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Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh
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Freedom and security are not separate. To have one is to have the other, know them both well.

Posts: 171

Affiliation: Ysanna (pron EEE-Sahn-Ah), Grey Jedi, Jedi
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Jedi Praxeum Sept 11, 2013 13:19:03 GMT -8

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Post by Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh on Sept 11, 2013 13:19:03 GMT -8

Jaecyn lets off a drawn breath before addressing a friend of many years. He detached and removed his helmet from the rest of his armored flight suit, before speaking to Devlin.

The people are well, but that is not why I am here. The Mandalorians are afoot. About fifteen minutes ago, I got word of an unauthorized entry into Ossus aerospace. Riddick paused for a second. Normally this would not drawn much attention, beyond a flyover and interrogation of the crew, except that the hull composition of the entering craft was Mandalorian Iron.

I have long suspected that the Mandalorians would try again for this world. With all the reports I have gotten from my chiefs, I have considerable reason to believe that the now march for our home... and I have no intention of playing nice with the bucket-clad nerf frakkers.

Riddick cocked an eyebrow, indicating by expression, to one who knew all to well, his own feelings toward a race that he considered overdue for a massive culling, if not a straight up extinction.

I would bet that they have a couple of small teams already on the ground. This is fine, we will deal with them. If I were their commander, I would go for what I thought was of most value to us, and that's here. The Praxeum, and the Library. I do not think that they truly know the capabilities or numbers of the Ysanna, though I would wager that they know that we exist at all, so the rest of the world would be a more major operation.

Now, suspecting that, I would let them in, as we have the homefield advantage. We know all the corridors, the hallways, every nut, bolt, nook and cranny this place has. They do not, and they, sure as hell, can't learn it all in a minutes or hours.

We must find the others, and for every group of newcomers have come to our aid, make sure that one of us is with them.

Riddick was steeled in knowing that they had more than just themselves to aid in a defense, this time, though a suspected few small squads of soldiers didn't really seem to be so much worth getting excited about, other than a few more heads to add to his long neglected "Pike Street" collection.

"Treat me well, and I will treat you better. Treat me poorly, I WILL treat you worse."

Devlin Dewe
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Posts: 329

Affiliation: The Jedi Order - Ossus Praxeum
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Jedi Praxeum Sept 11, 2013 17:05:05 GMT -8

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Post by Devlin Dewe on Sept 11, 2013 17:05:05 GMT -8

Devlin frowns.

"Mandalorians?"

He rubs his chin.

This seemed more than a coincidence to him.

"Could this be part of their siege of Yavin? Rumors are that the Mandos are starting a crusade against Force-users."

Jacob Erie grunts.

"They should all be culled."

Devlin looks at Jacob and sighs. He returns his attention to Jaecyn.

He did not hold to Jacob's grudge; but knew the cause and its reasoning. The Jedi, however, held to a different philosophy, one of forgiveness and repentance.

"You want to let them march in then we spring the trap?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"We'd best prepare."

"Do or do not, there is no try." ~Yoda

Delmani Altic
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: GALSAF (Galactic Security Assistance Force)
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Jedi Praxeum Oct 1, 2013 14:16:55 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Oct 1, 2013 14:16:55 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Approx. .5 Kilometers North-East of Ossan Jedi Praxeum Grounds
0013 by Ossan 31 hour day

Delmani let out a deep breath, pulling himself from an easy sleep. The last several hours had passed quickly for him, as he'd taken the time since concluding the recce to get ahead on sleep. He'd taken the last sleep shift after Gaunt had woken himself up a few hours before. Delmani took a moment to adjust to the night, neither of Ossus' moons had made an appearance, as had been briefed in the operation order days ago. Tagira had picked the perfect time to launch their attack, Delmani reflected briefly. Pulling himself up onto a knee, Delmani repacked his gear and readied his weapon, calling out to the rest of the team over their private com-channel. Alright, ramikade¹, this is it. We're moving. Everyone get it together and report in when you're ready.
For the moment, Delmani's helmet remained silent, his men had their orders and wouldn't bother saying anything until they reported in. Delmani stayed crouched and made his way over to Gaunt, who was on a knee several meters away, locking up his own pack. Finally time, eh? Gaunt replied, grabbing his rifle and clipping it to his shoulder plate. 'Bout kriffing time. I would have had a wank if this armor weren't in the way, the boredom almost killed me. Delmani ignored Gaunt's comments on his own sexual frustration as the rest of the team reported their readiness status. Clipping his own rifle to his kit, Delmani nodded towards his partner and began making his way quietly through the brush that crowned the bluff. Gaunt followed along, both commandos using their helmet systems to scout out the area ahead of them. The Jedi compound wasn't fenced, which would make entry a breeze, though Delmani had worried somewhat about the various barracks buildings on the property that surrounded the Temple itself and housed the Jedi students in their off-time. The risk was that the Temple's personnel would manage to put out a warning call to the rest of the compound before Delmani and his operators had been able to take control of the Temple's security systems. Thankfully, several of his commandos, including himself, were packing portable communications jammers. The jammers could be placed anywhere, and even jacked into hardline communication systems to prevent information from getting anywhere. Delmani planned on leaving one of these devices at each communication point they happened to find. Thus far, Delmani had only spotted one on his HUD, which was located nearer to the center of the barracks sector. Another one, he was sure, would be at or nearby the hangar, so he made sure to notify Tag of the adjustment in the plan. The other commando responded immediately. Sure thing, I'll drop it by before laying the charges.
Delmani acknowledged Tag's response and followed Gaunt amidst the black night towards the edge of the compound. The Jetii security forces were still in operation throughout the area, though Delmani and his team had long since marked their patterns on their HUD's, giving them a keen edge against their enemies. Delmani and Gaunt crouched behind a fallen log at the edge of the property as they assessed the real-time situation. The area was deserted, and there were no security sensors to be found, by eye or on scanners. Delmani tapped Gaunt on the shoulder silently, prompting the other operator to move.

