OOC:

Due to length and content, I've decided to make it four parts instead of three.

Here's Part 2;

8 hours later, aboard the VENI Specter
Somewhere near Ord Vaug

Hades opened his eyes casually as a jolt shook the relatively small boarding craft. A familiar humming sound told him they were on sublight engines now, and had exited hyperspace. It mattered not, he was already geared up and ready to go. He had been like that more than half an hour before they had announced they were nearing the point they would intercept the Vaugshrike. Hades favoured his datapad with another look – the man he was going to be impersonating was not unlike himself, and went by the name of Hayk Arrunor. He was roughly the same height and build as Hades, but a few kilos lighter. Ex-military, he was supposedly exceptionally gifted in hand-to-hand combat and was a cunning individual. Lucky, then, that Hades was cunning as well. He was going to board the ship with three other VENI agents, so no trouble should be had there.. But there was always room for improvement. Even more room for error. Hades was playing a dangerous game, one where you either won or you died. He definitely wasn't playing to die. His chrono beeped softly – five minutes until the Vaugshrike was supposed to come out of hyperspace pretty much right in front of them. From there, the Specter would board it and if necessary, disable it with ion cannons. “Five minutes!” Came a voice over his comm – it was the pilot, who hadn't realised that Hades kept better track of time than he did.

He didn't count down the minutes as a normal person would, staring profusely at his chrono, but instead he sat back against the transport's chair, the compact spacesuit turned body armour saving him from the uncomfortable seat-back. He much preferred the personalised contours of his TIE Interceptors seats, but he could live without them. Hades let his eyes close, feeling the small movements of the ship and hearing the ambient noise, the cool atmosphere biting at his exposed face gently. Hades opened his eyes and spoke into his small wrist-comm, “Buckets on!” he barked, and immediately the three VENI agents with him complied. While he wasn't a senior VENI agent, this was his mission. He had the lead on this one.

There were simultaneous hissing sounds of pressurising helmets as the connections were sealed, the advanced space-suits providing some body armour alongside up to two hours of air, holsters for multiple blasters, grenades and a sheath for a curved forearm-length vibroshiv. Hades, however, had replaced his vibroshiv with the fearsome eklot, a similarly sized blade but edged with neurotoxin. He had earned it at age sixteen after he rescued the child of an Ailon Nova Guard on Nar Shadda. As thanks, the mercenary had gifted Hades his eklot. The interesting trait of neurotoxin on the blade had to be replaced every fortnight, else the toxin would become ineffective, so Hades had replaced it an hour before the mission. There was less than a minute to go as he checked his chrono and he smiled wickedly to himself, eyes locked on the airlock.

“Contact emerging from hyperspace.. IFF reads Imperial transport by the name of..” The pilot trailed off as the IFF was registered in the database. “Vaugshrike! This is it!”

Hades waited. The pilot spoke over the comm with the smuggler, instructing him to prepare to be boarded. He was supposedly flying an unarmed freighter, so he had no choice but to submit. After the short exchange was over, the pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker this time, as comm and sensor jamming was in effect, “We're coming alongside now. Prepare to board!” Hades hefted his highly illegal Verpine shatter gun, another perk of his history on Nar Shadda.. He had raided weapons' depots, after all. A heavy thump indicated that they had nudged the hull of the other ship, and a quiet curse came over the comm from the pilot.

The young VENI agent smiled despite himself. Even on top secret missions, pilots were still pilots. Hades - coming originally from the Starfighter Corps and still a flight leader in the same corps – could easily relate to the pilot's curses. Another thump indicated that the boarding tube was connected, and a loud exclamation from the pilot told them that it was time. The airlock hissed open, and the four VENI agents thundered down the tube with Hades in the lead. The tube shook as something moved, but Hades didn't stop to contemplate it. He knew the VENI agents would be following him without asking or looking, and was within reach of the airlock. “Place charges to breach!” Hades snapped over his helmet's external speaker. Breaching was dangerous, especially in a pressurised environment. If something went wrong then an explosive decompression would see them dead. It would also leave irreversible damage

One of the other agents, specially selected from the Marine Corps for his explosive expertise, rushed forward and placed a small circular lump of explosives on the sealed airlock, and they all sheltered behind the ship's sides, which overlapped the tube by around half a meter. A small whump and a wave of pressure informed them the explosive had gone off, And Hades dived through the airlock, Verpine up. What happened next was a blur. The second agent was about to clamber through the airlock when a sizzling sound reached their audio receptors. There was a hissing sound through their comms as the jamming dissipated and an almighty shaking as the Vaugshrike strained against the pipe that tethered it to the Specter. With a final creak and a loud snap, the boarding tube broke. Hades thought one thing: Hold on. The decompression was strangely peaceful, nothing flying or smashing.. Just three VENI agents sucked out of the tube and into space.  Hades could do nothing as he held on to a corner of the bulkhead. A red light flashed and the airlock suddenly sealed itself, restoring gravity but not the bright lighting, which was replaced with a dull, pulsing crimson back up.

