First Order on the Agenda: The Eternal Hunt for Spies

[Kay-Larr]

Viribus snuck around a pillar among the plants. He was 13 feet long now, which was too big to go unnoticed, yet not too big to hide when he wanted to. Kay was teaching him to sneak and prowl through games; similar to hide-and-seak and tag. He didn't growl. He hardly made any sound at all. The darkening colour of his hide made him perfect for hiding amongst the shadows beneath the plants.

Kay pretended to not know where he was. Only the flickering of his tail gave him away. "Oh dear, now where could he be?...My dear Viri has left me alone...all alone..." She was pretty sure that he could hear the tease in her voice, and she used every effort to not break out in laughter.

Yet instead of leaping out of the plants to pounce on her, Viribus just walked out, his head low and his eyes staring hard. A low growl rumbled in his throat. It wasn't loud, but it caught Kay's attention.

Jareth started up the steps. The Scion carried the same expression that he always did, indicating that he was plotting something. He bowed to Kay as he approached and then turned his attention towards Viribus. "He's growing up real fast. Soon he'll be too big to stay indoors. There's a nice swamp outside of the city that he'd enjoy."

"That'll be a while yet, Jareth. Now what's in your mind?" It wasn't as though he ever came by to just have a chat about the weather. No, the Scion always came bearing news.

"Your little recess is over, Your Majesty. Your new Head of Security has made some progress and very soon that progress will be tested. As will yours."

Kay raised a brow. Sometimes it was difficult to tell whether she was being manipulated or not. Unfortunately that manipulation could come from all sides. "I'll do what needs to be done, and on my own terms."

"Good. Take heed of your husband's warning. You're not on Commenor anymore. It's best that you remember that the enemies you face now are greater than before."

"Yes Jareth. That's why we've taken the steps that we have. Did you foresee a bad outcome?"

"No, not necessarily. You'd do well to return to the Throne Room. There's work to be done and people to see."

Kay looked down to Viribus, scritching him underneath his chin. "Come on Viri, time to head upstairs. We'll play again later." The young dragon had his own places to hide in the Throne Room. Even though he wasn't full grown, he could still intimidate others. But then so could her Eternal Knights that always stood guard. More than a dozen of them were on hand to escort her up while Jareth retreated to his own quarters. Something told her that this was going to be an unusual day.



FOUR HOURS LATER-


Kay sent off a message to two of her contacts that she had assigned a special mission.

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] and [member="Adenn Kyramud"] ,

Jareth came to me with a cryptic warning. I'm not sure of what he means just yet but it sounds as though he had foreseen some trouble on the horizon.

Any luck finding First Order operatives?

Empress Kay Arenais

 

[Max Arach]

Location: Zakuul, some cafe.​

Working with: Unknown​

Working against: Unknown​

Tags: [member="Kay Arenais"]​

Theme : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxmCCsMoD0​

​

Max sat waiting for his client. He had been called to this planet by someone wishing to hire mercenaries and bounty hunters. It hadn't been a big message nor was it signed by anyone so Max had no idea why he was here nor who had sent out for anyone to come to the planet to assist with whatever it was they wanted. He could use the credits anyways the last few jobs had been less than profitable working for a number of scumbags who didn't know their wrist from their ankle but would still try to skim out on payment to him.

They had largely been taught that was a shockingly bad idea he reminisced, stirring the tea in front of him. The only thing that kept him afloat still was the numerous engineering jobs he had found on various crafts or in places where they would be needed for a short while. Nothing had stuck yet but maybe one day something would. As he tapped the spoon on the edge of the cup that was given to him for his tea and he took a sip waiting. Wouldn't be long now he hoped.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori was actually the one that hired [member="Max Arach"] . But he didn't know that yet. Her Mom was teaching her some of the ropes, and letting her know what was going on in Zakuul. It was weird to have so many enemies. Even friends could be enemies she was told. So there was much need for caution.

She stepped into the cafe and took a look around. There weren't many people inside. Zakuulan's weren't quite the social butterflies like the Commenori were. But given their recent history, she could understand why. There were far more troopers around, each keeping watch. But such a show of security would only drive potential enemies underground. And that was where people like Max came in.

