OOC:

My first post for Vast Empire Naval Intelligence.  Enjoy!

Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail sat in his cramped seat, glaring at the datapad in his hands, and wondering when this nightmare journey would end.  He had spent three days hopping from one passenger transport to another, zigzagging a course through neutral space along the border of the Vast Empire.  While he understood the reasoning behind this, he hated the lack of leg room and smell of so many beings packed together, and longed for the relative comfort of a Star Destroyer bridge.

Trying to focus, he glanced down again at the pad, trying to memorise the lists of facts and figures about his destination.  It was pretty mundane stuff, for he dared not bring up any sensitive data while the person sat next to him could glance over and read it.  Still, even this small wealth of information was enough to make Zail’s head spin.

Ord Terine
Planet Type: Terrestrial
Climate: Temperate
Terrain: Rocky plains, mountains, urban
Atmosphere: Breathable
Gravity: Standard
Diameter: 10,400 km
Length of Day: 25.5 standard hours
Length of Year: 357 standard days
Sentient Species: Humans
Languages: Basic
Population: 20 million
Species Mix: 91% Human, 9% other
Government: Parliamentary Democracy
Major Exports: Starship parts, ore
Major Imports: Consumer goods, processed foods

It was a pretty average world, one of countless thousands just trying to struggle by, unnoticed by the warring factions of the Galactic War.  The people of Ord Terine traded with whatever regional power could pay them, and until recently had been content to sit on the sidelines.

That had all changed a year ago.  A group of politicians had got it into their heads that the future of their world lay with the Vast Empire, and a counter group had openly declared for the New Republic.  Now different factions were converging on Ord Terine, but not with blatant fleets and armies, but in the more subtle form of intelligence operatives and covert agents.  A little shadow war was brewing on Ord Terine, played out on both the public streets and the halls of the rich and powerful.

And so, for reasons he could not quite fathom, Vast Empire Naval Intelligence had recruited Serpent from his happy little life aboard the Second Fleet.  They had given him a choice, of course, had given a brief outline of what he was expected to do and so forth, but the Alderaanian could not recall why he had said yes.

Actually, no, that was a lie.  He knew very well why he had agreed to join VENI.  It was because of the battle he and the Second Fleet had recently participated in.  He had trained for such things, had braced himself for the emotional turmoil of combat, and in all fairness, he had coped well.  He had done his job professionally and competently, which was all that could be expected of him in his first battle.

What Serpent had been unprepared for, however, was how safe he had felt, and how guilty that made him feel.  So many had perished in that battle, especially fighter pilots, but Zail himself had never felt threatened.  From the bridge of a Star Destroyer, he had felt more of a witness to the battle than a participant, and no amount of being told what a ‘valuable contribution’ he had made could change that.

So when VENI showed up, offering him a chance to play spy and get out into some real action, he had jumped at the chance.

But now, as his transport drew ever closer to Ord Terine, and the reality of what he had agreed to sank in, Zail began to wish for the bridge of that Star Destroyer...


The transport dropped out of hyperspace, though far from a window in the cramped passenger compartment Zail had no way of telling.  From his long experience of starships, he guessed from the shuddering that they had reached atmosphere, and was unsurprised (and, after the uncomfortable trip, quite relieved) when the captain announced over the general com that their landing on Ord Terine was imminent.

The touchdown came soon after, the pilot managing it with practiced softness.  Slowly the several dozen passengers began the slow shuffle towards the exit, Zail among them, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  He had packed light, or rather, VENI had.  Nothing on his person or in his bag was his.  All of it had been procured from various non-VE sources, assembled to fit his cover story of an unemployed mechanic come to Ord Terine to begin a new job and new life.  Of course, this cover had included a new name.  He was not Zail, or even Serpent, he was now Curtis Tomen.

He emerged from the transport into a docking tube, and walked along it with the rest of the passengers into the central hub of Terinus City Starport.  There they all went through tedious Customs checks, and Zail found himself in the presence of a stern-faced gotal official.

Without preamble, the man all but snatched Zail’s duffel bag and opened it. “Purpose of visit, Mr Tomen?” Asked the alien sharply, checking the datapad documentation after nosing around.

Something about the gotal had the human worried.  “I’m starting a new job,” Said Zail as casually as he could manage.  This was his first ever undercover infiltration of a planet, and he was feeling nervous just from a routine Customs check!  Hardly the best start...

The official did not seem to notice the beads of sweat on the human’s face.  “Well, this seems to be in order,” He said eventually, seemingly satisfied.  “Welcome to Ord Terine,” He said without emotion, closing the bag and handing it back to Zail.

“Thank you,” Said ‘Mr Tomen’, and then he walked with forced ease from the area.

Soon enough Zail reached the main entrance of the starport, and stepped through the automatic doors into the bright light of Ord Terine’s afternoon.  A bright golden sun hung in a clear blue sky, and he was forced to squint under the intense daylight.

Zail caught a speeder taxi and he was soon lifted off into the sky above the city of Terinus, the capital of Ord Terine.  Instructing the droid driver that conversation was not required, he fixed his gaze out of the window and surveyed the land he had been assigned to subvert.

Below him the city sprawled out, home to two million people, about ten percent of those living on Ord Terine.  Zail had never visited the like of Coruscant, but he knew from pictures what a grand city of spires entailed, and Terinus certainly was not of that ilk.  Truth is, it did not need to be.  The land on the barren world was cheap, the population low, and so the houses beneath him were small and spread out, many having good sized gardens.  Even cheap apartment blocks were large squat buildings, their rooms long and spacious.  The housing got denser as the taxi left the vicinity of the starport and pressed towards the city centre, and here finally he could see tower blocks and glittering buildings of shining glass and steel, though few were over ten stories in height.

Terinus City, like most large settlements on the planet, was on the coast.  A great blue ocean, surprisingly lush like the sky above, stretched off to the east.  Turning west, Zail could see great factories and industrial areas beyond the city, and in the distance the barren plains which dominated the world.  Past them he could see massive mountain ranges, where he knew smaller mining settlements dug up for the ore for the factories.  It was those factories and the high quality starship parts and refined metals they produced that made Ord Terine such a prize for the Vast Empire.

The taxi came in to a landing in the centre of Terinus, a place of grand plazas, statues, and a mix of businesses and government buildings.  Zail stepped out, tossing the droid driver a handful of the local currency, and took a deep breath of the local air.  The salty smell of the close-by ocean hung in the air, and while it was not a scent he was used to, he still found it pleasant.  From where he stood, Ord Terine seemed beautiful, but then he was standing in the rich centre of the capital.  Zail reminded himself that not too far away, great ugly factories sat on a cracked and lifeless plain, and he vowed not to forget that this world, like so many, was a place of extreme differences.

Consulting his datapad, he called up a map of the area.  He was to meet his contact in a cafe not too far from where he was, but as Zail looked around he suddenly worried that he had got something wrong.  The city centre was full of people, walking to and fro, darting in and out of shops, restaurants and offices.  Hardly the quietest locale for a clandestine meeting of spies.

Deciding to trust the information on his pad, Zail followed the map and found the cafe.  It was a small place, with a great many tables sat outside in the sun.  A couple of Neimodian waiters served drinks and snacks of their world to the predominantly human customers, and Zail stopped to scan the faces of those sat about.

His gaze fell upon a woman sat alone at a table.  She lounged back in her seat, almost half asleep, sipping lazily from a cup of Neimodian coffee.  She was dressed in a light ensemble of purples and blues, and her eyes were covered with large and stylish shades against the brightness of the day.  The woman’s long brown hair hung loosely down her back, and she wore a violet flower in it.  That flower was Zail’s sign.

Walking over, he dropped into the chair opposite hers.  The woman gave no indication that she had noticed his presence, and continued to take small sips of her drink, relishing the flavour.

“That orchid is rare,” Announced Zail carefully, giving the pre-arranged code phrase.  “As rare as true love, it is said.”

“True love is not so rare,” Said the woman, her voice rich, cultured, and bored.  “A man who will be true, now that is rare,” She purred.

She now leaned forward in her chair, removing the shades and fixing him with sparkling eyes like polished onyx.  She had recited the answer perfectly, and both knew that the other was the one they sought.  “So,” She asked with a smile.  “Will you be true, I wonder?” She mused aloud.  After a short pause, she said, “I am Marian Vauld,” She introduced.  “You will refer to me as Ms Vauld.”

Zail knew it was an assumed name.  He had been briefed on the woman, a Naval Intelligence Handler who went by the codename of ‘Languid’, for reasons that he could now plainly see.  Her cover of Marian Vauld was as the owner/manager of the company he was to work for during his time on Ord Terine, but as Handler she was the one giving assignments to the VENI operatives on the planet.

In other words, in both reality and as part of their covers, she would be the one giving him orders.

“I’m Curtis Tomen, Ms Vauld,” He introduced himself.  He was unaware if she knew (or cared) what his real name was, and idly wondered when he would get a catchy ‘spy name’ of his own.  “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person,” He added, maintaining the pretence of being a new employee who had been interviewed by holonet conference.