Hades growled, eyes searching the airlock bay for movement. There was none.. He heard a gentle beep, and an announcement came over the ship's intercom, an automated message: Gravity has been deactivated remotely.. Hades swore as his feet suddenly lifted off the metallic floor, and swore louder as a person barreled into him, having launched from a shadowy alcove nearby. Hades' Verpine was knocked out of his hand and sent flying to clang against a wall, before rebounding in zero-gravity. He responded with an elbow to the head of the one that had tackled him, eliciting an 'oomph' from the man. It was evidently Hayk Arrunor, the smuggler they were after.

Hades hadn't counted on fighting him alone, but he was forced to as the man released him and aimed a punch at his helmet. Hades caught it, but the momentum behind the punch sent them both careening to the other side of the room, ending with Hades pinned against the wall. A simple kick against said wall sent them 'flying' back the other way. The VENI agent managed to get another kick in, this time to the smuggler's abdomen, sending them both in different directions. Hades grasped an overhead nook, arresting his momentum, while the smuggler smacked against a wall. He let go of the nook when he was satisfied that his movement had been halted, and pushed off the 'ceiling' to send him back to the 'floor' that was two meters below.

The smuggler had recovered though, and wasn't going to let Hades get off that easily. He launched himself off the opposite wall, and Hades had just enough time to draw his eklot before Hayk smacked into him. He slashed at the man but only managed to cut through his flight suit, not making contact with any flesh and sending him into a spin. This was getting worse by the second, a spin was bad news in a fighter – so too was it bad news here. Hayk locked an arm around Hades' throat as the spin made his back face the smuggler, their momentum meaning that Hades slammed face first into the wall with Hayk behind him. “Imperial scum! Shoulda known they'd send someone after me..”

The VENI agent grunted and reverted to his training. Use their momentum against them.. For all the help that was – they weren't moving. Hades had nearly impaled himself on his eklot when they'd crashed into the wall, and his hand worked it free now as he kicked off the wall. Smiling inwardly, he noted that it was somewhat like a holo-game for children, bouncing off walls constantly. Hayk growled and they both went into a spin, Hayk's arm still around his neck. Luckily, for all Hayk's strength, he could not crush the neck section of Hades' body armour, leaving his arm at an odd angle. Hayk saw the other wall coming and extended a leg past Hades to attempt to gain control of their momentum. It was in that moment that Hades struck, his eklot sinking deep into the unarmoured thigh. The smuggler cried out loudly and released Hades' neck, floating away. 

Now free, Hades launched himself after the smuggler, who was clutching his wound in vain. The neurotoxin would slow his wits and reaction times considerably, but it wouldn't paralyse him unless Hades stabbed him in a major artery. He may have done just that – the thigh was a very vulnerable area in terms of arteries – but it would still take a few minutes to take effect. Crashing into the smuggler, he waited until he was effectively 'standing up' in mid-air, before activating the weapon he'd kept up his sleeve for the entire fight. Both of them shot to the ground suddenly, with Hayk caught off-guard, his legs buckled and he crumpled against the floor as Hades raised a boot and placed it on the throat of Hayk.

The thing about magnetic boots was that they were quite powerful, and would continue to seek metal even if there was something in the way. In a battle of windpipe versus magnet, magnet prevailed and Hayk's windpipe collapsed. Hades exhaled and realised he was panting. He leaned down to find the remote that Hayk had used on the ship to disable gravity, and found a datapad connected to the ship's mainframe. He selected the gravity option and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his stomach settling. Disabling the magnetic boots, Chief Petty Officer Hades did not hesitate with the body. He stripped it down to its underwear, taking the clothes and exiting the airlock. It will be hard to explain a Vast Empire-issue space suit.. He added as an afterthought, and removed his compact space suit, putting it in the airlock as well, before sealing it and releasing both the body of Hayk Arrunor and his space suit into the vacuum.