Gaunt peeked over the edge of the log and, making sure the path was clear, slunk his way to cover behind a small durasteel building, one of the student housing units. During his short stint hunting Jetii as part of the burgeoning Imperial Stormtrooper Corps, Delmani had worried greatly about Force Users' abilities to sense his presence in the Force, a fear that had faded over time as a result of his own experiences. Sleeping Jetii were just like everyone else most of the time: Easy targets. The calm, collected nature of Delmani and his men likewise helped them avoid spiking a presence in the Force, a fact Ander Tagira had drilled into them for years on Yavin 4.
Gaunt nodded back to Delmani from his covered position after pushing the barrel of his rifle from around the corner of the building and clearing the area. Delmani returned the nod and clambered silently over the log, moving forward at a crouch and into the thick mist and fog that filled the compound. The air was densely packed with moisture, the fog seemed to permeate every nook and cranny there was. Without his helmet Delmani couldn't have seen the end of his rifle.
The pair continued bounding forward, one at a time, making their way towards the East side of the Temple building, stopping briefly only to hide the portable jammer within the compound's center. Delmani would be able to activate the jammer remotely, keeping the Jetiise unaware of their disability until the jammer was actually needed. Delmani and Gaunt continued onward, moving only by covered positions, avoiding patrols, and maintaining absolute silence in thought as well as action. The only thing that existed now was the mission and the environment. And there was no way Delmani would be letting his environment, which was full of potential hostiles, know he even existed. Of course, he didn't expect to escape this unscathed. He didn't even expect to make it into the Temple without someone within being alerted to their presence. Force Users held odd hours, much of the time, though Delmani knew night operations were still better than attacking in the full light of day.
Gaunt pushed forward for the last stretch, crouching beside the bottommost wall of the Temple building, facing back towards Delmani and bringing his rifle up to cover the other man's movement. Delmani remained crouched and hidden amongst the fog, his armor's painting scheme rendering him all but invisible to the naked eye. Thankfully, the suit's other systems would keep them hidden from scanning equipment as well, though the Temple was not too heavily laden with security features. Delmani took a knee besides Gaunt, who had already activated the climbing equipment built into his gauntlets and boots. The original plan had been to use cable-guns to scale the Temple's exterior, though cable-guns made noise, and cables were a pain in the shebs² to carry around. Delmani activated his own climbing gear with a quick pair of eye flickers in the right area of his HUD, and watched as his boots and gauntlets released the grapplers and dull spikes without so much as a noise. The climbing system was a brilliantly simple idea, allowing the user to take advantage of natural surfaces rather than having to rely on making their own or circumventing difficult areas of terrain.
Delmani looked up at the Temple itself, he'd already picked out a path of travel the morning before. The Temple's transparasteel section might have proved a detriment to their efforts had it not been for the massive stone pillars that were constructed at the four corners of the second level, allowing Delmani and the rest of his team to scale the building without risk of being seen from the inside. Delmani worried briefly about being seen by the compound's on-duty security patrols, but as he watched Gaunt clamber his way quietly up the first dozen meters of the wall, that worry melted. Gaunt had the cover of a moonless night on his side, as well as the best equipment money could buy, backed with the skill to use it to the fullest. The Black Operator disappeared into the shadows, the only way Delmani would have seen him would have been through Gaunt's transponder icon on Delmani's HUD, though they had all turned theirs off long before the operation began.
Delmani waited to climb until Gaunt had made it to the second level and began to scale the Temple's South-East corner pillar. Gripping imperfections and curves in the wall, Delmani hoisted himself up after the other Operator, climbing quickly and quietly some ways behind. At about this time, the rest of the team had likewise reached this point, Slag would be on level with Gaunt on another face of the building, and Tag would just be making his ascent after rigging the hangar warehouse with explosives as well as his portable jamming system.
That only left Soviet and Hoover behind on the ridge, though they would be moving towards the compound by now.
Delmani continued his climb, looking down briefly every several meters to ensure none of the wandering security personnel were looking his way before moving again. Thus far, everything was going smoothly. Though Delmani knew when and how that was likely to end. Eighty years of waging covert warfare really gave a man a semblance of premonition.