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” Said Languid with a smile.  Finishing her drink, she rose from the table.  “While I am sure you are tired from your long trip, I have need of your services this very afternoon, Mr Tomen.  If you’d care to follow me, we can get you started.  I shall have your bag sent to your new company apartment.”

Translation, now we’ve met out in the open, let’s go somewhere private to talk.

“Of course, Ms Vauld, lead on,” Said Zail, and fell in step with her as they left the cafe.

OOC:

  2028 words.  After Action Report: This is just the set up for the story, covering all the basics. My character, working for VENI, has come to the planet Ord Terine, a neutral world and producer of starship parts.  VENI is trying to manipulate politics on the planet so that it joins the Vast Empire.  Serpent, travelling as ‘Curtis Tomen’, has met his Handler, codename ‘Languid’, but known on Ord Terine as ‘Marian Vauld’.

Curtis ‘Rain’ Tomen, formerly known as Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, squinted in the bright morning daylight.  Since coming to Ord Terine a few days ago, he had noticed an uncommon level of light on this world, and like the majority of the locals he had taken to wearing shades.  They seemed to be as ubiquitous here as shoes.

He walked alone down the streets of the capital city of Terinus, where already in this early hour people were gathering.  The coming event, a peaceful protest march organised by the Ord Terine Democratic Party, had been scheduled on this day to coincide with a planet-wide national holiday, so many of the offices and civil service buildings around Zail were closed.  Still, cafes and restaurants were open, serving breakfast to the people he passed.

The aspiring Vast Empire Naval Intelligence Operative made his way to one of the holocom booths that dotted the city centre.  Stepping inside and activating the silence field for privacy, he dropped some local credit chips into the machine and made a voice-only call to the local law enforcement.

“You’ve reached the Ord Terine Police Service,” Said a droid on the other end of the line, its voice vaguely feminine.  “How may we serve you today?”

Zail reached into his pocket and removed a VENI-issued voice-modulator.  Fitting it over the microphone of the com booth, he flicked it on, and when he spoke, he knew that on the other end his voice would be deepened and altered beyond recognition.  The sound would not be wholly artificial, and would sound human enough, especially to a droid.

Not that he expected anyone on the planet to know his voice, but it never hurt for spies to be extra careful.  And much as the idea was still new to him, a spy was exactly what Zail was.

“I wish to remain anonymous,” He began, “But I need to warn you about today’s march.  A group of troublemakers are intending to disrupt the proceedings,” He warned.  “They are very dangerous, and I fear they mean to cause harm to both people and property.”

“How did you come by this inf...” Began the droid, but Zail hung up immediately.  Before anyone could trace the call, he removed the modulator and swiftly exited the booth.  Walking with natural-looking speed, careful not to draw attention to himself, he departed the area quickly.

The media had speculated on the chance of trouble at the protest, and the thought had put the police on edge.  Here on calm and peaceful Ord Terine, just Zail’s quick call would be enough to heighten their wariness, enough to put extra police on duty.

And the extra police were just what VENI wanted, for what were a bunch of troublemakers without people to make trouble with....

-----

Zail slipped quietly into a busy restaurant, and dropped into a vacant seat before a human male who was tucking eagerly into a pile of slimy ooze that was advertised as ‘breakfast’.

“Made the call?” Asked his fellow VENI agent, who went by the name ‘Cloud’.

“Yes, it’s done,” Confirmed Zail, or ‘Rain’ as the other man knew him.  “What are you eating?” He felt compelled to ask.

“Hutt food,” Replied Cloud simply.  “I acquired a taste for it...” He trailed off, suddenly recalling that he should not be speaking of his personnel history.  Not wishing to give away anything that might conflict with his cover identity, he concluded simply, “While on the Outer Rim.  Want to try some?” He offered.

“I’ve already eaten,” Lied Zail, declining the offer.  “Come on, we’ve got to meet up with Snow,” He urged, wanting to continue with the next stage of the mission.

Reluctant to be parted from his meal, Cloud eventually got up and followed Zail from the cafe, heading down an avenue that was now getting even busier.  A few hundred people were now milling about in the streets, some of them carrying placards reading ‘Say NO to the Vast Empire!’, and Zail saw one enterprising figure who had a large cut out of Darth Vader, with the face of pro-Imperial politician Marcus Cordanis pasted in the helmet.

As they walked, Zail and Cloud were stopped by a short man with a four-pointed star badge on the lapel of his shirt.  “I see you are walking away from these backwards thinkers,” Said the man, gesturing with contempt to the assembling protesters.  “Please, take these with the compliments of the AEOS Party,” And so saying he handed them a leaflet each.

Zail thanked the man, but Cloud said nothing, and just kept walking.  As they moved, Rain looked at the leaflet, and saw it was a manifesto of the political party that VENI was here to further.

A- Authority, belief in strong law and order.
E- Equality, fair treatment for all regardless of race, gender, etc.
O- Opportunity, a strong and vibrant economy with jobs for all.
S- Stability, peace and protection from the chaos of war for all citizens.
The AEOS Party, for a great future!

“Seems reasonable enough,” Said Zail, glad that they were here to assist such right-thinking people.

Quickly, Cloud swiped the leaflet from his fellow’s hands, dropping both their handouts into a bin as they passed.  When he saw Rain’s curious face, he said, “We can’t be seen with those.  Yes, we are here to help the AEOS Party, but we must do so covertly.  Unless our mission explicitly states otherwise, we must keep our own views of local politics secret.”

“I understand,” Said Zail, and they walked on in silence.

-----

From her vantage point in a nearby building, the Handler known as Languid stared down at the growing crowd with a set of Electrobinoculars.  The amassing protestors still had an hour before the ‘official’ start of the event, but already their numbers had to be approaching the thousand mark.  On a densely populated Core world, a protest of a thousand people did not count for much, but on Ord Terine and its barely twenty million inhabitants, this was a significant number and it was still growing.

Languid pondered this for a moment.  Had she misjudged how popular this Democratic Party actually was?  Possibly, but it did not alter her plans.  Sweeping her gaze across the main street below, she already saw the growing signs of a police presence, some of them eyeing the crowds warily.

The tinder is in place, she mused.  Now to ignite it...

-----

The Bith known as ‘Snow’ was sat on a street corner, his clothes and demeanour totally different from how he usually appeared.  Dressed in the dirty and worn uniform of a miner from one of Ord Terine’s smaller settlements, the dome headed alien had even added some fake scars to his pale orange skin.  Clutched in his hands was a bottle of Corellian liquor, and he spoke with three non-human locals with a distinct slur and well practised rough accent.

Of all the VENI operatives on the planet, Snow was the only non-human, and used this to his advantage to talk to Ord Terine’s alien minority.  Most beings had a hard time telling Bith apart, and Snow found it easy to pretend to be a different one for every group to interacted with.  From his behaviour at the moment, none would ever guess that he was same mild-mannered mechanic who worked for Vauld Transportation, the VENI cover company.

“Kriffing Vast Empire is a joke!” He snarled to his three friends.  One, a burly reptilian Barabel, listened intently while sweeping his tail back and forth anxiously.  The other two, a pair of Khil, merely nodded sagely.  “I’m tellin’ ya,” Said Snow, leaning in as if to impart some great secret, “This Cordanis guy is bad news!  He’s a plottin’ te drag us all into this Empire, and be makin’ no mistake, us non-humans are not gonna fare well!”

One of Khil asked, “But I heard that the VE treats us as equals.”  As he spoke, his facial tentacles danced and he rubbed his hands together nervously.  Clearly he was unnerved by what he was hearing.

Snow snarled.  “Bah!  PR lies and misinformation!  No, this is dark time fer us, so I’m a gonna be marching today!  We need te fight this thing now.”

With fine timing, Zail and Cloud walked around the corner and past the four aliens.  They were careful to not even glance the way of their disguised friend, but when he spoke to them, they played their roles and stopped to listen.

“And where are ye two goin’?” Asked Snow, his voice raised.

Zail and Cloud glanced at each other.  “Who?  Us?” Asked the former, doing a good job of looking confused.

“Yeah,” Said the Bith, gesturing back the way they had come.  “The march is that way,” He declared, and his three fellows nodded in agreement.

“Uh... we’re not going to the march,” Said Cloud, acting like he had somewhere to be and was generally confused by the announcement.  “Now if you’ll excuse us...”

“Jus’ like I was sayin’!” Said Snow to the other aliens.  “Notice how these humans don’t care.  No skin off their noses if we dragged in te the VE!”

“Yezzz!” Hissed the Barabel, angry.  “The humanzzz will be happy to have the Empire back!”

“Woah, hold on there,” Said Zail, taking a step back.  It was not hard to act intimidated when confronted with a very large and very upset Barabel.  “Hey guys, we don’t want any trouble, we’re just minding our business.  Your political problems are nothing to do with us.”

It was then Cloud who pushed the plan the required the next step.  “Yeah, relax.  Look, we’re sorry we can’t attend the demonstration, but if I may say in defence of my race that there are plenty of humans getting ready to march.  Now please, leave us be or we shall have to call for the police.  They are plenty about today,” He warned.

