Five days.
Five days ago I discussed plans with Vlondril and B’Nan in the CIC aboard Void Star. Now we are putting these plans into action. I was overlooking A large estate in the outer districts of Midnight City; A luxurious, sprawling complex with walls and guards posted around the perimeter to prevent any intruders from entering. This was the Vasivich residence. The home of Makarovo Vasivich himself and his wife, Karrina Vasivich.
I go about setting up my position, The plan is rather simple. Infiltrate the compound, gather intelligence, and get out. The Vasivichs were not home, so this was the perfect time. After sliding a table in place a ways back from the window and cracking the window open, I set up my rifle atop the glass table... A Model 440B precision rifle. Bolt action, magazine fed, multicaliber.
Screwing a sound suppressor on the muzzle with a quarter turn and a sharp click of the locking lug, I look through the optic and adjust the elevation and windage dials to account for the current weather and range on my ballistics calculator. Atmospheric pressure; 1034.21 millibar. Elevation; negative 1.2 degrees, Wind; 1.2 meters per second, due 3 o’clock - Adjust 0.7 Mils left. Range; 800 meters to the front gate, Adjust 3.5 Mils down.
I set down my electronic Binoculars and shoulder the rifle, adjusting the stock to fit my stance. Resting my cheek on the stock cheekrest and peering down the optic, I find the first target. A lone guard posted in a watch tower. Nearby on the wall is a second armed guard. That is my target. I flip the safety lever off and aim, slowly squeezing the trigger.
[At the bottom of the walls of the Vasivich compound..]
Vlondril waits at the bottom of the wall, hidden from view, waiting for Kara’s signal. Suddenly, a guard falls from the wall and she watches the body fall into the foliage below. “Is that her signal?” Vlondril blinks slowly. “Well then. Here we go!” she climbs the wall and grabs the guard in the tower, running her blade across his neck and then through his heart before discarding him over the ledge into the foliage below.
Vlondril looks around before silently making her way to the back of the building. Kara will have no visual on her while she breaches the main house. After a moment she manages to open an unlocked window. Amateurs, they never change. The Vasivich couple must feel rather confident in their safety behind the walls and guards.
However, the Vasivichs’ are not home. They left an hour ago. Their objective here was not killing the Vasivich couple, no.. it was gathering what dirt they could on their activities so that Kara could blackmail them later.
While Vlondril had her thoughts about blackmail, she dared not bring it up with her new friend and superior. She supposes blackmail is a routine for Kara, which is not something she’d ever doubt considering the woman’s often-spotty history. Which is fine, because she did what she had to do.
Vlondril rounded a corner while grappling with these thoughts, trying a door into what should be a study. She clucks her tongue in disappointment after finding it locked. After looking around a moment, she comes across a loose panel that may hide a way in. After a bit of effort to remove the panel, which strained the thinner fibers in her muscles, she could see the wiring beneath. Door wires, it was red and blue, right?
After some clever hotwiring, Vlondril shorts the door servos so it opens by crossing two wires. While not exactly stupid, the criminal elements in Midnight City were not that knowledgeable on things as niche as doors and electronic security. After she puts the wires back in their rightful configuration, it will be like she was never there.
With some looking around, Vlondril came across an odd bust statue. It displays Karrina Vasivich’s likeness. The woman of the house. It seems Makarovo was very fond of her indeed. Vlondril smiles faintly and removes the top part of the bust, revealing a secret compartment containing a data chit inside.
Vlondril examines the small object. It is a worm drive, Barely larger than her thumbnail and wafer-thin. She slips it between her cleavage for safekeeping until she can make her exit and walks out of the room after putting the statue back together. Just as she found it. passing the exposed panel, she takes a moment to undo the wire trick, and the door swishes shut next to her. She puts the wall panel back into place with some effort, Iridians were never built for this kind of exertion, after all. Her people’s strength lies in Agility.
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She makes her way out of the building through the window and to the wall, she thinks about this. Kara negates the one strength iridians have physically, she is quite strong and quite nimble for her weight. Genetic manipulation? Was she a Chimera? It was indeed possible, as humanity did create the Chimera, after all. Understanding her would be key to the mission she was assigned to by High-Matron Farsa.
