I never thought my Mentat training would turn me into a desert spy, but here I am, covered in sand and adrenaline after stabilizing the Mithra crash site. Kief Vallari, that grumpy Spice Warden, practically shoved this mission at me – some high-value CHOAM case stolen right from the wreckage. He suspects the Kirab slavers took it, but honestly? The desert swallows secrets faster than a sandworm swallows spice harvesters. Why would they risk stealing from a crash under imperial patrols? Either way, Vallari handed me this ridiculous assignment: plant listening devices at three Kirab dens to track down the package. Covert ops in Arrakis? With my old bones? Absolutely mad... but the spice must flow.
🕵️♂️ Picking Up the Spy Gear at Iron Works
First stop: an abandoned iron works crawling with Kirab – Vallari called it "the second-highest concentration in the Basin." Cheery. My companion Liliha stayed airborne while I trudged eastward from Mithra's wreckage, shield humming. The place looked like a decaying metal beast, all rusted pipes and shadows. Of course, the listening devices were locked behind a pentashield – typical Vallari efficiency. Had to scramble up the western side for an ID band first, then climb another level past grinding refinery equipment. Found the goods beside an ore processor: a CHOAM ScryPoint Mark IX array, gleaming like a promise of trouble.
Honestly, holding that tech felt surreal. One minute I'm calculating spice yields, the next I'm some desert James Bond. Liliha's snort over the comms didn't help – "Try not to trip on your cloak, Boris."
🔉 Planting Device #1: The Squat
We flew northeast toward the Squat, a Kirab den wrapped around canyon pipes like a parasitic vine. Perched atop those tubes, Liliha picked off sentries with her rifle while I scanned the layout. Why do slavers always choose such depressing holes? The device needed planting beside a central doorway – simple, except for the three Kirab charging me with crysknives. Dropped them with my pistol, jammed the ScryPoint into the frame, and bolted. First bug planted. Two to go. Easy? Ha. The desert laughs at "easy."
💀 Planting Device #2: Menol's Folly
Northwest to Menol's Folly – a crumbling relic smelling of rot and desperation. Kirab swarmed us before my ornithopter even touched down. Shields flared, guns blazing... messy work. Found the spot left of a crumbling staircase, just inside a doorframe slick with moss. Planted the second device between the corpses. No time for philosophy; Dead Man's Depot awaited.
☠️ Planting Device #3: Dead Man's Depot
Fitting name. Northeast we flew, and the Depot lived up to its reputation: a fortress buzzing with Kirab. Liliha landed first, already embroiled in firefight chaos. My descent? Less graceful. May have... accidentally pancaked a slaver with my 'thopter. Whoops. Cleared waves in the courtyard, then slipped inside through a roof gap. Found the doorway for the final device – third time's the charm, right? Vallari's voice crackled over comms: "Package's at Imperial Testing #13." All that bloodshed for coordinates. Typical.
🏭 Storming Imperial Testing Station #13
Westward to Testing Station #13, nestled against sandstone cliffs like a malignant tumor. That sinking Mentat feeling? Knew we'd walk into hell. Paused at the entrance, adjusting my stillsuit. Old habit. Deep breath. Why do imperial sites always reek of ozone and dread?
🔍 Hunting Clues in the Basement
Inside, stairs led down into a basement ambush. Kirab leaped from shadows – predictable, but exhausting. Cleared them, then began the scavenger hunt:
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Green ID Band: East/Southeast corner, glowing like toxic algae.
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Purple ID Band: Behind pentashield in northwest, snagged after frying more slavers.
Back upstairs, through the purple shield's barrier... into a circular kill room. Guns erupted instantly. Instinct took over – vaulted onto the central structure, dropped my turret for cover, while Liliha carved through the close-quarters frenzy. Mentat strategy meets desert brutality. Wrinkles or not, we cleared it.
🧩 The Bitter Truth
Found our clue in a side room: a dead courier slumped against the wall, no package in sight. Scanned his corpse. Vallari confirmed – slavers snatched it before we arrived. All that spy work, all those dead Kirab... for nothing? Or just the first thread in a deeper web?
So here I am, sand in my boots again. We retrieved Vallari's intel but lost the prize. The desert gives and takes, doesn't it? Yet that corpse points toward the Digging Deeper quest chain – another mystery in the endless dunes. Maybe this old Mentat’s got a few more spy missions left after all. Stay tuned... the next hunt begins where this one stumbled.