Fwurg

[Shebi Ajava]

"The disturbance is moving. We need to be quick about this to get eyes on the interesting things. Try to hack this, if you trigger something, try to trigger something else in another part of the station as well."

While the slicers were manipulating the keypad, Ajava opened up the ceiling hatch as a backup plan and moved outside a bit to spot incoming trouble. ((OOC: Force level 5 + Vision 4))

[Darones Rei]

" We'll see what happens, " Darones answered Shebi as he and T'Sal set to work " And triggering something else shouldn't be to hard either, should something go wrong. How about a blockade in the EM-collectors? "

((OOC: Forcelevel 4 + Reason 5 + Slicing 1 + Programming 1; Aids T'Sal/S4))

[T'Sal]

“This will be a good opportunity to see how their security system works. S4 could you give a hand with this after you make sure there is nobody near.”

T’sal takes some time to study the system and tries to get a good understanding about how it works. She then helps Darones to make the necessary changes to the system are made to open the door.
(If possible you make a fake keycard.)

((OOC: Force level 5 + Reason/Intuition 5 + scientisct 3/slicing 1/programming 1 + assistance S4.))

[Mercury]

The system of the elevator was really quite simpel: everyone on the station had a key-card, which would allow them to go to certain floors depending on whether or not they had access to it. Put in the key card, hit the right button and off you go (or not, if you don't have access).

Using her expert slicing skills and the aid of Darones, T'sal was able to program a fake keycard as a master key, allowing her to take the elevator anywhere. She couldn't be certain without testing, but it might even work on other accessdoors as well!

With their new keycard, the team activated the elevator, riding it up towards the server room, where it arived with a single 'ping'.

Luckily for the team, the entrance hall to the server room appeared to be empty except for a maintenance droid cleaning the floor - droids of this type had the intelligence of a rock and basically continuously cleaned the floors, ignoring everything else, so it did not pose a risk of the team being discovered.

The team would have to watch their step as the mediocre lighting made tripping on the various cables running everywhere a distinct possibility. To their left, several rows of machines were working hard to process all sorts of data - to their right was a desk with a control and monitoring panel, though it was currently unoccupied - most likely the servers here just repeated the same data processing tasks over and over again, requiring little input unless something went wrong.

[T'Sal]

T’sal goes over to the control panel.

“Let’s check what is going on here guys and the information we want. Miss Shebi it will take some time before S4, Darones and I have investigated this, maybe you can localize that thread from earlier. ”

After their combined success they continue. They take a look on what kind of process is going on, what are they doing here? T’sal looks at the data entries to get an idea on who comes here, how often en what they do. Knowing what is going on seems a good idea, she installs an alert if someone comes. T’sal makes sure that everything is okay so nobody needs to come.

Now that they won’t be interfered they could start with what they came here for. T’sal takes a good look at what is going on the station. She tries to bypass the security to get all the information they need on the research they are doing, exact lay-out, people/droid present and more. Getting some proof would be good.

((OOC: After last time success, let’s continue together, Darones let me know if you have more ideas.
Force level 5 + Reason/Intuition 5 + scientist 3/slicing 1/programming 1 + assistance S4/Darones.)))

[Darones Rei]

" Just a moment T'Sal, " Darones said as he saw her anxious to get to work " Our mission is to: Determine whether or not the research station is being used to construct weapons and if so to get evidence for this as well as details on the weapons and the facility . Before we start turning everything upside down and start messing around with data and codes, it might be wise to just look at what is going on here first. There is still a chance that this station actually is what it appears to be, a normal research-station; and if it is, we have no business meddling with their data or programs."

Darones took some time to let his comments sink in, before he continued

" So at the moment I suggest we try to find a layout of the station, and if possible a headcount of personnel and droids present but leave the actual data for the moment. "

[Shebi Ajava]

Ajava searched the room while the others were busy with the computers. ((OOC: Force Level 5 + Vision 4))

[Mercury]

T'sal installs some security measures to make sure the team was not surprised and would get a warning if anyone attempted to enter the server room. With Darones' help they accessed the server's basic data files, generating a report of the general status of the station and retrieving the latest log entry of the server room maintenance officer.

