Operation: Sleeping Wyvern

[Backo]

The door proved easy enough to find. The rifle flashlight illuminated the hulking metallic door's edges until the control panel was found on it's right side. Conveniently enough it consisted of a simple red button that looked like it had seen it's fair share of use, then again everything on this ship so far looked like it had seen it's fair share of use. With the door and it's controls figured out, the Maltese finally made her way out of the storage room. The warmer air that greeted her skin from the other side of the door was a welcoming change to being stuck in that freezer.

The big reinforced door closed behind Eliza. Her options now were taking either side of the corridor she found herself in. Ambient sounds of metal creaking and the vibrations of machinery passing through the walls was the only thing she could sense. Left or right, it was all a gamble, either way could lead anywhere and as such going left seemed as good choice as any. The lack of response from Nick concerned her, this mission seemed close to impossible with both of them working together, but now it was very likely she had to do things on her own. Doubt was a bad thing to experience at a time and place like this and Eliza tried to shake those thoughts away as she pressed onward through the long, straight corridor.

The hushed sound of footsteps other than her own snapped Eliza's advance into a halt. The footsteps sounded like a single person and were coming from her right. With every next step the sound grew louder. Whoever was coming her way was bound to run into her soon. Eliza's eyes and gun barrel instinctively locked at the corner ahead of her and she pressed herself against the wall for cover.

"Don't move or I'll shoot!"

The Maltese barked as soon as a figure appeared in her sights from around the corner. The Kusarian's startled reaction gave Valdez the needed key moments to judge him up. He did not have any armor nor did his uniform look inspiring in any way. One thing gave away his occupation of a maintenance technician - the toolbox he was holding in his right hand. Realizing his situation, the Kusarian technician's free hand jerked towards his hip but before it could reach it's destination he was met with a short burst from the Ageira's proud invention of death and destruction. The bullets ripped through his chest with ease and the shriek of gunfire echoed through the hallway. The man fell down on the ground like a rag doll, his eyes stared emptily ahead.

What Eliza saw from above her XV-15C's sights and rifle barrel was a now dead man. There was no blaster conveniently waiting on his left hip, whatever he had tried to reach for would probably have never saved him anyways. The death of a defenseless man could lay on her conscience later. Now she had to get out of here. There was no point trying to hide the body, if anyone was nearby they would have heard the gunfire. What Eliza needed though before clearing out of here was his access card and she needed it fast. One by one she checked his jumpsuit's pockets, her ears listening for any new footsteps. It was not in the side pockets of his trousers, it wasn't in his chest pocket either. He had no bags or satchels on his belt, the access card had to be somewhere convenient enough for him to pull out when he needed to open a door or gain access to an elevator. But where? It clicked to her, the back pocket. Turning his lifeless cadaver over proved more difficult than she thought it would be. At least now those dead eyes no longer stared into her soul. It paid off, her slim fingers pulled out a small key card with a number on it and some markings Eliza could not figure out. This must have been it. There weren't any other pockets to check anyways. If this didn't work it was time to improvise again.

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