Chapter 26 - The Mission

Phoebus, Kara, Mana, Hazel, and myself stepped out of a train in DC a week later, the nearest to our destination. Mana and myself were stealthed, as we couldn't be seen, or else we risked the mission. "It should be a ten minute walk from here." Phoebus told Kara and Hazel. We followed them, Kara occasionally checking on us with Force Sight.

I quickly checked my inventory, where both myself and Mana had 15 disguised permacrete detonators from the Shop, as well as a few thermal detonators and a couple of smaller bombs from Alec. It felt wrong, going in to bomb a government lab, but hey, that's probably just the fact that I still have a moral compass, despite everything. It just spins around rapidly, and it just so happens to be pointing the opposite of the way it should be currently.

After everything this government's done? No mercy. "They don't deserve mercy, after everything," I told myself. "But we're bombing innocent people in that bunker, too," the moral part of me said.

::Don't start doubting yourself now, Cyrus. We can't put this at risk.:: Mana reminded me. As the buildings came into view, they turned to it. Kara grabbed my hand, and I hugged her, still invisible. "This is where we have to leave you. I'll escort Kara and Hazel back to your base, and I'll be waiting at the station for you." Phoebus said neutrally. "I wish you two the best of luck." He said, looking at me, since it was pretty clear where I was, with how I was hugging Kara.

"Stay safe." I urged the trio. "How are you the one telling us that? You better stay safe, or I'll tear this whole place down, piece by piece, in revenge." She warned us. I smiled. "We'll be back." I promised, starting to walk to the entrance to the building, Mana at my side. I glanced over to Mana, and she nodded. "Keep an eye out. I can't be interrupted while I do this." I told her.

I managed to fry the elevator camera with Force Storm, then I pried open the panel for the keycard to get down there, and started fiddling with the wiring. After about five minutes, I heard a "Ding!" to indicate my success, and a +1 to Int to go with it. "Mana!" I called out in my mind.

I saw her outline turn to me, and she crept over to the elevator with me. The elevator closed behind us as we entered, and a screen came to life. "Select the floor you wish to go to." A prerecorded voice rang out. An arrangement of buttons appeared on the screen, labeling the different floors. My eyes scanned over it all, and I found it. B6, the Lab.

I pressed the button. "Going down." The voice said, as the elevator lurched, slowly descending. The door opened, and we crept out. I glanced at Mana. "Steal a keycard from an employee, and get it to me while I start setting the detonators up." I told her, looking around for good places to set them up, and I turned on my minimap.

There weren't a ton of employees around. Of course, I shouldn't be all that surprised. It was very early in the morning, anyway. Not everyone would get up this early. It wasn't long before I had most of the detonators around the vast room, near the support beams, some around walls, just to cause maximum damage, and I was back at the elevator, waiting for Mana. Minutes later, I felt a card getting slid into my hand by Mana.

"Good. Now, go. I'll finish the job in the back rooms. If I'm not up there in 30 minutes, run, and tell Phoebus that I was captured." I told her. She started to protest, and I opened the elevator, using Force Push to get her back in there, and Stasis to keep her still. She cursed at me mentally, but went back up.

I snuck to the back rooms, swiping the keycard to get in. I slipped in, closing the door behind me. My Force Sight turned off on its own, and I frowned. I set the remaining bombs in the remaining rooms, and I tried to open the door with my powers, as to not leave a fingerprint. It didn't work. "What the hell?" I thought.

I tried to use Force Storm, and I felt the energy build up, but nothing actually happened. I frown, but pull open the door. My Force Sight flickers back on by itself as I stepped back out, and I looked back at those rooms, shuddering at the implications. Let's hope they haven't made enough of whatever that was that stopped my powers for anywhere else.

I got in the elevator, and slipped back out at the entrance level, meeting back up with Mana. I started to see more people showing up for work, whether it be here or elsewhere. I knew I had to do it now, at the risk of hurting more innocents if I waited. I pulled out the remote for the detonators, and pressed it, grabbing Mana's hand and running. The building rumbled, collapsing in on itself, destroying the labs, and the rest of the floors, alongside a large chunk of the street it was on.

I shuddered at the thought of what the corporation making all that stuff could do. Then I realized. They probably have copies of the blueprints for all of those machines, to include whatever restrained my powers. I needed to find the console that had all that data, and delete it. I shared as much with Mana, and she shook her head.

::We can't do that. The mission was to destroy the technology, and now we know what their ace-in-the-hole is. We just can't allow ourselves to be lured anywhere:: She thought, as we boarded the train. I was quietly thanking any existing deity out there who had enough mercy to not allow all of the trains here to close down.

Another hour later, we were at the station, unstealthed. Phoebus grinned at us. "Mission success, you two! It hit the news, though nothing even hinted at what the building was, much less that it belonged to Aztecoro." Phoebus congratulated us. The name of the corporation, admittedly, was unknown to me. But maybe people weren't supposed to know what they were.

"Everyone's going to be waiting for you. Come on. Let's go." Phoebus said, before he saw something and frowned. I turned around to see what he saw, and saw nothing. I frowned, too. "What did you see?" I asked. He shook his head. "I'll tell you later. Let's go, you two." He insisted, seriousness now lacing his tone, ushering us into the car.

