Rayna Lockley
Character
A black and grey silhouette emerged from hyperspace so quietly that most sensor networks would never know it had arrived. Nearly five kilometers in length, with barely a sensor ping. There was no brilliant flare of exotic particles. No cascading wake of ionized debris. No easily tracked hyperspace entry announcing its passage across the stars. One moment the space above Naboo was empty. The next, a dark wedge of armored metal occupied the void, hanging against the starfield like a shadow. The vessel was less warship and more mobile headquarters. Its angular hull reflected little light, vast sensor arrays concealed beneath armored plating while emissions remained tightly controlled. To outside observers, it resembled a stealth vessel scaled far beyond what conventional doctrine considered practical.
Inside the ship, however, there was no tension, only routine. Rayna moved through the command deck without haste; her uniform immaculate black from collar to boots, tailored with military precision rather than what Naboo would consider fashionable. The long coat fell cleanly around her frame, lines sharp and understated. A Silver Silvane insignia marked her breast and shoulder, subtle enough to avoid drawing attention while still carrying authority. Gloves covered her hands, and her blonde hair was secured neatly at the back of her head.
She looked less like a soldier and more like an intelligence director who occasionally found herself on battlefields. A holodisplay floated before her, displaying Naboo, orbital traffic, and the palace district of Theed. Their actual destination lay elsewhere, an operation already underway, teams and assets already moving; this was simply a detour an important one- but that didn't change the fact they were on a timetable.
"Shuttle is ready, Director."
"Maintain station. I shouldn't be long."
The Infernus-class insertion shuttle waited within one of the hangars. The craft resembled a blade more than a transport, every surface engineered to reduce detection and scatter emissions. Unlike most shuttles, it carried no obvious markings beyond a subdued Silvane emblem near the boarding ramp. Everything about Silvane was careful, to be invisible most times and only visible when they needed to be.
The shuttle's purpose was simple: get people into places they weren't supposed to be and leave before anyone realized they had arrived. Rayna ascended the ramp alone; for the descent, the stealth systems were shut off, and a small shuttle had suddenly appeared in the void on an approach vector. The pilot was transmitting proper clearances; the last thing she wanted to do was make a potential client nervous.
The trip to the surface was short; the ramp lowered nearly as quietly as the ship had descended, and she stepped off the shuttle into the blinding light of day, to sparkling streets and buildings and green fields as far as one could see. For most, they might stop and enjoy the sights, but for Rayna, she had a job to do. She started toward the chancellor's office; she had reached out to
Aurelian Veruna
to set up a meeting with the chancellor
Dominique Vexx
TAG:
Dominique Vexx
Aurelian Veruna