- - EPISODE I: THE VERGE OF PEACE - -
...So far, the mission has gone off without a hitch. A Republic ship flew to the surface of Carratos, avoiding the frigate patrols in orbit and the defenses around the mission site, landing a relatively short walk from the Sith compound. From there the infiltration is launched: a lone figure enters the desalination tubes that run nearby, crawling through them to reach the perfect vantage point to take out the two guards in the front of the facility. Even as a pair of shots takes them, four more figures dash into the clearing, catching the bodies as they fall.
Once the bodies are stowed, the door of the facility opens to reveal the sixth member of the team, already inside thanks to his cover identity. With his insight the group is able to move through the compound unnoticed, taking maintenance halls and otherwise avoiding security. The inside man's ID gets them through the first levels of mechanical security measures, but with the lack of preparation time he wasn't able to acquire clearance through the final door. This is where one of the other team members steps up, though: an experienced security cracker, he spends a few tense minutes operating, but gets the doors open for the team to continue.
Down a hall and around a corner, the first physical confrontation occurs. There's a quick exchange of blasterfire and thrumming vibroblades, and in seconds the guards are dead. In the room beyond is the target: Kaul Wren. The human is restrained in a chair in the center of the metallic chamber, and while he's breathing and even moving his head slightly, he looks dazed, nearly unconscious from torture and fatigue.
As the group inside approaches the captured agent, the sniper on the outside blinks and keeps her eyes open for potential trouble. So far, so good... but the real trouble was always going to be getting out, even more than getting in.
Jal doesn't hesitate as he goes straight for the security system. "Cover my ass while I bypass this," he snaps to his companions as he pulls out a plasma cutter and carves straight through the metal under the control panel, skipping the security system entirely and simply rewiring the entire box to force the doors open wide. "I've seen better systems." He stows his tools back under his long coat and draws his blaster. As they clear the guards and reach Wren's room, he waits by the door, watching for any more guards approaching while the team heads for the captured man. "Make it quick. If their response time is more than two minutes, then we somehow caught the entire garrison napping."
Alaric strides forward towards their target, giving Jal a curt nod as he passes him. Once he reaches Wren, he swiftly removes the man's restraints and does his best to aid the man in standing, holding one arm around Wren's waist and draping Wren's arm over his shoulder. His other hand holds his lightsaber, scanning the hallway as he helps their extraction target to his feet. "Listen carefully; my name is Alaric Quor'ran, of the Jedi Order. We have been sent to rescue you, but you must do everything we say, understand?" He pauses for a moment to give the man a chance to respond, then speaks again. "Can you stand on your own? How about walking?"
Forging a transfer order to the prison had been simple for his cover identity, and he'd thoroughly mapped out the entire prison facility in the time he'd spent there. He'd also gotten security overrides for every security door, except for the last one - which still caused him to grind his teeth. He'd been able to carefully increase his security clearance, but the level needed to get a workaround for that door had been limited enough that adding his name would have caused suspicion. Fortunately the Black Sun crime lord was skilled at breaking through such systems - although he hopefully wouldn't be too much of a rogue element.
Once the team had Wren's cell open, as Alaric freed him, Joran said, "You look in worse shape than you did in that market on Gentara Minor."
Gentara Minor had been the last mission they'd worked together, and they'd been nearly successful if it hadn't been for one of their informants ratting them out. They'd gotten into a firefight in the market, and both had been injured, although they'd managed to escape.
Trusting in the rest of the group to acquire the target and make it back to her point, Vintressa settles in and keeps her eyes wide open. She knows that if she fails to keep their only exit free, they could all be facing death at best and torture at worst.
So far so good. Nothing unexpected and no f$*+-ups. That intel we got on this places guard routes and changes had best be accurate. The last thing we need is some unexpected guard patrol coming by. Even a sanitation droid could screw this mission over."
Vintressa patiently waits for the group to make it back to her.
"If it helps, you probably only need to walk a short distance," Callum quips with a smile. "I did manage to get us very very close after all. And with some pretty good flying, if I do say so myself."
His lightsaber hangs from his belt, unlike Alaric's. The man sounds quite unlike a Jedi, yet a Jedi he is. There is a certain cockiness in his tone, albeit less than what was there a few years ago. Other than that his voice is calm, his demeanor friendly. And his smile, crooked though it is, is also sincere.
