Ask Double Dipping

[Cipher 7]

Jacen was still a rookie in the Cipher game, but his beginner’s luck had put him in a good position with the newest overseer and his transition from Blackout had offered him a unique opportunity. His mission, along with Cipher Five, was to kill a Blackout Commander, Railen Ospira, and his alleged mistress Yana Malteesk, a Twi’lek Pirate, for embezzling from the Empire. Supposedly, The Commander was paying The Pirate to hit imperial targets and Yana was looting like pirates do making twice the profit on one take.

Smart, thought Seven, too bad they got greedy.

As soon as Jacen had been elevated to Cipher Seven his past had gone away. He was a ghost in the flesh. So, when he received an invitation to Ospria’s private residence on Niamos, he was more than a little confused. Shortly after he received his briefing from Karn informing him of his task. The play was easy. ISB insider's tipped Ospria off that Jacen had gone rogue and the entrepreneurial commander was looking to make an offer.

He was in the safe house they’d been assigned, a two bedroom flat located, just across the street, was the opulent resort style housing the Blackout Fleet Commander owned.

Cipher Seven lowered his macrobinoculars and let out a low whistle, “That’s a whole lot of house.”

The house was so nice it was almost arrogant. How could Ospira be so dumb? He kept wondering that as he dressed. He slipped into a tailored suit lined with armorweave. His only weapons were his environment tonight, well that and the Quxoni Cufflink's he'd picked up. The security at The Commander’s building was too tight. They had scanners for everything nowadays. He took a drag off his vape. The indicator lights flashed three times letting him know it needed to be charged.

He really needed to just start smoking again.

“Five, you set?”

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five would be seated at the living room table, dressed in all black, a cloudy haze protectively surrounding him as he smoked from a cigarra. The shell of the deactivated smoke detector would be placed on the corner, acting as a makeshift ashtray and a "fuck you" to the hotel's rule of no smoking. The rest of the surface would be covered in his equipment, including blasters, knives, and his infiltration suit. He examined each piece of his equipment meticulously, lost in his own process as he did so.

When Seven questioned if he was ready, Five would stop cleaning one of the dismantled pieces of his blaster to turn in his seat halfway. All that would be viewable would be the corner of his scarred eye, his vibrant green iris, and his stoic look silently conveying, "Don't worry about me." His role was to mainly serve as an overwatch and maintain the possibility of this being done as cleanly as possible. If any fires started, he would snuff them out before they caused too much damage.

After cleaning and reassembling the barrel of his blaster with a satisfying click, he used the tip of his foot to nudge out one of the nearby chairs, having it face him. Without looking at Seven, Five would move onto a blade before nodding his head to the chair and saying, "Sit." They had one shot at doing this cleanly; otherwise, the commander could make the next attempt much more bloody for them.

When Seven would take a seat at the table, Five's gaze would remain on his blade as he polished the metal to a perfect glisten. Placing the knife back gently, he took another drag of the cigarra already pinched between his lips, the smoke cascading out of his nostrils shortly after. "Repeat your whole story to me again. It sounds too rehearsed; you restart." Practice makes perfect. Typically, Five's own blade or bolt would take the target's life, and that was the way he preferred. This time, it was out of his control, resulting in the focus on everything else in his control being flawless. The next knife would be picked up as he listened quietly.

 

[Cipher 7]

Seven’s question went unanswered so he looked in the other man’s direction only to catch some of the strongest RBF he’d seen in a minute. A confused frown would color Seven’s expression, but he’d just shrug and let the guy finish his ritual.

So, Seven waited and was then told to sit.

It didn’t surprise him that Five wanted to go over the details again. It’d be a quality Seven would come to respect, but right now it felt like a waste of time. He kept his frustrations to himself and delivered the required information in a standard military protocol.

Jacen, towards the end of his tenure with Blackout, had been stationed just outside Cartel space. It was discovered he was selling Imperial intelligence to the Cartel, but before ISB could grab him he went AWOL.

The fun thing about this story was how close it ran to true. There were only minor details that needed to be changed for it to be the truth, which to him, meant this was going to be easy as shit. All of the prep work for his character had been done. All he was doing was entering this place as a slightly different version of himself. If Five thought he was going to prep in and give this speech in character he was crazy.

