Rebus on the Boughs

[The Major]

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Endor, the forest moon​

Deep within First Order controlled space​

​

A hunter's proper place was deep within the woods, seeking prey.​

While the First Order kept their territories tightly defended with a crimson laced, iron gauntlet, they were not so stiff as to not realize a sterling business opportunity. Endor had been a place, long ago, where a precursor empire once was cut into pieces by the antics of ancient heroes of yore. Legend has it that these stalwart heroes shook the very core of the galaxy forever more, and with cocky smiles to boot. Now it was a tourist destination with even delegates from faraway lands coming to pay their respects to the fallen of the Great Civil War.

Perhaps one day soon new beings would reshape this chaotic galaxy for good.

That day was not today.

The Major, intrepid First Order Security Agent, often had to actually do work for her chosen faction from time to time. It was often wetwork and subterfuge, and her talents helped get around and accomplish missions with a sense of speed.

Today, the slow burn was in order. Intel had narrowed down that a certain government agent was leaking information to the Galactic Alliance, perhaps preparing them for the coming day when war would once again grip the two factions. The target, Silas Dius, was quite the snaky sort, and paranoid to boot. Every representative had to be cross checked, and thus her portion of the investigation lead her to this balding man with a double chin. Logs and testimony often placed Silas on this planet when a specific diplomatic envoys were scheduled to do a tour of Endor. Mission parameters: follow Silas by any means possible, incarcerate if he proved to be traitor, and escort him to the "reeducation" division on this planet.

Silas always had an escort of guards to protect him, all clad in white stormtrooper armor and marked with decals to denote their honorary guard status. Right now, three such guards were following him through the forest. For the Fallanassi agent, it was no problem to "replace" one of the three troopers for the day. She had gotten very good at mixing just the right amount of sedatives to incapacitate a person based on their weight without killing them outright. Now, it didn't always work properly.

But practice makes perfect. . . ​

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[member="Skai"]​

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

[member="The Major"]

Mist trailed their passage through the forest.

But they could be forgiven for missing it... few people looked up and even fewer could make out green mist against green forestation.

Somewhere, sometimes, a man called Silas Dius had karked up. Skai didn't really care about the specifics, that was all her Master's forte, but someone wanted him dead in the great bureaucracy of the First Order and they were paying top credit to make that happen. The assassin wasn't sure what Silas had done, but treason was a word repeated at least half a dozen times by her Lord. It was to be a clean kill, a quick one, and without anyone else getting hurt in the progress.

That complicated things.

It meant she wouldn't have nearly the amount of fun she wanted to have. She had scouted out this part of the woods, after acquiring a log of the route they would take, up ahead was a clearing and Skai had timed it just right.

Just as they left the treeline behind the sun would obscure their vision for a few moments.

Enough to get in... and then get out.

Soon.

 

[The Major]

Silas was already huffing as his fat gut undulated and caused his hiking fatigues to beg for mercy at the seams. The troopers remained stoic, not that they had a choice when wearing those white helmets set to frown. Trailing a bit out of formation and to the rear, the Major internally cursed at how bloody restrictive the standard First Order stormtrooper kit was. How did the grunts shoot when one could hardly see?

She started to fuss about with the positioning of the helmet when they entered the clearing. . .

The sun beams glittered a beautiful golden tan as the two troopers had their lenses adjust to sudden glare.

Silas, meanwhile, muttered a curse under his breath and held up one arm above his head, shielding his eyes to anything up above. . .

[member="Skai"]

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

[member="The Major"]

There was a single warning: the sun suddenly clouded by a shape causing helmet lenses to readjust and eyes to refocus.

Then it was gone again and they were staring directly at the sun.

Ow.

Silas experienced a sudden spike in pain. He blinked, looked down and saw the looming tide of the grass. Why? What? But then the second was gone and with it consciousness. His body followed suit and fell on its side. It twitched here and there as muscles contracted without the guidance of the brain. The sudden release of pressure caused a spray of blood gushing everywhere, it colored the mist and showed a figure within it. Before anyone could react, the Force spiked in activity, the immediate result was a moderate shockwave centering from that bloody figure. It would send the stormtroopers crashing against the trees, unless they had a quick mind and did something to counter it anyway.

While chaos reigned Skai sped off, leaving the scene of the... crime behind.

It was beautiful, but far too short for her taste. No chance to enjoy it, to chance to explore the situation and prolong the fight.

 

[The Major]

Indeed, there was no way for the typical human to react to this sudden violence. Such was the majesty of the Force and its amplification of Life’s ability. The third trooper, The Major, had not seen the strike or even heard the blade slice. Instead, that energy that binds us all together gave her a shrill, preternatural warning —danger! Cover!

Paradoxically, a sense of situational awareness is completely ignored as Force guided instinct takes over. With a leaping quickstep the officer just barely maneuvers behind a fallen log on the edge of the clearing, over-pressure cracking the air beyond the trunk and sending a gust of ruddy leaves flying. Accompanying this chaos was a loud whoosh as power slammed into the actual storm troopers. It wasn't enough to kill, but certainly was enough kinetic energy smacked into the armor to send them sliding —no doubt dazed and stunned beyond use.

...Shet…

Silas was collapsing in two pieces, and a mysterious figure tarried but a moment to appreciate their work. As quickly as it came, it was off.

The First Order Chief in charge would never accept this explanation as sufficient, and so the Major reflexively jumps out of cover to give pursuit. The standard issue blaster was only part of the disguise, and would be useless against a trained assassin using the powers of persuasion. The Major discards it like trash, just letting it fall from her grasp. In second motion her helmet flies into the air, wrenched off as the chase begins.

Coincidentally, the helmet bounced off Silas’ headless body and gave it enough of a nudge to cause it to crumple over, blood darkening the dirt. A queer quietude spreads within the clearing, broken only by a groan from one of the dizzy troopers

[member="Skai"]

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

[member="The Major"]

She was already at the other edge of the clearing when Skai realized she was being followed.

A quick look back showed long hair, tall, blue eyes.

Determination on the face of the First Order stormtrooper coming in on the pursuit. In truth the Dathomiri witch was anything but annoyed, impressed certainly and a touch curious what this woman could do. That was the curse of Skai- while there was an option of strategic retreat after her job was done... she didn't want to.

So instead the Witch gave the Major a moment to catch up, allowing her to catch a glimpse of her... before she turned into emerald smoke and merged back into the cacophony of the forest.

Her smile went last.

Bright sharp teeth grinning.

 

[The Major]

The tall woman slowed her dead sprinting pace to a sliding stop, eyes gleaming in a predatory intensity as they darted about the foliage and trees. Incidentally, she now stood in the exact spot were the assassin's smile had dissipated. A few breaths later had the Major closing her eyes as her body seemed to relax.

Reaching outwards in the Force, the Agent cleared her mind as she sought to detect and defeat the illusion. Consciousness expanded as her awareness touched upon the all the living things in an ever expanding area. If this was simply tech use, then the smiling murderer would be revealed unless there was some sort of training to dampen her presence. It was surely no Jedi or SIth, because their techniques actually flared up like a beacon when they attempted to cloak themselves like this. Struggling to identify, the Major considered if this was another Fallanassi. Impossible, followers of the White Current couldn't dupe each other using the same tricks.

Was this another form of technique on display?

Nervousness began to knock upon her youthful consciousness. If the assassin had gotten away so easily, it would look intensely poor for the operator.

[member="Skai"]