"Now, perhaps we should make ourselves scarce? No reason to keep Vin waiting. She might get bored."
Trevan, now known as Hugo, closes his eyes and summons forth the power of the Force. "Pay little attention to what you see my... friends. Trust in what we do".
Illusion Talent -
Where once there was a cellblock with fallen guards and a handful of Republic agents freeing a prisoner now it is all gone as if time rewound itself. The guards still stand at attention, the special agents are simply not there as if they were never there. Most importantly the prisoner Kaul Wren is still restrained in a chair in the center of the metallic chamber looking dazed from his prdeal.
Thus, to any casual observer passing by nothing would seem amiss!
"Eight minutes and counting until my little trick will dissolve, best that we be on our way quickly", Hugo whispers from just outside of Wren's cell.
Hugo wears the robes of a Jedi, on his belt hang two lightsabers and a holster for a blaster pistol, an unusual choice of weapon for the keepers of peace in the galaxy but then he is no ordinary Jedi. Everyone knows that this is a test for the young Human. A former Sith Apprentice so deep in Sith territory, if he was going to betray the Order and the Republic this is likely a good time for him to do so. So far though, he has played his part - it seems one can come back from the dark side after all.
"Keep the attitude in check, Vorn." Alaric doesn't look to the other Jedi as he speaks, instead focusing on Wren. "Cockiness will not behoove you as a Jedi Knight, regardless of how skilled you are as a pilot." His eyes do watch Trevan closely--the man was a former Sith Apprentice, and Alaric was dubious of his loyalties--but he focuses his time and effort on Wren instead, keeping him moving so that the group can get out of harm's way as soon as possible. "Barring any problems, we should be out of here before that illusion is gone." He raises his free hand to his mouth, speaking into his commlink.
"Vin, is everything still quiet on the outside? We've got Wren, we're on our way out."
"Useful trick," Jal adds as Trevan forms the illusion. "Would have loved to have that on my side during a couple of ops." He hadn't expected there to be so many Jedi on the team, but so far they've proven more than useful, despite the mission being of questionable legality and requiring a lot of stealth work. He pokes his head out the door and looks around. His fine tuned danger sense and sense of good old fashion paranoia are practically screaming at him to get out while they have an opening "I think we're clear, but I have a bad feeling about this. We need to get moving. If he can't walk, someone throw him over your shoulder and carry him out."
Vintressa responds to Alaric's query via their com units: "Still clear out here. I'll do whatever I need to to make sure that it stays that way for you guys."
"Agreed. We need to get out of here. Quickly." Joran moves to assist Kaul Wren with walking. Looking at Alaric, he says, "Take point. I'll support him while we move. Your lightsaber is far more useful without being burdened by a wounded person. Just remember, our goal is escape, not neutralizing any Sith we encounter."
Alaric was the sort of Jedi he'd have brought on the mission, but he would have been the only one. Jedi were far too likely to allow their ideals to drive them - or allow their hatred of the Sith to color their judgement.
"No going out of our way to chase after Sith, got it," Callum jokes, choosing not to reply to the Jedi Knight's pointed remark. Not that the man is necessarily wrong to say it of course. Jedi are known for their composure, their control of their emotions, not their... cockiness. But then again, Callum has never been the typical Jedi.
"Speaking of the Sith..."
"Your goal is to escape; I'm here for more reasons than one, but recovering Wren was my priority. Now that we've got him, I need to find that holocron..." Alaric nods when Callum reaches out in the Force to sense users of the Dark Side, handing Wren off to Joran as he searches for the presence of Sith within the prison. Where the Sith would be is likely close to the Holocron itself, and Alaric doesn't plan on leaving without it. "This installation is huge... where is it?"
"Sounds good," Alaric replies when Vintressa contacts him. "We'll be on our way out shortly."
Hugo turns to Alaric, "Holocron? Is this a side mission? I was told nothing of retrieving anything or anyone but Kaul Wren".
Jal groans. "Sithspit. If the Council dropped a secret mission on us when we're supposed to be extracting a prisoner, I'm going to castrate Master Fain when we get back to Coruscant." He'd really like to say that it wasn't like the Council to decide that recovering a Sith holocron, even at risk to the rest of the mission, was acceptable, but he's seen too many of the masters get overzealous to believe that.
