The asteroid field’s magnitude seemed to fluctuate as both ships drifted along toward the Monitoring Post at a steady speed, [i]Enforcer One[/i] falling back a good distance to ensure anonymity was kept in check. 

Gavon continued to peer out the forward viewport toward his target, the [i]Milano[/i], his eyes squinting slightly with suspicion. The ship ahead of them appeared to be slowing down in small increments, even before making it to the checkpoint, which made the Agent wonder if they had already been hailed by Flight Control to be scanned

“If it's a guilty conscience they have, then there'll most likely be a slip-up on their part, causing [i]Command[/i] to have no choice but to board them…” Gavon mumbled to himself, or so he thought.

“Sir, were you speaking to me? Your vocal modulation was much lower than it would be during a normal conversation. The likelihood of their vessel being boarded it approximat-”

“E-V!” The Agent raised his voice above average, with a tinge of irritation that lasted only a moment before he released a deep breath. “...I don’t need those statics. If they’re boarded, this may put a dent in our plans since the crew will be held for an indefinite amount of time, and this mission needs to be completed ASAP.”

“My apologies Agent, I will continue to monitor any changes in the Milano’s systems” The droid responded, it’s cool, confident, and sultry female voice seemed to ease any further anxiety on the bridge. [i]Was this part of her design?[/i] He mused, a half-smile formed at the thought.

Gavon stepped in front of the holomap once again, studying the trade routes highlighted by his previous intel, and cross-examining past routes taken by resistance fighters. His hope was to gain a few strategic steps ahead of his targets, predicting their moves before they even know where they’re headed. A feat much more challenging than not.

“Agent, we are being hailed by Flight Control, shall I open the channel?”

“Go ahead E-V”

The crackling of the transmission wavered a bit before leveling out.

“This is Flight Control, you just entered the guidance area of [i]Monitoring Post 3[/i]. Slave control to- ” The voice on the other end was suddenly cut off for a moment before resuming. “Uh...my apologies sir, please transmit your codes when ready”

A bit of relief washed over the Agent, as for a moment he wasn’t sure why they would have put him through the ringer yet again. He assumed, as in most large industries, a lack of communication between one station and another, or perhaps new personnel. Either way, he pulled up the list of codes, triggered the encryption protocol, and sent a new alphanumeric algorithm. 

“Let’s hope this is it for these damn codes. You’d think these guys would just take a hint” He said, tapping his finger on the communication console. The thought had crossed his mind a few times, that even when he had been initially approached by the First Order, whether he was being played for a fool, or did they truly need a man who was once on the inside. The Empire, for all it’s flaws and misdeeds, was still honor-bound, especially within the circle of Imperial Intelligence. Was the First Order upholding that tradition?

“This is Flight Control. Sir, these codes have been run twice in our system and are coming up null and void...” Mumbled chatter could be heard in the background, as though there was a dispute between their own security protocol and that of specific instructions from the First Order. Gavon, shaking his head in disbelief, stood there listening to the exchange, their transmission fading in and out.

“Agent?”

“What.”

“Sir, one of the tracking modules has apparently dislodged from the hull of the [i]Milano[/i] and is currently drifting.” 

Aside from the unfortunate news, the droid’s smooth voice was a pleasant interruption to the static chaos and incessant bickering over the comm. Hopefully a decision would come from Flight Control soon before more pieces begin falling off their target ship.

“Correction Sir…” The EV-12 droid continued, a slightly less inspiring tone in her voice. “The tracking module has been hit by an asteroid fragment and completely disintegrated. My humblest apologies...”

“That’s...[i]great[/i] E-V, thank you for that information...”