This was Seven's specialty. He was ready to go.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Even though Five never looked at Seven, it was obvious he still listened intently as there would be random pauses before he continued on his process. The only sign that the story sufficed was that he never interuppted and the only sound from him being the periodc clicking of reassembly. By the time agent finished the small rehersal, he completed his ritutal as well by slamming a fresh powerpack into his blaster, the weapon letting out a satisfying purr.

Placing the blaster softly on the table with the other weapons, arranged from smallest to largest neatly, Five finally slid his gaze over to the other agent. The backstory came out cleanly and there was little else for them to do to prepare. Blowing out smoke from his nose again, he ashed his cigarra before handing the remaining half over to Seven if he wanted it. A sort of little peace offering, as if he spotted the dead vape from the back of his head, and a way to soothe any nerves if they were there. If not, then he would just toss it in his "ashtray."

Five would pull out a duffle-bag from under the table after and began to place his equipment inside it. "You'll be on your own at first. When you enter the building, wait about ten minutes before heading to the balcony. You'll find a comm-piece in the third potted plant," he explained matter of factly, having already determined his path to scale and get inside. Once everything was tucked neatly in, he zipped the bag close before leveling his green gaze on Seven, "You won't see me but I'll be watching you. Worst come to worst and you can't retrieve the communicator, use the signal and I'll make my entrance." Five was a heavy believer of Murphy's law and wouldn't be surprised if the signal was used tonight.

Checking his chrono, Five saw that it was a couple of more minutes before Seven's ride finally picked him up. He gave an upward nod to the agent, "I'll follow a few minutes after." It was show time.

 

[Cipher 7]

Seven felt an eyebrow quirk as Five offered the other half of his cigarra. He eyed the vice for a second then reached out and took it. Of the lessons he learned in the imperial juvenile justice system, none was more important than identifying a peace offering. He’d seen kids killed over a misunderstood action. He took the cigarra.

“Sure,” he said, taking a drag. A little smirk flitted across his lips, “This isn’t the part where you tell me, "I failed some test and that I’ve got thirty minutes to find an antidote, right?”

Five laid out his side of the plan. Seven’s brow was furrowed in concentration as he took in the information. They’d been over it already, but he’d come to expect Five crossing his T’s and dotting his I’s.

“Copy that, make entry, wait ten, get the com.” repeated Seven committing the steps to memory. The entry would be the hardest part. It was clear Five was bringing the calvary with him, so all Seven had to do was not fuck up the first ten minutes. It felt doable.

He took a final drag off their shared cigarra and put it out in the ashtray.

“See you on the other side,” said Seven getting up from the table. It was clear they were set to go. He caught a glimpse of himself in the full body mirror. He closed his eyes and started the prep required to ease him into character.

Seven exited the apt building they were hold up in and stepped into the speeder waiting from him outside.

“Good evening, sir!” started the “Driver”
“Take me around the block once before dropping me at the front.”
“My pleasure.”

Seven’s expression didn’t invite further conversation and the driver was smart enough to keep his mouth shut the rest of the short drive.

Cipher Seven stepped out of the luxury speeder and up to the door. There were plenty of people in attendance. The outside of the grandiose resort looked more like a red carpet event than it did private party. Seven fell into the shuffling landing next to an attractive slip of a woman in a crimson dress. Jacen managed to push Six out of his mind, as the woman gave him a sidelong glance.

“Am I making you nervous?” he asked. A small smile tugging at the corner of his lip while his baby blue eyes kept forward. She scoffed, “Hardly, you a friend of Ospira’s or Malteesk?” He considered tat
“Whichever keeps that smile on your face,” he shot back, glancing in her direction then said, “Ospira.”
“That right,” she asked, smile still in place, “You look like a stuffy imperial,” she teased. Seven let the visage of mock offense wash over his features, “Ex-imperial, thank you.”

The pair reached The Doorman and he asked for the ladies name, “Avery Kartan,” The Doorman checked his datapad and waved her in then looked to Jacen.

Avery stepped just past the threshold waiting for him. He didn’t miss the skepticism in her gaze as he said, “Jacen Dolan.”
The Doorman looked down at the datapad and his eyes widened, “I’m so sorry Mr. Dolan, I didn’t realize you were VIP.”

Jacen felt his eyebrow rise, and saw Avery’s do the same out of his periphery.

Fucking Ospira, he thought.

