Kara King & The Beyonders: The Nightwind Glyder Heist

Chapter Twelve:

Theft

Time to Supernova: 2h 47m

WHR4, Sagita Astel Moaan, Kara King

WHR4 had just finished his task. He turned from the bedroom looking out over a balcony where he could hear movement. The bot moved from the bed to the closet which was deep and filled with an assortment of clothes. There weren’t any good places to hide but this would have to be it. WHR4 turned out the light as he navigated deeper into the room. He reached the far end where some sets of luggage had been stored.

Looking back, the emperor’s voice could be heard along with another person’s giggle. His catch of the day. WHR4 was, in one way, thankful for his ability to go into a sleep mode. He wouldn’t be aware of his surroundings during that period. On the other hand, he would have to hope Kara and Gita would make it through everything and wake him after it was all over.

The droid quietly addressed the group comms, “I am entering into a sleep mode within the emperor’s closet.” He collapsed down into a squat position as one would if they held their knees to their chest. The lights of his eyes slowly faded until the wardrobe was at once engulfed in darkness.

*****

Gita had moved on from the den. There was nothing there but the remnants of low-level narcotics. She got the call from Canis just as she passed the main living space and lift doors. The kitchen was a wide-open space. A large island in the middle of the room with cabinetry all around it. Then Gita got the word from her commander, “Hide”.

Gita heard the doors to the lift open. “Damnit.”

A voice, likely one of the emperor’s well trained guards called them to stop. “Did anyone hear that?”

Gita looked around frantically. She couldn’t cross back now. Not without starting a firefight at least. She looked back at the kitchen. Around the corner was a small hallway. All she could see of it was a dry storage pantry without any door. That wasn’t a good option for her but maybe, yes. There was another door. Gita lifted Singularity and moved through the room in a quiet crouched run for the solid steel door. When she opened it a wave of ice-cold air rush out at her.

Damnit! This time she thought it to herself. How long can I last in a freezer? She looked back, hearing the footsteps of approaching guards. How long can I last loaded up with bullets and slag? Gita shook her head and entered the deep tundra of frozen food.

*****

Kara looked around the room as the door sealed shut on her. The lights were automatic. They were a bright white when the door had been opened but now that it was closed, she saw a yellow glow come from around the corner. It called her. Like some wonderful secret whispering for her to come closer.

As Kara rounded the corner, she could see what appeared to be a small museum-like exhibit. Glass walls ran on either side of her down to the far end. Inside the glass displays were the actual artifacts. Some had fakes on display in the suite, some Kara hadn’t seen. There were significant cultural pieces, beautiful works of art, and ancient weapons. The relics more likely to decay with time had been placed inside specialized champers within the display cases themselves in order to preserve them better.

Kara walked through the display to the end where a large yellow chunk of rock sat inside a display. The rock was semi-transparent with a humanoid-esque, clawed hand was well preserved. A plaque beneath it read:

The hand of an unidentified, presumably sapient creature.

Dating: Possibly over 100,000 years old.

Kara wondered why they, the emperor or his scientists hadn’t tried their hand at cloning the DNA. She shuddered at the thought that maybe they had, and they kept it quiet for a reason.

In the corner of one case was a very simple handle. It looked like the handle of a swoopbike or hoverdart, small with a rigid handle for a better grip. There was a rounded crossguard over the handle that gave it away. That’s what made it look like a Japanese katana minus the blade.

Kara looked carefully at the glass, searching for any signs of an alarm system. The Glass cases had simple metal hinged brackets that snapped shut and interlocked with a mechanism outside the box. A dark glass panel was next to it, likely an identification sensor if the Emperor or his curator wanted to open the case. Additionally, there was a sensor inside the glass in case it was broken. Kara noted all of this down mentally. None of this had been in the specs The Fade had given them.

The commander chimed into the comms. “Oracle, do you have any access to any securities or maps of the Emperor’s suite itself?”

The comms was quiet for a moment. “No. Not from here but maybe-”

“Don’t worry about it. Alright I want everyone to listen up.”

“Fixer, standing by.”

“Oracle, standing by.”

“Breach, standing by.”

A shivering breath chimed in, “Stellar, standing by.”

“Okay, Change of plans. Oracle and Breach, we need you to stay put and keep an eye on us. As soon as the emperor and his entourage leave, let us know.”

“Stellar here, I can hear them, sounds like their here until the final show.”

“I figured as much. Oracle, let us know when they leave for the show. Stellar, once they leave go get WHR4 and get out of here. At that point I want everyone to head back to The Ersatz.” She paused waiting for some kind of opposition or query from the crew. There weren’t any. “I’m going to use the systems being down from the EM fields to get this sword out of here. I can’t do it from here without setting off the alarms right now and there’s no leaving this place anyways. Let’s settle in and get ready for everything to hit the fan at once, shall we?

There was a round of affirmatives from the crew. All except Gita.

“One problem commander. I’ve made a blind of sorts to help with the cold but I’m s-stuck in the freezer. Anyone know if I can make it two hours at these temps?”