Still acutely aware of the security forces the Jetii had in place on the Temple rooftop, Delmani and Gaunt stopped roughly ten meters short of the top of the building. Delmani scaled his way to the North corner of the structure as Gaunt moved to its South corner. Together, they drew charges from their utility harnesses and pressed them against the upper level supports, then activated them. Unlike explosives used in holodramas, these charges didn't make any sort of beeping noises, nor were they equipped with little red lights that would give away their presence. Such things were a fantasy.
Once Delmani was satisfied that his charge was properly affixed to the building's surface, he made his way towards the center of the structure's East side and hung with one arm beneath a transparasteel viewport. Gaunt joined him, pulling a small multi-tool from pouch on his utility belt and checked the room beyond the viewport, nodding to Delmani once it was cleared. The room seemed to be a utility closet of some kind, as luck would have it.
Delmani reached for a small bottle from his belt and pried open the cap with his thumb. The bottle contained a liquid that was a sort of paint, and would serve to coat the viewport and prevent it from reflecting any glare as they removed it. Quickly, Delmani dripped the liquid over the viewport, needing the entire bottle to coat the material completely.
Together, the two commandos made short work of the window's mounts. Delmani let the transparasteel lean against his fingertips, the semi-dried paint smearing on his gloves. Delmani held the window in place while Gaunt stowed his multi-tool and worked his hand behind the wall mount, gently pulling it away. Once the 'port was oriented properly, Delmani and Gaunt each used a hand to lower into into the room and onto the floor. The paint Delmani had applied prevented any light from reflecting off of the transparasteel pane and alerting any potential hostiles. Gaunt hoisted himself inside the utility closet, Delmani close behind, then lifted the viewport panel once more and left it to rest inside its frame before securing it with its corner fastenings.
Everything ready, Delmani and Gaunt checked their weapons and took positions on either side of the utility room door. The room contained no security features, though the doorframe was fully sealed, preventing either of the Operators from slipping a fish-eye camera and gleaning an eye of the area beyond. Delmani paused briefly, clicking his comlink once to call for a report from the rest of the team. The response came in the form of text messages, one from each pair of Operators. Slag was inside the building already, and had laid charges for both himself and Tag, who was just reaching the top end of the structure after having planted the charges on the hangar.
Soviet was already making his way into the compound, sticking to the shadows and overseen by Hoover, who remained behind in the forested ridge North-West of the Temple property. Delmani felt suddenly giddy, the entire team was in place, barring any adjustments made by Hileo Bui'tsad and his own soldiers. Hopefully their work at Knossa was going well, and they would have all the intel their waiting invasion force would need to launch their own attack. The minor details were sorted out; charges were in place, jammers were ready, everything was ready and the Jetiise didn't stand a chance.

1: Commandos
2: Backside, Buttocks/Ass.

Devlin Dewe
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Posts: 329

Affiliation: The Jedi Order - Ossus Praxeum
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Jedi Praxeum Oct 4, 2013 4:42:52 GMT -8

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Post by Devlin Dewe on Oct 4, 2013 4:42:52 GMT -8

The commandos on the ground wear their Night Ops armor, as usual. They patrol the perimeter and around the Library and Praxeum, as usual. The commandos on the roof survey the area, as usual.

People rarely look up. So, the stealth incursion by the tactical team went largely unnoticed for the moment.

However, one of the commandos on the roof happens to look down, just as the strike team opens the windows and slips inside the Praxeum.

Unfortunately, he wasn't certain if he had imagined the lump on the side of the Praxeum wall or not.

The commando continues to study the wall for clues before radioing in and advising his fellow soldiers.

