[DARKNET] Time to Wake Up and Move Out (Mission 01)

[Zigara]

Planet: Kal'Shebbol
Time: 11:00 Galactic Standard Time
Location: The Pit, Main Hall

Jectral Stargrave, overseer of DarkNet commanding slicer and adaptive hacker. Jechtral was heading out the door of his apartment complex and was on his way to the central command - The Pit. Stepping out of the Nova Towers he looked up into the gray and gloomy skies lighting illuminating the city and thunder rumbling to the core. Jechtral was wearing a common dark leather trenchcoat to attempt to stay dry but the clothes could only do so much. The garage that housed his XP-38 All-Terrain Roughrider Landspeeder was across the street, he wouldn't be out long but it would still be enough to get wet. Jechtral hustled over and into the underground garage and proceeded to his parking spot, he hopped in and proceeded to the entrance a droid attendant stopped him requesting his authorization card which he produced without hesitation. Being told to enjoy his day, Jechtral emerged into the storm - at full strength now. With precision he navigated through the streets and out of the city - his stero with an enhanced bass speaker was kept at a moderate volume as he played the latest club track; tapping his finger on the controls he smiled and made his way to The Hill. Being one of the bosses means you can put your own hours.

After a good 10 minuets he could see The Void's signage peeking up over the hills making the location of the settlement DarkNet had staked as their own. He brought his speeder in to a landing just before the garage and eased it into one of the available parking spots before shutting it all down and hopping out. With a pause at the mouth of the garage he sighed before rushing from the garage to the cantina which would be unlocked by now. Stepping in, he acknowledged some of the patrons there but no one he wanted to talk to specifically was there; he stopped in at the bar to get a status update before venturing to the back office where he looked over the financial from the night before and stock reports. Nothing needed his immediate attention so he continued on, activating the secret stairwell under the desk that would give him access to The Pit itself.

He stepped through the halls and entered the large atrium. People were carrying on, just another day in the life of DarkNet. He greeted a few of the people as he walked through the atrium and headed for Communication Centre and his office. Entering the communication centre he made note that the base centre was fairly empty - Jeeto's desk was unoccupied and so were the other agent desks confirming his suspicion. He headed toward his office and climbed up the steps and entered his office; hanging up his trenchcoat he now wore a pair of jeans with a black hoodie. The computers were buzzing and provided Jechtral a calming effect which often made him laugh - such a nerd. He took up residence in his lush leather chair before he noticed the blinking light on one of the consoles, looks like his requested reports were in. He logged in and reviewed the system; the scouts are reporting back to him and he nodded with confidence.

"Helios. We've discovered that the lair you were watching on "The Dark Planet" has not been entirely abandoned. Guards are still stationed, when you cleared it out - apparently someone moved in to seize control of the influence. Regrettably, but this is not above your grasps. Guards are in key locations, we're sending you the locations for your map. We could not confirm the new owner but we know their fairly low-key and small time. The security codes rotate every 72 hours, they roll over but don't often re-use codes so quickly but we are confident that the system is less then ideal. Your biggest issue is the planetary defense systems - you're going to have to break them before you can even get down onto the planet but keep in mind, they will be watching as you descend." Several bits of information were sent in with the transmission. He'd go from here...

With his information present, he knew he needed some people to carry out this operation he had been planning. He thought of the roster of agents and operatives and took a few moments to plan his strategy. He needed a select crew that could carry out all each branch. He stroked his beard as he considered his options.
He needed someone to cover the group... Overwatch
He needed someone to access terminals... Himself but Lil'Pyro would be the better option, should they need explosives.
He needed someone to clear the way... Pushy.
He needed someone to support the advance... Vandal.

With that in mind, he put together a transmission that would reach out to each of them. He knew, they'd have been setup in either single family dwellings or an apartment here at Command Central, that was one of the benefits they wanted to issue their members. Each could have a permanent place of residence if they wanted it, completely customizable to their liking - they could decorate to their taste, they could basically do what they wanted... they'd also offer temporary shelters for those who had a residence out somewhere; the life of a double agent. It was now roughly 13:00 hours. With a plan made, he headed out of the office and back to the atrium, he took up a seat on one of the benches and pulled out his datapad, reading.

The operatives would find their way to the atrium and to himself, here he would brief them.

---
((OOC: This is a DarkNet Mission.
To help the authors to 'get in the zone' I went ahead and created a quick 25 second audio clip which would be the transmission each would receive. Listen to it here. I created it with headphones in mind so the best broadcast comes from headphones but works on regular speakers to hehe. I'll delete the file afterwards; if you'd like I can probably make other audio related files for things like transmissions from me; just for fun!

