Page 138 of Stars in Umbra
Parked beneath the broad shade of a star pine tree in her parents’ backyard, Mirage’s sleek obsidian Corvette shimmered like liquid night.
The angular cruiser, cloaked from public scans, maintained active stealth mode.
Inside the spacious gunship, the lights were dim, casting a subtle glow over the console as Rina hunched beside Mirage, elbow-deep in intelligence files and satellite sweeps.
Mo lounged in the back, arms folded, energy amped, saying little, eyes narrowed.
Outside, the sounds of the farm carried: goats bleating, hens fussing, the distant whir of irrigation.
Within the Corvette, it felt like another universe.
The covert, neat, and minimalist environment was primed for planning an infiltration mission.
‘The Thrall Estate is buried under a stealth dome,’ Mirage murmured, tapping through data overlays that flickered in the air. ‘I can’t locate clear access, nor any recent schematics, plus it has zero flight corridors above it. I can’t find any backdoor either. A massive quantum shield mesh covers every inch of it. We can’t even get a read on what’s inside.’
‘Fantastic,’ Rina muttered, blowing out a breath. ‘It’s like trying to break into a black hole.’
Mirage narrowed her eyes. ‘However -.’
Mo leaned forward. ‘That’s the tone I like to hear.’
‘I’ve found a possible way in,’ Mirage said. ‘Each second Friday, a couple of Thrall’s operatives leave the estate for lunch. They hit the same spot,The Halo Horns. It’s a tavern that hosts the local riff raff, but serves up a passable pint and even better pub meal.’
Rina raised a brow. ‘So what? You want us to stake it out?’
Mirage gave her a slow, feline grin. ‘Nada. I want you to approach Thrall’s crew. Get close enough to the ones with the best access level.’
Rina huffed. ‘How?’
‘You make friends, you talk, drink, flash some skin, not you, Mo, Rina. Whatever it takes to get close enough so I can hack their wrist comms. We’ll play it by ear, but be prepared for anything the occasion may call for. If need be, we grab one of their guards and push him to tell us the intel we’re after. Or we can either pay him or off him if he refuses.’
Mo snorted. ‘Plata o plomo, ay? Silver or lead?’
Rina crossed her arms. ‘There it is, the morally gray Sable ethos. Bribery or bullets.’
‘We’re dabbling in a twisted game with even morefokkedup foes,’ Mirage intoned. ‘We have to play dirty, and I have Kainan’s full support. We have no time for - .’
‘Morals?’ Rina cut in, a shiver crawling up her spine. ‘My ethics professor from my military academy is trembling and shuddering wherever she is.’
Mo chuckled. ‘Using conventional means isn’t what’s warranted here. We’ve got to operate like a dark ops crew.’
Rina turned, narrowing her eyes at him. ‘You do know a lot about the shadowy paramilitary wings, soldier.’
‘Indeed, I was a merc, one of the best,’ he replied, deadpan. ‘A Six Flaco Mercenary operative. Before I dialed it down and joined the side with seat belts.’
‘Right,’ his lover quipped, with an arched brow. ‘That explains a ton.’
‘I’ve done worse for less,’ Mo confessed. ‘This is for a worthy cause.’
They exchanged a short, significant glance.
‘Indeed. So what’s the plan?’ Rina asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Mirage brought up a holo map of the tavern. ‘You and Mo go in. Act like a loud, drunk, wild-in-love couple. Pull focus. Perhaps consider getting close with one of Thrall’s people so I can hack them, or steal a passcode, whatever we need to penetrate that dome.’
Rina eyed her lover. ‘We’re going to flirt and brawl for sinister secrets?’
Mo leaned in, his grin lazy and lethal. ‘You’re concerned we can’t pull that off?’