"Do or do not, there is no try." ~Yoda

Delmani Altic
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: GALSAF (Galactic Security Assistance Force)
Traffic Light: Orange

Jedi Praxeum Oct 26, 2013 10:25:54 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Oct 26, 2013 10:25:54 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Visitor's Level of Ossan Jedi Temple
0026 by Ossan 31 hour day

Delmani cracked the supply room door open with one hand, a sliver of light from the corridor beyond casting a line across his helmeted visage. The left end of the hallway was both empty and dimly lit, which he greatly appreciated. As Delmani pulled the door open more, Gaunt dropped his rifle onto Delmani's left shoulder, picking up security of the left end of the corridor as Delmani stepped to the side and pied the corner to the right with his rifle. The pair stepped out into the corridor as they did so, Gaunt reaching back with a hand to pull the supply door closed as he left the room. Gaunt returned his free hand to the ergonomic grip of his Verpine assault carbine as Delmani continued forward down the hallway. Maintaining security on both front and back, the pair of commandos continued onward until they reached a T-intersection, leaving them the option of heading forward or turning left.
Pausing against the left wall of the hallway, Delmani pulled a small button-camera from a belt pouch, affixing the adhesive end to one gloved fingertip, the camera's feed appearing at the corner of his HUD in an initial burst of silent static. The camera booted up quickly, and Delmani's own face appeared on his HUD, shaking and grainy, but clear enough. Delmani peeked his fingertip around the corner, seeing nothing but an empty corridor.
Cameras? Anything? Gaunt inquired. Delmani shook his head. Nothing. Hallways barren. I suspect the whole level's like this. I'm not picking up sensors of any kind.
Di'kutla Jetii…¹ Gaunt bit out.
Going left. Delmani muttered over the comlink, withdrawing his hand and moving the button-cam to the back of his hand. They ought to just install these buggers in the tips of the gauntlets, if you ask me. Delmani mused, picking up his rifle and clearing the corridor with his own eyes before stepping away from the wall and moving onward at a crouch. Luckily, the fibrous material that made up the soles of their boots kept their footsteps muffled, allowing them to move in utter silence down the stoneworked hallway with not so much as a scuffing sound. Delmani paused at a doorway on his left, seeing that the wall contained four entrances, with three more on the right side.
Doors. Delmani called out. Gaunt was paused, having just resumed rear security after turning the corner and watching both ends down the barrel of his rifle. That's seven rooms, Del. We're not clearing them all. We'll be here all night. Gaunt replied.
Unfortunately, Gaunt was right. If the rest of the Temple was as densely populated with nooks and crannies as this corridor alone, his forces would never get to the security center in time to take over the construct's defenses. He chewed on his lip for a moment, then an idea cropped up.
I'll take up security, get that slicer to work on these doors. I want them sealed up tight. Delmani ordered, pressing his back against the wall and using his 360º HUD to scan both ends of the corridor while Gaunt stepped up to the first door, inserting his slicing hardware into the access panel there.
You know, if they've got Forcies tucked away in these rooms, they'll just Force Turbolaser their way out through the wall, right? Gaunt muttered, tapping a series of commands into his slicing pad. The door sealed itself in silence, and Gaunt nodded.
One down. He stepped away from the door and moved to the next. Delmani moved with him, keeping a careful eye on the corridor, as well as the other rooms. Probably, but this is the visitor's level for a reason. Mostly civvies and the like up here, I reckon. Shouldn't have to worry much about that until we hit the rest of the Temple. Delmani replied to Gaunt's concerns. The other man shrugged indifferently. The more of them that fight, the more I get to kill. He returned simply, his voice dead pan. Delmani frowned slightly, but left it at that. After several short minutes, the rest of the hallway's entrances had been secured, locked down and their coding signals hijacked by Gaunt's slicer. The only way those doors were opening was from a coded signal of Gaunt's own choosing that would have to be uploaded directly from the Temple's security mainframe.
During Gaunt's slicing of the doors, he discovered that each wall had a joint access line that brought power and signal to each set of doors. Rather than having to slice each door individually, Gaunt learned he was able to slice one door, and recode the rest in that line from the same access panel. This made his job much easier, and quicker.
As the pair continued on down the corridor, to a four-way intersection, Gaunt called for a halt.
Wait, Del. Anyone who finds out these doors aren't working is going to try and make a call about it. Delmani paused at the corner, watching the hallway ahead of him. And what can we do about that? We've already left the jammers out in the courtyards to block off the students. Gaunt didn't reply for a minute, standing still in silence. Delmani knew he was using his HUD scanners and surveying the area. After a moment, the man nodded and stepped back several meters to the last door he had had to slice individually. Jacking back in, Gaunt opened the door, prompting Delmani to step back with him and peek inside.
Gaunt was standing in what looked like a dimly lit communications hub, with radios and relays packed into the far wall.
This must be the level's automated communications station. Every comm for every room and hallway... Gaunt breathed, chuckling slightly. Looking around the room, the Black Operator ran his hands along a series of different cables and relays, cross checking them for several moments before deciding which one was the main line for this level of the Temple. Pulling a multi-tool from his belt pouch, Gaunt cut away at one of the main cables, then clipped a wireless transmitter onto the optical cable and activating it. Jacking his slicer pad into the transmitter, Gaunt uploaded a security software relay package and stowed the pad once more. Without looking to Delmani, Gaunt began to talk over what he was doing.
This transmitter will hijack any signal that comes through to it from any of the communicators on this level that use the hardline system. It'll also be able to jack any signal within range that's coming in wirelessly. Anyone freaks out their door doesn't work and tries to call for help, gets sent straight to us. Then, we either find out who they are and shut 'em up, or we talk them down until we have a better solution.
Delmani nodded, continuing to watch the outer hallway. Gaunt was packing up his gear and readying himself to leave when he caught sight of an access control unit installed just below the main radio hub. Hold on a minute.
Gaunt took a knee in front of the access unit, jacking his slicer pad into the rear panel. He remained silent for several long minutes, during which Delmani began to wonder if they weren't wasting time. The other Black Operator grew absorbed by his task, his finger scrolling through what looked like hundreds of lines of code displayed on his 'pad. After another minute or so, Gaunt made short work of it all with a few keystrokes, followed by a complicated series of commands. Stowing the slicing pad, Gaunt stood and the pair left the room, securing it behind them.
What was that all about? Delmani asked as they took opposite corners at the four-way intersection.
I was able to secure all the doors on this level straight from that console. We can meet up with Slag, Tag and Soviet and head straight to the security center now. Gaunt replied as the pair secured button-cams and checked their corners before moving across the way, heading deeper into the Temple.
Delmani shrugged mentally, it was lucky they'd found that communications hub. Moving through the temple door-by-kriffing-door would have taken ages, and Jetii kept early hours, much like Commandos did. His team had to get to the security center before people in the Temple began to wake, around the same time as the next guard change-over. Delmani checked in quickly with the rest of the team, glad to hear Slag and Tag were together and moving towards Delmani's position, with Soviet not far behind.

