CH. IV – Infiltrate. Deceive. Destroy
I stepped of the starship and onto the landing platform.
The Sith pilot of our stolen civilian ship murmured "Good Luck, you'll need it" and with that I was left alone on docking platform 83-C.
I looked around me and saw a cab hovering around looking for a fare.
"Outskirts of town, Republic research facility"
He started the small craft going, asking me what my business there was, as well as other questions that were equally meaningless to him.
I answered him with lies, and he must have picked up on the disinterested tone, as he soon ceased.
Deceive, done.
The ride out there was long, agonizingly long, watching the stars fly past as I had done on my first assignment.
I was discovered then, I cannot be now, I will be killed for sure.
It seems that since then something of a killer instinct has awoken in me, I can focus much easier, and I'm a good deal more sensitive, to noises, to light, much more aware.
I wondered how I would do this with none of my force abilities, I cannot choke for a silent kill, I cannot dominate the mind on a guard should he see me...Fenox knew this would be a great test of my skills, a formal promotion to assassin maybe?
That would be an honor, yet another reason to do this right the first time, aside from the most obvious reason, to keep alive.
As he began to decelerate I drew one of my pistols, for an assassin leaves no survivors, but then put it back.
By the time he even realizes I might have had anything to do with this I'll be long gone I reasoned.
I paid the man his credits and stepped from the cab into the cool night air.
I headed towards the forest behind the facility and once in the forest, activated my stealth unit, no fence, there must be guards patrolling.
I made my way through the forest slowly, watching the ground for motion sensors and the like. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed slight distortion in the moons reflection in a nearby pond.
It was small, very small, I'm surprised I caught it in the first place.
Only a centimeter of so wide, as I examined it more closely I noticed the distortion formed a gird over the pond, and the lines seemed to pass onto the ground.
Then it hit me...a motion sensor grid, that's why there wasn't a fence and no guards...dammit...if I had tripped it then I was done for.
I looked to see if the distortions, what I now knew to be sensor beams, ran my way, they didn't...I breather a sigh of relief but at the same time was feeling quite frustrated, I can't bypass it, I don't know how far it stretches and since I cant see it all that well, I was lucky I got this far.
I can't go over it...or can I?
I looked above me at the branches, if I climbed the trees, I could go from branch to branch, right over the grid and never be caught. Damn I'm good I said to myself as I began to climb the nearest tree, only to fall off, and be forced to try again.
Like I have long held, gravity is not my friend...
As I passed from branch to branch I had a great feeling of worth inside, like a master assassin, climbing through the trees to reach his mark.
Maybe me time was at hand and as I has speculated earlier that this is my test, my shot at being made an assassin in the ranks, instead of eyes of the teachers...and my victims I thought to myself with a smile hidden under the mask that covers the lower half of us Dark Jedi's faces.
After 10 or so minutes of going from branch to branch I could see the lights of the facility and as I reached the forests edge I stopped to look over the building I was to infiltrate.
The large front doors were being watched by cameras as well as 2 guards, the front doors were never really an option but its always good to have all your exits...er, entrances covered.
The door to the underground garage was out to, cameras there as well.
There were vents on the sides of the building but they were high up, just below the roof.
The roof...that was my way in, I could see two guards patrolling up there but they were not a problem, after watching them long enough with my electrobinoculars I knew their patrol pattern, if I killed one I would have 7 seconds to hide his body and set myself up to kill the other.
The problem was hiding the body of the first, I couldn't just throw it over the side, I'm sure that when the cameras saw a body fall from the roof with a cut throat that it would cause a bit of a stir.
There were boxes he past on his patrol, I could hide it there, this didn't have to be good, just so he couldn't been seen by someone on the opposite side.
That's how I would do it I told myself.
I took the grappling equipment that I had been given and made my way across the open space between the forest and the facility...the camera operators can't raise the alarm on what they can't see, and thanks to my stealth unit, what they can't see is me.
I shot the hook to the top of the roof and began to climb up the side of the building, finally reaching the top and climbing over the railing just as my seven second window opened.
I quickly drew the sword I had been given and in one quick movement cut the guards throat and quickly but quietly set his body behind the boxes.
3 seconds left by my count...I had done well, and after a count of 3 the other guard was looking this way, and just like I was expecting, came to investigate his missing comrade.
Perfect I thought, so long as he doesn't see a body and raise the alarm before I can kill him.
I waited till he was close and shot around the side of the box and drove my sword through his back and out his front.
He dropped without a sound except for a faint sigh-like sound, once I was sure he was dead I placed my heel on his back and pulled my sword from him, examining the blade, now red.
It was sharper than any sword I had seen before and very well balanced for use with one hand or two.
I made my way towards the door on the rooftop only to find it was locked from the inside, the pack of security spikes I had on my left leg would do me no good.
"Damn" I muttered, the first word I had spoken since I left the cab.
Now I had to find another way in, which took time, and if these guards had to report in then time was something I didn't have too much of.
I remembered the vents on the side below the roof and decided it was worth a try.
