Ask Flashpoint No Man's Land

[Edin Frost]

It wasn’t too long since Edin was given the job to off a very high ranking target. This job was exceptionally dangerous, and the chances of success were variable. However, if anyone would take it on, it was him. Which is why he found himself on Dantooine shortly after the Sith retook the planet. It was a dicey situation and there were tons of rebel activity that resulted in skirmishes all over. While this made for chaos, it was the perfect sort of cover he needed.

The Firrerreo stepped out of the transport, thinking about his next move. Traveling in and out of the main metropolitan areas was regulated, so he knew he had to play this right. The assassin wore some glasses and had a lanyard around his neck. He had procured some expensive camera equipment, disassembled into a duffel bag along with parts of his sniper rifle. It would take a very particular eye to piece everything together and most would simply think it was all part of his A/V arsenal.

He spotted a few Imperials gathered near a shuttle that would venture out of the city. His goal was to get closer to a war camp, which meant he had to be convincing. For now, he didn’t walk over towards them, instead stopping here and there to ask random travelers about the situation on Dantooine.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Dantooine was still in chaos in many parts. While much order had been restored here, that was owed mostly to the fact that the Imperial presence had been strongest here. The IDF had secured a significant amount of ground after the initial landing of the IAC. Martial law was still in effect in many areas, and that would be where Edin first ran into his problem.

Many people weren't even coming to Dantooine, and few people came to what had just been an active warzone a few weeks ago for vacation.

Those disembarking were placed under a certain level of scrutiny. IDF troopers manned the port exits, checking credentials of those who passed through. As Edin's turn came up next.

ID chit? the man said, holding out his hand. The armor and weapons of he and his partner were unmistakable, but they didn't offer any resistance. In fact, they seemed almost bored with this job.

What's your business on Dantooine? he asked.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin offered up his lanyard and badge, “Lok Karn,” He said cheerfully, “I’m with the Hyperspace Herald. I’m the only one that volunteered to cover the stories here,” He looked around himself, “Rumors suggested the Sith shoot any journalist on sight, but I think they’re just misunderstood. I’m hoping to shine light on the positives of life under Imperial influence - primarily around the expanded security and robust trade routes,” The Firrerreo smiled, fully prepared to ramble on about his work if given the chance.

His ID chit would bring up a generic journalist profile with a few names even listed as references. He looked from one man to the other, his face suddenly lighting up.

“You two gents wouldn’t be interested in sharing your story, would you? Two hardworking souls like you have probably seen a lot!”

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The man scanned the ID badge, a holographic pop-up of his face showing up and verifying that it was who he was. The soldier wasn't paid nearly enough to pay attention to what Edin was saying and he checked his chrono, waiting to see how long until his shift was over.

Yeah, glory to the Empire, he said, though he lacked true sincerity in his tone. He was a tired soldier ready to go home and get a meal and some sleep.

There's a lot of insurgents out there still. Keep your head down or it'll get shot off. No one's going to be running out to save you if you get yourself captured or pinned down, he said.

Keep it movin, NEXT! he said, waving Edin through the gate. Unfortunately, being through the gate would put him further away from a shuttle into the plains, but also further from from scrutiny in the city. Most people weren't going to stop him in the middle of the street. Most people.

 

[Edin Frost]

It went about as expected. His rambling and offer to interview the two men meant the line was being held up. As a result, he was passed through without much incident. Edin looked over his shoulder towards the shuttles, dismayed that he was further away from them. However, he trusted in his abilities to find another route. He walked past the gate and over towards a speeder rental place. It looked largely empty because Dantooine wasn’t exactly thriving with tourists right now.

Edin approached the person behind the counter with his license and other information coordinated with the journalist persona, “Hello sir,” He greeted politely, “I’m hoping to rent a speeder. On that note, can you possibly tell me places I should avoid? I hear there have been a lot of insurgent skirmishes cropping up and I’m not trying to get killed.”

He grabbed a map brochure and opened it up for the person behind the counter to mark.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

The Coasian behind the counter at the speeder rental facility looked like he was about as old as dirt. He looked across at Edin with squinty eyes and leaned way too far forward to look at Edin until he was definitely in his personal space.

