The King Was In His Counting Room, But Where Was The Blade?

[Herrith]

@210yeti @Sangga

Naboo...The Witching Hour...
THEME​

Lady Bardok. The Blade of the King. Avlin. She had many titles. But the only one that the Deeja Peak Alliance feared most was the Blade...

The stories that had been spread throughout of her feats were legendary. Impossible. Soldiers thought of her as a ghost, generals as their very likely Grim Reaper. Every man and woman that was a part of the Alliance had heard of the Blade by now, or at least the ones that mattered. Right now, the assassin was hanging from a sheer cliff face, the looming mansion peering across from her position. She scribbled into a datapad, every shot she planned on taking from this position had been carefully timed and calculated. Till she moved in.

Three targets. The Earl of Vis, The Head of Guard, and the Eyepatch, as she had called him so for the sake of brevity. Three days she had gathered information, patrol routes, and HVT locations. And now, clad in the garb of a true royal protector, she hung from the cliff face on a harness, her rifle carefully balanced on her lap. Ten seconds till the next patrol came. Then afterwards there was a five-minute window where she could infiltrate the palace. The two guards here always took a smoke break, side-by side. Everything was calculated. She tucked the datapad into her jacket and put her rifle's sling around her neck, breathing as she steadied the scope.

There they were. Right on time. As they shuffled, there was a brief moment where the two were aligned, just enough where she could kill them both and send them toppling off the cliff. 125 meters away. She took her shot. The bolt seared through the two a couple seconds later, harmlessly flew into the sky, and the two bodies tumbled into the water below. The discharge sound had harmlessly ricocheted off the rocks. She put a hand up to an earpiece and spoke softly.
"And so it begins..."

That was all that needed to be said to her partner, another skilled killer. He was posted up in another area, hopefully able to reach the deadline and rendevous before they ran out of time. She looked at the securing anchor that had kept her on this cliff and then to the second anchor she had placed 50 meters down, which left that line taut. Her plan was to swing all the way to the mansion. Each anchor had another cable that was used to swing to the next. Complex, but efficient. There was a moment of her inhaling before she unclipped her harness from the first anchor point, swinging just enough to the next. And the next. And the next. Till at last, she swung to the top of the cliff face that the two guards had fallen from earlier. By this time, four and a half minutes had passed. She crouched and slung her rifle, going against the low wall and waiting for the next shift to arrive.

Hopefully her partner was coming soon. He had about 25 seconds. That was their window.

 

[210yeti]

Leandros sprinted down a narrow alley headed to the Earl's mansion. He was half a second behind schedule but Leandros knew a few short cuts. I grew up in a village not far fromhere and he knew the city when he worked as a standard RNSF officer in his earlier life. With a hurtle over a wall, He was right on schedule again and with a quick tap on his datapad he let Avlin know of his progress. He grew fond of the assassin even if she didn't. Leandros found her interesting how she never took the time to experience life and instead focusing on contracts. He would get to the bottom of her well-guarded past even though she would probably kill him for it.

Suddenly a guard appeared at the end of alley where a street ran horizontal to the mansion. Knowing that a melee confrontation would take to much time, Leandros drew one of his SP-30 pistols as he closed the distance on the unsuspecting guard. With one fluid motion, Leandros had kicked the back of one of the guard's knees, covered his mouth, and fired of a silenced shot directly into the back of the guard's head. Hastily pulling the corpse into the alley and covering the body with some detritus, Leandros sprinted full tilt to the rendevous point with both pistols at the ready. Any more guards would be dispatched quickly but their bodies would be discovered due to the lack of time.

 

[Herrith]

Avlin heard the man approach from behind, turning her head only momentarily as the door ahead of her hissed open, out coming two guards. Same formation, no alarms. And hopefully no alarms would be raised, too. She pulled a short dagger and jumped onto one, stabbing him in the neck from a position where she was sitting on his shoulders before twisting the now dead guard to the ground and stabbing the second, and now alarmed guard, in the leg, then again in the neck as he fell. She shoved the dead body of a guard off of herself before standing and kicking the two over a near ledge after taking a keycard from one of the bodies. The assassin turned to Leandros and nodded, swiping the card and entering while waiting for the second to catch up.

 

[210yeti]

He watched the assassin kill the two guards with ease as he closed the distance. He returned the nod as he catches his breath and followed Avlin into the mansion, closing the door behind him. "So, how do we play this? You lead or do you want me too?" Leandros asked. He had some knowledge oI the layout do to his early career. He had both pistols drawn and at the ready as he covered a corner for the assassin.

 

[Herrith]

"So, how do we play this? You lead or do you want me to?"

