{First Order}Shoring Up Our Assets

[Clovis Torcularis]

Like balls of fiery passion, my red eyes stared through the slits in my mask as they remained transfixed on the information my mind was soaking up through the First Order's intel database. The shadowy operatives had discovered a hidden base on the nearby planet of Rakata Beta where a group of smugglers and pirates had combined forces to erect a mining facility in our backyard. The reports, however, failed to mention what they were mining for. That's where we came in.

Because of my ability to alienate nearly everyone around me, and through the vigorous training we Disciples of the Beyond are put through by the Citadels instructors, there is little time for me to form bonds of any kind with my fellow Knights. This mission, it seemed, would put a change to all that. Another Disciple of the Beyond would be accompanying me on this mission, which didn't bother me. Had it been a group of Stormies or agents, I would have protested until I exhausted myself to the point of collapse. It's not that I don't respect them, they just have a knack of doing things I would consider absolutely ignorant.

I shut down the database, leaving the archives to be haunted by the sounds of my mask's respirator. I'm not sure how the others in my Order conduct their business, but for me, I find working in the ghostly hours of the night to be less distracting. I once attempted to work during 'normal' business hours but grew so annoyed and agitated by my surroundings, I almost flew off the sanity airbus.

With the little back-up datachip containing a small holomap of the area, along with some minute details about who we would be dealing with; such as names of the major players for both smugglers and pirates, tightly secured in a pouch on my belt, I headed to my quarters. Sleep and I, well, have a lost romantic aspect to our relationship. Because of my mask, which I need to breathe, I'm forced to use alternative methods at night to keep a steady flow of air to my ruined lungs since the mask is more than cumbersome; it's a nightmare to sleep in. I know, I tried it once.

As I laid there waiting for sleep to take control of me, I found the anticipation of leaving for Rakata Beta in the afternoon to be overwhelming. I've done less important missions for the First Order, but this one seemed different; important really. The big bosses where looking to expand their influence in the galaxy, which required credits and resources. Hopefully this mission to that tropical world would provide one or the other, if not both.


[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

The mission was straightforward enough and the brief was rigid enough to keep them on track and not so tight as to hamstring.

It was, in simple terms, a raid. The galaxy was full of pirates, slavers, smugglers and other ill-sorts. As a representative of the Knights of Ren he was tasked – along with his partner to seek out these low lives, end their lawlessness and bring any useful assets back to the First Order. That was the prescriptive part. The flexibility was that they could get the job done by any means. It gave a lot of scope.

The intel was similarly helpful. A hidden base on Rakata Beta. Smugglers and or pirates were running a mining facility without permission. And the final piece of this particular jigsaw was the partner allocated to Kriel – or was that the other way around? It didn’t matter, they were obliged to work together and as long as they remembered they were here for the First Order, they would work together just fine. If there was competition, it was with the low-life they would encounter, not each other. At least that’s what the script said. It remained to be seen if either might improvise as the drama unfolded.

As he drifted into sleep, Kriel remembered the last assignment to a mining colony. It was boredom personified. Most of the action was travel – from base to transport and from the transport to orbit. He wondered if they’d be assigned troopers to assist with crowd control, but before he had even given the matter another thought, his breathing indicated he was already asleep – his alarm set, to ensure he was not late for departure.

[member="Clovis Torcularis"]

 

[Clovis Torcularis]

The events leading up to our departure where uneventful, giving us time to better prepare ourselves with the task at hand. With the final preparations met, we boarded our vessel and where dropped off a few kilometers from the base of operations.

"I lobby for recon before indulging the enemy," I said to my fellow Knight stepping off the crowded transport shuttle. I was under the belief that it would be just the two of us, but the small company of white warriors, ten in all, had been assigned to us. This addition to the mission put me off slightly. There was no mention of a squad in the mission report, which led me to the conclusion that either the higher ups had little faith in us, or they really wanted this mine for the First Order. With a minute second thought, it was probably the latter. All Knights of Ren are trained well. Far better than the white clad Stormies.

Not sure who was the 'leader' of this mission, me or my partner, so I decided that the one with longer tenure in the Order, my partner, should lead us to victory. Many unsavory attributes could be attached to me, but competitiveness was not one of them. Compared to him, and most others, I was still a wobbling bantha calf trying to find my center of gravity. In lieu of giving over leadership to this mission, I would play the role of adviser. I could follow orders, both simple and challenging, so there would be no issue of that between us. Unless of course he ordered me to jump off a cliff to land in the middle of these scum buckets and shout 'Boo!" Then I might have to protest. I said might. I still might do it just because I'm a sucker for seeing the expressions on the face of surprised people.

"You are the senior here," I said to him. "What are your orders?"


[member="Kriel Firin"]

 

[Kriel Firin]

The monotony of getting to the mine was no less boring than before. But it was a necessity and so Kriel sepnt most of the journey meditating or studying.

The deployment was straightforward. As they came in to land, they could see the facilities they were here to take. It was a sprawling refinery complex. Kriel wasn't exactly sure what was being mined; but that was largely irrelevant. They were here to take charge. The First Order's presence was required to put a stop to the current activity and place their own people in charge. Then they could get the miners back on schedule, and generate credits for the First Order.

The troopers stood in deployment formation for the entire ride, along with the two Disciples. All of them were locked and loaded and carried grenades.

They set down within the main facility, the ramp lowering almost before they'd come to a stop. “We’ll improvise,” Kriel said to his counterpart as the troopers pressed forward. The mask hid his broad grin. “Combat exit,” he ordered, and the stormtroopers disembarked in rapid succession, rifles at the ready. They performed the manoeuvre flawlessly, no doubt as they had done a hundred times before, emerging into a vast loading bay. The ceiling rose almost fifty meters above them, cut into the rock and braced with scaffolding that dripped rusty water, creating brackish puddles of red and green across the floor. Ten-meter-long artificial lights hung from the braces, flickering irregularly. Beneath his feet, Kriel could feel a dull vibration, what he imagined were the drills working the rock far below. Aside from a handful of maintenance droids in the bay, there was no sign of anyone.

“I suggest we go and knock,” he said, “Indicating the closed blast doors ahead of them.

[member="Clovis Torcularis"]