How old are you, young man? We don't normally rent to anyone under twenty-five, you know? Oh, I remember when my son was first learning to drive he thought he was invincible. Got behind the wheel and ran into a tree within fifteen minutes. A tree on Dantooine! We lived in the farming planes at the time, ha! You wouldn't believe it. There were only about three trees in the whole fifty mile radius, and my son managed to hit it. Not that we don't have trees around these parts. In fact, just outside town there's a whole forested area on top of the hill over the old mine out South of here. You know, I used to work in those mines in my younger days, I couldn't believe when they shut them down, he said, before finally getting around to answering Edin's question.

Oh sure, kiddo, let's just see here. Up in the North of town here you've got a lot of the nicer areas. I've never spent much time up there myself. My family didn't come from money and we had to work for everything we got, he said.

Oh here, let me get a drink for you, he said, wandering over to the water cooler and filling up a cup from the very, very slow water cooler as it blubbed every few moments.

Here you go. Now to get back to my story, we were all mine workers back in the day. Except my wife, she lived at home, but me and my three sons all miners for years I tell you. They never let us mine workers up into the northern district all that much. Too snooty for all that but I tell you that we built this place. Dantooine isn't the place for all their snobby money. I'd stay away from them but you're not likely to be shot up there. They did pretty well under the Empire and never were too open to the rebel causes. Never liked the Jedi much either.

As for the East, you can't find much out there. not much east of here other than the farms and open planes. Beautiful sunsets out there. You can go up to Paradise Peak and watch them real good that way. Great place to take the ladies if you know what I mean. I'm sure a nice young man like you'll have many of them up that way.

Now west of here you've got some of the governmental buildings. Lots of businesses, taverns, and spaceports. That's probably where you just came from if you're asking me for a rental. Well, I'm still not sure if we can accommodate you, but we'll just have to see.

South o' here you got the poorer areas. Lots of them rebels that way and all sorts of swoop gangs causing trouble those young whippersnappers. I'll say, you don't want to go that way. Out South beyond the city limits is the Imperial operating base. They keep all kinds of men out there, patrols constantly.

Why I remember when it used to be just the forest and the groves out there, but a lot of the old animals have been scared off that way, you could sit and watch the varmark play out there all night long if you wanted... and on he went. And he would continue to go on for many, many more minutes.

 

[Edin Frost]

If Edin was bothered by this guy, he didn’t show it. He calmly listened to all the rambling, his ID showing that he was indeed old enough to rent. After the Coasian finished speaking, Edin smiled brightly, “Tell me about it. Us small timers are the ones that really make the galaxy go ‘round, aren't we?” He thought about his own life back home. Could he even call it home?

“I love the outdoors, you see,” Edin said excitedly, “Love finding perches where you can see everything. Now you may think I’m a little crazy but,” He looked left, looked right, before he gestured the Coasian closer as if to tell him a secret, “I really wanna see some of the action I keep hearing about! An actual skirmish! I’m here to report on it, but I can never get close enough.”

Edin drew back, “Are there more places like Paradise Peak but closer to some of the military camps and borders? I’d love to hear more of your stories of all the best places to camp out and just have the best views!”

The Firrerreo was patient and he would be here for hours if it meant collecting extra information about Dantooine. He needed to find a perfect perch, after all.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

You crazy kids always wanting to get near the danger, he said shaking his head. I'm telling you, kid, you don't want to see the fighting and killing, he said.

Just take a night off, go up to Paradise Peak, enjoy the sunset, and then do whatever you're going to do, he said, shaking his head again.

He limped over to the keys for the speeders. Here's the keys to one of those vehicles, he said.

I can't stop you from going out there, but I can't recommend running into any of those rebels. A bad lot they are. Maybe some of them want to help people, but a lot are just looking for a reason to go out and make trouble. They're in the South side of the region, and the Imperial base is beyond that, he said.

He went on for several more minutes that ticked by into fifteen minutes that could easily continue onward if Edin didn't find a way to pull away. Actually getting any more useful information out of him seemed like it was going to be unlikely, but if Edin wanted to hear the man's whole life and family story, that he could definitely find.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin couldn’t help but smile at the concern the man displayed. It vaguely reminded him of his father, a man he had admired but had known only briefly. The Firrerreo took the keys and glanced back at the male, “Thanks for the details. Keep your boys out of the military then,” He remarked before waving and leaving with a speeder.

