lucetilogs | Mission # 1 - Third Party Observation

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Mission # 1 - Third Party Observation

Who: Luke Skywalker, Mizuno Ami, Sheena, Gambit, Chien, and Leonardo
What: MISSION # 1 - Third Party Observation
When: February 5th - 10th
Where: The Jungle [Cultist Village]
Summary: A six man team has been formed by the Malnosso to monitor a cultist village to determine their strategies, plans, and any potential weaknesses.

Six Luceti volunteers arrive in the jungle at approximately nine in the morning, surrounded by the various equipment they would need for the coming mission. Although warped directly into the heart of the forest, it would be several miles until they entered cultist territory and further still until they reached the edge of the cultist village. The trip would be arduous, as there was no clear path to reach there, due largely to the fact the cultists could fly and made no trails of their own. Fortunately a crude map and compass had been provided to the field leader to guide them. For now, their primary dangers would be the animals native to the forest. And perhaps a lone Shift Hunter here and there.

The cultist village is located around a massive tree that towers like a skyscraper over the rest. Thick with vines and other plantlife, the branches of the tree is also where the cultists have built their homes. Although some of the crude dwellings are located on the smaller trees in the area, most of them are hidden in the branches high above the canopy of the forest. Flying from branch to branch are the cultists, many frequently patrolling the area. They are thorough and tireless in their efforts to guard the area. Shifters are often among them, projecting a power canceling field around them. For as exposed as the area seems, the security is tight and dangerous.

The volunteers have been given surveillance and recording equipment that they can either carry on their person or attempt to plant. If their equipment is discovered, the security will only get tighter and they may end up hunted. Their goal is to record any conversations between cultists and photograph any documents or other writings they can come across. They are not to interrogate or engage any of the cultists. Additional supplies for food, shelter, and medicine has also been provided. In five days, they are to return to where they started. If they should be discovered, they can return to that location early and be returned home.

((ooc: Okay, so thread among yourself. You can assume as much as you like, so pick any scenario that you want to tag. You don't have to be in six-way threads, so break off into groups of two or three or whatever. Feel free to use the mod post to ask questions.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What is he thinking?! He's putting them both at risk, acting that recklessly without checking the area first! And the leaves will rustle with his movements; even she can hear it! Alarmed, Mercury stares up into the limbs of the tree, holding the helmet as though she's half forgotten it.

Before following, she lets herself listen carefully. No noise. No motion or presence picked up by the Water, either. Alright, then. She opens her eyes, and follows.

Luke, from his perch, pulls out a blaster carbine with a large scope, putting it up to his eye. He lacks binoculars, so the ocular amplifier on the weapon will have to do. The Jedi sweeps it across the jungle floor, checking for signs of movement while waiting on Mercury to reach him.

He's not being reckless, he's just doing things his way. It would be a small thing for him to make another bush rustle away. Misdirection was something that took little effort, even without the Force.

Mercury calms herself, and performs a single, inhuman leap into the tree, landing softly on a thick branch near Luke's. It'll bear her weight, and she has no trouble with the movement.

She's agile.

Still looking through the blaster scope, Luke pauses for just a moment, the weapon's deadly barrel zeroed in on the source of their panic. A lone winged humanoid carrying an oversized longbow and wearing clothing made of leather stalks the ground below. An enemy patrol of some sort, obviously. He doesn't seem to have noticed them, his gaze fixed ahead rather than off to the side, where they were.

"Mercury, its me. Don't be afraid. The helmet. Your hair...sticks out like a sore thumb. Put it on."

Luke's words simply appear in his partner's head, a gentle urging, a ripple in the Force.

She hears him, but gives no sign of it, freezing instead. If she doesn't seem shocked, a sort of mental bond between the senshi has prepared her.

The patrols... They need to alert the other groups, but the sound will alarm the woman below. And she certainly can't put the helmet on while it's this dangerous. It would draw attention absolutely.

Only once the patrol has moved on does she slowly, carefully, put the helmet on.

"That was close. We're lucky he wasn't really looking for us," Luke thinks. "You can respond this way, if you're ok with it. I can keep this link open without any effort, and it'll probably be helpful."

He lowers the blaster, peering out through the branches with the naked eyes. The lone enemy moves on, clearly having not seen them. He probably would have if they'd remained on the ground, but who knows.

Tentatively, she lets the words form in her mind, and hopes they reach him.

"Is this really alright? How far apart can we be in distance and still communicate? Are there any other effects of using this ability? Can it be noticed by our enemy?"

She has a thousand questions. Most of them really boil down to: How does this work?

Outwardly, the Jedi just smiles. This wasn't unusual, and she had certainly reacted MUCH better than Jack Sparrow. Inwardly, however, he does his best to succinctly explain.