================================================================================

General Status:

Operational Status: Normal - all systems operational
Station Status: Green

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Personnel Status:

Number of Life Forms Detected: 34

Droids

Number of Droids Detected: 117
Operational: 103
Maintenance: 9
Disabled: 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most recent maintenance officer log entry:

This is the worst job ever! They said they wanted a programmer, but they want a
crawl monkey that spends his time going through the maintenance ducts to replace
irradiated nodes. Apparently funding for radiation shielding is limited to crew
quarters and the main server room, so half of the cables and several of the data
nodes lie are unshielded meaning they have to be replaced every few weeks. I am
spending more time crawling through ducts then I am programming. I am so over-
qualified for this. I hate my life.

================================================================================

The team was additionally able to find a map of the station which they copied - it didn't tell them much beyond what they had seen on the map in the maintenance tunnel earlier, but at least now they had something to bring back with them.

Being as expert as they were, the team was also able to determine that though most of the research data was processed here, the lab had a separate server towards which part of that research data was funnelled. They couldn't determine what it was exactly from here, but the level of encryption suggested this was something that the station occupants wanted to keep hidden.

Meanwhile Shebi searched the room, finding various tools and cables, none of them interesting. Just as she was about to give up, something guided her towards a small locker, which had been left open. Inside, she found a security key-card, likely the official version of the fake access card T'sal and Darones had created. It could come in useful.

[Shebi Ajava]

Shebi Ajava pockets the keycard

"Let's copy the research data, copying shouldn't change anything. That way we at least have something of their research to analyse later. And keep digging for hidden systems and programs, I think something weird is going on.

I'll try and get a better read on the disturbance in the labs."

Shebi Ajava sat down on the ground, and calmed herself. She tried to feel out the balance of the Force in and around the stations, focussing on the moving disturbance from the labs. ((OOC: Force Level 5 + Intuition 4))

[Mercury]

The disturbance had moved around the labs but it had now come to a halt. Shebi Ajava could sense an eery quiet around the disturbance, but it was very different from the calm she had created around herself.

Her calm was restful, meditative, as if everything around her went into a gentle slumber, but the quiet around the disturbance was oppressive and forceful, as if entering a room where mere moments ago an argument had gotten out of hand and now nobody dared to speak. Whatever the disturbance was, it was something sinister and evil and as she focussed on it, she felt as if she was gazing into a deep abyss which seemed to have no bottom.

Suddenly there was a frightful realisation, like a static discharge sending a shock through her body: she wasn't just trying to get a sense of the disturbance - it was also trying to get a sense of her.

[T'Sal]

T’sal copied the data to her datapad.

“There are quite some droids here, almost 4 times the amount of life forms, 117 to 34. I do not know what to think of that.
Darones let’s plan our route to the lab with this more detailed map and information. ”

((OOC: Force level 5 + Reasons 5 + assistance
(Planning things, is there a skill for that?)))

[Shebi Ajava]

Shebi Ajava jumped up.

"Svrimarele vai!", she uttered in an obscure language,"We have to hurry. I felt the disturbance, it seemed like a bottomless pit. But worse, it was looking for me! I think this is not going to end well of we dwell here. Let's get the data quickly and distance ourselves from this station.

I don't think we have to worry about disturbing a normal research station, there is something distinctly evil around. We need a quick route to the labs so we can extract the lab data."

[Darones Rei]

" Understood, " Darones said, seeing that Shebi was clearly on edge " T'Sal and I should be finished here, and we have all the data on her datapad. We can go back to the garbage disposal quickly and get out there.. or we could just cut a hole in the wall here.. "

((OOC: Forcelevel 4 + Reason 5; to plan the fastest route out.))

[Mercury]

As the last of the data was downloaded into T'sal's data-pad the team planned a route from the server room towards the labs. With their planning skills, they managed to find a route that was not only fast, but that would also keep them hidden most of the way, travelling a large section through the air filtration system.

