A few miles away from Day-Tripper Manufacturing Facility Juvl, Syn System 43 ABY
Veiling darkness swept over the jungle of Julv, flashes of distant lightning illuminating the canopy’s swaying branches. Nocturnal fauna sought shelter ahead of the approaching storm, though a flock of birds quickly abandoned their perches as something dark and fast swept over the tree tops. This new intruder sought its own perch and soon found one atop a plateau with sparse foliage.
Once landed, the hatch to the ARC-170’s cockpit hissed open, and both the ship’s pilot and passenger were relieved to be free of their confinement despite their exposure to the discomforting humidity heavy in the air. They stretched their legs and checked their gear before closing the starfighter’s hatch and starting their descent down the plateau and to the jungle floor.
When she reached the bottom, Shadow Nighthunter sensed her surroundings, her amber, wolfish eyes peering into the darkness. Sensing no immediate threats, the half-Sephi quickly pulled out her datapad and tapped away at a few buttons until a map appeared on the small screen. A red dot flashed in and out on the map, revealing their target to be a few miles west.
“We should get there in an hour on foot. We’re still on schedule, so hopefully, Sykes will be there waiting for us on the eastern side of the facility.”
Sanguis Caldiren nodded, the Nagai’s own piercing eyes glowing in the darkness as he probed their surroundings with the Force. “Sounds good. I’m all for a nighttime jog. We should try to get there before the storm does.”
“Agreed. Let’s get to it then.”
The dropship came in for a landing on the outskirts of the jungle, lighting up the surrounding area ablaze with the heat of the thrusters. The ramp lowered and a white and red R5 unit rolled down the ramp and sent up a scanner antenna. Satisfied that there were no life forms nearby, it tootled and whistles a call.
A man that seemed to step out from time began to descend the ramp. The armor was of the time of the Dark Ages of the republic during the old Sith wars. Every step he took clanged down the metal ramp with heavy boot steps. He came up near the droid and patted it on the head. “Easy Blinky. This should be an easy hit and run. Scan for Shadows comm channel and contact her to give her our rendezvous location.”
He reached out his senses and could feel the darkness of the city in the distance. It was a hive of scum that had taken up residence on the planet and the Empress had ordered it to be cleared out. The Day Tripper drug had taken hold in the Empire and it was something that needed to be burned away. The Anzat had tried it himself and found it as a lacking personal substance. It deserved to be removed like the cancer it was. Now he had to work with the former Empress he had come to know as his time as the Clan Rollmaster. this will be fun he thought to himself as he moved through the jungle to the outskirts of the city.
“Of all places to be, our target had to be in a jungle.”
“It makes sense. Easier to hide operations and supply depots for a drug operation en masse like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were cave systems here for them to use to travel from place to place without detection.”
“Good point. Explains how they’ve been able to operate and produce this drug like they have.”
“Well, let’s hope taking out this place will put a damper on their work. I hate to see more Imperials die to this thing.”
Sanguis glanced over at his wife as they jogged through the ground foliage, the Nagai catching a hint of emotion in his wife’s last spoken words. The Marauder knew and understood the assassin’s loyalty and dedication to the Empire and its people, and he knew the anger that simmered within her heart ever since news of the drug’s lethality had reached them. Though she wasn’t Empress anymore, the Empire’s security still weighed upon her.
“Rowan-”
“Hold on.” Shadow quickly came to a halt and tapped the commlink on her wrist. “Receiving a message.”
Sanguis watched and listened, the Nagai staying aware of their surroundings. Only when he sensed a shift in her mood did he finally speak again. “Sykes?”
Shadow nodded before tapping away at her datapad. “Yes, he just sent me the rendezvous coordinates, and I told him we’re already on our way. We’re still on schedule.”
“Well, best we pick up the pace,” Sanguis remarked as thunder rumbled not too far behind them. “The storm will just slow us down.”
“Then let’s hurry up and watch your footing. The last thing I need is to have to drag you because you broke your ankle.”
Before long, the two Sith found themselves outside the city. They eyed the patrols from their hiding place within the treeline, Sanguis taking note of the akk dogs accompanying a few of them. One of the beasts looked towards them, but the quick shift in the Force and the reptile’s sudden disinterest signaled Shadow’s quick connection with the beast to ward it off.
“Come on. Let’s find Sykes. The sooner we get this done, the better.”
