Better than Gasoline, Attn: Maki

[Quorl Moranth]

On a planet like Coruscant, where the average person saw a hundred different freaks step off the ship everyday, one Ubese in an “environmental” suit hardly drew notice. With his weapons stowed comfortably in a travel bag just like any other carried by the countless visitors moving in and out of the capital city Twist was left relatively unmolested as he made his way around. These kinds of missions were second nature for the aging Ubese. He’d been blowing up Fish targets for the Alliance since before the Confederation knew there was an Alliance.

Today’s target was an Academy, not that that detail mattered overmuch to Twist. Since landing on Coruscant countless vendors and poorly programmed droids had been hawking the ‘Queen of the Core’ to anyone and everyone but the place was ugly. He’d long since left the well kept, gaudy displays of the top tier and traded the warmth of the sun for the obnoxious pulsing neon signs and fading streetlights of the lower levels. The further down he moved through the towering levels of the city the more he saw what was really going on, they’d painted their shit yellow and now they were trying to call it gold.

The Academy wasn’t on the bottom rung but it didn’t see a whole lot of sunlight either, the Confederation’s recruits were sandwiched right between the muties and the elite. Given that option, Twist would have chosen the mutants. He’d spent most of the morning wandering those dark levels, tracking down the power cords he was looking for. He’d not headed far enough down to run into any Cthons but he’d put it this way ‘It was like someone shook the sky scrapers and all the normal people managed to hang on while the freaks fell’. Eventually though he managed to find what he was looking for, a giant mass of intertwined wires twice as thick as he was tall. He was still miles above the massive power stations but this hub would continue to split and shrink several more times as it snaked it’s way upwards to power the planet. All Twist had to do was follow it until he found the one that powered the Academy’s sector.

As if to highlight the importance of perspective the Academy shone in glory as Twist worked his way back up from the lower levels. It looked like an entirely different building than the sorry shack he’d spied coming down from the extravagance of Coruscant’s top tier. The Confederation Academy on Coruscant stood out for its lack of standing out. It was the only stretch of building he could see without a painfully obnoxious billboard decorating every square inch of surface. A couple of faded flags were its only distinguishing marks. It commanded a reasonable amount of space for Coruscant too, meaning it was surrounded by four narrow alleys and had a couple of derelict and abandoned levels between it and its neighbors above and below.

After studying the architecture and tracking down that damned over-sized powercord Twist had decided their best bet was to find a way into the sub-floor. The narrow gap set in-between two levels was used by maintenance droids, criminals and probably a few other undesirables to direct the massive pipes of water and power that ran through every building, including the Academy in front of him. Hopefully one of the nearby abandoned buildings would provide a suitable entrance. There were plenty of those to choose from, apparently this level hadn’t enjoyed having Fish for neighbors.

[Makivesc]

Coruscant was often noted as the “Jewel of the Core”, and Makivesc could not help but feel the same as he first arrived on the planet. Rather he felt the same as he approached and saw all the twinkling lights from orbit and beyond. Breaking the atmosphere and arriving at his destination he saw that his initial observations required some more thought. Yes the planet was covered in twinkling lights of various colors, but the beauty from above was but an illusion for when you finally set foot on the massive city-planet one could see the true soul of the planet. Makivesc did not like what he saw.

Everywhere around him, various beings tried to sell him items that he had absolutely no use for. Trinkets and small games seemed to be the most popular for they were the easiest to sell without being taken in by the Confederation. Weapons were also commonplace, though the ones that Maki saw were hardly worth the price the pushers were asking for. Many of the ones selling weapons illegal to hold on the planet chose to sell their wares in mid and lower levels. Caution ruled in these areas and it was an area one disappeared to if they did not wish to draw attention to themselves. Maki had done just that after taking public transit to the planet. He carried a non-descript bag that for the moment held various items in states of disrepair.

Mulling over his forged identity, Makivesc wound his way through the mid levels of the city-planet, keeping careful watch that he was not followed. Coruscant was not devoid of Selonians, but it was not often they visited the planet. Further suspicion would be placed on a male wandering the streets should anyone know of their culture. Thankfully there were very few that studied up on Selonians and he felt he had little chance of being caught meandering the walkways. Should he be questioned, Makivesc already had a fake name and a reason for being here: His den had cast him out for breaking their laws. It was a solid enough reason as males were a rarity among his species, and to kill one was possibly dooming the species. Plus his alleged crimes were not sever enough to warrant an execution.

