Private Big Trouble For Little Padawans

[Iris Arani]

The beep was enough.

Credits in hand she scurried along back to her 'droid', nodding once to the suit of armor. And left. As quickly and discretely as they could at least. Last thing they needed was any more attention on them. Once they were out and on the way back to Iris's hideout, she let out a shaky breath. "Ah, man. That was stressful. He pulled a blaster! .. Ahhhh. Anyway. What'd you get? Anything good?"

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

On their way back to the hideout, Zoar's suit was stoic as stoic could be. Within the mech, however, he was downright giddy with nervous energy.

//We actually did it!// The Miln laughed, releasing some stress. //First part of my first mission, done! That was crazy! And you really stood up to that guy, huh? Incredible.//

Zoar shook himself from his jittery mirth. //Uh, okay. So, I've been rooting through the files. A lot of boring scrap stuff. Buuut, there's records of payments received. Big payments, connected to a few off-planet bank accounts. More interestingly, the building itself seems to be eating up a lot more energy than it should. Which means... I don't think they're just shipping giggledust.//

The Miln's suit shrugged it's robotic shoulders. //It should be enough to incriminate the Hyena's operations, if we bring it to the authorities. If they aren't being paid off, that is.//

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

Oh.

Iris blinked in surprise at the information Zoar seemed to get his hands on. It wasn't at all what she expected him to be doing. Getting guard shifts, maybe a layout. But to get all that in the time he requested? She really did do good inviting him along. No, lucky. Or was it just the will of the Force? Probably the will of the Force. Though, just information on large purchases..

She shook her head.

"Corpo won't do anything with that asides from turn a profit. The local authorities don't have enough to bring this down, not with this amount of cash." They weren't messing around. The Hyena, the Giggledust. Something big was happening. Her eyes narrowed.

".. I'm going to sabotage the facility. Make the Corpo have to investigate deeper to the point they can't ignore the Giggledust. Thank you for helping me get the information."

No, she wasn't about to ask him to help. Not for his first mission out of the temple. She smiled bright, bowed her head.

"You did great, Zoar."

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

"You did great, Zoar."

//Yeah. I did do kinda great, didn't I?// The Miln's voice beamed with pride, not quite catching the meaning behind her previous statements. Until he did.

'She's' gonna sabotage them?

//Wai-wai-wai-wai-wait! You're not doing this on your own!// The suit stopped moving, turning fully to the little padawan. //Did you see those guys in there? They mean business. If you get swarmed in there, with no-one watching your back...// The suit shuddered a little.

//I agree that the corpos probably won't do anything helpful. So, how are we going to sabotage the plant?//

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

"This is your first mission out of the temple. What I'm going to be doing is going to be exceedingly dangerous and you already made up your mind to come along anyway." Even half way through she could just tell by the colors around Zoar there was no talking him out of it. So, she smiled. Sighed. Alright, fine. The smile faded to a more serious expression shortly after, though.

"You do as I say, and if I tell you to run you run, no questions asked. Understood?"

Only when he understood would she start to explain the plan. Pulling up the map they'd made just walking through.

"They're likely storing the Giggledust in the more secure parts of the facility. If we sabotage the lesser systems and machinery, we can lure the guards away. Then rig the drugs with some of these paint bombs I have. It won't hurt anyone, but it'll ruin the product completely."

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

Zoar nodded along with Iris, fully accepting the risks, and her caveat. //Fine. If the going gets tough, this guy gets gone.// He pointed at himself with a robotic thumb.

//Okay, so... we're going in quietly? We sneak past the guards, I take down cams, we sabotage something important, use the chaos to find the Giggledust, and you paint them up like there's no tomorrow. Easy.//

Not easy. But they'd had crazier plans today.

//Well, if we're trying to be stealthy...// The suit seemed to consider something, before it's torso opened up, and a small form hopped out onto the ground. Two-and-a-half feet tall, with a large snout, white and grey fur, and a long tail wrapped timidly around his forearm. The only thing seperating Zoar from a rather large mouse was his flashing cybernetics, and a stylish black jacket.

The suit straightened back up, looking down to it's pilot for orders. But Zoar was looking at Iris. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable, but determined to get through it.

"Ohhhhhhhhkay. L-l-let's get this done."