Snow glared at him.  “Ah yes, the predominantly human police,” Said the Bith with spite.  “I’m sure there are plenty o’ them on hand te stop the protest!”

“Stop it?” Asked one of the Khil, surprised.

Snow turned around to elaborate, and with their job done, Zail and Cloud slipped hurriedly away.  As they departed, they heard Snow begin to put the idea of demonstrator versus police into their heads.

All was going to plan...

-----

“Yes?” Purred Languid, lifting the comlink and answering it.  She was still sat in the vacant office she had broken into, and her eyes still carefully sweeping the crowds below.

“The banthas are set up,” Came Zail’s voice.  “Ready to be introduced into the antiques shop.”

“Excellent,” Replied the Handler, and promptly ended the transmission.  Her team’s comlinks were all heavily encoded of course, but she still insisted on keep their usage brief.

Languid smiled.  She and Snow had identified that Barabel hothead days ago.  With a family killed by the Empire and a record of violence, had been perfect.  Any other aliens dragged into this were a bonus, but that reptilian alien was the real crux of the plan.

Now, just one more piece of the puzzle, thought Languid, and all would be perfect.

-----

Operative Sunny, her brown hair dyed blonde for this assignment and her face decorated in the most garish makeup available, opened the door to the hotel room.  The revealing clothes she (barely) wore showed off her shapely body, and standing in the corridor beyond, Mist, her fellow operative, gaped openly in surprise.

“That’s some look!” He said, eyeing her up and stepping into the room quickly as she closed the door behind him.

“How come the ‘seduction’ part of every mission has to fall to me?” She complained, leading him into the bedroom.  “How come Languid never does it?”

“She’s the boss,” Said Mist with a shrug of his massive shoulders.  “Plus, she’s too lazy for the ‘aggressive hooker’ act.”  Walking to the bed, he looked down at the unconscious police officer laying face down in a pillow.  “This him?”

“No,” Said Sunny with sarcasm.  “It’s a second policeman I decided to drug on a whim.  I’m collecting them, don’t you know?  Of course its him!  Now, swap clothes with him, and make sure that his helmet is on firmly.  Your builds match but he’s much better looking than you are.”

Mist looked around at the discarded riot gear and armour.  Looking back to her, he gestured for her to go to the bathroom and said, “A little privacy?”

“You’re talking embarrassment to me,” She said, gesturing to her own clothing.  “No way.  You got to see me in this, now I get to watch you change.  Carry on, Operative Mist!”

“I hate you,” He said simply.

“I know.”

-----

That afternoon Languid watched as the plan unfolded with precision that made her head swim with delight.  The police put on extra people, intimidating the protestors before the march even began.  As ordered, Snow had given his fellow aliens the slip, but his friends, including the angered Barabel, were present.

As the demonstration went on, Mist, in disguise as a leading riot control officer, arrived.  From her watching position, Languid guided her agent via a concealed comlink in his ear, ensuring that he positioned himself close to the Barabel.  One shout of “Get back, you alien freak!” Was all it took for the massive reptilian to throw the first punch.

Mist took the blow and then fought back.  Other police saw the scuffle and rushed to their fellow’s aid, reacting instantly.  Had they looked closely they would have noticed that Mist was not actually one of their own, but they had their hands full.  Other protestors saw the ensuing fight and joined in to protect the Barabel.

It all ballooned from there, and Languid chuckled to herself as the main street of Terinus City erupted into a full-scale riot.  Media were on hand to observe the whole thing, exactly as planned.

VENI had come to undermine the pro-Republic Democratic Party, and this sabotage of their ‘peaceful’ demonstration was a great start.

But only a start....

-----

Under cover of dark that night, two figures in a stolen speeder stepped out onto the docks of Terinus City.  In their arms they held a large shape with some weights attached, and, making sure no one was about to observe them, they dropped the form into the depths of the sea with a too-loud splash.

As they drove away, Cloud, who was driving, noticed that his fellow operative was unusually quiet.  “You okay?” He asked.

Zail shrugged.  “First body dump,” He said answered at last.

“Ah,” Said Cloud.  “Don’t worry.  Sunny is very skilled at poisons.  The one she used on that policeman will ensure that the body decays quickly underwater.  In a day or two there’ll be nothing left for anyone to find, let alone trace back to us.”

“No,” Said Zail, feeling uncomfortable.  “It’s not the fear we will get caught, it’s the... the seediness of it.  Killing people in battle is one thing, but this?  Skulking about in shadows and disposing of bodies in a bay?  What are we, Imperial officers or Hutt gangsters?”

“We are whatever is needed of us,” Said Cloud simply.  “And you didn’t kill him.  Sunny did.”

“That’s one thing, I suppose,” Said Zail absently, not feeling any better.

“Be under no illusions, though,” Added the other man.  “Sooner or later, it will be your turn.  Think you have the guts to kill someone in cold blood, Rain?”

“I don’t know,” Replied Zail.  “Really, I just don’t know...”

-----

That evening, back at their headquarters at Vauld Transportation, the five Operatives and their Handler gathered to review a job well done.

Marcus Cordanis, leader of their allies in the pro-Imperial AEOS Party, was already on the news, decrying the attacks on police and public property that followed the riot.  He had particular venom for his opposite number, Lady Quemere, leader of the Democratic Party and organiser of the event.  The charismatic woman appeared on another channel sometime later to blame ‘a few rotten apples that spoiled the bunch’, but her normally well-chosen words just sounded hollow.  A snap poll conducted on the planetary Net already showed a 2% drop in populatiry for Quereme’s people, and VENI considered that a good day’s job.

“So,” Said Languid, turning off the holonews and turning to her people.  “What games shall we play next?”

OOC:

  Zail, aka Curtis ‘Rain’ Tomen, has completed his first VENI assignment.  With the aid of his fellow operatives, they have turned a peaceful demonstration of the Ord Terine Democratic Party into a riot and public relations nightmare for the politicians who organised it.  VENI’s allies on Ord Terine, the pro-Imperial AEOS Party, have been quick to condemn the fiasco, delighted to see support for their rivals already dropping in the polls.

Vauld Transportation Co was based in a large warehouse, with a vast central hall for repairing ore haulers, and a handful of offices and smaller rooms.  There was also a spacious and lightless basement level to the building, and it was here that VENI had set up the prison for their captive.

After returning from their meeting with the Black Sun crime boss Kelsarr, the Vast Empire spies had returned to their base and locked up the smuggler known as Ekanis.  The group’s Handler, Languid, had then called a meeting of all five of her agents.

As per usual, the VENI leader sat while her agents stood.  However, rather than her normal feet-on-the-table pose, Languid sat upright in her chair, her face noticeably serious.

“Sunny, Snow, Cloud,” Said the Handler, addressing the three subordinates who did not just accompany her in her meeting with Black Sun, “As you have no doubt heard, we have a guest.”  She then went on explain Ekanis’s past allegiance to the Republic, and the fact that he had been recently contacted by a member of New Republic Intelligence.

“Yes,” Said Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, “And Ekanis gave you a name.  ‘Gorax’.  Forgive me, Languid, but you reacted strongly to the name.  Something we should know?”

The Handler nodded.  “A Gorax is a creature from Endor, a particularly large and terrifying predator.  An NRI agent using the name has been a thorn in the side of both Imperial Intelligence and VENI for a few years now.”

“So we are looking for an Ewok?” Asked Sunny, the woman sounding amused.

“No,” Said Languid sharply.  “From what we know of him, Gorax is human.  He has chosen the name for the Endor connection, and the humiliation the Empire suffered in the famous battle of that world.”

“You have crossed paths with this man?” Asked Mist, a large marine-turned-spy who had been with Languid and Zail in the Black Sun meeting.

Languid nodded, and her dark eyes sparkled with obvious anger.  “Yes,” Was all she said in reply.  “And if Gorax is here, then whatever NRI are here to do is big.”

“Could they be here to deal with us?” Asked Snow, the Bith’s dome-like head bobbing as he spoke.

Languid shrugged.  “That’s what we need to find out, and we need to do it fast.  Sunny, take your collection of chemicals and create some effective truth serums for our guest.  I’m putting you in charge of the interrogation of Ekanis, see what else he knows.  Snow, back her up, and keep the man under careful guard.  Mist, word on the street, see if you can find any other loose-lipped smugglers that NRI might have spoken to.  Cloud and Rain,” Said Languid, the latter referring to Zail, “I need you to stake out Ekanis’s home.  He has gone missing, and NRI will want to know why.  Sooner or later they will show up looking for answers, if they haven’t already.  Watch the place, observe whoever turns up, and follow them.”

“Understood,” Said Zail, and set off immediately with his partner.

-----

A few hours later and the two VENI agents were in one of the more well-to-do parts of the capital.  This region of Terinus City was a realm of decent housing, convenience stores and schools, a peaceful place for the middle class that composed the fastest-growing part of the city’s populace.

From the cover of some nearby bushes, Zail and Cloud watched the house across the street from them.  The constant watching was a very draining breed of boring, and eventually neither could resist the urge to pass the time with conversation.