"This is a small portion of my power, the Force. Inside the barrier, this works...maybe the length of the village. Out here? I can reach across the entire planet. If I'm really close to the person in question, I can call out to them from a Galaxy away. We should be fine to use it, I've yet to hear of any Third Party combatant that can pick up on the use of powers, so it should go undetected. That guy, at least, won't have a clue. He's just a grunt. And...there are many, many uses for this telepathic link. Battle Meditation, for one. If we get into a fight, I can link us together so we fight better as a unit."

That...should just about answer anything she asked

"For now," he adds, "its just a means to talk without words. You didn't really think I was just some reckless clod, did you?"

"No," Mercury insists immediately, and she almost seems worried he thinks she has belittled him. "I didn't think badly of you at all."

It's the truth. She doesn't know him well, but she can see for herself that he's been doing his best to lead this mission. Besides that, he wouldn't have chosen for its leader without experience and capability.

"I think it's very useful right now especially."

"Relax," Luke replies, "I'm only joking."

He may not be the most experienced at dealing with the Third Party here, but he knows what he's doing. Jedi his teammates may not be, but they certainly were a lot easier to work with than Han and Chewie.

"So, why don't we stay off the ground from now on? The branches are pretty stable, and that'd let us avoid any Shift Hunters as well."

"No," she sends back. "We still need to be careful. They monitor up high as well. It isn't any safer than the ground." Of course, it is easier to move up here, in some ways; as a senshi, her reflexes and agility are good enough to handle moving among the branches, and there's no undergrowth to tangle up their footing.

"Then let's stay up here. Its a bit less dangerous since there aren't as many beasts. Now, do you think we should follow our friend down there? Maybe he'll lead us somewhere good."

Luke indicates the Third Party soldier just barely on the edge of their vision, gesturing with the tip of his blaster.

"I think we have to," comes the answer. "We won't learn what we're here for if we stay too far away. It will be riskier, though. Are you ready?"

She is. It's unlikely anyone is watching over the lone man; that means their way through the trees should be more or less clear - they can hope. As long as they go cautiously and stay aware of their surroundings, this is fine, isn't it?

"Then, lets get to it." Luke says with a smile. Silently, he draws on the Force and launches himself through the trees. This time, there isn't even so much as a rustle, the power he's using dampening all sound.

"Don't worry about making too much noise. I'm suppressing it. Unless you speak, or attack him, or start bellowing like a Gundark there's no way he'll notice us."

She tries not to smile at the incongruous image of purposely making a ruckus. It's a serious endeavor, and she shouldn't treat it lightly. And yet, the smile tugs at her lips anyway.

"I understand," she returns. "I'll be careful but not worried."

Luke follows the enemy patrolman for some distance, keeping himself behind, and above. Periodically, the enemy changes paths, seemingly moving in a circle, but never really looking up. Several times Luke stops short as the patroller meets up with another Third Party soldier. The two seem to bow, and continue on.

"Tight security here, huh?"

"Then it's where we should be." Wherever security is tight, there's something hidden - possibly something useful.

She could take their shape, to get even closer. But smell, mannerisms, even speech would be all wrong. What can she do in this situation instead...?

"Hang on. Don't move. I've got an idea," Luke says as the enemy soldier sits down on a fallen log, pulling out a small basket. Clearly it intended to take its lunch. Using the Force to go undetected, the Jedi darts from branch to branch until he is directly over the target.

Luke reaches into his belt, drawing out a minuscule voice recording device. As the enemy was distracted by a haunch of mutton, he drops the button sized object into the Third Party bento, telekinetically lowering its speed so as not to make a single sound.

Wraithlike, Luke returns to Mercury, a satisfied look on his face as he activates the remote recording device. "There. Anything he says will get recorded into this datapad. And the best part is the chip will mask itself. Camo-cloaking. Republic tech at its finest."

Nicely done. Her eyes follow the device almost hungrily; she's always had an interest in technology. It's something remarkable that would have been developed in her world-

Well, a long time ago. Somewhat strangely, the advancement of her world is actually less than it used to be. At a point in its history, everything returned to the very beginning.

"Can we monitor it from anywhere? Is there a range?" If not, they should get moving away from here.

"It should be good nearly anywhere in a 2000 kilometer radius. It was developed for infiltrators to plant and leave deep in enemy territory. Lets get out of here."

"That's far enough," her sending agrees. She turns away from the scene to follow Luke.

"So what now? Any ideas?" he asks, verbally, when they are very, very far away from the enemy. Taking out the map, he shows her where they've been, and where he thinks they are. "Thoughts?"

"What are our chances of getting inside long enough to plant more of those devices?"

Not very good, she knows that much. It'll be highly guarded, and risky. The question is if there's enough chance to make the risk worth it.

"If we're careful? Not terrible, honestly. If we can just get them into a few places, thats something. The Malnosso WEREN'T terribly specific about what info they wanted, were they? I'm tempted to leave some of these near latrine holes."

She can appreciate the mischief. But one thing holds her back.

"If this mission doesn't provide what they're looking for, they'll withhold the reward. I intend to be able to claim it."

Mission # 1 - Third Party Observation

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