Star Wars The Shadow War - Times End - Two new factions opened up! - Legacy: War spoilers!

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

"If it was something hardware related, I'd probably be able to figure it out. I'm not an engineer for nothing!"; Lenea Sandstrider commented.

"Perhaps seeing how the Cascade Failure propagated would tell you something, Miss Lenea.", Tim replied, "You're a properly trained Engineer, not a glorified tinkerer like me! If you'd like to look at the Log readings....? You'd be welcome."

"Padawan Battershell, Ms. Sandstrider, I'm sorry I can't seem to recall your rank. Just what sort of device should we...I mean he, be looking for?" Knight Larod interjected.

"Something fairly small, Knight Larod; would have to be to escape immediate notice if attached externally and there's not much space inside the access panels, either. Just about enough to replace a bad wire with one of the spares made up into each loom, from what I remember.

That said, the fact everything's working normally again suggests whatever caused the problem has been deactivated or removed."

An old memory of a childhood visit to the ASF Technical Labs with Joph Sturm and his father (then an ASF Inspector) surfaced. One of the Techs had been incautiously carrying a 'deactivated' Suspicious Device in his pants pocket when it was inadvertently turned on; provoking an involuntary dance by the careless Tech and a volley of some very impolite words!

"However, one thing I feel all of us could usefully do is Force-scan for Dark Side aura traces on or inside the equipment; in case our 'infiltrator' hid away more little 'gifts' to trouble us. With your greater experience of the Force, you'd probably be the most likely to Sense such traces, but all of us Padawans should back you up by scanning the room as well. Pity it's not Rakata-tech. If it were, I'd be able to detect it easily by the foul taste I always get in my mouth when I'm around it! Doesn't seem to happen with Sith or their artefacts, though.

You're also rather more likely to speak to Grandmaster Zey before I do, Sir, so I'll ask you to put the case for boosting the Guard Details here and in the Detention Area for the duration. At least three Jedi with good blade skills, plus one that specialises in Force-only combat, in each location should be enough.".


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687

 

IC: Zurros Ka
TCC - Temple of Light

Zurros stood alone, he had no idea what his purpose here was. Knight Dareagen had stalked from the room. If his job had been to covertly investigate the sabotage then it was safe to say his cover was blown.

A few of the Jedi were talking technical jargon that flew over his head, his knowledge of computer systems was limited to the systems aboard his fighter. It was then he heard something that peaked his interest: "At least three Jedi with good blade skills, plus one that specialises in Force-only combat, in each location should be enough." Zurros approached the talking group. "Might i be of assistance?"

TAG galactic-vagabond422 Bardan_Jusik Gotab Padawan4687 Skywalker_T-65 Tim Battershell

 

OOC: Are you still accepting new characters?

 

OOC: PM Sent.

 

IC: Kasha Sherland
council chambers, temple of light

Kasha blinked a couple of times as she sensed the dark side from the Sith that stood before them. One eye was quickly swelling closed causing her to wonder if it was really necessary to hit the prisoners. In her opinion a Jedi never lowers themselves to the enemies level. She listened to the Sith explain everything to them as she sensed a subtitle scan causing her to raise her mind shields. The last thing she needed was to give this Sith any weakness exploits that she had that the Sith could against her.

The woman turned to Kasha causing her to frown. "Your husband and children need not die Kasha."

Kasha raised an eyebrow wondering if she should take this as a threat to her or not. She decided to listen to the woman's reasoning before saying anything further. Either it was a threat or part of the point the Sith was trying to make. When the woman named Sixtus stopped speaking causing her to frown. She had a feeling the woman was talking about preventing others from dying. It was an unnatural act to bring back the dead. No one ever came back as themselves. "No one can stop death anymore than you can prevent water from slipping through your fingers," she spoke with a frown. "Death comes to every living being in the galaxy. To bring back someone from the dead is never a good idea. You don't know if it's the person your expecting or someone else invading their body, or if they're even sane. It's unnatural."

tag Bardan_Jusik, Master Selkath, Mitth_Fisto, The_Zeltron, Ananta Chetan, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

"Might I be of assistance?". The speaker was the Falleen Padawan, Zurros Ka who had come over to join the group.

Tim took a closer look at him and liked what he saw. Definitely a fighter and, unless there'd been a sudden loss of Tim's ability to weigh-up a potential opponent/sparring partner without first crossing blades, a capable one. Padawan Ka's paired Lightsabers had obviously seen some use, judging by the wear on the grips, but had equally obviously been well cared for. Falleen were known to be natural athletes but, apart from their ability to dispense pheromones, that was almost all Tim knew about them.

"Greetings, Padawan Ka. Your assistance could be very valuable indeed. Please feel free to call me Tim, it's simpler!

What I was thinking was that our Saboteur, if an Organic, is either a single being or part of a very small Infiltration team. There don't seem to be a lot of actual Sith about, only two involved in the attempt to take the Temple by storm, for instance; and they're now either locked up in our Detention Area or on their way to be questioned by the Council. How many more Organic Sith there are, I don't know, but I somehow doubt that it's an overly large number. They're too likely to kill each other off, from what I've heard. What we've seen most of is some new type of Droid; new to me, anyway. History tells us Droid Troops have been tried before and found wanting.

As I see it, any further attempt at invading the Temple will have to involve taking control of the TCC, if only temporarily. Freeing the captives, if just as a distraction, might help with that. I doubt that 'Top Sith' would want to be blundering about the Temple in the dark, so the quickest and most obvious means of lowering our defences, namely blowing up the power lines, probably wouldn't seem all that attractive; we'll still have to take precautions against that, though.

Personally, I'm intending to carry a glowrod or tactical glowbeam about with me until we've evicted all these Sith from the Saridona System. Up to all of you to do the same, or not, as you please.

One against four, or two against four, aren't attractive odds, so chances are that our Saboteur(s) will take a look at the new level of protection and back off fast. Same goes if he, she or they manage to get assigned to one or other of the Guard details. At present, we're secure in both critical areas. I recognise both the guards currently assigned to the Detention Area, and both were interviewed by Grand Master Lahana, a powerful, experienced Jedi Consular; not prone, in my estimation, to making many or serious mistakes. Same goes for Major Taab, despite his having had excellent opportunities to mess with the TCC Systems. In his case, the known history between Mandos and Jedi would, I expect, have ensured he got an extra-careful vetting.

I don't have rank or authority to set assignments, the Grandmaster and Council have that; nor do I want to get in the way of any investigation Knight Dareagen might have been tasked with; he'll have enough on his mind if he's been handed that particular 'poisoned goblet' by the Council!

However, it's in all our interests to identify the Saboteur(s) as soon as possible - with evidence that would 'come up to proof' in the highest Law Court on Coruscant, mark you, not mere rumour and/or speculation - so, as and when my duties permit, I'm planning to sniff around a little myself, if I can figure out a different angle of attack. I have had some investigative experience - got the sleemos collared, all nice and legal, too! They're now somewhere that makes Kessel sound like a vacation spot!

Anyone with me?"

Everything he had said was true, but his main reason for saying it was to test the two 'unknowns' in the room, the ones he couldn't definitely say had been interviewed by Grandmaster Lahana. That said, the Saboteur was most likely to have adopted the guise of a Knight because of the greater freedom that rank would confer; however, two Sith disguised as a Knight/Padawan pairing also offered certain advantages, like the ready availability of false alibis and lookout/distraction capability.


TAG: Zurros Ka, (indirectly; Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687)

 

IC: Kai Dareagen
Grand Hall, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime

The cold floor sends shivers up the young man’s spine. Almost by instinct he begins to pull his knees up to his chest. He feels the tears on the edge of his eyelids, the knot in his throat. A few more moments and he would break. As if on cue a soft voice cuts through his thoughts,

"Hello," The female Mon Cal starts. "I'm Knight Letali, you seem troubled. Maybe I can help?" Letali has a kind feeling about her, Kai notes a bacta patch on her arm, most likely a souvenir from the initial attack. The Human Knight dabs his eyes with his sleeve trying to hide his tears. He swallows several times whittling down the lump in his throat. Before he can open his mouth to speak, a vivid memory comes to the front of his mind.

