Death of a Traitor: Chapter Two

[Gunner Stahl]

DROMMUND KAAS SPACEPORT

HANGAR 57​

Abigail Nimbus and her little black dress was on his mind most of the evening after he had left the debriefing with her and meeting the newcomer Ren Vist. The officer was a bit skeptical about having Sith Knights join him on his missions. Though he had initially begun his career working with Baalryric as squad leader of his IFL platoon, he felt most of his special ops missions were ill-suited to the tendencies that Sith possessed.

Regardless, he was willing to give this warrior a chance to prove himself, afterall, if Abigail had recommended him, she wouldn't let poor judgment cloud a mission's objective. Gunner carefully dissected information from the datapad over the course of the night. Laying out coordinates and planning for assault was always more difficult in these solo or two man missions. If he had an army at his disposal, things would be easier, but then again, he'd also lose the element of surprise.

At dawn, Gunner was seen prepping their starfighter for the mission at hand. Two large duffel bags were seen at this feet, likely complete with armaments and equipment necessary for the mission at hand. Dressed in his ebony battle armor, he turned towards the twin doors in the Hangar, awaiting an arrival.

@Caramel Raccoon

 

[Ren Vist]

Ren had departed from the council chambers, going his separate way and making his way back to the room he was staying in at the Purple Rose. He spent the night meditating in his chambers, honing the dark side within himself, the power that held together every mangled cell in his body now, and finding a powerful center. He walked through his own shadows within his mind and found the core he always went to, channeling his strength there. Ren was unsure of what exactly they would be up against in the coming days, and he didn't want to be left unbalanced should the situation go awry.

The next morning he traveled by speeder to the spaceport, following the instructions that were sent to his datapad the night before. The stormy skies of Drommund Kaas hung dark and heavy in the air. He could feel the dark side everywhere here, as thoroughly as he felt it within himself. Wherever the following encounters would occur, he doubted he could draw on it as strongly as he could from here. After several minutes of travel Ren finally arrived at the spaceport, departing from the speeder he had rented and making his way inside towards Hangar 57, checking to ensure that at no point on the journey has one of his sabers come loose.

Ren strode down the halls, a shadow of flesh and metal, until eventually reaching the hangar bay doors and keying them open before stepping inside. Arms crossed behind his back and body forced into a perfect posture, Ren strode towards the IFL operative clad in black armor. Ren eyed the duffle bags at his feet, pondering about the contents inside. Classified, Lieutenant Stahl had said the day before, classified unless the information was released via some form that Abigail would have to process. The intricacies of this new Empire were still surprising him, and though the sense of uniformity and security were definitely enjoyable, having to abide by some system greater than himself was... different.

"Lieutenant Stahl, glad to see everything is in order for our journey today. I hope you rested well?" Ren said as a way of greeting, striding over to stand beside the man and examine the vessel they'd be taking as transportation. If he focused he could sense a level of unease in the man, perhaps towards working with Ren. He doubted it was because the man distrusted him, no, Ren gathered it probably had more to do with the fact that the Lieutenant was simply unaware of what Ren was and wasn't capable of. That was more than understandable, he would soon show his ally that Ren was no mindless brute. "Rest easy Lieutenant, I will follow your lead on this operation, as I'm sure you're much more equipped to go about it appropriately. I'll help ensure no ill-fate befalls either of us."

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

Gunner was checking his armaments and the equipment necessary for the job. Shifting attention he turned towards the Sith Knight, "Ahh, well I'm glad you could make it. Rest isn't easy for men like us I'm afraid, duty always comes first." A slight smirk came to his face as he had a few soldiers take the bags up into the cargo bay of the starfighter. "Ill-fate never approaches the Empire my friend, as you would call it, the force always seems to be on our side. Come, let us travel to Hutta.."

Fast Forward in time...

HUTTA

Spaceport
​

The imperial duo had landed without any apparent complications or interceptions. A speeder for rent took them on their journey, navigating through the crowded streets of Cartel stronghold as they came upon a deserted house several miles from the city perimeter. Disembarking, Gunner carried the bags inside to the living room. Unzipping, he showed Ren Vist the contents. Two sets of binoculars, several grenades, extra power packs for his blasters, and an LRA sniper rifle. Uploading the datapad coordinates onto a centralized screen, a large fortified building appeared.

"General Tobias has been difficult to locate. However unfortunately, his hedonistic ways caught up to him. Not only does this man no longer require the services of women, he appears to have found a male consort. Arcturus Oresky. A blue skinned twi'lek, and manager of some refined ore distribution. The mission is simple, we infiltrate the compound, capture Oresky, and torture him into giving us the details of Tobias' whereabouts.

