus likes to hear--he'd rather have a solid number--but it speaks to the uncertainty of the situation and the fact that Sigma recognizes he's playing a delicate sort of cross-jurisdictional game here. His finger taps the mute button on the tabletop touchscreen again, and with another few strokes he pulls up the holographic display and turns on Birdshaw's side of the table.

"I'm thinking a party of about fifteen to escort five to ten repairmen," he says. "Subject to change as soon as we get eyes in there. We got anyone nearby we can relocate?"

Birdshaw picks through the duty rosters, tallying up Peacekeepers and bouncing numbers and assignments off of Quintus. For a while they go back and forth, with Corsca interjecting in regard to what class of armor and weaponry they should take along. As the conversation lengthens, Quintus briefly unmutes the call to tell Sigma that they're still discussing the particulars, then mutes it again. A few minutes tick by.

Finally, he addresses Sigma. "I can get fifteen men and two trucks down there in approximately two hours. They can accompany up to ten of your staff. I'll need you to send us the coordinates of a rendezvous point and whatever Arena maps you have available."