1: "Idiot Jedi…"

Last Edit: Oct 26, 2013 10:26:36 GMT -8 by Delmani Altic

Hileo Bui'tsad
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: Mandalorian Empire- Clan Son'tir

Jedi Praxeum Oct 26, 2013 12:03:50 GMT -8

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Post by Hileo Bui'tsad on Oct 26, 2013 12:03:50 GMT -8

As the ner'vod followed and supported the movements and tactics of Altic and his squad, Hileo and his clansmen worked silently and in tandem to make sure they all survive. Altic served with swift professionalism, but there seems to be a . . .silent passion in his ways. But for what, precisely? The work? The honor? The art?

Only time will tell as they Mando's and GALSAF take over the communications center of the Praxeum.

Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
Retired High Councilor

Posts: 749

Affiliation: To only a meager few, his motives are his own.
Traffic Light: Yellow

Jedi Praxeum Oct 27, 2013 23:46:37 GMT -8

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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Oct 27, 2013 23:46:37 GMT -8

The 'Aerolyte' set down on the Praxeum's alcove of hangers without so much as a confirmation from the Hangar's comm-tower.

The shuttle's landing ramp unsealed with a pressurized hiss of gasses, taking only seconds to clang against the landingbay. Dante walked out ahead of the Mk.IV's which flanked their hover-carts. His Jedi robes fluttering in the slight breeze that was still kicking up from the shuttle's landing.

He took a look around, noticing the Great Library a short walk off in the distance. No one had come out to meet him, nor did there seem to be anyone in the vicinity. "Control did a very good job." Dante murmured to himself, with a sly grin. "Lets be on our way before they figure that we should be welcomed officially."

The MK.IV's chimed behind Dante, as the column continued behind the Jedi in double time march.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to kill you... I have uses for you."

Devlin Dewe
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Posts: 329

Affiliation: The Jedi Order - Ossus Praxeum
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Jedi Praxeum Oct 30, 2013 5:27:14 GMT -8

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Post by Devlin Dewe on Oct 30, 2013 5:27:14 GMT -8

The doors on the top level were sealed. And that would have worried Devlin if he had known. But, the VIP level was barely inhabited, considering most VIPs were offworld or at Knossa after new of the Yavin attack. No one wanted to be near a Jedi with rumor that the Mandalorians were culling. The third level, however, was full. Younglings and Padawans rested peacefully (though perhaps not all...), blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked above. Devlin's own quarters were on the second floor with the Knights and the Masters. The first floor was just for community use, no quarters were there (unless I am forgetting the layout, again).

In his quarters Devlin had finally fallen into a fitful rest. The Force nudged his sleeping mind and disturbed his slumber. Yet, his body needed rest after the late night conversation with Master Riddick and the relentless pacing his office had endured. He knew something was amiss in the universe. A greater plot was afoot. Yet, he could not see it. Not at the moment, anyway.

