Mission In the Mouth of Madness | SIA [GA]

[Spirit of Guidance]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||​

While everyone was occupied with Coruscant, there were reports of suspected activities in Mechis III countryside. Ships have been coming in and out the system more frequently as of late. The local livestocks and wildlife have been acting strangely, from unusual migrating patterns to stress-induced sickness.

It was hard to keep in track with what could just be a total coincidence. However, when a couple of climbers found a dead body on a quiet trail, which after autopsy was deemed to be killed with a Lightsaber, messages were quickly dispatched to the SIA HQ, on the suspicion that this might be the doing of malicious foreign actors.

Whether it was The Sith, Rogue Force-users, or Militant Light Siders, it's at SIA's best interest to consult and collaborate with their Force-attuned allies, and thus, the first Task-Force of Project Valkyrie was established and dispatched.

TASK-FORCE NJÁLL.

The brief that was sent by The Director through a SpecDiv Senior Agent was simple, and accessible to both the SIA agents and NJO shadows.

A blue image flickered into life over the datapads of the team preparing for the mission. The image would be familiar to some of them as a shoulders-up recreation of Delphine Grosvenor , the Deputy Director of the Special Operations Division. After a momentary fizzling and a slight crackle, the image spoke: "Good evening, Agents and Shadows. Welcome to Task-Force NJÁLL. Your destination is Mechis III." Her image disappeared, replaced by a map that altered, zooming in as her briefing continued. "Here, along the Corellian Trade Spine. Team Aurek, you will reconnoiter the manor house of a minor Mechis noble family, here, and investigate. Our surveillance operation suggests that the mansion and grounds are unoccupied, but be on your guard. Team Besh, you will infiltrate and investigate an apparently disused mine -- here. Again, to the best of our estimation the mining facility here is abandoned and empty, but stay on your toes."

There was a brief pause and the auburn-haired woman reappeared in three dimensions, scanlines dancing across her face. "These locations are near the epicenter of some strange occurrences on Mechis III, including an as-yet unresolved murder by lightsaber and bizarre, unprecedented migration patterns and sickness among local livestock thought to be stress-related, yet with no identifiable cause. The Agency is asking this Task Force to get to the bottom of these reports, document your finding, and return home safely and all -- of course -- with maximum discretion. While it would be best not to be seen by the the locals, you should have a plausible cover." A beat of a pause. "I've authorized the Quartermaster to provide whatever equipment you may require for the operation, up to and including the restricted section, as well as any documentation services you'll need. You'll find additional information in your briefing documents. If you've no questions -- I shall leave you to prepare."

Spoiler: TFN_01

TO: SIA_SpecDiv.1, SIA_SpecDiv.2, NJO_Shadow.1, NJO_Shadow.2, NJO_Shadow.3, NJO_Shadow.4

ATTACHMENTS: (2)
1. NJALL_BRIEF_1
2. NJALL_BRIEF_2

Get to the bottom of it and report back to our office. I appreciate the discretion.

Happy hunting.

Regards,
The Director

First document briefed the Task-Force on the background of the mission, and the two places they should investigate; a supposedly empty manor of a minor noble family, and an abandoned mine nearby, both of which has been monitored from afar since a week before the arrival of the Task-Force. Two sub-teams were also set; Team Aurek, responsible for investigating the manor, consisted of SIA_SpecDiv.2 ( Heraha'uvi'nerhar ), NJO_Shadow.1 ( Allyson Locke ), and NJO_Shadow.4 (Toloi Vax'zta), while Team Besh, consisted of SIA_SpecDiv.1 ( Torn Eskol ), NJO_Shadow.2 ( Iris Arani ), and NJO_Shadow.3 ( Maleiah Kozan ), responsible for investigating the abandoned mine.

The second document, on the other hand, detailed a safe house the Task-Force could reach, if worse comes to worst. Located away from the Techno-Union controlled metropolis, further North from the manor and the mine, the SIA's safe house is well-equipped and supplied for the Task-Force to remain for 40+ days, which helps would have arrived by that time.

Equipped with enough information and expertise, the Task-Force is expected to uncover whatever it is hiding in Mechis III. For better or for worse.

 

[Torn Eskol]

EVERYBODY LIES



​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL CALLSIGN WORM

​

"What's my callsign for this?" He asked over a cigarette, looking into the abyss before him. A cigarette was about the only thing that made people aware that he wasn't an android, some killing machine built by the Alliance to handle their dirty work. The abyss itself well- It wasn't anything great to look at but it was something. The abyss, of course, being a neat hardcase of gear, new clothes, new identity paperwork and verification. Alliance records, ID card, chaincode- everything to be a new person to kill some other new person.