It is much like this scene, Kai huddled in a corner, emotional and another Jedi bending down to help, except in the memory the Jedi is his Master. The purge has passed and the Jedi are no longer hunted but, the horrors still run rampant in the boy’s mind. Master Sarr puts a comforting hand on his padawan’s shoulder. Calmness washes over the adolescent, who is no more that eleven years old, bringing him back from the darkness.

“The time for tears has passed,” Sarr’s caring voice says from the past, “It is a time for living, for restoration. So put the sadness and pain out of your mind, their era is over.” In the present, Kai’s heart slows and his eyes dry. This isn't the time to cry, it's time for action.

“Um…” he says beginning to answer the question posed to him earlier. “Yeah, I’m looking for the library. Think you could give me directions?”

TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Zurros Ka
TCC - Temple of Light


Anyone with me? Battershell rounded up his speech. It was a well delivered and sensible oration. Although Zurros found one thing that nagged at him.

Debating internally as to whether or not give voice to his concerns, he decided it was for the best. Even if it meant the eye of suspicion turned on himself. "Tim" Zurros began, "I recommend caution when launching your own investigation, contamination of evidence is a real possibility when there are several independant enquiries running simultaneously. Now, to business. Before Major Taab brought me here i was on sentry duty on the armoury, for that task I was not required to be questioned by the Grand Master. If that is what needs to be done in order for me to help with your plan, then I shall submit myself willingly"

TAG Tim Battershell Gotab Bardan_Jusik Skywalker_T-65 Padawan4687

 

OOC: Last post before next GM Update. Reason: Unreliable connectivity over last few days - maybe problems at the ISP end.


IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

Waiting for responses or comments, Tim thought about the occasions he and Joph Sturm had made their bedtime rather more flexible than intended on the roughly fifty percent of the days (or, more accurately, nights) spent sleeping-over at Joph's house after they'd become close friends; with their respective sisters doing their own thing at his.

For a presumed disciplinarian, (the then) Inspector Sturm had been highly willing to talk about old ASF cases, investigation methods and results. Although asking for that sort of 'bedtime story' might have started out as a ploy, both boys had rapidly become highly interested in 'how it was done' - the same interest that had later induced Tim to take the job offered by 'The Great Prestorious - Illusionist' and wander the Galaxy with him.

Although a rarity for ASF, due to Agamar's low population, Undercover Operations did occasionally happen and the 'bedtime stories' had touched on the subject. Tim remembered being told of Operatives' difficulties in keeping to their 'Legends'; day-in, day-out; for the weeks or months required.

For a Sith infiltrator in a Temple full of Jedi, the need to sleep must be the time of highest risk, Tim concluded. Whatever method was being used to mask the Dark Side signature could slip during sleep, exposing the Sith to detection. How, then, about eating arrangements? A single Sith would be unable to check if the masking method was, in fact, working. Tim was all too aware that his no-longer-latent Force Sensitivity was detected because the chain on his Taozin-nodule amulet broke one morning and he forgot, for just a few seconds, that the amulet was in his jacket pocket, on the back of his chair, rather than around his neck. It had happened on Agamar, and was only detected by a Jedi, true; but it could have happened at any time during his travels with Prestorious; quite a lot of which had been in Sith-controlled Sectors.

Therefore, as giving a room a 'lived-in' look was a relatively quick and simple matter, it was likely that actual sleeping would be done as far away from all Jedi as possible. Probably eating, too. Those, especially the latter, seemed like good angles of attack. Now to decide on implementation.

"Tim.... I recommend caution when launching your own investigation, contamination of evidence is a real possibility when there are several independent enquiries running simultaneously. Now, to business. Before Major Taab brought me here I was on sentry duty on the armoury, for that task I was not required to be questioned by the Grand Master. If that is what needs to be done in order for me to help with your plan, then I shall submit myself willingly" said Zurros Ka.

"Good points, well put"; Tim replied; "Your rank is a major point in your favour, as far as I'm concerned. Your willingness to submit yourself for interview is another.

Have you considered, though, that not even Grandmaster Zey is above suspicion? That's probably why Knight Dareagen has been tasked to do whatever it is he's doing. He's certifiably not been in this Temple before today, let alone in the TCC, so can’t possibly be the Saboteur. A 'Master Ropol' is also in the clear, both of them arrived in-system just after the Sith ship did.

As to my investigation; the Saboteur must be taking certain actions and avoiding certain situations. All I have to do is observe who it is that's doing both the taking and avoiding. That'll be our Saboteur. In general terms, not unlike designing a practical joke for a specific subject, really! The shock of getting caught should provide all the evidence required.

While speaking, Tim had been moving his hands in the well-remembered patterns needed to work the 'Sys-Op' interface. Now, he shut it down, returning the Console to normal operating mode.

"Knight Larod, you can log that none of the Temple's weaponry is in immediate need of maintenance. I don't know when that was last checked, but it's done now.

Also, I've put the sensor records of the original attack group onto your terminal. Looks like they came down in three different locations; right here, a little way down the valley and rather further along that flight path. I've no idea what to make of that pattern.


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687

 

Co-GM mini-update.

IC: Knight Letali (NPC)
Grand Hall, Temple of Light

The Mon Cal's eyes widened slightly as she felt the unknown Knight before her deal internally with his sadness. It pained her to see a fellow Knight in such distress, but he didn't expound on what had been bothering him. “Yeah, I’m looking for the library. Think you could give me directions?”

She reached out her hand to him and helped pull him to his feet. "Oh that's an easy one. I was just on my way there myself, not much else to do what with the lockdown and everything." She stopped and looked at him more closely. He was new, she didn't remember him coming back with the others from the Rakatan Ruins, nor was he one of the already established members of the Guardians of Light who had recused them. Scuttlebutt around the Temple was that a few new Jedi had arrived when the Sith did and had helped defend the Temple. This must be one of them. How horrible for him to appear all alone in the midst of this crisis, especially after what the Jedi as a whole had been forced to endure for the past couple of decades. No wonder he seemed filled with sorrow.

"You can tag along with me if you want, you seem like you could use a friend, and I wouldn't mind the company myself. The Temple seems so..." She paused. "Well no need to talk about that. I'm Letali, though I don't think I caught your name."


TAG: galactic-vagabond422

---

Knight Larod (NPC)
TCC, Temple of Light

"Something fairly small, Knight Larod; would have to be to escape immediate notice if attached externally and there's not much space inside the access panels, either. Just about enough to replace a bad wire with one of the spares made up into each loom, from what I remember." The human Jedi Knight nodded his head and stroked his beardless chin. What Padawan Battershell, Tim, was saying made sense. He carried on with his analysis.

"That said, the fact everything's working normally again suggests whatever caused the problem has been deactivated or removed." He paused as if remembering something, or perhaps putting order to his words before speaking. "However, one thing I feel all of us could usefully do is Force-scan for Dark Side aura traces on or inside the equipment; in case our 'infiltrator' hid away more little 'gifts' to trouble us. With your greater experience of the Force, you'd probably be the most likely to Sense such traces, but all of us Padawans should back you up by scanning the room as well..."

That was an excellent idea, and Larod wondered why it hadn't occurred to anyone else as of yet. He withdrew slightly from the center command station and towards the "back" of the room, nearly stumbling over the steps behind him that led to the various consoles and stations where padawan Tano was silently manning the communications gear. He wanted to be "removed" from the others for this, so as to not get in their way should his "scan" take longer than anticipated.

He found himself behind even the Togrutan padawan, and a tier above her as well. That should be far enough back he thought. He lay his hands down on the unmanned atmospheric analysis/meteorological station and closed his eyes. As busy as he was he was still able to hear snippets of the conversation around him. Again Padawan Battershell, Tim he reminded himself for hopefully the last time, seemed quite adept at all of this. The notion that this could be a Knight/Padawan pair especially made sense to him, perhaps something could be found in the duty log or even the security holos to support that notion...