Satisfied that he was not being followed, Makivesc made his way to the spot designated for switching packs. Having taken public tranist the Selonian could not take his weapons with him and expect to pass through the security checkpoints the Confederation had set up to prevent such a thing as Maki and Twist were about to do. Having received orders to destroy a Confederate training facility, Twist had come as the explosives expert. Maki had no training in that area but was an excellent scout and sniper, and was well skilled with the blade.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Maki slipped down a side alley that was completely devoid of life as far as he could see. Without warning a voice whispered in his ear and the Selonian turned while readying his claws for combat. Every muscle in his body had been tensed to defend himself, but relaxed when he noticed the man under the dark traveling cloak. Trading a few words with the Alliance contact who had brought his weapons in an identical bag, Makivesc traded out and hefted the bag with his weapons. “Twist has already begun the first phase. His location is here,” the operative stated as he handed Maki a datapad. “Once you have completed, send the signal and we’ll pick you up. Be careful out there.”

Having traded out for his weapons and received Twist’s location, Makivesc made his way casually to the Ubese, always mindful of his surroundings and watchful for suspicious persons. Finding Twist was easier with the directions and datapad than should he have simply been told which way to go. Coruscant was a confusing maze of pathways, dead ends and the like. Maki noticed the Ubese and was careful not to startle him as he approached. “Twist,” he said with a polite nod. Maybe I have been spending too much time with the Humans. I’ve begun to pick up their habits.

“I arrived as quickly as I could. No one followed me and I made the switch without incident. What is the current status?”

[Jax Erith]

((Hey I'll be joining up with you guys, this would be my first post on SS. So feel free to critique me.))

Jax needed to do something with his last week morning over his brother's death. Maybe if he moved on, Ser would be pushed to the back of his mind. He didn't remember who suggested he go on a sabotage mission on Coruscant. But it would be better than hiding out in his barracks.

However once Jax stepped off his transport to its lower city he knew Coruscant wouldn’t help him much. Though this was Jax's first time on Coruscant he could tell from the dull gray buildings, tight quarters, and aggravating neon signs. This wasn't going to be a place he would enjoy. Jax scowled and started making his way through the dense crowds.

Soon though everywhere Jax looked he was disgusted by the lower city. Every aspect of it was different than Dorian. Instead of hope and knowledge, despair and ignorance flourished. People cheated, beat, and abused one another. Every one of Jax's principles was violated in just a brief span. Honor didn't exist here. Kindness didn't exist here. The Kel Dor found his anger rising quickly.

He had to suppress it though, the mission still loomed. He along with two other Alliance members were tasked with destroying a Confederate Academy. This would be interesting at least; his partners would be new faces. A Salonian, and an Ubese.

A grimy weapon dealer quickly took note of Jax's empty pistol holster on his blast vest."I got the best blasters my friend. Real cheap too."Jax tried to ignore the little man. Knowing that whatever the man wanted to peddle to him it was low grade and probably illegal. Though after several one sided arguments for weapon prices, Jax couldn't take it any longer."How about we talk about this away from prying eyes." Jax casually remarked.The grubby dealer’s eyes lit up, probably because something like this only happened one in a thousand times. Jax left the dealer in an alleyway, letting the gravity of his threat to bring the wrath of the Dolomar Confederation sink in. Quickly Jax hustled though the ever thickening crowds to his Alliance contact on Coruscant.

Eventually Jax found himself in front of a green neon sign bearing the scrolling word for "pet" in many different languages. Jax stepped into the ugly shop below. Inside he found a long black duffel bag lying behind a stack of boxes labeled gizika food. After checking it for his sword, 22t4 blaster, a small pile of five grenades, and a data pad with direction to the target he exited the shop. Making his way to the meeting spot, his bag in hand.

The Academy was an enjoyable sight for Jax. Perhaps because it didn't have annoying neon signs or perhaps it was going to be destroyed, along with everyone inside. Jax quickly dismissed the cynical thought, instead filling his mind with the scenery.Soon though Jax had stepped into a small empty ally way next to the academy. At the end of it stood two figures. The nearest one was a Salonian, and next to him was an Ubese.

“I arrived as quickly as I could. No one followed me and I made the switch without incident. What is the current status?” Jax heard the Salonian say.

