Let's Just Dance

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon tapped the matte blaster pistol against the underside of the table and growled, “Hey! Pay attention, Pal!” The Executor’s eyes filled with clouds of rage. A storm grew in the Imperial and he set his jaw. “You were saying?” There was an edge to his voice akin to a threat.

“Yeah, I was saying,” he shot his glace back to the woman that had stepped into the restaurant, “Seriovski has the plans in Vorshkoff, an abandoned military base in the lower peninsula.”

“Defenses.”

“Listen, Sevon, I don’t know,” he exaggerated a shrug.

“I’m not buying it, Mirko. You either tell me now, or I slag you where you sit. How’s the chowder?”

There was a shocked look on the man’s face. He had known who he was dealing with. Khendon didn’t feel sorry for him.

“I said, how’s the chowder?”

“Uh,” the color had drained from his face, “fi—“ he cleared his throat, “fine.”

“Yeah, tastes like bantha crap, I had it yesterday when you were locked away in my aircar’s cargo pod,” Mirko grimaced, “Hey! Focus!” The nark’s gaze had slipped to the woman again.

“We’ll try this again, what can I expect when I get there?”

“Uh,” he swallowed hard and looked at the table top and his untouched soup, “forty lightly armed thugs, probably ex-military. There’s around twenty scientists, couple assault vehicles. I don’t know anything else, Sevon! Honest!”

In a flash, the Sith reached his free hand over and grabbed Mirko by the nose. With a hard yank, the gangster’s face smashed into the synth-fiber table. Blood splattered from the broken cartilage.

Patrons looked on with shock and Khendon shot them a menacing glance. They turned back to their meals. “So, Mirko, one more chance, then I’m cutting your legs off and dragging you through the Tetnia sea for the fishes to pick apart.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia twitched slightly as Mirko’s face met the tabletop. Not because she was uncomfortable by the sight, but because she didn’t agree.

“A word outside, please.” Khendon did not fully know who she was, only that she was from Imperial Intelligence and may as well have had the Emperor’s own clearance (because she did, essentially). The Inquisitoriate was independent, but everything could be subject to the scrutiny of Intel.

Adia usually made people uncomfortable. She suspected Khendon might be a touch too unhinged to be uncomfortable.

“Executor, have you read Intel’s interrogation procedures?”

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon stuck a callused finger in the nark’s direction, “Don’t you move.” The warning shot like laser beams from his eyes. With a smooth transition, the Executor stood and holstered his blaster at his thigh.

He followed the woman out of the small restaurant and packing a stim nonchalantly as he passed by the patrons, their gazes still carefully averted from the Imperial uniform.

It was already dark outside, the stench of the kitchen’s specialty noodles flooded the back alley surrounding from an open window somewhere. The bitter-sweet aroma brought a smirk to the dark soldier’s face as he ran the end of his smoke over the ignition patch on his nearly empty pack—he had recently picked up the bad habit again and it was already like he had never left its choking embrace.

The red head spoke and he nodded his head idly and took a long draw on the stimulant. It was washed out as the Force trickled down his spine and made his skin tingle with excitement. There was a raw, refreshing feeling to the mixture of drug and life power.

In a move that only a quick eye could catch, Khendon brought his stim holding hand around the woman’s throat and pushed her firmly against the windowless side of the restaurant. His other hand clenched his drawn blaster and stabbed the muzzle into her side.

The gray paper of the stim smoldered close to the woman’s throat and turned her skin a mild orange hue. Oddly positioned between the man’s fingers, he was sure the fiery tip was making itself felt on her flesh.

His voice immersed itself in anger an came out dripping wet with enmity, “Never question me again.” It was a low grumble, like an avalanche falling from a peak on unsuspecting skiers. “Is that clear?” The words were tinged with smoke and Khendon’s eyes were wild with an unhealthy mixture of epinephrine, synthesized narcotics, and the tangible call of force connectivity—all together, in the darkness of the night he looked like one ticked off demon.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia turned her head to one side and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the alleyway. Her body had never cooperated well with foreign stimulants. She had cooperated with his movements, which let him think she weighed something normal. She had shifted slightly, letting the barrel slip against something not completely important.

Khendon had made a very stupid mistake. She swept his legs out from under him, and twisted his gun-hand behind his back. A brief pop, and his shoulder was separated. A boot on his lower spine pinned him down, none too far from the occasionally sizzling blotch of vomit.

