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The heist
They were running on silent, the stealth mode engaged. Avoiding the enemy at all cost a must.
After all, this, was a data gathering operation and staying out of sight and going unnoticed was crucial for the mission’s success. The enemy could not know they were ever there. Not before it was time for their end game.
“The engines are at low level speed.” Gregor whispered. ”The stealth mode is functioning as designed.”
It was the invention Tech had started on working some time ago, before… well before Plan 99. Echo then with a few of the clone engineers having completed it, this being their first use in the field on an actual mission. Having been running several field tests prior to this on but of course.
“Why are we whispering ?” Howzer asked confused, but he too was whispering .
“So they don’t hear us.” Fireball mad a duh face.
“It’s not how the stealth mode works, gents.” Echo enlightened his team mates in a normal voice.
Echo was back in the cockpit after making sure the stealth device was on and working properly.
“No?” Gregor was still whispering though, realising his faux-pas suddenly “It doesn’t?” He asked then in his regular voice.
“No.” Echo smiled. “They won’t hear us from inside the ship nor through the vacuum of space.”
“Okay, good, good. Just, um checking is all.” Gregor exchanged eyebrow raised glances with the other two, but he trusted Echo on this among everything basically so no arguments from him or the other two.
“So, this means we’re able to park right at their doorstep and they will be none the wiser?” It wasn’t as if Howzer wasn’t in on the plan, having been present at the debriefings with the rest of the team. But it was good to always double check, triple check even in the Captain’s opinion.
“That is the plan Howz.” Echo took a seat at the operations console, planning on doing his monitoring from there on forward.
“It’s a pity we can’t adapt the same technology to our armour.” Fireball made a note, as they still had to get out of the ship and into the datacenter of the enemy stronghold .
Echo looked at the trooper for a moment rather thoughtfully.
“You know, there was a plan for that in Tech’s notes too, but well… that task was left unfinished and there really has not been so much time to continue on said effort. This, cloaking the ships was a priority.”
Yeah, they all knew what had happened to Tech quite well. Well the version anyway, that of Tech plummeting into his death. But they also now knew the part where Crosshair and Omega had met Tech during their own imprisonment on the infamous imperial base.
“Yeah, well, maybe he can finish what he started when we get him back.” Gregor offered.
“Yeah. When we get him back.” Not if. The if never an option for Echo.
Just then, the nav console beeped, indicating they had arrived at their destination.
*
“Heads up everyone! We don’t have much time before they will be able to detect there is an energy barrier at the dock showing up on their scanners.“
They had to assume the place was being monitored, possibly some automatic functions looking for any and all anomalies in and around the base. As it was, the stealth device was a functioning tool for sure. Alas, it wasn’t perfect. Rigged together from parts not in the specifications as Echo and his team of engineers had not managed to obtain all the needed parts in said specs. Improvising whatever they needed to get around to get the device working. But, something always managing to go wrong, which they needed to be prepared for.
And so, here they were, at the enemy base, on a tight schedule. Echo being in charge of the mission. Echo assigned to be the one to scomp into the data systems of the facility to gather all the intel they needed for their rescue mission. Their target, that of a close by outpost of the infamous Mount Tantiss. The rebels having gotten good inside intel of the backups being held in this particular facility they were at right at the moment.
“Aye Sir!”
Gregor wasn’t mocking Echo, quite the contrary with his use of designation. Rather adding that special lopsided smirk just the same. Getting one back from the Arc as well, their little inside jokes only the two of them were privy to.
After all, Gregor had been officially of a higher rank than Echo. But that was before. As it was the clones of the Rebel Cause were all equals now even if the command structure was followed during their away missions.
They knew exactly where to head to having gotten the blueprints from a supposedly reliable source Crosshair had paid a visit to after his own escape from Mount Tantiss.
Having left Fireball in charge of the ship, the trio were well on their way while keeping their heads down and moving undetected through the long corridors of the enemy base.
*
“This is the place.” Echo scomped into the system access point closest to them, getting their bearings just in case the intel had been wrong. After a moment searching Echo found what he was looking for. “We’re in business. To the left and the third door.”
The trio headed towards the control room to find the mainframe of the base. Hacking the doors were easy enough, Echo getting inside while the other two stood guard at the door.
“Yatzy!” Echo exclaimed as the data started pouring through his scomp and into his memory banks.
“Sounds like we hit the jackpot.” Howzer chuckled.
“Indeed.”
Things were going well enough, but midway through the download process, Oddball having monitored the overall status from the ship, commed them.
“Fellas! We’ve run into a bit of a situation here.”
“What’s up FB?”
“We’ve got patrols incoming.”
Echo having overheard the exchange almost finished with the download was trying to hurry it up, sifting through it all quickly enough, deciding what to take and what to leave as time was running out.
“Fireball, take off for now. We’ll be a few more down here. You can come back for us as soon as they’re gone.”
“Roger that Echo!”
“Let’s just hope they don’t find us here.” Gregor felt a tad uneasy as their means of getting off the planet were cut off momentarily.
“We can always hide in one of the other rooms.” Howzer offered knowing the data room was the most likely place they would look for any intruders if the guards figured out something was wrong.
“How’s it going Echs?”
“Done!” Echo detached from the system, having managed to leave a small present behind in there after downloading what they needed.
“Okay, let’s get moving.” Gregor only too happy to leave.
Echo scanned the vicinity before leaving the room.
“The corridor is clear.” Echo commed Fireball. “FB, what’s your status?”
“In my way back, no problems on my end.”
“We’re on our way.”
They started on their way back to the dock, trying to be as stealthy as possible.
Midway through though, they detected some movement on their path to the ship. Howzer was up front, signalling a halt with his hand.
It was clear whomever it was out there, that they were heading right in the trios direction and confrontation was not an option. There could be no trace of any of them ever having been there.
Echo scanned the area and motioned towards a doorway a short way back. Which they headed to quickly jogging there.
It was a supply closet cramped at best. Holding their breaths when they heard people walking and talking on the outside.
Thankfully, those people out there were none the wiser of the visitors stuck in the closet close by.
“They’re gone.” Gregor whispered.
“Let’s get to the ship as fast as possible.” Echo ordered.
The trio quickly made the rest of the way without any incident, their ship taking the off, heading to the clone home base.
As now, they finally had the data needed to get to their actual mission. Hoping only the enemy had not detected their presence in the datacenter.