The Tip of the Spear

Episode I: The Freelance Opportunity

Earlier ...

Grand Army of the Republic Trailing Sectors Command - Denon

Master Rahm Kota leaned back in his chair, wearily rubbing at the worry lines at his temples as the tablet he had just laid on his desk glowed mockingly. The War had been going for three months, the Separatists clearly more prepared at this early juncture than the Republic had been. Moving supplies around to where they were needed had been a nightmare, with often times shipments ending up in the wrong system ... if at all. Ordinance sitting in warehouses, a target for the opportunists. Movement through the full length glass of his office door drew his gaze and he motioned for Edite, his Republic Intelligence officer to enter.

The door slid aside with a pressurized whoosh, the Balosar woman excitedly covering the distance to his desk and setting an activated holo projector on his desk. Looking up from the floating image of a freighter with a puzzled shake of his head, "Not a military freighter ... what am I looking at?"

"No. Private," the woman confirmed with a shake of her head, her dark braids swaying with the motion, "But does contain your missing shipment."

"Stolen?" Master Rahm grunted, suddenly more interested in what his Intel officer had to say.

"Confirmed. And we have someone on the inside."

Later ...

Master Kota's eyes shifted between the two young Jedi standing before him, his lips pulling taut has he momentarily reconsidered what he was going to say before dismissing the thought with an affirming shake of the head.

"My apologies for the limited time I'm afforded for lessons ... it's been quite some time since I've had a Padawan.
Certainly never two at a time ... but this War ... it requires adjustment. Continuing your training is a priority," the grizzled warrior affirmed, the weariness easily dedicated in his tone.

"That said there is a situation that I will be unable to handle personally," he explained, his narrow eyes taking in the pair of students in, seemingly gauging their readiness, "You two will be leading Bravo Team. As Padawan learners you hold the rank of Jedi Commander which means the clone troopers will look to you and CC-19-1110 for leadership and ultimately their orders should ... when decisions are to be made. He smiled, a tired smile but still comforting, "Remember your training and trust in the Force. It will provide guidance ... you just have to listen."

Now ...

The Nu-Class transport not so gently settled to the metal decking with a hiss, the yellow flashing of the cargo bay's warning lights filled the transport's interior with an eerie glow. As he ramp slowly descended the troopers took defensive positions, ready for any resistance that may be offered -- though a lone Ugnaught, the only apparent adversary.

"Our contact," came the sharp, disproving admonishment of their Balosar intel officer that was accompanied by a emphatic wave of the hand ... indicating they should lower their weapons. The woman rushed to meet the diminutive alien and after a small exchange of words took out her blaster. The blue flash of the stun blast filled the expansive chamber and their contact crumpled to a heap. "For deniability," the affirmed and waved the team forward, "Secure the ship."

---

It was hard for Ani to concentrate on their flight in. This was far more real than any engagement she'd been on yet. She was used to serving in a more diplomatic fashion, behind front lines. But she had known this deployment was coming, of course, and she had tried to prepare as best she could. She was relieved to find they at least weren't met with blaster fire upon boarding.

Their contact had done his job.

And perhaps that was why Ani's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull when the balosar stuns the ugnaught. She runs over, "Officer B'hespon!!... I assume our contact consented to the ruse, but... well, I suspect he should leave here with us.", she stands over the limp form and mutters, "A stunning is poor cover, and they'll know someone just let us onboard...", she sighs, 'Too late now.', she muses to herself.

She turns to face the boarding team, and pitches her voice slightly lower and louder, "Listen up! No lethal fire unless we're presented with arms!! This is a transport. There could be non-combatants on board...", she turns away to scan their exit options, but truly she's hiding the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her in the midst of trying to sounds authoritative...

Wals slunk in at the back of the formation, his ermine muzzle barely poking out from under his hood, as he sniffed the air, wrinking at the acrid stench of blaster fire. He clutched his saber, letting Ani take the lead, and command of the clones that surrounded them.

"We should... secure the lift," he motioned towards the access door at the front of the ship. With the main lift secure, they would have the run of the ship. If they could get right to the bridge from there, they could bypass any crawling through ducts or blasting through corridors that might entail.

"I agree with the jedi. They will know it was us." ARC 7891 restrains himself from suggesting they kill the contact to maintain operational security. He knows that will just make the jedi agitated. He carries the boarding shield. He suspects he won't have many opportunities for stealth on a ship to ship boarding and extraction.

Ducking into the corridor CF-2517 moves forward from the group and checks the stunned Ugnaught, clickThis one seems fine, as the commander says let’s secure the lift. CC-19-1110 any suggestions?click.

CF-2517 checks his equipment, spare AP-M1 Armor Piercing Grenade’s at his belt before standing a moving towards the lift.