“Listen, Executor, please.” For someone who had been injected with a hallucinogen Adia was composed. She had weeks of practice for such a situation.

“I was trying to be polite, but really, Sevon, attacking an Intel agent who wants to sort something out? It was a simple extra-agency misunderstanding. I asked you a simple question, not because you were deviating from it. I realize you’re allowed to do as you please within your generous budget. I wanted you to be aware that Mirko was lying through his teeth or is as stupid as he looks, and that there were other options. Now I’m sure our guest is getting antsy without proper company. If we can agree to be civilized I’ll reset your shoulder and you can return to what you were doing.”

[Khendon Sevon]

The floor was cold and wet with rain that had only fallen a few hours since. It was definitely not Khendon’s ideal situation. The fact that he had underestimated the red head was enough to make his temper boil.

With the remaining buzz from the stim and some major control, he managed to shrug the idea of sticking his switch blade in her ankle off and decided to use another tactic.

The soldier’s brain had shut off the pain from his arm almost instantly. Now that his adrenalin was receding and calm taking over, nerves were beginning to release neurotransmitters. Fire ran up his arm and into his shoulder. A ball of warm pain floated in his trapezium and sent jabs of shock into his neck and head.

“Not the most comfortable position I’ve been in with a woman,” he smirked that classic Khendon sly grin.

“Hun, I have nothing against you setting my shoulder back in place. In fact, as common courtesy, I’d appreciate it. But, lady, if you think that nark is going to be in there when we get back, you’re the one with a misunderstanding.

“Now, I know it’s your job to get guys like me intelligence, but I have a feeling I need the real deal right now. Besides, I know he’s lying. A novice could’ve read his physical vacillation.” It was true. From the very start Khendon hadn’t considered Mirko a creditable source. Rather, he was someone that would spread word of the Executor’s presence and, hopefully, drag out more dirt from underneath the carpet.

As far as he could tell, it had worked. In the few days that Mirko had been in Khendon’s possession, two assassins had already broken in and tried to kill the Executor. Hell, the Sith even knew about Mirko’s “concealed” tracking chip—the one located in his right deltoid.

“So,” he grunted, “when can I have my shoulder back? No, no, enjoy the muscular tone, have a squeeze.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia rolled her eyes as she pulled him back to his feet by his jacket. She paused, one hand near his neck and the other on his shoulder. With a sudden motion and an even more sudden pop, Khendon’s shoulder slid back into place.

"He's still there, taking a nap in the glop. I slipped a sleeping agent in five minutes before we came out here." They went back through the restaurant, and sure enough, Mirko was still there.

“He missed the chowder.” Adia sighed with disappointment and put Mirko back in the chair which he had tried to stumble from. A squeezed spray from a small atomizer and their unreliable informant was starting to rouse. For a moment the chowder started to hue-shift to blue. She frowned a little and straightened her jacket, and then put the point of her boot into his shin.

“Oww!” He jerked awake.
“Mirko, you didn’t finish. And you were going to leave before dessert.” Adia clicked her tongue and shook her head a little.

[Khendon Sevon]

She stole his thunder. It was not something that would get her invited to his next dinner party. Then again, he’d never thrown a dinner party. In fact, he didn’t even have a permanent residence.

“Mirko!” Khendon slapped him playfully on the face with just a little too much enthusiasm—it was borderline aggressive. “This is,” he realized rapidly that he didn’t know her name, “my associate. She’s going to be playing doctor with you. You know, that whole finding organs you never knew you had thing.”

A smirk rolled onto his lips. “Have fun, hun. I’m going to go water the dog.” He flipped a coin of the planet’s currency onto the table and began walking out the door.

“Oh, babe, listen. I’m going to stop off at the grocery store, get ready for the big party tonight. Make sure you come properly dressed for our tango. Let the little man have some cab fair before you finish up here. I’ll reimburse you for it.

“I’m sure you remember my suite number,” he was staying in a run down motel right next to an arms store, “meet me there in a couple hours time. I’ll explain the big mess up that happened at work.”

He walked out of the establishment.

His fingers wrapped around his last stimulant and he lit it with practiced ease. “Ah,” he smiled in the darkness, the glow lighting his eyes up. Khendon buttoned up his jacket, effectively hiding his uniform, and headed toward the weapon emporium he had seen advertised on the local holonet—a mix between a brothel and an exotic armaments warehouse.