Jax stepped closer, both of them turned to his boot strikes. "Makivesc and Twist I presume. I'm Jax Erith the third man on your team."

[Quorl Moranth]

It wasn’t a long wait before Twist’s companions for this little venture appeared. The Selonian was instantly recognizable as Makivesc. He and Twist had both been around from the beginning and there hadn’t been too many furred members back then. He was army and didn’t work with Twist often but he was a veteran of the conflict and it took skill to survive this long against the Confederation. The Kel Dorian was unknown to him though. He was army as well and though Twist had read the man’s file he hadn’t met him in person yet. Both showed up at pretty much the same time and had their things with them.

Twist offered each man a barely perceptible nod and began moving in the direction of the nearest abandoned building. They might have expected more in the way of greeting after their hellos but he wasn’t one much for words, that was part of the reason they called him Twist. Bombs, silence and a horribly failed promotion argue the title ‘Twisted’ was a worthy one. With his bag in his good arm he shouldered the unlatched door inward and kept his mechanical arm pressed tightly against his side. Most people who first met him assumed the arm was damaged or deformed the way he held it stiff as a board all the time. The truth was it worked even better than his left but he’d spent 4 years with dead weight attached to his shoulder and the habit had stuck.

Inside the building the place was gutted, trash and what looked a lot like human waste were the only things in sight. Dust outlines hinted at what furniture there had been but scavengers had gotten to it long ago by the looks of things. The emptiness was a convenience for Twist. He wasn’t trying to start up a boutique, just pry open the floor plating and get to the sub-level. Once inside it’d be as easy as finding the Academy’s armory, igniting some of the ‘big boys’ toys if they had any or improvising some of the fake ones if they didn’t. Once he’d found the spot he was looking for, a loose plate by what looked like the outline of a desk, he pried it open and took a look at the level below. There wasn’t enough room to stand but more than enough room to move about.

Satisfied with their entrance he unpacked his sack and went over the plan with the others. He didn’t know if they’d done any scouting of their own but from what he’d gathered this was the best approach. “As soon as we get to the Academy we make straight for the armory, set it alight and get out. Split up when we’re done and meet off planet.” His voice was raspy and quiet even with the voice amplifier and it was hardly the most detailed debriefing but these were smart men or they wouldn’t have been on the mission.

The brief speech out of the way, Twist hung his disemboweler at his hip and held his grenade launcher in one hand as he dropped into the dark sublevel. It was dark and cramped and he was forced to crouch but it should be too difficult to find a hatch leading up to the Academy. As soon as he landed lightly he moved ahead to make way for his companions and began seeking out the right spot. Luckily the trip wasn’t long enough to get lost, just crossing the alley above them. Once he thought he’d moved far enough he started search for an opening in the low ceiling.

(Does Twist find a hatch leading up to the Academy?)

[Mercury Flux]

(( He does find a small hatch, obviously barely used. It's tough to open, but otherwise everything's fine. ))

[Makivesc]

No sooner had he arrived and spoken to Twist than Makivesc heard boot fall and turned with surprising speed, his teeth bared and uttering a low growl. Confederate involvement this early in the mission would cause it to be scrapped and that wasn’t something the Selonian wanted. Instead of seeing someone dressed in the standard black uniform of the Confederation, he instead saw a Kel Dor who spoke to them. Introducing himself as Jax Erith, Makivesc calmed slightly though he allowed his hackles to remain raised. Sneaking up on a Selonian was a very bad idea and he wanted to make sure this new arrival knew that little fact.

Without a sound the Selonian acknowledged the Kel Dorian’s introduction with an almost imperceptible nod, similar to the one Twist gave to the two of them. Another trait he had picked up from living amongst Humans for such an extended period of time. Makivesc had decided long ago that he liked the Ubese man for he spoke little, and when he did he was always to the point. There was no beating around the proverbial bush with that one.

Instead of waiting or offering further greetings, Makivesc placed his bag on the ground and unzipped it, revealing his X-45 sniper rifle and his double-bladed sword. His blaster was currently dismantled so that it would fit inside the bag, and his sword was sheathed so that it would not pierce the container. Quietly the Selonian began to fit the pieces of his rifle together and within seconds it was fully operational. Setting the safety so that the weapon would not accidentally go off, he turned his attention to his sword. It appeared as though it had survived the trip without harm and though it had been crammed into the pack to make it fit, it seemed to be in working order. Makivesc removed it from the bag and strapped it to his back, holding his blaster cradled in both hands.