Lori spotted Max sitting alone with what looked like caf or tea. She grinned and headed over to his table. "Hi! You're Max, right? Mind if I sit down?"

 

[Max Arach]

Location: Zakuul, some cafe.​

Working with: [member="Loreena Arenais"]​

Working against: Unknown​

Theme : https://www.youtube....h?v=ETxmCCsMoD0​

​

Max would take another sip of his tea taking in what was occurring in the cafe around him which wasn't a lot. He did however notice quite a large assortment of troopers on patrols. Within the last ten minutes he would guess he had seen at least two three man teams wandering by the cafe. Not exactly in the same pattern but a close enough pattern that to anyone looking for it well it was clearly an attempt at buffing security around the city. Not how he would have probably done it instead leaving a number of them in civilian gear loitering around cafes or other areas you would expect well civilians to be.

While he was thinking about this someone said his name. As he snapped back to focusing on what was going on and who had said his name. He saw a young woman standing before him. She had to be late teens to early twenties by his estimated guesses. He gave her a quick look up and down assuring himself she didn't have any visible weapons at least. "Max indeed does happen to be my name. I take it your the one who asked me to be here although I never did get a name for you mysterious employer."

He was beginning to think about making sure he had a clause he had to receive a least the first name of a customer before he would take the job. Would make things less awkward and yeah just less awkward really. It was then he realised he had unfocused again and completely forgotten to answer her second question. "Yes, sorry, please do take a seat just thinking a lot recently so I get lost easily." He said sheepishly.

​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori had a blaster tucked into her belt at her back, but [member="Max Arach"] wouldn't of been able to see that as she has yet to expose her back to him. She snickered as he called her 'mysterious employer' and then sat down when she was given permission. "I'm Lori. Just Lori. Or Captain works too." She had her own ship and crew, so she was used to answering to that as well.

"What's on your mind? Besides wondering what I asked you here for, anyways." Gosh he was cute. Of course Lori couldn't let that muddle her thinking. But given that he was close to her age gave them great opportunities for work in the future. They could pretend to be a couple and that'd provide a great cover! Yeah.

All of that'll come later though. After the bad guys were kicked off from Zakuul, that is!

 

[Samka Derith]

Did she have any doubts? Any private traitorous thoughts?

A few.

But this was the best way. In, find a winning play and then out. Hopefully this way damage could be mitigated.

Lady Kay Arenais and her husband had been... associates. Ones she held a flicker of affection for. They had simply been kind, nonjudgmental types. Sam's first meeting with Kay had not been on friendly terms yet even so, the woman had been good to her. Better than most people had been before and since. How old had she been then? 15? 16?

And this was where it had led to.

Her ill timed retreat to aid the Supreme Leader underground removed her voice in day to day affairs. The First Order and the Knights of Ren did the dirty work of the Sith Empire in repressing Kay's attempt to regain Commenor and the two had been adversaries since. Worthless conflict. The Sith had been too weak or uncaring to put up a strong fight for the planet so why had the First Order sacrificed its standing in their stead? It was another in the long list of private grievances Sam developed against the Imperial leadership.

Yet here she was. She had to do this. The Imperial way of life was at stake. Grand Admiral Rausgeber's remnant on Pa'desh were by far the most powerful of what remained of the First Order. They did not yet have her personal loyalty but they remained the best hope of survival. To this they had to reestablish themselves on the galactic stage. They needed a sweeping victory against an adversary. They needed to prove their strength was not yet gone. They needed the so-called Eternal Empire crushed. Then the Grand Admiral's legitimacy would be solidified.

Quick and clean. She owed that much to Kay. The best way then would be to directly exploit the woman's weaknesses. Her weakness? She loved too much. She had family. She had friends. People she cared deeply for. Remove them from the equation and Kay should stand down with as little blood as possible shed in the process.

Wonderful idea!

The wide eyed Ren girl wandered through the capital's streets. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Enough holographic changes and make up on her face to be unrecognisable at a glance. She wore an oversized jumper and baggy trousers giving the young woman a scruffy look.

Sam's instincts and whispers from the Dark Side of the Force pointed her through alleyways and side streets in a push for her targets. She had a whole list of them committed to memory.