Hades' mind only now turned to the fate of the Specter and his fellow agents, but his thoughts were quickly quelled with another, overriding line of thought. They have done their part, now I will do mine, He thought while dressing himself in the smuggler's clothes – which just so happened to be a good fit. The smuggler's clothes smelt of chemicals and.. Is that paint? Hades frowned. Looking down at the leg of the pants, he noticed the gash. He swore; it was not easily hidden.. but he must have some spare clothes in here somewhere.  The place that he had emerged from hyperspace was a little over an our out of Ord Vaug, so that gave plenty of time for Hades to rummage through Arrunor's possessions in between here and his destination. Hades easily found his way through the small ship and into its cramped cockpit; a simple few touches of the controls sent it back on its preprogrammed flight path. He noted an obscure-looking switch marked 'CONNOR NET' and grimaced. He now knew how the smuggler had detached the Specter, at least. Connor Nets were illegal in most parts of the galaxy.

No rest for the wicked, CPO Hades thought grimly as he went to find a dead man's clothes.

OOC:

Word count: 2,036. Definitely not my best. Total word count so far: 3,848 words.

AAR: The Specter, A VENI transport specialised for boarding, intercepts the Vaugshrike. Hades manages to board but the smuggler takes them by surprise by utilising what is known as a Connor net. Hades' three VENI companions are sucked into space, presumed dead, and the transport is out of action. Hades manages to take down Hayk Arrunor, the smuggler, before donning the disguise and setting the Vaugshrike back on its course.

Three hours later
Outpost Zero-Aurek, Ord Vaug

The girlish-boy had slipped away, through the gate and into the night of the outpost. Hades had watched his every move. So, he thought with a grin, my plans may not have to wait after all. The boy was now in a small house on the far end of the outpost, almost as far as you could get from the gate. It was isolated and more importantly, shadowy. The boy emerged and turned, talking to someone inside the door with a smile. A lover, perhaps.. I could use her against him.. But as Hades watched, he saw a man emerge. He was surprised, which he indicated with a raised brow, but he did not care. Man or woman, the boy was in love. His educated guess was confirmed by the kiss they shared. He was not a squeamish one, but he made sound of disgust at the sight. The girlish-boy quickly moved off and towards the gate. He must be quick, then, if this were to work. He waited until the boy had turned a corner, then rushed up to the house and knocked on the door. The man he had seen earlier opened.

“Uh.. hi!” He said cheerfully, almost as if he was nervous. A facade. “Is Mycelle here?”

“Mycelle? There's no Mycelle here. My name's Gylar. Gylar Rex. You must have the wrong house,” He replied with a bemused expression on his face. Hades nodded as his face fell – to hide the smile.

“Oh, I'm terribly sorry!” The man muttered something about young kids and closed the door. Hades smiled freely now, a manipulative smirk. He hurried after the boy. It was not long before he caught him, around five hundred meters from the gate of the outpost. The boy was trying not to be seen as much as Hades, the difference being that Hades wasn't being seen. This made it easier for Hades to take him hostage in the darkness. Without a second's warning, Hades' eklut was at the boy's throat. “Move a muscle, and I allow this poisoned blade to slit your oh-so-soft throat. You'd be paralysed in moments, but your death would take considerable more time.. and pain.”

“I.. W.. What do you want from me?” The boy stammered. Hades grinned, feeling him shaking from fear. “I'm rich! I have credits! I can offer you position, I'm the leader's right hand man!”

“Information,” Hades hissed ominously. The boy trembled more and a dripping sound told Hades he'd wet his pants. Really? Hades rolled his eyes, [/i]I have to interrogate a craven[/i]? At least it would make his job easier. The boy whimpered.

“I'll tell you anything you want!” He moaned pleadingly. Hades sighed quietly. Conveniently, Hades had intercepted him just adjacent an entrance to the outpost's extensive sewer systems. The girlish-boy seemed to sense what Hades was thinking. “It's disgusting down there! Don't make me go down there-”

“Another word and you're dead.” Hades cut him off quietly, the small blade almost breaking the flesh. He did that and the boy would be useless. He nodded his acknowledgement. “Down we go. You first, girl.”  The agent pushed the boy roughly forward. “Walk.” He commanded impassively.

“I'm not a g-”

“Walk!” Hades snapped viciously and the boy obeyed quicker than if he'd had a turbolaser pointed at his head



30 minutes later
Outpost Zero-Aurek sewers, Ord Vaug.

Hades tossed the boy roughly against the wall, allowing him to hit his face. “Oww!” he cried cravenly, clutching his cheek. It was nothing minor. Hades snarled at him, sending him back onto his rear end and scrabbling to hide in a corner.

“Tell me! Why did the Leader pick you as his right hand? You're a craven, a worthless, gutless coward is what you are! Why you?” Hades was vicious. He seemed as if this was his purpose, but in reality, his question was hidden. Much easier to make the boy answer without him knowing it than to ask him directly. One of the more subtle approaches to interrogation that Hades had learnt. When the boy did not respond, Hades let his eklut rasp menacingly from his sheath. “Why you?!”