Along with his weapons had been stored his stealth unit, his electrobinoculars and his comlink. Makivesc felt that the electrobinoculars would not help much in this mission, he knew that the belt and the comlink would be key to his survival. Without further delay the Selonian strapped the stealth unit around his waist and shoved the electrobinoculars into a pouch he had recently fashioned out of some spare cloth. They would prove to be a problem should he have to use the stealth unit. It would make entirely too much noise and he wondered briefly if he should just leave it behind. Deciding that it may yet be useful, he clipped his comlink to the outside of the sack so that it would be readily available when he needed it. At the moment it was set to send and not receive transmissions.

Finally done preparing his supplies, he noticed Twist move away from their impromptu meeting area to a more secure location. Without question the Selonian followed the Ubese into a gutted building that smelled heavily of waste. Shaking his head lightly in surprise at the overpowering smell, Makivesc had to bare through the smell as he followed Twist toward the hidden hatch he had discovered. Here the Ubese stooped and began unpacking as he had not done so earlier. “As soon as we get to the Academy we make straight for the armory, set it alight and get out. Split up when we’re done and meet off planet.” Makivesc did not respond vocally and instead nodded his head in agreement. They knew where to go once they were off Coruscant.

Twist, seemingly satisfied with his short briefing, gathered his weapons and made his way into the sublevel. Makivesc gave him enough time to get out of the way and dropped in behind him. Down here it was dark and the Selonian thanked all the powers to be that he was able to see in such conditions without hinderance. Ahead Twist was crouching due to the cramped quarters, and after a quick sinching of his own equipment so it would not shift and make noise, Makivesc dropped to all fours and skittered up behind Twist. Waiting only long enough for the Kel Dorian to join them, Twist and Maki traveled in search of a similar hatch that would lead them to the Academy. It was not long before Twist found such a hatch, and though it was fairly small and obviously did not see much use, it did appear to be able to open. Makivesc waited silently for Twist to take the lead.

[Jax Erith]

Although both of Jax's new companions gave him brief nods, he did not forget the aggressiveness of the Selonian's stance. The Kel Dor could bet they were all tense at the moment due to the imposing task before them. So he disregarded it. However both of their minimal introductions left Jax curious about his companions.

Wasting no time Twist turned and headed off into an empty building. Makivesc also wasted no time and went to the ritual of prepping himself for the mission. Jax noted the fine sniper rifle being assembled in the Selonians nimble hands, and the double bladed vibro sword sheathed inside his bag. But the item that caught his attention the most was the stealth unit now hooked around Makivesc's waist. Jax instinctively reached down to his own belt, also a stealth unit. Wondering how his skills stacked up to his new companion. But he was quick to disregard it as trivial at the moment. He had to prepare as well.

Quickly Jax swept his bag out in front of him setting it down on the cold floor. After opening it he pulled his blaster out first. Jax started to inspect the weapon. It seemed in good condition and survived the transport down to Coruscant. He swiftly pushed it into the blaster holster on the left side of his blast vest. The holster was at the top of the vest, allowing the blaster's handle to face the opposite shoulder. Jax checked his ammo that was placed in many pouches on the opposite side of the vest than the blaster. Jax then clipped three frag grenades to his vest just below the holster; the other two were placed below the first three. After this was done Jax finally reached down to pull the final item from his long duffle bag, his vibro sword. The sword was sheathed inside, if it wasn't the blade would hum from the intense vibrations running the blade length. Jax tied it to the stealth belt, on the left side his hip.

After looking up Jax realized the Salonian was already moving off to the empty looking building Twist had gone to before. Jax stood up his empty duffle bag in his left hand. He quickly spun around checking behind him for hostiles. Determining that the empty alleyway was as it had been Jax followed his companions.

He stepped into the building and immediately noticed the distinct foul smell. A smell that seemed to wreak the entire lower city, but was unfortunately stronger here. The building also seemed to have been empty for quite some time. Scavengers Jax reasoned, like the weapon dealer he encountered, scraping by for a living. Jax ignored the smell and quickly took up a position next to the door, watching their flank.Once he did Twist had just finished gearing up and moved some floor grating allowing access to the sublevel. “As soon as we get to the Academy we make straight for the armory, set it alight and get out. Split up when we’re done and meet off planet.” Twist whispered.