At the top of the list was [member="Loreena Arenais"].

 

[FN-999]

Location: Zakuul, near the planet's palace
Sort-of-Allies: [member="Samka Derith"]
Enemies: [member="Kay Arenais"] | [member="Loreena Arenais"] | [member="Max Arach"]

For one of the few times in his life, FN-999 was not wearing his signature trooper armor.​

​

Instead, he wore the foreign, lighter armor of the Zakuul military. His blaster rifle, too, was not a First Order design. But as unfamiliar as it felt, he knew that he could fire it with excellent accuracy if he was cornered. FN-999's riot baton, his greatest weapon, had been kept in the Order's barracks. However, his rifle did have a bayonet. While certainly not a replacement for the baton, he could still effectively bludgeon anyone with suspicions long enough to flee.

Just a day after being planted, he had already learned a considerable amount of information. Defensive formations, distribution of troops, and even the location of planetary shields. All essential for a First Order invasion of the planet, which was told to be valuable to eliminating the influence of the Eternal Empire. His efforts would provide a much-needed boost for the First Order military strategy.

Now, the second phase of his operation was to begin. After evading roll call, he managed to slip out of his formation and run into the inner city. There, he sought a specific hangar where he would meet up with other, newer First Order operatives. Under his soldier disguise, he could clear them and their weapons for landing before the group all continued forwards.

 

[Salis]

Salis landed her ship at the nearest convenient location to her meeting place, she had been hired for another job. Man mercenary work was ever so much easier then what she'd been doing before. She had mixed feelings about that. She wore her usual armor and weapons, the rifle slung across her back, the rest at her sides, or as in the case of her saber hidden in a back pouch. Though she did leave the eyes and most of the headpiece off of her helmet, only keeping the rebreather on instead. Letting her see with her own eyes and letting her hair flow.

She walked into the cafe where [member="Max Arach"] and [member="Loreena Arenais"] were at, observing the place with one quick glance before walking further in. Not the most impressive place she had to go to meet her employer and discuss the matter, but it'd do. She was a mercenary now after all so high class wasn't really something she was expecting.

 

[Tyrcas Pallopides]

Planet Zakuul;​

Near Jedi Lore Building​

​

There was an important operation underway, one that required subtly and covert movements. With the rise of the Eternal Empire on the planet Zakuul, there remained threat of another government forming to claim what had - up until very recently - been First Order territory. And given the severe losses suffered by the First Order at the hands of the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium, losing yet another associated planet to yet another outside force would only further damage the recovering faction's reputation. So it was that more drastic actions were required to remind the populace of Zakuul of their place, what would happen if they broke loyalties, and how far the First Order were willing to go to return to a controlling and authoritative state.

But for now, information is key.

Dressed in somewhat local attire, Tyrcas moved through throngs of sentients as he walked near the Jedi Lore building. It was an impressive structure, said to contain a vast quantity of information and history, and was considered a viable location for what was to come. Yet, not wanting to act rashly or without preparation, it fell on the Captain to scout the area and assess various factors for security and operations. He carried a holorecorder, pointing it around whimsically, as he located various devices for observation. Locations were noted, blindspots were pointed out, and Tyrcas continued moving casually as though he was nothing but another visitor or tourist. Guard numbers, their armament and equipment, structure features, population in and around; it was all vital intelligence that was being fed back to the First Order operatives that were standing by...

"Excuse me," Tyrcas said, smiling at a sentient. "Is there a gift shop nearby?"

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

LOCATION: ZAKUUL
EQUIPMENT: IN BIO
ALLIES: [member="Salis"], [member="Loreena Arenais"], [member="Max Arach"], [member="Kay Arenais"]
ENEMIES: [member="Tyrcas Pallopides"], [member="FN-999"], [member="Samka Derith"]
CURRENT MOOD: FOCUSED

//TO: LADY KAY
I'll be there, on the off chance Jareth isn't imagining things. And these things take time. Worst part about all this...
They get to make the first move.//

Zakuul was a place unlike anywhere else in the galaxy.