[Adia Issoris]

“Mirko, you and I need to chat outside.”
“But my chowder…”
“It’s awful. We’re going to get a proper meal.”

Adia was dressed inconspicuously, with black slacks and a black blouse with a green and purple flowered vine pattern on the left side. Her white jacket was cut to fit her figure, down to her fingertips. She had a blaster in a shoulder holster, and a pair of vibroknives in boots. Standard fare.

She dragged Mirko down the street to a much better restaurant. At least it didn’t smell terrible. It was a diner, and they had hit a hole between people’s shifts. A serving droid gave them menus and then clanked away.

Adia ordered a creamy mushroom soup and a cheese sandwich.

Mirko claimed he wasn’t hungry. She sipped water while he looked around, terrified. The food came, and she dipped the corner of her sandwich into the soup. It was tolerable.

“Mirko, we know you weren’t telling us the truth.” Adia said quietly.

“Uhhh I…”

“You can tell me the truth. It might earn an outside shot at a quiet job on some backwater.”

She finished her sandwich in silence, paid for the food, a tip, and left a separate 20 chit for cab fare. In her dank hotel room, she put together and espionage kit full of exciting things into a medium sized dark grey rubberized suitcase. Adia put on comfortable and gray slacks and blouse. She looked bland, but it matched the gloves and balaclava.

Khendon’s motel was a dump. It stank of cheap alchohol and dirty sex. Adia knocked on his door twice and waited.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon’s rough voice grumbled, “come in! It’s unlocked!”

He sat in the middle of the room naked from the waist up. Components of a rifle were scattered on the floor in something reminiscent of order. With bore-cleaner in hand, the soldier finished removing grit and grime from the old model weapon and began assembling the device with loud clicks and clanks.

A special operations stealth jacket sat strewn across a chair tucked into a small desk in the corner, kin to the pants the Executor now wore. Khendon’s taut arm muscles were covered in the broad strokes of Sith tattoos. Even with firm concentration on the mechanisms of the anti-personnel weapon in his hands, the Sith tongues still whispered audibly in the back of the Executor’s mind.

Next to the disassembled armament sat an odd looking pistol—if its size would allow it to be called by such a name. The blaster appeared to be a heavily modified disruptor with extension components coupled on and stripped of many of the telltale signs of such a highly illegal weapon.

Khendon didn’t look up as she entered. He knew she was at the motel well before she arrived at the door.

Normally, a healthy mixture of danger and a woman as deadly as this Intel officer would have the Executor’s head spinning; however, there was something dead about her. She wasn’t the type of mark he enjoyed chasing. No, he would be content to be “professional.”

“So, Adia,” he had looked her name up, “did you figure out your big frell up, yet?” His stormy gray eyes shot up and locked on to hers, a smirk still gracing his lips. His hands continued to dance with the intricate elements of the rifle, appearing to act with a mind of their own.

[Adia Issoris]

"No."

[Khendon Sevon]

“No?” he grinned menacingly and smacked the bore assembly into place with a loud clack, “I thought as much.”

“I’ll start from the beginning, Adia. I’ll start from the beginning.

“I arrived on world exactly two weeks ago. First, I presented myself as a technology broker with connections to illicit organizations—ones that you or I would clearly deem deviants, terrorist.

“I won’t get into the exact details. Needless to say, I was having dinner with the planet’s elected officials within a few days time. They were interested in strengthening bonds with my supposed backers and were more than willing to show me the preparations they had taken for an eventual ‘rebellion.’

“My sources told me a corporation by the name of Envisio, an advanced tactical concepts development firm specializing in organic weaponry, located on planet, was producing systems for the eventual military movement. I coupled hearsay with the cold hard facts and reliable sources. A couple blood splatters later, I had all I needed.

“My ‘character’ left the world with an agreement to supply various military resources to the government.

“I returned the next day as the Executor. My initial character’s synth-flesh disguise prevented any surveillance from discovering my true identity; I’ve avoided the government like the plague. They don’t get a second chance from me. I know all their dirty little secrets.

“Since then, I have been making my presence felt in the underworld, slowly but surely. Why? Because I wanted to stir enough activity to locate sleeper cells, technology and weapon stores, and supporters of the rebellion.” He began screwing the barrel into the assembly with a small whining noise.