Cypher sits quietly at the rear scanning the immediate area "If we can locate a terminal I can see if I can get access to any of the ship systems such as the lift. May be advisable to see if we can disable their comms as well" he says, his voice pitched softer than that of most of his 'brothers'

Ani didn't particularly like the idea of trying to commandeer the entire ship - that was sure to bring them into the most conflict, but she was not the military tactician here. She would defer to her battle-tested soldiers as to what the best plan was, and support them however she could in accomplishing their objectives.

She searched for the inner peace she knew so well by now, and tried to reach her senses out through the Force...

"ARC-7891, LRS-4669 secure the turbolift." Gesturing toward the bow of the ship. "CF-2571, you're with me one the cargo lift. Cypher, find our stolen goods." He moves to the cargo lift waiting for CF-2571 to follow then hits the button to call the lift. "Be ready Generals." Hey says to the young Jedi. He knows they have little experience but a Jedi's power has proven useful, even in ones so young.

"Copy CC-19-1110", CF-2517 positions himself with CC-19-1110 with his blast shield covering the lift.

Just as LRS-4669 reaches the ramp, his intercom sounds off with new orders.

"Copy, LRS-4669 to cover turbo-lift"

Moving quickly inside, he takes a quick scan of the area and moves forward to the turbo-lift. As he moves, his Carbine is up and he scans with the barrel of his weapon for anything hostile.

"Understood" Cypher replies and begins scanning the area.

Ani follows 1110 to the cargo lift, still carefully probing her surroundings with the Force.

Deck 2: Force Cylinder Airlock - The Freelance Opportunity

The stars slowly swept by the cargo bay's open side panel, an occasional ship glimpsed, as the freighter continued it's plodding course to the Denon systems jump point. The dull, blue glow of the magnetic field was a sharp contrast to the harsh yellow flash of the warning lights, notifying those workers who might be working in the hold that the outer doors were open and the absence of red lighting informing them they were safe from the vacuum of space.

The grated steel decking rattled loudly under the troopers' armored boots as they dispersed, taking up defensive positions ahead of their young Jedi commanders with Ani rushing over to their contact's unconscious form. Edite shrugged, dark braids shaking as she responded to the Padawan's compassionate plea, "He knew the risks. And was well compensated ... the credit trail well covered. Being stunned was his idea, apparently reporting a malfunction with the outer doors he was going to check out before meeting us."

Working efficiently as a unit, despite their limited time and exposure with each other, the group fell back on their training - the Padawans, years of instruction and living on the Temple grounds and the Clones the best and most expensive the Kaminoians could assemble - the orders issued and confirmed LOUD in the relatively silent and cavernous cargo hold.

Reaching out through the Force, feeling its essence and that of life around her, Ani could only discern the Clones and a handful of Deno-rats in the search of food, which wasn't a surprise given her limited range and the bottom decks of the freighter comprised of cargo holds. Above, the familiar whine of repulsors could be heard descending towards them - the immense cargo lift not yet in view.

Cypher, having easily spotted a computer terminal adjacent to the hold's only door, followed ARC-7891 and LRS-4669 towards the turbolift access. The door slid aside with a burst of compressed air revealing another expansive room, a short raised mezzanine leading to the turbolift in the middle. Poised, their blasters raised, the troopers quickly scanned the dim interior with the barrels of their carbines and finding no immediate threat. The level indicators on the lift showed the conveyance was descending ...

---

Wals looked around him, bewildered momentarily by the rapid and precise motions of the soldiers around them. As they streamed across the cargo bay with grim purpose and the tense energy of a professional in their element, he could not help but feel a gnawing pit of doubt in his bowels. He was supposed to be leading them, but he didn't feel much of a leader.

But he did have a responsibility. As he heard the lift descending, he approached the door, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt, holding it out to one side. Perhaps it would be best to lead by example...

CC-19-1110 looks to Commander Ebon as he readies his weapon; A weapon he never would have thought to work in a war like this. However, the jedi and their weapon have proven themselves to this clone many times. 'This young one has fight, lets hope he doesn't get to ambitious.' He thinks to himself.
"Commander Barouk, sir. Is something wrong? You look distant. I've seen that look on General Kota before. Nothing good followed it." He says waiting, warlike, for the cargo lift.

"Still not as secret as a corpse." 7891 mutters under his helmet. "Recomend we assume firing positions around arriving lift sir." 7891 is already in position, shield forward and gun braced to fire. "Unless we have another asset on board, we should open fire as soon as those lifts open. Whatever is in there, isn't likely to be a friendly."

Cypher quickly moves up to the terminal and smiles as he hooks up his slicer gear. Let's see what you know he thinks to himself as he begins to inspect the first layer of the systems encryption.

"Rats...", Ani mutters in a small voice, seemingly in response to 1110, but still looking distant...

Then she snaps to, "Nothing wrong yet, soldier. And we're not here to do good. Let's get our mission accomplished and get out of here, yea?"

"Sir, Do you have doubts about the General's orders? We are retrieving vital Rebuplic supplies needed for the war effort." Lowering his blaster to turn to the jedi.