Jax smirked behind the black white flecked antiox mask. A short speech, but it hit the point right on. Right after Twist dropped into the sub level, then Makivesc. Jax checked out into the alleyway before dropping down after his companions.The tunnel was small, persuading Jax to crouch down and creep through it. Although Jax turned and pulled the grating back over the entrance, and left his duffle bag just below it. It would do them no good to have a Confederation patrol spoil the mission too soon.

By the time he had caught up with his team, Twist had already opened a hatch into the Academy.

[Quorl Moranth]

Twist moved through the sublevel quickly, his comrades behind him. Neither man spoke and he was fine with that, this wasn’t a social call. The sublevel was dark and cramped but its musty smell was better than the feces above them. Maki even seemed relatively comfortable on all fours in the short space. Twist almost envied him until he thought about padding around naked on his hands and feet on that floor. No, hunched over with a mask and gloves on was the better of that situation. The sublevel had been built for droids, that was clear in its design but it looked like they weren’t much for upkeep. So long as the piping worked the rest was gravy.

Twist wondered how many of the dwellers topside actually knew what allowed them to live on such an overpopulated and abused planet. Half the lower levels were home to criminals the other half were violent mutants. All of Coruscant was sitting on a bomb a million times the size of anything Twist could come up with. The destruction of this Academy, physically speaking, would have no bearing on the upper levels. At most the explosion might cause a mild shaking on the floors immediately above it. Politically speaking, he was about to destroy the only bastion of order among all the chaos below the rich streets of upper Coruscant. What that did to the place was anyone’s guess. It was about time to find out.

The hatch beneath the Academy was old and small, almost definitely older than the Academy itself. It groaned against being moved after so long but after an extended effort the hatch relinquished its secrets.
Twist moved from a crouch to a squat beneath the narrow opening and peered out to get a feel for where they’d wound up. They weren’t quite so lucky as to walk out into a supply closet, or better yet the armory itself. From what he could tell it was just a featureless hallway. After making sure no one was coming from that end Twist lowered the hatch and rotated 180 degrees to peer down the other end of the anonymous hallway. Anyone could turn down the hallway at any moment but it was as clear as it was going to get.

Twist turned and lowered his already quiet voice to inform the two men of what they were headed into. “hallway, empty.” It covered everything they needed to know and he didn’t want someone walking by while he told them what color the tile was…it was white. Taking one last glance through the crack to check for hostiles Twist lifted the hatch to one side and set his grenade launcher down on the white tile. In one fluid movement he lifted his legs above the hatch and moved to the side. The fact that the sublevel had been so low made it easier.

((Does anyone come upon them as they exit the hatch? If they do is Twist able to react quickly enough to dispatch them? What's around the hatch?)

[Wes Loran]

((They hear the sounds of someone walking down a nearby hall, but the individual doesn't open the door they're currently behind. Around the hatch there's two rows of shelves, mounted with various maintenance equipment and accessories needed to keep a facility like this running smoothly. They have entered one of the buildings many broom closets.))

[Makivesc]

Makivesc noted that while it was much easier to move around on all fours in the cramped space, it wasn’t exactly the most appealing way of traveling around. While it was much better than the building they had just left the floors here were covered in mildew and smelled strongly of must. It would take multiple cleanings to rid himself of the damp smell and he now envied Twist for being essentially sealed off from the smell. When this was over his two comrades could change their clothes; Makivesc did not have that luxury.

Traveling in the service tunnel gave Maki time to think about what exactly they were about to do here on Coruscant. All of the planet was covered in city, save for a few small parts here and there. Buildings had been stacked atop one another as there was no more room to expand outward. Due to this simple design flaw, if someone blew up a building that supported one on top of it, it was like taking someone out at the knees. Fortunately for the citizens of Coruscant, the Academy they were about to destroy held no such important foundation for any other buildings.

Despite the fact that blowing up the Academy would hold no physical repurcussions for the every day citizen as far as collateral damage to supported structures, Maki knew that it would cause no end of grief. Following the bombing there would be increased security measures, non-stop patrols and everyone who acted suspiciously would be taken in for questioning. Confederate officials were not the forgiving kind, and they were more paranoid than a nerf among nexu. Makivesc felt sorry for the average citizen but knew that in order to bring about peace you sometimes had to make a little noise. That was what they were here to do.