“That makes two of us, my man, don’t sweat it,” he said, trying to play it off. He was waved through. Avery’s eyes were suddenly hungry.

Fucking socalites, he thought.

Whatever, he was in. He started his mental timer and made for the elevator, Avery on his arm.

This was gonna be REAL fun…

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Seven's question about the cig earned a smirk from the agent too. "You wouldn't have gotten thirty minutes," he replied, the smirk feeling more like a disguise as he told him the truth. In the world of shadows, one mistake could either get an agent completely burned or worse, dead in a ditch. A thirty minute window would have been quite generous, especially from Five.

Five left from the hotel exactly five minutes after Seven and found his ride in the garage. It was a speeder-bike, a black helmet hanging off the throttle for him. In case the mission got hot, the vehicle would allow him to navigate the cracks and crevices of the city with ease. His equipment was fitted to the rear of the bike snuggly before he swung his leg over, turning the ignition as the engine roared to life and purred satisfyingly that its legs could finally be stretched. Pulling out, he ripped the throttle and took off onto the street.

Instead of arriving at Ospira's, Five would arrive at the neighbor's house right beside his. Eventual neighbor, at least, the mansion under construction with just the foundation and walls put up. The bike had been parked down the street, hidden out of sight and his escape plan. Five, after lockpicking the front door, went up to the second floor and found a room that overlooked Ospira's house perfectly.

Throwing the bag onto the floor, he began to undress while his gaze remained fixated where Seven was, neatly organzing his clothes beside the back. Five worked in a quiet efficency, this process having been done thousands of times by him. In the matter of a minute, he would be fully dressed in his infiltration suit, his knives sheathed on his chest and the blaster holstered on his thigh. It felt like his actual skin and he missed the comfort of it.

Checking his chrono, he saw he had about five minutes before Seven would to the layered patio. Not intending to miss his window, Five exited from unfished house and snuck through the manmade forest to Osperina's, utilzing the shadows like they were a part of him. When he reached the base of the house, the railing of the patio a few feet above him, he saw the pot for the comm-piece.

By the time that Seven had made it outside and found the specific pot, he would spot a comm-piece snuggly placed against the stem of the plant. Five would already be gone, somewhere out there in the dark and watching.

 

[Cipher 7]

“So, what division of the IAF were you with?” She asked, voice full of that annoying tamber of desire used to manipulate morons.

“The secret kind.” He said, coyly. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself, Ms.Kartan?”

Her smile widened, “Not much to tell, I’m just a pretty face.”

“Mysterious looks good on you,” he replied. Not quite the compliment she’d probably wanted, but close enough.

The doors opened and they stepped out of the lift. He had about three minutes before he needed to step out onto the balcony, so he decided to get a drink.

“I bet you were a grunt. Just boots on the ground.” She said with a smirk.

“I bet you stand to inherit a small fortune,” he shot back.

“Oh you’re fun,” she scoffed.

They landed at the bar and Jacen ordered a Corellian Rye on a rock, and offered to get Avery’s drink.

“And a gentleman, I’m impressed.” She teased.
“You should really elevate your expectations.” He joked.

Jacen took a second to survey the space. The main room was an open concept. Not a lot of walls meaning not a lot of cover. The party was filling in. He spotted several people of interest here, but Ospira grabbed his attention as he threw his head back and laughed.

It was almost time to say hello…

He looked over at Avery, “I’m gonna take a smoke break, catch up with you later?” He said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“I wouldn’t mind joining you,” she said, really laying on the infatuation.

Fuck.

“By all means,” he said, offering her his arm.

Once outside he landed next to the third potted plant. He pulled his vape pen out and took a drag before offering it to her. As her fingers brushed the pen he dropped it. She fumbled for it, but couldn’t catch it.

“Sorry about that, I get nervous around beautiful women,” he lied like a dog. They stooped down for the pen at the same time. While she was distracted he snatched the com from the plant. He was impressed by how discreet it was and slipped it into his pocket.

He flipped it on as she took a hit and then passed it back, “I’m not going to regret this am I?” Asked Avery.

Jacen laughed, “Nah, this’ll just help get the party started.”

“Get the party started” was he and Fives key phrase. It signaled that they were entering the next part of the plan which honestly was way more exciting than the current chapter.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five was practically a phantom as he snuck around. It was rather easy with the inclusion of the loud music and alcohol that flowed through all the guests. That only left the guards to avoid, but their concern was fixated mainly on the party itself, the drunk guests believed to be possibly the biggest threat or at least hidden amongst them.

