Innovation comes from the strangest places
-Mysteel
As the Twi'leks had left, T'shere closed the door with ringing finality. When she turned back, her expression was icy, the mien of deep disapproval forever etched onto her face. Revan wondered if it was just with him, or if she always went around looking as if someone had stuck a poker up her bunghole.
She walked up to where the Jedi was standing, her silvery eyes never leaving his. Even now, under the guise of allies, they were instinctively sizing each other up, respectful of each other's abilities, but too polar in attitude to be comfortable around the other. Where T'shere was a predator that reacted instinctively, Revan was cold and calculative. The Jedi knew they would never like each other. The best he could hope for from her was forced politeness.
"She was just asking me questions," said Revan quietly, hoping to start things cordially.
T'shere gave him a cruel smile. "You don't have to make excuses with me. I'm sure you're great at sex. But you should get an actual person to do it with once in a while,"
Revan didn't rise up to the bait. "Keep trying commander, eventually you'll come up with a clever retort,"
T'shere's eyes narrowed again in displeasure at his ridicule. The Jedi realized he wasn't really helping diffuse the tension.
This isn't going as well as I hoped,
He tried again in a more diplomatic tone. "If this...partnership has any chance of success, we're going to stop trading barbs like this. For the sake of this conversation, let's pretend we don't want the other person in a monster's gullet."
Tshere glowered at him for a few more seconds before nodding tightly,
"Truly a skill in itself. Very well. I'm here to brief you on the mission."
Revan nodded. She held out a data slate.
"These are the coordinates where the auction is taking place." T'shere said, pointing to a red glowing icon on the screen.
"It's one of Reeka's private 'estates'. A fully fortified military garrison on an island about three clicks from the city limits. Ironically this complex use to be one of the remaining shelter zones for civilians. It also served as a Republic base of operations. The same Republic that nuked this planet to hell two hundred years ago."
The commander gave a faint sneer of contempt at the remark before continuing.
"Regardless, the current radiation from the fallout in that area makes aerial transportation too risky. We'll be taking a 'Mole' to cross to the other side, through a huge retractable bridge that used to be called Liberty Road."
T'shere looked at Revan dispassionately as he analyzed the data slate she gave him. When he looked back up she continued, "We'll drop you and my sister just outside the garrison walls. The actual auction will be in one of their fortified bunkers. You'll get in, buy the weapon everybody has their buns tied in a knot for and get out. Understood?"
"I don't think that will be a problem."
The Arkanian narrowed her eyes then, suspicion tinging her every word. She folded her arms under her breasts.
"I'm taking a huge risk in sending my sister with you. And this operation requires a certain amount of trust. So are you going to tell me how you managed to scrap all those credits together?"
Revan shrugged. "I can't say,"
She wasn't happy with the non-answer.
"One wonders if you are capable of telling the truth at all," the commander said acidly.
"One wonders if you are capable of anything useful at all,"
T'shere stiffened, her hands unconsciously twitching at her sides as she resisted the urge to strangle the other man. Realizing he had just broken his own truce, he added a quick 'sorry' before the Arkanian could implode. Her eyes smoldered, clearly trying to keep her temper in check.
Eventually she exhaled and the moment passed.
"Don't test me again."
She spoke again.
"Now, based on what our informant said, there will be representatives from the Severed Hands and Night Raiders bidding as well. Mercenaries for the most part...Most of these shouldn't be a problem for either of you."
"Most?"
T'shere hesitated, seeming unsure whether to disclose anything.
"Remember the Sith Mysteel said we were hunting?"
"The wretches you thought I was one of?" asked Reevan sardonically.
The woman nodded.
"Someone from their faction may be there for the same thing as us, although this is unconfirmed."
T'shere gracefully omitting the part where the Jedi had screwed them over on that account.
"We are hoping to ID at least one of them for future intel."
In other words, you're using us as bait.
He probably should have felt angrier, but Revan felt this was an acceptable risk in exchange for their... 'help'. He began to see why T'shere was so reluctant to send Mysteel along. She didn't want her sister caught in a potentially volatile situation with someone she didn't trust.
The commander eyed the Jedi thoughtfully before asking.
"These Sith are part of a fraternity known as the Cult of the Reborn. Have you heard of them?"
Revan shook his head. His counterpart didn't seem surprised.
"They're not native to the galactic core. We think they're from the Unknown Regions, but being unknown...we can't say where. As far as we know, this cult was founded by someone who calls himself Malleus. He is the definition of insanity, cruelty and perversion all mixed into one sack of polluted flesh. This...thing is the real reason the whole planet is such a crap hole in the first place, and no I won't call him a man because that suggests he still has a speck of decency left in his shrivelled heart."