“So, yesterday I took stock of the intelligence I’ve gathered. The local Imperial garrison is corrupt and mismanaged, ill supplied, and low on morale. They’re not ready for an uprising. The locals have,” he indicated his supply of weapons, “advanced munitions and armaments. Many are trained professionals, contract soldiers.

“I’ve analyzed the situation and decided to flex Executorial muscle.

“So, what did you mess up? Well, you just set my plans into high gear. I was going to keep Mirko around until his cronies attempt a rescue. Doesn’t matter now, I’m going to hit them hard.

“We’re going to raid Envisio’s primary development lab.” He smiled and slapped a magazine into the assembled weapon. In a fluid motion, Khendon chambered a round.

“It’s a shard rifle with variable dispersal. Kinda’ like a flechette launcher; yet, not. It’s a projectile that breaks up at a distanced determined by a dial,” he indicated a thin gray knob with a finger.

“Anyway, we’re not hitting Vorshkoff. Every question I’ve asked Mirko has been to mislead him. He thinks I’m looking for illegal blaster technology. It’s true, that facility has weapon designs stolen from an Imperial contractor; however, I was the one that let them get stolen.” He waved his hand as if the comment was insignificant.

“So, you going to the ball dressed like that? I’m sure the stormtroopers that arrive in the Death Advocate will appreciate it… but, uh,” that classic Khendon smirk, “can you roundhouse kick without ripping those seams?”

[Adia Issoris]

“You told me to give Mirko cab fare. I quote “Let the little man have some cab fare before you finish up here. I’ll reimburse you for it.” Since this is your op, I followed along.” She glanced down at the fitted micro-stitched pants, knowing full well that she could do a split or a straddle in them with no worry. The blouse was a simple button dark grey shirt with micro-stitching in the right places, but neither garment was exactly form-fitting. They worried her about as much as the weapon designs. Most of the new designs needed new manufacturing infrastructure. It wouldn’t be a worry for several months, and if tagged right, it would find several other illegal operations.

“They’ve never given me a problem, and I have armor and weapons in the case.” Adia stood on one foot and lifted the other next to her head for emphasis.

“What is our op if we’re not hitting Vorshkoff?” The Intel Op wrinkled her nose a little. Khendon obviously had some sort of plan, but the devil if she had any idea what it was.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon smiled and set down the exotic rifle. With a trained motion, he drew a hand length blade and gauged the balance by spinning it delicately between his fingers. “I have nothing against you, honestly; but, you should already know this. One Imperial is a target, an easy kill. Two? Well, that just means there’s more about to come.

“That’s why you fouled my plans. Luckily, Envisio won’t get wind of the situation until Vorshkoff is already mobilized and ready to move.” There was a grim satisfaction in the deception that filled the Executor.

“Our op is simple,” he let the knife slip between his fingers and fall. With a sweeping motion, he caught the edged weapon in his other hand and slid it back into a wrist scabbard scattered with the rest of the armament cluster.

“This planet’s government has become corrupted by terrorist influences. The only solution is a purging. Now, I can’t just bring in the soldiers and institute military control, can I? That would lead to more sympathy for this… rebellion.” He scowled and let out a breath, “No. We’re going to have to disgrace the administration.

“We’re going to take the facility and expose their operations and affiliations through documentation and the revelations that will be brought out by the projects they have in-house. Trust me. What’s going on there will be enough to make anyone angry.”

He held out a small data chip, “This contains schematics with pertinent entrances, means of conveyance, etc. highlighted. Additionally, I have a surveillance satellite operational and in synchronized orbit.

“The facility is buried deep underground. There’s a reinforced air ventilation shaft located approximately 20 kilometers from here. It’s the weakest segment of their security, they know it, I know it. We can expect automated defense systems and, once we’re inside, up to twenty guards armed with military grade weaponry and armor.

“I would like the scientists alive. All others are to be executed. Problems?”

[Adia Issoris]

She’d done semi-surgical ops like this before. If this was as heinous as he said, why weren’t they just leveling the place? Scientific minds were valuable, but how? You could always go and dig up evidence. Just more examples of how different Intel and the Inquisition were.

“None.” Only 20 opposing personnel and in what was likely to be fairly run of the mill combat gear? The automated defense would likely pose more of a problem if they were set up well.