Ahead, Twist stopped and raised the hatch above him. While the noise it made would be nothing to Human ears it was almost too much for Maki’s comfort. After a moment of looking around, the Ubese man turned and whispered in a tone almost inaudible to Human ears that he had found a hallway and that it was empty. Makivesc offered a nod as the only indication that he had received the message. Twist then opened the hatch fully and set his weapon down above him so he could hoist himself out. Makivesc scampered out of the hatch after the Ubese and surveyed his surroundings.

Nearby footsteps alerted Makivesc and he turned his ears to better catch the sound. While the steps were muffled, they were definitely nearby. Rows of shelves surrounded the men as they climbed out of the access tunnel, various pieces of machinery and other maintenance items sat upon the shelves. Makivesc turned his attention to Twist and stated simply, “Looks more like a supply closet.”

Without further comment the Selonian quickly went about loosening his straps so that he could retrieve his weapons with ease should he have need of them. Taking a few quick sniffs he was able to smell only the various cleaners that surrounded them and could not pick up any other scents that might have been useful; Like any of recent visitors to the closet that might return again shortly. Instead of trying to sniff out his enemies, Makivesc relied on his hearing. Hopefully with his two partners being as quiet as they possibly could he would be able to accurately determine if there was anyone nearby due to his enhanced hearing.

(( Does Makivesc hear anyone else coming? Which way are the footsteps he heard already going? ))

[Wes Loran]

((With his keen hearing he is able to hear several other pairs of feet wandering around. These could be teachers at the academy as well as students, it is unlikely there would be guards within, as it would make more sense for them to patrol the outside. The backdoor isn't one they would expect to be used, due to the nature of the entrance. None of the footsteps seem to be headed towards them, and the one they heard earlier is clearly leaving the hallway behind as they're fading quite quickly.))

[Jax Erith]

After Twist had checked for contacts, and Makivesc rose out of the sub level Jax crept forward through it. Making his way to the panel ahead, holding the sheath of his sword parallel to the nasty floor, so it wouldn't drag and make unnecessary noise. Jax heard the Selonian's contradiction to the Ubese's first observations, marking the room as a supply closet. Jax rose himself out of the sublevel through the hatch. The rooms hatch met Jax's waist so he easily climbed up into the "supply closet".

Indeed it was a supply closet, full of maintenance and cleaning equipment. The tunnel's purpose they just climbed through finally set, just like the smell on Jax's dark clothes. But it also gave reason to the Academies clean and sharp look compared to the shabby and dirty buildings around it. Jax sighed to himself; the Confederacy had the resources to keep this building spotless, but wouldn't even glance outside of it to the poverty and desperation outside. The 22t4 blaster came out of its holster; he would soon show them the error of their selfish ways.

After glancing to his companions, Jax also noticed both of their eagerness showed as well, their weapons were either at the ready or prepped to be unleashed in the blink of an eye. Both of them reminded him of members on the elite Kel Dor squad he had commanded several years before on Dorian. Professional yet having the passion to carry them through the many battles they had probubly faced. The dark shadows of depression and anger after his twins's death just weeks before started receding . . . slowly.

Bringing himself back reality and to the small closet they all stood in, he noticed the soft steps of people outside the closet. Although he couldn't tell the steps direction. Only that they were getting softer. Though Jax was more interested in the small Selonian. Makivesc was currently listening intently raising his head up a bit, his ears twitching a bit. Jax hadn't personally seen any Selonians up close, only what texts told him in the Academy on Dorian. But what Jax had learned was that Selonians had a strong sense of hearing much stronger than Kel Dorians. So Jax reasoned, that due to their impaired vision currently Makivesc was probing outside the room.

Jax stepped across the small supply closet to the durasteel door setting up on the right side, keeping his steps very light. Like he had done so many times before as part of the Kel Dor Military. Once he reached the door, Jax turned to Makivesc who had just brought his head down. Instinctively Jax tried to communicate to him through thought, how he communicated to Ser, when they went on missions. Jax shook his head at the foolishness of it, once he noticed Makivesc's stare. "Are there any contacts outside" Jax motioned to the door. Makivesc nodded sideways that there were not, and Jax nodded back.