Revan recalled his handler saying a Sith faction being responsible for the planet's current deplorable conditions. However that was centuries ago. Still, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that this...Malleus had survived that long.
"I can't stress this part enough," said Tshere grimly, bringing Revan out of his contemplations. "Sith Lords are evil bastards, but Malleus...he makes the usual rabble look like amateurs."
"Why do you say that?" He asked archly. "What can he have done that other Sith Lords haven't?"
"Well for starters, he's a cannibal." Replied Tshere grimly. "I don't think most Sith would eat you and me as a rule. They might threaten to suck the marrow from our bones, but Malleus will make good on that promise. He even has a nickname among us. The Butcher."
"I assume you've seen his handiwork first hand?"
"I can't say," smirked the Arkanian, mimicking Revan's vague response before continuing.
"The good news though is we have very little reason to believe Malleus will come in person. He never bothers to show himself unless there is will be a gorefest, which this shouldn't be."
She walked around the sparsely furnished room, lost in thought with pursed lips.
"On the other hand, his subordinates are almost as bad. We don't know how many underlings he has, but we've uncovered dozens of planets with their activity in the past. Sacrificial murders, disappearances. That sort of thing. They go about preying on the weak and forgotten, clawing at the edge of civilized space, slowly sapping the strength of the Republic like carrion birds. And make no mistake, they are a cancer. Once they take root on a planet, its almost impossible to remove them without causing collateral damage."
Tshere paused to let him absorb this piece of information.
"His...organization if it can be called that is roughly structured into a pyramid hierarchy. At the bottom are the common slaves. These are usually criminals that are captured and forced into his service. He only lets the most despicable and cruel hearted of them live so when it comes to fighting in the future, don't feel bad for popping their heads off like a zit."
She stopped pacing and gave Revan a level stare.
"Then you have what we call Abominations. These are basically men and women, who joined the cult but somewhere along their...induction, they became insane. We're not really clear on the particulars but their trials apparently involve self-deflagalation and eating the flesh of another person...maybe their own."
T'shere thought that would at least get a blink from the Jedi but he didn't seemed fazed by the admission. She frowned, momentarily wrong footed but pressed on.
"Anyways...the trials have pretty much driven them to the breaking point. They're little more than mindless monsters that need to be herded like hounds. On the flip side, our reconnaissance has shown their senses to be significantly more acute than the average humanoid. They are especially sensitive to the smell of exposed blood. It drives them wild, making it impossible to hide from them."
Revan nodded, but didn't look too concerned. "If blood unhinges them, it makes them predictable."
The Arkanian resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his dismissiveness before continuing.
"Aspirants are kind of like Abominations except they haven't been driven completely off the wall yet. They're the ones that guide their more unfortunate brethren like pack animals. Make no mistake, these ones are dangerous. They've got all the abilities you'd expect to find in a Sith but are even uglier. Trust me, just looking at these freak shows will make you want to puke."
T'shere's face became darker as she recollected her next piece of information.
"And finally...you have the Reborn. These are Malleus' right hands. Think of them as made men. They've completed their...transformation into something similar to what their despicable Master is."
"What would that be?"
Tshere shrugged her shoulders.
"Nobody knows for sure. They undergo some sort of process that transforms their bodies. We suspect Malleus infects all aspirants with some sort of drug or virus. That's the only reason we can think of why they're so hideous."
She pursed her lips.
"Aside from the physical appearance, they also change internally. I've seen these freaks shrug off blows that would kill a Rancor. They don't feel pain anymore. In fact they get off being in pain. Its like euphoria to them."
T'shere stopped pacing at that moment to look at him straight in the eye.
"You might have a lofty opinion of your abilities but trust me, these Sith are almost unkillable. The only thing that guarantees their death is separating their damn head from the shoulders. But if it comes to battle with them, you're pretty much screwed,"
Revan did not feel very impressed with that piece of news. "I'll keep that in mind,"
The commander frowned, clearly not appreciating how casually he was taking her warnings.
What was Lucidae thinking, stringing me along with this…
"Then listen to this next piece of instruction very carefully. You are not to engage in hostilities during this event, Sith or not. This is purely a grab and go."
Revan raised an eyebrow.
"And if something goes wrong at the auction? You and I both know my presence there is secondary to your goal of attracting the attention of these Sith. Things could get ugly."
"It won't." stressed T'shere. "We'll be patched into their security networks and setting up real time surveillance to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. If anything even looks remotely suspicious, you'll be informed far in advance."
Revan looked at her doubtfully.
