A simple mission can turn deadly. However, it may turn deadly for those that oppose the mission. Olmakh had been sent to wherever it was he was in order to scout out the planet. It was an elegant world but it had its downsides.

Olmakh had slipped on and off his transport without being seen. That was one thing Noghri were very good at. His shuttle had started at Hapes and brought him to this unknown planet. It was time to start his advance mission.

He slipped out of the starport and into the shadows of the city. Aurora and Morpheus had to be protected and it was his job to make sure they were. He padded through the city in the shadows. He stayed out of sight, and was not spotted.

Olmakh was displeased with what he saw. Fights were breaking out everywhere. Riots were in the streets, and people were being killed. He obviously couldn’t allow the two Hapan royalty members to roam the streets.

Inside the buildings wasn’t much better. Living conditions were harsh. People died from everyday sickness because the medical facilities were terrible. Food was scarce. Robberies took place about every two minutes.

The place was filthy. He would obviously have to get Aurora and Morpheus to the presidential section as fast as possible. There it wasn’t any better.

Protestors lined the streets because of the newly passed food limitations law. The planet was short on food and had to import it. Pirates had disrupted shipments and the food hadn’t arrived. The Government had had to pass a law to limit the amount of food one could purchase at a time.

He was satisfied that he knew the lay of the planet and how to move through the city unnoticed. He headed for the starport. Passing through an ally he hadn’t been through before, he was confronted by a street gang.

“What are you doing in our territory, alien.” One said.

“You better leave before we have to kill you.” Another jeered.

“I don’t think that will be happening anytime soon,” Olmakh purred.

With lightning fast attacks, he knocked all the members of the gang unconscious. He wouldn’t kill them. It would be too messy.

He finally made his way to the starport and slipped inside. Sliding through the shadows, he made his way to the docking bay that Prince Darksword had said Aurora and Morpheus would be using. He slipped inside and sat in the shadows where he wouldn’t be noticed. Then, he waited.

As Aurora’s and Morpheus’s shuttle landed in the shuttle bay, Morpheus pondered the mission before him. It should be a fairly easy diplomatic mission; it was the fine details that concerned him however.

He sat silent beside Aurora, as the shuttle finished its final shutdown procedures. He’d hoped for a bit more protection, at least for Aurora. As the atmosphere of the planet wasn’t exactly welcoming, but there was no time to fret over such details now.

He turned to Aurora “Alright, stay here for now my dear; you’ll be safe here in the shuttle until I meet with Olmakh.” He stood up and walked out of the cabin he called for the pilot.

Morpheus: “Pilot…”

Pilot: “Yes your Excellency?”

Morpheus: “If we run into any trouble while I’m out there in the shuttle bay, I want this shuttle to be sealed tight; no one gets in or out for her protection no matter how much she may object, is that clear.”

Pilot: “Yes your Excellency” The pilot bowed…

Morpheus paused as he studied the pilot. “Very well, open the walk ramp.”

With a signature hiss the walk ramp lowered as Morpheus stepped out into the shuttle bay. Once outside he studied the bay, much darker than those found out other landing sites. He turned and looked for Olmakh, who finally made his approach.

“Olmakh, my old friend, it is good to see you.” Morpheus said, knowing sure well both him and Aurora were in good hands for the mission.

And he turned to the shuttle and gave the signal it was safe for Aurora to come down.

Unlike Morpheus, Aurora did not welcome more security. She belied that her cousin Morpheus was all the protection she needed.

However, her brother, Dakkon had insisted that the Noghri go along with them. As always, Aurora did protest against her brother's wishes, much to his dismay.

It was the disappointment in her brother's eyes that had made Aurora change her mind.

No matter how stubborn Aurora could be, she always trusted her brothers judgement.

All was right, except with Morpheus. She could not stand the thought of her cousin pampering her, it made her, to put it frankly...ill.

She despised being treated like royalty in some instances, such was the case with this mission.

Sight seeing sounded so wonderful and inviting, yet, so far fetched, the comforts of freedom would not be exposed to her, the princess was sure of it.

Well, if she could not enjoy the trip as she wanted to, nor would Morpheus.

Storming from her seat, Aurora set off in a dainty march, intending to see to it that she got to the shuttle bay, come hell or high water.


"Morpheus!!!"

The princess of Hapes screamed at the top of her lungs....

