Sneak and Peek

[Jonny Priest]

"Remember, you're not there to cause a scene. You're there to knock out their jammer so we can gather the intel we need on this base. This is an important assignment for you and your team, so function as such, or the consequences will be... Unbearable for the lot of you..."

​

Evie sat in the passenger's seat from within the cab of the well-armed Sith Carrier Shuttle, reviewing in her mind the conversation she had with the Sith who assigned her the mission. She was given two partners to undergo this assignment, and a pilot who would serve as eyes and ears while they were on the ground; providing them with any warnings and routes they might need to complete their job. The cab was louder than the cockpit, with the engines roaring just behind them and the wind shrieking just outside the hull as they entered the atmosphere, but it did not break her concentration as she remained in her meditative state. The dim lighting provided a perfect setting for a trance to connect to the force, with the black and red tones of the inside of the ship serving to set their mood. It was their way; to create an environment just before any sort of conflict that would prepare their hearts for the fight.
In the shuttle with her were her two companions; Nix and Kara. Both were human, and both were very capable. She rested on the assumption that they were team players, and represented the core of brotherhood as she came to realize it. She felt in her spirit that she could trust them, and knew in her mind that she also had no choice; they were undergoing this mission whether she liked it or not. She had confidence in their skills beyond their Force abilities as well. They were much like her, but quieter and stealthier. She fancied her telepathic powers more than espionage, but she was plenty flexible enough to hide in the shadows like a true assassin. She would have to for this mission.
She sighed as she opened her eyes, no longer able to meditate through the rough turbulence of the world's atmosphere as they descended on the planet. It was time for them to strategize. Planning was the only way to ensure the success of this mission the way the Sith wanted it done.
"We'll be landing within thirty minutes," she began, briefing her Sith companions. "We had to enter far enough away that this base of operations wouldn't detect us or scan our presence. We'll be landing, however, relatively close to the location. Our pilot is capable enough to get us within a half-hour to an hour long trek to the base. We must be cautious and observant of everything around us. Leave nothing that will give us away. We'll be landing near the south of the base because that will be our best entrance and escape route."
She paused and took a deep breath, recollecting everything she had thought of to complete the mission and to make sure they were on board with it, or if they had any other plans that the crew could benefit further from.
"I brought charges that we can plant at strategic locations throughout the jamming tower. If anyone has a better idea, now is the only time to bring it forth. Once we set foot on ground, the mission begins and the plan we have is the plan we have. Once the charges are set, we'll need to make our way towards the place we came in at. The landing site is our rendezvous. Once we're half way from leaving the base, we'll activate the charges and blow the kriffin' tower to the nether regions of the Force, which should also set everyone on high alert. Unfortunately, the signal range won't let us go any further.
"It could prove beneficial, though, because many of the slavers, guards, and whoever present could be called to attend the blast site, which may give us an undetected escape. Once we're out of the base and safe enough away, we'll come back to the shuttle, board and leave. Only when we enter hyperspace safely will the mission be complete. They may have starfighters that could chase us. We must be prepared for anything. Now, is there anything either of you want to change or add?" She asked, listening intently to their responses, even the pilot.



@buenosnothing
@FinnSimmons
@Cailst
@Phœnix

 

[buenosnothing]

As the shuttle rumbled onward, screaming winds and screechy engines and all, Nix took the time to reflect over the given mission in his mind. He almost wanted to snort at the low-hanging threat they'd all be subjected to should they fail; nothing other than death could be worse than what most of them had gone through for more than a decade. Especially from his own master, who was no stranger to thinking 'creatively' when it came to training. He was surprised he hadn't contracted brain damage from the amount of abuse he'd taken.
A bitter smirk grew on his features as he reminisced, hidden by the classic mask so many had grown to identify him by. That was why he was dead in a ditch, eaten by worms somewhere unnamed. But he had to hand it to the man; he'd made him into who he was today, fighting the Sith Brotherhood's secret wars in the shadows. Here's to you, Master. He thought, shifting in his passenger seat and crossing one leg over the other.
For a moment, he dozed.

Awoken several minutes later by the sound of what was her name again-Evie's voice, Nix sleepily cracked open both eyes and remained immobile, yet hanging on every word as he drank in her outlined plan from top to bottom. Solid plan? Hmm. Check. The ending seemed a little dubious, however. That could go any number of ways, but he'd pounce on any stragglers if needed. Any other options? No. Sufficient equipment? Yes. As long as those charges were strong enough, this would go without a hitch.