"These aren't the most civilized gatherings. Your enemies will undoubtedly take special issue with me buying the weapon from under their noses. I would have to fight them-."
T'shere grabbed Revan by the front of his robes before he could finish the sentence. Revan tensed but didn't draw his weapon. She glared at him with uncompromising silver eyes.
"Listen to me you, you arrogant prick. I'm going to say this in no uncertain terms. No fights. You might think you're abilities will protect you on this mission, but the Reborn are volatile and very unpredictable. Anonymity is our only weapon against them. If for whatever reason, you cannot acquire the package, we'll regroup and re-strategize. But the last thing we need is you causing collateral damage with Reeka or Malleus.
She finished her instructions with a deadly hiss.
"And if you do anything to put my sister in jeopardy, I swear I will flay you alive."
Revan matched her hard stare. He knew her threats were empty but didn't really think it worth the effort to argue the point right now. A truism of war was that the best laid plans never survived first contact. He would adapt to the situation as it unfolded.
"You're the commander," he said quietly. "no fights."
"Swear it," insisted T'shere vehemently "Swear it on the false order you serve, that you will do nothing that will bring harm to Mysteel."
Revan didn't think that was a particularly viable oath, since she thought the Order was false and he was no longer part of it. She didn't need to know any of that though. As T'shere glared on, he replied in a solemn voice.
"By the holy order of the Jedi Knights, I do so swear. By my honor and by the ancient creed that binds all of my kind to the oath of protection, no harm will come to your sister if I can prevent it,"
Tshere seemed satisfied with that. "Good, take this."
She pressed a syringe into his hand.
"Inoculate yourself. We will be leaving for the transport in an hour. Someone will be by to get you."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heels and walked away, not bothering to close the door.
True to her word, Kynes came to collect him after an hour or so. She was wearing her trademark skin-tight infiltration suit and hefting her Executioner rifle on her back.
"Revan," she said by way of acknowledgment. She raised her hand to the exit. "If you would be so kind?"
The Jedi nodded and followed the woman silently.
"The rest of the team is heading to the transport site, we'll meet them there." Remarked the woman as they walked. They continued to the lowest floor, where the subway platform resided. Kynes leapt down onto the subway tracks, and the Jedi followed. From there, they travelled east down the dark tunnel, the only source of illumination coming from a glow tube stuck to Kynes left breast.
They walked for several minutes until the sniper stopped at a narrow door jutting from the side of the tunnel. She quickly punched in a combination at the side and the door hissed open.
The new passage was even narrower, both having to enter and walk single file. At many points, there were junctures leading off to different sides. Kynes would pick one seemingly at random but Revan got the distinct sense they were traveling generally North now.
"The layout here is pretty haphazard for a subway system," the Jedi remarked at one point.
"these tunnels weren't part of the original network," explained Kynes quietly. Neither of the two made a single wisp of noise with their feet. If they didn't talk, it would have been like two ghosts were stalking the labyrinth.
"After the war that decimated this planet, the inhabitants had to go to ground to escape the fallout. They built these tunnels partly for shelter but also so it would be easier to reach other points of resistance. The effort was there, but the coordination...". Kynes left the thought trailing.
"And when the radiation levels above became tolerable again, most of the inhabitants went surface side," surmised the Jedi.
"More or less," agreed the sniper. "Although there are still quite a few living down here. Those too mutated or crazy to make it topside. Not the friendliest type, but they'll leave you alone as long as you don't cross their territory. Which is why we're taking the long route."
"Better for your group then. Such an elaborate maze means one can get from place to place without detection. Assuming you know the layout,"
"It isn't too hard after the first month or so," replied Kynes dismissively. They traveled the rest of the way in silence.
After about ten minutes, they reached a part of the tunnel with a metal ladder hanging to the side. Both of them climbed up and Kynes opened the murder hole above their heads. Revan emerged into an alleyway not dissimilar to the one he had been ambushed in. Parked in the narrow space was the dark metal transport T'shere had called a 'Mole'. It was roughy rectangular in shape with a broad hatch at the back that could complement a dozen passengers. The Jedi recognized the make as a type the Republic army fielded for bringing their soldiers into combat zones, favoured for its sturdy hull. It looked battered and worn, with red paint peeling off liberally from all sides. But the engine purred smoothly and there was no corrosion so it seemed well maintained.
Revan saw a couple of scouts he recognized from the base, then Tshere, and finally Mysteel all in red. She waved at the newcomers.
"Fancy meeting you two here," she said cheerfully. The Twi'lek was dressed in a gunmetal grey flack jacket and tight black trousers, not dissimilar to her previous clothing, although her low cut vest looked suspiciously like T'shere's. Mysteel also sported two blasters on either side of her hips, the style many mercenaries Revan had seen favor on this planet.