[Back with Kara, Atop the 4th floor of a nearby building…]
I spent the past ten minutes watching for Vlondril. She entered a blind spot where I could not cover her six, so I spent that time watching patrols and cataloging guards who left and entered the compound. My crosshairs linger where she is due to emerge any moment, when I see her head pop into view, then after a clamor up on the roof, her whole body. She waves in my direction and makes her way to the wall and begins her descent down the outside of the bricks.
After I put down my rifle and finally transmit over our comms, Pressing a button on the small communicator strapped to the left strap of my combat vest. I address Vlondril. “What did you find?” It takes her a moment to reply. “I found one worm drive inside of a statue. Likely full of data.”
After allowing myself a smirk, I transmit back. “Good work. Make your way back to the ship and we will discuss our findings there.” After a moment of delay, I hear Vlondril over the net. “Aye, captain. See you then!” I begin breaking down my shooting position and sanitizing it of any evidence I was here, then Disappear into the city to make my way to the ship.
***
After a few hours, I returned to the ship, immediately entering CIC to find Galinae and Vlondril arguing.
“You want to help her -blackmail- the Vasiviches?? Are you kidding me?” Galinae glares at Vlondril, who is not letting her temper get to her, so she merely smiles at Gali. “Honey, you wouldn't understand the predicament we are in right now. We have no allies, resources, or contacts to count on out here. Kara is trying her best to fix that.”
“Ugh! You’re impossible, Vlondril!” Galinae storms past me, making eye contact on her way out. “What is she so angry about?” I lift a brow, looking at Vlondril, who answers with a shrug “Oh, she’s just angry that we’re blackmailing people.”
“Is that it?” I tilt my head at Vlondril inquisitively. “If she’s angry about that she’s in for quite a wakeup call. We are in the woods now - if we do not, our enemies will.” I smile candidly.
Vlondril furrows a brow and smirks smugly “Seems my snark is rubbing off on you already, that’s good!” she prods me in the side. “Ouch!” I swat at her offending hand “Don't touch me!” Vlondril giggles playfully and sashays off the CIC. “You’ll learn to love it, Kara. I know you will” I cannot reply as the elevator doors shut.
Sighing, I go to the fore part of CIC to review the data on the TOD table. “I have to do something about that cheeky woman.” I muse aloud before glancing at Midea, the new Communications officer. She blinks at me slowly. “What?” I deadpan at her and she quickly turns her head to look back at her station, I sigh. ‘I have to keep an eye on Vlondril.’ I think to myself as I swipe through the menus of the TOD and begin reviewing the data. "I need a cigarette," I murmur.
[Meanwhile]
Vlondril sits patiently in the crew lounge on the port side of the Void Star on deck 2. Sipping on her frosted wine slowly while in deep thought, she had brought many bottles of wine with her, a reminder of her estate back home with its extensive vineyards and fine wine-making tradition. Iridian Frost berries made rather smooth, crisp, and light wines that went well with human cuisine, specifically spicier varieties like curry or cajun dishes.
Vlondril swirls her glass around pensively, dressed in a slinky one-piece dress - she did like to dress up, after all. It made her feel good about herself and a finely dressed woman exudes confidence and power.
Her mind wanders to thoughts of Kara. A rather… interesting woman for certain but a bit rough around the edges. She folds a leg tightly over the opposite thigh and smiles slightly. Observing the view of the sun on the observation viewer, she watched the various people below on the landing pads as she monologued internally about what she had learned so far.
A smile curls her lips in fondness. Perhaps Farsa's caution is not warranted. Galinae was likely perfectly safe here, Kara even brought her to a clearing for target practice and showed her how to shoot, even if Galinae was not proficient. The princess is very timid after all, and thus was gun shy.
From what Farsa has said, Kara's history is spotty at best, and Kara never talked about her past with Farsa.
Vlondril muses, repeating the words Farsa had instructed her within her mind. 'Go with them, keep Galinae safe, and I want you to keep tabs on Kara.' She has a slow sip of her stemmed glass of wine. voicing thoughts aloud as she watches the view on the viewer. "you are a rather curious woman, aren't you?"