OOC Thread))

 

[Phoenix]

Beep, beep, beep, beep. The sound of an incoming transmission woke Kaz from his light sleep. It had been a long night of work, and he had opted to pick up a few hours now, but business had found him again. He checked his chrono. Five hours of sleep, he thought to himself. Well, it’d have to do.

He swung his legs off of his bunk and reached for his communicator, thumbing it on. The sound of a warped voice came through and with the identification of Helios, he knew that this was a DarkNet job. He listened to the message and immediately deleted it. No point in keeping the possibility of others listening up.

He stood from his bed and left his quarters, preparing himself for the day. After about fifteen minutes he was showered and ready for the day, even though it was nearly noon already. That was just the nature of hunting prey that was out at night.

He suited up and made his way toward the DarkNet command center and found a number of people mulling about. He opted to wait until some of the other requested operatives showed up to actually make his way to Helios. Although he couldn’t remember whose codename was whose, save his own, of course, he was sure that he would have met, or at least recognize the faces of several of the operatives from their recent social gathering.

He didn’t know what they were being called for, but regardless of the mission, he was going to be ready for it. As a Mandalorian, he had no lack of training or access to equipment. He was sure both categories would be put to the test today as he made his way to meet Helios.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero received the message rather earlier than the others, giving him time to actually show up. Overwatch's affiliation with DarkNet had been rather scarce. He was more of a contractor than anything, with his work more for the Rebellion. They paid much more, and the jobs were nice and challenging. But, he stood by DarkNet's ideals. This was more volunteer work, than anything. The amount he would get out of this job would be very miniscule.

A few flights in the R-34 Peregrine (a recently bought acquisition), and Overwatch would make it to their base of operations. He wasn't on the clock, so his off-hour demeanor shown through. Very timid, hunched, intrinsic, the works. He carried a rather large rifle case, big enough for two of them. As he worked through the meager crowd of the organization, he began to stand up straighter and present himself as larger as he came closer to the heart of the command center. He would only point towards Vandal, picking him out of the crowd. The sniper shifted his finger toward the direction that Helios would be. "Let's roll. On the clock."

 

[QwibQwib]

The transmission caught Nabassk at a rather inoppurtune time, when he was hungry. The lizard was sitting in his apartment, staring at his door, his stomach making rumbling noises occasionally while he waited for the food he ordered to arrive. And then the beeping.. the Kriffin' beeping, at first he thought that it was the food delivery place explaining why they were late with his order, but then it began to speak.

By the force.. it was probably one of the creepiest things he ever heard, and at the time one of the most frustrating things he ever heard. The lizard weighed the possibility of ignoring the message and say that he was sleeping or something, but then again there may be cameras somewhere in his apartment so that was probably not the best idea. So with a sigh he picked up the communicator, deleted the message stored on it, walked out of the apartment and traveled to the outpost, with no sign of the food delivery person.

Needless to say his stomach was not a very good friend with the Trandoshan once he made it to the outpost, but he chose.. no, needed to ignore it for the moment, his eyes scanned the area for Helios, but failed in seeing him. He did however see two people, recognizable only because of the party, and even then he didn't recall specifically talking with either of them. There were three others that were called to this mission though, but all for codename, perhaps these were two of them, and if so he wondered where the last was? The thought didn't linger however, as Nabassk made his way over to the two.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Jeeto the Neepo was in his apartment within The Pit, his own personal quarters he basically had to stay in for more than one reason. One, it was safe. Two, he was technically dead. Three, living a short walk from work was not a bad thing when trying to save credits.

When the message came, Jeeto had been sitting at a work table within his living quarters, his goggles down over his milky white eyes as he was creating his own thermal detonators. Now, this was a deadly thing to do- even for a professional, especially in an apartment- but Jeeto was not like most other people. He was a trained demolition expert, slicer, marksman, and tech junkie. Creating bombs in his spare time was nothing.

In the short time he had had off due to lack of missions being undertaken, he had created close to fifty different grenades, remote charges, hacking programs. The grenades were of all kinds, though most were very... destructive. Others were more for disarming droids, such as ion bombs, or flashbangs for organics. Either way, his creations were going to a good cause- fifty percent went to his personal use, while the other he supplied to DarkNet. As long as they kept the parts flowing, he built them free of charge.

Well, mostly free of charge- they had to explode after all. *buh-dum tis*

His communicator, which sat to his right on the edge of the table, startled him so much when it went off he fell from the stool he was sitting on. The stool had been as tall as him, and so he landed on his back, pulling his current creation with him- a concusion grenade. When he hit the floor, it went off on his forehead, blinding and deafening him for a good ten minutes, as well as leaving a black residue all over his face. When he was sure the ringing in his ears was down enough to understand what was being said, he packed up and left, making sure his droid followed him. It beeped annoyingly, it's sensors still overloaded from the accidental detonation, but Jeeto flipped it the bird and kept on.