"Do or do not, there is no try." ~Yoda

Delmani Altic
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: GALSAF (Galactic Security Assistance Force)
Traffic Light: Orange

Jedi Praxeum Nov 4, 2013 18:05:38 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Nov 4, 2013 18:05:38 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Main Quarters/Security Center (Third Level) of Ossan Jedi Temple
0033 by Ossan 31 hour day

Delmani checked his corner, not surprised to see a small group of armored humanoids sneaking their way towards him. The three men wore the same mottled black-grey armor Delmani and Gaunt utilized, the standard outfit of GALSAF Black Operators. His HUD had alerted him to Slag, Tag and Soviet's positions before he'd rounded the corner. As the five commandos came together, they initiated a conversation that would carry only over their secure comlinks, and would look to any outsiders as if they were simply standing about, admiring each other.
Rest of the level clear? Slag asked. Delmani nodded in response. Soviet spoke up next. So it's down to the Security Hub then? Again, Delmani nodded, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb. Stairs are that way, I want to avoid taking lifts. The rest of the group nodded their agreement, and the five commandos oriented themselves and made for the stair case just down the corridor. They checked and cleared the stairwell, still somewhat surprised to find no camera or sensory equipment of any kind. The Jedi were relaxed, Delmani knew, but the Temple on Yavin had always been outfitted with the best security equipment credits could buy. His suspicions began to outweigh the facts, and he swore to remain doubly vigilant.
The group arrived at the next level, where the main body of students and Jedi were known to be quartered. Rather than waste time and risk exposure by locking away all the doors on the level, Delmani and his group made directly for the Security Center, which they knew would be guarded. Checking every corner with button-cams before moving forward, the five men snuck their way through the stonework hallways, the lights remained dim and bereft of activity, which was a relief to Delmani and his team.
Several minutes later, they arrived at an isolated room structure near the center of the level, its walls were of stone though large transparasteel sections flanked the doors. Delmani knew there was no way they were simply going to walk on in without proper authorization, and the transparent windows would make slicing the door panels too risky. They could be seen before they could get the doors open and silence the personnel within.
Delmani reactivated his button-cam and crept a finger around the edge of the wall where it met with the window segments. The view relayed to his HUD showed a room filled with electronics, displays, control panels and consoles. There were three beings inside, which Delmani was able to mark on his HUD. The room was not obviously protected against sensor sweeps, though he avoided using them in case it tripped some sort of defensive alarm.
Killing the button-cam feed, Delmani slunk back to the rest of the group.
Three hostiles, all armed, though I couldn't get a read on whether they were pistols or sabers. The room's too dark and I can't risk a sensor sweep, so can't see the uniforms and I'm not sure if they're Jedi or just security personnel of some kind. Delmani checked the rear view of his 360º HUD, seeing nothing but an empty hallway, dimly lit.
Here's what we're going to do. Delmani continued, taking a slow breath to collect his thoughts. We'll need a distraction to draw out the personnel, though nothing big enough they'll want to notify anyone about. Something small, just enough to get one of them out of those doors and us in.
Slag was the first to offer a suggestion. This level houses students, right? He asked. Delmani's silence told the man to continue. We can display an audio recording of a younger student in distress, crying. Maybe a bad dream, what have you. Play it over one of our helmet vocoders, loud enough to draw attention from the security room, but not so loud that others start poking their heads out. Delmani's brow furrowed as he considered Slag's suggestion. Slag kept talking before Delmani could respond. The Jedi quartered here wouldn't sense anything because there's no distressed little girl, so we shouldn't have to worry about them investigating. Not even Jedi want to sacrifice sleep to check in on ad'ike¹.
Delmani finally nodded. Get it done then. Soviet, Tag, loop back around the level and come up on the opposite side of the doors, Gaunt, you're with me. Delmani left Slag to rig up the recording, keeping back around the corner some meters from the security room. Delmani, Gaunt, Tag and Soviet finalized their positions around the far corners of the security island, ensuring they would be out of sight when their target stepped out of the room. Once they were far enough outside, Tag and Soviet would sneak in behind them as Delmani and Gaunt dealt with the investigating personnel. It was a flimsy plan, but it might just work.

Once everyone was in position and out of sight, Slag sidled to the edge of the corner where he stood, just across the intersection of the hallway from Delmani. The older commando gave Slag a nod, who activated the audio systems of his helmet. After a short, quiet moment, the subtle sobbing of a younger human child began to echo softly through the hallway. Slag rested his head near the corner of the wall, ensuring the sound would ring through towards the transparasteel windows of the Security Center. Gaunt turned away from Delmani and maintained security in the opposite direction, as did Slag on the other side of the isolated chamber.
The child's sobbing and crying grew slightly louder as Slag adjusted the amplification settings in his helmet, quiet enough to avoid disturbing the rest of the rooms, but loud enough to sound down the corridor itself. There was no guarantee, however, that no one else would pick up on the noise, so Slag and Soviet both maintained security of their respective positions, ensuring that anyone, Jedi or otherwise, who stumbled out into those corridors could be picked off quietly without so much as a yelp.
Delmani listened, counting the seconds as they dragged passed. The child's crying was already wearing on his nerves, though mostly a result of the lack of response they were getting in those first moments. Someone would come, he was sure of it. Silently, he wished there was a way to incapacitate anyone who stumbled upon them with stun weapons, though the equipment was simply too noisy to allow. Verpine projectiles were noiseless, and when put through the brain would silence just about anyone. It wasn't how he wanted to conduct himself, but the operation would be put at risk if they didn't. Jedi were simply too skilled and too powerful for Delmani and his commandos to face on ethical grounds. His only hope was that guard changes inside the Temple were conducted with the same timing as the rest of the compound. Considering the circumstances of the moment, he'd much rather face sleepy-eyed Jedi Knights than alert and armed security personnel...