Adia opened her case up, and pulled out the carefully packed gear. She pulled out a an ion emitter pistol that was entirely too bulky, except for the grip. It was heavier than it looked, but she wielded it as if it were the lightest special. A heavily modified SoroSuub Firelance rifle—a weapon known for it’s combat flexibility, durability and surprisingly light weight, and a grapple gun rounded out most of Adia’s obvious equipment, along with the dark grey armor that looked like it should have belonged to a bounty hunter, with a Clone Wars era commando issue helmet, also painted the flat, dark gray. The armor suit traded weight for bulk, weighing nearly 25 kilos. Heavy, but she was more than used to it. She pulled it on in less than a minute.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to review the floorplan en route?”

[Khendon Sevon]

“Not a problem, my aircar is equipped with the needed gear.” Khendon picked up a black sleeveless shirt that had been discarded in the corner and tugged it on. He squeezed into the stealthjacket and ran a hand over the autoseal.

The Executor slid his wrist sheath on under the loose cuff of his jacket and placed the disruptor in a matte holster strapped to his right thigh. He heaved the shard rifle over a shoulder, “I’m parked right outside, it’s painted black, a local vehicle. I had some work done on it when I first showed up and it’s been stashed here since.”

With a nonchalant lob he threw a spherical device on the bed and winked as it whined to life, “Let’s get out of here, its motion sensor goes on in 20 seconds.”

[Adia Issoris]

Everything was standard, as far as weapons research facilities went. Of course, once they were in, there would be surprises. The aircar stopped about a click away from the ventilation shaft. Any closer would have been too obnoxious and spoiled the surprise. Adia pulled the helmet over her balaclava, letting the older but well designed display come all the way on. She didn’t have the advantage of having her comm. package interface with Khendon’s, but finding another Clone Commando or ARC Trooper helmet was nearly impossible, and if they were too small you were out of luck. The Hand didn’t worry about it too much. She flexed the left gauntlet, also Clone Wars issue, but ARC Trooper intended.

The pair crept across the broken terrain to the vent shaft. The grating was fairly heavy duty. Adia briefly wished she had brought along one of her collected lightsabers, but that faded quickly. She stood watch while Sevon cut the perimeter of the grate and lifted it free when he deactivated the cutter.

“After you.”

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon pulled hard on the carabineer attached to his stealth suit’s internal harness. After a bit of yanking, the mechanism freed up and a thin strand of specially woven cord released for about a meter. With a trained hand, the soldier clipped the durasteel device to a mate located on the edge of the vent shaft.

It was a risk bringing Adia along. She could simply cut his wire and walk away. Yet, Khendon was fairly certain she was a diehard Imperial. She would be safe to operate around, for the moment.

The Executor winked and jumped through the opening. His body fell for a moment accelerating at 9.8 meters per second until his gloved hand grasped his assisted belay device and he slowed to a reasonable pace. With legs slightly bent and outstretched, he gently let out more cord and walked down the side. His black shoes were made of a sticky material that helped in his descent and, surprisingly, created no sound as they touched the almost reflective steel of the shaft.

After only a few moments, Khendon reached the primary ventilation ducts that circulated air throughout the facility. His rifle, which had been attached to his suit via a specially designed adhesive gel, was in his hands and scanning the moment his harness cut the cord free.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia slid down the rope with a smooth, nearly silent, practiced grace. She tightened her hands, twisted her legs and slowed her descent a quarter of the way from the bottom. Not as slick as Sevon’s system, but only a little slower and less equipment to lug. Safely down, she unstrapped her Firelance Rifle and slid the bastardly ion blaster into the front lower rail, where it locked neatly, making it into a clean over/under weapon. She hand signaled that she was down, and queried if they were clear for the moment.

They were, and the pair moved as silently as possible. The facility required a large volume of air, hence the size of the ventilation system. Better to overdo it than not have it when it was needed. She followed Khendon to a major junction and something of a hole in the layout. This spot gave them assault options, left them with solid points for retreat (if needed) and attack. It also put them into the science wing, where her Firelance would be useful in bringing down scientists. So ordered, Adia weakened the panel that held them aloft with four quick blasts from the plasma cutter, and punched it. It clattered to the ground. Khendon’s blaster made quick work of the posted guard. They dropped down three meters to the floor below.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon wasn’t wearing an operation’s helmet. It wasn’t that he particularly disliked them; on the contrary, he enjoyed their enhancements. Instead, this was a situation where he wanted his “foes” to see the Executor’s face.