An ancient empire, repressed and defeated time and time again, resurfacing from the decentralization of one of the largest forces of the age. It was a strange sort of rebirth, not brought on by great revolution, a battle of heroes and villains, but of decay, and the growth of something from that. Something new, something beautiful, something that had promise. No need for Jedi or Sith. No such thing as Light and Dark if there were no sides.

And so soon after it's renaissance, the Eternal Empire was being assaulted.

Physically, certainly. The attack during the coronation could attest to that. Ghorua had seen the footage. Plumes of smoke and violence against a people that, for the first time in years, had felt any kind of patriotism not fed to them on a First Order spoon. But not all violence was so literal.

There was an assault going on at this very moment. One that used back-alley shadows and dummy accounts, that cleaned vibroblades and surveilence lenses alike, that could strike from the shadows to harm a people that had just learned what true freedom was again.

To any other hunter, protecting that freedom would be another paycheck. Ghorua was like that once. His moral compass rose naturally pointed towards the credits. He'd grown since then. Zakuul's freedom, it's pride, was worth the fight. He took the job from Lady Kay, of course as an act of respect, but also on principle.

Didn't hurt that he couldn't stand the First Order.

Ghorua walked the city, in clear view of everything and everyone. His gait was confident, unassuming, uncaring. To any observer, passing or careful, he would appear to not be wearing his armor, instead favoring spacer clothes of black and grey. Armed with some dangerous looking slugthrower pistols, but seemingly unprepared for an engagement. Nothing could be further from the truth.

He was wearing his Sharkskin armor, with the Multispectrum Disguise Suite active, hiding the heavy armor. His probe droids hovered above, over nearby streets, stealthily observing and sending him footage. His own facial recognition software was hard at work as he observed faces, quietly looking for documented First Order personnel. He didn't expect to find anything.

But hey, I could get lucky.

He was looking for reactions. Tails. Listening for suspicious activity. But most importantly, he wouldn't rush into anything. That's what the First Order expected the Eternal Empire to do. They'd be banking on it, most likely. There would be something sublte to exploit, he was sure of it.

He simply had to make himself known, and wait. And have his ship on call.

Leave nothing to chance.

 

[The Amalgam]

Wearing: Tainted Epidermis (http://starwarsrp.net/topic/139096-tainted-epidermis/)

Armed with: Skin Razors (http://starwarsrp.net/topic/137389-skin-razors/)


Since taking control of security, the Amalgam had been instituting a brutal purge of the incompetents who had allowed this insult to the Eternal Empire to occur.

Since [member="Kay Arenais"] had given her free reign, she had been not only viciously interrogating and torturing said incompetents, but also ripping their knowledge out of their skull to see what they had missed, and subsequently learning a tad more of Eternal Empire politics than she thought.

Work had been exhaustive...she had had to overhall the security methods from top to bottom. It would be weeks before they would be able to implement all of the changes, meaning on the ground intelligence would be essential.

That had meant hand picking operatives. As she still did not fully trust many of the Zakuul Intelligence Chiefs (Her paranoia whispered she might have to purge all of them) she had journeyed to Commenor in disguise, pursuading those who had not lost their loyalty to Kay in spite of killing people that society had tried to (unsuccessfully) condition them into feeling something for. She had immediately put tails on all of Kay's loved ones, [member="James Justice"], [member="Loreena Arenais"], [member="Veiere Arenais"], the works, for these were the areas the nascent empress was the most vulnerable at...if you wish to attack someone with a heart, go for their loved ones. Its what she would have done...that is, if she wasn't on Kay's side.

The Amalgam had been keeping a low profile since coming to and from Zakuul. She had come and gone in a dozen different ships and never in the same guise save in private. In fact, she had set up with small, discrete quarters in the palace, demanded links to Zakuul's intelligence network on an encrypted computer and had pretty much been running the Eternal Empire's network of spies whose tree she was pruning out of her quarters. Sifting through dozens, hundreds of different reports, passing the least pressing ones to lesser agents who were not part of the old intelligence regime (And who she had throughly researched before hand.). More pressing issues such as those concerned with capital security were pressed to her. It was a stressful job...very stressful. Not only was she reorganizing the entire intelligence structure she was also overseeing other side projects for the empire.