When we pulled onto the main level of the bunker, there were deafening cheers coming from all directions. "Gods, part of me doesn't want to open the car door." I shouted, laughing. Seriously, I had to shout for them to hear me. Honestly? If it was deafening through the car doors, it'd be much worse outside here. We stepped out, and I waved at the crowd.

We quickly made our way to the elevator, and I could still hear cheering for another couple floors, before we finally hit the council room. Everyone saw us, and congratulations were dealt to the two of us. I didn't feel like celebrating yet. It wasn't even close to over. Minutes later, Revan came in behind us, moving quietly, seemingly hoping to not be noticed. I glanced at him in suspicion, and he raised a brow.

I ignored him, and just decided to celebrate for now, in spite of the fact that we haven't made a major victory quite yet. After an hour, we cooled down, and I told the council the bad news. "It's not a complete victory, yet. We may have destroyed the technology they were using to create Empowered people, but they still have the data for it in their mainframe, I'm sure. They can likely rebuild." I admitted.

"No, they don't have anything of the sort. Not anymore." Revan said coolly. "What do you mean?" I asked. "While the two of you raised a distraction, I snuck in and deleted the data for most of those machines. I only missed one, to my misfortune, as I ran out of time. I was forced to leave or be noticed." He told us.

I laugh. That's one more worry off my shoulders. "Thank you, Revan. That lifts a weight off my shoulders." I said genuinely. He made a small smile at that, quickly masking it. "Well, that's all good news, then." Azalea said happily. I wanted to talk more about what they had developed there, but I didn't want to be even more of a buzzkill than I already was, so I stayed quiet.

Everyone was chatting pretty happily, aside from myself and Revan. "I've got to use the restroom. I'll be back in a few." I told Mana, lying through my teeth. I went to the elevator, Revan quickly pushing in to join me. "Not the one for parties, huh?" He asked, jamming his thumb into the bronze colored button for the top floor.

"No, I'm not. I'm guessing you're all the same?" Revan shrugged at my question, and we rode up to the top floor in silence. When we arrived, I grabbed a foldable chair, and brought it to the edge, unfolding it, and kicking my legs up over the side of the building, just enjoying the afternoon breeze for a spare minute. When I opened my eyes, I saw Revan staring at me calculatingly. "Why so tense? Even if neither of us want to party, we can afford to relax for a minute. It's not like we're about to be attacked at every turn." I told him.

He shrugged. "I'm just not used to relaxing." He said, pulling up a chair anyways, sitting with his legs crossed on the chair. I really wanted to try and make conversation with him, so I did. "Tell me about yourself. Do you have a favorite color?" I asked him. He smiled wistfully. "I think it'd have to be green, not like a forest green, but more like a sea green, now that I'm dedicating my thoughts to it. Yours?" He asked back.

I frowned. What was my favorite color? "I think it'd have to be purple, honestly, due to symbolism in regards to my powers. My powers are based heavily on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and a purple lightsaber in Star Wars, as I probably shouldn't have to explain to someone who chose Revan as a name, represents a good person who's willing to use darker methods for a truly greater good." I decided. He smiled at me.

"It's nice that I'm not the only cultured man in that room. I'm in the habit of calling the big boss by the variations of Carth Onasi. He acts like he's sick of it, but I can tell he loves it." He says lightheartedly. I smile back, and that quickly fades as I decide to speak with him about a more serious matter. "You saw what that corporation produces, right? They can completely block off my Force powers with something out of those. If they find a way to reproduce that, we might want to bring a small army with us when the month is up." I said seriously.

He sighs. "Yeah, I know. Cyrus, I need you to trust me on this. Those idiots will be too absorbed in their victory to prepare fully for the final attack. They might help some, but the planning itself is largely up to your group and myself." He says, locking eyes with me. "Understood." I nod. He opens his mouth to speak again, but we're interrupted by Phoebe coming from the direction of the elevator.

"Glad you have so much faith in us." She remarks. "We were looking for you two. We were wrapping things up, and wished to see you off." She said, looking at me now. I stood, moving my chair back to where I found it. "Alright. Lead the way, Phoebe." I said. As Phoebe started walking, I noticed Revan remaining still. "Are you coming with or not?" Phoebe asked me.

"One second." I walked over to Revan. "Hey, you get to be included, too. You're coming to see us off." I grunt, dragging him onto his feet. He just shoots a glare at me, but I think I have a general understanding of him now, though I'm still missing the details I want to have. I think, deep down, he appreciates being included, though he'd kill me for vocalizing that.

He huffed, but walked with us, Phoebe shooting a surprised look at Revan, before calling the elevator. When we got to the main level, Mana was grinning, still chatting away with Phoebus and Azalea. "Admiral Onasi." Revan says, saluting in an overexaggerated manner at Alec. I smirk, and the two of them start talking in hushed tones about something, Revan shooting a spare glance at me.

I nod at him, and Phoebus gestures at Phoebe, sending some kind of message. "Don't be too long." She told him. "I'll be back in the morning, little sis, don't worry." He assured her. "Azalea, c'mon. You're coming with me, too." Azalea grinned, hopping in the passenger's seat of the car.

Mana and I slid in the back again, and they all started trying to loop me into their conversation. Trust me, none of you want to know what they were talking about. I tuned them out for the drive, anxiously awaiting the feel of home.