Finding Evidence

**Ganbarenippon** · April 28, 2014, 01:01 PM

"Roger that." Raven replied in, what he hoped was, an emotionless tone as the codes and route appeared on his HUD. "Proceeding along flightpath, Raven out."

*****

An hour later and the small runabout touched down on a sand-blasted launchpad in what seemed the middle of nowhere. Raven had armed himself with his modified pistol, placed his dirk in his right boot, concealed and had secreted the IR drive in a small pocket sewn into the hem of his sleeve where he could unobtrusively activate it. The pistol he would ostentatiously remove the moment he met Zoltan's men. Human nature being what it was, they would not search him as thoroughly if they saw him voluntarily giving up his primary weapon, even with the best of intentions the human mind often tricked itself into believing what it wanted. Raven had used that to his advantage on many of his past contracts. As a final touch he placed a pair of sunglasses on his nose. They has been fitted with a HUD that linked back to the ships computers, which would be performing a low-level sensor sweep every 50 metres Raven walked. If he was near a source of electromagnetic activity of the sort that came from, say a computer mainframe, a small message would flash on his display alerting him to turn on his IR drive.

'Besides they just look so menacing!' He snorted in amusement as he began to walk down the ramp and out in the sunlight.

**General Retreat** · April 28, 2014, 03:38 PM

The ship had touched down in a small gully. Craggy cliffs rose up on three sides, with a coarse and stifling dust filling the air from the landing. Directly ahead a crack appeared in the rockface.

Slowly, two cunningly camouflaged metal doors peeled open, revealing the silhouette of two figures. They jumped out into the open, rapidly revealing themselves to be masked and armoured mercenaries toting vicious looking laser rifles.

Weapons raised and aimed at "Raven's" chest, they rapidly advanced towards him from either side, careful never to stray into the other's arc of fire. "Come on wise guy, hands on your head. No funny business," one of them snapped.

**Ganbarenippon** · April 28, 2014, 04:34 PM

"I'm removing my weapon." Raven replied, raising his left hand onto his head whilst being very careful to slowly move his right hand toward the holster where he gripped the pistol between thumb and forefinger and tossed it toward the man who was holding back before placing his right hand onto his head with his left. 'Professional, one hold back whilst the other checks. And that stance...probably mercenaries, or ex military both of them.' A detached part of his brain thought as the other guard closed the distance.

**General Retreat** · April 28, 2014, 04:56 PM

The brute who had caught the pistol shoved it into his belt, and slung the rile over his back on a sling. Withdrawing a small sensor, he briefly ran it over Raven, checking for power sources that would reveal a charged weapon. Content, he pocketed it and nodded to his partner. Neither bothered to pat him down, revealing a fatal arrogance in that of the dismissal of blades.

"Clean. Come on, follow me." The leader turned about and returned to the entrance, the second man cautiously bringing up the rear. They descended down a slope for several minutes before coming to a large cavern, illuminated by stark electric lights. A sleek looking ship squatted on the cavern floor, all black paint and supercharged engines; every inch a blockade runner.

A large silo door in the roof revealed how it had probably got there.

The rear guard gave Raven a shove to keep him moving. "Eyes down, that's not yours. Follow on." They guided him along a gantry that ran around the cavern's edge, eventually coming to a glass office that overlooked the scene. The guards took up position on either side of the door. Inside, Horváth Zoltán awaited...

**Ganbarenippon** · April 28, 2014, 05:04 PM

As he made his way down into the cavern the low-level sensor sweep revealed nothing that might the power source he was looking for. Raven made mental note of ingress-egress points, but mentally cursed as he realized he had lingered too long in looking at the blockade runner. 'Getting out of practice.' He chided himself. As he entered the office he was hopeful that his HUD would flash, alerting him to the power source he was looking for but still nothing. 'Must be deeper into the complex.'
"Horvath Zoltan I presume. You know who I am?" The last was not really a question.

**General Retreat** · April 28, 2014, 05:11 PM

"You do not come with reference. You do not call ahead. But you are not dead. That should tell enough." Zoltán was a brute of a man, towering in height, with a muscle structure that could only have come from intense steroid usage. His eyes were entirely black and unreadable, a side effect of the narcotic Ink.

"The bird of death has not worked this system for many years, no? Why do you return?"

**Ganbarenippon** · April 28, 2014, 05:19 PM

"Same reason we all do. Money." Raven replied calmly. 'Well taking him hand-to-hand is out. He likely wouldn't even feel the dirk unless I hit an artery. Not until his latest dose wears off anyhow.' He thought somewhat ruefully. "That and the chance to cement my legacy. The target was just too good to pass up." He comes to parade rest in front of the man-mountain. "I didn't come with a reference, but you did from a friend of mine. Usually I go with Chinagorom but I hear he's laying low. Must be nice to have a monopoly."

**General Retreat** · April 28, 2014, 05:57 PM

Zoltán snorted. "If Chinagorom know what's good for him, won't come back." He hauled himself to his feet, towering over Raven. Topping out at 6" 7', he blotted out the overhead light. "What you want to buy today then? Who you kill, how? We have tools for all ways."