Timeless Assassin

(Planet Koral, Righteous Faction Military Base, Cargo Unloading Zone)

A couple hours later, Leo and Veyr touched down on planet Koral, with the craft shuddering violently upon impact.

*SHUDDER*

Almost immediately, both Leo and Veyr reached for the weapons hidden beneath the folds of their loose clothes, as they prepared to face any unexpected threats should they appear.

Thankfully, the White Tiger Union did not double cross them, as after landing, when the ship's hull did open, there were no soldiers surrounding them, nor any immediate threats that seemed to be out of the ordinary.

"You two…. Slide out from behind this large crate once we begin unloading it…." A rough male voice spoke, as Leo and Veyr nodded in understanding.

It was the same White Tiger Union worker from before who had rudely checked them in, as now he seemed to handle the unloading duties with the same brash attitude.

*Creek*

*Squeek*

As the unloading process began, other White Tiger Union workers started to move the small parcels first, until they felt like they were not under observation anymore, at which point they started to move the largest crate.

"Go Now. Don't loiter," the unloading officer guided, as Leo and Veyr immediately sprung into action, smoothly exiting the craft while moving the cleaning supply trollies as they made their way onto the sector twelve military base.

*Squeek*

*Screech*

Their trolley wheels squeaked faintly as they rolled forward, the cart stacked with a tray of cleaning fluids, disposable gloves, and plastic containers filled with maintenance-grade disinfectants.

Everything looked perfectly routine, from the olive-colored uniforms to the posture they held as they pushed forward with slouched backs and downcast eyes.

*Silence*

No alarms were raised, and to their quiet relief, their entry went completely unnoticed.

*Distant shouting*

*Rhythmic Footsteps Thudding*

The military base around them bustled with activity… officers shouting orders, soldiers running drills, and transport crafts ferrying equipment across sectors.

But no one spared a glance at the janitors.

No one questioned their presence as they blended in seamlessly.

*Step*

*Step*

There was no hesitation in their steps as they weaved through the Military Base's layout, following the path they had already committed to memory before the mission began, as they walked from the Hangar Bay Area to the central supply room, which was supposed to be the place where they left off their work trolleys after each work shift ended.

No matter who passed by them, they did not slow down, nor did they ask for directions as they moved like veteran workers who had walked through this route a hundred times before.

"So far so good…." Veyr said, as Leo nodded while keeping his head low, as they made their way into the central supply room, where other janitors looked at them with suspicion.

"You two…. I haven't seen you here before, who are you?" The lead janitor asked, as it was Leo who stepped ahead first to answer his doubts.

"Are you sanitation leader Barry?" He asked in a calm voice, as Barry nodded while placing his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, I am…." Barry replied, raising an eyebrow, as Leo let out a fake cough.

*Cough*

"Well, you should have gotten a notice about our arrival, we have transferred from Zone 11.

We've been sent to assist with the clogging issue you reported. Just a 24-hour assignment, in and out." Leo said, as Barry's eyes lightened up at his words.

"So you're the specialists from zone 11 renowned for unclogging pipes!

We have a massive problem underground, the flow is completely blocked and solving it has proven to be beyond our scope of abilities, which is why we sought expert help." Barry began, as Veyr interrupted him by raising a palm.

"Say no more…." He said, looking him squarely in the eye.

"I have been unclogging pipes for the last 30 years.

Back in zone eleven, they call me the pipe whisperer.

I'm the expert on such stuff—" Veyr said, as the eyes of the other cleaning workers in the room began to shine at his claim.

Barry let out a loud whistle and clapped Veyr on the back, completely buying the act.

"Well damn, I like that confidence," he chuckled.

"Maybe you boys are exactly what we need. The blockage's been causing chaos for over a week now

Command's been up our asses about the smell leaking into the upper quarters."

Leo smiled politely as he adjusted the cleaning trolley, his demeanor casual yet respectful, just enough to lower suspicion without drawing attention.

"We'll have a look first thing in the morning," he added, speaking like a man who'd said those words a hundred times before. "Right now, we'd just like to settle in, get our bearings, and maybe grab a map if that's alright with you."

Barry waved a hand dismissively.

"No need. If you're from Zone 11, you know the layout already. The system here's a copy-paste of what you have back at your base. There's honestly nothing different.

You'll find your bunks in the back of the sanitation wing, fourth corridor to the right. You can toss your trolleys in the lockup and grab a ration bar from the common shelf if you're hungry."

Leo bowed his head gratefully as Veyr followed suit, both playing the part of seasoned workers accustomed to being overlooked.

Soon, as they made their way deeper into the janitorial wing, the tension in their bodies subtly eased, not because the danger had passed, but because they had officially passed the first threshold.

They weren't intruders anymore.

They were part of the environment—

Just another pair of maintenance grunts who were welcome enough to earn casual nods from passing personnel and ignored enough to listen in on conversations between soldiers without raising suspicion.

Over the next hour, they spent their time wandering the cleaning wing with feigned casual interest, as they chatted up the other sanitation staff, asking them casual questions like where to find spare gloves or what time the morning shift started.

Veyr laughed with a tall worker named Tinn who complained about overtime, while Leo lingered near the bulletin board pretending to read the duty roster, as he quietly absorbed every name and schedule pinned to the wall.

"So we're starting at six?" Leo confirmed, as one of the workers nodded while stuffing a ration into his mouth.

"Yeah, six sharp. Barry'll personally take you down to where you need to work. I think he's interested in seeing the pipe whisperer's in action."

Veyr chuckled and gave a proud nod, while Leo flashed a tired smile, the kind of grin only a janitor at the end of his shift would wear.

And just like that, the first phase of their infiltration was complete.