"Holocron? I wasn't briefed about any holocron. That isn't our mission. Wren is, and the mission to rescue him takes priority over all other missions. Move to the extraction zone. We cannot miss our window to escape." He glares at the Jedi. I knew we couldn't trust any of them. Now this fool wants to recover some holocron that holds no strategic importance. Probably needs to 'purge the darkness' or some such drivel.
"You're right, it's not our mission; it's mine. I was told to aid in Wren's retrieval but it's not my only purpose for being here. The Senate wanted to send a Jedi Shadow along on this mission to deal with potential Sith acolytes, and the Council knew an ancient Sith holocron was on-site at this location... one that holds some of the oldest recorded Sith teachings. Retrieving and destroying it would be a potentially devastating blow, and the Council sent me along on the condition that I obtain the holocron before I left." Alaric breathes deeply, centering himself as he waits for any sign of either Sith practitioners or the Holocron itself, before talking to the others. "This mission is no one's but my own, you needn't worry about it. You focus on getting Wren to the extraction zone, and I'll regroup with you before you leave."
"Yeah, that sounds like the Council," Jal replies with a tired sigh. "Alright, alright. Find your evil Sith holocron and get back to the entrance ASAP. We don't have much time to wait for you. If Imperial reinforcements get there before you do, we're going to evac whether you're with us or not. We can't afford to hang around waiting with an unconscious prisoner to get out of here."
Hugo turns to Alaric, "Would you like... assistance with this particular matter? My experiences may be able to aid you in the extraction of that particular item".
"I was sent alone to retrieve it, and as such it seems doubtful the Council felt I would need assistance, but you can come along if you wish." Alaric sighs, looking around as if to spot the holocron from his current location. "I'll be back before you need to leave, I just need to find the thing first..."
'It wouldn't hurt to keep our supposedly reformed Sith apprentice on hand, either. I can't help but think that might be another reason I was sent along, but I sense no taint of the Dark Side on him any longer. If he is a traitor, he's certainly well hidden.'
Hugo nods slightly, "I am here simply to set illusory cover, my job now done. I will assist you Jedi Knight Quor'ran".
He draws his lightsaber but does not ignite it. The feeling of it in his hand comforts him as he potentially will confront his past up close and personal.
Hugo will use the force to sense for the presence of the Holocron.
"No, you will not, Lightbringer. If the Council sent Alaric to run a side mission without informing the rest of us, then he runs a side mission on his own. You will accompany the rest of us back to the extraction zone." Fixing Alaric with a look, he says, "And if you do not make it back by the time we are to leave, we will leave you behind. The SOE doesn't answer to the Jedi Council."
When the team moves in to free Kaul Wren, it's quickly clear that he's in a bad way. He barely reacts when his restraints are deactivated, and when Alaric speaks to him, he looks up with eyes that look more dead than alive. The words don't seem to quite register, and the team ends up needing to pull him to his feet and support him as they begin to move back to the extraction point. Joran's comment on Gentara Minor does raise some register, though: Kaul shifts his eyes to him, and there's a brief glimmer of recognition, a faint smile on his lips.
The biggest--and most important--reaction comes with the discussion of the holocron. Argument begins over the possibility of a side mission that will take extra time, perhaps troubling the precision of the mission so far, but even as Alaric and Trevan settle a plan to break off, Kaul speaks up. "Hol... holocron. I have it..." He blinks and finally seems to come to more fully, and to Joran, he's starting to look more like himself. A smug grin spreads across his face and he looks at the group. "I've g-got it... in here." He nods down at his body, and sure enough, when Alaric and Callum reach out to sense the Force, they're nearly overwhelmed by a Dark Side signature directly next to them. The aura emanates from Kaul Wren, but not his entire person: it's concentrated in an object that would fit in your palm, inside Wren's gut.
"P-p-part of w-why I'm here." He coughs and keeps grinning, although his eyes are out of focus once more. "N... needed w-what I kn-kn-knew, and what I ha... have in th-there."
Vintressa, camped outside, keeps her eyes and ears open for trouble. The clearing before the compound remains empty for now, although she briefly hears what sounds like a speeder. The sound fades and cuts out before it comes too close, though.
