Session export: GJW XVII - Viz Ain't My Job
The Black Mesa’s Landing gear extended, and Siorc braced for landing. Despite the chaos of war in the system, the ships’ upgraded components had gotten them to the surface with relative ease. A VCX Freighter didn’t look as out of place as Siorc’s Kom’rk-class ship would have. It had been a wise choice, even if he was unhappy about relying on someone else for transportation. They just looked like a smuggler or a pilot of a rich family trying to get back home to extract the family.
The preparation for the clandestine mission had gone well. The Council had selected dozens of teams to use the havoc of battle to insert into suspected locations of Rath Oligard. It wasn’t an assassination mission per se; more of a mission to confirm whether he is there or not.
This team had been given the slums surrounding The Lakes. Two old and abandoned water treatment plants were replaced by a newer one; the old ruins, however, were still there, deemed too costly to remove. Poor families had built small houses and shacks in the area, and it could provide a place for the Collective leader to hide. Its proximity to the Oligard Estate would also make it a potential escape route if he were attacked and forced to flee from there. Who knew where the old water lines ran from the ruined facilities?
Riina Wren was a good soldier and talented mechanic and…had never been on a stealth mission before. She was an unlikely choice for this assignment, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was a chance to get out of the hanger and into the fight. The landing gear of the VCX freighter creaked loudly as the ship settled down near the ruins of an old water treatment facility. ’I’ll have to service those when we get back,” she thought to herself as she checked her weapons and equipment for what had to have been the hundredth time.
The boarding ramp lowered and her comrades began disembarking. “I guess this is it,” she shouldered her pack of…essentials. Tools mostly. You never know when something is going to break down and need a quick repair. As she stepped off the ship, the first thing she noticed was the smell. Stale, musty, earthy…stagnate water has a unique fragrance one is certainly not to forget, but there was another smell. Not as strong but nonetheless unmistakable. Something or someone had died nearby. Riina wondered if something drowned in the huge abandoned water vaults. She shook her head and adjusted the atmospheric filter in her helmet to block the smell. The next thing that caught her attention was the mud. It seemed to be everywhere. Footprints lost all definition in the two inch deep soft oozing muck. Turning her attention further out, Riina scanned the area around them hoping for some sign of life so she could get out of this filthy hell hole.
“You had to put us down in this mess?” The complaint came from Raiju Kang, a Nautolan not known for patience, as he glared between a mud-stuck boot and back towards the Black’s Mesa’s captain. “What’s the point of having big eyes if you can’t see this shit?”
“Oh, I saw it.” Began Salvo, an Aleenan with an equally short fuse, before flashing a cheeky smile. “I thought after all we’ve been through you’d want to feel the comfort of home.”
“What does that even mean, you little p-“
“I’ll show you little…!”
“Shhhhh…” The shush came from the four other members of the team, though it was more of a whine from the wookie, Woorbiiuk. Both the Nautolan and Aleena seemed to blush in embarrassment to their colleagues.
While Salvo’s threat was barked in a hush tone, the group froze and fell silent in hopes the bickering didn’t blow their approach.
It was still early in the morning for the locals. In the distance there was the occasional hoot of some nocturnal bird and the creaking of insects. But the village itself had been busy with panic response to the naval battle above. With so much focus on the combat above, there was hope no one paid attention to the squabbling.
“It’s okay,” Gui Sol, a Kiffar they all called ‘kid’, whispered after a few moments. Even in the lowlight of the morning, Raiju could make out the Kiffar’s half-closed eyes as his focus was pulled away from the group. “I can’t sense anyone in earshot.”
A sigh of relief was shared by the team and they all turned to follow one by one through the last of the mud.
First; Siorc, Riina, Raiju, Salvo, Woorbiiuk, and finally, Gui Sol. As quickly as the tempers had flared, cohesion returned as the six pushed and pulled any whom were trapped by the mud. Finally, free from the muck, the team of six huddled at the back of a rundown bunkhouse on the edge of the slums.
“Alright,” Siorc began as he drew a rough map into the dirt with his right index finger. “We approached the town from the east, so should be roughly here.”
The Evereni marked an X in the ground.
“We need to find a place we can set up a F.O.B.”
He didn’t wait for a reply and shouldered his blaster rifle as he began moving down the small path between the shacks and huts. It was your typical alleyway in the slums. Dirty, smelled like waste and that off putting smell of stagnant water that wasn’t draining properly. He tried his best not to think about what he was marching through as he made his way down it.