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris blinked, slowly, as Zoar exited his suit. Oh. So that's why he seemed so small inside his suit? She smiled after a moment, nodding her head. Stealth would mean they needed to work without the armor. "You should make a suit for stealth, when you have a chance." How uncomfortable he was outside the armor wasn't lost on her. The fact he was willing was a good show on just how strong of a resolve he had.

Perfect for any Jedi.

"Do you have a weapon?" The greatsaber for his armor surely wasn't what he intended to bring, right?

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

"Probably should, huh?" He wanted to be a Guardian, so it followed that his first suit was for combat. But in situations like this, he certainly wished Golem were a bit sneakier. Oh well.

Coulda woulda shoulda.

At her question of armament, Zoar tapped his side with a paw, where a small, personal blaster rested. "It's, um... It's not getting through armor, but it's got a stun setting. And if things get really bad, I can call Golem." He gestured to the suit behind him, which didn't move.

"Let's head back. You take point, I'll make sure we aren't on any cameras."

He was pretty sure he'd seen some vents the two small padawans could fit through on their way out...

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

"You should make whatever makes you the most comfortable to make. It's art, isn't it?"

Like her painting. She nodded once though, glancing to the blaster. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use it, if they did this right. And just knowing he could call the Golem whenever was a much larger relief than she expected. Not just a suit, but an actual droid, huh? She gave a brief smile before turning her gaze back to the compound just ahead. The vents. Yeah, they could squeeze through those.

"Make sure you stay close."

Then she took off. Night would be better for hiding, sure, but she figured that would be when more guard showed up. Better for hiding the Giggledust shipments. Once they were close enough she pried off one of the vent covers. No colors close by, no people watching. She slipped in, crawling her way through.

<Can you find a place that doesn't have a lot of guards? Guide us there through the vents?> Now that they were in enemy territory, Iris switched to mental communication. Telepathy.

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

"I've never really thought of it like that." Zoar stared up at his power armor, still decked out in a fresh coat of paint. "Yeah. I guess it is art."

Iris bared her teeth at him. One of the little mechanic's ears twitched in sudden unease, before fully accepting the gesture, and returning the smile.

The two padawans took off. Despite his small size, Zoar kept up, darting dexterously at the Keshian's side, the lumbering form of Golem slowly walking behind. It didn't take long before they were at the side of the building again. The cybernetics ringing Zoar's ears beeped feverishly, and what few cams in the area were either forcibly faced away from them, or turned off.

<Can do.> The Miln seemed unperturbed by the telepathic communication, as he closed the grate behind them. <Ummm... Okay. Straight here. Next fork, take a right, then we're gonna have to climb up, then a left...> He began to guide them towards their goal, the map they created perfectly captured and analyzed by his brain implants, free to share across their telepathic bond.

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

Straight, right, up, left. Iris followed his instructions with ease, her eyes scanning through the colors around them. She'd have them stop when the colors got too close, when people could hear them moving. She'd practically hold her breath. Being in the vents meant little if people shot it up. But they'd make it, slowly but surely, to their destination. Actual scrap. The salvage equipment.

Iris reached out, using the Force to pry the vent cover off at a distance. Slowly moved it to the side before settling it down. Then let out a breath.

<Okay, we're here. We sabotage the stuff, pull the guard around here, then beeline to where they're keeping the Giggledust. You figure out our quickest route, and I'll this thing sabotaged, okay?>

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

The little Miln felt far more comfortable in the small vents of the facility than out in the open. He could almost pretend he was in a suit of power armor.

A building-sized suit of power armor. With enemies in it.

Yeah, the metaphor didn't quite hold up under scrutiny.

<Already on it. Or, at least, I think I'm on it,> Zoar sent back. He wasn't entirely sure where they might be making Giggledust, but he had a pretty good idea. Referencing the computer terminal, the excess power was being channeled in a certain direction; down.

As Iris dropped into the room, the blinking light on a wall-mounted camera would flash pink, disabling the device. Large machinery, likely to melt down scrap metal, was left momentarily unattended.

Zoar thought it could use a little color.

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

That was good enough for her. Iris slipped out, her eyes scanning around for anything more that she might not have noticed in the colors. Thus far, nothing. The patrol was away. Good. She scooted right to the machine, glancing it over only briefly. Scrap being shredded up to be melted later. The grind of metal was loud as always. That was fine, though. She pulled off one of the paint grenades she had, lifted the cover to set the grenade on, then scurried back into the vent.