Olmakh had moved out of the shadows when the man had debarked the shuttle. He now stood before Morpheus.

"The same goes for me," He purred.

He looked up at Aurora as she exited the ship, and bowed to her. Then he turned his attention back on Morpheus.

"I have scouted the planet's capital as you requested. It is not a city of good manners. The people here are not to be trusted. They will try and rob you."

"I took the liberty od scouting the presidential section as well. It is not much better than the rest of the city. The peole are argueing that the food restrictions are unfair."

"It seems that their food supply was disrupted in route. Pirates have taken over the supply, and restriction on the food intake have been inacted. When we head to the presidential district we must move quickly so as not to be caught by thieves."

He looked around once more. He was not entirely high thinking of the people of this planet. They were not people to be trusted, and had an apparent dislike for non-humans. He could ignore that, but not at the cost of harm to Aurora and Morpheus.

"What a shithole! What the hell are those Hapans doing here anyways?"

"What they're here for is to bring this "shithole" into the Hapan Consortium."

"Whatever, so what's the mission?"

Captain Belnonth smiled. Despite her second-in-commands un-educated demeanor, Master Seargent Vin Lay was really an extremely smart person and all business when it came to his job.

"These are our primaries. They're protected by a single Noghri."

Janet Belnonth passed the files on the three of them over.

"What's the tempermant of the public?" Lay asked.

"Bad. I'm going to be holding second squad in reserve. There definetly is an xenophobic attitude. Also food's scarce. There will be no leave and all our troops will travel in pairs disguised as beggars to protect from thieves."

Vin grimaced. "Why? Anybody try bothering any of our troops and they'll end with a smoking hole for a head."

"We're undercover Vin. No publicly declaring ourselves except if necessary."

"Alright. The Noghri will be good but probably not enough. We should have one team on each of the primaries at all times. They'll change their disguise and rotate enough so the Noghri doesn't know that they're following them." Said Vin.

"Ok. You work up an assignment schedule. Dismissed."

Belnonth and Lay both rose and saluted. Then lay about faced and left the command post.

Private First Class Soin dragged himself along, feigning a cripple leg. His clothing smelled like human wastes only a hundred times worse. It took all of Soin's willpower to stop him from vomiting.

"Soin?"

A whispered voice came from the comlink Soin had secreted inside the hood of his robe. Collapsing in a pile as if exhausted Soin brought his chin down to where he had hidden the microphone for his comlink.

"What is it?"

Soin barely moved his lips. To anybody watching closely enough it would appear that Soin was just a mentaly deranged cripple who talked to himself. Hardly a rare sight on Seleb these days.

"I've got 2 people spying on the primaries. They're wearing black hooded robes. Kind of remind me of that holo-drama with the Dark Jedi. I can't tell their gender but they're about medium height and weight."

"Alright. I'm on my way."

With an exhausted sigh Soin heaved himself back on his feet and resumed his limping towards where the two people he had sworn to protect were.

"So what do you have?"

Soin dropped to the ground beside his partner Corporal Mon.

"That's what do you have sir."

Soin smiled, Jenon Mon and him had been in the same class in the academy but Jenon had been promoted first and he hadn't let Soin forget it.

"Yes sir, Officer Man, sir." Soin said.

"That's right Alex, it's sir and don't you forget it. Now do you see those two in the dark robes over there? They've been following our Hapan friends all afternoon."

"Do you think we should pay them a visit?"

"Exactly. We'll slip out of these rags and go ask them a few questions."

The two soldiers, stood and moved down an alley making sure that it was devoid of life. Then they pulled off their beggar robes revealing combat jumpsuits underneath them. Drawing their standard issue DL-18 sidearms, they crept out of the alleyway. The street was thankfully mostly empty with just the two followers there hurrying after the Hapans who had disapeared around a corner.

"I'd suggest you stop."

Jenon's voice rang out clear and strong. The two followers slowed and stopped then turned to face them. Reaching up with their hands they drew the cowls back from their faces revealing that they were both male. The one on the right had dark brown hair drawn back into a ponytail while the other was shaved completely bald.

Suddenly the one on the right's hand moved for one of the huge pockets on his robe as if to draw a weapon.

"Don't move!" Jeron yelled.

But it had no effect, the man drew out a lightsaber and ignited it.

Alex flinched in surprise. It seemed as if Jeron was right in his assesment that they seemed to be some kind of force users. Hoping that this man was just some poor fool with no talent who happened to own a lightsaber Alex flicked his blaster over to stun mode then fired into his target again and again.

