The two Cerberus guards outside Silkworm Vane's apartment were clearly a cut above the street thugs Kai usually encountered as Umbra. Their stance was alert, their pulse carbines held at the ready, their eyes constantly scanning the corridor despite the unsettling effect of Kai's "Draconic Presence." His "Shadow Meld," while effective in the deeper gloom, was less so under the brighter emergency lights of this hab-block corridor. He knew he couldn't rely on stealth alone.
He chose his moment, as one guard turned to speak to the other, creating a brief lapse in their overlapping fields of fire. Kai exploded from the relative darkness of a recessed doorway, a blur of motion. He didn't aim for a flashy Draconic Art display; this was about speed and brutal efficiency. He targeted the guard who was momentarily distracted first. A lightning-fast "Shadow-Coil Strike," his fist wreathed in the faint, distorting shadow-azure energy, connected with the side of the guard's helmet with enough force to bypass its kinetic dampeners. The man crumpled without a sound, his helmet cracking. [Shadow-Coil Strike (OR Infused): Successful. Hostile Neutralized (Severe Head Trauma). EXP +15.] [Draconic Energy Reserves: 70%.]
The second guard spun, his carbine already coming up, his training kicking in. He was fast, but Kai, fueled by his enhanced Agility and the desperate urgency of the ticking clock from the disabled OR sensor, was faster. Kai ducked under the muzzle of the carbine, his "Claws of the Shadow Drake" extended. He didn't aim for a kill, but for incapacitation. His obsidian talons, shimmering with that faint blue energy, raked across the guard's weapon arm and chest, shredding armor and flesh, while a precisely aimed kick sent the carbine clattering away. The guard screamed, stumbling back, clutching his mangled arm. Before he could recover or raise an alarm, Kai delivered a swift, disabling chop to the back of his neck. [Claws of the Shadow Drake (OR Infused): Successful. Hostile Incapacitated (Severe Lacerations, Nerve Trauma). EXP +15.] [Draconic Energy Reserves: 68%.]
Two guards down. Silently. Efficiently. He glanced at his internal chronometer. Less than sixty seconds before that OR sensor potentially reactivated. "Roric, Shift, guards are neutralized," Kai reported, his voice a low hiss. "Approaching Vane's door. Standard mag-lock, reinforced plasteel. Shift, can you bypass it from your end now that I'm closer?"
"Working on it, Kai," Shift replied. "The door's internal network is isolated, but I'm attempting a proximity hack via the building's main data conduit, piggybacking on the disruption you created with the OR sensor. It's fighting me… but… got it! Mag-lock disengaged! You have a thirty-second window before it automatically re-engages its emergency lockdown protocol!"
Thirty seconds. Kai didn't hesitate. He hit the door release panel. It slid open with a well-oiled hiss, revealing a surprisingly opulent apartment, a stark contrast to the grime of the Warrens. Rich synth-wood paneling, plush carpets, expensive-looking art objects. And in the center of the main room, hunched over a large, ornate desk covered in data-slates and flickering holo-displays, was Silas "Silkworm" Vane.
He was a small, nervous-looking man with thinning hair and spectacles perched precariously on his nose. He looked up, his eyes widening in terror as the masked, cloaked figure of Umbra filled his doorway. "Who… who are you?" Vane stammered, scrambling back in his chair, his hand instinctively going to a panic button on his desk. Kai was across the room in two silent strides, his clawed hand clamping down on Vane's wrist before he could hit the button. "Don't even think about it, Silkworm," Umbra's modulated voice rasped. "I'm here for the ledgers. The Cerberus ledgers. The ones detailing their corporate protection rackets. And you're going to give them to me. Now."
Vane trembled, his eyes darting around the room, looking for an escape that didn't exist. "I… I don't know what you're talking about! I'm just an accountant!" Kai applied a fraction more pressure to Vane's wrist. The man yelped in pain. "Don't lie to me, Vane. My associate outside is currently enjoying a very illuminating conversation with your comm-unit's security protocols. She knows you have them. Encrypted, of course. But we have ways of dealing with encryption." This was a bluff, mostly, but Roric had taught him the value of psychological pressure.
The System pinged: [Social Interaction (Intimidation – Umbra Persona): Successful. Target (Silas Vane) Willpower Check: FAILED. Compliance Probability: High.]
Vane seemed to deflate, his bravado vanishing. "Alright, alright!" he whimpered. "They're… they're on a secured data-core. In the floor safe. Under the desk." He gestured with his free hand. "The access code is… is my daughter's birthday. 08-16-78 Pre-Collapse Standard."
Kai released his wrist, keeping his glowing amber eyes fixed on Vane. He quickly located the floor safe, a heavy, concealed unit. The code worked. Inside, nestled amongst stacks of untraceable credit chips, was a single, heavily encrypted data-core, smaller than the Old Republic ones, but clearly military-grade. [Objective Acquired: Cerberus Ledger Data-Core.] [Faction Quest: 'Operation Silent Snatch' – Secondary Objective Complete.]
"Excellent," Kai said. He took the core. "Now, for your cooperation, Silkworm, you get to remain conscious. And relatively unharmed." He produced a small, potent stun charge from his utility belt – another of Roric's provisions. "Sweet dreams." Before Vane could react, Kai pressed the charge to his neck. Vane's eyes rolled up, and he slumped forward onto his desk, unconscious.
"Roric, Shift, I have the package," Kai reported, his voice calm despite the adrenaline still coursing through him. "Vane is… indisposed. Exfiltration route?" "Well done, Umbra," Roric's voice was filled with satisfaction. "The OR sensor in the corridor is about to reactivate. Shift has identified a secondary emergency fire escape route accessible from Vane's balcony. It leads down to a lower-level service alley. Breaker is already moving to secure the alley exit. Move quickly. And Kai… leave a small calling card. Let Cerberus know this wasn't random."
Kai understood. He looked around Vane's opulent apartment. On a small side table sat an antique, ornate letter opener, its handle carved into the shape of a coiled serpent. Perfect. He took the letter opener and, with a single, precise movement, pinned the now-empty data-core's slot cover to Vane's desk, right next to his unconscious head. A silent message.
Then, he slipped out onto the balcony, the sounds of the Warrens rising up to meet him, the Cerberus data-core a heavy weight in his hand. The first part of Whisper's test was complete. Now came the dangerous exfiltration.