Navigating along the perimeter of the house, Five found an opening in the security and found a way to scale the building through handholds and balconies. As he did this, he began to wonder why both of them were even here if it was this easy. From what he could hear in his earpiece, it appeared Seven could have handled himself, but he guessed there was nothing wrong with critical redundancy.

When he reached the roof, Five peaked over the railing before vaulting over quietly. Scanning around him, there was one guard overlooking the party, a rifle loosely held in his arms. With practiced ease, the agent slithered to the guard and hid behind one of the air-conditioning units. There was only a couple minutes' wait before the guard clicked on his radio, checking in with HQ or the control room. Once he finished, Five leapt out from the shadows, one arm wrapping around the guard's throat and the other yanking his arm back, the rifle dropping to the ground.

Five launched a kick into the flank of the man's knee, snapping outward at an awkward angle and forcing him to the ground. The guard passed out shortly after, and he dragged the body away from the edge. Spotting a nearby skylight, he spoke into the comm-piece, "Keep eyes on Ospira. I'll check his office." Since the two were able to communicate, there was no need to watch him like a babysitter.

Right as he was about to make entry, Five heard the rumble of engines, the sound at first distant but growing louder. Standing up to his full height, he went to where the front of the house was to get a better view. Out in the distance, he was able to see multiple searchlights approaching in the formation of a convoy up the mountain. When the vehicles got closer, he saw that they weren't regular speeders but APCS driving at breakneck speed. Five put a finger to his earpiece, his serious tone conflicting to the party scene that Seven was in: "We are about to have company. A lot."

 

[Cipher 7]

Jacen held the door open Avery, giving himself a moment to locate Ospria. Luckily, the auspicious former Blackout Fleet commander was dead center, surrounded by a cadre of sycophants. Jacen’s jaw clenched. Avery turned around, all smokey eyes and pursed lips, “Everything alright?” she asked.

Dolan blinked and shook his head. “Damn, this shit’s stronger than I remember,” he lied, she scoffed.

“Didn’t take you for a lightweight,” she teased.
“Nothing wrong with being a cheap date,” he shot back.

Five’s order came through and Seven knew the mission was in full gear now. All he needed was an opportunity.

The posse surrounding Ospria shifted just enough for the man to spot Dolan. His face lit up like a jack-o-lantern.

I smell blood, thought Jacen.

“Incoming,” he said with a quick raise of his brow, indicating something over Avery’s shoulder. She turned, “Huh, you weren’t lying.”

Cipher Seven stepped around her. Grinning liar’s gash of smile sprouting from the side of his mouth as he extended a hand to none other than the man of the hour himself: Railen Ospira.

“I’m glad you got my invitation.” he said with a firm grip on Seven’s hand. The Cipher returned the shake appropriately and retorted, “Surprised you were able to find me.”

Railen laughed, “I have my ways, my boy, come—” he paused looking over Jacen’s shoulder at Avery, “—Oh, how rude of me!”

Jacen stepped in, “This is Avery Kartan.”
“A pleasure, madam,” Ospria said, taking her hand and kissing it. Jacen had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, but Avery did a good job of being blown away by it.

Five’s warning came across the line.

Jacen cleared his throat, “Anyone else need a drink?”
“Excellent idea!” responded Ospria, “I’ve much I wish to talk about Mr.Dolan. A pilot of your skill isn’t easy to come by these days,” prattled Railen as they walked to the bar.

Jacen was very aware of the change in Avery. She was listening to everything. Her shift from socialite to this was alarming enough for him to put her on the other side of his target. There was something off about her, but he couldn’t place it.

Once they hit the bar, Jacen casually removed his cufflinks under the counter and assembled the fusion cutter, and slipped it into his pocket. If shit was about to go down, then his opportunity was nearly at hand. Then it occurred to him, “Ospria, you old dawg, where’s your pirate queen?”

Their job was to take out both, but so far he hadn’t seen the Yana Malteesk anywhere. That was a problem.

“Oh, Yana? She’s around here somewhere, she’s the most beautiful shade of blue you've ever seen,” answered Railen before ordering their drinks.

As he turned back passing a glass of whiskey to Jacen and a fruity something to Avery, Ospria said, “To business, shall—”

BOOM!

