Chapter IV

"Freighter Ir'Qulad, you're late. This will be taken off your payment," the Nemoidian flight controller said.

"Yes, yes, I apologize," Zero responded. "We had some difficulty with our engines and had to make a stop for repairs."

"Whatever your reason it doesn't matter. You're cleared to land on pad twenty-two. You know Captain Norah you sound different then when we first hired you to ship this."

"Uh…yes I've come down with a bit of a cold, Ir'Qulad out."

"Do you think they bought it?" Six asked.

"It doesn't matter. Either way in two minutes they're going to have four special operations clone commandos blowing everything half way to hell."

"Literally or figuratively, sir?" Boom asked.

"Figuratively Boom, though in your case literally," Ghost snapped.

"Sir we are on final approach to the platform," Six informed Zero.

"Clones, check your weapons and prepare to engage!"

"Yes sir!" the team replied.

A minute after landing there came a knock on the cargo door. "Lifters here to remove cargo," the lead droid said.

"Yeah just a second, ok we're coming down now. Here's something," Zero said as he chucked an EMP grenade at the movers. The electronic shockwave knocked them over and took out there systems, along with disabling the security cameras around the pad. The clones quickly moved off of the pad and into the flight control tower. They quickly found a turbolift, disabled the droid guards and moved into it and proceeded to the top of the tower.

"When we arrive at the top Six and Boom take the flanks, Ghost, you'll be point," Zero ordered his squad.

The turbolift hovered slowed to a stop and the doors opened. The three Super Battle Droids guarding them were quickly dispatched followed shortly by the flight operators.

"Ghost patch into their computer network and try and find Kavak. Six man the operations terminal Klank and the rest of EX 52 should be arriving soon."

Five minutes later, static burst of the squad's frequency that rapidly resolved into Klank's familiar voice. "Zero? Sir, you down there?"

"Yes Klank we're here, Six give them a landing zone. Klank as soon as you land rendezvous with us at the top of the flight control tower."

"Yeah make it quick too, the encryption system on the computer network is a nightmare to figure out," said Ghost.

"We'll be down shortly, SO-5740 out," Klank replied and then severed the link.

"Haar'chak! Damn it!" Klank exclaimed when he got to the terminal that Ghost had patched into. "Iba' di'kut! What an idiot! What were you thinking Ghost?

"What is it?" asked Zero.

Klank sighed and turned back to the console, "Ibac dinii this idiot over there that is my brother made my job of braking into this system vastly harder."

"But can you do it?"

"Of course! That's what I'm paid to do!"

"Well then shut up and get to work," Zero ordered. He then turned to Six, "Are there any more arrivels today?"

"Yes," Six responded after checking his display. "Two cargo freighters will arrive at 2000 hours."

"You here that? That gives us just less then two hours to find Kavak, detain him, and extract ourselves," Zero informed the group.

"Sir, I've pulled up a map of the facility and likely spots that Kavak will be at."

"Good put them on my HUD."

"Yes sir. If I may stay behind, sir, I'll be able to track him on security cameras."

"Granted, TK-421 you stay with him and guard the area, perform random sweeps of the area and visual confirmation that the area is target-free. If hostiles should arrive, do not engage unless absolutely necessary to avoid detection, radio me if any other situation should occur. The rest of you," he turned to the group. "Will split up and search the area that I'm sending to you now. Klank, Ghost, you're with me. Mouth, take Peewee and Slash. Valdar, you're with Boom, Six, and UI. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'mur! Today is a good day for someone else to die! Now move!"