"Worm."

Worm. Not Torn. Couldn't be Torn anymore. His papers said Sel Foss for his assumed name. Initials SF.

Funny.

Sometimes they had a sense of humor.

Worm couldn't help but roll his eyes. He got the designation with his communicator- he was already en-route. ​

TO: SIA_SpecDiv.1, SIA_SpecDiv.2, NJO_Shadow.1, NJO_Shadow.2, NJO_Shadow.3, NJO_Shadow.4

Worm couldn't help but feel offended that he would be put with Jedi of all people for the mission. He didn't exactly hate the Jedi, he only hated people who he couldn't kill when he tried. No, he just didn't like Jedi. Too willing to not push through, too willing to let things or people go. One thing he admired about the Sith was their tenacity, their dedication to their causes and how far they'd go. They put a star destroyer underneath Coruscant just to lose it in the same battle- but in the process, nearly crippled the Alliance.

Mechis III was hardly a large, priority target. Hardly even a strategic point for the Alliance. SpecDiv usually didn't send people in for things like this- but the Jedi would investigate wilting flowers on a hot day if it meant that they could get some bonus points with their Masters. Literal, Masters, by the way-

Not the figurative ones.

Worm took a deep breath, eyes through the spotting scope towards the abandoned mine. He'd been here for a few hours now, watching, and watching- with nothing. Not so much as a speeder rolling by, a person coming in and out, nothing. All he had was a rifle, a verpine pistol, and a fighting knife with him to tackle whatever was inside. He sighed, not so much out of boredom- Torn... Worm was good at patience. No, he was just annoyed that any given moment there would be a mouth-breathing, happy-go-lucky vegetarian coming to join him and teach him about kindness and love, how to make the Sith go away by praying and just being nice to new people with force powers.

It always ended up well, for everyone involved.

At least there was another SpecDiv Operative on the planet. It seemed the SIA was babysitting or maybe test piloting more joint operations with the Shadows. Though, to Worm- a Jedi always attracted some kind of attention, some kind of problem. So he wasn't too happy about it.

But the mission came first, and the mission would be completed to the best of his ability. After all-

Worm was very good at his job.

​

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"Already upset?"

The colors explained much. Iris, or Aurora as she'd be called here on mission, settled down beside Worm to gaze over the mine ahead. She wasn't using any monoculars herself, just observing how the Force shifted and moved. If there was life there or not. It'd be easy enough for her to see it through the colors. Nothing yet, but that could change as the got closer. From this distance she couldn't be completely sure there was nothing.

"You should avoid assumptions, where you can. You'd be surprised at just how willing a Shadow is to do what it takes to get the job done."

Torn Eskol | Spirit of Guidance

 

[Heraha'uvi'nerhar]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||

~you’ll never see the light again~

TAG: Allyson Locke | Toloi Vax'zta​

MECHIS III

Mission with the Jedi. It’s hard to imagine a year or so ago that the SIA and the Jedi are to work together again. It’s been so long since it was decided that the Shadow are no longer part of the SIA, and since then the SIA and the Jedi have mostly kept their domain to themselves. The Core War changed everything, however, we were forced to move our capital from Coruscant, an unprecedented move, which proven to be the right decision. A Star Destroyer raising from the middle of the Senate District was already a disaster on its own, no one can imagine the horror if the senators were still caught in the building.

It could’ve been the swing that confirmed the Dark Empire’s hegemony over the Core Worlds. Instead, we prevailed, and the disaster that was the Alliance’s intelligence and security got revamped a bit after. A new, mysterious Director who instilled within the organisation radical changes.

It is for the better, I tried to convince myself. Just like how today I have to share a mission with four Jedi Shadows. We might have our differences in the past, but this dire time call for a unity between all our fronts. That I believe in and I put my faith on.

Which brings us back here in Mechis III. A murder in this time of crisis wouldn’t call for such response. It’s the fact that the victim had a lightsaber wound on him. This brought up the question; has the Dark Empire reached so far down south, close to our new capital? They, after all, are lead by a Sith. Or is it a Sith Order infiltrator? They have revealed themselves to the galaxy once again and it’s only logical for them to look at our direction. Or is it a radical Jedi, one if those terrorists who vandalised the Coruscant Temple?

It’s impossible to know at this point. All we know is all clues has led to the manor and abandoned mine, and we are here to uncover whatever it is happening here.