The east wall was blown in. The cacophony of libatious levity was replaced by the symphony of terror as the inebriated party goers struggled to grasp what was happening around them. Jacen was already moving. He covered Ospria, hauling the fat bastard around the other side of the bar.

Avery Kartan was gone. He didn’t know what that meant, but he knew he didn’t like it. He spotted a downed guard and a rifle to the left.

“Stay here!” he shouted over the blaring tinnitus in his ears, gesturing the whole time to make sure the shell shocked former Commander understood. He snagged the weapon and peaked around the corner. Armored troops were moving in. Five was right.

They had company.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five saw the convey rolling in and thought quickly on his feet, his gaze swinging over to the guard he had dispatched a few moments prior. He had avoided the man's rifle because this was supposed to be a quiet OP, but sometimes circumstances changed without their control. Slipping his foot underneath the gun, he kicked it upwards in the air to catch it before walking back over to the front of the house, assuming a stable shooting position with his left foot placed on the parapet and his elbow snuggly dug into his thigh.

Once the APCs barreled through the front gate, he opened fire upon them, his precise shots repeatedly striking the driver's side window. His first target veered to their right and crashed into one of the garden statues; the engine block stalled, cutting their entry short. Almost mechanically, the barrel of his blaster would precisely snap to his second target, with Five squeezing the trigger without any hesitation as, once again, the shots struck only the driver's window. This time he was lucky, with the glass shattering under multiple impacts and one of the bolts finally piercing the driver. Instead of stopping, however, the vehicle kept rolling forward and crashed right through the penthouse. The explosion of rubble within the lobby would be from that APC, half of it resting upon piles of rock amongst the bodies of partygoers. The remaining APCs all formed a half circle outside, with mercenaries spilling out as they locked down the building. "Shit," Five murmured, immediately pulling back as the roof was lit up. He was a good shot, but even he couldn't face that many. Fortunately, Ospria's guards outside would pick up the slack, opening fire on whoever they could.

Inside the lobby, the mercenaries that had exited the crashed APC would file out with blasters drawn. Civilian or guard, it mattered little as they opened fire upon anything that moved in their vicinity. Either everyone was their target or they were taking no chances. When Seven peaked around the corner, he would find one of the soldiers only a short distance away and react with his weapon swinging over to the pair. Before either of them could fire upon each other, a bolt would descend from above, striking the man through the neck with precision. As the body crumpled, Seven would be able to immediately hear a metallic clang that bounced around until a pop came, smoke quickly piling into the room after.

If Seven glanced up, he'd be able to see Five in a crouched position on his skylight, shooting down upon whoever he could while they shot back. Even in the middle of the firefight, his voice would be eerily calm as he spoke, his Cipher training having taken over, "You need to move Seven now. Door at 7 o'clock." Even though Cipher's were supposed to be able to act on their own, he saw his opportunity to help the other agent and took it.

 

[Cipher 7]

Five’s measured voice hit Jacen as he pressed against the back of the bar keeping a hand across Ospria’s chest like a fucking soccer mom. Blaster fire ripped through the opulent penthouse as the screams of the wounded and dying mixed with the symphony of war while the armed attackers systematically fanned out over the room.

Ospria was quivering, “Jacen you have to get me out of here. I’ll make it worth—”
Jacen cut him off, “Where’s your wife? We need to get to her, now!”
“S-she’d be a-a-a—” Ospria stammered
“Lock it up, location, now!” spat Seven.

The crunch of glass under a boot spun Seven around just as a blaster bolt pierced the neck of the guard. Seven’s head snapped up and he spotted Five. He nodded respectfully, making a mental note to send the guy a bottle of whiskey.

The Cipher sloughed off the persona of Jacen Dolan, hauled Ospria up and shoved him toward the door. He spun, firing two shots as the smoke filled the space. One caught an attacker in the shoulder and the other caught one in the eye.

Ospira stumbled through the door and Seven stepped in putting a bolt in the panel locking the door behind them. The former Commander was shook. Seven stood him up roughly, “If you want to live you need to tell me how to get you the fuck out of here!”
“We… we have to find Yana,” Railen managed, finally coming too.
“Good. Where would she go?” pressed Seven.

