Eodem: A Rifle and Sword Adventure (Complete)

Chapter 67: Operation Safe-Cracker

The Northern Winds native this so above the hemisphere was as black as the darkest of nights for Stryder Group and the SEAL Teams. No exceptions were made to whatever and whomever they came across. The only they are destined to spare this day from the silent ire of their suppressed weapons was their captured brethren or the valuable Magical Artifacts and they still have a long way to go before reaching any step close to where they were.

Most of the infiltrators were anxious behind their stoic breaths that glistened from their heated lungs. Normally they would have had an actionable practice before executing the mission proper but circumstances demanded a rapid insertion. But they weren't the best of the best that the United Federation had. It was par of the course in the name of being 'Tier-One'. Room to room they silenced everything and everyone in their path whether valuable or not. Thieves of the Night they were on that pearlescent wintry day.

Karliah's Intelligence was faithful on much to Samantha and the SEAL's relief. Many of the likely booby traps, meant to deter those who managed to break through the outer walls were easily defused with a flash of the fingers from the magical trickeries the Mystic Three could defuse. Their endeavors were given assistance from far away by Dr. Mahelona's latest inventions. Called Rune Calibrators, were hand held devices, modified from Engineering Diagnostic Scanners to manipulate small amounts of Mana whenever pointed to a Mana-Influenced place. These allowed the SEAL's to quietly dissipate Unbinillium from magically embedded traps to render them inert.

Living means of detection, people such as sentries, resting-legionnaires, refugees in such could blow the lid off this operation before it could truly begin. It was with reluctance but cold calculation they had to be disposed of swiftly much Karliah's and Aliathra's sorrow. A swift slash of the blades, long and short that the Infiltrators wielded was at the end of the day, an efficient alternative to the fortuitous happenings of a few simple divinations of magicks to enslumber whomever they encounter. It requires Gliesian finesse and some luck rather than Federation routine.

"Curse our luck." Iris peeked over the corner. "There are dozens of them."

Just beyond the next hallway was an entire chamber of Soldiers, mostly Ethuilen Elves who had set up a makeshift Barracks across each other. It was a homely reminder for the Elven Princess of her homeland thanks to the adornment of flags, a relaxing scent of dried flower petals and Elven grace. Many of them rested on their bunks, whilst others passed their time off with a few leisurely diversions of cards. Some sported a few wounds or were taking some of their daily doses of prescriptive supplements from their Apothecaries to boost their overall health. All unaware of the lurking predators in the dark that seeked to penetrate this paramnesia of sanctuary.

There was no way around them unfortunately as the Infiltrators quietly nodded. The fortress' design to be the most impregnable of bastions in the world. Nobody could go around, through, above or below.

"Cloaks or screenings will not work with the girls hanging on with us. Elves'ill sniff them out. Crocker turned around his neck and whispered. "Can any of you guys know some tricks? Like I don't know, a teleporty spell?"

"Nay, even in short distances, it will create too much noise." Karliah disagreed.

"Fine then, lets hit them with a mute charge and end them quickly." Kayin cocked his MAR-5 Assault Rifle at the ready.

"Halt! There is no need to shed more blood than what is necessary. For Clovich's speech to have a better chance on sparing as many people as possible, we must keep our hands pure of blood. Save our energy for the battles we cannot evade but fight. Never those we can avoid if we can help it." Aliathra recited a piece of wisdom she had learned in her many decades of knowledge. "Allow me."