“Nice house,” Said Cloud, eyeing up the gleaming white two-storey home of Ekanis.  “Evidently the Republic pays its privateers well.”

“Thinking of changing sides?” Joked Zail.

Cloud smiled.  “They may pay well,” Said the spy, “But when the Republic lies in ruins its currency will be worthless, so why bother having it?”

“Oh how I long for that day...” Concurred Zail.  Suddenly, some movement caught his eye.  “Hold on, what’s this?”

Both men watched as a lone figure approached the house.  He was a human dressed in the uniform of the Ord Terine Police, and he marched straight up to the front door and knocked firmly.

“What do you think?” Asked Zail.  “The real deal, or an NRI in sheep’s clothing?”

After a few moments, the figure over-rode the door lock and let himself into the house.

“NRI,” Said Cloud, sounding sure of himself.  “He’s moving too fast for the police.  He already knows there is no one inside, he’s just here to ascertain why.”

Zail frowned, a thought occurring.  “Did Black Sun lift Ekanis straight from that place?  If so, I expect their mercs weren’t too subtle, so the place would be a mess.”

“We’ll know in a second...” Said Cloud.  “Ah!”

The NRI/policeman emerged swiftly from the house, looking obviously perturbed.  He stopped short of breaking into a run, but moved off and down the street at a very brisk pace indeed.

“Go!” Said Zail, as he and Cloud melted from the brushes and, darting from greenery to greenery along the roadside, pursued the man.  To the surprise of neither VENI agent, their prey did not arrive at a police hovercar, but rather an unmarked repulsor vehicle with tinted windows.

“Hurry Rain,” Said Cloud, turning to his friend.

“Here!” Said Zail, reaching into his VENI-issued utility belt and pulling out a magnetic tracker.  Passing it to his friend, he watched as Cloud threw the item, his strong arm granting the device speed and accuracy in its course.

The tracker landed on the target’s hull, activating instantly to achieve its twin goals of masking its presence from sensors, and broadcasting a signal for VENI to home in on.

They watched as the man took off and shot into the distance, but neither Zail nor Cloud were in any rush to pursue.

-----

“This is in no way fair,” Said Cloud, as they stared at the building the man had (eventually) led them to.  The NRI agent, for they were now pretty sure that is what he was, had taken a very circumspect route home.  After several twists and double-backs, he had arrived at a Corellian restaurant, and entered the apartment above it.  “NRI gets to work that close to a ready supply of food?  Damn Languid and her choice of hideouts.”

Zail glared at his friend, imagining Cloud spending all day stuffing his face with nerf burgers and doing no actual work, and sighed.  “Okay, what do we do now?” He said, sipping on a drink.  They had been watching the assumed NRI safe-house for an hour from a bar across the road, and no one else had gone in or out.

“Maybe that one guy is it,” Said Cloud.  “Maybe he’s even big, bad, Gorax himself.”

“Perhaps,” Said Zail, though his tone indicated that he doubted it.  “I think we should head back, report to Languid.”

Cloud cast his friend a disapproving look.  “Rain, we can’t go running back to the boss every time we have a decision to make.  We are here, the target is here.  I suggest we watch a little while longer.  As soon as that guy heads out, we try to sneak in.”

“And if there are others in there?” Asked Zail, amazed that he was even considering the suggestion.

“That’s why we have guns, Rain.”

-----

An hour later and they got their opportunity.  The same man from earlier, this time not clad in the uniform of the Ord Terine police, emerged from the second floor entrance above the restaurant and headed down the stairs to ground level.  Hopping into the same unmarked speeder from earlier, he set off.

Zail and Cloud were pleased to note that their tracker was still undetected and transmitting strongly.  They followed it on the scanner, and once it was sufficient distance away they decided to make their move.

Setting off across the street, the two VENI agents were pleased to note that the onset of the planet’s moonless night added some cover to their activities.  Glancing about and noting no one on the street, they ran up the stairs and into the shadows of the apartment’s covered entranceway.

Zail reached into his belt of tricks, thankful that he had been provided with such a good array of tools, and produced a small cutting device.  Taking it to the doorlock, he cut his way into the apartment, his tool slicing with perfect silence.

“Wait!” Whispered Cloud sharply before Zail could force the door open.  “It may be trapped.  Stand back,” He said, and kicked the door sharply as he withdrew quickly.

Nothing happened.

Taking another look around the street to ensure they had not been observed, the two slipped inside quietly.  Their guns drawn, Zail and Cloud found themselves in a small and empty hallway.  Two doors led further, and Cloud pointed to one.

Zail nodded in agreement, and approached.  The door slid open as he drew near, leading into the apartment’s small central living area.  It seemed empty, devoid of decor and containing only a table and chairs, plus a small kitchen area.  A door at the far end presumably led to sleeping quarters.  Slowly, Serpent entered as Cloud covered him from the doorway.

Suddenly, the opposite door burst open and a trio of blaster bolts shot out at the two VENI agents.  Zail dived to the floor, narrowly evading as the shots tore past him, one of them ripping his clothes and painfully grazing his skin.  Cloud opened fire in return, aiming at a shadowy figure in the far doorway.

The figure shot back, and while Cloud drew his fire, Zail popped up over the edge of the table and shot too.  He missed, but a well-placed shot from Cloud found the mark on the foe’s torso.  With a cry of pain, he went down.

Cautiously, Zail and Cloud approached, and saw a human male lying just beyond the doorway.  He was dead instantly from his wound, and Cloud sighed.  “Curses.  I was hoping for another prisoner.”

“There’s still that first one,” Zail reminded him.  “Want to wait for him to come back and ambush him?”

Cloud shook his head.  “No.  Someone might have heard the blaster shots.  We need to do a rush sweep of this place and get out of here.  Move!”

With Zail’s heart thumping in his chest, and wary of sudden attack or traps, they checked every draw and cupboard in the apartment.  They also checked the belongings of the two occupants, and were delighted to stumble across a trio of datapads.  Two of them contained a lot of heavily encrypted information, but the third was not sealed, for all it contained was images.

Zail scanned through a few and frowned at what he saw.  “We need to get this back to Languid,” He said, and they set off quickly.

-----

Back at Vauld Transportation Co, Zail and Cloud handed over their findings to Languid.  They had been extra cautious in their return, even ditching their normal speeder and taking taxis and speeder-buses to get home.  Their Handler was not angry about their initiative, though she was mildly disappointed in their lack of a live captive.

“I shall have Snow take a look at these encrypted files,” She said to the two of them, no mention of the word ‘thank you’ for their efforts.  “In the meantime, we need to look at these images closer.  I can’t understand them.”

Zail shrugged.  “Dozens of images of one of Ord Terine’s starship parts factories, and its top employees.  Seems like they are looking for someone, though who I can’t guess.”

“Maybe us?” Ventured Cloud.  “Perhaps NRI knows that a VENI cell is here masquerading as a business, but don’t know which one.”

Languid waved a hand dismissively, rejecting the idea.  “This depicted factory is owned by Paladin Parts Incorporated, a very old and big company.  Even NRI must be smart enough to figure out that it can’t be us.  No, Gorax and his cronies are here for something else,” She said with certainty.

What that could be, however, none of them had a clue.

OOC:

  VENI has confirmed the presence of New Republic Intelligence on Ord Terine, though what the rival spies actually want is still a mystery.  It does not appear that NRI are after, or are even aware of, the VENI cell.  They instead seem to be interested in one of Ord Terine’s many starship parts manufacturers.  Why that is remains to be seen.

Pherik ‘Serpent’ Zail, a.k.a. agent Rain, came to a stop and looked around at the entrance lobby of the office building he had entered.  Paladin Parts Incorporated was based around a trio of large buildings and a dozen smaller ones, located in a fenced-off patch of land to the west of Ord Terine’s capital city, Terinus.  Two of the larger buildings were factory complexes, mostly manned by droids, and the third of central structures was a seven-floor office block.  It was here that the sentient employees of the company resided, and it was here that he and his fellow agent Cloud had come in disguise.

The lobby had a polished floor and fashionable chandeliers, but Zail had seen far more impressive places in his travels.  He figured that the underwhelmed look upon his face would fit his cover story, so the junior VENI agent just went with it, looking bored as he and Cloud approached the (surprisingly non-droid) receptionist.

“Good afternoon,” Began Zail, adjusting the collar of his red-trimmed black suit as he approached.  He despised the outfit, but his Handler, Languid, had insisted upon it.  “I am Mr Volar and this is Mr Volar,” He said, gesturing to the other spy.

The woman, a female human with immaculate hair, frowned at the similar names.  “Brothers?” She asked, looking for a family resemblance but seeing none.

“Second cousins,” Clarified Zail.  “From Volar and Volar Cargo and Carriers.  I believe we are expected...” He said, waving his hand for her to proceed with checking their names.  Bored, he decided for his persona, and just a bit superior.

“Ah yes, I have it here,” Said the woman.  Their insertion into this place had been planned days in advance, and as ever the Vast Empire Naval Intelligence cell operating on Ord Terine had been both quick and thorough with its cover story.  Zail and Cloud were to pose as owners of a large shipping fleet, and were to meet with Paladin Parts to establish a maintenance contract.