Its beliefs of course were not ones she ascribed to. She was a follower of the Bogan. A follower of the Bogan who was not exactly certain what she wanted now. She wanted a friend, wanted to help Kay, wanted to know what it was like to be awake and have a friend instead of having a friend while submerged in a Lie she had created with alchemy.

Her quarters had that military neatness to it, security monitors from areas all over the palace and key landmarks in the city outside, data from Zakuul's customs and space travel ports flowing into a specially built computer the Shi'ido had been very strict with in terms of its internals, and assembly. The monitors flickered as she meditated in front of them, drawing on the Dark Side of the Force to try and discern any future difficulties, but soon sighed and gave up on that. The Eternal Empire's future was clouded. It might not have one if she did not do this right. She wanted to do this right. Do it correct.

She did not use her typical guise, having gone with a taller, seperate appearance--that of a Zabrak with black and purple tattoos as she rose when an urgent message came in on her computer, a golden, portable custom job the size of a large suitcase.

The Amalgam flicked it. "Headmistress responding..." she said in a lighter, more feminie voice than that rasp she used normally, using the codename she had given herself. None of the intel officers had known her normal alias anyway.

"Blood Claw reporting in..." came the electronically disguised voice only transmission. "Zakuul authorities at the space ports came across some irregularities I'm starting to think are signs of being compromised..."

The Amalgam stared as a transmitted image of a passport. The passport in question was that of [member="Tyrcas Pallopides"]

"It doesn't look all that suspicious on the surface but all the information we got on him seems too...neat, if you know what I mean..."

"I know what you mean. Are you following him?" she asked, her sulphur yellow eyes lighting against the screens.

"Yeah. We've had city cams on him all day."

The Amalgam stared as image after image of Pallopides played out, watching him move through areas with a military presence...with a holorecorder. Classic spy tactic. A fancy surveillance device would get you discovered as a spy immediately, so it was often better to resort to more mundane methods.

Unfortunately for Tyrcas, the Shi'ido was quite familiar with this tactic, and her gut told her he was dirty. Even his walk was too casual, what smiles he gave too easy.

"Who do we have in the area?" The Amalgam asked.

" [member="Ghorua the Shark"] is in the area..."

The name rang a bell. His psyche profile suggested he had a strong hatred for the First Order. The Enemy of my Enemy, she thought.

"We got his frequency."

"Send the Shark his face. I want him taken alive. Cut off all the exits with plain clothes officers. Tell Ghorua if he takes him quickly and with a minimal of fuss there is a bonus in it for him..."

"At once Headmistress."

The Amalgam smiled at being obeyed. One day, her daughters would obey her vision for them as well.

"Now to the second order of business...that band of spies we flagged. What about the one we allowed to get close?" She asked, in reference to [member="FN-999"]

"He assumes his infiltration went off without a hitch."

"He'd better, I put a hell of a lot into making sure he and his pathetic little band suspects nothing." She snorted, bringing up the images of the man who had broken rank in his formation on the cameras she had installed near his roll call. She had left a few doors open, not too wide, not enough for him or his handlers to get suspicious, but enough so that they could get him and his friends in--and into her clutches.

"Get every knight in the area to seal off the area once he goes into the hangar. I will be heading there personally..."

The Amalgam shut off the transmission and prepared to depart the palace, grabbing her lightsaber...

All warfare is deception.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Oh yes, they have to make the first move. And the First Order weren't very subtle in their moves during the chess game that they played. Their Intelligence Ops were top notch, their military structure was envied by many governments, including by Kay herself. And she had to go against them. She had to stop them before Zakuul was retaken. Maintaining sovereignty wasn't always easy. And in this case it surely wasn't.

Ghoruah,

Let's just hope that Jareth is imagining things. Yet I feel that something isn't right. Deception is in the air. Be mindful.

Empress Kay Arenais

She was grateful to have [member="Ghorua the Shark"] as a dear friend. Of course she was sure to provide him a paycheque as well, but he was a friend first, and very good at his job of hunting.

And just as she relayed in her message, she felt as though something was going to happen. But what? Kay fixed herself some tea and then overlooked Zakuul City from one of the observation platforms. She took a sip from her cup and tried to feel out with the Force. She had always hidden her skills in it. Politicians with the Force were untrusted and sometimes forbidden. Palpatine was a fine example as to why that was. But Kay was no Palpatine. She didn't always make the right choices in the eyes of everyone, but it was always for the better of the people under her care.