The sound of harried voices outside told him they didn’t have much longer, “WHERE IS SHE?” he screamed. Ospria flinched the shadow of military protocol returning to his pallor. Seven switched on the comm.

“We have a hidden hangar, Yana would be there.” said Ospria.
“How do we get there from here?” asked Seven with a calm and collected tone.
“I can get us there. Follow me,” answered Ospria, a little durasteel coating his words.

At the back of the room Five had called out to them was another door. As the two men reached it an explosion blew in the door they’d come from. They didn’t look back.

As they snaked through the penthouse Seven took point and Ospira would feed him directions. Luckily, the Cipher had the wherewithal to put the commander on the same side as his com.

Every direction the Commander gave would be sent right to Five.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five maintained his suppressive fire on the mercs, allowing Seven and Ospria to head for the door. Even when they got through, his finger remained pressed on the trigger to provide them with as much time as he could. Unfortunately, he was still one man, and the attackers weren't unequipped or unprepared. With the APC right beside them, a soldier reached for one of the heavy weapons inside and pulled out a launcher that he rested on his shoulder. They intended to fully remove him from his entrenched position.

Within the time span it took to aim that weapon, Five saw what was about to be done and booked it as fast as he could. He'd be able to hear the squeal of the rocket from inside before he suddenly felt himself propelled off his feet, an explosion of debris and rubble taking place around him. At first, he just rolled across the room before slamming harshly into one of the AC units as the metal dented. There was his lesson for helping.

Five barely heard the conversation between Seven and Ospria, his ears ringing loudly and his vision blurring from the way he struck the unit. He coughed uncontrollably as he attempted to clear his head, the air clouded with dust from the wreckage. Despite the pain that flooded him and the sweat that dripped underneath his suit, he stumbled to his feet. Taking a peek behind him, a massive hole was seen where the skylight was previously, and the mercs swiftly pressed on below. Recognizing the need to regroup with Seven, he navigated down the roof before finding a new skylight to enter through.

As Seven and Ospria pushed through the halls, one of the doors they were about to cross in front of would be kicked open before Five stumbled in and collided against the wall with a pained grunt. Even in the full infiltration suit, the fellow agent could recognize him instantly just from the way he scanned the two before ordering, "Keep moving." The objective always came first for him. Under the lights, a jagged metal shard could be seen sticking out from Five's shoulder, clearly a ricochet, the suit soaking up the small amount of blood that did leak out. If he was hurting badly, he gave no indication after he pushed off the wall; a quick shake of his head was made before he approached the two, and the pain was shoved to the deepest compartments within his mind.

Ospria took a step forward to lead the way, but Five shoved the barrel of his blaster into his chest, pushing him back and behind Seven as he took the rear himself. "He leads; you still give directions," he made clear quickly, the chaos being a perfect chance for the man to slip away.

 

[Cipher 7]

Just as they crossed the threshold of a closed door, it hissed open and someone stumbled out. Seven whipped toward them, his pilfered weapon leveling on their center mass. Just before he pulled the trigger he registered the infiltration suit and knew the interloper to be Five. Ospria wailed in fear, practically cowering behind Dolan.

“You good?” he’d ask his comrade. He knew Five would ignore it or lie, the Cipher didn’t strike Seven as much of a complainer, but they were on the same team. If Five needed help, Seven would do what he could.

True to form the grizzled Cipher took control of the scene, taking Ospria hostage.

Mask off.

Seven nodded taking point. Ospria was whimpering something, confused about what was happening.

“I suggest you do what he says, if you want to live,” was all Seven said. It wasn’t true. Ospria was a dead man, but if he knew that he’d get desperate. Desperate men were always a problem.

The quiver in the man’s hands told Seven all he needed to know.

“On you, Ospira,” he said, nodding to Five before taking the lead and following Ospria’s directions.

The blaster fire intensity began to slow and grew muffled as they moved further into the house. Ospria lead them to a closet at the rear west end of the house.

“B-b-behind th-the jacket’s to the left. There’s a panel.”

Seven moved and spotted it. It was a lift panel. He hit the button and the back wall of the closet slid into the floor revealing a hidden repulsor lift. The doors slid open and they moved inside. As the doors closed, the wall began to slide back into place.

Stereotypical elevator music juxtaposed the decreasing sound of slaughter above until only the sound of the soft music fought for prominence over Ospria’s near hyperventilation. The doors hissed open. Seven was tucked into the front left corner, weapon leveled and ready, but the coast was clear.

