A small ship flew to the ground some distance away from the Karenal scrap yard. Raleon, Verlan, Olsur, Freya, Yara and Master Toren exited, and headed towards a small outpost close to the scrap yard. Having left their equipment on the rebel flagship, the small team were now unarmed. They would have to be extra careful, for any alarm set off at the outpost would result in chaos, and nullify any chance they had of performing the operation successfully.

They crept forward slowly, staying low, to avoid being seen by the lights. "How many guards do you see?" Master Toren whispered. "8. 2 on each side. Each one has the alarm next to them. We will have to take them out at close range. And if there is any firing, this mission is as good as over... Everyone drop now!" Raleon said, keeping his voice low. They obeyed, and not a second too soon, as a watch light passed over them. They crawled forward, careful to avoid disturbing the tall grass.

Their progress was slow, almost at a snail's pace. Whenever the watch lights got too close, they froze, breathing rapidly, even though they knew tall grass would keep them hidden.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the outpost. Raleon signaled the rest to stop, and waited for the watch light to move away, and quickly cleared the last few meters to the wall, no longer covered by the tall grass. While the watch lights were still pointed away, he gestured for Freya to join him. "I will boost you up", he said in a low voice. Freya nodded, and ran up to him, and jumped on his hands. He pushed her up, and she grabbed on to the top of the wall. She glanced at the two guards patrolling the parapet. Thankfully, neither seemed to have been disturbed.

When they turned their backs to her, she scampered over the battlements, and landed with a soft thump. The closest guard turned around, and she rushed forward, thankful for the soft footwear that partially dulled the sounds her feet made on the stone. She ducked under the guard's punch and pressed her fingers into the soft part of his neck, briefly cutting off his air supply and placed his gently on the ground. She went after the second guard, who thankfully had not suspected anything.

As he started to walk back to the center of the parapet, Freya reached him, and took care of him in the same manner. She pulled both guards back as far as there was room, and moved to the edge of the wall. She signaled to Raleon. He helped Yara up to the parapet, and Freya ensured she had a smooth, silent landing. They proceeded to the other sections of the parapet, taking out the guards swiftly, leaving just two more on the side closest to the scrap yard.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps reached them from the top of the main tower. They pressed their backs against the cool stone, thankful for the thin cover over their heads.

"IT-2116, IT-7534, IT-8259, IT-9073, IT-4928, IT-5621, report immediately", came a cold, hard voice. "IT-3658, IT-9876, report", the same voice ordered. "Everything is fine, sir. The area is clear", said one of the two remaining guards. "I don't think so. We are not alone", the officer said.

"Search the perimeter. I will call for backup", the voice ordered. Master Toren rushed to the edge of the parapet, and aimed his arm at the officer. A metal disk flew out of the launcher on his forearm, cutting through the officer's neck.

"Sir, what happened?" asked one of the two guards, as the officer's body hit the stone. "Sir?" Verlan knocked the guard out with a strike to the temple, and as the other turned, Raleon locked his elbow around his neck, and pulled, snapping it. He lowered the corpse on the stone gently. Everyone took a deep breath.

"Get their uniforms and armor on", Raleon ordered, as he rushed over to the officer. They swiftly changed into their gear and took all their documentation.

"What about the others? We have to kill them, too. Otherwise, they will make too much noise", Verlan said. "Without their gear and equipment, they will not be taken seriously. Imperial officers value professionalism", Raleon said, shaking his head. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we can not take any risks", Master Toren said. "I agree. It's not good, but it must be done. Otherwise, we risk being compromised", said Yara.

Freya and Olsur wanted to argue, but they knew there was no point, especially after Raleon finally relented. They stood off to the side, while Yara, Verlan and Master Toren performed the job.

"Let's go. We have wasted enough time already. Now, we can not go through the main entrance, as it doesn't open until mid morning. And we don't have time to wait for that long. There area a series of small side doors, where security will be more loose. We have to split in three pairs. One pair will enter from each side, and then converge toward the center, where the main operational area is. That's where all the main decisions are taken. The melting down process takes place in a large compartment underneath it. We can damage that part, but our main priority is the storage area, where everything is broken down into smaller parts. Some of those parts are melted down in the underground area, and some are repurposed. There are 10 Valoran capital ships, and several squadrons of older skywings. They are not as powerful as the arklancers we now have, but they are still superior to razers. We have one shot at this operation. Whatever equipment we can not take, we destroy. Now, split into pairs", Raleon said.

"Won't it be better if we go in groups of three?" Yara asked. "It would if we were going in for an attack operation. But here, inconspicuousness will serve us better than numbers. Two soldiers going somewhere will attract less attention than three. It's for the best that we stay in the smallest groups possible", Raleon replied.

"I will go with Olsur", Freya said. "I am going with Master Toren", Yara added. "Then it's settled. Move quickly. Try to avoid encounters with security, but if they see you, act normal. If they ask what you are doing here at such an early time, say that you are on a classified mission. There is supposed to be a routine inspection later in the afternoon, so just say that you decided to go ahead of it. It is fully legal, and such visits occasionally happen before scheduled inspections. Worst case scenario, show your documentation. Soldiers are frequently rotated between various roles, and guarding the outposts is just one of them. Now, go. Our window is slowly shrinking", Raleon said.

Freya and Olsur approached one of the side doors, and presented their IDs. The guards let them in without so much as a second glance. They activated the maps they acquired from the soldiers, and followed the paths marked with green arrows. Half an hour in, they saw a group of heavily armed guards.

"Halt! Identify yourselves and your purpose here", one of them ordered, activating his electro rifle. The guards inspected their IDs, and lowered their weapons, but remained in their way.

"What are you two doing here so early? The inspection isn't scheduled until later in the afternoon", the first guard said. "We decided to go ahead of the schedule", Olsur replied, keeping his tone even. "Alright. Do what you need. But if you tamper with anything, we will know soon enough. You can move along", the guard said, after considering them for a moment. The guards stepped aside, allowing them through.

Anxiety and doubt forced its way into their minds. "How soon do you think they will know?" Freya asked. "Perhaps within an hour or two at most. We will have to alter our plans", Olsur replied, increasing his pace, and Freya followed suit. They walked at a brisk pace, occasionally glancing at the map, to make sure they were staying on track.

...

Raleon walked ahead of Verlan, and looked around a corner, spotting a patrol group moving in their direction. Raleon ducked out of sight before they could spot him, and hid behind some equipment. "Hide now", he whispered, pulling Verlan in with him. They remained silent, staying still, as they waited for the patrol group to pass. At last, as the sounds of their feet disappeared down the hallway, they sighed, relieved. "What is that room over here?" Verlan asked, pointing to a large rectangular chamber. "It is one of the central communications rooms. We are close. But we only have two hours left at most", Raleon replied, as they continued walking at a brisk pace.

Another 45 minutes passed, when they encountered an Inspector.

"Ah, Inspector Raleon. Of course. As we had expected", she said in an eerily pleasant voice. They froze, as three figures appeared, whom they recognized as Luxor, Irma and Orkala.

"Stand down, Inspector", said a cold voice. The patrol group they had passed previously surrounded them. "Stand down or your friends will pay", the Inspector said, as two more soldiers dragged the restrained Freya and Olsur over to them, both gagged. "This little operation is over. We will catch your other friends soon enough, and then you will be executed. Haven't you learned, my old friend, that treachery does not go unpunished", said Inspector Ramos, stepping out of the shadows.