The unlikely team of four had volunteered to the Exarch’s office to investigate the comm silence that had come from the remote Brotherhood factory. The team hadn’t been given a whole lot of information on the mission, mostly because there was no information to be given. Teams were sent out and teams didn’t come back. They were the best the Brotherhood had to offer and if they didn’t come back either, it was likely that the factory would be accommodated with permanent radio silence via an orbital bombardment from the Endeavour currently drifting above the planet.
The Iron Legion Sergeant piloting the Arrow-23 Landspeeder jammed on the air brakes near the entrance to the factory. “This is it. Everybody out. And May the Force Be-” he was cut off by the turret gunner that ducked his head down into the cockpit.
“You don’t have to say that every time. Seriously. It’s annoying.” He turned to the Exarch’s team, “He’s right though. Out.”
The gull-wing doors hissed open as the quartet hopped out, the speeder pilot barely letting Sergeant Viala get clear before slamming the repulsors into drive.
The group noticed that the building looked pretty similar to every other administration and manufacturing building the Brotherhood had built. An eerie sense of calm silence had settled upon the exterior of the building, despite the exhaust stacks churning out smoke clearly telling them it was active.
Walking from the sun shining, beautifully manicured exterior of the courtyard and through the entrance of sliding glass doors was like walking from a dream to a nightmare. The light in the reception area was flickering, blaster marks riddled the wall and the computer monitor that the security table had held had been cracked, but still operable. The security guard lay dead behind the desk, hand still wrapped around a blaster pistol holstered on his waist.
(Kaled notices that the cause of death was high powered blaster rifle shots to the chest.)
(Eleceos can sense a faint lifeform in another part of the building.)
(Hector and Elita notice the next set of doors are locked.)
The Miraluka inspected the body as much as he could with his hands. He still didn’t get used to the feeling of touching the body of the desist. His stomach did turn a little, but the job had to be done.
After the close inspection Kaled moved away from the body.
“Blaster shot.” He stated. His voice was more steady then usual. Professional even.
“Blaster pistol is still in it’s holster. Poor man didn’t even have time to defend himself.” As he finished, the Arcanist’s face was one of sorrow. Even as he wanted to be more professional and collective, Kaled couldn’t hide his more softer side that everyone knows him for.
“A-anyone got something?”
Eleceos walked around the room. He could feel the death in the room. He could touch the despair I’m the air. The emotions from the body Kaled attended to were strong and left an imprint in the Force. They fell over him in the moment.
Shock
Panic
Pain
Terror
Once his focus was finally waning on the room, he felt the glimmer of life.
“We are not alone.”
The shorter than average Epicanthix woman, Elita Viala, looked around the room they were in. Her piercing amber eyes were all that showed. As she walked behind the desk she gave some snark to Eleceos.
“Of course we’re not alone. There’s the four of us.” She was attempting to gain access to the computer systems, trying to connect her datapad to one of them, hoping to the stars they have enough power.
“N-No.” Kaled said as he moved away from the desk.
“Someone else is here.” He came closer to Eleceos, trying to sense what his fellow Miraluka did but to no avail. Something about that dead body was disturbing and it disrupted his concentration.
He unbuckled his lightsaber hilt, holding on to her tightly. Not really knowing what to expect, he went over to the door. It seemed locked for some reason.
“Can we open this?”
Hector walked over to the body Kaled had inspected. He turned to address the group. “I ask that we wait a moment before we proceed. The Brotherhood has many enemies but the Collective and the Children of Mortis are chief among them. Both groups have previously shown capabilities to resurrect the dead. I require a minute to administer a rite to ensure that the spirit passes on and that the body can not be reanimated.”
He knelt down and began the rite as he listened for the responses of the group.
Elita punched a series of requests and brute force hacks into her datapad and was able to get into the system, unfortunately she found nothing else of use on this terminal other than to override the locking mechanisms on the door. With a click, thunk and finally a hiss, the doors opened.
Seconds after the doors opened, the facility overhead comm crackled to life.
“Speculation: Another hit squad.” A robotic voice said.
“Request: Please come in.”
The crackling of the overhead comm ceases and lights cut out, leaving the group in pitch black darkness. Emergency strobes activate and force the group to move in a strobed frame by frame like animation.
From what you could see clearly into the next room before the lights went out, there is a large desk in the center of the room with smaller tables and a pair of chairs surrounding it. Shadows from the strobe litter the ground in the next room.
Force Users that reach out with sense will know that they are a partial group of deceased facility workers.
Kaled stood at a doorway. The Miraluka was horrified by what he had sensed.
Deceased people. A group of them, scattered around. The robotic voice pulled him back to reality from this sudden shock. He didn’t know how to proceed, waiting for someone else to make a decision.
“A-are we going forward?” He whispered to the others. “I think we should right? But I really have a bad feeling about this place.”
“Your nervousness is going to get you killed.” Elita said to the Miraluka as she disconnected her datapad. She pulled her rifle, Overwatch, off of her shoulder and had it ready just in case. “If anything moves that isn’t one of us, and doesn’t make themselves known, I’m shooting it.” As Elita approached the threshold, she looked around for any possibilities of a trap. A wire, laser, hidden monkey-lizard, anything that could hamper their mission.
The strobing continued to disorient the group as they made their way past the security desk and into the main reception area. The speakers crackled to life, it was the robotic voice again.
“Supplication: Forgive me. I didn’t even introduce myself.”
“Greeting: My designation is IG-88G. You may call me G, or G Unit.” The droid continued.
“Disclosure: My children made short work of the other rescue teams.”
“Theory: You will also pose little challenge.”
“Advisement: Take cover!”
The overhead speakers died out again as the north door appeared open with two IG series droids standing in the doorway with blaster rifles in each hand.
The white strobing room suddenly went from white flashes to white and red as blaster bolts filled the air.
Elita quickly took cover beside the doorway, staying in the room they were first in. She pulled her rifle, Overwatch, from the sling on her back and primed it for a shot. Waiting for the opportunity to peer into the room.
Kaled ignited his lightsaber. The white blade roared as it came to life, deflection a few bolt’s that were fired their way before taking a cover himself.
“I knew it!” He exclaimed.
He tried to remain calm, taking a moment to concentrate and call for on a Force for aid. Taking a deep breath, Kaled extended his hand forward. A translucent barrier formed around and Eleceos, hoping that it will at least protect them long enough to strike back.