"Fancy that," agreed Kynes with a smirk as she climbed the rails to the driver's seat.
One by one, the rest of the team entered the vehicle. When they were all secure, the Mole took off for the city limits with an audible roar.
The trip was uneventful save for the occasional jolt in their seats. At one point, they reached the mile long bridge to the island. Looking out the window, Revan noticed the crossing was littered with debris. Old vehicles were strewn randomly across the length of the passage like a haphazard maze. It seemed they were used as makeshift shelters at some point because he saw piles ration cans and shattered glass on the floor along with old fire pits and tires that served for chairs. Looking more closely, he realized he could also see bones and skulls lying amongst the ruins. They had been there for some time, judging by the decay.
People camped on this bridge. Realized the Jedi. There were so many that wanted to reach the safe zone they literally died here, waiting for rescue from the carnage that came from the war.
While he brooded, the commander was going over their mission parameters with her scouts.
"...We'll drop the two off at the western gates. We can't go beyond the wall so Kynes will set up a surveillance post southeast of the garrison walls. The rest of you will go..."
Revan was only partly listening as he did a final inventory check of his own gear. His lightsaber was securely fastened within reaching distance. As was his utility belt which included variety of new equipment, courtesy of his mysterious benefactors. This included an enhanced imaging apparatus, capable of showing the layout around him within a fifty meter radius as well as life-signs in the vicinity. He also had a new arrays of stimulants and anti toxins, to help him in case of severe injury. Among the most useful of his new inventory were the miniature thermal detonators, which could be activated remotely at his command.
Satisfied everything was in order, he looked at his partner to see how she was doing. Mysteel must have found the briefing boring, because the Twi'lek was too busy adjusting her left gauntlet to pay attention. She was muttering under her breath about something being stuck.
Suddenly a thin yellow energy blade hissed out from under her wrist, almost impaling her in the eye. She gave a surprised yelp, startling the other passengers.
T'shere gave her an annoyed look. "if your quite done?"
Mysteel looked embarrassed, "sorry Mom,"
As her sister continued to drone on, Mysteel threw a wink at the Jedi.
"Like my toy?" she whispered "I think it goes well with my femme fatale theme."
Revan studied her left wrist with interest.
"Remarkable. You modified the gauntlet to incorporate a power cell matrix. And you shaped the lightsaber foci lens to refract to only a fraction of its normal distance. In the shape of a stiletto even."
"Yep!" Mysteel replied proudly. "Do you like it? My clever little sister helped me scrounge up some of the components. But I got the idea from one of our missions,"
Before Revan could dissuade her, the Twi'lek happily elaborated.
"So there was this one time, where we were raiding this pirate ship. We were trying to free the slaves they were planning to sell off to the slave markets. Well things were going pretty much our way, and I was opening the prison doors when this midget comes out of nowhere, gets the jump on me and grabs my ass!"
"...you were molested by a midget?" asked Revan incredulously.
"Hmmm, maybe not a real midget. But he was tiny, with yellow lightbulbs eyes. I think they're native to Tatooine." explained Mysteel in her giggling voice.
"Well I thought it was one of the freed prisoners getting really friendly with me. I mean I was saving them, so I thought, 'why not?' and let him cop a feel on my butt cheeks. Then I felt a prick below the waist, and I thought, 'whoa, now that's too friendly,'. Well, you can imagine I didn't want to give it up to a three foot alien in a firefight, so I grabbed him and dashed him against the wall. When he was knocked out, I realized it wasn't his happy parts impaling me, it was a tiny dagger attached to his wrist!"
The Twi'lek gave an indignant huff.
"Needless to say I was pissed...and kind of relieved at the same time. I mean can you imagine losing your virginity that way?"
Revan's jaw opened and closed before settling on. "You're kidding, right?"
"Not at all! Anyways that's where I got the hidden weapon idea. Great for backstabbing, would've worked too if the bugger wasn't so damn small and had terrible aim. That's why I made this superior model."
She patted her weapon proudly.
"Oh and technically, I became a woman. Well almost, he wasn't strong enough to actually penetrate. Still, I'll always remember that one as the 'Cherry Popping,' mission. Awesome huh?"
At this point everyone was staring at her. Tshere was giving her sister her best withering glare.
"Any more inane stories you like to share with us?" she snapped.
"Oooooh totally, so there was this-"
"We're here," came Kyne's voice from the driver's seat.
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Mysteel gave the group a pouty look.
"Nobody appreciates me," She sighed.