His scan complete he opened his eyes, which flickered towards Padawan Thrace in curiosity, before sighing loudly and shaking his head. "I sense nothing out of the ordinary here," he reported. It wasn't quite true, there was...something, about padawan Thrace that didn't seem quite right. But the young man had been agitated enough throughout all of this, there was no point in embarrassing him further. It was still something to keep an eye on though, as he was sure others were already doing.

"Knight Larod, you can log that none of the Temple's weaponry is in immediate need of maintenance. I don't know when that was last checked, but it's done now." Tim, had kept himself busy while Larod had scanned the room. The Knight quickly moved back down to his position at the command station.

"Also, I've put the sensor records of the original attack group onto your terminal. Looks like they came down in three different locations; right here, a little way down the valley and rather further along that flight path. I've no idea what to make of that pattern."

Larod looked at the aforementioned data logs arching a single eyebrow. The attack here was plain enough and rumor had it that the landing farther down the valley had been thwarted by a Jedi security patrol. The particulars hadn't become common knowledge yet, but it was known that the effort had cost the life of Knight Lycar, a formidable warrior in Larod's estimation. The landing further away, by far the largest of the three, was also the one that seemed to be the focus of their "post battle" landings. Laying over a dozen kilometers to their southwest it was also several valley's over. It would be a hard march to get those droids over the intervening ridgelines to the Temple, though the Jedi would have an equally hard time in reaching them.

"A safe zone?," he pondered aloud. "Or do they have some other reason to be over there?" He called up topographical information on the command console, there appeared to be a system of unexplored caves at the base of the ridgeline bordering the valley in which the Sith had made their landing. "Maybe they are looking for something?"


TAG: Tim Battershell, Padawan4687, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Zurros Ka

 

IC: Ian Thrace
TCC, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

Ian noticed the strange look from Knight Larod and wondered what it could be about. Did he have the same suspicions that Ian had? Maybe it was some sort of signal from him! For his part, "Battershell" sure seemed to be trying his best to divert attention away from himself. However, his ideas all sounded like good ones. Maybe he wasn't the traitor after all?

If not, Ian knew why he had requested more help guarding the TCC. Ian wasn't very adept with his lightsaber, he would probably be a liability in a fight here even if the Sith did make an appearance. Someone would have to make up for his lack of martial prowess. That someone looked like it could be Padawan Ka, though even he might not be enough, hence the suggestion for more guards.

Battershell went back and forth with the others, though Ian didn't really understand everything that he was talking about. His own head was still spinning trying to figure out who had betrayed them. If it wasn't Taab, and it wasn't Battershell (and the jury was still out on them both) than who was it? It seemed the answer would have to wait as his companions moved on to other issues.

"A safe zone?," Larod asked. "Or do they have some other reason to be over there?" The elder Knight tapped at the TCC's central console examining the data it told him. "Maybe they are looking for something?"

However Ian hadn't really been listening to the last two questions. He had instead focused his attention on the first. "A safe zone? So they're scared of us?" Wouldn't that just be hilarious? Here was Ian frightened (though a little excited) by anything related to the Sith and yet maybe they were afraid of the Jedi too. "Since their attack failed, maybe they will just stick to their valley and we can stick to ours. Leave each other alone?"

TAG: Tim Battershell, Padawan4687, Skywalker_T-65, @Bardan Jusik, Zurros Ka

 

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

Tim was back in 'pondering' mode....

Specifically, mentally listing the equipment in storage aboard "Life's Illusion"; equipment suitable for use in his investigation.

Easiest of all the decisions was about the glowbeam. Roughly resembling a guard-shoto in size and external appearance, those favoured by Prestorious were capable of projecting a 50cm diameter circle of non-laser illumination at 200 metres range (when set to maximum intensity, tightest focus); with both intensity and focus fully, and easily, adjustable without any need for tools. When not in use, they could be carried thrust though the belt, a secure method as the handle prevented the glowbeam slipping all the way through. They also made handy extemporised weapons (of sorts), capable of dazzling an opponent, being used as a club and able, from a side-arm throw, (with the aid of luck or the Force) to trip-up a moving humanoid.

Almost as easy was meeting the need to remotely monitor at least two areas simultaneously; the Cafeteria's food-prep area - particularly its ready-use food store - and the entrance to the corresponding bulk-storage area.

Of these, Tim considered the Cafeteria to be the most probable target for Sith pilfering; 'shrinkage' from there being readily ascribed to the depredations of hungry younglings or Padawans - beings of around those ages always seeming to have room for 'just a little bit more'! Also, it wouldn't look at all suspicious for an older being, apparently a Jedi Knight, to be found putting a meal together at any time of day or night - the assumption being that he or she had missed the normal serving times though some urgent task or other.

However, not knowing how often (if ever) someone did (had done) stock-takes of the bulk food supplies, he'd have to cover that area as well. A Sith might decide that an almost complete absence of visitors, and any of those more than likely to be Droids (usually ones with little more processing capacity than their normal duties required) was a good trade-off for the risk of being seen entering or leaving. Not much of a risk, either, given the Sensing capabilities of a trained Force User.

'Magic Tricks' have to be what is termed 'holocam proof'; that is, have their actual workings hidden from detection at any viewing angle. Using living beings to check this would have required the entire circle of watchers to be let in on the secret, something that the Galactic Magic Orbit wouldn't have approved of, so actual holocams were used instead. Tim had quite a selection aboard "Life's Illusion", but those he intended to use for this job were an extra-slim bodied, 'periscope headed' variant that could be mounted very inconspicuously in the vertical angle formed by two walls, or the horizontal angle between a wall and a ceiling - it was surprising how many, otherwise highly cautious, sentients failed to look much higher than their own eye-line! The holocams' only disadvantage was that they couldn't be adjusted remotely, only manually.

When checking their acts, Prestorious and Tim had run the holocams through their Stage Control Unit, but that was far too bulky to be used here - and it wasn't even semi-portable due to its mass! However, Tim could use the far smaller and lighter recorder/viewer usually reserved for setting up the holocam matrix. Featuring a handling capacity of four holocam data-streams and providing viewing formats ranging from the standard 4 x 4 quarter-screen to an enlarged main view plus three 'thumbnail' images, it resembled a thicker-than-normal holo-reader pad, carried on a shoulder-strap.

Of course, the holocams would have to be installed in their positions - preferably by a much more discrete means than a 'fruit-picker' or other elevatable work platform - and moved about as needed. The answer lay in some handy pieces of kit called 'Stagehands Holdfasts'. Virtually unknown outside the entertainment industry, these were 7cm thick, 20cm diameter disk-like casings containing a short-range, but powerful, tractor-beam array and rechargeable power cells. Fully-charged, each Holdfast was capable of suspending a 250 kilo load (plus its own weight) for three hours. Longer periods of operation, and/or heavier loads, required connection to an external power source via a port on the back of each Holdfast. Also located on that face were; a simple rung-style handgrip, a set of (recessed) controls and cable/karabiner attachment loops.

Although their normal role was to anchor the ends of suspension wires to walls on either side of the performance area (without the need to drill holes in, or glue brackets to, them - some performances were, after all, given in private dwellings) the Holdfasts had an even less well-known secondary capability - pairs of them, fitted with stirrup-straps and coupled to a climbing harness by safety-tethers, could be used to climb up and down suitable walls! 'Suitable', in this case, meaning flat and solid. Curves, ceilings and thin sheet metal were definitely unsuitable!

Tim knew that this type of investigation would take time. Even if he spotted the Infiltrator(s) right away, that still left the task of tracking him/her/them back to the lair and staging a raid.

Happily, he already had a pool of trusted candidates he could ask to provide backup.... No way did he want to go this one alone!

Tim ceased his pondering just in time to hear Knight Larod's musings and Ian Thrace's reply of; "A safe zone? So they're scared of us? Since their attack failed, maybe they will just stick to their valley and we can stick to ours. Leave each other alone?"

"Be a bit ironic if they're looking for the Rakata and that crystal they had, wouldn't it, Knight Larod?.; Tim said, "If they are, and discover they've expended all those resources coming here on a Wild Bantha Hunt, we could find we've at least one less Sith to deal with!