I grabbed the rope attached to the hook and lowered myself some, level with the vent and started swinging, when I gained enough momentum I straightened my legs out and swung full force towards the vent cover. It broke against the force and I shot inside the ventilation shaft.
Now I was in...Infiltrate, done, Deceive, done...now onto destroy.
I made my way through the shaft, thankful every meter of the way for the sound damper on my stealth unit. I looked through grates as I went over them, most positioned over hallways, another over the barracks, which happened to be full of soldiers...if that grate fell, that would be bad.
My first priority is to find the lead scientist, its late in the night...I need to find the housing wing of this facility.
As I passed yet another grate the blue glow of computer screens caught my attention and I stopped.
I listened...no voices, no breathing, empty...
I removed the grate and dropped down into the room, a few computers were on the walls and one on a desk, with the designation "Security".
The rifles, pistols and grenades on the wall racks confirmed the computers designation, this was indeed a security station, and just what I was looking for.
I accessed the computer with a card I found next to the terminal and uploaded the schematics into my datapad, then I removed the card, placed it back where I had found it and climbed into the ventilation shaft again.
After a number of wrong turns and muttered expletives I found where I needed to be.
Right above a desk in his room.
Too easy I though...experience quickly reminded me that more than likely there was something here to complicate this, I just hoped it wasn't another master Jedi, or a squad of Republic troops right outside the door.
I went still and listened, I could hear the sound a camera moving, scanning the room, it sounded close, may I could break it I though.
Closer inspection revealed that it was under the grate, positioned there so that the grate could not be opened without the camera seeing.
"Dammit, they're just getting better and better at this" I said with a smirk as I readied an ion grenade I had brought with me, great for knocking out droids, better for knocking out electronic surveillance devices.
I placed the grenade on the grate and turned away as well as moved back a bit.
It would be loud, yes, but with the equipment I had presently it was the best I could do, all they would know is that a camera was out, it would wake the scientist, yes, but..."Something is wrong" I said as I sat back and realized that all I heard was the camera moving, no breathing, and I could see the man on his bed.
I looked at the camera, the transmitter on the back of it was gone and as I examined the grate I noticed the bolts holding it down were gone...
With the transmitter on the camera gone it was no good so I dropped into the room, with one of my assassins pistols in each hand.
I took aim around the room upon landing and found I was alone.
I proceeded to the bed and looked at my mark...and realized I was all too alone...he was already dead, shot in the chest, close range, a few inches at most.
"Well, I obviously didn't kill you" I said to the dead scientist "I must not be so alone after all"...
I stepped of the starship and onto the landing platform.
The Sith pilot of our stolen civilian ship murmured "Good Luck, you'll need it" and with that I was left alone on docking platform 83-C.
I looked around me and saw a cab hovering around looking for a fare.
"Outskirts of town, Republic research facility"
He started the small craft going, asking me what my business there was, as well as other questions that were equally meaningless to him.
I answered him with lies, and he must have picked up on the disinterested tone, as he soon ceased.
Deceive, done.
The ride out there was long, agonizingly long, watching the stars fly past as I had done on my first assignment.
I was discovered then, I cannot be now, I will be killed for sure.
It seems that since then something of a killer instinct has awoken in me, I can focus much easier, and I'm a good deal more sensitive, to noises, to light, much more aware.
I wondered how I would do this with none of my force abilities, I cannot choke for a silent kill, I cannot dominate the mind on a guard should he see me...Fenox knew this would be a great test of my skills, a formal promotion to assassin maybe?
That would be an honor, yet another reason to do this right the first time, aside from the most obvious reason, to keep alive.
As he began to decelerate I drew one of my pistols, for an assassin leaves no survivors, but then put it back.
By the time he even realizes I might have had anything to do with this I'll be long gone I reasoned.
I paid the man his credits and stepped from the cab into the cool night air.
I headed towards the forest behind the facility and once in the forest, activated my stealth unit, no fence, there must be guards patrolling.
I made my way through the forest slowly, watching the ground for motion sensors and the like. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed slight distortion in the moons reflection in a nearby pond.
It was small, very small, I'm surprised I caught it in the first place.
Only a centimeter of so wide, as I examined it more closely I noticed the distortion formed a gird over the pond, and the lines seemed to pass onto the ground.
Then it hit me...a motion sensor grid, that's why there wasn't a fence and no guards...dammit...if I had tripped it then I was done for.
I looked to see if the distortions, what I now knew to be sensor beams, ran my way, they didn't...I breather a sigh of relief but at the same time was feeling quite frustrated, I can't bypass it, I don't know how far it stretches and since I cant see it all that well, I was lucky I got this far.
I can't go over it...or can I?
I looked above me at the branches, if I climbed the trees, I could go from branch to branch, right over the grid and never be caught. Damn I'm good I said to myself as I began to climb the nearest tree, only to fall off, and be forced to try again.
Like I have long held, gravity is not my friend...
As I passed from branch to branch I had a great feeling of worth inside, like a master assassin, climbing through the trees to reach his mark.
