[Episode IV – Cat. X][LTC][K10 - Courscant - PA] The Cleaners

Blaster fire roared overhead as Lt. Morgan Lyste winced under his helmet. GHOST squadron had never lost a man, and they would not start now. The failures of his younger cousin Yogar came to mind, as well as his untimely fate. Now was not the time for cowardice.

The thugs that were now infesting the lower levels of 500 Republica were not true Black Sun, he knew, but merely well dressed hirelings. Mercenaries from some other petty gang trying to curry what favor they could with the new rising Sun.

One of them lay bleeding out on the other side of the stairs, his HUD showed, while the other one was at the top with his blaster held steady. A professional gunslinger, he could tell. Lyste motioned with his shield, and one of his troops rocketed up with a jump pack, a spray of blaster bolts covering the stairs and catching the Chiss as he raised his weapon. He fell, dead before he hit the ground. No reinforcements appeared.

"Nice shot Cass." Lyste said, now smiling. "Lets hope you can keep it up."

"I'll do my best sir." Cass said, slapping a new gas canister into his blaster. "But we still have 499 floors to go."

"492 actually." Lyste retorted warmly. They had come up an access vent from the basement and skipped the main entrance lobbies. It would be back halls and turbolift shafts from now on, according to the mission map the infamous Colonel Orkzyd had personally assigned them. They were currently in a small reception area, which held a turbolift that could let them skip 50 some odd floors if it still worked. Even if it didn't they would just have to climb it.

Lyste motioned again.

"We have our orders from the Colonel, and so little time to get them done. So lets get a move on."