Avlin peeked around a second corner. They were at a side door set off from a maintenance hallway, the guards most likely traveling here to stay out of the way of the VIPs. She mentally brought back the blueprints of the building, or what she could scrounge as blueprints, and nodded. Down the hall to the left led right to the main hallway through an access door. From there, they could make their way through the halls, eliminating targets as they appeared-No, bad idea. Using the maintenance passages would get them from point to point faster and much quieter, as long as another patrol didn't come along their way, though the two could probably handle that. Upon finishing her examination, the assassin pulled up her cloth half-mask from her collar before replying in a near-whisper.
"I'll lead, for now. Guns are a last resort. We'll make our way to the West Wing and find the commander and hopefully Eyepatch. From there, we'll take out the senator. He'll be the hardest to find and kill if we raise any alarms, moreso of any commanding figures are left alive before we get caught, so try not to get spotted."

Avlin rose her knife and blinked twice, inhaling before turning the corner and heading down to West Wing.

 

[210yeti]

Leandros nodded as he holstered his pistols. The assassin was right after all, ranged weaponry should be for a last resort. He followed Avlin down the hall. His mind raised back when he first stepped into this mansion, how overwhelmed he first felt and the look of awe that had to have been plastered on his face. Now there was a look of purpose and duty, though it was hidden under his cowl, you could see it in his eyes. Suddenly he remembered an access tunnel, it was just barely large enough for a man to through but it was only used for emergencies. He quickly passed Avlin and motioned for her to follow. After a short detour, He opened a small wine cabinet and pressed a button that was well hidden in the back of the drawer. Silently, a section of wall slid open to reveal the old tunnel. "I used these tunnels once back in the day, hopefully nothing changed. After you." Leandros gestures for the assassin to resume her lead with his arms pointed towards the door with his head bowed. He couldn't help but hope in this otherwise from matter. It was how he lived with himself and being a spy had its own difficulties on top I work for the King himself.

 

[Herrith]

Avlin had almost felt the tension radiating off of Leandros. Something was up. It was almost like he knew something about this place. She kept a tight grip on her knife as the wandered the corridor and turned as the other assassin opened a side passage that wasn't labeled in the blueprints. He spoke .
"I used these tunnels once back in the day, hopefully nothing changed. After you."

The woman blinked, her grip on the knife tightening. He could very well be a double agent, some kind of undercover turncoat spy for the Alliance. Her face showed no expression as she walked past, replying in a monotone voice, "Always the gentleman. Lead the way."

If he was taking her in to a trap, she was going to find out soon. It'd just be unfortunate for the man if he tried to double cross her.

 

[210yeti]

Shrugging, Leandros drew one of his pistols and headed down the tunnel. Though her voice was one dimensional, he could see through it. He had been around enough politicians to know he wasn't trusted but he didn't care. Leandros knew these tunnels would lead to their targets main offices and Avlin would just have to apologize for her mistrust. After a few minutes, the tunnel split off in various directions with old faded signs covered in cobwebs telling where which tunnel led where. Kneeling down and listening for a moment to check if they were alone, Leandros looked back and asked, "who do you wan to go after first?" Leandros went on to explain which path went to which office of which head of whatever of the Earl's house.

 

[Herrith]

"Who do you want to go after first?"

They had come across a junction. It seemed Leandros wasn't completely trying to deceive her. But often deceit was hidden in fact. Avlin herself was someone who knew this best. As the other assassin explained where each path led, she waved a hand, having already understood how to read. The guard captain. Without organization, the troops here had nothing. Of course, officers would soon take control, but that was, hopefully, after the two were long gone.

"Guard Captain. Take out the head of the snake. Then we can work on the rest."

She headed in that direction, steeling herself for what came next.

 

[210yeti]

Following Avlin, Leandros stayed close. The lights were known to flicker and getting disoriented in these tunnels were going cost them. He still felt untrusted by the Blade and he knew that this looked like a trap but Leandros was loyal to the King. After a few minutes, the dastardly duo reached a door sized panel with a view port just big enough to re into the Head of Security's office.

 

[Herrith]

As the lights flickered quietly, the surroundings were even more eerie than before. Not that Avlin feared anything. She trusted herself to react appropriately. The winters of Eriadu during her childhood, with the wolves just outside of the cabin...that was an experience. Nothing came close to that. Not this. As the two assassins approached a door panel with a viewport, the assassin peeked inside. The Head of Security's office. Of course.

And there the lady was, doing papers. Nothing unusual. Of course, usual had its perks. It let people's guards down, as proved by the guards who had taken a 400 meter plunge only minutes earlier. She turned to Leandros with a tilt of her head.
"So you aren't a turncoat after all. Any ideas for taking her out? I was thinking something along the lines of Hangman. Ever played that game?"