Ian; that might be possible if Sith could be relied upon to be reasonable.... or even could be relied upon! However, everything I've read, or been told, about them indicates they are expert deceivers and regard betrayal as just another tool to use in furthering their aims.

As for them being scared of us, that Pellaeon SD they have in orbit gives them a tactical advantage - they hold the high ground at the moment.

Interestingly, though, it didn't fire at us on the way down.... Maybe because we were in line with the Temple.


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687

 

IC: Zurros Ka
TCC - temple of light

Zurros listened to the exchange between the 3 Jedi while gathering his own thoughts. It seemed to him that there was, at least one, scenario that was being overlooked. He decided to offer it to them to hear their thoughts:

"My friends, it is possible that the valley is merely a landing zone for them to mass their troops before launching an attack on us. The Star Destroyer gives them a huge tactical advantage, although they are not using it against us at this time. We must assume that this is part of their plan."

TAG Bardan_Jusik Gotab Tim Battershell Skywalker_T-65 Padawan4687

 

IC: Kai Dareagen
TCC, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime

Kai takes the Mon Cal’s hand, it feels warmer than he was expecting from an aquatic species. Maybe it was her friendly aura, or something else about her.

"Oh that's an easy one. I was just on my way there myself, not much else to do what with the lockdown and everything.” She replies to Kai’s question. She pauses for a moment, studying his face. Suddenly the young knight feels a little self-conscious, is there something on his face, something in his teeth? He runs his fingers through his saggy brown hair. Again sweat begins to form on his temples. He couldn’t understand why he is getting so flustered he never had this problem back home, is it because he knows everyone, and he isn’t secretly or openly investigating them. "You can tag along with me if you want, you seem like you could use a friend, and I wouldn't mind the company myself. The Temple seems so..." She stops for a moment. "Well no need to talk about that. I'm Letali, though I don't think I caught your name." Kai plants his palm in the middle of his forehead then slides his hand to the back of his head. He had this being give her name twice and he didn’t even have the decency to respond in kind.

“I’m sorry, my manners must be failing me,” He takes a step back and bows deeply keeping his hands in front of himself and level. “Jedi Knight Kai Dareagen, at your service,” He looks down the hall and gestures with his left hand, “Lead on, you will obviously know your way around better than I will,” he allows himself to smile for the first time, this isn’t like the times in space, when his smiles were brought on by excitement or predatory intent. It is a genuine warm smile that came from a place of happiness, he doesn't know why, but, crossing paths with this one knight that isn’t overrun with paranoia lifts his spirits. “Seeing how I only just got here a few hours ago and have yet to procure a map.”

TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

Zurros Ka broke the brief silence. "My friends, it is possible that the valley is merely a landing zone for them to mass their troops before launching an attack on us. The Star Destroyer gives them a huge tactical advantage, although they are not using it against us at this time. We must assume that this is part of their plan."

"Good thinking, Zurros. However, we don't know what their original plans were. Are they proceeding unaltered or has a change of plan has been forced by changed circumstances? I'm looking at the display from the 'wrong' side and at an awkward angle, but that landing area seems both rather remote and inconveniently situated.

Just one Starfighter blew away a large number of those Droids during the final phase of the 'Storming' attempt, and that done just with laser-cannons. If we are able to put fighters into the sky their forces risk getting hammered during the approach march. That would seem to apply whether they move along the valley floors or try to come 'up and over' the mountains.

Then they have to get past the Temple's defences, too.

Nevertheless, if it was up to me to make such decisions, I'd recommend the Council's attention be drawn to what the Sensors have told us. Could you please make that decision, Knight Larod, possibly pass the information to the Council or Grandmaster Zey?

I'd also recommend we try to develop better intelligence; by say, attempting to listen in on the Droids' Command and Control frequencies. If we can't do that from here, I've an inconspicuous means of emplacing a receiver and retransmitter combo right in their backyard. Plenty of dismantled Sith Droids around to salvage Comms gear from and if the retransmission is made over the Radionics Band, I think there's quite a high probability they wouldn't catch on to what we're up to.

Could you handle the first stages of the 'Comms Intercept' project, please, Miss Lenea? At least to see if it's feasible. In case I didn't tell you, I put you on "Life's Illusion's" 'Recognise and Admit' listing and there's a nice workshop in her Port Cargo Bay, complete with a blast and shrapnel proof vault that's fully fitted for remote testing and/or dismantling - just in case the Sith Droids have been booby-trapped!

Ian, could you assist me with installing some anti-Infiltrator surveillance and detection gear, please? Our non-Jedi skills packages should complement each other nicely! I'll see to briefing Major Taab on where we'll be and when.

Zurros, Miss Tano, if and when the Infiltrator is identified, I'd like both of you to back me up for the takedown, if you're willing. I'd hope to have others there as well, including Major Taab, but I can't guarantee they'd be available.


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Lenea_Sandstrider, Padawan4687

 

IC: Zurros Ka
TCC - Temple of Light

Zurros listened as Tim outlined his plan, he found himself admiring the young Jedi. 'This is the guy who should be running the investigation' Zurros thought to himself.

'Zurros, Miss Tano, if and when the Infiltrator is identified, I'd like both of you to back me up for the takedown, if you're willing. I'd hope to have others there as well, including Major Taab, but I can't guarantee they'd be available.' Tim finished

'I am at your disposal, Tim. Anything you need' Zurros replied.


TAG Tim Battershell Bardan_Jusik Gotab Lenea_Sandstrider Skywalker_T-65

 

IC: Ian Thrace
TCC, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime.

"Ian; that might be possible if Sith could be relied upon to be reasonable.... or even could be relied upon! However, everything I've read, or been told, about them indicates they are expert deceivers and regard betrayal as just another tool to use in furthering their aims." Ian felt himself blush at the slight rebuke from "Battershell." Whether he was the traitor or not, it still stung to be reminded so harshly of what the Sith's true nature was.

"As for them being scared of us, that Pellaeon SD they have in orbit gives them a tactical advantage - they hold the high ground at the moment. Interestingly, though, it didn't fire at us on the way down.... Maybe because we were in line with the Temple."

Ian's face reddened further, he supposed it was too much to think that anyone, especially the Sith who had so brazenly attacked the Temple in the first place, to be frightened of them now.

"My friends, it is possible that the valley is merely a landing zone for them to mass their troops before launching an attack on us. The Star Destroyer gives them a huge tactical advantage, although they are not using it against us at this time. We must assume that this is part of their plan."

Ka's assessment seemed sound, though it also reinforced just how far behind the other padawans Ian was. Idea's and concepts such as tactics and advantages were so far beyond him at the moment. Hopefully being under the tutelage of the Grandmaster would address that eventually. However it did nothing to help him now. Ian found himself looking down at the console in front of him, not really looking to decipher the colored and blinking lights he saw, but just to distract himself from how unprepared he was. He totally missed what "Battershell" was saying until he heard his name.

"Ian, could you assist me with installing some anti-Infiltrator surveillance and detection gear, please? Our non-Jedi skills packages should complement each other nicely! I'll see to briefing Major Taab on where we'll be and when."

Wait? He wanted Ian's help? Maybe he wasn't as smart as he sounded. Or maybe "Battershell" just wanted to get Ian alone so he could dispose of him.

"Zurros, Miss Tano, if and when the Infiltrator is identified, I'd like both of you to back me up for the takedown, if you're willing. I'd hope to have others there as well, including Major Taab, but I can't guarantee they'd be available."

Now Ian was really confused. He thought Knight Dareagen had been tasked with taking down the Sith Spy, now a bunch of padawans were taking it upon themselves to do it? What were they thinking?

"I am at your disposal, Tim. Anything you need" Zurros replied. Ian shook his head in fear, his moppish hair flitting about. He wanted no part of this! He supported keeping his eyes open and even going to the Council with his suspicions, but tracking down and taking on a Sith infiltrator was not something he was comfortable with.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, "We can't do this!" Surprising even himself with at the volume of his vocalization. "A few padawans against the Sith? It would be a slaughter." He brought his gaze upwards, trying to look "Battershell" in the eyes. "Or is that just where you're trying to lead us?"