He stood next to an entrance in the wall, two members of the drug security force dismembers laying on the ground. “We really need to work on our diplomacy skills.” He said to the droid near him. Blinky’s rotary blaster disappeared in a section of his “head”. “Just get ready to open the door.” The droid tootled and whined. “Yes I’m sure there will be more for you to kill. But we need to wait for Shadow. You need to calm down.” The droid seemed to toot quickly. “Rude.”
Sykes turned towards the jungle, able to feel Shadow and another person moving towards him. “Get ready.”
The two Sith slinked through the shadows towards Sykes, Shadow briefly feeling Sykes’ consciousness brushing against her mind. She spotted him next to the wall entrance, and both she and Sanguis quickly approached him. The half-Sephi offered a friendly smile, happy to be working alongside the former Rollmaster once more.
“Always a pleasure, Sykes. Quick introductions. Sanguis, Sykes. Sykes, Sanguis. My husband.”
“Ah, your bodyguard, if I recall,” the Anzat remarked. “Can’t say I saw that coming.”
“Good to see you again, too,” the Nagai replied. “We can chat over a drink or two, later. For now, we’ve got some people to save and the facility’s boss to capture.”
“Of course. Let’s move in before they discover their missing friends.”
“Right-” Shadow looked at the droid. “The droid’s coming with us?”
“Yeah, why?”
The half-Sephi bit her lip, keeping silent and slipping through the wall instead. Sanguis sighed and exchanged a slightly apologetic look with the Anzat. “It’s nothing personal. She just doesn’t care too much for droids. Just tolerates them as long as they’re useful.”
With that, the Marauder followed after his wife, eager for the hunt.
Blinky screamed and as the top hatch of his head opened Sykes quickly slapped his hand down on the droids head. “This droid may be more useful than any of us think.”
Sangquis tilted his head slightly but moved off to follow his wife.
Sykes looked at Blinky. “Mark those two as friendly.” The droid tootled and rocked back and forth on its legs. “Yeah yeah I know. But remember what they THINK you are. It makes sense. You’re my little buddy and we know what’s up.” The droid tootled again and moved on the follow the husband and wife. Sykes sighed and followed. He knew this was going to more of problem than it needed to be.
As the quadruple reached the gate of the small town, Sykes sat down next to the gate.
“What are you doing?” Shadow asked as she prepared for a confrontation.
“Recon.” The Anzat said as a swarm of what seemed like dust exited his leg armor. The swarm of micro droids floated over the wall and did a scan of what was behind the door.
Sykes opened a holoprojector on his arm piece and showed the other two of what the droids saw. The holograph showed one human male on the other side of the door and two more just down the alleyway standing guard.
“Shadow, I think you are up.” He looked at his former Empress. He knew she was an assassin who knew how to take the low road at times. “Can you get to the other side and get us in quietly?”
Shadow nodded. “I’m on it. Hang tight.”
She exchanged a glance with Sanguis, the Nagai silently telling her to be careful, before the assassin suddenly disappeared. The half-Sephi heard a soft scoff escape him, the Marauder having caught a last-second, teasing eye roll from his wife before she cloaked herself and quietly ascended the wall.
Anyone looking might’ve noticed a small shimmer the minute she dropped down to the ground, her hidden dagger within her boot already in hand. Her form materialized just as her Inquisitorial blade found its mark in the first man’s throat, her free hand quickly covering his mouth to muffle his distress. The other two guards still kept their backs to her as she pulled the man to the side.
Cloaking herself again, she crouched and approached their flank, dagger at the ready. When she was close enough, she straightened up, materializing once more before quickly dispatching one stabbing through the base of his skull, severing the spinal cord before twisting and driving the dagger through the back of the other guard and into the heart with Force augmented speed.
Her prey down in seconds, Shadow quickly dragged them off to the side and returned to the door, letting the others through. The half-Sephi noted a flash of recognition in Sanguis’ gaze, knowing full well the scent of blood was triggering his suppressed thirst. He gave her a reassuring look, promising her he wasn’t going to lose himself. Not yet, anyway.
“Alright, we need to make our way to the first auxiliary facility where they’re packaging the drug. We hit it hard and fast, causing as much havoc as possible before moving on to the next one. If we take too long, the Overseer may try to escape. Push comes to shove, one of us may have to beeline for them.”