What she could sense wasn't anything specific. Just an inherent sense of danger. And with a planet filled with influences of every aspect of the Force, it wasn't as easy to single out a threat. And then there were the multitudes of people that didn't use the Force at all.

"Carlyle...what are you up to now?" Her words weren't spoken to anyone in particular. And the answer for now could only be reached by being patient. That is until her people could get a hold of some First Order personnel.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori looked to the door once [member="Salis"] walked in. She remembered seeing her profile on the holonet before she contacted her. It was best to have a wide variety of people around. That was what her Mom taught her. The Eternal Knights and Security Forces were easy to spot with their armour and uniforms. But people like Silas and [member="Max Arach"] were not so easy to pick out from a crowd of sentient beings. And that was what made them perfect for the job.

She stood up from her chair and waved Silas over. "You can come join us." Lori's disposition tended to be on the cheerful side. Being the youngest of the family, she didn't really have a lot of pressure on her. Now she ran her own ship and crew, was training to be a Jedi with her Dad when she had the time, and was also the chosen heir to the Empire. So this was her first operation to take out her new people's enemies. Hopefully she'd be successful.

Once Salis sat down, Lori turned to them both. "Alright so...thank you for coming. I'm not sure if you know much about the backstory on Zakuul and what we are facing now, but here's the short story: The First Order crumbled and Zakuul gained sovereignty. Now the First Order are trying to get control of this sector again. They have some sort of history with the Empress, so they are going for the target they know. So your jobs are this....help hunt down and bring in First Order operatives. Try not to kill them, but if you have no choice, that's understandable. It's just better to have them alive so that they can provide intel. You'll get bonuses for each First Order operative that you bring in." She fished out a couple of commlinks from her pocket and slid them on the table towards her guests. "You can reach me on these. Any questions?"

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Dominic Craig]

Objective: Seize the Archive
Location: Zakuul City, Government District
Allies: [member="BE-183"] | Zakuul Werewolf, 27th Brigade
Enemies: The Eternal Empire and their Lapdogs

Dominic Craig smoothly strode down the alleys of Zakuul City with his corduroy trenchcoat hauling a neat chrome briefcase. The man and his cohort of four individuals, dressed similarly, all blended seamlessly into the background. The centre of Zakuul City was awash with ex-bureaucrats and unemployed staffers. All of whom who had been the lifeblood of the First Order's civilian governing apparatus, now found themselves without work and purpose. A purge by the Eternal Empire of the governing institutions in the wake of the first blow struck by the order. As a consequence, many of these workers mulled around the inner city, either buying themselves tickets off world, or tried to find new prospects elsewhere. Dominic and his pack seemed to be like this group, searching in and around the city for fresh work.

"Keep close," Craig warned as the small party approached their destination, "And remember the cover." he added with a warning. He was the only intelligence operative amongst the current and former stormtroopers and assorted warriors of Sieger Ren. The former Civil Service And Engineering Annex, found in the cities centre. The building was a large, imposing and gothic structure. Pillars ornately decorated with First Order sigils and the helms of stormtroopers were cast into the marble and stone. But the small group were not approaching from the front. But rather the rear. Access to the building was easy. A few shillings here, an offer of escape there, and a government access card was bestowed upon them. Level Green, in fact. Meaning the maintainence approach from the alley was viable. Plus, they weren't going to raise any real alarm. Perfect.

Sliding the keycard in, Craig opened the door and lead his infiltration squad in. This was it. Time to give Command all the data they ever wanted. "In and out boys." Dominic chided coolly, "No heroes, we're gonna be soft as and make sure we get out to the rendezvous with everything we need." He added, before gesturing down the corridor, "Architecture archive is this way, lets roll."