Or rather, Zail was to meet.  Cloud was to slip away and conduct a download of whatever sensitive files he could locate in Paladin’s computers.  Neither of them knew exactly what they were looking for, but given the interest that New Republic Intelligence had shown in Paladin, there was definitely something here.

The two men waited as the receptionist summoned a guide to lead them to their meeting with a handful of Paladin executives, and during that time Zail fought to suppress his nerves.  He was not the talkative type, and yet he had found himself as the mouthpiece of this mission, the one required to keep the Paladin reps talking to buy time for Cloud.  The reasoning was simple.  Prior to his time with the Vast Empire, Zail had actually worked in commercial shipping (albeit a small-time one-ship operation on the Outer Rim), while Cloud was more familiar with the computer hacking tools that had been hidden about his person for use in the operation.

Eventually their guide, a bothan, appeared and gestured for the two men to follow.  A swift elevator ride took the three of them to the seventh floor, and they emerged into a long hallway lined with potted plants.  A series of doors led off this central corridor, and it was to a large meeting room behind one of these doors that the bothan led them.

At a large conference table, three humans in sharp suits rose to greet the new arrivals.  The company executives, two men and one woman, introduced themselves quickly, and announced their positions as representatives of various departments.  Serpent made half an effort to remember their names, but failed.

He and Cloud took their seats as their bothan guide introduced the duo, after which the furry alien departed, leaving the five humans to do business.

“A please to meet you both,” Said the most senior of the three Paladin employees.  “Now, how can we be of service to Volar and Volar?” Asked the man, sounding as if he had actually heard for the fictional company the VENI spies purported to represent.

“As my secretary hinted upon setting up this meeting,” Began Zail, “Our company is expanding into this part of the galaxy, and we need a supplier capable of meeting the needs of our fleet.  We have several large space transports, and we need top of the line parts in steady supply to keep them functioning to our customers’ satisfaction.”

The three executives nodded in almost comedic unison.  “I believe we can manage that,” Said the woman of the trio.  “Just give us a list of the numbers and types of ships, plus your projections for their use over the coming year, and I’ll check to see if we can meet your demand.”

“Just a moment,” Interjected Cloud.  The other agent, despite being dressed in the same type of suit that Zail wore, hardly looked the part of the manager of a large shipping company.  Cloud’s face was a little too rough, his voice a little too blunt, for the sort of pleasant company to company diplomacy that was required here.  This too was part of the image VENI had crafted for their cover.  To the Paladin representatives, Zail was to pose as the financial brains of Volar and Volar, and Cloud was intended to be its chief mechanic.  “Before we can agree to your parts,” He said, “I for one would like to see your facilities.  I won’t allow anything to be put in my ships that do not meet my exacting standards.”

Serpent pretended to be angry with his partner’s outburst, and cast Cloud a dirty look, though he quickly covered it again.  The Paladin executives noticed the ‘slip’ and did not comment on it.

“Very well,” Said one of the reps.  “Perhaps we could arrange a tour of our two factories for you, Mr Volar, while Mr Volar remains here to talk business,” He said, frowning a little at the repeated use of the name.

Everyone present understood exactly what he meant, however, and so a guide was summoned for Cloud-Volar, who departed swiftly, leaving Zail-Volar to chat and waste time.

It was all going to plan.

-----

Cloud suppressed his urge to smile as he left Rain to deal with the executives.  Talking to a bunch of bureaucrats was just about the most boring mission he could envision, and hardly the reason he had joined VENI.

A diminutive blue skinned gossam female was assigned to give him the tour, and she began the moment he met her outside of the conference room.  In a high-pitched voice she recited the hundred year history of Paladin Parts Incorporated, and Cloud did his best to look interested.

Departing the large office block, Cloud was led to the larger of the two factory buildings in the greater Paladin complex.  The place was highly automated, just as his research had indicated it would be.  Here, far from the prying eyes of intelligent living beings, he knew he stood his best chance at getting a chance to dig up some information.

Into the massive assembly hall, and Cloud whistled aloud at the dozens of convey belts, automated arms, attendant droids, computers and more.  A cacophony of noise completed the image of full on modern industrialisation, and the VENI spy had to silently admit that he was impressed.  Paladin Parts was a small company, but they definitely ran a smooth operation.

“This is the larger of the two factories,” Said the gossam, who really had to strain to make her chirping voice heard over the racket.  “Here we mostly create the larger parts for vessels.  Smaller chips and circuitry are the purview of the other building, where we shall head next.”

“Just one moment,” Said Cloud.  “This is all very impressive, but I cannot help note the lack of sentient overseers.  Is this place run entirely by AI?”

She shook her head.  “No, there is a central control chamber up top, with a small team of half a dozen techs.  Would you like to see it?”

“Yes please,” He said, both irked and hopeful.  Cloud had hoped that such beings would be entirely absent, but a control room sounded like an excellent place to get information.

“Follow me!” Said the gossam, proudly leading the way, eager to show off.

-----

Zail was surprising himself by his ability to keep the three executives talking.  He applied what he knew of shipping from his days on Phaeda and combined it with Languid’s typically thorough cover story.  Thus he was able to talk at length, and even managed to sound (to himself at least) as if he knew that he was talking about.

Continuing his smooth run, Serpent said, “You talk quite well, and I am impressed by what I see.  Of course, there are other starship component companies here on Ord Terine that I intend to talk to before I make a final decision.”

The line was thrown out there as a set-up to the end of the mission.  To complete the cover, VENI would ensure that Paladin was contacted in a few days with the sad news that Volar and Volar had instead signed a contract with another company.  This would give the executives some closure, for if Volar and Volar were to simply vanish and never be heard from again, it would alert Paladin that something was odd.  Moreover, by perpetuating the myth that Volar and Volar were real, it allowed VENI to re-use the cover company at a later date.

Zail did not expect the extra information his comment drew, for one of the men then said, “I assure you, Paladin Parts is the best on Ord Terine.  That is why our rivals spy on us so frequently.”

Serpent could not hide his surprise.  “Spy?” He asked, wary of hearing the word aloud.

The other man shrugged.  “We have incidents of industrial espionage.  Just yesterday someone tried to hack our mainframe, but rest assured, our computer security is excellent and they got nothing.”

“Good to know,” Managed Zail calmly, but his mind was racing with two thoughts.  Firstly, he wanted to know who had tried to break in.  Could it have been New Republic Intelligence?  Possibly.  Secondly, it occurred to him that if Paladin had so recently been hacked, they would be doubly alert for any other attempts to pilfer their secrets.

Such as the attempt that Cloud would be making at that exact moment.

-----

Inside the circular control room, walls covered with monitors and computer readouts dominated.  Six people sat at workstations about the room, carefully checking everything in the Paladin Parts factory complex, from the speed of the industrial presses to the temperature of the worker droids.  Every minute detail was observed, and again Cloud had to marvel at the well-run operation.

At his side the gossam continued to babble, but the VENI spy had ceased listening.  He needed to get some alone time with one of those computer terminals, but how?

Cloud looked about, noticing what was present in the room.  He also noted what was not present.  Hitting upon a plan, Cloud coughed.  Once, twice, and then after a brief pause, once again.

The gossam stopped mid-sentence.  “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” He managed, waving the comment away but coughing again, louder this time.  “Sorry,” Said Cloud, getting control of his faked fit.  “Just getting over a nasty virus.  I couldn’t get a glass of water, could I?” He asked.

“Of course,” Said the guide, and promptly departed.  Cloud had noted a lack of drinks machines anywhere in the control room, and had failed to notice any on his way in.  The gossam would be gone at least a few minutes, he figured, so he had time.

All six of those present were engrossed in their work, and faced away from Cloud who was stood at the back of the room.  The VENI agent took a couple of side-steps, and moved surreptitiously close to an unused data terminal.

He pulled out his VENI-issue pocket datapad and hooked it in quickly, moving in front of it to block line of sight in case any of the staff looked his way.

There were masses of information in the Paladin mainframe, and it would take more time and more datapads than he had to download copies of it all.  Cloud simply went straight for the protected, top-secret stuff, and it was here that he hit a wall.

Quickly he ran a series of breaker programmes, top-quality original hacking developed by Snow, the VENI cell’s resident bith and technical expert.  Cloud knew that Paladin’s fire walls would be tough, but they were taking a lot longer to access than he had expected.

Suddenly the door to the control room opened, the gossam was about to step back into the room, and Cloud knew that he was out of time...

OOC:

  Trying to discern why New Republic Intelligence are so interested in the company Paladin Parts, VENI have sent in Serpent and agent Cloud undercover.  While Zail stalls the executives, Cloud slips away, and is being given a tour of the factory.  Here he is attempting to gain access to Paladin’s secret files, but Zail has learned that the company is familiar with dealing with such data thefts.  The hack is taking too long, and Cloud is about to be discovered.

