Chapter 2: Forges of Ithyari

[Drake 53]

Tak nodded and remarked, "Luckily it looks like it's just a fortress against the elements. I doubt they've had any kind of attack since the Clone Wars, if even that."

The comm activated again. This time another stern-sounding male voice come through. "YT-2000 light freighter, proceed to docking cluster 4, terminal C2. Transmitting coordinates now. Upon arrival, you will be met by Stormtroopers."

Takeshi nodded, expecting this. However, he acted his part otherwise. "Stormtroopers, you say? Are we under arrest?"

"No," came the reply. "Standard procedure. They will escort you to customs for processing. Yarin Control, out."

The comm ended and Tak chuckled despite himself. "Friendly people they have here. Maybe they'll cheer up after our little party."

He piloted the ship down into the city. The coordinates provided led them to a rectangular building surrounded by landing platforms and docking rings. Tak spotted the open platform marked 'C2' and brought the Katana down for a landing. He spotted three bored-looking Stormtroopers already making their way around to where the landing ramp would lower.

Tak shut down the primary systems and unbuckled his crash webbing. He got up and smiled. "Well Miss Proul, shall we go get this show on the road?"

[Rogue 4]

"Absolutely, Captain Jast." Layla replied in perfectly accented basic. She smiled, taking more modest expressions than her usual ones."After all, I didn't hire you to ferry me here for nothing."

She winked.

[Drake 53]

He gave a deep laugh, transitioning back into his character. "My dear, I too have my own reasons for coming here. As a dealer in war materiel, I have a vested interest in this planet. I would have come here as a ferry or no, so consider yourself lucky that I let you join me!"

Tak checked and made sure that his weapons were appropriately concealed then said, "Let's go get the others and meet the boys in white."

[Rogue 4]

Layla nodded, pressing a few keys to unlock the door before leading him back into the hold.

"Stormtroopers are escorting us to customs as a part of normal proceedure, so just act like they aren't there. They shouldn't be arresting us or anything. We got through to land with no problems." Her manerisms and speech pattern was so far from the usual Layla Nasrin that combined with the human-makeup she could have passed for another person easily, even to those who knew her well. "Everyone ready?"

[Vergere 1]

She smiled and gently squeezed Szen's shoulder again. "Don't worry. Everything will be alright." She tried to look encouraging before Tak and Layla came in.

When they did, Brier just gave them a sly, almost knowing grin before slinging her rucksack over her shoulder, adopting a common smuggler swagger and way of holding herself, completely cocky and no more smiles or amusement in her eyes. They were now cold and calculating. "Of course we are. Now let me get off this blasted bucket of bolts before it falls apart on me!"

Edited August 31, 2007 by Vergere

[Ender 8]

Jaim checked his equipment one last time and slung his rucksack over his shoulder. "Ready. Contact's name is Bor Tevas. Now, I know Tevas, and long story short, he's a fan of the more... illict... things in life. I can get us through, just play your parts and don't say a whole lot. He's the jumpy sort."

With this said, Jaim led the squadron off the ramp and to the customs kiosk just outside the hangar doors. A uniformed Imperial lieutenant stopped them.

"Halt, spacer. What business have you on Ithyari?"

Jaim smiled at him. "Name's T'Ora. I need to speak to Bor Tevas. Tell him it's Mat."

"I don't have the author..."

"Just tell him."

The officer gulped and moved to his comlink. The two Stormtrooper by the door eyed the party with intent, fingers on triggers. Jaim felt the vibroblades up his sleeves, ready to fling them into the troopers' chests at the slightest move.

After several minutes of talking, the officer raised his head. "He'll be down in a moment."

Twenty minutes and a very uneasy silence later, Bor Tevas made his appearance. He was impeccably dressed, looking as if he had just come from a spa. His black goatee showed hints of grey, as did his hair. At the sight of Jaim, however, his blue eyes widened.

"Mat T'Ora! I thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Can we talk... elsewhere?"

Bor nodded and showed Jaim into a side office behind the kiosk. There were no security cams, but Jaim swept for bugs anyway.

"You always were cautious. Drink?" Bor asked.

"Not now. Listen, I need you to get my companions and myself past customs, no trouble from the whiteys."

Bor smirked. "Ah, Mat, up to your old tricks again! I thought Andros was killed?"

"He was. Care package blew up in his face. I'm on my own enterprise."

Bor seemed to think for a minute. "What do I get for this?"

Jaim stuck his hand into the rucksack and fished out the bag of spice. He dropped it onto the table. Bor carefully opened the top and peered inside. He looked at Jaim, shock on his face.

"This is..."

"Glitteryll. Highly refined. This amount will fetch you a small fortune from whatever crime lord or warlord you'd sell it to."

Bor looked nervous, yet curious at the same time.

"How? They stopped refining this before Yavin!"