Now, I have some other business to deal with in the city compound. Rest until midnight, we will infiltrate when moonlight is at its weakest..."

He lit a cigarette as he sauntered from the room and exited into the speeder bike.

@Caramel Raccoon

 

[Ren Vist]

Hutta. What a disgusting backwater planet Ren had the great displeasure of visiting now that this target of theirs had decided to hide in the wretched place. Upon touching base on the landing pad and stepping out into the toxic air Ren was appreciative of his mask's ability to keep out the fumes of the planet. Still, the sky shone with a putrid orange haze and everything seemed slick with some large of bacteria-ridden film. Ren followed Gunner to the speeder rental station, a shabby outdoor stand with the rusted machines lined up side by side. While getting on the vehicles came with great under-breath grumbling, he did so anyway and quickly made way for the run-down hole that would be their hideout.

When the Lieutenant showed him the contents of his duffle bags, Ren looked up at him with a curious glance, though he was aware Gunner couldn't see it. "That's quite the arsenal you've come with. Who are we up against that you'll be needing all of it?" Ren asked, shifting aside to let him set it all down. Ren stood with arms crossed behind his back as the IFL operative briefed him on their assignment, nodding occasionally as he explained. He hadn't done much for the Empire yet, having just gained his freedom, but the description of the man already disgusted him. Odd. Perhaps it had something to do with his habits. And as for the torture...

"I have had my fair share of lessons, as you could say, in the torturing of others. I will assist you in bringing the General in, and once we have him in our custody I will apply my skills in extracting the information you are looking for. Whereas other Sith I'm sure you have met are talented at blunt force strikes and uncontrollable rage, my talents are more of a...clever nature."

With that Ren allowed the Lieutenant to go about his business off in the city and instead spent his time meditating on the Force. This place was a filthy cesspool, yes, but at the very least it was a filthy cesspool filled with corruption and violence. The dark side thrived in the little corners of places like this, and Ren would make certain that he found those dark corners. After several hours of meditation, Ren would eventually rise and find the nearest sturdy table inside that was still in one piece and set it up for the interrogation. It was no stainless steel masterpiece like his Master had used on him, but it would work. Ren shoved away the small sanity that was left in him that cried out against the horrid thoughts in his mind. The rest gave in to the hungering desire to make the General scream as he had.

Perhaps he would be the first of Ren's many test subjects. The last nail in the coffin of the boy who was once Ren Vist.

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

Much business was to be conducted in the time that he had left Ren to himself, meeting with the beautiful twi'lek and arranging the assassination on the crime lord in the casino was one such business. Finding a pilot, that would prove to be a little bit more difficult. Needless to say however, none of these preparations meant much if they couldn't get the location of Tobias from his lover. And so late that evening when lights faded and only the glistening glow of the pale moon was their visible guidance, the Sith duo ventured out into the wilderness surrounding the capital city.

It was a long hike, several hundred meters east of Hutta as they approached what appeared as an abandoned factory. It appeared desolate save for the smoke that billowed through the furnaces and into the sky. Gunner was dressed in an ebony battle armor, grenades armed on his waist band as he slowly pulled out his LRA sniper rifle and loaded a power pack into the magazine. Yanking the lever back, green laser sighting activated as he glanced into the thermal scope. Crouching on one knee, he took a deep breath in and pulled the trigger.

In the distance, the blaster bolt sailed viciously and slammed into the skull of a twi'lek guard, shattering his brain across the unwelcoming ground. Knowing they had little time before their presence was noticed, he motioned to the sith knight besides him, "Let's go.." He stated, as he slung the sniper over his back and armed his dual blaster carbines, darting towards the facility while also keeping low behind cover.

A second guard came outside on his patrol, meeting an untimely end at the lieutenant's hands, two blaster shots ran forth and smashed into his chest. Kneeling besides the corpse, he pulled out a data card and used it on a side door card reader. Fragmentation grenade was hurled inwards, a trio of guards exploding meters from the Imperial assassins, their carcasses flying across along with debris and stacks of cargo.

Their presence was alerted, but as several more soldiers approached, Gunner steadied his pistols and hoped Ren Vist was able to pull his own weight.