 

[BE-183]

Spoiler

[media]https://youtu.be/6rFKZQb7f0c[/media]​

Post: 1
Location: Zakuul City, Civil Service and Engineering Annex
Objective: The Architecture Archive
Status: Casual
Allies: [member="Dominic Craig"], Werewolf operatives
Enemy: Eternal Empire security​

The place resembled Dagobah from orbit, an endless backwater. It'd be BFN if not for the ancient civilisation here, once the seat of an empire and poised to be again. It wasn't the job of a ground pounder like the Sergeant to ponder history; all she needed to know was this so-called Eternal Empire was hooking its claws into their rightful territory, and the Retribution Corps wasn’t having it. They'd sent in a number of small, maneuverable teams to link up with local Werewolves, infiltrate and quietly gather intelligence. But today, they undertook a more active endeavour.

183 smiled to herself as she followed Craig. She'd ritually checked and rechecked her gear prior to the op. They were decked out in plain, professional clothes, carrying weapons specially procured from an old Bureau contraband lockup. It was a strict requirement for the intel team: covert kit. Concealable, untraceable, no First Order hardware. Some battles required a subtler touch, and a different kind of camouflage. As bare as she felt without her armour, the cover of anonymity offered more protection here. All she had to do was keep up the civvy act... which was frankly easier said than done.

"Aff- ah, got it." The Agent wasn't so bad. Before the invasion, FOSB spooks like him sometimes got a bad rap among the enlisted, but the work they did was necessary for the survival of the order. Gaining entrance was a straightforward task with his skills, and soon the team were walking in through the back door. "Stay frosty." It was all very humdrum for critical infrastructure. The lack of windows reminded Bee of the utilitarian ships she served on so often. There were no offices in sight back here, only an extended network of barren grey corridors, stairways and lifts, through which the group proceeded on their route to the archive. The soldiers discreetly checked their corners, but maintained the appearance of harmless civilians.

 

[Tyrcas Pallopides]

The Zakuul System;​

Zakuul City​

​

Ragged, dirty, unassuming. One of the invisible - a beggar - sat against the wall of an alleyway, peering out from the opening at the crowds walking through the square beyond. The humanoid watched with cold blue eyes, his face covered in a thick bushy beard, long tangled hair covering most of his features beneath the drooping hat. A worn blanket was around his shoulders and beside him a small container of personal items that looked to hold a value of little-to-nothing. It was easy moving around when you were below notice, especially when you looked and smelled like he did, and tried to gain the attention of passersby for credit donations.

"A credit for a meal?" The disheveled and homeless humanoid said lowly, holding out a worn cup in a hand covered with an old glove. "Just a credit. I can eat at the cafe..."

A lady in baggy clothing, with blonde hair ([member="Samka Derith"]) walked nearby, to which the beggar raised his cup. His blue eyes sought her own, a knowing glance shared, before he eased back and rested his mass of hair and hat against the wall. From across the street, the man noticed a heavily armed individual ([member="Salis"]) step into a cafe. That same individual joined a young pair of humanoids ([member="Loreena Arenais"], [member="Max Arach"]), which the beggar casually observed with a scratch of his bushy beard...

It's almost time.

Beneath his blanket, Amadeus Ren gripped the hilt of his lightsaber, as he continued to loll his head against the cool duracrete building. The Knight of Ren had been careful in his disguise, making sure to conceal more than facial recognition could typically recognize, while also following a carefully planned sequence of relocations. He followed tourists movements, remained mostly out of view, and always walked hunched under his blanket to conceal his height and form - and his equipment, of course. Armor, weapons, his helmet tucked away for use when or if combat was required for what was to come next.

Ready when you are, Decitus...

 

[Max Arach]

Location: Zakuul, some cafe.​

Working with: [member="Loreena Arenais"] l [member="Salis"]​

Working against: Unknown [member="Samka Derith"] l [member="Amadeus Ren"]​

​

Max would nod smiling "Lori will do just fine, as for what I am thinking, beyond what I was asked here for." He would pause a moment thinking. "New Schema for different technologies I may need in the future. However that does take credits. Then again what doesn't" He would flicker his eyes back down to his tea seeing a beggar out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps he would offer the man some credits or something. He didn't like seeing such poverty even here. His focus would be dragged back up as another person joined them.

Max would look slightly confused as she mentioned the first order having some issue with the empress of this planet. "Hang on a sec, I know this was First Order turf but if there is someone new in charge why would the FO have any issue with them. Why are you hiring us to assist dealing with them? I would get it if you were part of the guard but I can tell you are not. So what kind of connection do you have with such a mess?" He then thought some more.