“Okay I'll answer!” he groaned when he saw the blade in the faint sewer light. “He chose me because my father is rich and influential. But my father's in prison.. he needs me to talk to my father.”

“And? If your father's anything like you he doesn't need your father either! What does he get you to say?” He snapped at the young one before him.

“I don't remember, I don't.. I d.. I don't remember!” The boy stammered. Hades unsheathed his eklut again, bringing it towards the boys face.

“Do you like your ear?” Hades asked nonchalantly.

“Please.. no..”

“So you don't like your ear? Does that mean you won't mind if I take it?” Hades placed the knife just above the ear and made as if to slice downward.

“NO! Nooo! No no no!” The boy squealed like a gammorrean. “He needs my father to pay off the officers of the watch, and then I have to relay the names of the ones that have been paid off!” The boy answered desperately, breaking down into sobs. Hades smiled, a wicked expression.

“And what are their names?”

“Captain of the Guards, Myklos, first watch commander, Second Lieutenant Aaryn, Warden of the prison, Bleric Yore. And Sergeant Iyk!” The boy spat it all out one by one. Hades shook his head. This was a sham of an interrogation. He didn't even need to pressure the boy to get his answers.

“And what does your Leader plan to do with these paid off guards?” Hades asked smoothly. This would all be over in thirty minutes, if he was lucky.

“I'm can't tell you that. He'll have my riches! My father will disown me!” The boy squealed in terror.

“You'll lose much more than your riches if you keep this up, boy.” The agent said with another wicked grin. The boy began to tremble, but pressed his lips firmly together. “Or perhaps,” Hades said, tapping the blade thoughtfully against his chin. “Perhaps I'll take Gylar's ear instead. Yes. Yes I think I shall.” He turned and the boy spluttered at his back.

“The leader means to release the prisoners, to start a riot like so many years ago! The guards will help him!” He said, distraught. Hades' remark had hit home.

“To what end?” Hades asked a question he already knew the answer to. The boy shook his head defiantly, so Hades pressed his blade against the boy's ear again and began to cut. The cut was smooth, and left the upper lobe dangling by a thread. With a sigh, Hades pulled painfully on the dangling lobe. “Remember, Gyles will go through worse if you keep this up.”

“NOO, no no no, nooo!” He squirmed away and Hades raised one of his eyebrows. “They mean to take over the planet, to eliminate the Vast Empire garrison with surprise!” He begged Hades to leave Gyles be.

“They?”

“The Leader and his other hand. Rufius, a brute! He hates me for my wealth, everyone knows it! He once tried to kill me but the leader stepped in!” He could be lying, Hades mused. But then again, he had seen them glance bitterly at each other when they'd left the hairdresser's shop.

“Well. That's interesting.” Hades remarked flatly. “Well done, Gyles will live.” He could see the boy almost literally exhale the fear. Hades smiled and extended a hand to him, to help him up from the stone floor. The sound of sewerage was getting to him. The boy trembled but took the hand and muttered his utmost thanks. “I said Gyles will live.” Hades pointed out. “Don't rich people ever listen?” With that, Hades cut the blade across his throat, sending a wave of blood splattering across the wall. He nudged the body, and it fell into the flowing sewer. With a derisive sniff, the VENI agent turned and left. The rats would get him/


30 minutes later,
Outpost Zero-Aurek landing pad, Ord Vaug.

It was getting light by the time Hades entered his ship. He sighed with relief as he showered and changed into some clean clothes and armour that did not smell of sewer. He was barely changed when he caught movement on the outside cameras. The Leader was approaching. Hades' mouth formed a grim line. Worst case was that he'd been found out, in the event of which he'd have to kill the Leader and take his chances with the rest of them.  When he walked down the ramp, however, the Leader was all smiles over a slightly troubled expression. “Ah, Mr. Arrunor!” He said with a light laugh. His voice was high, just like the girlish-boy's had been. “I'm terribly sorry I couldn't make it yesterday – I had pressing matters. As outpost warden, I'm very busy, you must understand!”

Busy inciting rebellion and getting haircuts. “Oh, it's nothing. I had a look around your fine outpost. I must say, your tavern serves an excellent nerf steak!” Hades said, keeping his thoughts to himself. At this the Leader giggled – like a girl – as if this pleased him greatly.