He hadn't bothered to wipe off the residue from his face, so when he saw three of his comrades- namely the woom-woom lizard- he scurried over as fast as his little legs could carry him and said, "Fun time?" He followed them, his droid still complaining all the way.

 

[Zigara]

Jechtral watched as he saw his requested team members shuffle into the atrium. They hadn't seemed to notice him on the far side but he had seen them, only because he was waiting for them. He turned the datapad off and put it away before activating his small implant lodged near his vocal cords to pick up the vibrations and communicate that way. Once he was confident in the connection he rose up from his bench; he was now patched into the PA system located here in the central chamber. His voice was normal and echoed only slightly in the chamber.

"Good afternoon Operatives; I have been expecting you all." He made his way toward the small group, he offered a friendly smile but his voice still indicating a serious tone. "I thank you for returning my summons. Today, I need you all in the field. As I explained in my transmission, we have to go." He was now in the center of the room, the hologram of Kal'Shebbol above his head. "Kal'Shebbol," He motioned to the hologram "Is a fantastic place to set up our main. We are far away from the galaxy and away from the Sith, the Rebels, the Hutts, and basically all of the galaxy. This serves our purpose well given the nature of our business. However, though we are a major trading planet situated on a major hyperspace lane we still have a significant problem. What protects us also hurts us, we are too far from the galaxy. This is why I have called you here." He placed his hands behind his back, pacing slowly as he spoke up, when he was done talking he stopped and waved his hand to the hologram as it changed from Kal'Shebbol to another planet, "This is Darkknell. A planet located in the Knel'char system. It is located on two trade routes and is near a third." Jechtral paused as he looked over the group before continuing "Darkknell is a dark planet, and I mean that in the literal sense. While the planet is terrestrial with a breathable atmosphere, the days are long - 32 standard hours. It's surface consists of mountains, oceans and urban centres - it is another important trading planet."

"Kal'Shebbol serves its purpose and it serves it well, but in order for us to get a better grasp on galactic events without raising too much suspicion is to expand, we need outposts. Given it's location, I say Darkknell is perfect. By setting up on the Hydian Way we can get additional informational feeds and establish additional contacts. Six months ago I was on Darkknell, I was assisting a group of locals as they tried to damage a local crime lord, Renij Mustafia - an Iktotchi. Renij was known as Gutter; he was ruthless, cold, heartless... and effective. Renji had a tendency to torture anyone who'd get in his way and he did it in the most disturbing of ways – sometimes slow, sometimes rapid. A finger or part here, or he'd just go right out and flay them; and he savored every moment - drinking in the suffering. Yes... if he wanted information he'd often get it. He dealt in spice, weapon smuggling, and most commonly – flesh. I am not a fan of slave traders as you can likely guess; freedom is my goal so I, of course, would be upset.

“Renji's organization was known as the Mynocks, his group was roughly 100 strong but his influence could be felt in most of the trading of black market goods. The group that I helped was the Gundarks, I had given them information and some layouts, I also helped them bring down most of the security systems. I never met the leaders or the members directly, I communicated from afar. Through our joint efforts, we crippled the organization and released the chains of slavery on the trade. The spice and weapons I assume were destroyed or re-purposed; as for Gutter himself, I've been told he's dead and I have confirmed such suspicion. I've had Gutter's base on observation when I had received reports of activity – I've gotten reports back from my scouts. While we cannot say for certain Gutter is back due to falsified information or if the Mynocks are back in operation under a new rule. I've been told they don't appear like the Mynocks of my day.” Jechtral paused for a few moments to let the information sink into the 4 before him.

“My reports and my own research of suggested it just some low-lifes trying to use the infamy gained from Renji and his Mynocks – they're not really a threat but they are active. It is my belief that this base will serve as an exceptional outpost as we move forward – this is why I've brought you here.” He snapped his fingers and the image changed from the planet to the surface as it narrowed it's search down to a mountain range before enhancing a section and now displayed an overhead map. “The Mynocks had a nice base set up in the mountains as you can see here; subtly was not their forte. As you see above me, these are recent images taken not 24 hours ago,” The image then turned to a time-lapse showing small specks moving about and darkness falling with lights turning on with the occasional speeder coming or going. “As you can tell, activity is obvious.” The image zooms out a bit to show the base and it's surrounding area.