Although he noticed before, Jax pointed to his stealth belt, and then Makivesc's own belt indicating they should use them once they left the room. Jax knew that the belts would be less effective in close quarters but they would considerably help. Makivesc again nodded his approval. Finally Jax pointed to Twist, and made several gestures between the three of them that Jax should move first then Makivesc to check behind him, and finally Twist once the coast was clear. He slowly nodded if it was all right with them. They both nodded back their agreement.

Jax felt good, he had done this with his squad a considerable amount of times before. Though because Jax normally communicated telepathically through his squad he would have to touch Twist on the shoulder that the coast was clear. But he knew that his comrades were well trained and it wouldn't be a problem. In military trainng and as he rose the ranks Jax had filled the position of point man on many cloaked patrol drills. Thus all of his movements were efficient, confident and well trained, more than a match for any master in the Academy.

Jax quickly stepped out of the room, turning on his stealth belt just before. He instantly became invisible. Jax took station just outside of the door in order to take note of the hall's entrances and exits. The hallway was floor a brilliant white and the walls and ceiling dull gray. Placed periodically were square ceiling lights. To Jax's right the hall didn't go ten yards before it sharply turned following the supply closet's right wall. To his left the hallway went much further, allowing space for more rooms which would explain the spacing between the several doors leading down it. But Makivesc was correct there were no contacts on either side of them.

Swiftly and silently moving to the right Jax looked around the corner peering down the joining hallway. Allowing Makivesc to exit, and Twist in tow.

((Does Jax see, or hear anyone in the joining hallway or entering the hallway Jax is currently in.))

[Wes Loran]

((The hallway they're in remains deserted, but they still hear footsteps from people nearby.))

[Quorl Moranth]

Twist exited into the closet without comment to Maki’s remark. He was either going crazy or his mask was fooling with his vision, either way it didn’t bode well for the start of the mission. You get to do enough of these missions and they all start to look the same but if he got lazy in his work he was going to wind up dead. Jax and Maki extricated themselves easily enough from the small hatch and he waited patiently while the Selonian’s superior ears sought out any signs of presence outside the door and drew his Jengardin blade. Both of the men he was with were already fading into their stealth units and he wanted to do what he could to keep their element of invisibility, grenade launchers were not quiet. His own stealth unit was painfully absent but he’d stretch their luck as long as it would hold up.

Twist caught Maki’s all clear sign and moved out the door as Jax covered it. He could hear the footfalls of students and teachers but doubted they’d have a guard set in the heart of the building. The power generator should be somewhere on that floor but it was down to guessing as for where it was. Common sense said it’d be set away from the classrooms or barracks and it was likely they’d use heavier doors to deal with the vibrations. Jax was already moving to check the hall ahead and Twist let him lead, the stealth units wouldn’t work up close but they’d keep anyone at a distance from looking to hard.

They had entered at night for a reason, they weren’t going to have to worry about class getting out as they wandered the halls and at most a skeleton crew or the odd student getting up to some late night mischief were their biggest dangers but he didn’t want to enjoy the scenery as they traipsed about. Not that there was much scenery, the place was bland and sterile. As soon as Jax indicated the coast was clear he began pressing the pace with quick, silent steps. There wasn’t any cover in the hallways, their best bet was just to move fast be better prepared than anyone they ran into, not too difficult a task when no one knew they were there. Hell the students might even think it was a drill, at least until the student started pouring out his life fluids. Of course it was entirely possible Confederate drills ended Trainee lives, they were some vicious bastards.

Most of the doors on either side of the halls were the same as the one they’d just stepped out of, all showing dark rooms through their cracks. Most instructors, like most sergeants knew that young people were stupid. They did stupid things and left to their own devices they’d get themselves killed. Hopefully this universal belief in the idiocy of the younger generation would leave a clear “DO NOT ENTER” sign and a locked door on anything important. Of course Twist and his companions would read it as “BLOW THIS UP”. The instructors weren’t counting on an Alliance strike team though, they would be focused on keeping their recruits alive.

(Coming across anything interesting? Have they managed to remain undetected?)

[Maris Kala'myr]

((The group remains undetected for the time being. They eventually come across a pair of reinforced double doors and a sophisticated biometric keyless entry system. 'Restricted Access: Authorised Personnel Only' is stencilled in warning yellow letters on each door front.))