@Caramel Raccoon

 

[Ren Vist]

Ren stepped in front of the doorway as the Lieutenant successfully unlocked it and prepared for the oncoming security forces. He was a talented soldier, that much had been clear as they made their approach towards the compound. But it was Ren's turn to prove his worth, and he would do so with vigor. As three guards rushed down the hall and stopped in place, taking aim with their blasters at the duo standing before them, Ren stepped into the hall, his sabers flying from his belt to his hands. And as he passed through the threshold, horror fell upon the men before him. Bolts of plasma lept from the barrels of the guard's weapons, soaring through the hall towards Ren as his lightsabers rose to meet the challenge head-on, crimson blades bursting into life in either hand.

With casual but controlled movements he deflected the bolts away from him, rushing down the hall silent as a shadow through the night. The dark side of the force radiated from him, sucking the air from the space in its place filled it with his emotions: pain, hatred, and misery. The first guard Ren reached was severed diagonally from shoulder to waste, and he wasted no time sidestepping another two shots, his form melting into the darkness around him, turning the dimly lit hall into a tunnel devoid of any light but the glow of his weapons. The next guard was suddenly thrown from his feet against the opposite wall, air being ripped from his lungs as agony set in across his body. Ren deflected another shot from the remaining guard before thrusting out his hand, a whip of lightning striking the man in his chest, crumpling him to the ground. With one smooth flurry, Ren relieved both of them of their heads.

"I suggest you keep up, Lieutenant. I will try to make this as smooth as possible, you focus on finding the asset," he said, turning to face Gunner before quickly disengaging his lightsabers and stepping quickly down the hall. Ren's every step was muffled by the Force as it curled from his body, and with every passing second, even those weak in the Force would slowly begin to feel the pressure radiating from him. He would have to work quickly or risk losing control.

Two more guards met him as he reached the door that led into the main chambers beyond, but before they could bring their weapons to bear on the two Imperials before them, Ren reached out with the Force. Every nerve in their body was set aflame with horrendous pain, the technique quickly taxing Ren's capabilities, but he would hold. They fell to their knees, their screams stifled by a darkness that seemed to roll off of the Sith Knight, and the very same darkness wrapped around them, sucking at the life in their bodies. Two quick surges of lightning from either hand finished the men off, and Ren stepped forward to the door, already feeling weary from the excessive use of the Force.

Still, Ren took a step forward and pointed a saber at the lock, quickly igniting then disengaging the blade, a quick column of red light disabling the lock before disappearing. Ren turned to face the Lieutenant again, taking a second to catch his breath. "Move, I'll cover you. The Dark Side will be our ally, and I will do what I can to hinder any opposition beyond." Ren turned as the door slid open and the rest of the compound laid beyond, and then the two of them passed through to face what came next. Ren unleashed his power not in explosive waves like most Sith would, but in controlled and targeted bursts, aiming to throw anything that got in his ally's way into fits of excruciating pain.

@Faded Truth

 

[Gunner Stahl]

One would have imagined that the compound that stored such precious information would have been more tactfully guarded or at least installed with security systems that could keep out simple measures. He should have known that these rip off cartel thugs didn't have the slightest idea of what to expect. And so as the two imperials made quick work of remaining forces, they barged into what appeared as the master quarters.

And there he was, the blue twi'lek looking as a frightened poodle on Halloween night. Idly standing and covering with a puddle of his own making on the ground. "What the kriffing hells do you want?!" He shouted at the duo, unaware of the elaborate plot that had been installed in achieving this very point. The ebony armored shadowguard as well as his new Sith accomplish were certainly the frightening lot, needless to say a homosexual twi'lek with penchant for reindeer games wouldn't have had the slightest inclination to display any worthy resistance.

And just as unexpectedly they arrived, the twi'lek's existence was cut short. A blaster bolt from the lieutenant's carbine smashed against his skull, prying it open with a gruesome exiting wound as bone and brain matter splattered across the electronics console. Chuckling, he lowered his weapon and turned towards Ren. "I know I told you that you'd be able to torture him, but Its getting late and there are a few ladies that need my company tonight.." Swaggering over to the corpse, he placed the pistol back into its holster as he rummaged through the belongings layed out in open. Hijacking the data pods, he uploaded a series of coordinates as well as relay of messages between their target and his slain lover. "Found you..." He whispered underneath his breath, eyes sparkling with a carnal promise.

Slowly walking to the exit, he patted the Sith on the back, "Nice work, we'll catch up soon again in Drommund Kaas. Enjoy your time on this forsaken world. And thanks again for your assistance." With that, he bid farewell, he had a pretty red colored girl and a casino date to look forward to.

// end thread