1: Children

Devlin Dewe
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Jedi Praxeum Nov 6, 2013 5:56:04 GMT -8

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Post by Devlin Dewe on Nov 6, 2013 5:56:04 GMT -8

The guards inside the room groan.

"Another nightmare."

"Go check it out."

"Let the Jedi handle it."

"We can't leave our post."

The four guards, clad in Katarn-class Mark IV night armor, listen to the wailing with grated teeth.

"I'm going out there."

"You'll have to answer to Erie."

"That bastard gives me the creeps."

"He's worse than the Jedi, popping in and out unseen like a ghost."

The guards maintained the vigil on the security room; their DC-17m rifles in hand in varying configurations with extra components in belt pouches. It wasn't there place to help a crying child at night. Though some wanted to listen to their hearts and consciences, their duty came first, always. They knew the Jedi were close and would attend to the matter shortly.

"Do or do not, there is no try." ~Yoda

Delmani Altic
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Jedi Praxeum Nov 6, 2013 13:21:09 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Nov 6, 2013 13:21:09 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Main Quarters/Security Center (Third Level) of Ossan Jedi Temple
0036 by Ossan 31 hour day

Slag sighed quietly over the comm as the moments dragged passed and none of the security room's personnel seemed interested in investigating the mock disturbance in the hallways. He scaled down the volume of the transmission, giving the impression that the imaginary child had either soothed itself or wandered off.
Looks like we'll have to try something else. Slag muttered. Delmani frowned, slightly disappointed. Stack on the door. Delmani ordered, pushing up and turning the corner. Gaunt followed him while Slag maintained security on the intersecting hallway. Soviet crept forward as well, leaving Tag to pull security on their intersection. Delmani stopped just short of the transparasteel window on his side, looking across the way at Soviet, who stood opposite of him.
You still have your hooch gear? Soviet asked. Delmani nodded in response, then called for Gaunt to pull it out of his bag, already sure he knew what Soviet was suggesting. Gaunt unlocked the right side pouch of Delmani's small field pack and withdrew one of the segmented poles from it. The poles were made of lightweight carbon fiber, held together by an elastic band that ran through the core. He unfolded the piece of equipment, locking each segment together that was intended to serve as the frame for a lightweight camouflage tent. The pole now ran a full 2 meters long, more than enough to cover the distance between Delmani and Soviet. To the center of the pole, Delmani clipped his slicing pad then held the pole aloft and began to feed it across the way, careful to make sure the pole stayed just behind the metal frame that cut the transparasteel window horizontally in half. This would keep it out of sight from anyone looking outside from the interior of the security chamber. Soviet reached out a gloved hand, grasping the far end of the pole as it reached him, holding it still.
Together, Delmani and Soviet lofted the slicing device just before the door's security panel, working the port connector from the slicer into the panel's data receiver. Remotely accessing the slicing with his helmet systems, Delmani began to run a slicing algorithm through the door panel, counting the seconds until the door would unlock itself. Almost there, you've got ten seconds. Delmani muttered, watching the code that scrolled down the right side of his HUD. Soviet took the time to recheck the room's interior with his button-cam. Light's shifted inside. All four hostiles are armored, damn near same as us. Delmani nodded absentmindedly, even plate armor like theirs didn't stand up well to Verpine rounds, so he didn't worry much about it. Even armor-weave body suits were tore up by Verpine projectiles. With the team ready, and the slicer signaling that it was ready to key open the door, Delmani took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Slag turned the corner and stacked behind Gaunt, both of them with rifles up.
Prep flash. Delmani ordered, slipping the pole out from its clip on the slicer and leaving the device to hang from the dataport of the door panel. Gaunt repacked his bag quickly and pulled the flash grenade from his belt, arming it. Tag rounded the corner and stacked behind Soviet, maintaining security on their ass-end.

