It turned out to be the sergeant who made the next move.
Iscom was already waiting, Yuo and Brash steaming over some argument or another behind him. The junior members of the team had volatile tempers, and they seemed to be hooked to the same fuse. When one went off, the other was sure to follow. Iscom had given up on trying to defuse them. The best he could do was to wait for the tardy sergeant to show.
"Well, I'm glad to see you all got the message."
Badri's laughter came from the door. Finally, Iscom thought, suppressing the eyeroll he longed for.
"It's a fairly simple find and rescue mission," Badri continued, opening his locker. He lifted his rifle out, checking it for ammo and charge. "A seven-year-old girl was kidnapped a few nights ago, and Coruscant Security believes they've located the location she was taken to. Our job is to check out the place, and if she's there, get her out."
"Why was she taken?" Brash asked.
Badri clipped an extra power cell to his belt. "We don't know," he admitted. "All evidence seems to be that it was just a random kidnapping."
Brash groaned. "Great. A pedophile."
Fishing something out of his belt pouch, Badri grudgingly concurred, "That's the most likely scenario, yes."
"Well, I needed to shoot someone today anyway," Brash said. "I'll grab another case of ammo and be ready." There was a growl in his voice, and Iscom could tell he was still pissed off. Dune was fuming quietly.
"Rigil, you should take this as well," Badri said, his voice low. He handed over the small disk he had taken out earlier.
"What?" Iscom took it from him, flipping the small device over in his hand. "…Is this what I think it is?"
"Depends how good you are at guessing," the sergeant said evasively.
Iscom eyed it warily. "Emras, you know—" he started, but the sergeant quickly interrupted him.
"Yes, actually, I do know, so don't bother telling me," he snapped back.
"But—" Iscom tried again.
"I trust you," Badri said as Brash reentered the room, now carrying his rifle. "Now, let's get moving," Badri commanded.
Rigil looked back at the device. It was an electromagnetic pulse generator. If it went off anywhere near Badri, it would definitely injure him, and probably kill him. It could shut down his heart in less than a second.
Shit, he thought, and pocketed it.
The coordinates led them to an abandoned apartment on one of the lower levels of the city. Cautiously testing the door, Badri motioned for the others to hang back. One quick shot to the lock panel and the door slid open to reveal… the little girl.
Inside, the room was empty save for the girl, who was tied to a chair in the center. Nothing but plain rope held her in place. There were no security cameras, no guards, and as far as Iscom could tell, there were no traps either.
"This doesn't feel right," Badri said. His voice was barely more than a whisper.
Brash gave a brief laugh. "Really, commander?" he joked. Iscom shot a warning glace back at the private. Now was not the time for jokes. He silenced immediately, a guilty look lingering on his face.
"Rigil." The sergeant motioned him to the medic's position at the back on the line. Iscom went reluctantly, but he followed Badri's orders.
"This is very strange," Yuo whispered. Badri was already moving to the girl, cutting the ropes that tied her to the chair in a few swift motions.
"Yuo, take her out," Badri ordered. The private nodded, motioning to the girl. She walked to Yuo cautiously, as if she was expecting something to happen…
"I knew they'd send one of you."
"Sergeant!" It was a warning cry, let out as Iscom caught the glint of a blaster at Badri's head.
"Hold your fire!" Badri commanded, and Iscom stopped moving, his hand halfway to his blaster.
The man took a step forward, his face now in the light. He was human, unremarkable. "Look at you, pretending to care," he mocked. His eyes were sunken. "No, that was never my intention. In fact, she is free to go now that you are here. Go on." The girl looked back, worried, before running out of the apartment. Iscom had a brief urge to follow her, make sure she got back safely, but the man pressed the blaster up against Badri's head.
Iscom threatened, "Step away from him or I'll—"
"Or you'll what?" the man interrupted. "You'll kill me, as well as your commander? As right you should. This monster deserves to die."
Don't doubt my aim, Iscom thought, sliding his hand down towards his backup blaster as slowly as he could manage.
"He's not a monster!" Yuo shouted. It made no difference.
The man's face contorted into something that was almost a smirk. "Oh, but he is," he repeated. "They all are. You've just been blinded by his looks. They deceive you into thinking they're human, just like us, and then they show you what monsters they really are." He tightened his grip on the blaster, and Iscom slid his hand another half centimeter down.
I was like you, once. I thought they were human too. Even thought they could have friends. Then one of them murdered my wife and daughter, right in front of me. No provocation and no second thoughts."
"Sir—" Badri started in a somewhat desperate attempt to reason with the man.
"Shut up!" he interrupted, hitting Badri across the head with the blaster. Yuo let out a brief shout, fumbling to grab her blaster. Brash already had his blaster pointed at the man, but Iscom kept his sheathed for the moment. He knew that with his hand now positioned on the holster he could draw and shoot faster than either of the privates. The man spat, "Don't try to fool me again, you monster." He turned to each member of the team in turn, his eyes meeting Iscom's last. When the man spoke, it was a threat.
"I can show you what he really is. How much of him is really human. Shall I?"
AN: There's one more (very short) chapter after this, and then the action continues in the sequel. The reason for the fic break will become... apparent...