“We're going in and we're taking it. I can safely tell you that everyone in the base is confirmed to be in cahoots with the gang. As far as we can tell, no innocence are within.” Another snap of his fingers and the image turns to a side profile, cut away of the base displaying a courtyard and 2 subterranean levels with a few labels on it 'medicine' 'armoury' 'command' 'cells' 'barracks' 'garage' 'communication'. “This is the basic layout of the facility. In the middle, is a reinforced area, this is where the leader can be found; his chambers. Here, here, here and here I can confirm is a stationary guard.” The 4 areas indicated were circled with red – two towers, two areas in the courtyard. “I also know that they have patrols that do the perimeter and some of the hallways inside - I do not have live feeds at this time but when we are closer I will have a better idea. We can assume there is between 12 – 25 members of this group; I cannot say with certainty that they will all be there.

“We will need a certain level of discretion in order to complete this. As such, we will be taking The Herald – I landed out back a couple days ago. I will advise you though, it's not the most comfortable ship and really only has two beds – but I've packed in a few sleeping bags too. While normally I'd suggest a ship like the Lambda I'd been flying in the past, but unfortunately we need The Herald. Now let me explain a few minor things since we're here.” Jechtral cleared his throat and the image went back to the overhead of the base.

“We will need to land on the outskirts of the base, I have a few landing zones in mind – here, here and here. However, each of the landings is still a hike away from the base... 10 – 12 km. Doesn't seem like much – but we're also in mountains; we will have plenty of coverage and quite the hike... sorry guys.

“When we get closer to our destination I can get into more specifics in regards to the plan. For now, these are just the basics... and yes I need all of you, you all have a specific set of skills we need to get this done. Darkkell is a couple of days from here, even at hyperspace; if you would prefer you can take your own ship as far as Eriadu but anything beyond that, we need The Herald; it is a specialized ship that will allow us easy access. Using this ship would allow us to just keep going without stopping, going separate we will meet on Eriadu.”

The image above him disappeared when he returned his attention to the 4 operatives. “At this time, I will answer any of your questions.”

 

[Phoenix]

Kaz sat in the briefing and listened intently to the information being presented. Having solid intel was half the battle in raids like this. The problem was that intel was typically about as reliable as a bantha’s backside and he was sure that this would be no different. He remembered a time when “enemy strength was estimated at 10 men” only to find out that it was closer to 30. That had been a bad day, and one that had forever taught him the reality of intelligence. Although he hoped that today wouldn’t be more of the same, he was by no means willing or ready to commit himself fully to someone else’s intel, even if it was from an ally.

It was an interesting place to set up a forward operating base, but it made logical sense. Though he couldn’t say that he was overly familiar with the planet, it did seem to be at a crossroads that would be advantageous. The fact that he got to kill slavers was just an added bonus. He wasn’t a sadist, he didn’t just kill for fun or sport, but he hated injustice and unnecessary suffering, which was all slavers were, and it sickened him. If he got the chance to be the hammer of justice, he wouldn’t hesitate to use his skills in that manner.

There was certainly a lot of information here, and he’d likely study and commit it all to memory during the flight there. He found it interesting that a group like this had managed to gain so much leverage. With only a hundred or so people at its peak, they would have managed to stay under the radar of a group like the Hutt Cartel, but had apparently managed to find a way to make a significant impact in their immediate vicinity. He figured that was owed in large part to the influence of their leader, who he hoped was actually dead. It sounded like he was really the backbone and mastermind behind this whole thing. With him dead, this would be a breeze. On the other hand, if he weren’t actually dead, that would complicate things.

It came as a bit of a surprise to him that they had somehow gained the exact layout of the facility they would be assaulting. But then, layouts could change. If they got in there and expected to need to go left when in fact they needed to go right, that would be a problem. When Jechtral asked for questions Kaz interjected, “How up to date is that floor layout?” Having the layout, even if it was outdated was great, but if it wasn’t up to date, they needed to know about it for a raid like this.

 

[Zigara]

Jechtral nodded in Kaz's direction. "The topographic images are as up to date as yesterday. Satellite feed. However, the actual interior of the base - that is as old as 4 months ago, and it's more of a generalized layout. This was roughly the location of each of the facilities. When the Gundarks went into the base I had them leave a few 'care packages' - in the form of a sensors. For the most they've been feeding back up until they went dark - I assume dead power packs. This image of the layout was the last thing I got - so while it's not entirely accurate it's the best that I can provide at this time. As you can see, it's just a rough layout without much detail; while they maybe old rest assure I can confirm one thing... through logic. The central chamber is still likely the leader's 'home away from home', this is where you'll likely have issues."

Jechtral returned his attention to the group, prepared to answer any additional questions - from anyone.