Splitting from the other three, we made it towards the mansion’s side wall that separates us from the mansion’s large garden. Should be safe to enter.

Taking out some of my tools, I started to cut the steel to make an opening for I and the two Jedi Shadow.

“Keep a lookout for me, ja?”

​

 

[Torn Eskol]

WHAT LAY AHEAD?



​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL CALLSIGN WORM

​

To-

Worm looked over at the Jedi, before mocking what she said.

"Your code gets in the way of being effective. I'd prefer to not have you here at all, so don't make it worse by preaching."

He looked back over his scope. The "colors" around Torn were-

Black, gray. No feelings at all. Worm was a machine, with a singular focus. There was the inherent ruthlessness, the lack of care about the well-being of others. Only the mission existed, only the job. Everything, everyone else was secondary. The people he was with, his equipment, his own life-

He put it all aside.

Nothing else mattered to him other than completing the task. A man of singular focus, and an ironclad will. And very, very unnerving- it was this carelessness about everyone else that made him so effective at the SIA, a long career focused on murder and subterfuge, sabotage and assassinations. He didn't care if he killed someone, blew something up, or killed someone that didn't deserve it. Everything was justifiable to him, everyone was expendable.

In that way, Worm-

Worm was not a good man. He was a dangerous man, an outright evil man almost. Borderline sociopathic and ruthless, careless and without emotion nearly.

But-

He was on their side.

 

[Maleiah Kozan]

There would come a soft rustle from some nearby branches before a stealthy landing on the ground. Movement joined the SIA agent and the Jedi codenamed "Aurora". A simian gait, the soft steps of feet and knuckles on the ground. Another Shadow. Ramakh, of Clan Kihm'bar, codenamed "Dynast" for this mission. The Noghri scanned his eyes to the seemingly abandoned mine as well.

“Any movements?” He growled out, a mix of Core and Honoghran accent on his throat, “Many scents, all recent.”

He took in another, soft yet deep breath. The Noghri olfactory sense was keen. Yet, he was unsure of yet what he was looking for. There was something off about the whole situation, but he could not pinpoint it. The Force felt...wrong as well. Silvery eyes, like two wupiupi coins, glinted back to "Worm".

“The Code is important...but so is peace by any means.” He added in, “The dark side is like a sickness...and we Shadows the immune system to cull the disease.”

He gave a small nod to "Aurora". As his fellow, he would hope her sentiments would be similar. His eyes turned back to their target. Like any good hunt, this required patience.

Torn Eskol / Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

​

"SIA agents do what need to be done, regardless of what morals they might've started with."

Aurora idly flexed her fingers as she settled them on her lightsaber, then let out a sigh. Smiled the type of smile that would never reach her eyes as she glanced to Dynast and gave him a single nod. "You'll find the Shadows are the same. If still annoyingly Jedi if it won't risk a mission to help someone." Hopefully that'd be enough for Worm. Hopefully that'd be enough to at least keep some trouble from rising between the three.

Her skills were best with a unit that got along.

"I don't sense anything alive in there. Can't sense droids from this distance, so there's no telling if there's any lingering autodefenses. But there's no reason to linger here. Let's move in." She rose to her feet, stalking forward carefully, just in case. Reports said the place was empty, but if this had ties to the Sith? It'd likely be anything but.

Maleiah Kozan | Torn Eskol

 

[Torn Eskol]

​

SIA SPECDIV
AGENT ESKOL CALLSIGN WORM

​

Annoyance.

Morality was reserved for those who didn't have to put it into practice. Worm had no such compunctions, no complications, no desires to be better. There was only the mission, the safety and security of the SIA. If he needed to be a soulless killing machine to do so, and keep the Galaxy free of Sith and the ISB's meddling-

So be it.

His soul wasn't worth the millions that he helped over the years, indirectly. The innocent lives he'd taken all died for the greater good, the betterment of their society. They didn't die in vain.

They just died.

But he didn't have the greenlight for killing these two annoying Jedi, however. The SIA and SpecDiv would overlook a lot. A few civilian casualties in the sake of secrecy and security- but two Jedi gone?

That'd cause a problem. His Keshian eyes, purple and hazy at this time of the day, slowly looked at the two Jedi, and wordlessly, put together a plan. Without them, of course. He didn't want to deal with them.