He was cruising through the fields in no time, the wind brushing through his hair. In many ways it was strange to see so much plain land around him. He had been in Nar Shaddaa for most of his life and he almost exclusively frequented metropolitan areas. Seeing nothing but cornfields or green fields was bizarre to him.

As directed, he made his way towards the Southern region and the fringes of where the rebel activities would take place. He kept his distance for now, hoping to find a lone Imperial on patrol somewhere to get his hands on a comms channel. Edin also took dirt roads and side paths to avoid being stopped for anything, but so far everything was empty.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

As he made his way toward the southern regions, he would find that there were indeed more Imperials in the area. Smoke rose from bomb sites off the road, several vehicles scorched and burned. Bodies were covered by blankets nearby and he would be able to see another town in the distance.

He would see plenty of patrols, but never with less than two men in them. Most were seen zooming along on their speeder bikes but some were traveling in even larger convoys, fanning out from the road as if searching for the rebels responsible.

Another pillar of smoke rose in the distance to his right and some of the soldiers seemed to be heading in that direction. If he continued to follow the road south, he would continue to head on toward the military outpost.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was cursing his luck as he spotted Imperials traveling in groups. However, he didn’t come this far without learning to adapt. As another pillar of smoke rose and the Imperials began to head in that direction, he knew it was now or never. The Firrerreo discreetly followed a patrol from a respectable distance, knowing they would have to disembark at some point to operate more tactically. Rebels weren’t known for fighting in the open and usually used guerilla tactics. If the Imperials remained on their speeders and bikes they’d be trapped easily.

For now, the Firrerreo remained patient, bringing out the camera to hold up so he was an obvious reporter. This way no one would think much about him being in the vicinity or stop him. He looked through the scope of the camera, mainly to spot for any abandoned bikes or speeders. He knew the Imperial ones would all be hooked up to radio chatter that would be extremely valuable to him.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

As Edin drove along, he wouldn't spot any lone speeders abandoned, but he would stumble upon what looked to be a small outpost used by the scouts. Not because he could see the actual location of soldiers or parked speeders, but because out of a thicket of trees he would be able to see a higher than normal number of bikes coming and going over the course of a few minutes. As if they were heading inside to get either rest and food or orders and heading out again.

What exactly he would find inside wasn't clear, but it was likely there would be some unmanned speeders and possible even other equipment inside the thicket. It also offered more than a little cover if he approached from the far side and made his way through the trees to get there.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin surveyed the setting before him quietly. This location was a bit discreet, which meant he couldn’t just waltz up as a reporter. He would have to tap into his more discreet skill sets for this. After a while of watching and studying the general vibe and patterns of people coming in and out, he had a pretty good understanding of the layout and covers. He didn’t spot any cameras anywhere (he assumed this was a makeshift set up instead of a high profile base).

The Firrerreo quietly exited his speeder, slowly making his way towards the camp. He had a few tools in his pockets used for disassembling and rewiring tech. He got down into a low crouch and made his way closer towards the area, using speeders as cover. As a Firrerreo, he had an enhanced sense of hearing, and he could tell when anyone was exiting or entering. He would take his time, but slowly inch towards one of the parked speeders.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

As he drew closer he would be able to see a small outpost that looked like it had once been a homestead of some sort. A handful of troopers mulled around on the front porch or at the far side of the building, but none currently were anywhere near the speeders.

The speeders themselves were parked in three long rows with nearly twenty bikes in all. It was clear that this was not only a popular place with the soldiers, but a particular type of soldier. There didn't seem to be anyone other than scout troopers in the area.

The bikes he arrived at had bags slung over the sides. A quick rummage through would not reveal a radio or a weapon as these were typically either kept on the troopers or built into their armor, but it would reveal a map with several spots marked on it, though not with any particular key for what the markings meant. Food and water could be found as well, and if he wanted he could pry a comlink jammer out of the speeder in the course of only a minute or so.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin successfully made his way towards the speeders, but he was disappointed to learn there were no radios attached. He looked around before digging through one of the bags. He found a map and pocketed it quickly along with some candies. Edin stole those too, deciding he needed snacks during his sniping campout. The Firrerreo looked around for a moment before reaching over to pry a comlink jammer. He ensured no one was around, but he would abandon the effort if he heard anyone.