After making sure they had everything, one by one the team jumped up the five meters to the air duct entrance, crawling in and leaving the server room behind them. The air duct led past several fans which the team easily bypassed, the off-switch being most helpful, and the team eventually made their way to the lab section of the station.

At the end of the air-duct, there was an empty hallway that the team easily slipped into, closing the grate to the air duct behind them. From here they could head to the left to the collectors, or to the right to the labs, which was divided up into two sections, one connected directly to the collectors and another further away from the collectors. Along the ceiling of the hallway, several pipelines guided the flow of liquid nitrogen coolant to various machines in the lab, while others guided collected particles to various parts of the lab. Also present were cables for power and data. All in all, the ceiling looked a mess compared to the relatively clean station.

Unfortunately, the team had no idea where the server they were looking for were located, so they'd either have to split up or pick one of the two sections to search...

[T'Sal]

T’sal takes a good look at what is going on.

“S4 let’s see if we can make some sense of this.

You can have a look around while we check this out”

As a well oiled machine S4 and T’sal start to analyze the activities in the lab and note things down. They are looking in data entries and using the scanner/sensors to find out what kind of research they are doing here. What the different set-ups do or measure? T’sal also checks whether people or droids have to come and check. She furthermore wants to know is it is legal or not.

((OOC: Force level 5 + Reason 5 + scientist 3 + assistance S4))

[Shebi Ajava]

Just after T'Sal said she was going to have a look around, but before T'Sal moved through the right hallway into the lab, Ajava put a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait. We should really stick together.", she whispered over their comms channel. "Together we are strong, while alone we are vulnerable. Let's go into the lab together. Be alert, something dark and sinister is around here somewhere. Let me scout ahead a little bit."

Shebi Ajava joined T'Sal in going to the labs, taking point and having a careful look before entering the room. ((OOC: Force Level 5 + Fitness 4 + Stealth 3))

[Darones Rei]

At this point in time Darones agreed with Shebi, something was definitely not right here. He could sense it, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. As he saw Shebi taking point and entering the labs before T'Sal, he closed their ranks while keeping a watchful eye on any movement behind them.

" T'Sal, " Darones said over the comms, " Miss Shebi is right, I'll watch our back, which means you will have to complete the analysis by yourself for the moment. Once I'm sure nothing is following us, and Miss Shebi is satisfied that our position is secure enough, I'll lend a hand if needed "

Darones started to watch the area and corridors behind them, as they where slowly making their way inside the labs. He also prepared himself to fight defensively ((OOC: Soresu style)) should they be attacked.

((OOC: Force Level 4 + Vision 4))

[Mercury]

T'sal and Ajava stopped just before entering the lab. From inside, they could hear the voices of two scientists conversing, though it appeared to be idle gossip about some pod-racer or another. "Be quiet you two! We have a deadline to meet, and you talking isn't helping!" - the third man in the room was probably the leader of the group.

The two Padawans were pretty sure they would be able to get into the lab to one of the empty research stations - it was just a quick jump from the entrance. From there most of the lab was plainly visible and they would no doubt be noticed if they moved around there. Unfortunately, the empty station did not appear to have access to the servers - in fact, the secure servers appeared to be oddly missing from the room - perhaps they were hidden somewhere, but without additional clues, it was impossible to tell where. So far they had gone unnoticed, but every minute around the lab would pose the risk of exposure.

Darones meanwhile watched the team's back, sensing around - the disturbance the team had sensed earlier was moving around, coming back in the direction of the lab, though it was still a few minutes out.

[T'Sal]

There were clearly too many people in the lab and the empty station did not look promising. T’sal was glad that they had helmets on and could communicate free.

“I think getting in is too risky. I think using one of S4 probes will be a better idea. The biological Ixa’a probe is used to investigate the internals of an organism like how they look, what the temperature is and if you can hear the heartbeat. It is smaller than a fruit fly but cannot fly only walk/swim on any surface or liquid. By adjusting the optics for larger organisms we can use is as a spy. It is a walking sensor and S4 can process the data and can use my datapad to show the results. I just need to make a transmitter connection so we can hear them on our headset.