Maybe me time was at hand and as I has speculated earlier that this is my test, my shot at being made an assassin in the ranks, instead of eyes of the teachers...and my victims I thought to myself with a smile hidden under the mask that covers the lower half of us Dark Jedi's faces.
After 10 or so minutes of going from branch to branch I could see the lights of the facility and as I reached the forests edge I stopped to look over the building I was to infiltrate.
The large front doors were being watched by cameras as well as 2 guards, the front doors were never really an option but its always good to have all your exits...er, entrances covered.
The door to the underground garage was out to, cameras there as well.
There were vents on the sides of the building but they were high up, just below the roof.
The roof...that was my way in, I could see two guards patrolling up there but they were not a problem, after watching them long enough with my electrobinoculars I knew their patrol pattern, if I killed one I would have 7 seconds to hide his body and set myself up to kill the other.
The problem was hiding the body of the first, I couldn't just throw it over the side, I'm sure that when the cameras saw a body fall from the roof with a cut throat that it would cause a bit of a stir.
There were boxes he past on his patrol, I could hide it there, this didn't have to be good, just so he couldn't been seen by someone on the opposite side.
That's how I would do it I told myself.
I took the grappling equipment that I had been given and made my way across the open space between the forest and the facility...the camera operators can't raise the alarm on what they can't see, and thanks to my stealth unit, what they can't see is me.
I shot the hook to the top of the roof and began to climb up the side of the building, finally reaching the top and climbing over the railing just as my seven second window opened.
I quickly drew the sword I had been given and in one quick movement cut the guards throat and quickly but quietly set his body behind the boxes.
3 seconds left by my count...I had done well, and after a count of 3 the other guard was looking this way, and just like I was expecting, came to investigate his missing comrade.
Perfect I thought, so long as he doesn't see a body and raise the alarm before I can kill him.
I waited till he was close and shot around the side of the box and drove my sword through his back and out his front.
He dropped without a sound except for a faint sigh-like sound, once I was sure he was dead I placed my heel on his back and pulled my sword from him, examining the blade, now red.
It was sharper than any sword I had seen before and very well balanced for use with one hand or two.
I made my way towards the door on the rooftop only to find it was locked from the inside, the pack of security spikes I had on my left leg would do me no good.
"Damn" I muttered, the first word I had spoken since I left the cab.
Now I had to find another way in, which took time, and if these guards had to report in then time was something I didn't have too much of.
I remembered the vents on the side below the roof and decided it was worth a try.
I grabbed the rope attached to the hook and lowered myself some, level with the vent and started swinging, when I gained enough momentum I straightened my legs out and swung full force towards the vent cover. It broke against the force and I shot inside the ventilation shaft.
Now I was in...Infiltrate, done, Deceive, done...now onto destroy.
I made my way through the shaft, thankful every meter of the way for the sound damper on my stealth unit. I looked through grates as I went over them, most positioned over hallways, another over the barracks, which happened to be full of soldiers...if that grate fell, that would be bad.
My first priority is to find the lead scientist, its late in the night...I need to find the housing wing of this facility.
As I passed yet another grate the blue glow of computer screens caught my attention and I stopped.
I listened...no voices, no breathing, empty...
I removed the grate and dropped down into the room, a few computers were on the walls and one on a desk, with the designation "Security".
The rifles, pistols and grenades on the wall racks confirmed the computers designation, this was indeed a security station, and just what I was looking for.
I accessed the computer with a card I found next to the terminal and uploaded the schematics into my datapad, then I removed the card, placed it back where I had found it and climbed into the ventilation shaft again.
After a number of wrong turns and muttered expletives I found where I needed to be.
Right above a desk in his room.
Too easy I though...experience quickly reminded me that more than likely there was something here to complicate this, I just hoped it wasn't another master Jedi, or a squad of Republic troops right outside the door.
I went still and listened, I could hear the sound a camera moving, scanning the room, it sounded close, may I could break it I though.
Closer inspection revealed that it was under the grate, positioned there so that the grate could not be opened without the camera seeing.
"Dammit, they're just getting better and better at this" I said with a smirk as I readied an ion grenade I had brought with me, great for knocking out droids, better for knocking out electronic surveillance devices.
I placed the grenade on the grate and turned away as well as moved back a bit.
It would be loud, yes, but with the equipment I had presently it was the best I could do, all they would know is that a camera was out, it would wake the scientist, yes, but..."Something is wrong" I said as I sat back and realized that all I heard was the camera moving, no breathing, and I could see the man on his bed.
I looked at the camera, the transmitter on the back of it was gone and as I examined the grate I noticed the bolts holding it down were gone...
With the transmitter on the camera gone it was no good so I dropped into the room, with one of my assassins pistols in each hand.
I took aim around the room upon landing and found I was alone.
I proceeded to the bed and looked at my mark...and realized I was all too alone...he was already dead, shot in the chest, close range, a few inches at most.
"Well, I obviously didn't kill you" I said to the dead scientist "I must not be so alone after all"...