"Come on, you really thought it would stop? It's available, but only to a very select market. I have my sources. Do we have an accord?"

Bor looked at Jaim, then at the bag, then back to Jaim.

"All right, you're clear. If you get caught..."

Jaim smirked. "I never get caught. At least, not for very long."

The two men shook hands, and walked out of the office. Bor stopped to have a word with the officer, and Jaim smiled at his squadronmates.

"We're clear. Let's go."

When they reached the entrance to the city, Jaim looked to Tak and asked, "Now, most honorable Lieutenant sir, which way?"

Edited August 31, 2007 by Drake

[Drake 53]

Tak shook his head. "Not in public, Mat. No ranks, no salutes, no names. Even if there are no bugs, stick to the game. You never know who may be listening." With a smirk, he added, "I thought you had done this sort of thing before?"

They exited the docking terminal through a set of large doors and looked out over the city below. This exit to the terminal led directly into the Trader's Tier so most of the people coming and going were merchants and civilians. Another exit on the other side of the building led into the administrative areas of the city as well as the sensor relay station.

Takeshi looked out over the city. He had studied maps and cross-referenced places of interest with the New Republic database before leaving and had found an ideal place to set up a sort of base of operations.

He stretched, immersing himself into the character of Kruger Jast. "Well, that was a long flight! What say we take a walk around and try to find us a hotel to put our feet up? The Merchant's Rest is just down the street! Let's get going!"

Tak led the group with a certain added swagger to his step and a slight smirk on his face that gave him a look of astuteness. They made their way down a walkway from the terminal and into the Trader's Tier.

[Vergere 1]

She had loose hips allowing her to swagger easily and look incredibly confident, thumbs in her belt and loose vest flapping as she walked, looking incredibly comfortable in this environment, an open eye to all around her but she seemed less than concerned. She never spoke, just followed the group sulkily.

[Ender 8]

Jaim smiled at Tak. "That's why I swiped Bor's frequency jammer from his pocket when I followed him out. No Imp buggers are going to get past this thing. This one will get you upwards of twenty thousand credits on the black market."

[Drake 53]

"Fancy," said Tak with a nod. He lowered his voice. "But can it stop people from listening with their ears? Anybody and their mother could be packing genetic upgrades to increase hearing. Take our lovely Miss Tsal here," he said, gesturing to Brier. "She could probably hear a Filar Nitzan cloud demon pass wind from down the block. So, just because they can't use their gadgets, doesn't mean we're safe."

[Vergere 1]

Dryly, "I heard that." She managed to keep her face impassive, but glanced in their direction with a quick look of amusement before wiping it off her features again, once more looking away.

[Ayingel 24]

Following Raya's lead, Kilee set her face into almost a frown, but lightened her eyes a little and followed the group. She walked delicately but purposely behind the rest of the group, since she needed to look like she belonged to someone as an entertainer.

[Drake 53]

As the group approached The Merchant's Rest hotel, Tak took a quick look around. The building itself wasn't anything special for Imperial. Like the rest of the city, it was all blocky and shades of gray. He spotted a bar across the street and the one end of a street market a few buildings down.

He led the way through the revolving doors and into the front lobby. Motioning to a cluster of couches, he said, "Wait here. I'll get us a room."

Takeshi left the rest and went over to the front desk. A stern-looking woman in a black uniform greeted him with a nod. "Welcome to The Merchant's Rest. How can I help you, sir?"

"Which suite has the most beds?" he asked.

Without looking down at her computer screen, she answered, "The Emperor's Suite contains one master bedroom with a king-sized bed and three rooms with two double-sized beds. There is also a droid-operated kitchen and laundry room, two washrooms, a large balcony, and a formidable living room."

"Access to the global holonet?"

"Of course, sir. Full access is granted to the Emperor's Suite guests only. Watch the Empire's greatest holodramas and news programs." The attendant seemed like she was trying to sell the offer without the heart to do so.

Tak smiled and gave the woman a slight nod. "Sounds good to me. I'll take it."

She looked incredulously at him. "And how will you be paying for that today, sir?"

Takeshi's smile broadened as he pulled out one of his own ID badges and handed it to the woman. "It's linked directly to my account. Is the room ready now?"

The attendant took a moment to input the badge into a reader and scan the information that popped up on her screen. She would no doubt be seeing one of Tak's alternate identities. This one was Zan Forrano, member of the Imperial Intelligence. As such, record of his being here would immediately be erased. The woman looked up at him as though he were a completely different person.

"Yes, sir! Of course, sir! Forgive me for delaying you as such with these trivial protocols."

"Nonsense," said Tak with a smirk. "What would the Empire be if not for protocol?"

The woman smiled nervously. "Yes, of course! Now, here are your door passes. I will have some of our other attendants show you and your guests to your suite."