So Worm picked up his rifle, and began to trek towards the cave, leaving the two would-be-good-at-their-jobs-if-they-didn't-preach-about-peace-and-tolerance-all-the-time to follow. He stalked closely, his footsteps eerily silent. In fact, he was eerily silent. He fox-walked to the front of the cave, rifle at the ready. A slugthrower rifle, at that, with a suppressor, and subsonic ammunition. The true killer's rifle. Shorter range, sure, but, it turned the weapon into more or less a whisper.

Worm turned his eyes, his unsettlingly predator-like eyes, and seeing into the cave with his infrared vision naturally... Worm walked in, swallowed by the darkness. He went in first and alone, rifle at the low ready. Whatever was there, he'd find, destroy, and be back in time to polish his shoes and watch his stories.

 

[Toloi Vax'zta]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||

TAG: Team Aurek - Heraha'uvi'nerhar Allyson Locke ​

Toloi knew it was good practice for agents to keep shifting identities. It was for this reason she had no small amount of aliases and different documents confirming these alternate identities. However, when it came to her callsign the woman would only go by one. Like the boogeymen of old, she was “The Eater”. She was a scary story told among different agency circles, mostly rookies, to confirm a warning of opposing agents and the danger they’d bring. The Eater was a cannibal. The Eater was a vixen. The Eater was the last thing you’d ever see. It had been a long time since Toloi was “The Eater,” but The Eater she remained as her callsign would suggest.

She flashed her serrated smile at the SpecDiv Agent’s request. Her time training as a Jedi had softened her in many ways but she was no less dangerous, some could argue it made her even more so. “Absolutely, Tiger.” She answered his request with just a hint of flirtation. “I’d keep a lookout for you anytime.” She teased but kept her back to him. She was taking the mission seriously despite her playful demeanor. She used two senses, her sight, and the extended sight the force would give her. She sensed nothing away from the manor. She saw nothing; no enemies, passersby, or creatures of any kind passing the manor. Her force sense stretched out further though and into the manor behind her. There was a dead spot. A place where the force could not reach. It wasn’t a big space, but it was big enough to foreshadow trouble.

“What’s the plan once we get inside? Sweep room by room and side by side dealing with security measures? Or are we splitting up? Because I will admit something has already piqued my interest.” She relayed what information her Jedi senses had given her, which wasn’t much. A confirmation of an unoccupied manor and a dead spot in the force. She considered the possibilities. The manor was devoid of life, but the dead space she felt in the center of the manor was a blindspot, and there was no accounting for droids and other mechanized measures with her abilities. She kept watch and gnashed her teeth until the Agent was finished making them an opening.

 

[Allyson Locke]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||
//: Mechis III //:
//: Heraha'uvi'nerhar //: Toloi Vax'zta //:

A group project.

Allyson despised group projects. The thrill of working under the SIA quickly dissipated when she was handed documentation about a team. Were they divided into teams of three or four? She swiftly counted on the sheet to grasp the group dynamics. No familiar faces on the paper - another letdown. Perhaps she had secretly hoped some of the old guard had survived or delayed retirement? Allyson was at a loss, unsure how to place her trust in these people without fearing betrayal.

She stood aside the pair as they flirted. Eyes glanced towards the operative who forced his way through the manor's wall. Allyson didn't have a moment to stop him. From what she gathered, the area was buzzing with security, which she could probably slice her way through with the Force. Instead, she waited and watched.

The Chiss made his way through his plan; it was interesting. Hopefully, it would work, and they would remain unnoticed. "Plan?" Allyson raised an eyebrow at the other shadow. She had never seen or worked with the individual, and if she was asked, they gave her the creeps. "We didn't work that out before this?" Her voice hushed, trying to convey how they needed to be as quiet as possible while the man with the saw worked his way through the door.

"We should split up. I move better alone anyway. We," she gestured to the other shadow as she spoke, "Can force cloak our way through; I can head straight to the security center or whatever that buzzing is and knock out the network," Allyson mused with a smile, "or take it over and use it to my advantage."

She was determined to find a way to separate from the pair. Allyson knew she worked best alone. It didn't help that the few times she had worked in a team, someone always got captured or worse, she was blasted to the stars. Teammates were perilous, and larger parties like the one they were in triggered her PTSD.

"Sound good? Or do you two have another idea?" Allyson asked; again, she knew nothing of the pair and wanted to distance herself from them.

To her, they were just as dangerous as whatever awaited them in the manor.

 

[Heraha'uvi'nerhar]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||

~you’ll never see the light again~

TAG: Allyson Locke | Toloi Vax'zta​

MECHIS III

To think about it, the two Jedi and their lightsaber would probably done a quicker job on breaching the mansion’s outer gate. I wonder what they would think about right now. Either way, it didn’t take long for me to make an entrance without alarming any bell, so that wasn’t a wrong choice per se. Besides, the scarier looking Shadow had thrown a couple of flirtatious quips along the way, which I only responded with a chuckle.