He seemed to cock his head slightly at her rough choice of words, or as she had stated, "kriffing' nether regions of the Force", with his shoulders raised as he almost deliberately folded his arms at that moment. To the naked eye, it appeared as if he was simply adjusting his position to pay closer attention.

Anyone who knew him better would realize he was trying his best not to laugh.

That being said, the silent Sith quickly recovered from his initial amusement at her language and smothered the feeling-or rather forcefully strangled it to death, easing back into his complacent but ready to spring at a moment's notice state of mind. He couldn't afford to be emotionally compromised at a time like this, and acting like so was embarrassing and shameful. Anger blossomed in his chest for playing the part of the fool, especially at his level. The mission was the only thing he should be thinking of. Negate everything else, lose yourself to the Dark Side. The call of the hunt, and the urge to spill blood sang its siren's song to him, and he drowned himself in its echoing waves of predatory instinct once more.

"Now, is there anything either of you want to change or add?"

Nix held his chin in deep thought with a gloved hand as he regarded her words, drumming his fingers with his off hand on the seat's armrest before replying with a small shrug. Which he had to admit, was not very menacing and borderline casual...but that was the best they'd receive from him in terms of an answer.

He couldn't find any flaws to point out at the moment, though he was sure something would pop up upon landing, but as of now the girl's demands had no drawbacks to them. Perhaps the lack of contingencies was something to be noted, but that was entirely the jammer's fault. They had no way of knowing exactly what was going down in such a place.

For that, the Thalassian's would soon find themselves drawn out of the darkness, screaming and kicking.

 

[Jonny Priest]

The shuttle landed in a clearing within a forest on the terran world. There was a city not too far from their location, but their objective was the base. They were around forty-five minutes walking from the base they had to infiltrate. She sighed and prepared her mind as the boarding ramp at the rear of the ship lowered, granting them access to the wooded area around them. She could smell the pine and nature fill her nostrils as the engines purred lightly, waiting to pick up the throttle again.
"Keep watch over the tower, pilot!" She yelled to the cockpit as she unbuckled her straps, grabbed the bag full of charges and made sure her lightsaber was clipped to her hip. She made her way off the ramp and waited for her companion, Nix, to join her. The mission had begun.

 

[buenosnothing]

Nix effortlessly slipped out of his own straps as soon as they landed, taking half a moment to survey the forested view of shaded towering trees and almost inhale its musky scent. With two fingers, he acknowledged the pilot with a sloppy salute before striding towards the outside light.
Lightsaber and shoto bouncing their familiar weight against his hip, he jumped off the ramp after Evie as soon as she paused to wait for him, boots crunching lightly into the grass with little to no sound. Steps deliberate and gait almost like that of a prowling nexu's, he made his way a few feet in front of her before glancing backwards in mid-stride, making the tiniest of motions at her with his head towards the woods. In a sort of expectant way, he waited, then turned and entered the forest, easing into its shadows for cover as they followed the preordained path. Running would get them there faster, but patience was needed at this moment in time. He was sure she could keep up perfectly fine, if not more.

 

[Jonny Priest]

She followed him through the woods, sticking to the shadows under the trees so that they wouldn't be spotted. It was quiet, but their steps didn't carry much weight. She conserved her energy for their mission, careful to make sure that she would have enough to complete the task before them. It would take much patience and careful planning to ensure their success, but she was confident in their abilities. After all; only the two of them were needed for their mission, or else they wouldn't have sent them at all. She kept her heart rate steady as the animals passed by in the distance, crumpling fallen branches under their hooved feet. The smell of pine and nature filled her nose.

Then she saw it; the base. It was large, tan, and had massive doors at the front entrance. Fortunately, she could see the tower in the distance, which meant the base wasn't that big. Their issue was sneaking around to and through the front entrance they arrived at. She nudged her partner and said in a whisper, "Any ideas at this point are welcome. We need to get through their undetected if possible."

 

[buenosnothing]

The lenses on Nix's mask appeared to squint at the overly large bay doors for a second before they resumed their normal viewing size, having thoroughly examined the entry point that Evie had pointed out. He tapped a finger to his chin in thought. If they worked in tandem, it would be easy enough to slip in and out undetected...but the problem here was that the guards or cameras might pick up on the doors opening and closing mysteriously. He racked his brain for different angles on the situation, then paused as an idea came to him in a rush of clarity.

Hopefully she'd be able to decipher what he was trying to say, or this would be an embarrassing ordeal on both of their parts.

Turning back to face his partner, Nix pointed at one of the guards patrolling the gate's perimeter then at the gate itself, tapping the side of his head and making a swirling motion with his finger in an attempt to indicate that one of them would mind-control the guard to open the gate. After a few frustrating seconds of failing at trying to say that he'd force-cloak them as they went, he threw up his hands in exasperation and made a chopping motion with two fingers at said gate, the universal sign for Go.