TAG: Tim Battershell, Padawan4687, Skywalker_T-65, @Bardan Jusik, Zurros Ka

 

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

"I am at your disposal, Tim. Anything you need" Zurros Ka stated; receiving a respectful bow by way of a 'thank-you' in return.

"We can't do this!", Ian Thrace suddenly shouted loudly, "A few padawans against the Sith? It would be a slaughter.... Or is that just where you're trying to lead us?"

"I highly doubt that the role I just offered you is outside your capabilities, Ian,"; Tim said in a much quieter tone, "Or that helping me emplace some surveillance equipment would move the risk of a confrontation with Darth Slinker any higher up the probability scale than going about your normal daily business would do.

As for Padawans taking on a Sith.... Way back when, there was an ex-Jedi, turned full-blown Sith Lord, who went by the name of Exar Kun. Thousands of Jedi, nearly the entire Order, launched a massive strike against his base on Yavin 4 but failed to completely destroy him; although they thought they had. It seems that Kun had managed to transfer his 'essence' (for want of a better word) into a network of Temples he'd had built.

Millennia later, when Luke Skywalker set up his 'Jedi Praxeum' in one of the Temples, Kun didn't waste much time before causing trouble.... Trouble: as in murdering one student, almost corrupting another and putting Luke into a coma; leaving the rest of the part-trained students on their own. Rather than thinking dealing with Kun was too difficult and/or too dangerous a task for them and simply giving up, though, they relied on teamwork and the training they'd already had, finishing him for good!

You must do what you think is right, of course, Ian, but I'm very confident that a Sith like Darth Slinker will already have thought of causing terror and panic by poisonings or Lightsabering some of us in our beds. It's their 'stock-in-trade'! Potentially saving Jedi lives seems as good a reason as any for unmasking Slinker as rapidly as possible; don't you agree?

Once unmasked, and knowing his or her true nature is being spread through the Temple, I wouldn't expect all that much of a fight anyway. Sith superiors aren't overly tolerant of subordinates' failures, I've heard, so I'd imagine Slinker would have much less to fear from us Jedi than from Darth Spooky, Darth Harlot, Sith elsewhere on-planet or Sith still aboard their ship!".


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Lenea_Sandstrider, Padawan4687

 

IC: Suraya Archisa
GoL Council Chambers

Sixtus' sultry saunter into the Council Chambers was something to behold adorned as she was which astonished even Suraya. The Sith vixen radiated enough dark charm to affect everyone in the room, in one way or another, either through repulsion or for some Jedi who had suppressed some of their sensual feelings long ago in order to gain control over them, the feeling of the dormant seeds of desire still lingering within from the intoxicating seductive power that radiated from her presence. All eyes were on her and she seemed to delight in her own wicked magnetism.

Suraya not so long ago had been held on her knees at saber point by Sixtus as two of her Sith brethren had passed their crimson blades through her padawan. She also had been on the receiving end of several blows to the face solid enough from Sixtus to have left a couple of tiny scars under the facial tattoos on her chin. So when she saw from Sixtus' swelling eye that she had recently been the recipient of some physical abuse too, she felt relieved at the peace from the compassion that immediately arose for her free of any sense of vindictive pleasure.Such tests served as powerful indicators as to one's Force maturity, in her opinion.

Suraya then prepared herself interiorly to be recognized during one of Sixtus' sweeping glances across the room. Using the subtle skills her mentors had taught her while becoming a consular she carefully and vigilantly concealed anything she could remember from her time with the Sith which could potentially be gleaned from her by Sixtus' powerful mind and used against them.

"I am Darth Sixtus, and I am here to tell you all that I don't want to destroy you. All I want is your love." Nothing could have prepared her to anticipate such words coming from the lips of this woman. Such an astoundingly bold move to attempt to immediately imbalance everyone's equilibrium. Brilliant. Then she intuitively felt that the Council made its first big mistake. By remaining passive and mostly silent, Sixtus then seized the opportunity and pounced upon them one by one with surgical precision and some obvious outer results. Finally, the moment of recognition arrived as she could feel Sixtus' eyes first meet hers.

"You? How did you...?" Suraya looked back at Sixtus steadily without allowing her inner defences to waver. What of the others on board? Did they escape from Cavilous too? Or are you the only one?" She then allowed the following moment of silence to prolong into a pause lengthy enough for everyone to witness and sense any cracks in the veneer of the Sith woman's testimony before speaking. Speaking of others...where are the rest of your companions? Are they currently on their way here too...seeking our love as well?

Then inconspicuously without anyone noticing she wrote a small note and then concealing it in her palm asked for one of the chamber attendants to deliver it to Grand Master Piim discreetly.

Spoiler

I saw no others nor sensed the living presence of any additional prisoners aboard the ship.

TAG: Bardan_Jusik, The_Zeltron, Mitth_Fisto, Falcon

 

IC: Daniel Sandstrider and Lenea Sandstrider


Lenea was brilliant, as she never ceased to enjoy reminding her elder sibling. 'Course, that brilliance almost entirely came in the engineering field. The problem was, when she let that intelligence get worked up in a problem- especially a mystery! -it tended to take up all her attention. Between trying to get her brother to talk, which he wasn't after a spike of fear, and trying to think on what Tim had asked about a cascade failure, she was rather...preoccupied. Poking around in the systems to find out where mechanical issues may be instead of software ones took quite some concentration after all. Especially since this wasn't technically authorized. Sure, Danny could do it since he was suddenly on the kriffing council. But as established...he was being stubbornly quiet.

That all being said, the younger Sandstrider sibling was making an effort to keep at least one ear on the situation around her. A situation that had her absently rubbing at the scar on her arm. The last time she had gotten involved with a hostile lightsaber wielder hadn't exactly gone all that well. She'd been shanghaied into more training by Danny afterword, but she still didn't fancy getting stuck fighting like that again...much better to fight in a fighter really.

"On the other hand, if this Sith is good enough to hide in plain sight they've probably got tricks up their sleeves. I don't fancy getting stabbed in the back...literally. Lightsaber wounds hurt like nothing else," Lenea finally spoke up when Tim stopped, "So we'd want to have some tricks of our own. Anyone here have any ideas?"

"Staying together is one."

"Danny!"

Her brother walked into the room, a somewhat haggard look on his face. She didn't know what it was that set him off...but it couldn't have been pretty. Walking over to him with a rare concerned look on her face, all Lenea got was a weak smile, before he turned to the others in the room.

"The rest of the Council is questioning one of the Sith right now. If they can't get anything out of her, finding the spy or traitor is on the clock. I know that sitting here doing nothing isn't a good thought, but at the same time, we can't just go looking for trouble," at that, Daniel smiled slightly, "I imagine it will find us soon enough. Now, if you are determined to do something about the infiltrator...I have a suggestion. Lenea and I are able to communicate with each other even better than a Master/Padawan bond. I would suggest that one of us be with any group...if the infiltrator is identified, it would be easier- and less likely to spook them - to call for support that way than using a comlink."

When he finished, Daniel's smile faded slightly, "As a member of the council I can authorize actions taken to find the Sith. However, we should not interfere with the questioning of the prisoners, nor the ongoing investigation. Keep that in mind, please."

"You sure you're up for this Danny?" Lenea was quick to put that bond to use.

"As much as I can Sis. I left the interrogation because I didn't feel I would be ready...but, I am well aware we'll need my skills if we find the infiltrator, especially if it is before the questioning is complete. I have faith in Tim, but otherwise..."

Again, Lenea absently rubbed her scar, "Good point..."

With that 'said' it was just a matter of planning the next moves...though, to be fair, Daniel didn't know of the existing plans and Lenea hadn't payed enough attention...

TAG: Bardan_Jusik , Zurros Ka, Tim Battershell , Gotab

 

Co-GM update Part I

IC: Knight Larod (NPC)
TCC, Temple of Light

Things were starting to get out of hand in the TCC. Tim was getting ready to set about his own personal investigation into the saboteur's identity and Padawan Ka seemed more than willing to follow him where ever it led. Such an investigation without the Council's knowledge or approval was a dangerous thing for the two padawans to be advocating, though up until padawan Thrace's outburst the others in the TCC seemed to be willing to go along with it. Larod wasn't sure whether Tim's explanation to young Thrace would convince him or not and the only Knight was about to step in when Lenea spoke up at long last.