The other Jedi however didn’t seem to be too enthusiastic about the mission, at least until she threw a couple of suggestions on how to proceed.

“Force-cloak, sure…” I quipped sarcastically, in case that the Shadow forgot that non-Force users can’t cloak themselves just like that. However, it’s a sound plan either way.

“Sounds good. I don’t expect any living thing in there, but I won’t be surprised if there are dormant droids or one of those Force-entities in there,” I added some foresight Delphine had briefed me with. The mansion has reportedly been empty for a long time, and everyone suspected that even if someone was hiding in there, they would’ve been gone after hearing all the buzzes about the dead body.

Preparing for the worst, I attached an EMP launcher on my blaster. “Well, unless you can make me disappear, I’ll cover you from here,” I triple-checked my scope once again while talking to the two Jedi. I’d rather not risk the mission by showboating my stealth skills when there are two Jedi that can literally disappear on my team.

“Call me when you’re in?”

​

 

[Maleiah Kozan]

The Noghri would watch as "Worm" began to wordlessly move ahead without his comrades. "Dynast" flared his nostrils in annoyance. Rushing headlong into danger without knowing what the enemy was. Even so without a single word of stratagem to his supposed "team". Ramakh knew from experience that idiot moves like this got operatives killed in the field. Force help him should this cooperation between SIA and the Order goes sideways.

“Arrogant fool.” He huffed, “Come. Before he gets himself dead.”

He crawled backward a couple of meters before charging into a quadrupedal sprint before using the Force to help sail him into the air. As he came to the downward arc, he once again used his powers to help cushion and quiet his landing. Scanning and noticing that the coast was clear, the Noghri made a small gesture for "Aurora" to follow suit. He soon quietly lumbered into the cave. Whereas Worm moved by site, Ramakh moved by smell. He could capture scent of his supposed comrade a few meters ahead. He kept forward, keeping tabs on the scent, and probing with the Force for any clues or signs of their quarry...

Torn Eskol / Iris Arani ​

 

[Iris Arani]

​

Iris let out a sigh. They didn't want to work together, which was only going to make this that much more difficult.

Still, she nodded to her fellow. Regardless of Worm's choices, they'd make sure the job got done. She followed along, faster now, despite having been the first to descend. The others were just that impatient, huh? She kept her eyes on the colors, focused on the world around them. If there was something still hiding here, they'd find it, soon enough.

Maleiah Kozan | Torn Eskol

 

[Spirit of Guidance]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||​

As Team Besh descended deeper into the cave, it becomes clear that while this place has been abandoned by those who have been there, not everything was taken away. A couple of traps were left, perhaps to secure the area when those malicious figures decided to reclaim this cave after all the buzz from the murder case simmered down. Sensor-equipped automatic turrets are ready to mow down intruders when the laser sensors make contact with anything moving. At the end of the tunnel is a space that resembles a war room. Most have been scrapped and either taken away from the room or destroyed, but some small insignificant items are left, as well as an artifact that might lead anyone who finds it closer to the truth surrounding the mysterious murder.

Iris Arani | Maleiah Kozan | Torn Eskol

 

[Toloi Vax'zta]

|| IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS ||

TAG: Team Aurek - Heraha'uvi'nerhar Allyson Locke ​

"I'd rather not." Toloi said to the group. She wouldn't split up. She believed it was much too early for that. "It's better to move as a unit until the threat level we face is clear." The near-human shadow suggested. "If you have to work alone, scout ahead, knock out the network and report back."

"I'm with you, Blue. Let's do a sweep. You can cover me and I'll cover you." Toloi offered as she pulled her stun blaster from its holster instead of her lightsaber. Old habits die hard. She'd be an agent first and a jedi second, always.

Walking through the opening the Chiss agent created, Toloi was met with silence. The Manor was quiet. None of the hums or buzz of a security system, none of the tinks one would hear from a patrol droid's step, not even the whirr of a cleaning droid. Toloi did notice the space was spotless though. The Manor certainly had been abandoned but it was not left to ruin. An indication that things weren't as they seem.

The Team had breached the western hallway easily enough. Toloi was surprised they hadn't set off a single alarm, or at least it seemed they hadn't. "Western Hallway- Clear. Let's keep moving. Room by Room." Toloi suggested.