Thick clouds covered the night sky, deepening the shadows that lay across the land.  The only building for several kilometres was a large country manor nestled at the edge of a dark forest.  It was at heart a luxurious modern building of glass and steel, three stories high with dozens of rooms and a swimming pool.  However, around the edge of the complex was a large wall, manned by fully twenty guard droids, that leant the place the image of a fortress.

From their spot on a nearby hill, six beings observed the place through binoculars.  All of them were dressed in tight-fitting body suits of blacks and blues, a variety of weapons and equipment on belts across their wastes and torsos.  Between the five humans and one bith, they packed an array of sniper rifles, blaster pistols, stun grenades, thermal detonators, and other weapons.  They were the Vast Empire Naval Intelligence cell assigned to the planet Ord Terine, and they were prepped and ready for a dangerous operation.

Agent Sunny observed the building and gave an impressed whistle.  “Well,” She said, “Paladin Parts have certainly given Professor Vel-son a nice home.  Wish I was a mad scientist, then I could have a nice place too.”

“The company are generous to their controversial genius,” Said Languid, the cell’s Handler, who had actually joined her agents in the field for this op.  “They are also keeping him secret.  They know that his presence on Ord Terine, if announced, may provoke outrage from the populace.  Officially, this place is a guest house, but it is currently listed as uninhabited.”

“And that will protect us after we swipe Vel-son,” Observed Zail.  He was still unsure as to the Vast Empire’s plans for the controversial mass-murdering Professor, but Serpent knew that paramount was denying the man’s capture to their local rivals from New Republic Intelligence.

“Correct, Rain,” Said the Handler.  “Paladin can hardly ask the police to find kidnappers, if the one who was kidnapped does not officially exist.”  She then looked about at the rest of her team.  “Any last questions or observations, people?”

The other five shook their heads.

“Then let’s get to it!” She ordered firmly but softly, and they slinked into the shadows and approached the target safe house.

-----

Agent Mist flitted through the shadows at the edge of the forest, blending seamlessly with them in a manner more akin to a defel than a human.  Looming large to his left was the sheer wall at the back of the safe house complex, and he glanced up to see a humanoid droid, seemingly a modified 501-Z Police Droid, pacing the ramparts.  Mist knew that the night would not protect him, that the 501-Z could see fine in the infrared spectrum, and he took extra care to hide behind a tree.

Slowly the automated guard walked on past, and quickly the VENI spy darted forward, explosive charge in hand.  He attached it to the base of the wall, setting the timer and then activating a special masking device to hide its electronic signature from detection. 

A second later and he was gone, back into the forest.

-----

Agents Sunny and Snow came at the compound from a different angle, and their plan did not involve avoiding one of the droids.  The two stared up at the wall and an approaching 501-Z, and got ready.

Sunny, her brilliant golden hair tucked back into the tight hood of her stealth suit, raised her sniper rifle.  The weapon was greatly prized by her, and she had carefully and lovingly reconfigured it (temporarily) to a slug thrower for this exact mission.

She took aim, watched the approaching droid high above, and fired.  Silently, the projectile shot out straight and true, slamming straight into the guard’s chestplate.  The bullet, a highly powerful ion weapon, emitted its charge on impact, frying the droid’s system in a brief display of blue lightning.

The mechanical sentinel stood stiff and straight for a moment, and then toppled from the rampart and crashed to the ground below.

“Move!” Snapped Sunny, already breaking into a run to retrieve the droid.  Agent Snow followed close, moving swiftly for a bith, and together the two grabbed the guard and pulled him back into the cover of the nearby shadows.

“Is it okay?” Asked Sunny once they were safe.

Snow looked over the machine with his large black eyes, and nodded sagely.  “The fall did not do it much harm, I can work with this.”  So saying, he pulled out his datapad and connected it to the data core of the 501-Z.

He accessed the systems and began looking for the security codes for the base’s droid complement.

-----

Zail stood with Cloud and Languid, surveying the complex from the east side.  The three of them had jet packs attached, and were ready to scale the wall before them.  They needed only wait for the signals of the others.

“Kind of bold, this one, isn’t it?” Said Cloud into the silence.  “All six of us storming the place like a team of ARC Troopers.”

“I was thinking the same,” Said Serpent, “But I’m the new guy here.  For all I know this is normal for VENI.”

Languid, standing calm and controlled, as if there was no doubt of the mission’s success in her mind, smiled.  “We’ll be fine.”

“But what if one of us gets hurt – or killed – and left behind in the extraction?” Asked Cloud. “It could be all over.  The local police have already identified one corpse on Ord Terine as being with New Republic Intelligence.  They could just as easily track back one of us to the Vast Empire, and then...”

He did not have to finish the thought, for Zail had been thinking the same.  They were here to quietly push this planet into the VE.  If the people knew of their presence, knew of their manipulations, then it would be over.

Still, Languid seemed unconcerned.  “It will be fine,” She reiterated, and then heard a beep in her earpiece communicator.  “Mist has deployed the device and has rendezvoused with the others,” Announced the Handler.  “It will detonate in twenty.”

Zail felt himself tense.  Since they had departed on this mission he had been experiencing an almost constant surge of adrenaline, but now it rose to new heights, and he could feel his heart thumping in his chest.  He gripped his blaster rifle tighter, and tried unsuccessfully to calm himself.

“Go!” Said Languid, and at the far side of the safe house complex, a massive blast erupted in the dark, signalling the start of the chaos.

-----

“What in name of sanity was that?” Bellowed Captain Ecar, as around him the command room of the safe house shuddered under the blast.  The bank of monitors before him and the other living personnel went mad, several bursting into static and others shaking under the effects of the blast.

One of his three underlings moved faster than the others, and quickly answered, “Sir!  The sector five wall has been breached by an explosion!”

“Get me a camera on that area!” Responded Ecar quickly.  He and his three people were the only non-droids in the complex, and had to rely on banks of cameras and droid sensors to get a picture of the surrounding area.

“It’s a mess, sir, but...” Began the underling, but one of his fellows cut him off.

“Sir!  Enemies sighted in sectors two and four!  Two teams of three each, coming up the walls on jetpacks!”

Ecar cursed in an obscure dialect of High Coruscanti, and then snapped, “Send in the security droids!”

“Sending the command signal now...” Said one of the people.  A moment, then a frown followed.  “Sir, the droids are not responding!”

“Try again!”

The man began typing furiously at the controls, trying a series of over-rides.  “Nothing!  The droids are not responding to my directions!  Someone must have hacked the signal!”

“Impossible!” Snarled Ecar, forcing himself to remain calm.  Without the command signal, the droids would stay in their patrol patterns, and would still fire at any unrecognised foes they came across.  However, that meant they would most likely stumble across the attackers one at a time, and as such be outgunned and overcame.  “Work on finding a way to direct the droids,” He ordered the man.  “You others grab your guns and join me.  We need to meet these intruders head on!”

The two humans snatched up some nearby rifles and joined him in marching out of the command room.  They were located in the heart of the safe house complex, and already alarms were blaring through the luxurious palace-come-fortress.

Ecar and his men whirled around a corner and nearly bumped into a figure coming the opposite direction.  “Professor Vel-son!” Said the Captain, “I was just on my way to check on you.”

Vel-son glared at him.  The Professor was a lean, tall man, whose beady eyes tended to bore into those he looked at, as if studying them.  Vel-son, just by his oddly emotionless demeanour, tended to unnerve those around him.  Captain Ecar hated the old man, but it was his job to protect the scientist, so he would.

“Yes, I see that there is a situation,” Said Vel-son slowly and calmly, studying the nearby alarms with something akin to studious detachment.  “I shall be in my study,” He announced.  “You may contact me there when this matter is concluded.”  And so saying, he walked off, his feet barely making a sound upon the floor.

Ecar stared at the Professor, thinking again how much he hated this assignment, and then proceeded on his way.  There were intruders to deal with.

-----

In the distance, agent Gorax of New Republic Intelligence lowered the macrobinoculars from his eyes and shook his head in amazement.  “Whoever these guys are, they are anything but subtle,” He observed.

The short man turned to his team of agents, all ten of them armed and equipped for a fight.  Each one was a veteran of several missions, well versed in close-combat, ranged combat, infiltration, and hit-and-run tactics.  Gorax and his people had come for Vel-son, and no one was going to stop them.

“Should we go now, boss?” Asked his lieutenant, Agent Second.

“Not just yet, my friend,” Said the NRI Handler.  “Our rivals appear to be having fun with the safe house guards.  We’ll let them weaken each other for a while first.  Then we go in and kill whoever is left.  Afterwards, Vel-son will be ours.”

-----

A barrage of shots lanced down the corridor, one of them ripping through the legs of the 501-Z droid that was coming down it.  As the mechanical guard toppled, another quick blast took out its head, shutting it down.

“Onwards,” Snapped Languid, already in motion down the corridor with Cloud and Zail in tow.  Serpent had never seen the normally passive Handler so full of life, and he was stunned by her complete change into a special ops killing machine.

Zail himself was having a rough time of it.  He practiced shooting from time to time, but he was hardly a trained shot like a Stormtrooper.  Serpent had done his best in the attack thus far, but of the seven droids they had destroyed, he had only dealt a telling shot to one of them.