Noises could be heard in a couple of the dilapidated buildings. He ignored them as he saw no signs of an abuse and didn’t have time or the resources for a building by building search. If Rath Oligard was here the building he was in would become apparent. It would have communication arrays and guards.
The rest of the team followed as he checked corners at intersections. It wasn’t until they neared the old water treatment plant that he began to get a feeling something wasn’t right and moved into a building for cover. Not that it was much of that. It felt like a stiff breeze would knock it over as he entered the hovel. A single rodian occupied the dwelling.
The blaster rifle was in the Rodians face before he even had time to react. The barrel pointed straight at his blueish hued snout. The Rodian immediately put his hands up in surrender. It wasn’t unexpected but still a problem. Siorc didn’t want to shoot a civilian or a surrendering enemy. Plus the noise would draw undo attention before they had time to gather any more Intel. Instead Siorc swung the butt of he rifle around catching the Rodian in the side of his head. He crumpled to the ground in pain.
“Tie him up, and if he makes a noise, shoot him.” Siorc said. “Then let’s see what we are up against.”
For a brief moment, the other four just stared at each other awaiting someone to produce some rope. A few tense moments later and Raiju charged forward just as the Rodian groaned. Raiju was particularly rough as he grabbed the Rodian’s snort and covered its mouth.
“Quick, Woorbiiuk!” Raiju bellowed over his shoulder as he threw a thumb towards some exposed electrical wire in the walls of the shack. “Grab me a length of that.”
The Wookie immediately roared in protest and made Raiju aware he had no intention of getting electrocuted today.
“Come on, buddy, use your head.” Raiju pointed an arm at the switchbox they all had passed as they entered. As the closest to the box, Riina leapt to the box and dropped the control arm before Woorbiiuk whined a thanks. The Wookie then crouched by the wall, placed both hands on different sections of wire and heaved with all his might.
Sparks illuminated the Wookie’s terrified face as he bellowed and fell back, taking a good three metres of wiring from the wall before Gui Sol’s lightsaber sliced the remaining connection. Salvo and Riina leapt to the aid of the Wookie while Raiju pulled the cord from his stunned hands. Siorc nervously looked through the window to see if anyone had heard the commotion but it seemed like their neighbours had other problems for the moment.
A fit of laughter pierced the silence that had fallen on the shack, as Raiju finished securing their hostage and turned back to the Wookie who groaned as he sat up.
When Woorbiiuk made eye contact he lunged at the Nautolan but was intercepted by Gui Sol, whom stood in front of the Wookie with a single finger raised to his lips. With his friend now subdued, Gui turned to glare at the Nautolan as if awaiting an apology.
“Hey, how was I to know it was from a different panel?” Nautolan said with a shrug. A sigh of disgust could be heard from Riina as she stood and moved to Siorc to discuss their next steps.
The Mandalorian shook her head muttering about the general public’s lack of basic knowledge of electrical systems. “Is it really too much to ask that everyone gets taught basic electrical theory? It’s something that is in every house, building, ship, and vehicle. It’s even in some roadways and parks!” She shook her head in exasperation. “So, Siorc, where do you think we should check for our target’s base? From what I saw, we have three decent options with a good view of the facility and is quasi defensible.” She pulled up a Holomap on her arm mounted datapad, “here, here, and…here.” She pointed at three different buildings they had seen when they arrived. “Option one has the best view, but it looks like it might be a little structurally unstable due to the damage to this wall. Option two. Good view, no visible damage, but a hell of a long way trudging through the muck ti get to it from here.” She pointed at the last one, “I think three is our best bet. It’s got a blind spot here, but it still overlooks all access points and most of the facilities. If we can avoid suspicion and get to the blind spot, we can approach without being seen. What do you think”
Siorc nodded, “Maybe, but if they are as paranoid as we suspect, they will have guards watching the blind spot. But I agree it’s our best option at this point. Let’s go.”
Siorc led the team back out into the mud. The stagnant water brought more than just a rancid smell, the insects swarms were so thick they were clogging Riina’s helmet filters. They trudged together for about ten minutes before reaching the blind spot. Just as Siorc had warned they were met by two paramilitary guards with blasters leveled at the intruders. “Stop right there! Identify yourselves!” the guards demanded.