GIS 1: A Cure to the Plague - Scene 2

Mirax-1, Metellos system, Coruscant sector, Core Worlds
Mirax-1 RM base, Intelligence Centre
22:30 S.T.
21st day of the 1st month, 1 ATC

Mitchell and Blayne had landed on Mirax-1, one of the five moons of Militar, the seventh planet in the Metellos system, which harboured one of the biggest Republic Military bases in the Core World. They had been welcomed by one of the commanding officers there, and were being briefed about Sith underground activity in the sector.

“One of our battalions has stumbled across some kind of lab’ in the Tombs, Metellos’s criminal underbelly. They found tanks containing some Rakghouls corpses; weren’t dead long, as it turned out. Failed experiments, according to our scientific unit. I they were to succeed bringing the buggers back to life… Well, we’re afraid this is going to be Taris all over again. We thought this plague had been dealt with when the planet was destroyed. You’ll have to be extra careful, operatives.” The RM officer turned the holoprojector on: Metellos appeared after it crackled for a second. “You’ll have to land here,” he pointed at a location situated on the planet’s equator. “It’s the closest RM spaceport near the lab’. A special ops unit will be awaiting your orders when you land.”

“We don’t need no one’s help,” Mitchell grumped away, taking the datapad which the RM commander was handing him and making for the door.

“What he means is… We’re happy you are willing to help, but we will only need support if we actually have to raid an operational Sons of the Plague base. So far, there is no proof that the laboratory was one of theirs,” Blayne corrected hastily.

“I understand, sir.”

“Well, commander, thank you very much for your comprehensive report. We will be on our way. We will contact you if there are any developments.”

Mitchell had already left the Intel’ Centre and made it to the GIS shuttle. Blayne ran after him and finally caught up with him as he entered the spacecraft.

“What’s eating you?”

“Dunno… I realise ’tis a corny thing to say, but I have a bad feelin’ ’bout this… Lightsabre thingey, that’s new. Attackin’ a Republic battle cruiser, that’s way too bold too,” Mitchell replied quite absent-mindedly while he was settling in the pilot’s chair. “They’re getting more organised ev’ry time we run into them.”

“You think they might have found a leader?”

“Maybe, maybe not. How on Coruscant should I know? I’m just ruminatin’ some ideas I’ve been stuck with since The Vanguard… Tee-Nine? Where is this stupid metal box?”

A stubby little droid came in the cockpit, all clicks, beeps, and flashes. The Q1 model was one of the latest available on the market – Duwani Mechanical had signed some kind of exclusive contract with the GIS so that they would have the latest droids before anyone else in the Republic –, the combination of the best utility and astromech droid technology. It was a very diminutive droid, and it looked like a mechanical rhinoceros beetle with its horn-like metal forehead.

“Come on, Tee-nine, I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that…” Blayne sighed.

Long beep, followed by a series of aggressive, shorter, high-pitched beeps.

“Okay, little one, I’m sorry. Could you input those coordinates in the navicomp?” Mitchell repentantly asked as he was handing a datapad to the astromech droid.

Three short beeps, and Tee-Nine was on its way…

“Good, now, let’s get goin’, shall we…”