“W-we’re almost there. I have a secret landing pad just down this hall,” he eagerly admitted. Clearly doing his best not to get killed.

Seven took point and began leading them down the corridor.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five barely registered anything that was shared between Ospria and Seven. Just lifting the blaster above his abdomen caused a sharp pain to shoot down his entire body, with the metal shard being the obvious culprit. There was no time to address the injury; the battle was raging but soon drawing to a close as the mysterious mercenaries swept through the house.

Approaching a closet, the secret entrance was pointed out, and while it opened, Five took the precaution of placing the barrel of his blaster right into the ear of Ospria. Surprisingly, nothing stood on the other side, and after it was cleared by the other Cipher, he drug the man through the opening and dropped the barrel from his ear.

When the three turned the corner, they'd see the final door that stood in their way, but more importantly, the two guards in front of it. They at first aimed both their weapons at Seven, ready to start a firefight, before spotting their boss himself being pulled into view as a human shield. "Drop them," Five stated harshly, his blaster once again jammed into his shield's ear. "Gaaaahh," Ospria groaned in pain before repeating his words, "For fuck sake! Drop them!"

The guards did as they were told and raised both their hands simultaneously, letting go of their weapons in the process as they clattered to the floor. "Good," he told them before he kicked his shield in the back of the knee, causing the man to drop and get out of harm's way. In an efficient and cold manner, his blaster snapped forward, and two shots were released upon the closest guard, dropping him instantly. The second tried for his rifle, but his blaster just snapped to that man next before another two shots were released, each one striking center mass. "What the hell!" A shocked Ospria shouted out, but before he could continue, he'd be roughly lifted by Five's good arm and then slammed into a wall.

His vision blurring slightly from having just lifted a blaster only for a few moments, he instead slammed it right into Ospria's nuts, nestling the warm barrel against them as he seethed in pain. "Where's your bitch?" Five asked bluntly, pressing the blaster harder against the man's genitals. The pain had put him in a rather bullshit averse mood.

Ospria pointed to the door and screamed out, "Through the door! Through the door! She should be in the room on the left!" Five then yanked away before pushing the gun against the man's cheek, forcing his head back harshly, and having him stare in the direction of the door so he could watch too. A red ring began to burn into his skin. "If you wouldn't mind, Jacen," he called out to the agent behind him, preferring not to move with his shoulder.

 

[Cipher 7]

As soon as he saw the guards his stolen weapon snapped up. Five took the lead and used Ospria as bait. The guards lowered their weapons and then Five killed them. Smooth, ruthless, efficient. Jacen was already moving forward as Ospria confirmed Malteesk’s location.

“Copy,” Seven replied.

The Cipher stooped down on a guard and removed his heavy blaster. He stood in front of the door. He knew the shots would have been heard. The whole place was on high alert. He smacked the panel, the door opened and Seven dove for cover. A minigun was planted dead center in the room. A cackling Ardennian whooped and wailed while trying to mow Seven down.

“Stay still ya little shit!” screamed the pint-sized maniac.

Seven ran with everything he had.The smell of burnt ozone filled his nose with a chemical tang as he panted, arms pumping, legs churning, blaster fire closing in. Seven dropped sliding in behind a mid-sized storage container. The ping of blaster bolts striking hollow durasteel rang out. Seven counted to nine the burst from the side he’d come from, heavy blaster out front. He fired one shot.

The Ardenian’s head was snapped backward mid-cackle. The minigun slumped and Seven breathed. He looked around, the rest of the room was clear. He spotted the door Ospria mentioned and sighed. This was going to be a pain in the ass. Then he looked back at the minigun.

Seven mounted the turret and aimed his heavy blaster at the door panel. He fired, the bolt slammed into the panel and the door opened with a hiss. The Cipher opened fire.

The minigun spit plasma through the doorway. He cut down two guards on the other side and just barely heard the scream of a female over the whir of the turret. He moved. Seven lifted the heavy blaster and moved with military precision. He strafed to the left coming at the opening from an angle.

Seven hit the wall checking the side he could see, it was clear. He counted to three then entered the room.

Malteesk was slumped against the wall. Her hands clutched her stomach as wisps of smoke slipped through her fingers. She wore a deadman’s grimace. The kind that told you exactly what you thought. The realization of impending death. Her breath was ragged as he closed in. She was scared, her lekku quivered and sweat coated her brow.