 

[Pyromaniac]

Jeeto was wiping the black stuff from his face with his hands, more or less smearing it on his face and hands, rather than cleaning it off. He gave up and casually wiped it from his hands on the side of the projector, on the other side of J-J so he wouldn't see. When the time for questions came, Jeeto had stayed quiet for a bit before another spoke first. Honestly, he's only seen each of these members once so he wasn't familiar with their names yet.

"J-J! J-J! J-J!" Jeeto began to jump up and down, waving a hand in the air like a child seeking attention while the adults spoke. When he finally was given the floor, Jeeto asked, "Me bring many boom-boom? No take prisoners? Me make new boom-booms to test! See?" It was at that moment Jeeto held up a pink thermal detonator, and clicked the activation switch.

It began to beep, giving three seconds before detonation. If anyone tried to run, or take it from him, he would jump around the room with aid from his boots, holding it in his hands and giggling. When it finally reached the end, Jeeto tossed it to touch the ceiling, where it exploded.

However, rather than death and hellfire, it popped it's casing and confetti flew in every direction, covering those gathered. The casing also began to play an audio log of people cheering and clapping.

"Jeeto first DarkNet mission! Yay~!" Jeeto clapped and said, "That boom-boom called Heart Attack!"

 

[Zigara]

Jechtral turned his attention to Jeeto and nodded, "Yes Jeeto?"

He listened to the little Neepo and before he had a chance to speak, Jeeto had pulled out a detonator and Jectral's eyes went wide for a moment before he regained his composure a couple seconds later, there was no way Jeeto was going to do something to absolutely decimate this organization... not yet at least? Right? If anyone - including the crew within the base made an effort to start he tried to tell them to stop but Jeeto still would get his fun. Once the detenator exploded Jechtral let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Jeeto. Let us not do that again please. Now, to answer your question. Yes, I will need some explosives for reasons I will disclose later. So you'll get to work your magic. As far as we know, yes there will be no need to take prisoners and no need to free any. HOWEVER, that does not mean we will completely annihilated the base. We need to keep it in place, after all we're going to seize the base. I'd also like to ask you to stick with some confirmed explosives... no experimentals this time around, I want guarantees we won't die." Jechtral chuckled, opening the floor to any other questions.

 

[blstrgmr]

Prospero chose this moment to speak up, but was interrupted by the Neepo's random outburst of explosive fun. Instinctively, the sniper had already drawn his sidearm and leveled it at the alien as it bounced around with a hand grenade. After it seemed it was harmless, the sniper clicked the safety back into place and reholstered it. There was no further comment, just a bit of a groan.

"Do we know the thickness and composition of the walls? How many windows? How many elevated positions that are distanced away from the facility? Vegetation thickness? Darknell windy this time of year?" Prospero would finish his questions, all of which were obviously related to how he'd choose his weapon for the operation, and his route of approach. The whole mission reminded him of one's he had done earlier in his life for the Cartel. It was rather nostalgic, when he thought of it. "That's all I need to know. If that's all the stipulations, I'll be treating this like a usual breach-and-clear sort of mission."

 

[Zigara]

"Solid questions, Tyler."

"The base's walls are built with ferroconcrete... well the majority of it at least, some of the upper half is just duracrete - primarily the the turrets. While I cannot say for certain, I feel like I could safely say the walls are probably 900mm thick. As such, explosives will work but they need to be properly rigged and designed - but I'm not looking to destroy the base. Given that the base is designed to provide a safe haven for it's inhabitants which means that the the windows are minimal on the main exterior - however the inner buildings does have 2 windows by its entrance, and one on either side with no windows on the back."

The side profile of the building reappears and cuts away. "As for the layers - surface, B1 and B2 - the middle facility in B1 is his quarters, that area is not as thick but is still reinforced with ferroconcrete and bronzium plates. The subterranean levels however are underground of course, that's pure bedrock and natural stone surrounding the vital points - you couldn't get an accurate shot if your life depended on it." Jechtral started to pace from side to side as he continued to speak, "It's setup in the middle of a valley like area in the mountains - which means, wind should be minimal but I can't say for certain until we're actually there - same goes for things like visibility and weather, environmental conditions are always unpredictable. You can probably find a satisfactory nest within an appropriate distance - there are a few lines but I'm not the sniper here, that's for your to decide."

"Being in the mountains," Jechtral continued "I can tell you that the vegetation is near nonexistent. There are a few trees, some dense enough to mask an approach but the majority of the immediate area surrounding the base is no mans land. Wide open." The image changed back to the topographic image showing plenty of snow and a few treed areas around the base. Standing upright, "I hope that satisfies your questions - anything else?" He returned his attention to the group, this time specifically looking toward Nebassk.