He grabbed the comm link placing it in his pocket. "One more question if there is a new power in charge why is their still beggars like that man across the street there? Did the empress decide to not assist the people who put her into power? Also I highly doubt the empress would be the only target of the FO. If I had their resources I would know her family to, most likely any weaknesses she had and any weakness in the infrastructure around Zakuul. Just my thoughts of what I would do if I was them." He would finish his tea off placing the cup in the bin nearby them turning back to look at the beggar again. He couldn't believe people could just ignore each other.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Ahhh new technologies. That made sense. Lori would often daydream about different ways to upgrade her jetpack Ol'Sparky, so she had a sense about what would have [member="Max Arach"] distracted.

But then his questions weren't what she expected. She didn't want to reveal who she was to any of them. "The First Order want to take this planet back. That's what their issue is. I've seen some of how they work when I went to their capital once. They know this planet and who to look out for. So what better way to thwart them than with people that they aren't looking out for?" Lori also had something to prove; that she wasn't just 'Goofball Lori'. She wanted to show others that she could get important tasks done.

Her eyes drifted from Max towards [member="Amadeus Ren"] outside the window. "...Change takes time. But help will be there. She did it for Commenor." She then pursed her lips as he mentioned other targets that the FO could have in mind. Lori focused on one aspect of it, to keep the attention away from the family part. "With her family so far away, infrastructure is the best option. So those would be the best places to scope out and find them. Their last strike was below in the sewers. Maybe they'll go for the transport systems next? Or manufacturing?" She looked to [member="Salis"] and wondered what her thoughts were.

[member="Samka Derith"]

 

[Salis]

Salis looked at @Loreena Arenas as she called her over, so this was who she was working for. And then there was the other one with her, [member="Max Arach"]. Must be another gun for hire. She listened in as the woman explained, so it was a capture mission then, preferably. Ah well. More of a challenge, but not necessarily more fun. Track them down, bring them in if possible. First order was the target, and they were probably going to go after the Empress apparently, or her close allies.

She turned her head, the other one had started talking. Offering strategies, and as well as trying to take a bit in politics. Salis just remained silent, she was here because she would get paid. She didn't need to know too much about why there were beggars unless it helped her track down her targets.

But there was an interesting matter, the question of who the woman was. And a point to a beggar ([member="Amadeus Ren"]) outside, Salis glanced out in thought at the person as Lori eventually came to Salis as the topic of their next target would be, sewers hm? She thought for a moment letting out a hum as she turned back, "If their goal is to take hold, if it were me, I'd go either for the Transport systems, shipyards, or water supply. Damaging or controlling manufacturing is all well and good but if they can't move what they make anywhere, it's pointless."

She paused for a moment, "Another possibility is the people I suppose, turn them against their current ruler and they can step in without an issue. Easiest way to do that is the mid and low classes, either infiltrate or influence. Though I might be thinking to far in, I'm not familiar with the First Order's usual tactics. But subterfuge, such as the people, or leverage, such as the water and transport, would certainly make sense to me."

 

[FN-999]

Location: Zakuul, near the planet's palace
Allies: None in the area
Enemies: [member="The Amalgam"]

FN-999 entered the hangars early.​

​

There was no ship to be picked up yet, and it seemed as if traffic had temporarily ceased. Upon seeing the disguised trooper, a group of young children in tattered clothing ran off from behind a pillar. There was no reason to suspect them, as they were likely dirt-poor and unable to see beyond his facade. But with the disappearance of the children, the hangar was nearly empty. It was eerily silent.

A setup.

The moment the thought ran through FN-999's head, an alarm went off in the hangar. He bolted and leapt behind a crate, just as the sound of footsteps appeared on all sides. There was no use in continuing to pose as a soldier, and FN-999 now had only two options. One, he could use his grenades and rifle skills to fight off his enemies until a shuttle arrived for extraction. If FN-999 was aggressive enough, he could even bluff his way through one of the hangar doors and escape into the city, making it much more costly to hunt him down.

Regardless, he still had a chance of living.