Around the corner at the end of the hall, and the three VENI agents had now penetrated into the heart of the safe house.  The walls and rooms here were designed as much for luxury as security, and they passed spacious lounges and bedrooms.

Suddenly, a door at the far end of the corridor opened and three figures there opened fired on Zail and his fellows.  Quickly they ducked into nearby rooms, popping around the sides to return fire.  Their foes likewise used the walls as cover, and red blaster bolts cross-crossed the hallway as the two groups exchanged fire.

“Whoever you are!” Called Captain Ecar, “Surrender!”

Cloud raised an eyebrow.  “Someone always says that,” He observed, “Does it ever work?”

“I doubt it,” Replied Zail, firing again.

Languid, ignoring her two subordinates, tapped her earpiece communicator.  “Sunny?  Where the frak are you?”

“Level three, and heading down,” Came the reply that only Languid could hear.

The Handler nodded.  “Come to corridor 2-4, but approach from the east side.  We have found the living security detail and have them pinned down, but I need your team to help finish them off.”

“On our way!”

A few minutes later, and Sunny, Snow and Mist came charging to the rescue.  They came from a side corridor, catching Ecar and his men by surprise.  Their opening barrage took out one of the three humans, and a few moments later a second fell.

Only Ecar remained.

“Surrender, Captain!” Said Languid, it now being her turn to make the offer.  “We outnumber you six to one.”

From behind his wall cover, Ecar’s voice came back.  “As if I expect you to let me live!  Whoever you are, I doubt you leave witnesses!”

Zail listened intently, and knew that Ecar was right.

“Very well,” Said Languid after a pause.  “Let’s finish this then.”

They resumed firing, and the Captain fought bravely.  He ducked in and out of cover, firing back at the VENI agents with the courage of one who knew that his end was at hand.

A lucky shot of Ecar’s clipped agent Mist, sending the human to the ground.  His arm was burned badly but otherwise the spy was okay.

Meanwhile Cloud returned fire, taking advantage of the Captain’s brief exposure, and the blast tore through Ecar’s head.  He was dead before he hit the ground.

-----

The VENI team soon located the command centre, bursting inside and suprising the single security team member within.  The stunned individual, who was still desperately trying to find a way to counteract the virus that Snow had introduced to the droids, threw up his arms.  “I surrender!” He exclaimed with obvious panic.

Languid stared at the man for a moment, and then raised her rifle.  Her face impassive and uncaring, she shot him in the chest with all the remorse of someone swatting a fly.

Zail, at the Handler’s side, could not help but recoil at the sudden and brutal act.  He knew on a conscious level that anyone who saw the VENI agents was not allowed to live, but to actually watch the execution of a man gave him a rush of pain that he had not expected.

“Find Vel-son!” Barked Languid, heedless of Serpent’s emotional discomfort.

The rest of the team fanned out through the command centre, checking the complex’s internal camera systems.  Quickly, Sunny announced the location of an aged and bald human who could only be their target.

They set off immediately.

-----

The six agents stalked carefully into the room, guns raised and aimed carefully at the figure seated across from the entrance.  Professor Vel-son, sat in a long blue robe at a table covered with datapads, books and scrolls, regarded them carefully as they entered.

“I was wondering when you would get here,” He asked, his soft and sibilant voice carrying across the room with ease.  “I suspect that you know exactly who I am, so shall we get to you explaining who you are?”

Coming to a halt before the table, Languid spoke, but kept her gun trained on the scientist.  “We represent the Vast Empire,” She announced casually, having already used the command centre to shut down any present cameras or recording devices.  “On behalf of that entity, we are here to take you into custody.”

Vel-son gave a strange half smile.  “And is your intention to judge me for my past crimes, or to profit by them?”

“Not my decision to make,” Replied Languid, her tone giving nothing away.

“Very well,” Said the Professor, rising from his chair and offering no resistance.  “Shall we go then?”

Languid was just about to speak, when a voice echoed over the complex’s internal com system.  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Said a strong male voice.

Reacting instantly, the VENI agents looked about them, weapons ready and subtly shifting positions to cover each other in the event of an attack.  Only Languid stood firm and calm.

“Agent Gorax, I presume?” She asked into the air.  Her voice was tinged with anger, and not for the first time, Zail wondered as to the history between the two spies.

“So you know of me,” Came the reply over the com.  “Very well.  I shall not deny it, so let’s move on.  My team and I are on the way, we already have the exits covered.  We outnumber your six, and your people are tired and injured from your efforts thus far.  I give you this chance to surrender.”

Agent Cloud rolled his eyes and sighed, and Zail smiled on seeing his friend’s response.

Languid paused a moment before answering, and then spoke.  “Come and get us, you NRI fools.  Vel-son is ours and he’s staying that way.”

“Then let us begin,” Came Gorax’s reply, and the transmission ceased.

OOC:

  As my Political Meddling nears its end, events are picking up.  A more action-oriented post this week, and next week VENI and NRI go head-to-head. 

Inside the ancient and majestic parliament building of Ord Terine, every one of the planet’s four hundred government representatives had an office.  Each one was tailored to the individual tastes of their occupants, and the office of Marcus Cordanis was no exception.  Adorned in dark blues and full of furniture composed of polished black glass, the place was obviously modelled on the ascetics of Palpatine’s Empire.  Cordanis, leader of the pro-Vast Empire AEOS Party, had stopped short of overt New Order logos, but the inspiration was clear.

Sat at his desk, Marcus glared at the man sat across from him.  “How could you be so stupid?” He asked darkly.

“She was hot,” Retorted his friend and political ally, Ophar Liran IV.  “And he has plenty of wives, so what if I bedded one of them?”

Marcus fought to keep his temper under control, his restraint honed over years of political debates.  His friendship with the fat billionaire was only part of the reason he did not leap over the table and punch him.  “Ifrand is one of the most influential of the neutral politicians,” Explained Cordanis carefully, as if talking to an idiot.  “And that was his favourite wife.  If he learns of this he will ensure that he and his allies vote against us in the future.  We cannot afford that!”

“But he won’t find out!” Said Ophar, shrugging the whole thing off.  “I doubt she’ll tell Ifrand, and you and I certainly won’t!”

“That’s not the point, my friend,” Said Cordanis through clenched teach.

“Then what is?” Asked the other with exasperation.

“That you should be careful!” Snapped Marcus, letting some of his anger burst through.  “We are so close.  Come the next election, I could be prime minster and this whole planet could join the Vast Empire.  Do you get that?  You and I could be big players in a true galactic power, with more influence than Ord Terine could ever grant us, but only if we are careful.”

Ophar nodded.  “I get it, Marcus,” He said, “I really do.  I’m sorry, and trust me, it won’t happen again.”

-----

“It will happen again,” Said Cordanis with a sigh.  “He’s a fool.  He always has been.”

Lying in bed beside the charismatic and handsome politician, the VENI Handler known as Languid stretched lethargically and reached for the champagne.  Pouring a glass for her and her lover, she took a sip and, propping herself up on a pillow, looked at him.

“You need Ophar,” She said simply.  “His money will be vital for fighting the next election.  Whatever other damage he does, surely his bank account outweighs it.  Besides, he is loyal, certainly compared to some of the other politicians in your party’s ranks.”

“The others are ambitious and would stab me in the back in a heartbeat,” Said Cordanis, “But they are smart enough to wait until after we are in the VE to do it.  Out of ‘smart but rebellious’ or ‘stupid but loyal’, I will take ‘smart but rebellious’ every time.”

“So what do you want to do?” Asked Languid.  She had worked with the other long enough to know that he already had a plan in mind.

“Ophar has no children or siblings.  On his death a great deal of his wealth shall be claimed by his cousins, but my agents have managed to gain a look at his will.  A large chunk of his money shall be devoted to the AEOS Party, contingent on his best friend, namely me, still being in charge of it.”

“He certainly does respect you, doesn’t he?” She observed, and Cordanis shrugged.  “So if I understand correctly,” Mused the VENI spy, “You are saying that, were he to die, you would have his wealth for fighting the next election, and he would no longer be able to make any of his famous mistakes and embarrass the Party.”

Marcus nodded.  “Exactly.  Can you make it happen?”

“Of course,” She said casually.  “So long as you are okay with arranging the murder of your best friend.”

Cordanis fixed her with a cold stare.  “Sometimes one must make sacrifices for power,” He said simply.

Languid agreed, for like him, she too had little use for any other rationalisations.

-----

At Vauld Transportation Co, the front company for the Ord Terine VENI cell, two agents sat before a complex array of state-of-the-art computer systems.

“How’s it going?” Asked the bland faced agent Mist.

Agent Snow, the bith tech expert and hacker, smiled.  “Very well.  In the thirty six hours since we hit the safe house and killed those New Republic Intelligence agents, the Ord Terine police have been very thorough.”

“So they know that the bodies are NRI?” Asked Mist.

Snow brought up a copy of several police reports.  “They’ve correctly ID’d three of the bodies, and their investigation is now firmly pointing the way to the New Republic.”