The blaster fired and the air was filled with blue green stun blasts the man on the left tried to run for cover but a sucession of blasts from Jeron's pistol tracked him and he collapsed in a heap. Alex's target swung his lightsaber to block the blasts as Alex tensed to jump aside but he missed and the blasts hit the man, twice in the chest right over his heart.

Alex and Joren pumped two more stun blasts in each of their targets before they ran forward to grab them and drag them off the street. Alex pocketed his targets lightsaber before he dragged him aside.

"Hey Joren, I suggest you get on that comlink of yours and call base."

"I'm already on it." Joren said, all business with no joking around.

Alex slumped down against a wall as he holstered his blaster.

Well this mission just got interesting.

Saike Brand awoke in darkness. The last thing he remembered was that fight with those two guys with the blasters. He remembered swinging his lightsaber to block the stun bolts but missing.

"Saike?" A groggy voice came from behind him. "Where are we?"

Anger rose in Saike, viciously he turned on his partner Noln Zhar.

"Where we are isn't important. What is important is that we were captured. I didn't see you helping me in that fight back there. What kind of sith are you that you run away?"

Spittle flew from Saike's mouth as he rose to tower over Noln.

"Why were you afraid of those men? They didn't have any power. They weren't Jedi, or Sith or whatever! They were just commoners!" Saike was really angry know as he felt the Dark Side of the Force rise in him.

Suddenly there was a creak behind him and the door to their cell opened. Two people strode in to the room. The one on the left, the female, was dressed in a grey combat jumpsuit. A red and black symbol adorned her right breast. On the right, a tall muscular male, was wearing a black combat jumpsuit with a similar symbol to that of the females except with grey instead of black.

"Who are you!" Saike demanded.

The male stepped forward and with an ease that belied enormous physical strength threw him into the corner of the cell opposite Noln.

"We're asking the questions here." said the female. "But you can call me Lieutenant. You can also answer my questions."

"I heard you say that you and your partner were sith."

The lieutenant looked over at Saike as if expecting him to answer but he kept his mouth shut.

"If my memory is correct there's a sith related to the Hapan Prince. Luperius Darksword or something. Would you happen to know this specific sith?"

Once again the lieutenant looked at Saike but once again nothing left his mouth.

"Do you know why you're here? You're here because two of my agents saw you following some members of the Hapan Royalty. We've been charged with protecting these Hapans. When my agents tried to peacefully question you you drew a weapon on them. As such we will detain you indefinetly. However if you wish to talk we could come up with a deal."

Saike just sat there with his back against the wall looking up at the man looming over him. He was determined not to speak.

"If you don't wish to talk I guess we'll be forced to leave you here. Good day."

"Ma'am if those guys are sith then we seriously need to get out of here, and come back with a few hundred jedi."

"I think not Vin. Did you see the way those Sith treated each other? It was similar to a Master, Aprentrice relationship. And if the Master can't even block or dodge a stunbolt how good do you think the rest of them are going to be?"

"I don't know ma'am. Guess that's why you're the Captain and I'm just a Seargent."

"That's right Vin. Know I guess that those Sith are going to try and escape, probably using one of those mind tricks of theirs. So we're going to plant those tiny homing beacons that Command provided us for this mission. Then we'll let them escape and storm their command post."

"Yes Ma'am. I'll have Private Soin and Corporal Mon plant the transmitters and then guard them during their escape attempt."

"Good job Vin. Know I only hope these sith are the only surprise we'll get during this mission."

Corporal Jenon Mon had gotten thousands of orders in his career as a Black Hand Wraith. Nearly half of them had been confusing or at least at the time confusing. This new order appeared to be confusing on the surface but when you listened to the whole order and thought about it, it actually made a lot of sense.

"Alright Alex, both of them are asleep again. You take the one on the left I'll take the guy on the right."

Private First Class Alex Soin nodded. Jenon held up three fingers then slowly began dropping them. The second the last finger dropped Alex had opened the door and was already moving silently yet quickly towards his target. Jenon reached into his pocket and withdrew a small piece of metal painted matte black. Carefully he placed it in the deepest folds of the mans garmet in the area under his arm.

He turned just in time to see Alex already moving back towards the door. A second later Jenon and Alex were both out of the room with the door locked securely behind them.