"On the other hand, if this Sith is good enough to hide in plain sight they've probably got tricks up their sleeves. I don't fancy getting stabbed in the back...literally. Lightsaber wounds hurt like nothing else. So we'd want to have some tricks of our own. Anyone here have any ideas?"

So she too seemed to be willing to go along with this unsanctioned Sith-hunt, though she seemed to be urging caution. A sensible approach. Larod was about to speak when Daniel's sudden arrival startled him. "Staying together is one."

Larod looked up from the main console in surprise. The Jedi Knight looked haggard and worn out. Recent events must be weighing heavily on him. But what was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be in with the Council?

"The rest of the Council is questioning one of the Sith right now. If they can't get anything out of her, finding the spy or traitor is on the clock. I know that sitting here doing nothing isn't a good thought, but at the same time, we can't just go looking for trouble. I imagine it will find us soon enough. Now, if you are determined to do something about the infiltrator...I have a suggestion. Lenea and I are able to communicate with each other even better than a Master/Padawan bond. I would suggest that one of us be with any group...if the infiltrator is identified, it would be easier- and less likely to spook them - to call for support that way than using a comlink."

Such a powerful link came as yet another surprise to Larod, though he could see where it would come in quite handy during their seemingly now sanctioned investigation. Still there was an important point that seemed to have been forgotten, though Tim had touched on it earlier. Larod spoke up now. "We are forgetting one thing. We have no idea, none at all, who, or what, we are looking for." He frowned. "It could be a Sith or one of their minions hiding in the shadows. It could be a traitor among us. It could be a droid programed to do the Sith's bidding, maybe even without it's own knowledge. Or it could be any number of other things, or some of those combined. We don't even know how many saboteurs we are looking for!" He was starting to get excited now and paused to calm himself, an effort that was easily visible to the others in the TCC. Bowing now to Daniel he asked simply. "Has the Sith prisoner said anything that might help us in our search?"


TAG: Tim Battershell, Padawan4687, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Zurros Ka

---

IC: Knight Letali (NPC)
En route to the Temple Library, Temple of Light

“Jedi Knight Kai Dareagen, at your service...” Latali bowed at belated introduction, glad that the young knight was finally smiling. Something had been bothering him, but with his smile it seemed he was over it, at least for now. She was curious about this Jedi she hadn't met before, one who obviously carried a great burden with him, but she thought better than to pry at the moment. He was in better spirits now and she didn't want to be the cause of a relapse. Instead she filled the time spent walking to the library with mundane conversation about the Temple itself. Minor tidbits such as:

"We used to house thousands of Jedi here, though we now number less than 200."

"Down that corridor is the Temple canteen, the Major calls it the DFAC, whatever that means."

"Over that way is the Temple Gardens, wonderful for a meditation session anytime you are feeling troubled."

"Speaking of the canteen. It runs four meals a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late night meal for those that prefer nocturnal dining. You can grab a light snack there anytime you want, but stay away from the droid running the kitchen now. They just got him back up and running and let me tell you, that thing is grumpy!"

"The Council Chambers are over there," she started but stopped as she felt a very dark presence emanating from the area. The Council must be interrogating one of the Sith that had been rumored to be taken prisoner. The presence bothered her, and she fell silent for the remainder of their short journey.

"Oh here we are, the library," she broke her silence as they finally arrived.





"It isn't much I know, nothing like the Jedi Order had on Coruscant or Ossus." She had honestly been a little disappointed at the smallish library here, though it adequatly housed what tomes the Guardians had, as well as allowed for a quiet work space. "I'm told that we have a larger, much better stocked archive, but access to that has been restricted to Masters only." That too had greatly disappointed her. "We don't have a Temple Librarian yet, though I'm kind of hoping for that assignment. Let me help get you set up here."

She led him around behind a set of bookshelves, some holding holo discs, others actual leather bound books with flimsi pages to a small study nook.

"I figured you might like a little privacy, so we'll get you set up back here." She shrugged. "Is there something you want me to help you with? If not, I'll just be up front reading a fascinating history about Jedi and Sith during the Clone Wars."

TAG: galactic-vagabond422

 

Co-GM Update Part II

IC: Beskaryc Taab/General Hector Zey/Master Piim (NPC)/Darth Sixtus (NPC)
Council Chambers, Temple of Light

"No one can stop death anymore than you can prevent water from slipping through your fingers," Piim's look of horror at the Dark Woman's words softened as Sherland spoke "Death comes to every living being in the galaxy. To bring back someone from the dead is never a good idea. You don't know if it's the person your expecting or someone else invading their body, or if they're even sane. It's unnatural."

There were nods of agreement from both Zey and Piim as the Jedi Knight made her point. Sixtus returned Kasha's frown. Why couldn't they just accept her love? She looked away from the council, trying to get a read from Taab, but his mind was as stoic as ever. Just that underlying aggression that seemed to define his every thought. Sixtus winced slightly in pain as she was reminded how that aggression had come into direct contact with her face. She had no love for him, though he might still have his uses. She gave a barely perceptable throaty chuckle at the thought. She was quite sure the tall armored man had his uses, but that was for another time. She returned her attention to the Council, and to Sherland in particular.

"So typical of the Jedi, unyielding in your dogma. You believe that what you believe to be true simply is. We, you the Jedi, and we the Sith have the power to change the universe, to change what is. We can control our fates and achieve eternal life, even life after death, through love. Join me, and I can show you the true way."

Master Piim's look of barely controlled horror returned as Zey simply nodded thoughtfully. He didn't believe a word of what this dark woman was spewing at the moment. Life after death, on this mortal coil, was not something he, nor any other Jedi he knew of, sought. Knight Sherland had summed up his own feelings, and those of the rest of the Council he was sure in her statement. But the Sith woman persisted, did she really think she could turn them to the dark side with such nonsense, or was she actually telling the truth? Was it possible that she did love them in her own twisted way? A frown now came to his face as well, one that only deepened as he contemplated the surprising revelation that Sixtus had made. Others? What others? Knight Archisa caught it as well.

"Speaking of others...where are the rest of your companions? Are they currently on their way here too...seeking our love as well?"

Good Zey thought to himself, she had not been led off track by the revelation as he had almost done. Still it was something to be concerned about, a point that he would have to circle back on before the interrogation was at an end. But Archisa was right, first things first. He and the others listened to Sixtus as she replied, seeming to be almost grateful that her unintended utterance had been overlooked.

"In time, they will all be here to share their own interpretation of love with you. Some won't be as friendly as I am though. Despite your hired help's mistreatment of me, I am willing to
forgive this transgression should you let me go." She still felt nothing from the armored man, no added agitation at her remark. She would find something to needle him with eventually. Until then she went on. "Unlike most of the others, I don't wish to see you harmed in any way. I just want to share with you all the joys, the passion, the love that can be felt through the Dark Side of the Force."

Zey nearly laughed out loud at that, though he managed to turn it instead into a rather nasty sounding fake laugh. He was starting to believe that she really did just want to spread the Dark Side to them though love, or whatever her interpretation of love was. She was not to be trusted, and her answers were starting to give him a headache. Perhaps he would have to find new ways to motivate her.

"And what of the one, or ones, already here among us?" His question came out as an accusation, one that was met with an innocent smile from Sixtus. "We all know that there is at least one of your number here, how else could you have brought down our defenses?"

Sixtus blinked her one good eye at that, the other having already swollen completely shut, that damnable smile unmoving on her swollen face. Zey tried very hard to contain his anger, his rage at her for what she and her kind had done, and would do to the Jedi, his people. It was an internal battle he could very well lose at any moment until he came to the realization that it would play right into her hands. He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed deeply before standing up, looking directly at the Sith woman before him.