“Wh–who are yo—” DOW

Seven pulled the trigger. He ran a hand through his hair then straightened his jacket. His suit was ruind, “God dammit, I just got this…” he muttered as he turned to leave.

The Cipher emerged from the room.

“Got her,” he said, nodding to Five.

They just had to drop Ospria and get the fuck out of here. Seven frowned, Five didn't look good. It was clear the guy was in immense amounts of pain. Ospria began to blubber. Fat tears rolled down his face, fear clutched at his heart while grief stabbed it.

@Orbit

 

[Cipher Five]

Five personally expected only a couple more guards at most before Jacen was able to reach the woman. The idea of an emplaced minigun waiting for them had been one of the farthest possibilities in his mind. His mouth opened underneath the mask in shock, but there wasn't time to speak as the gunner held down the trigger without remorse, unleashing a storm of bolts down the corridor.

Attempting to find the best cover he could, Five simply yanked Ospria down onto the ground before laying prone beside him, showers of sparks erupting above them before raining down. A fucking minigun? The agent thought to himself before glancing over to the man beside him, giving him a look that could even be deciphered under the mask, are you shitting me?

Impressively, Seven made relatively short work of the threat, a testament to his skill and Cipher training, before he went for the room. Instead of clearing it in a typical manner, the pair saw him lift up the minigun to use himself, mainly to Ospria's horror. When the door opened and another torrent of bolts was unleashed, this time on his mistress and the remaining guards, it took out whatever willpower or resistance the man had.

By the time Seven came out to inform them the job had been completed, even though it had been pretty evident by himself, the two would be getting up from the floor. While Ospria was almost lifeless, Five struggled loudly with pained grunts and heaves as he took the man as his shield once more. "Let's go," he commanded tiredly, pushing the man forward to lead the way as the two would pass the other agent. As they did, Five would glance over to Seven before offering him a nod, complimenting his work silently as he preferred not to struggle to voice it.

Ospria led them through another door, which opened into a small hanger with two small ships centered in the middle of the space and prepped for launch. Halfway to the ships, Five would stop before pushing the man onto Seven, stating, "Directives changed. We're taking him alive and finding out what he knows. Take one of the ships and bring him to one of the safehouses." The direct assault that had taken place pointed to something larger. It would be worth it to find out what he knew.

 

[Cipher 7]

Disgust settled on Seven’s face as Ospria sobbed. All the bravado, all the swagger, all the jocularity sucked from him like a blow to the groin. To make matters worse his wet eyes were locked on Jacen. The disbelief, confusion, and anguish warring for prominence as Five shoved him in Seven’s direction.

The nod Five gave held a gravity Seven wasn’t used to receiving, he returned the sentiment with a nod of his own then snatched Ospria’s collar firmly. He faced him forward and shoved the barrel of his heavy blaster in the man’s back. The Cipher knew the blaster would blow the former commander’s kidney’s out his stomach and a part of him hoped he made a move, or showed some sign of resistance. Anything. Anything at all and it would be done, then Five changed the game.

Seven frowned then considered everything that had happened. Five was right, so Seven didn’t argue.

“I’ll figure out what he knows, you take care of that.” said Seven, nodding to Five’s shoulder.

Ospria tried to turn, but he couldn’t, “Fuck you—you fucking bastard! You—you backstabbing monkey lizard!”

Seven laughed.

To Five he said, “Sounds good, good luck patching that,” nodding to the man’s arm. He wasn’t kidding. That didn’t look good and he knew it was going to hurt like a bitch.

The Cipher shoved Ospria forward toward the ship. The Commander tried to run once. Seven blaster whipped the fuck out of him, and the weakling stopped resisting. He bound Ospira’s limbs and tied him off to seat in the ship.

“Why, I-I don’t understand, why?” Ospria began to blubber.
“Take it easy, a job’s a job. You knew this was going to happen,” replied Seven. Ospria didn’t say anything else as confusion and then revelation stampeded across his face.

A few minutes later they were in the air and speeding toward the safehouse. Railen Ospria didn’t realize it yet, but soon, he’d beg for death while telling them every secret he had until they got what they needed. Didn’t matter if it was the truth, it just needed to be a confession.

End.​

@Orbit