Concentrating, he closed his eyes and let himself fall into the dark waters of the universe, allowing the Force to fold over his being and close in over his head. His presence dissolved and he became one with nothingness, bending light and sound around them as he extended his veil of invisibility over Evie's signature as well. The two of them vanished from view as if non-existent to the world, silently moving along unhindered.

 

[Jonny Priest]

Evie silently followed as they approached the gate with the guards keeping an ever-watchful eye on the forest line. To their advantage, she could feel the simplicity of their minds, which were so easily deceived by Her and Nix's cunning Force tactic. They remained undetected as they approached, and when the guard's mind was easily controlled, he went over to the gate and opened it, claiming that they needed to go and do a patrol on ground level.

She smirked as they entered undetected, and knew that those guards would inevitable meet their end out there, or at least by their boss. The important part was that they successfully snuck into the base. One part of the mission was over; now it was time to reach the tower. "Alright," Evie whispered to Nix as they progressed. She pulled out her datapad with the schematic and showed it to him. "There's a maintenance shaft directly ahead that we need to enter. Once inside, we'll be able to move about more quickly and not have to worry as much about stealth. Guards patrol the main halls. If the maintenance shafts are compromised at any point, we need to either use the Force to cloak our presence again, which may exhaust us too much, or sneak around as guards. Let's try and not get our means of movement compromised. This shaft, if we follow this map, will take us to where we need to go in the tower. Once in, we'll need to quietly take care of any guards we see before we set the charges; we'll be too out in the open to let them go. But first, let's get to the shafts and start to navigate through the base. Keep moving quietly," she suggested as she pointed in the direction they needed to go.

 

[buenosnothing]

For what was supposed to be a heavily fortified base, it was surprisingly easy to break into. They were practically asking to be infiltrated with all the gaping holes in their security. Tch, so sloppy. Might as well just throw open the gates and yell 'here we are!! Being secretive and shady!' Fools. Nix thought sarcastically, keeping their cloak steady as they moved inside.

With sharp focus, he listened avidly to Evie's outlined plan and burned the schematic into his brain, making sure that his memory would be able to recall every detail of the map if needed. He was fairly confident that their short crawl through the vents wouldn't be compromised; but if so, then he reluctantly leaned towards stealing disguises. As proficient as he was with cloaking, it sapped the energy of even the best masters within minutes. Regardless, her plan made sense so far.

Go through vents, eliminate tower guards. Set charges. Leave no witnesses, and escape undetected. Nix gave an affirmative nod to the other Sith to show that he understood, then continued heading towards where the vents were positioned. Once within close proximity of said vent shaft, Nix examined the bolts on the cover, then snorted silently--the worksmanship was rather simple and shoddy. Too much spent on exporting slaves, he guessed with sardonism. With a deft flick and twist of his wrist, he unscrewed the nails and removed the cover, leaving all 5 items floating stark still in midair.

The hole was rather high up, but that wouldn't be a problem for the two of them. Nix took a running leap and grasped an overhanging lamp by its edge. Kicking his legs forward, he rode the momentum and swung easily inside the vent-space, sliding for a bit on the slick metal interior before flipping himself onto his stomach and peering from the edge down at Evie. He waited for her to join him inside the vent, even army crawling backwards a few feet to make room for her to enter.

 

[Jonny Priest]

She watched as he leaped to their first checkpoint, safely and silently making it inside the vent before peeking back at her and waiting for her to join him. She was sure the Force cloaking was starting to take its toll, so she moved rather quickly. Her footsteps were light, barely making more than a soft plop with each step as she slightly dashed forward to get a running start, than jumped with the aid of the Force high enough to grasp onto the edge.

She pulled herself up and over into the vent, then silently closed it behind them as to remain undetected. "Here comes the easy part," she began quietly as they made their way through the vents, "this ventilation system is relatively unsecured, so there's not too much monitoring going on here. We can pick uniforms off the guards in the tower once we get there, and then we won't have to worry so much about Force cloaking. These ra-hatda zitoas akir haven't the slightest clue they're being infiltrated."

However, in her heart, she could sense that things were going too easy. She didn't want to say anything, though, because she tried not to trust in her feelings as much as listening to the movement and direction of the Force, but so often the Force operated through feelings. She decided to keep her senses aware of what was going on around them, and kept on the defensive. If anything went wrong, she would have a back-up plan. Witnesses could be easily disposed of, especially when it's by two Sith...