The dark soldier walked up to the first fallen security officer and looked down. He examined the way the body sprawled, its musculature, and the armament and armor. It wasn’t what he was looking for.

Khendon was about to tell Adia something when a nearby door slid to the side with a solid thud. A mist seeped out, as if the climate were cooler from within. Jade color stretch in a steady glow from the newly revealed space.

From within emerged a figure clad head-to-toe in gray heavy armor. His body was lithe and cut like a stone warrior. There was death reflected in the contours of his mask and purpose in his demeanor. On the armored figure’s right arm was a multi-barrel weapon—a laser gatling.

“Frell,” mouthed Khendon as he turned from the newly arrived defensive measure and sprint toward Adia, “MOVE!” he shouted as the first fragments of polished floor turned to shattered bits of projectile destruction.

A rain of red energy had been unleashed from the gray-armored individual’s weapon. It swept toward Khendon and barely missed him as he jumped to the side and kicked off the wall in a brilliant summersault.

This was one of them.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia had already gained several meters on Khendon. She was faster and was sprinting hard for the next turn in the corridor.

The multi-barreled weapon spat blaster bolts haphazardly. It was a suppression-fire weapon, although in this much space it could be incredibly lethal. Instinct told her to dive and she did. The hand contorted her body and landed flat on her back as several bolts whisked past. She slid; her low friction armor against the slick floor gave her time. The Firelance was a very precise weapon, especially hers. The frame had been reinforced to better protect the competition grade focusing crystals. She shot, and aimed to disable the anti-squad blaster. The second was aimed at the monster’s head, but went wide. Adia had slid over a crease in the floor as she pulled the trigger, sending it just over.

It took a moment for the mountain to realize its weapon was dysfunctional. Time enough for her to return to her feet.

“Your briefing was lacking, Executor!”

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon stood in a combat stance, a smile squarely perched on his smug face. “We’ll talk about that later,” he managed as he drew his disruptor and leveled it.

“In the name of the Imperial Executor,” it didn’t like that invocation, “you will set aside all weapons—“ no, it was definitely angry. Before Khendon could continue, a snap-hiss signaled the release of devices from the monster’s arms.

The Executor took a step to the side. Where he had stood before, the tile was crushed and a scar bore witness to the lashing of a vibro-whip.

“Hardball,” he unleashed his disruptor on full force and watched the juiced-up energy beam collide squarely with the beast’s chest. A cloud of gray, noxious smoke billowed from the spot; but, it did not deter the solider underneath the combat gear. In fact, the skin that was revealed barely had signs of burns.

“Frell,” he jumped and came out of a roll several meters away. This thing just didn’t want to go down!

[Adia Issoris]

That armor must have been at least four centimeters thick. It probably belonged to a starfighter at one point, and someone had the idea of putting it on the beast. If Khendon had told her what was in the facility, she would have brought a disruptor. Now the thing was angry, and had a vibro whip.

Adia closed the distance, charring the armor with impotent blaster bolts. She maneuvered in closer, her shots blackening the chest plate around the hole. The bolts didn’t seem to be bothering it much until a quick burst hit home, and it roared. It raised the whip and lashed out at The Hand. She ducked, but the deadly tip grazed the side of her helmet, gouging out the heavily reinforced plastic to the metal.

[Khendon Sevon]

With the heavily armored trooper distracted, Khendon had time to aim. He used those precious seconds to set his sights on the sweet spot. A delicate squeeze and his disruptor lurched in his hands.

The resulting wave of condensed and over stimulated energy lashed out in a crimson beam and smacked the demonic-looking beast in the side of the face. Its body stood for a moment as the remnants of what once was a head smoldered. Not exactly a pretty sight; but, rewarding, never the less.

The body fell to the duracrete floor with a solid thud and Khendon smiled. “Not bad,” the pack ejected from his weapon and he slapped in a new one. It was definitely not an energy efficient blaster—two shots and he needed to change the cartridge for max power.

In a smooth move, the Executor holstered his disruptor pistol and used his toe to kick up the fallen shard rifle. He shouldered the weapon and grinned deviously.