The troubles comes as the group reaches the entrance to the compound, when the exfiltration should be all but finished. Even as the team of five, with Wren in tow, are opening the doors, Vintressa spots an emerging threat: five figures moving out of the same cover the team used for their approach on the way in. Their forms are all broken up and flickering--probably from camouflage shrouds--and between that and the distance, Vintressa curses that she couldn't see them ahead of time. The figures are mixed in height and build, with a couple in heftier armor and three in less bulky gear.
There's a brief moment in which she spots the threat before the doors open--now may be a good time to contact the team, and potentially take a shot.
Hugo nearly opens his mouth to respond to Joran giving him orders when Kaul Wren speaks. He takes a deep breath in through his nose and out through his nose composing himself as the matter has settled itself.
Peace is a lie; There is only... No. No! There is no Emotion; There is peace. There is no Passion; There is Serenity.
He releases his white knuckle grip on his saber as his thoughts compose themselves.
Vintressa activate her comm and hails the rest of her team. "You guys had best be making your way out that door now. There is a group of five unknowns in camouflage shrouds heading to the compound via the same route we took. I can start taking shots at them now, their within range for that, but it is unlikely I can take out all five before someone gets an alert out."
This could go really badly. Hopefully the others can it out in time for us all to hightail it out of here before any alerted help can show up.
Vintessa takes a couple deep breaths and settles her sights on the incoming group. She tries to ID which one might be the leader and therefore be her first target.
Whatever happens, I'm not leaving anyone behind this time...
Joran raised an eyebrow at Wren's declaration, then shook his head. He'd find out what had caused the man to do that after they got out. He was far too smart to be used by the Jedi that way.
Joran was pleased. Their escape had been nearly silent, and, apart from that bit of Jedi lunacy - he would be having words with his superiors about that - the mission had been mostly smooth sailing. He should have known it wouldn't last.
Vintressa's communication came over the comms, and Joran cursed. A nearly flawless escape was about to be ruined by what were likely some hired guns that had stumbled upon them by chance.
"Everyone against the wall. Lightbringer, can you work one of those illusions to hide us from them?" Over the communicator, he says, "Wait for my signal to engage." Suiting action to words he helps Kaul Wren off to the side and gets his blaster out and ready. They could not be stopped now, and while a stealthy exit was best, they would shoot their way out if need be.
Hugo nods to Joran. As the group presses themselves against the wall, he closes his eyes and reaches out with the force, this time to create the illusion that the part of the wall upon which he and his team are pressed is just that, a wall with no life forms present.
"Oh great..." They were so close to making it out without any complications too. Maybe it just wasn't his kind of day. Jal ducks for cover, ready to go for his blaster and open fire if the Imperial back-up makes their exit.
The infiltration team presses against the wall, and Trevan begins to reach out and shape the Force, hoping to alter the perceptions of anyone looking at them. But even as he does so, the five strangers reach the door and the leader begins to open it...
Vintressa hurriedly speaks over her comm, not knowing exactly what is going on inside. "They're at the door now. Do you need to take a few shot at them and keep them occupied and focused on me?"
"You have no authority to give him orders," Alaric responds when Joran prohibits Hugo from accompanying him. "The SOE may not answer to the Council, but wo do and so does our... accomplice." Alaric fumbles for a second when referring to Hugo, knowing he's isn't truly a Padawan but is under the care of the Jedi all the same. "I wouldn't presume to give you orders, Joran. You should show us the same..." Alaric's voice trails off as the dark energy of the Sith holocron nearly overtakes him. "Respect," he finishes, slowly, shaking his head. "That's not possible, how did you--" When Vintressa comes through the comms again, Alaric inhales sharply, before nodding with Joran's plan. Alaric presses himself against the wall, the haft of his double-bladed saber gripped firmly in two hands.
"No, wait for our signal. Do not engage; we might be able to keep them from noticing us. If not, fire on our mark."
"Now now, no reason to antagonise each other," Callum says, his voice taking on a placating tone. "After all, it seems we will have plenty to antagonise us soon enough. Why add to it?"
There is a very brief pause before he adds conversationally, "Speaking of which, this is a good example why I sometimes think too much planning for something can be overrated. Plans tend to not survive their execution a bit too often for my liking."
He smiles. "But then again executions as a rule are seldom survivable."
"All things considered, this plan was going pretty amazingly so far. We're all of ten meters from the exit. All we have to do is get through whoever's outside and we're clear. So how about less chatter and more preparing for combat."