 

[QwibQwib]

Nabassk frowned slightly as Jechtral looked at him, his mind had earlier been lingering on the fact that there was no need to "take any prisoners" he guessed what that must mean, and that idea unsettled the Trandoshan deeply, one person was all he had ever done that to, and that person had wronged him his entire life. The people inhabiting that base he didn't even know.

"If.. by take no prisoners do you mean.." He couldn't even bring himself to say it, the words he did say came out saddened, hesitant and weak likely showing exactly how he felt about the subject.

 

[Zigara]

Jechtral listened closely to his companion lizard, as he spoke Jechtral could tell that Nabassk wasn't a fan of killing and was feeling a little uneasy about the whole thing. He did understand the apprehension and now would be the time he'd need to smooth things and try and make things more acceptable.

"Nabassk... I know a little about you and I know you didn't entirely choose your path, it was more or less shoved on you. I understand that. And while yes, I did say 'no prisoners' I don't exactly mean a genocide. I need you to know that many of these individuals have committed crimes with the motivation of self gain - while they are not the nasties I had dealt with they've still committed acts such as spice dealing, thievery, kidnapping, extortion, intimidation, murder, and some may have been involved in trading of flesh - including forcing people to do things they wouldn't do in order to profit on their misery. While yes, some may been new to it and haven't been deeply involved... or maybe their just kids who don't know any better? Rebellious spirits.

"I would not ask you to commit genocide and I would not ask you to commit murder out of cold blood. Know, I have your best interest in mind - just as the men who stand beside you do. We're all here for various reasons but we are all a team and perhaps one day family. Each of them would have your back just as you're expected to have theirs - unity, Nabassk, that's what makes us strong and we will all share the weight of the lives once we go in. But Nabassk, know one thing is for certain - when we go in they have one goal in mind, they will want you dead. They won't care about you or your life all they will know is its you or them. Survival. I do not ask you to make this commitment lightly, but all I can ask is for your forgiveness and your understanding." By now Jechtral had stepped off the platform and was now in front of Nabassk, he offered him a friendly pat on the shoulder in order to affirm his intentions and ease his mind. Jechtral didn't have the Force so he can't force people to understand and accept, all he could do his hope that his concerns and acknowledgments would come across.

Jechtral turned back around and made for the middle of the room before he continued to speak. "If there are any other questions or concerns, please voice them now and I will do my best to answer and explain. The plan of attack I will go over when we are closer to our destination - this I promise you. Each of you have a key role to play in this and I hope I can count on everyone to perform to their best capacities. Jeeto, I will need some high explosives, please be sure to bring something like thermite gel - you'll need some charges.
If there is nothing more, you have half an hour to get ready and meet me out back. Feel free to check equipment out from the armories if need be - otherwise, I'll see you all soon."

And with that, Jechtral Stargrave concluded the briefing to head back to his office to retrieve some things from his console before heading to the landing pad in The Pit that docked his CYT-700, Herald.

 

[Phoenix]

The briefing had gone well enough. Well, except for Jeeto’s little prank that he played. It was called the heart attack for good reason. It had nearly done as much to Kaz as he sat there. The little thing was probably going to get them all killed at some point, either that or be their greatest savior with his bandolier of destruction.

Kaz personally had no real issue with no prisoners. At least not on this mission. These guys weren’t helpless victims or anything like that. No, they were hardened criminals who had no pity on those that had assaulted, killed, enslaved, and more. Justice was coming, whether they liked it or not, and it was coming by way of an armored Mandalorian and the strange band of others gathered here.

He didn’t yet know exactly what Jechtral’s plan was, but he planned to ready himself for anything. As those in the meeting started to disperse, Kaz made ready to run over his armor and weapons, nothing was worse than getting out and having malfunctioning equipment, which was why he personally checked and loaded all of his weapons and ammo himself.

His trip to the armor was short, as nothing in this base was really that huge. He figured that even if he brought his own equipment, it would look less out of place for him to check over it in the armory, where all the other equipment was.

With thirty minutes to check gear, he took his time as he ran over each and every piece of equipment. HUD active, he thought and swapped between various filters and targeting sensors. Rifle and ammo, as he checked over his assault rifle, cycling the bolt to ensure that it was properly lubed, then checking his ammunition scattered over his body. All magazines were loaded and prepped: 271 rounds. Next came pistols, knife, sword, jetpack, crushgaunts, and gauntlets. All were ready for action.

The finally weapon he had to check was his own mind. Nothing was more potent than a person’s mind and making sure he was mentally ready and engaged for what was to come was the only way that he could make it out of this alive.