[Adia Issoris]

Inside her helmet, Adia sneered. She was beyond irate at Khendon’s lack of information sharing, essentially sending her in unprepared. It was possibly his plan all along. Neither Intel nor COMPNOR would notice her disappearance, due to how she worked.

On the other hand, it was possible he had simply underestimated the enhancements that the project had brought in terms of bipedal physiology. Either way, she was nearly over her head and needed to be on her toes.

She crept along while Khendon took point. While she had memorized the facilities layout, it was obvious that he was more intimate with the structure. If they were lucky, the rest of the complex would be regular guards and automated defenses, which she was more than prepared for, but Adia doubted it.

[Khendon Sevon]

Khendon kept his rifle tucked firmly against his shoulder and scanned the surrounding corridors. He was getting close to his goal. The fact that the company’s project was ahead of schedule would make this all more satisfying.

The scientists' barracks would be close by.

The guards might be alert by now.

The Executor found himself in a wing with doors on either side. Each had a plaque with Dr. this or that. He was in the right spot.

He pressed up near a door and signaled for Adia to pick one and do the same. A gentle press of the entry button and he was in, rifle leveled.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia positioned herself out of view and hit the entry button. The door slid open, and The Hand suddenly filled the doorway. She advanced in, rifle in the right hand, left extend forward, bent slightly and readied to fend off and sudden rushes. Her thumb rested near the mode switch. The rooms were not very large, but this one was evident of a chaotic but brilliant mind. It was cluttered, but not unsanitary. Datapads with unfinished equations were the order of the day. A clothes hamper, half full, occupied a rear corner opposite a small bed that looked far more comfortable than the normal barracks fare. The fresher door was closed, but Adia jumped onto the bed instead, and pushed off against a wall, moving it a good half-meter. Nothing was there.

She didn’t bother trying the handle, instead kicking the flimsy fresher open, revealing a middle aged human woman who looked rather alarmed. Adia thumbed the switch to stun and dropped her with only a quiet outburst, amounting to more of an “ah!” than an “AAAAAAAHHH!”

[Khendon Sevon]

The room smelled of stale beer and body odor. There was clothing strewn about in a haphazard and wanton manner—this guy wasn’t the neatest of the litter. Khendon’s rifle swept the area and took aim at the closet door. It was a fraction open.

With gray eyes storming, Khendon expanded his Force sensation. Life. Fear.

He edged closer and his pulse began to quicken. Excitement flooded him—no matter how many missions he went on, it was always a thrill.

With the muzzle of his weapon, he quickly slid the door open and smirked. “Are you going to shoot me?”

The man held a blaster leveled at the Executor’s grinning face.

“Ye, ye, yes!” It was whispered through clenched teeth and utter terror.

“Good,” the man’s wrist was broken as the butt of Khendon’s rifle pinned it between the steel reinforcement and the synthetic doorframe. A satisfying CRACK carried through the weapon and settled in the soldier.

“Dr. Agratan, I assume?” His question didn’t get answered. The door to the room slid open and Khendon only had time to turn around and fire off a single round.

The projectile calculated the distance to the target and, since it was set to anti-personnel, split up into a few dozen fractals traveling at high speed. Normally, these would have shredded a man. This wasn’t a normal man.

Disappointment hit Khendon as he watched layers of specially engineer protective flesh absorb and stop the fragments of deadly metal.

A curse escaped the tight coil of the Executor’s mind as his weapon was batted away and the large, muscular, nearly naked assailant rammed his shoulder into the Imperial. There was momentary resistance from the wall behind Khendon until it crumbled and both bodies were flung into the adjacent room.

[Adia Issoris]

Khendon’s encounter with another one of the freaks was loud. Adia looked up from the collapsed woman, recognizing the sound of collapsing plastic partitioning. She darted across the hall into the open door. The first thing she noticed was the awful smell. The next was the wall torn asunder. Khendon’s armor impacted the floor with a whining scrape as the nearly naked experiment drove him down. It reared up, lifted a massive fist to smash Khendon’s face into oblivion. Adia’s vibrodagger protruded through its throat. The thing's next breath was a gurgle, and the fist seemed to stop.

[Khendon Sevon]

The body slumped with a sigh of air. With a bit of effort, Khendon pushed the nearly naked form away and sat up. A wry grin formed on his lips, “I had him, you know.” He winked and stood. A gloved hand brushed bits of broken wall from his armor.

