3-17 SOLID SNEAK

Bendak and his team lead the way to the warehouse, first circling around to the west side. You and Master Lasah keep a lookout as you go, ensuring that nobody is watching.

This side of the warehouse is surrounded with shipping containers, among which only vermin wander. No one is here to bungle up the plan. Not even cameras are laid out, making it exceptionally easy to sneak your way up to the door.

A massive shuttered door — almost like that of a hangar — for actual movement of cargo blocks the way. Fortunately, just to the right is a smaller entrance for principal entry. With a wave of her hand, Master Lasah unlocks the door from the other side and you’re in.

At this point, the two occupants of the room are sitting in a corner viewing something on a shared datapad. Bendak motions for everyone to keep quiet, then has Eggl follow him closer. In the meantime, the rest of the team circle around between towering racks of cargo, heading for the entrance to the next section of the warehouse.

The two cartel members, both of them human men, seem to be watching a hitball match from the audio playing from the datapad. Bendak and Eggl silently walk up behind them, then glance over to Master Lasah who gives them a nod.

A moment later, the cartel members stare bewildered at the ceiling, all trussed up with nowhere to go. Robin stays behind to keep watch over them while you move ahead.

The next section is busier, with multiple droids hovering about, shuffling boxes to and fro. However, there is only one person in this area. So long as the droids take no offense to intruders, this part should be even easier.

You’re about to move ahead when Master Lasah grasps your arm. You tilt your head, sending your quizzical thoughts to her. Leaning close, she whispers, “I recognize this model of droid. They have combined roles of guard and laborer. Less efficient at either, but a cost-saving choice for companies who want both functions.”

“So they’re hostile?”

“Most likely.”

Well, that kills your plan to just walk on through. The droids stay up high, their primary optics focused on the task ahead of them. Unfortunately, they seem to also have several auxiliary sensors dotted around their bodies. Some face to the sides, meant to assist them with navigating tight spaces. Some face downwards, likewise for navigation but also for spying intruders below them.

This will be annoying, or it would be if Bendak didn’t point toward a ladder.

At each end of an aisle is a long ladder to the top, meant for maintenance access. If the droids do not have optics at their topsides, then getting above them is the obvious choice for avoiding them. So long as you can surprise and secure the cartel member at the other end of the room, your objective will be accomplished.

You are the third up the ladder, preceded first by Bendak then by Eggl. Master Lasah follows close behind you, ready to catch you if you fall, and Tressk brings up the rear. It’s truly an arduous climb, especially when you have to go slowly to avoid making noise. Halfway up, you even have to take a break, your lack of stamina yet again getting the better of you. However, after a two minute break, you can’t bear the shame of being the holdup and force yourself onwards toward the top.

Eggl helps you onto the top-most layer of the racks, his head nearly hitting the ceiling as he straightens up. You crawl forward, then lay on your back. Your arms ache so bad at the moment!

“Are you alright?”

You turn toward Master Lasah who is now crouched beside you. Just behind her is Tressk who is looking down, watching the hovering droids floating through the warehouse. You nod, your breathing still somewhat deeper than normal, but at least at a regular rhythm. You place a hand across your chest, feeling your heart beating. Slightly elevated, but perfectly fine. It’s only your arms that are the issue.

“Let’s go,” a soft voice from the front threads past your ears. Once again, officer Bendak leads the way, shuffling slowly along the top of the long aisle.

You walk forward, sure-footed and confident with the aid of the Force. Even if you did fall, you would be fine. You merely have to focus on stepping lightly, heel-to-toe, to produce as little noise as possible.

You clamber across crates and boxes, wary for any soft items likely to crumple under your weight. It’s almost fun, like solving a puzzle, watching for little traps that would end your game early. Fortunately, your Sight is perfect for judging what you are about to step on, and your light weight means you make for an excellent scout for the group. Soon, it is you who leads, identifying the path for the clumsy adults behind you!

You’re almost sad when the journey ends. Before you is the ladder downwards, and below is the target. Grasping the sides of the ladder, you slide down slowly, friction heating your gloves up just enough to feel warm. At the bottom, you shuffle to the side, making sure to keep out of sight of both the cartel member and the droids.

Bendak clambers down behind you, and taps you on the head, reminding you that you probably shouldn’t have been the first one down. Too late now, so you shrug and let him go ahead. In a few seconds, yet another cartel member is easily apprehended, but this time, he needs to be dragged along lest the droids discover him. An annoyance, but not impossible to deal with. Now, if only he would be quiet…

Stolen story; please report.

He mumbles through the gag, his eyes wide and panicked. It’s only worsened when you lean over him, letting him see a glaring golden eye.