"Thank you." Tak took the key cards and returned to the group. "It took some haggling but I got us a fairly decent little room with a couple of beds for a reasonable price. It should suit us okay for now. Let's go." He grinned and led the way to where four attendants were waiting near the turbolift.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

Layla smirked at him. "Haggling huh? Did you see the look on her face? What did you tell her anyway, that you're the long-lost holostar 'Face' Loran?"

[Drake 53]

The corners of Tak's mouth curved slightly in a smirk. "Had I done so, we would all be arrested as traitors to the Empire. Garik Loran is a known member of the Rebel starfighter group Wraith Squadron. No, I showed her some of my more professional credentials and she soon saw things my way."

They all boarded the spacious turbolift. Tak swiped his key card through the reader in the lift and it rapidly ascended to the top floor. When the doors slid open, they were met by a large and luxurious entry room filled with comfortable furniture and covered by a mix of colourful fabrics. It was a complete opposite of the hotel's outward appearance.

"Welcome to the Emperor's Suite, honoured guests," said one of the attendants. He turned to Takeshi. "Would you or your party care for a tour of the penthouse?"

"No, we will be fine," he said without glancing at the attendant. "You and your comrades may leave now." He tossed the attendant a one hundred credit chip as a tip. Without a word, the attendants left. Once they had gone, Tak asked, "Think this will do?"

[Rogue 4]

Layla whistled, looking around at the room in surprise. "Might have to sweep up the place a bit just to make sure it's clean, but this makes my appartment on Coruscant look like a Tatooine dust pit."

She closed the door behind them, and pulled a small compact makeup out of her purse. When she pulled the pad off of it though, a small device was hidden beneath. She flipped it into place and the lights on it started flashing as she began to sweep the living area.

[Drake 53]

Once Layla had completed her sweep and disabled nine listening devices in all, Tak called a meeting in the suite's main room.

"Okay, here's the plan. We have full access to the holonet. Aston, I want you to slice in and find out anything we should know about that sensor relay station. Access codes, personnel files, floor plans, and the like. Captain Fae, I want you and Szen to take a look around the market down the street. Take a look around, see if you can find out anything useful about the relay network, the factories, and the planet in general. Jaim and Layla will come with me to recon the area around the station. Jya, I want you to hang out here with Aston in case anyone tries to get in."

[Vergere 1]

Gruffly, "I thought your apartment was a Tatooine dust pit." She smirked slightly before dropping her rucksack to the ground beside her, and streched her back a bit as she waited for them to do a sweep of the room, rather enjoying not having to do all the intel work this trip around.

Once the room was clean, she listened to what Tak/Jast was saying, and nodded. "Alright, one more question for when we've returned. What's the rooming assignment for us, so we can go put our things down somewhere?"

Edited September 4, 2007 by Vergere

[Rogue 4]

"We're clean." Layla announced, putting her bug-detector away. "Recon work huh? Ooooh don't get me excited."

She looked to Brier. "And I'd sooner live on Nar Shadaa than that dust pit."

Edited September 4, 2007 by Rogue

[Drake 53]

"The master bedroom has the best setup for slicing into the Holonet," said Aston. "Well, I mean, I'm not trying to get the best room or anything. Just saying..."

Tak smiled. "No, it's fine. I was thinking the same thing, actually. You will take the master bedroom. Brier and Szen will share a room, as will Layla and Jya. Jaim and I will take the third room. There are two beds per room so that's plenty of space for everyone."

[Vergere 1]

Brier just grinned wickedly and good naturedly at Layla. "Oh, it's not that bad."

She looked back to Tak. "Anything else before we head out? When you want us to be back, and so forth?"

[Chickenman 9]

Group Two dropped out of hypserspace in the middle of nowhere, far from any prying eyes.

"Okay guys, here we are. Let's sit tight for a bit while we wait for Group One to finish their mission." Aeric paused, awaiting the inevitable boredom that was sure to creep up on the Revenants.

"Anybody got a good story to tell?"

[Drake 53]

Tak glanced at his chrono. "I trust everyone synchronized their chronos to Ithyari time? We're six hours ahead of the base which puts us at 1600 local time. Try to head back by sundown at the latest. I doubt we'll need that long but who knows. If that's everything, let's get going."

[Rogue 4]

"Lucky me," Layla remarked, grinning once they were out the door, hooking one arm through Tak's and the other through Jaim's. "Grouped up with two handsome scoundrels. Recon's never looked so wonderful."

[Mara 29]

After the clearane to go, the rest of Revenant squadron had lifted off with their fellow mates' X-wings in tow. As well as everyone else, Kaden followed the coordinates given to them by the captain and they heede into hyperspace. A few hours later they emerged into open space to lie in wait before going onto their last leg and to Ithyari.

He heard the captain over the squdron frequency but remained silent. Kaden was completely focused on his mission and didn't need any distractions now. So he just gave Artie instructions to keep an eye on the sensors while they all sat there in wait.