“Oh, you flatter us. You have brought the weapons, I expect?” The leader's tone hardened and Hades suddenly saw just HOW he had become 'leader'. Hades – or rather, Hayk – nodded somberly. The leader smiled slowly. “Good. There is one other matter you can help me with, though!”

“As long as you pay me.” He said with a charming smile as the Leader's men began to unload crates of weapons from his hold. The leader laughed again.

“Smugglers! As cheap as ever!” He jibed. “Isn't that so, Rufius?” He laughed as the rough looking man beside him said nothing. “He doesn't talk much, I assure you.”

“And I assure you. I'm not cheap!” The Leader found this amusing, but his tone hardened again.

“One of my..aides.. went missing last night. Could you help us find him?” Hades almost grimaced at the question, but he kept a straight face.

“No. I have a contract with the Hutts in two days time, and the journey takes one and a half. I can give you some advice, though” The Leader looked somewhat disappointed, but curious. “Was there anyone he was close to, or anyone that particularly misliked him? Anyone that threatened him before, perhaps?”

“Yes..Yes there was.” The Leader nodded absently. Rufius shifted uncomfortably.

“IN a small place like this, he's your man.” Hades said with a wink. The Leader's features grew cold and he nodded.

“Your service is appreciated, Mr. Arrunor.” He said stiffly, before turning and marching almost to the door.

“Captain Arrunor.” Hades muttered under his breath. He closed the ramp once he was inside, and made his way to the cockpit. On the external viewscreens he could see two guards dragging away Rufius. He smirked darkly. Now he'll be jumping at shadows and seeing betrayal everywhere, Hades thought with a satisfied air as he took off. His scheme will fall apart like this. So his job was done. Not quite, Hades knew. He still had to make sure in case of any anomalies he missed. He set a course for the prison again and zoomed off.

It was mere minutes before he was over trees again, and only around a quarter of an hour before he settled down to land on the pad he had first arrived at. He did not wait to be greeted but instead followed the signs to the security post. With an impertinent air he approached a stormtrooper standing on guard. A shame he was wasted on such minor duties. “Nighthunter.” Hades said simply. The guard nodded and hurried off with a 'follow me'. Hades found himself following the guard into an office that overlooked the prison. The guard left and another man entered. Hades frowned – he recognised the man.

“Agent Hades,” the man known as Nighthunter addressed him. “Have a seat.”

“The outpost commander of Zero-Aurek is plotting a rebellion. He plans to release the prisoners of Ord Vaug and set them on the guards and depose the local VE government.” Hades said as he sat down. Nighthunter nodded, cold black eyes taking in everything.

“And how do you know this?” He asked firmly.

“His right hand told me. I also found data on his pad to corroborate the claim. They've paid off the Warden and a few guards.” Hades handed Nighthunter the datapad he'd recovered from the girlish-boy's body. The man took it and gave it a brief once over, nodding.

“The Warden is a slimy man. He'll be seen to. And the guards? It does not have their names here, only the boy's and his leader's closes associates.” It was Hades' turn to nod.

“They are as follows.  Captain of the Guards, Myklos, Forst watch commander, Second Lieutenant Aaryn and one known as Sergeant Iyk.” Nighthunter appraised Hades with emotionless black coals for eyes.

“I know the men. They will be dealt with.” Nighthunter said simply. Hades frowned.. He knew this man from.. “Yes, I was once a pilot like you.” The VENI coordinator read his mind with a smile. “You remember me. Good.”

“Orders?” He said simply. He did not need to go into the details of how he knew him or how he remembered him; doubtless Nighthunter would already know and would not appreciate the waste of time. VENI was not for time-wasters.

“You may head back to the Atrus. You can take the Vaugshrike, if you wish, or there is a VENI ship that will take you.” Hades smiled slowly and nodded.

“Aye sir.” He turned to leave without specifying his choice before Nighthunter's voice called to him.

“You did well. Welcome to VENI, Agent Hades.” The coordinator's voice radiated subtle satisfaction, and Hades nodded to himself. He smiled once he'd exited the office. Yes, The agent thought to himself in response to Nighthunter's statement. I did well.

Hades intended to make his career with intelligence one to remember

OOC:

Wordcount: 2,439. Total word count: 8,206.

Post 4 of 4.

AAR: Hades finds out about the boy's lover and that he is the hand of the Leader, and captures him for interrogation in the sewers. It turns out that his father is in prison and Leader needs him to speak with his father. The father is paying off the guards to release the prisoners on cue, and take over the planet. Hades slays the boy and turns Leader against his other hand, Rufius, when Leader questions Hades about the boy. Hades returns to the prison to find Nighthunter, someone he realises that he knows, and make his report.

And so concludes 'Divided We Stand'.