“And the Black Sun mercs who got killed in the fighting...?”

“Has led the police to conclude that NRI came here to shut down some smuggling operation,” Explained Snow.  “The fact that the fighting took place inside a cooperate-owned safe house has confused matters.  They are unsure as to which side Paladin Parts were involved with.  The company is not elaborating...”

“Not wanting to mention that they were harbouring a war criminal,” Observed Mist, referring to Professor Vel-son.

“Paladin are preparing a statement now.  I believe it will be a ‘deny everything’ declaration.”

“Excellent,” Said Mist.  “Now, how do we link this with, and disgrace, the Democratic Party?”  He asked.  He knew that all their activities would be for naught if they could not defeat the Pro-Republic element in Ord Terine’s parliament.

Snow typed in a series of commands, and on a smaller side-screen popped up a photo of a police officer, whose uniform lapels showed the rank of lieutenant.  “This man is called Pyranis,” Said the bith.  “His role in the planetary police is somewhat nebulous, but he acts without regard to precinct boundaries.  He has been following not just this investigation, but also the previous one involving the NRI agent killed by Cloud and Rain.”

“Really?” Asked Mist, intrigued.  “Let me guess, he is in charge of keeping a lid on things like this.”

“Seems so,” Said Snow.  “If there is a relationship between the NRI and the Democratic Party, as we are hoping, I’ll bet this guy knows.”

It was a long shot, they both knew.  They themselves were here because pro-Vast Empire politicians asked for them to be.  Were pro-New Republic politicians playing the same game?  Was it they who brought NRI?  VENI certainly hoped so.  If not, they would have to fake it, but that always led to the risk of backfiring and exposing their side instead.

“I shall have a talk with Lieutenant Pyranis,” Said Mist.  “Give me everything you have on him...”

-----

Four figures sat in a speeder, heading towards the south of Terinus City and the planet’s largest star port located there.  Sat in the driver’s seat, Zail prepared to say goodbye to two of his fellow agents who were also in the car.

Zail did not know if Cloud and Sunny could be called ‘friends’ exactly.  He did not even know the names of the other two VENI operatives, as they did not know his.  None had been allowed to speak of their pasts, their backgrounds, their loves and hates, dreams and desires.  Aside from Cloud’s hunger for Corellian cooking and Sunny’s taste in old-style slug-thrower sniper rifles, Zail had no idea who they really were.  And yet, in the couple of weeks he had been assigned to the Ord Terine VENI cell, Zail had grown accustomed to their companionship.

The fourth figure in the speeder was even more of an enigma.  The former Imperial weapon’s designer and galactic criminal, Professor Jos Vel-son, sat quiet and almost serene.  He had surrendered to VENI peacefully when they stormed his safe house, and had made no attempts to escape or flee.  The creepy scientist had merely watched, observed, studied the people and events around him with total detachment.  Zail would have preferred some life, some reaction, from the man.  His silent demeanour was unnerving.

They had taken a roundabout route to the star port, though the VENI agents did not expect anyone to be tailing them.  As they came in for a brief stop, Zail turned to the others.  “Okay guys, this is goodbye.”

“Yeah, don’t get all blurry-eyed on us, Rain,” Said Sunny, spending more time on her golden hair and make-up for the coming trip than on pleasantries.

It was agent Cloud, Zail’s frequent partner, who had more to say.  “Yeah, goodbye Rain,” Said the muscular warrior.  “You may be a rookie, and you can’t fire a blaster to save your life, but you did okay.  I was proud to be teamed with you.”

“Thanks man,” Returned Zail, taking his eyes from his driving for a half-moment to look at his... to look at his friend.  “You pair going to be all right with this one?” He asked, indicating to the quiet scientist on the back seat.  Zail was afraid that Vel-son’s silence was merely to lull them into a false sense of security for an escape later.

“We’ve got him covered,” Said Cloud, clutching the falsified travel documents for the three of them.  “Sunny and I are just Mrs and Mr Bringla, and this older man is my beloved uncle Utalus.  Alas, a rare genetic defect has left my relative the victim of dementia, and we are escorting him to a specialist hospital in Vast Imperial space.”

“You hearing that, Uncle Utalus?” Asked Sunny, glaring at their captive.  “If you fail to react to your cover name, or blurt out anything about being a mass-murderer and captive of Vast Empire spies, we will just shake our heads and lament your ‘tragic condition’.”

“I understand the situation,” Said Vel-son simply, meeting the blond woman’s gaze without flinching.  “I shall make no trouble for you on this trip.”

They all wished that they could believe that.

Zail brought them in to a stop at the entrance to the port, and the others quickly got out, not wishing for him to have to wait long in the open.  The place was full of speeders going to and fro in a busy pick-up zone, and VENI were uncomfortable in such exposure.

“See you around maybe?” Said Cloud as he turned and looked back at Zail.

“Maybe,” Said the other, and then drove off, leaving the three figures to complete the rest of their journey alone.

-----

Lieutenant Pyranis opened the door to his apartment and walked inside.  It had been a long day and he was looking forward to a quick shower and then to collapse in bed.

Stepping into the living area, he glanced at the large windows that dominated the far wall, and smiled at the view of Terinus City at night.  Something about the lights of the buildings, bright and clear in the dark, soothed him.

“Good evening,” Said a sudden voice from the shadows.

Pyranis spun, a hand going instantly to his sidearm, and his eyes quickly locked on to a figure sat calmly on his sofa.  The humanoid figure was dressed in non-descriptive clothing, and his face was that of a truly ugly Klatooinian.

“Who are you?” Demanded Pyranis.  “What are you doing in my home?”

“I merely want to talk to you, lieutenant,” Said Mist calmly, not believing for one second that the other man thought him to be a Klatooinian.  The holographic disguise was easy enough for a trained eye to spot, but it hid his real face effectively.

“Then talk,” Said the policeman, his hand still resting on his gun.

“Tinis and Lucy are such wonderful kids, aren’t they?” Said Mist calmly.

Pyranis could not hide the sudden look of horror and fear on his face, but he covered it up quickly.  Still, Mist could tell that the mention of the Lieutenant’s nephew and niece had got his attention.  “What do you want?” Said Pyranis with anger.

Mist shrugged.  “I want the truth.  I want whatever truth it is that you are hiding in regard to the NRI bodies you have identified here on Ord Terine.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about...” Began the lieutenant.

“Do they always get out of school at 3:20?” Asked Mist nonchalantly.  “I shall have to have some friends of mine meet them sometime...”

“Okay!” Snapped Pyranis through clenched teeth.  “Okay,” He repeated, a bit more calmly.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a data crystal.  “This is the report I have been working on.  It details our findings on how so many NRI personnel and their equipment snuck onto the planet.”

Throwing it across the room, Mist caught and pocketed the storage device in one smooth motion.  “If this information is worthless...” Began the VENI spy.

“It’s not,” Said the lieutenant, the anger on his face clear.  “Now get the frak out of my home and leave my family alone!”

“As you wish,” Said Mist, and rose from his chair.  Without another word, he walked past the policeman and exited the apartment.  He had no fear of turning his back on Pyranis, knowing that the man would not shoot.  He had won.

-----

Zail landed his speeder back at Vauld Transportation Co, and stepped out into the cool night air.  He headed inside the large warehouse-like building, and walked up the stairs to the office of his superior, the Handler Languid.

The senior spy had returned to the VENI base during his absence, though where she had been during the day, Zail had no idea.  When he entered her room, Languid was sat on her chair, studying a datapad intently.

“Ah, Rain, good to see you,” She said as he entered and stood before her desk.  “Cloud and Sunny got away with our prisoner without incident?”

“To the best of my knowledge, yes,” He confirmed.

“Excellent,” She said.  Then, gesturing to the datapad she had been reading, said, “Agent Mist has procured this for us.”

“What is it?” Asked Zail, curious.

“Evidence that the head of the Democratic Party, Lady Annette Quemere herself, arranged for New Republic Intelligence to come here.”

His eyes went wide.  “That... that’s brilliant!  If we leak word of this...”

“She will be disgraced,” Confirmed Languid.  “Her Party, and their idea of joining the Republic, may never recover.  Certainly, they will not recover by the time of the next election.  After which it will be too late.  Our allies will win, and this world will join the Vast Empire.”

“Unless we are exposed,” Said Zail.  “In which case our political allies will also take a plunge in public opinion.”

“Which is why were are leaving as soon as possible,” Said Languid.  “Congratulations, Rain, your first VENI assignment is about to end, and with success.”

He smiled at her words, relieved.

“However, there is one last task that needs completing,” Said the Handler, and slowly began to explain to him the necessity of removing one of their own allies, Ophar Liran IV, from the ranks of the living...

OOC:

  Things are looking good for VENI’s agenda on Ord Terine.  The pro-Republic Democratic Party have been discredited and Professor Vel-son is safely off-world.  However, there remains one problem.  One of the top members of the pro-VE AEOS Party is an embarrassment, and for the good of the party he has to die.  Serpent has been selected for this horrific mission, and now prepares to go through with it.