Regardless of how the attempt played out, the Firrerreo kept a low profile and began to make his way around the building. He needed to get a look inside it to see if there were any ways in. Along the way, he could hear a trickle, looking over to spot a drunk appearing Imperial peeing on the side of a tree near the flank of the building. Edin looked around, spotting no one coming around this area, before he slowly crept up behind the trooper for a discreet takedown.

Edin didn’t play fair. His move would be to outright snap the neck and hide the body if he succeeded.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Edin would indeed recover the comm jammer and not a moment too soon. Just as he snuck away from the speeder, a pair of troopers came out of the building and headed for the speeders, mounting up and zooming out of the clearing they took to the road.

As for the peeing man... it just really wasn't a good way to go out of the world. There was a sickening snap as bone cracked. It wasn't easy to snap a neck, but Edin was a professional - and experienced assassin. Black armor was covered in liquid and yes some of it got on Edin as well... that's what you get for murdering a man while he's peeing.

Still, the comlink in the man's helmet that was tied to his belt was intact and functional, giving him access to what he so-coveted. He would need to move quickly, though, as eventually - be it five minutes or an hour - his partner would eventually wonder where he went.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was disgusted at the splash damage he suffered, but it was negligible when he considered the prize. The Firrerreo was surprisingly strong for his size, and he easily pulled the downed soldier into the forest. He removed the armor and hid the body under a massive pile of fall leaves in the woods no one would discover for a while. The stink would draw animals to come eat it and it’d be just bones left, but the stench was too far for it to reach the little rest station.

The Firrerreo reached for the comlink on his hip and read through the attached screen to see the messaging style. He quickly typed a message relaying to the soldier's squad that he had been summoned back to HQ and would rejoin them later. It was vague and believable enough to where no one would immediately come out to check for him or ask about wherever he was due to appear next.

Edin went back to the line of speeder bikes. With armor, he no longer had to fidget or move around discreetly. One of the bikes the keys left in it, and he promptly revved it up and exited the bay. He would make his way back to his rental speeder, grab his case and listen into the channels for anything about his target.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Edin did not receive any particular attention from those he passed on the road. Perhaps the occasional odd look at a scout traveling alone, but it wasn't completely unheard of. Against protocol maybe, but people got tired of protocol all the time.

And frankly, most people just didn't care enough to look into it. He made it back to his vehicle and case without issue and was privy to all sorts of comm chatter he probably wouldn't really care about.

It would take some time for him to hear first mention of his target, which would give him ample time to examine the area around the base.

It was built on relative high ground, but across a small, valley-like dip was another hill of approximately equal height. The good thing was that it would give him a good vantage point into the base... the bad thing was that if he was seen carrying a sniper rifle around there by the men who patrolled it, it would arouse a great deal of suspicion.

 

[Edin Frost]

Edin was happy to get the comms radio, but he knew it would be some time before he got any useful intel. In the meantime, he made his way over to the other hill - it almost looked like Paradise Peak like that man at the rental shop had rambled about. The Firrerreo parked his speeder discreetly and walked around to puncture one of the thrusters to make it look like it was just a broken down speeder and the owner had walked away to get help. It wouldn’t attract any real attention.

The Firrerreo walked over to the hill and brought his case. He was too much of a professional to be seen easily, and he covered himself in plants and loose leaves, purposely having selected the season to maximize his chances of cover. From an outside perspective, he was soon all but invisible, completely camouflaged. He ensured he was entirely alone before he began to assemble his weapon. After he did so, only the very point of the muzzle was protruding from under the leaves. Unless someone was looking specifically for it, it wouldn’t stand out.

Despite being buried under leaves and being covered in some animal feces (to keep other animals away), he was focused on the job. He listened to the radio, looking through the scope and biding his time.

 

[The Gatekeeper]

Edin's patience would eventually be rewarded, but not for some time. The sun was nearing its setting point when he would hear of the arrival of Darth Staffros. A shuttle came in low over the horizon, blowing over the area Edin was resting. It didn't disrupt his hiding point, but he would be able to feel the heat and downblast from the ship as it flew over and in to land.

It set down on its landing gear and the ramp came down. Though the Sith Lord hadn't disembarked yet, it wouldn't be long.

Several soldiers and officers descended the ramp and then down came the dark councilor. He stopped before several Sith who bowed to him and motioned for them to rise. Even at this distance, Edin would sense something unsettling about the man, though there was no sign he was aware of the assassin's presence.