That same smile slid off the Executor’s face as he pivoted on his heel, drew his disruptor, and fired it point blank at the rising form of the gurgling warrior. The pool of blood that had formed from the torn open throat boiled and flesh baked.

Normally, a disruptor at close range would be enough to incinerate a body. Yet, large segments of organ and muscle still remained after the unleashed energy. It was as if the body had been specially designed to take inordinate amounts of damage and still achieve its purpose.

“So, you found one, I assume? Here’s another. There are four more doors and I think they’ll have heard my, uh, incident. So, let’s round them up fast, stun them, and kill whatever guards remain.

“So, you go take care of the scientists. I’m going to slice into the security mainframe and track down the remaining guards.”

[Adia Issoris]

Adia ducked out of the room wordlessly. She had a job to do. On her way back out to the hallway, she heard the sound of three sets of boots. She stopped and slinked away from the doorway. Silently, she pointed her blaster eye-level for the average trooper.

A guard walked in to inspect the strangely open room. She shot him square in the helmet. The body fell like a wet towel. Adia rounded the corner crouched and filled the doorway with cover fire while she picked up the body. The Hand used the dead security agent as shield and gunned down the two others after a brief exchange of blaster fire. Apparently security clearances didn’t mean sharp shooting. She dropped the body shield and checked the next rooms. Both were locked, probably after hearing all of the clatter. Adia pulled her vibrodagger and pried open the nearest lock. A bit of slicing and splicing, and the door slid open, revealing a very surprised Sullustan. She stunned him. She looked over at the thin wall separating the different rooms and wished she had a vibroaxe.

[Khendon Sevon]

Finding a universal dataport connected to the facility’s network was easy. Breaking the military grade encryption would be a bit more work.

Khendon sat in one of the, now unoccupied, rooms with a datapad trailing cords shoved into various jacks. One of these wires snaked up Khendon’s arm and ended in a thin, needle-like plug that fit snuggly into a pin-hole behind the man’s ear.

With neural processor running at lightning speed, the Executor was rapidly shredding layer upon layer of security. He was peeling back the protection like skin from an orange. Soon enough, he would have complete freedom throughout the secure network.

Not soon enough. The corner of Khendon’s eye caught the metallic reflection of a sphere. His ear picked up the whump, whump, whump of a low power repulsor.

In a blur of motion, the Executor unraveled the cord around his arm and pulled his lightsaber. The first blast slapped into the field of energy and returned to where its sender had once been.

The fast flying attack-droid zipped out of the way—clearly it had some sort of evasion scripting.

Not good. Another blast, this time he jumped out of the way, cord dancing with the move. The datastream persisted. He would crack this system.

Khendon flung his saber.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia made due with her vibroblade, and listened closely for any doors opening. For once, she was lucky. The last scientist was hiding in the bathroom and hadn’t noticed her slicing the prefab wall apart. She waited in the doorway, defending the valuable science team from any interlopers.

[Khendon Sevon]

In a brilliant hail of sparks and whine of death, the droid fell to the floor. The loud clatter was enough to wake the dead. Good job, Sevon.

Click. It was done. He had what he needed.

The Force brought Khendon’s saber to his hand and he smirked—this entire event wasn’t half as difficult as he had predicted.

He poked around and found Adia babysitting, “Honey, I know where the rest of our guests are. Would you like to put the children to bed and join me?” The Executor winked.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia would have rolled her eyes, but she just wanted to be done with this place.

"Affirmative." Khendon could hear the ignition chamber hum for a moment while the Hand flipped the switch back over to lethal.

[Khendon Sevon]

It didn’t take long to wrap up the loose ends. A pair of sharp scissors later, the two were standing in front of a large vault door.

“So, uh… Open Says Me!” He grinned and walked up to a card reader. Khendon’s suit jacked into the device. Before he could say another word the door slid open with a loud swoosh.

“That was easy enough...” The Executor’s grin spread into a full on smile.

The darkness of the massive corridor was interrupted every few feet by enormous green vats that each stood a good eight meters tall. There were racks of more of the eerie structures to the ceiling—which was not perceivable in the shroud of black that encompassed Khendon’s limited view.

Normally the Executor would be afraid of such a sight. Except, he knew this was all for him.

“Perfect. You’re dismissed, Adia. Good work.”