Her humor was sick, she knew, but it was her humor and she expected disgust. However, this other assassin was a loose screw, judging from his personality and willingness to stick with a person like her. Av would find out soon enough.

 

[210yeti]

"So you aren't a turncoat after all. Any ideas for taking her out? I was thinking something along the lines of Hangman. Ever played that game?"

Leandros looked at the Blade for a moment. A stifled snicker could be heard from under his cowl and soon his eyes shut as he hold his gut. "I have heard of it but i never thought you would be the one to crack a joke using it." The spy kept trying suppress his giggling but he knew there was no point. He finally got his snickering under control and looked back at Avlin, "lets be quick about it. Wouldn't want to keep our other targets waiting." Leandros whispered as he opened the panel.

Leandros descended on the woman and covered her mouth with one hand and jabbing his silenced pistol in her side. "Easy now. We arent here for you. We just want some information." He said in a stern, hushed voice as he dragged her away from her desk. He knew each desk in the mansion had a silent alarm to the guard posts amd the main security office. There was no humor during work time, it was a cruel truth about him and his work. These were his people and here he was assassinating them like dogs but he had sworn an oath to his King and his King had ordered this.

 

[Herrith]

Avlin watched as he dragged a secretary into the side room. His face showed no expression, but it was almost like there was a hesitance to doing all of this. He may not be a turncoat, but something definitely was up. She nodded to him to release the woman and spoke as the side door they had snatched her from closed, and they were once more in near darkness.

"Who is the man with the eyepatch? A mercenary? And where is the Head of the Guard and the Earl himself?

The secretary looked terrified. She probably was just here to earn money. But so was Avlin, and she notoriously lacked morals for people trying to lie.

"Consider your words wisely. Lying will only inconvenience me."

The woman pursed her lips and then spoke in a quiet and nervous tone.

"The Head of the Guard is currently walking the premises... the man with the eyepatch is...well, nobody really knows. The Earl himself is sitting in his study, or so that's normally what he does at this time of night."

Avlin nodded. She seemed sincere enough. Seemed.

"Thank you."

The assassin pulled her knife and sliced the woman's throat without a second glance, turning back into the tunnels.

 

[210yeti]

Leandros let the woman's corpse fall against the and slump down. "So we still hitting the Head if Security first? It might be better to save him for last." He spoke in a neutral tone as he double checked his pistols. He wanted to leave as soon as possible and get on with this business.
He did not wait for the assassin to respond and headed back down the dim tunnel. He knew where the den was and he knew how to get there so Leandros wasnt going to bother asking.

 

[Herrith]

"So we still hitting the Head if Security first? It might be better to save him for last."

A valid point. Before Avlin could let off an answer, Leandros went off down the tunnel. Guess this meant they were taking out the Earl first. It made sense. He was their main target. She followed after, nothing much to say. As innocent as that woman was, the assassin couldn't care at all. No witnesses. She'd killed for that reason before. No reason to stop now. Yet, this time it just felt wrong.

Oh well. Back to the mission.

 

[210yeti]

Leandros reached the cross roads and waited for Avlin. He wanted to confront her on the she killed that woman. Granted, He had never seen that woman before but everyone has a right to to live, especially innocent bystanders. He triple checked each of his SP-30 silenced pistols and like before they both were pristine. When Avlin caught up, He holstered one pistol and turned to the assassin with the gun in his hand at his hip. "I will take care of the Earl. You find the Head of Security and we'll meet back here and find the Eyepatch." Leandros' tone was grim. He didn't care for what Avlin had planned out before hand, he wanted to be done with this mission and go home. Even though his home was here it was away from the troubles of the King's Court. He headed down the pathway to Earl's private office and from there hecoukd sneak into the den where Earl actually was, if the woman was teling the truth.

 

[Sangga]

A lifeless corpse in an abandoned office. The perfect image for the initial steps of the war. A door opened within the office, one that had access to the corridors of the estate. A perfect pair of polished boots would be stained by the pooling blood of the recently deceased secretary. The man made a curt signal to a few of the assigned Peakman. Trusted men, men that he had recruited for this detail. They knew him, they may not have known him by sight anymore. Not since Theed not since his eye was wounded. But now they knew who he was, his orders were clear. Find the intruders, and execute them. "To think that they walked through here and killed a servant before they could activate the silent alarm..." he took out his own service blaster, but made away from the tunnels the infiltrators were using. "... you may use whatever force you deem necessary, if you find the Earl dead... we would then need to leave as per are orders, with the asset we were ordered to protect."