 

[Zigara]

Each member of the team would get the opportunity to get ready for the coming mission, however all would lead to the same result and moment. That moment was right now. The team was all aboard The Herald and was mere moments away from their final destination and everything would be a go; the team would have also made themselves at home in the measly accommodation the ship offered, they'd have a minimum of 1 night all aboard the ship as it soared through hyperspace - longer had they joined Jechtral at the start of the journey. All of their equipment would be safely stored in the lockers located in the cargo bay beneath. Right now, the team would have had a chance to eat - converse and prepare. Some would be in the small galley/living space, others in the cargo hold relaxing... the flight was rather smooth actually; a fine piece of work.

Jechtral sat at the helm in the pilot's seat, the co-pilot chair now vacant. He looked over the various readouts to verify all was going smoothly, when he was confident he turned his chair around and got to his feet, he shook his legs a bit and stretched it out. He headed to the table in the galley smiling at whoever was present giving them a sharp nod before heading to the back and shouting into the cargo hold, "Hey guys! Need you up top here. It's time to figure this all out." he returned to the table and commandeered the screen on the wall.

Once everyone was assembled he started to divulge the plan. "Alright guys. In a short while we will be exiting hyperspace and entering Darkknell space and thats when we need to take action. Darkknell has standard planetary defense - this is not a war fortress it's just a hub. There are of course various sensors in the area that's why we are aboard this ship. The Herald is equipped with a stealth system that will mask our heat signatures which will allow us to enter the space undetected; once we are in the space I will need to tap into the relays in order to work my magic - fortunately The Herald is equipped for that as well. Once we enter the space, I will engage the systems and bring up a slicing interface - problem is, I cannot pilot and interfere with the systems at the same time... I will need whoever has the most experience flying ships to take up the co-pilot's seat and fly for me. It's a standard interface, you won't need to do any fancy maneuvers but you may need to avoid patrols and keep us steady; you may have to bring me closer as I direct. Once I crack that, we'll be going in - whoever is piloting will also need to be good with improvised landing pads and atmospheric entry; I need to maintain connections and make sure we get in with little resistance.

Once we get into the planet's atmosphere, you'll have to figure out the best spot. That's where I will defer to whoever is flying. Once we touch down we will have to move out... or well, you guys will have to while I stay here... unless I'm directly needed. On the surface I can control systems from here and act as a mission handler, that's the only reason why I'm staying on board. Tyler, you've got the eyes and the skills to keep them safe and pick the perfect spot to eliminate any obstacles. I'm not well versed in the sniper way so you'll have to make decisions on when and where to go.

The base - on the screen there. Has 3 'hidden' passages that can be used as escape routes. I know they exit it the spots marked on the screen. Jeeto is going to need to get in there and set explosives in each of the tunnels and preferably set them to remote detonation - we don't need them going off before we can distract them. They hear explosions, they'll be on full alert. Kaz, I suspect you've had a chance in leadership here and there - I need you to take that role now and I need you to help Jeeto get in and get out without being detected - Tyler will ensure no patrols stumble on our work. Nabassk, I don't know the whole Force business and I don't pretend to either; I don't know if you'd have a chance to study the ability to mask your physical and Force signature... but I did have a tome or something that kind of explains it, you don't need to be a master you only need to hold it for a few moments... is it possible for you to? If not that's okay we can figure this out as we go forward... I know that push trick you do will come in handy. If you can hide yourself though, I'll need you to head in when the time is right and incapacitate - or neutralize - where necessary. At the minimum you'll be a trandoshan living radar! Using your senses and all.

Lastly, as you advance through you guys will come across the packages I had them leave last time, if you can load a power pack into them - but thats not important. The sensors will help paint a detailed picture as we get in."

From here, he'd open the floor to questions and answer them respectively.

 

[QwibQwib]

The briefing ended with Nabassk feeling absolutely torn. These were criminals, scums on the galaxy that Nabassk knew would do very well to be wiped off of its face. That was all well and good, if he wasn't one of the people that had to do it. The Trandoshan completely bypassed the armory, going straight to the hanger and onto The CYT-700, Herald, he did not want to fly his own ship, he did not want to do anything except come to terms with the mission.

He did not. He spent the trip distant, only to his thoughts as he tried to find consolation in the crimes of the bases' inhabits, but it did not work, dread grew as the team got closer to their destination and Nabassk had given up on trying to feel any better. In the end he found himself sat at the table staring at the wall in front of him, right elbow on the surface with his head resting in his palm. He didn't notice Jechtral when he had come by the first time, only jumping, startled, when he called to the people in the Cargo hold.

Nabassk didn't say anything during most of the briefing, though he had considered speaking up during the piloting part, he instead did not, neither of the things that were required in that position being something he was good at in any sense of the word, so it would all be learning on the fly, a rather dangerous thing when it came to this. But asides from the possibility of flying, there was another thing he'd be learning it seemed, as Jechtral asked, and explained what he wanted the force user to do.