Illusion - Use the Force
No authority to give him orders? We'll see about that when we get back to HQ. If the Jedi are going to work with the SOE, then they need to accept orders and cannot have any extra missions outside the main one. They can request we take care of it while we're there, but we cannot have it sprung on us in the middle of the mission - and we reserve the right to say no. Joran's thoughts as Alaric tells him off for issuing orders. If Wren hadn't swallowed that blasted holocron, the two probably would have wandered off, set off the alarms, and made their extraction ten times harder, all in the name of "purging the dark side". The Jedi had an overinflated sense of purpose. He just hoped the fools didn't get them all killed.
Listening for any sound of alert, Joran pressed against the wall, blaster in one hand, making as little noise as possible, barely even breathing.
Over comm. "Roger that. Maintaining position and awaiting orders to fire."
Well, I hope they know what they are doing and avoid that group going in. If I keep ending up the sole survivor of missions, people might start to talk me being either a jinx or some kind of saboteur.
Vintressa keeps her sights set on the group, gun at the ready.
Stealth
There's a long, tense moment as the team huddles against the wall, and Trevan once more shapes the Force to mask the reality of things. Just as he finishes, the door to the compound opens and another team of five enters.
Two of those who enter are wearing bulky armor: one has a suit of mostly matched, but well-worn, battle armor, heavy plates and thick padding that provides maximum protection at the cost of some mobility. Equally large is the vibro-ax in their hands, currently unpowered and silent. The other is wearing armor that isn't itself quite as heavy, but it looks to have been heavily modified. Callum, his native Corellian showing, recognizes it as a model of powered battle armor, designed for such modifications to maximize the user's combat efficiency. This suit in particular looks to have a number of upgrades, including some additional protective plates, joint servos to retain mobility, and at least one integrated weapon--what looks to be a vibroblade port along one forearm. Slung on each hip of the figure is a pistol, both apparently customized in a similar fashion.
The other three are less heavily armored, although still wearing protective gear, and each carries a blaster rifle in hand. Two wear roughly matching armor that mostly resemble armored flight suits, and each has a pistol and vibrodagger at his belt; the last has a full-body suit of curious design. Everyone present recognizes it as the type of suit often worn by the Ubese. This figure seems to be taking the lead, slightly, with the matched men just behind, and the more heavily armored soldiers bringing up the rear.
At first it seems this team will pass the party by, and they step past their position by the wall. Just as he passes, though, Callum presses against the wall, and his lightsaber clangs against it the metal. The sound is muffled by his cloak, but it's still enough to cause two of the new arrivals to turn--the man in modified armor, and the Ubese.
"What was that?" the armored man asks, one hand straying to a pistol. He twists and you can see through his visor for a brief moment: a thin face with blank white eyes. His gaze casts over the party without seeing them, apparently fooled by Trevan's illusion. At his question, the rest of their team turns as well, similarly on edge but unaware.
The Ubese, however, proves an exception. When he turns, he locks on immediately to each of you. Although he doesn't instantly raise his blaster, and the mask of his helmet prevents certainty, you each get the feeling he's looking straight at you. After a moment, the crackle of a vocabulator sounds from his throat. "Five. They have the target."
Jal throws his coat open and his heavy, modded blaster slides smoothly in to his hand in one easy motion. He pulls a grenade in his other hand and prepares to chuck it in to the middle of the group.
Sithspit. That Ubese's eyes are sharp.
"Vin, you're up." Though the transmission goes over his comlink, Joran looks behind the five figures with a grin on his face. When they look, he activates his stealth field generator and disappears.
"Take the shot," Alaric says, echoing Joran's signal. A second later the Jedi's double-bladed lightsaber ignites, the two royal purple beams stretching out to either side of his body. The thrumming of the blade serves to (potentially) further distract the enemies from Joran's movement. "Prepare yourselves," Alaric says to his fellow Jedi, his eyes already locked with the Ubese leader.
Hugo has his lightsaber in hand, his red saber. He ignites it feeling himself tremble at the thought of entering combat to the death for the first time in a long time.
"Roger that." Of course this would have been easier if I would have taken a shot before they went in there...
Like his peers Callum's own lightsaber is also in his hand, its blade casting a soft blue light. "Well, they certainly appear ready for a fight," he says softly. "Powered armor and various combat modifications and upgrades."