"Yes Captain." was all that was given in response. These veterans of Theed would make these Dynasty Dogs pay for the insult given to the Peakmen.

The Head of Security received a message from their 'guest', it would only be time before they abandoned Vis. These men were only loyal to the Alliance, and themselves. They had no sense of true loyalty, loyalty to a noble Lord. Ashkana stood up and opened a panel in the wall. She donned her armoured vest, and pads. Then buckled a helmet with an articulated neck guard. Her weapons were next, a pair of light, marksmen blasters and a vibro-knife. With that she headed toward he ward, he no doubt would be in his study, taking in the evening with too much drink and food. Some movement in the corridor had her leap into an alcove.

He was in his workshop, well it was more a corner of a hangar. This would make that bastard Jafan rue the day that he crossed the Earl of Vis! Such a combination of elegance and deadly force. A perfect patrol craft. He would call it, the Steadfast, officially a riot control tank. He'd studied the shielding techniques of the gungan tribes to remove the necessity for heavy ablative armour. Anything a security force would need to handle, even in the most violent of civil disputes, would not get through the shields. It would take military grade weaponry to even be considered a threat! Now with the war, he had reason to mount a repeating blaster rifle, so he added a turret with two on the water cannon's pintlemount. The Earl just rested on a stool, quoffing his drink and admiring his work, his other hand resting on the desk at his side.

 

[Herrith]

Something was wrong.

It wasn't the fact Leandros had decided to go off on his own tangent. It wasn't something they missed or overlooked in their infiltration. It wasn't anything Avlin could logically explain. And logic was her superstition. She just felt something was wrong. The assassin swept through the quiet halls, a shadow that perfectly blended in with the other shadows of the evening. How close was that woman to the so-called silent alarm? If there was an emergency, it'd have to be close enough to be accessible by any means possible and relatively briskly. Which meant that it was a possibility that the woman wasn't as much a secretary as she was a bodyguard. And where did this reasoning come from? Experience with highly-trained 'secretaries' of HVTs. The last thing many lowlife assassins, not her as of course, would ever see the scattershot that blasted their back as soon as they turned. That was why morals had no place in such a job. And why Avlin killed the woman, who could have very well tripped the alarm another way. Perhaps a biometric reading that activated as soon as she was killed. It didn't matter, now. The trap had already been sprung. She very well could have been sneaking to her death.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered now was the Head of the Guard. She was wandering the halls somewhere. The assassin just had to stumble into her...

Footsteps down the hall. Close. The assassin jumped off a wall and did the splits, using her legs to keep her upright on the ceiling. Then the woman came around the corner. Normally Avlin would have just killed her. But she needed answers. The assassin dropped silently down behind the Head of Guard, raising her blaster pistol with two hands and speaking in a low, cold whisper that would send chills down the spine of many. The voice of an emotionless killer.

"Stop walking. Don't turn around, or I will shoot you."

The woman stopped in her tracks. She was smart enough to listen, it seemed. And smart enough to talk.
"I didn't hear you. Impressive."

Nothing but a distraction. Avlin spoke, ignoring the statement.
"You were alerted of us infiltrating the facility, yes?"

There was a slight nod in the near-darkness.
"And the trap has been sprung. You needn't hear more. Kill me, while I still have dignity. Before you become helpless prey."

The Head of Guard turned, slowly. The assassin resisted the urge to pull the trigger. Noise wouldn't help her. Especially with whoever was hunting her.
"How do you intend to do it? Shooting me will cause noise. Stabbing me will require you to get close, and I'm sure your intel informed you of my capabilities."

More diversions. Buying time.
"I presume you were sent to kill me, after all."

Avlin's eyes flicked up to the chandelier twinkling in the shadows. Her grapple launcher was spooled up and ready for use. Then the Head of Guard, quite quick for her size, dashed forward and took the gun from the assassin, who in turn tripped the woman, a tactic which would only buy her a half second before her opponent burnt a hole through her. Avlin sent another kick to the woman's head before springing up to the chandelier from a short wall jump, firing the grapple into the Head of Guard's chest, and grabbing her as she flew up, the pistol clacking to the ground. The assassin wrapped the cord around the woman's neck and then jumped to the ground, the rope cinching. She detached the line from her wrist with the press of a button, and the hanging woman uttered barely perceptible words.
"Run along, worthless rat..."

The assassin looked up at the woman and lowered her mask for an instant before speaking. She wanted the monster to see the face of her killer.
"Hangman."

And then the mask came up, and the Blade vanished into the shadows once more. One down.

Spoiler: OOC

What the splits jump looked like.
Tell me if you need edits. I'm pretty satisfied with this.