A hushed voice interrupts you just before you lift a fist. “Xena, come. Let the good officers play their part. No need to frighten the boy.”

“Boy?”

You look again, then step back in shock. She’s right, he’s only a boy — not much older than you. It’s only his scraggly beard that makes him look older than he truly is. That’ll teach you to pay more attention to his presence in the Force.

Doesn’t mean you can’t silence him manually though.

However, before you try again, Eggl steps in and fixes him with a death-glare, accomplishing the task beautifully. You smile in satisfaction, then move back to Master Lasah, ready to move on.

“Xena,” she suddenly says.

“Hm?”

“That was… inappropriate.”

“What do you mean?”

“I could feel your intentions there, Xena. Remember, you are a Jedi. What would a Jedi do in such a case?”

“Ah.”

Oh, that is a bit embarrassing. You were perhaps a bit too heavy-handed there.

“Sorry, Master. Um, I should have asked nicely first.”

“That is one way of doing it,” she responds with a smirk. “There are other, more subtle ways about it too.”

“I could have… uh, offered him some candy?”

“That is what you do for children. Not for near-adults.”

“...How about drugs?”

Her frown has you frantically clarifying that you were kidding. You would never do such a thing, right? Finally, after a whole minute — an excruciating year of relative time! — she finally sighs and says, “Do not joke about this. No more levity allowed.”

“Aw, alright.”

“No puns. No gimmicks. Nothing.”

“...Okay.”

“No smiling either.”

It takes you all the willpower in the world not to do so at that point. You wouldn’t even be able to hide it behind your mask considering who she is!

“No grinning.”

Nooo! You’re losing it!

“I see your struggles. Give in, child. You have no hope,” she says in a deadpan voice.

It’s only the intervention of officer Bendak that prevents you from breaking out laughing. He motions to the droids above, reminding you of the continued danger. It’s fortunate they don’t seem to have very good hearing — probably due to them working in typically noisy conditions. Who needs good audio input when all they normally hear is the workings of heavy machinery and the whirr of their own repulsorlifts?

“Anything to look out for in the next area?” officer Bendak asks.

Both you and Master Lasah shake your heads. No droids are present. No cameras or people. It should be clear.

“Wonderful. We should be able to dump this deadweight in there, then we’ll move onto the last section. Let’s go.”

≡][≡ ⬦⬦⬦ ≡][≡

This last section will be challenging. You, Master Lasah, and the three present members of the CorSec team lean against the doors leading into the fourth, east-most section. Inside are the last ten cartel members in the warehouse. Three have blasters; five have knives. Fortunately, two of them, Purnell and Adleta — both of which are knife-wielders — are passed out on the floor. Kett, Arnot, and the rest of them are in mixed degrees of sobriety.

“Are there any droids?”

“No.” Master Lasah shakes her head while Bendak smiles in relief. It seems that all the droids were congregated in the second section or left the warehouse. Hopefully they don’t come back for a while.

“Alrighty, now let’s figure out how we want to approach this,” officer Bendak says. “They still in the same place? Southside aisle?”

“Yes. Still distracted in conversation, though it appears a few of them are starting to lose interest.”

“And the narcotics?”

“They still have the crates next to them. No knowledge on what else they might have.”

“Understood. Well then, here’s how I think we should play this. Eggl and I will circle around to the far east side while the rest of you sneak up to them from the west. When they see a lightsaber or two, there’s likely going to be a few runners, whom Eggl and I will intercept. We’ll just box them in.”

“That is agreeable to me,” Master Lasah states. She then turns to you and speaks in a quieter tone. “Xena, I do not think you should participate in this. If events turn sour, I would very much prefer you stay out of it.”

“But, I could help!” you squeak out, just barely able to keep your volume down.

“Yes, but again, you are an Initiate. You are not a Padawan yet. You are not my Padawan yet. I will not make Bren’s mistake. I will not let you get injured when I can so easily prevent it.”

She leans forward, placing her hand on your shoulder. “However, Xena, I know you are capable, so I will give you one choice. Where would you like to be during this conflict? East or west? You will stay back in either case, but you would also be in position to save lives in the worst-case scenario. It would be much safer for you to be here on the west side with me where I can protect you, but officers Bendak and Eggl will be terribly isolated. It is possible that simply seeing a lightsaber swinging in the darkness will cause our new friends to think twice about running away.”

“I, uh—”

“Remember, Xena,” Master Lasah says again. “You must stay back and out of harm's way. Only move forward if you see multiple lives in severe danger. Your healing techniques would be lifesaving. You are not to go after a cartel member under any circumstances. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Good, now make your choice.”