<Okay, go. Lead the way. I figure actually giving us time to get there is a better idea, so it's on a timer. Ish. If someone tries to open the hatch it'll go off so.. Either a minute or if that happens no time to waste!>

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

Zoar watched curiously as Iris slipped down to the floor, planted her paint bomb, and made her way back to their vent. He was struck by just how competent the young padawan was. She never seemed to hesitate, or second-guess herself. She found the best way to do something, and she just did it.

The Miln greeted Iris with a nod as she reentered the vent, taking a few cautious steps back. <Alright. Let's scram.> He began the route, holding his tail tightly in his paws for comfort. Zoar led Iris down, through the scrap plant's vents, across multiple rooms of gnashing machinery, blazing heat, and walking patrols. While the sound of the first helped mask their presence from the third, Zoar still froze up every time he saw one, having to remind himself to keep moving.

Until, finally, they made their way down into the depths of the plant. A room was beneath them, large and dimly lit, a caustic smell wafting into the vent. Zoar could sense the presence of people in the area, but didn't risk trying to get a closer look.

<This is it. Aaand, just in time.>

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

Just in time alright.

There was a soft boom in the distance, and not a moment later the coms of the guards within the room went off. Reports of the scrap machine spitting out paint of all things overtook any communication. And with it, quite the large group of guards started to run out. Iris stayed in wait with Zoar in the vent, her eyes closed. The colors around them told her everything she needed to know.

Only a pair remained.

Her eyes opened, narrowed in focus. She could take one easy enough. Maybe the both. Yeah, she could get the both.

<Can you loop the cameras?>

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

<Can you loop the cameras?>

<One sec.> Zoar closed his eyes, sending his consciousness into the refinery's systems as a Jedi might cast their feelings into the Force. He found the camera's systems, and began messing around.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Loop.

The cams flashed pink for a split second, signaling that the Miln had succeeded. He nodded back to Iris, grasping his holdout blaster tightly in one hand, and slowly using the Force to open the grate with his other. He pulled the cover into the airduct, and nodded once at Iris, a newfound determination in his little black eyes.

<Alright, go get 'em. If you need me, I've got your back from up here.>

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

He said go, and she moved.

Iris slipped from the vent, right onto the first of the pair of guards. A dull thud cut off whatever conversation he was having as she brought him to the ground, out cold from the swift kick. The other blinked. Turned to see what had happened, only to see a foot coming up for his chin. Iris wasted no time in bringing them both down, her eyes narrowed in focus. Any mistakes would put Zoar in danger.

She refused to let Zoar be in any danger.

With the second guard down, she let out a sigh and turned her gaze to the room itself. Crates. Lots of crates. Her eyes narrowed further.

<Keep an eye on the cameras around. I'll rig these all to blow, okay?>

Then she went to work, pulling out the few paint grenades she had left to get the most damage. Opened the crates of spice, moved them around where she needed to maximize their destruction. Then right back into the vents when she was done, nodding once to the little mouse with a smile.

<Time to go.>

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

Zoar watched on in mute amazement as Iris expertly took down two fully-grown and fully-armed guards on her own. If he were being entirely honest, it was a bit inspiring. He stuck his entire upper body out of the vent, giving Iris two upside-down thumbs up as she began setting up paint bombs.

Then his eye twitched, and his countenance changed.

As Iris joined him back in the vent, Zoar barely paid her any mind, instead resting a hand on his implants, his eyes staring off into nothing. The cameras in the room were beginning to spark, acting erratically.

"Hawk in the nest..." he managed to say under his breath, his tone nearly robotic. Then, he forcibly injected some personality into his words. "Ummm, I mean... they've got a slicer o-onto us. I... I need to concentrate."

"We n-need to go. Now."

- Iris Arani -

 

[Iris Arani]

Wait, what? A slicer?

Iris blinked, and worry immediately took over her features. She nodded quickly before scurrying along, practically dragging Zoar along with her. "Pull out of the system. Is that what you did? I don't entirely get it all but get out of the system now!"

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

With his entire mind focused somewhere else, Iris had to pull him along. Which, even for the slight Keshian, was not difficult. His cybernetics flashed with violent magenta as he waged a silent invisible battle.

"I can't pull back now. I'm w-winning," he sputtered out, holding the side of his head. If he gave up now, they'd lose the advantage. "But they know we're here. I think the cam saw us in the vent."

They might have to fight their way out after all.

- Iris Arani -