"You will tell us what you know, or I will have him," he pointed to Taab, "torture you." Piim gasped audibly at the threat. "He once tortued our kind while in the service of the Sith. I find a poetic justice is served by allowing him to return the favor." Suddenly the appeal of having the Mandalorian on their side was evident to the General. He could be allowed to do the dirty work that was beneath the Jedi, that would have led to their own moral decay. They had to fear losing thier connection to the Light, the Mandalorian didn't. He doubted the stance would be popular on the Council, but fortunately Sixtus soon made it a moot point.

The Sith woman shivered once, the innocent smile fading from her face as she looked fearfully to the armored man. Under his helmet she could almost feel him smiling at her now, it was the first time she had felt anything new from him, and it frightened even her. A small trickle of blood rolled out from the corner of her mouth. "There is no need Master Jedi," she nearly spat our the moniker. "I will tell you what you wish to know." She looked away from Taab now, sensing his disappointment before the buzz of barely repressed aggression that was his norm returned. She knew she could have held out for some time resisting his depredations, but eventually she would break. It wasn't worth the pain and anguish to her to delay the Jedi from the inevitable. Besides, the mere fact that the Grandmaster had even considered it showed how the path here was open to the dark side.

Zey turned and winked at Piim before sitting back down. "So tell us. What spies do you have in our Temple?"

Sixtus paused before answering, and Zey almost thought she had reconsidered. Was she willing to call Zey's bluff after all? Was he bluffing? Even he wasn't sure. Finally though she spoke. "There is but one. His name is Darth Praedator, and as you surmised, his mission was to bring down the Temple's defenses. To open the door for our assault. Obviously, but unsurprisingly, he failed." The disdain she had for her fellow Sith was apparent in her eye.

"He is weak, and jealous of you all," she explained the reasoning for her disdain. "He doesn't wish to share our knowledge with you, he doesn't love you all as I do." Her gentle smile returned, as much as it could given the swelling to the left side of her face. "He is a petty man with petty desires and he wants you all killed, don't doubt that at his first opportunity he will set his own plan in motion to do just that."

Zey stroked his beard at her response. Naturally it was a response that didn't provide them with much beyond what they already knew. They had a spy here, something they already knew. That it was a Sith wasn't known, though it had been suspected. At least that much had been confirmed by her, and there was only one infiltrator as well. That was the good news, if she could be trusted. Zey looked to master Piim, trying to gauge what she believed, but she was looking to a note that had been quietly handed to her. He wondered what it said, but that was a question for another time. He turned his attention back to their prisoner.

"Since he shares so little in common with you, you would reveal his identity to us then yes?"

"I'm afraid I cannot." Zey frowned deeply at her response as she sensed Piim deep in thought next to him. The Togruta seemed unfocused at the moment though Sixtus couldn't sense why. "He could be anyone. Though he is a wretched coward, he is quite good at his chosen skill. He could be pretending to be a droid, or even hiding behind a mask, a helmet." She looked to Taab pointedly, though she sensed no irritation from him. How disappointing. "He could be disguised as a she, as a human or alien, as a padawan or a Knight. Or maybe even one of you on the Council." She smiled wickedly at the thought. "Darth Cavillous didn't deign to inform me of the mask that Praedator would wear, so I'm sorry I won't be able to identify him for you."

She sensed disappointment from Zey now, strange that he wasn't even attempting to hide it from her. Out of love for him, for them all, she continued on in an attempt to make him happy. "I will tell you this. He can hide who he is, but in some ways not what he is. You may be able to feel his force ability, but not the dark nature of it. He will be the one you least expect, the one hidden in plain sight." She could sense Zey's interest was piqued again now, his disappointment waning, her earler indiscretion forgotten. She had him now. "My advice? Look for the warmest, kindest Jedi among you, and that will probably be him."

TAG: Master Selkath, Mitth_Fisto, The_Zeltron, Falcon, Ananta Chetan, Rebecca_Daniels

 

IC: Kai Dareagen
The Grand Hall, Temple of Light, Saridona Prime

With the introductions over the two Jedi begin moving towards the library. He could feel his companion’s curiosity, not through the force but, through the awkward silence of their first few steps. The young knight can’t fault her. He did nearly have a mental breakdown in front of her, of course you’d be curious about what caused it. Thankfully she doesn’t press the issue, if she had Kai fears he would have told her everything. Him leaving his home without saying anything, giving over to rage in the space battle before coming to this temple and being made investigator. It is becoming all too much. Maybe now that he can get to work, he can put this burden off his shoulders. She speaks ending the silence.

"We used to house thousands of Jedi here, though we now number less than 200." That’s why this place felt so, empty, to fall from thousands to so few. He felt this pain, this loneliness before. Even though the Jedi are over ten years past the last purge, the scars still remain.

"Down that corridor is the Temple canteen, the Major calls it the DFAC, whatever that means." The newcomer also has no idea why one would call a canteen a DFAC, maybe it is a Mandoloreian expression.

"Over that way is the Temple Gardens, wonderful for a meditation session anytime you are feeling troubled." Meditation isn’t one of Kai’s strong suits. He prefers action and motion when connecting to the Force. This habit annoys his master and other Jedi, watching him bound around the temple like some over-active child. After a while movement over and around objects becomes second nature and with the Force guiding him he doesn’t even need to consciously think about his next move. This leaves his mind open at ponder over issues. He wouldn’t dare try anything like that here, he doesn’t know the layout enough, and seeing a new face suddenly running through the halls, along walls, and over tables, would make many ill at ease.

"Speaking of the canteen. It runs four meals a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late night meal for those that prefer nocturnal dining. You can grab a light snack there anytime you want, but stay away from the droid running the kitchen now. They just got him back up and running and let me tell you, that thing is grumpy!" A snack or something to eat sounds very good to Kai right now, seeing that he hasn’t really eaten anything since he jumped into the ‘Avril’.

"The Council Chambers are over there," Knight Letali stops, the young knight understands why, a wave of darkness crawls up Kai’s spine. He knows this feeling, a strong Sith is nearby. His hand grips the cold metal of his lightsaber. He wants to end whoever is emanating the blackness. In his mind the Sith deserve nothing from him but, a quick death. They had shown no mercy to the Jedi and had hunted them to near extinction. Kai feels it is time to turn the tables, to eliminate this evil from the galaxy. He doesn’t feel anger or rage, just a cold sense of justice and righteous conviction. He will not allow the Jedi to be destroyed again. The walk to the library becomes deathly silent once again.

"Oh here we are, the library," Kai looks around it feels older than the archives back on Ossus but, those are still rather sparse having not recovered from being destroyed. "It isn't much I know, nothing like the Jedi Order had on Coruscant or Ossus." He smiles and nods his head. "I'm told that we have a larger, much better stocked archive, but access to that has been restricted to Masters only." The young knight squished his face a bit, he had the full authority of the council to hunt for the infiltrator, and does this also mean he can enter these other archives? He shakes his head, no need to ask permission yet, he’ll see if he can find what he needs in the regular stacks first. "We don't have a Temple Librarian yet,” Letali continues, “though I'm kind of hoping for that assignment. Let me help get you set up here." She gestures to a small study area behind a shelf of books and holo-disks. Kai takes a seat still enamored with the odd charm of the place.

"I figured you might like a little privacy, so we'll get you set up back here." She shrugs. "Is there something you want me to help you with? If not, I'll just be up front reading a fascinating history about Jedi and Sith during the Clone Wars."

“I’m good right now thanks,” Kai says nodding his head. He waits for Letali to disappear behind the shelves of books and disks before going over what he had. First the device, a white plastoid oval, just bigger than a human hand making it hard to palm it or carry it inconspicuously at least outside of a pocket. There were no distinctive markings on the outside and with how much it was handled by everyone in the council chambers any fingerprints or DNA on the outside would be suspect. He begins to try and pry the thing apart but, stops. This thing’s function is too specialized to have been bought at a corner electronics store, its constituent parts maybe. Meaning the internals could contain fingerprints or DNA of the person who planted it, or at least the person who built it. The young Knight is uncertain if the Guardians keep DNA and fingerprint profiles of everyone in the temple and, even if they did that’s a list of over 200 suspects, best to pair it down to a few before running those tests.