"Hmm, I don't know chief, what I think would be really useful is if the force let me become that dancing hutt I told you about, could scare the people to death, But I suppose I could make do with this.. Where is this tome thing?"

 

[Zigara]

Jechtral smirked at the dancing hutt comment. "If that's what you truly aspire to be... who am I to judge?" He chuckled before heading over to a shelf loaded with some datapads before retrieving one and quickly skimming through it and nodding. Crossing the room he offered the pad to Nabassk. "It's some small stuff, you might have to read it over and meditate - though we're so close if you need more time... which is a high possibility. That's okay - your talents and lightsaber will still come in handy!"

 

[QwibQwib]

The Trandoshan took the pad into his hand, staring down at it for a few seconds before giving a short nod "Yep, time may be needed, but I'm sure the time in between now and when we are actually landed will suffice." he said, standing up from his seat "I'll also be needing a quiet spot so.." Nabassk would trail off towards the end of the sentence, giving enough time for an objection, if none was given the force user would go down to the cargo hold for some alone time with the datapad, leaving the rest of them to do whatever they needed to do.

 

[Zigara]

When it became clear that no one had any questions, Jechtral nodded and continued to speak. "Well then, from here on out I'd prefer radio communications to only be done in code names. You'll have to set all of your com frequencies to this encryption algorithm so we can communicate with little worry. The names are as follows: Helios, Overwatch, Pushy, Lil'Pyro, and Vandal." Jechtral motioned to each member as their names came up - when he mentioned "Pushy" he merely pointed toward the cargo hold door to imply the owner of the name. "We'll be there very soon - maybe another hour? Make your final equipment checks and I see whoever wants to pilot up here." And with that, the group split and Jechtral took up the pilot's chair.


*****


"We'll be returning to regular space in 3 minuets, places everyone." Jechtral spoke over the ship wide com, not a moment later did the chosen co-pilot emerge up front and took up his place in the co-pilot chair, gripping the stick. Jechtral nodded at the team member before returning his attention to the window and the swirling blue of hyperspace. "And in 5....4....3....2....1...." The ship jolted as the hyperspace tunnel dispersed, Jechtral quickly pressed a button on his left and a timer appeared in each of the upper corners of the cockpit (one for the pilot, one for the co-pilot) and began counting upwards; stealth systems were engaged.


On his right, Jechtral pressed another button and a holographic keyboard and screen appeared in front of him, he'd given control of the ship to the co-pilot now and he was focused on the computer. Just beyond was one of the few relays surrounding the planet - the co-pilot would need to keep things steady and not just for Helios but for Pushy as well. Bits of code and information appeared on the screen before him but some information appeared to his eyes only as well. His hands moved quickly as he typed and routed. Time was against him, though a simple job it still needed to be done quickly if he wanted to maintain his presences.


Focus. Scroll. Dissect. Inject. Forward. Back Out. Download. Upload. Delete. Return. Decryption started. The sensors pinged, there was a ship nearby the ship hadn't detected them yet, but it would only be a short time before they'd be noticed - he'd need a good excuse. Focus. Scroll. Upload. Mask. Re-route. Back. Redirect. Alert. Alert. Divert. Override. Success. He had been detected, but only for a few moments - it was possible a patrol might be sent to investigate but he managed to correct the issue. "I need you to move to a relay, 72 degrees off the port - just a few meters out, get me close" He continued his work, though he had done what was necessary on this relay he still needed to monitor before he could patch into the next... which he would do soon enough. Back to work. Disconnect, remove, flip, zip, download, decrypt, encrypt, inject further code. They'd been in stealth for 15 minuets now. Time to re-route and re-direct. So far he thought everything was good, figured he was making headway but being so engulfed into the code he sort of lost connection with reality, which was a common occurrence when he was working. Direct, remove, stall, stall, stall, damn it - this would eat into time. Reverse, backup, forward, re-inject, delete, mask. "Done, need to move to the next one - it's on the navigation, do what you can for me please." 22 minuets now.... disengage, reconnect, and invade. Copy, upload, wrong way dummy... back out.. back.. that's it. Zip upload, install, counter... counter.. someone was playing the game against him now, he'd have to increase the pressure and change tactics - minor setback. 28 minutes now. Brute force, push it, push it, rip it and copy. OH! That's a nice bit of info, take it. Cover your tracks and keep on pushing. Faster now... monitor... monitor.. HOLD! Wait... wait.. injections and back door trojan! Relay and landing spaces secured.


"Alright, take us into the planet - keep going, you need to choose the proper landing zone, there are a few - use your judgment that's all I can say. There's only a small window of opportunity here." 40 minuets have gone by now. They only had a total of 120 minuets.