We could have a look around from a safe spot. What do you think?”

T’sal shows the probe to S4 on her datapad and makes sign that they want to use is as a spy. S4 gets the Ixa’a probe and does the necessary preparations, while T’sal prepared the communication link.

((OOC: Sorry, I was to quick in the last post))

[Darones Rei]

" Good suggestion, " Darones responded to T'Sal's reasoning " We'll keep a watchful eye and wait for to assessment to complete. Meanwhile, the disturbance is getting closer, our time here is limited and we shall have to move soon. "

[Shebi Ajava]

"We don't have the time to wait for an analysis of the Ixa'a probe's measurements. We should try to get into the empty research station and keep our heads down while the disturbance is coming around. We mighe overhear useful details, such as the location of the servers, or determine what the disturbance is."

Shebi tries to reach the empty research station without getting noticed. ((OOC: Force Level 5 + Fitness 4 + Stealth 3))

[Mercury]

Ajava quickly jumped into the empty research station, followed soon after by Darones, while T'sal worked hard on calibrating her probe, finishing as the disturbance moved ever closer and closer.

Just as she finished the calibration, she could feel the disturbance approaching close and unable to wait any longer, T'sal too moved into the empty research station, hiding out there with the other two padawans as a pair of doors not far from them slid open with an automated 'whoosh!'.

A woman dressed in minimalistic black clothing and carrying two very noticable lightsabers strapped to her sides.

"Did you do anything?" she barked at the scientist present, who seemed rather terrorised by the womans strong presence.

"No, milady, nothing!" one replied. "We are working hard to meet our deadline!" the other concurred.

"Something is not right here." she decided, activating one of her blades, an eery red glow emanating from it, causing the scientists to quickly focus on their work again, lest they ended up at the wrong end of it.

The woman stopped moving, focussing her eyes nowhere and concentrating, trying to get a closer sense of the Force in the area. For the three Padawan's there was no need for that however - it was clear this woman was the source of the disturbance, and though she carried a lightsaber, she was anything but a Jedi...

[T'Sal]

T’sal is not happy with this situation. Luckily, the probe is ready to use. She gives S4 some final instructions on how to use the probe on the datapad and let it stealthy move around. S4 launches the probe and steers it. T’sal gives S4 the datapad to hold and use as video screen.

“Okay, the probe is launched and we can see on the datapad what the probe sees, so we won’t have to look around the corner.

I think that woman uses the dark side of the force. We are on to something and might have gotten ourselves in quite some trouble. It is better that we do not confront her. I will try to mask our presence.”

T’sal calms her mind and relaxes. She focuses on controlling the force to mask their presence. While doing that she grasps her lightsaber in her hand so she is ready for action.

((OOC: Force level 5 + Energy 4 using the force to hide their presence.

Reminder: We have our spacesuits with helmets on with headset communication, so they will not hear us talk.))

[Shebi Ajava]

Shebi Ajava silently wraps her hand around her lightsaber and tries to steady her emotions so she will have less impact on the force in her surroundings.

((OOC: Force Level 5 + Intuition 4; not sure about Intuition, it is the Mind+Sense attribute. If Mind+Control is more appropriate: Force Level 5 + Reason 3))

[Mercury]

((OOC: The check is Intuition (Mind + Sense), with a +2 bonus if you have any ranks in Stealth. Fortunately, you all succeed))

The Padawans focussed their energies to hide themselves, dampening their force signatures to hide from the saber carrying woman - though it took some effort, their work seemed to pay off:

"It's gone now..." the Padawans saw the woman state on T'sal's datapad.

"I am heading back to the command centre to check the security systems. Get back to work! I need the next shipment to be done before the end of the day, or heads are going to roll!" The anger with which the woman spoke was frightening enough without the lightsaber implying that she was quite literal in her threat.

With that the woman moved off towards the door.

((OOC: You can either act before she leaves or wait until she has left and then act, at your convenience - if you do not act, she will leave without noticing you.))