He turns his attention to the holo-recordings he downloaded. The ones of the inside of the TCC were corrupted yielding no useful information. Thankfully Kai also had recordings from the hallway, if the suspect could gain access to the TCC he could also erase the recordings from there as well. Kai was lucky that whoever it is forgot about the other areas around the TCC. He takes a deep breath. He now has twelve hours of footage to get through searching for things out of the ordinary. The first four hours, which he views at a sped up pace, pass by without anything happening. At the eight hour mark Knights Elim Rand and Alyali Pasholl enter seeming to be deep in conversation at the time. Kai has no idea what they were talking about, the holo offers no audio. Kai checks the duty roster, they were assigned to the next eight hour shift. Five minutes later Knights Vomkoju and Kayhay Ryadill leave heading towards the canteen having been relieved by Rand and Pasholl.

Nothing much happens for the next five hours of recording until Knight Aroon and his padawan Zoe pass by. Aroon says something to Zoe then enters the TCC. The young woman waits for a moment and then is joined by her Master. Both move towards the training hall, as they were scheduled, the roster made no mention of a TCC visit, red flag number one. The larger red flag comes almost three hours later. Major Taab enters the room fifteen minutes before the start of his shift, Kai would be very interested to hear his reason. Rand and Pasholl leave having been themselves relieved by Taab. Looking at the roster again, Grandmaster Zey is supposed to be the Chief’s partner but he doesn’t appear for another thirteen minutes. Kai furrows his brow, for thirteen minutes the Mandalorian had ample opportunity to plant the device. Moments after Zey’s arrival the data logs note the appearance of the Hellfire, beginning its attack, two minutes later the lights go out.

Kai leans back in his chair rubbing his eyes, there wasn’t much to go on but, at least he had some people to interview. Progress is being made, however slowly. He wonders if he should with start with Taab, he had the most opportunity to plant the device but, the thought of staring into the expressionless faceplate of the Jedi Killer sends another shiver up the Knight’s spine. Maybe it is best to start with Rand and Pasholl they were on duty for the majority of the time before the incident maybe they remember what Knight Aroon was up to in there. Next would be Aroon and Zoe interviewed separately so that the Master cannot overtly influence his Padawan against revealing what was discussed. Kai would save the Major for last, partly because he was the last to enter before the attack and mostly because Kai didn’t want to face him so soon. Kai picked up the comlink he always carried on his belt and found the com frequencies for Rand and Pasholl.

“Knight Rand, Knight Pasholl,” he says, a bit of unease in his stomach, “My name is Kai Dareagen and, I was wondering if I could speak with you in the library.”

TAG: Bardan_Jusik

 

IC: Suraya Archisa
Council Chambers

If the best lies were half truths then Suraya had little doubt that Sixtus' complex tale was a masterful and muddled mix of both. You believe that what you believe to be true simply is. Ironically, Sixtus seemed to be accusing the Jedi of seeing the galaxy through Sith eyes. She had closed her own eyes during long stretches of the she-Sith's testimony so as to try to allow the inner workings of the Force to guide her mind to sift out the real agenda from the outright pandering to Jedi sensibilities, but it was complicated. She felt that invariably there must be any number of plans in motion, all at the same time...the plan of the group as well as that of each individual Sith, all of course awaiting their moment to turn the tables and gain dominant power over their comrades along with everything else. But which were which and what plan was currently motivating Sixtus, she felt uncertain. Perhaps Sixtus did as well? Foreseeing Sixtus' capture, this entire script of hers could all be of Cavillous' devising, including her feigning to want to betray him, or even both. The possibilities were endless for those committed to the dark and enough to start to give the mind of the young Knight a headache.

The potential opportunity to torture someone seemed to have mended the wounds between Zey and Taab and re-established some trust, at least for the moment. That was disturbing. She hoped they had been bluffing, but felt uncertain and decided to leave it at that for now. The Kubaz and female Mandalorian Masters on the Council had remained stoic and outwardly neutral thus far, leaving her to wonder if it was so intentionally, and Sanstrider had bolted for the door before the proceedings had even begun, apparently against the Grand Master's wishes, but they seemed to have allowed it for now.

Not surprisingly thus far Sixtus had not remotely alluded to the conversation Suraya had overheard aboard their ship while prisoner regarding the Sith plans to experiment reanimating slain Jedi in hopes of raising an army, except for her momentary slip of enquiring of the "others" when she first recognized her. Suraya had intentionally evaded her question so as to allow the seniority and collective wisdom of the Council full reign in steering the direction of the interrogation. Divulging anything to Sixtus at this point even if it was that she knew of no "others" aboard the ship could be surrendering what little leverage they had and somehow work against them.

As Sixtus finished her response as to the identity of the suspected traitor amongst them, Suraya could not help but smile in disbelief and wonder at her final line... "My advice? Look for the warmest, kindest Jedi among you, and that will probably be him." Wow, she was good. Really good. Suraya felt like she literally needed to go take a bath to wash the venom off of her, the room was saturated with it.

TAG Bardan_Jusik Falcon Mitth_Fisto The_Zeltron

 

IC: Tim Battershell
TCC, Temple of Light - Saridona Prime.

"On the other hand, if this Sith is good enough to hide in plain sight they've probably got tricks up their sleeves. I don't fancy getting stabbed in the back...literally. Lightsaber wounds hurt like nothing else... So we'd want to have some tricks of our own. Anyone here have any ideas?"; Lenea Sandstrider commented when Tim finished speaking. He smiled inwardly as he mentally listed the 'tricks' they actually had available.

"Staying together is one."; this was Daniel Sandstrider's opening remark as he made an unexpected appearance in the doorway.

On the one hand, Tim was very pleased to see him. On the other, he saw the chances of doing anything covertly rapidly receding if solo or pair actions were embargoed. There was also Daniel's current physical appearance as a concerning factor - most of the recuperative benefit from the period of peace and quiet aboard Redemption looked to have been swept away.

"The rest of the Council is questioning one of the Sith right now. If they can't get anything out of her, finding the spy or traitor is on the clock. I know that sitting here doing nothing isn't a good thought, but at the same time, we can't just go looking for trouble,"; he smiled slightly; "I imagine it will find us soon enough. Now, if you are determined to do something about the infiltrator...I have a suggestion. Lenea and I are able to communicate with each other even better than a Master/Padawan bond. I would suggest that one of us be with any group...if the infiltrator is identified, it would be easier- and less likely to spook them - to call for support that way than using a comlink.".

Not news to Tim, but it probably would be to the others in the TCC. It was also a very sensible suggestion and a 'trick' the Sith probably wouldn't be able to anticipate or easily counter. However, the impending move of the 'Slinker' hunt up the priority ladder wasn't going to be helpful. A covert surveillance operation would take far too long for that.

Daniel's smile faded slightly; "As a member of the council I can authorize actions taken to find the Sith. However, we should not interfere with the questioning of the prisoners, nor the ongoing investigation. Keep that in mind, please.".

Official leave to take 'unofficial' action! Now that was definitely progress. Tim saw no problem complying with the 'keep off the turf' restrictions - all the better, from his viewpoint.

Then Knight Larod almost caused him to disgrace himself with a loud hoot of derision by coming back with; "We are forgetting one thing. We have no idea, none at all, who, or what, we are looking for.... It could be a Sith or one of their minions hiding in the shadows. It could be a traitor among us. It could be a droid programed to do the Sith's bidding, maybe even without it's own knowledge. Or it could be any number of other things, or some of those combined. We don't even know how many saboteurs we are looking for!.... Has the Sith prisoner said anything that might help us in our search?".

Tim had no problem with most of it, he'd said similar things himself earlier. It was the naivety of the last sentence that nearly - oh so nearly - did the damage.

'Harlot' probably was talking. No surprises if so; Mandalorians were nothing if not intimidating - and were rumoured to go much further if pure intimidation didn't suffice. No, it was the thought that any credence whatever could be given to a Sith's utterances without a mountain of back-checking - and even then the 'truths' would almost certainly have been selected to further her/their agenda.

Out of respect, he'd wait for Daniel to reply before saying anything more himself.


TAG: Zurros Ka, Bardan_Jusik, Gotab, Skywalker_T-65, Padawan4687