Go. Delmani ordered, and Gaunt leaned forward to toss out his flash. The flash grenade was thankfully not chemically based, so it wouldn't create any noise as it activated, just light. His team's helmets were prepared for the explosion of light, which would be contained within the room, and had already been dimmed. But an unsuspecting helmet system would take a moment to adjust, giving them the scant few seconds they would need to incapacitate the room's occupants.
Delmani burst forth from his crouched position as Slag tossed the grenade ahead of him, Soviet pushing forward as well. Del activated the door with an eye flicker, causing it to slide open with a quiet hiss and letting the grenade soar through the open doorway. The flash grenade hit the floor inside the security chamber with a sharp clink just before detonating, silent but emitting a bright flash of disorienting light just as Delmani stepped through the doorway, his rifle up and angling for the first target he saw, on the far right.

Delmani pulled the trigger on his rifle twice, sending a pair of rounds towards the man's left side, where his armor segments ought to be weakest. His muzzle drifted left, and he put two more into the second man's right side. Soviet followed him in, nut-to-butt almost, plugging the two men on the left in a similar fashion. Delmani continued into the room, angled right as Soviet crossed behind him to the left.
Though their motions were fast and precise, their target's would have had a chance to react to the incoming assault by the time Soviet entered the room. Even so, Slag would be following Delmani right, his weapon up and putting pairs of follow-up rounds into Delmani's targets, while Tag followed Soviet's path and performed the same maneuver on the two hostile's to the left. By the time Gaunt followed the first for Black Operators into the room, there theoretically might have been no targets left and so he slapped the door release with his non-firing hand on the way in, snatching the slicing pad from its dataport and the door hissed shut behind him.

Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh
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Freedom and security are not separate. To have one is to have the other, know them both well.

Posts: 171

Affiliation: Ysanna (pron EEE-Sahn-Ah), Grey Jedi, Jedi
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Jedi Praxeum Nov 9, 2013 22:09:37 GMT -8

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Post by Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh on Nov 9, 2013 22:09:37 GMT -8

Riddick, for one, stirred as he felt, through the Force, the pain of the guards up top as the Mandalorian wet-team got to kicking off their plan. "Here they come," he said, with wolfish anticipation, barely audible though his suit's vocal circuit. He slowly took a few steps forward, keying in the codes to let them in, and continuing to type in an algorithm that'll have them on a course for him and the hand full of Ysanna in a seemingly labyrinthian section of the praxeum that was known well, only to the Jedi that trained there, and the Ysanna. This without making it look obvious, of course.

The Praxeum's crypto, while not all necessarily to the level of military grade, was still potent, especially that they were generally not well studied off-world, and rekeyed often. Thus, while security was always a paramount concern, the worry that any particular thing would fail from an outside attack was minimal, especially considering that their systems were largely different from the rest of the galaxy, and largely unresearched by anyone but those involved with their making. Riddick was confident that the hit-team would make their way to where he wanted them, as even he would certainly not have the time to brute-force a crack for every spot in the facility, let alone one location within.¹

Through the Force, Riddick mentally cued to his fellow countrymen, all of them in similar armor, though specially tailored and different to his own, to take up positions that would draw no notice, They would lie in wait, concealing themselves physically and in the Force.² They acknowledged, without saying anything, and moved to where they would needed to be, occasionally pinging each other through the Force, mostly to make sure of each other's good condition, and to avoid a "blue-on-blue" hit.

¹:Just so we're clear, I'm going a little off of how crypto works IRL. AES, which is the G'ment standard, was thoroughly researched, and the 128-bit version (secret level) was found to take about 149 trillion years to crack with every computer in the world working on it. Obviously, it's be cracked wide open on a SW computer, but I'm kind of going off the same level of security and broad-stroke, general workings, since we don't really know how these computers work, specifically. That being said, I think we can reasonably expect the same or similar security requirements, and that some of the same stuff we see IRL might be fairly common IC, such as remote log ins, biometrics, physical entrances that need a any kind of a key to get in, etc. Attacks, IRL, are known to get unto a certain point with an algorithm, but unless you crack the whole thing, you're not going to defeat it.

2:Armor does include shielding, and it is possible to hit it enough times to burn out. Some versions of it also include active camo, such as the version Riddick's wearing. It's not perfect, of course, but it's still pretty effective. Yes, I know it sounds a bit like Halo, but shielding and active camo were also seen in the SWEU, such as the Jedi Knight games, as were multiple variations of the same general kind of armor.

"Treat me well, and I will treat you better. Treat me poorly, I WILL treat you worse."

Delmani Altic
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Jedi Praxeum Nov 10, 2013 12:44:18 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Nov 10, 2013 12:44:18 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Main Quarters/Security Center (Third Level) of Ossan Jedi Temple
0037 by Ossan 31 hour day

As each member of Delmani's team ensured their targets were in fact dead, Delmani himself strode forward to the center control console that regulated the Temple's security systems. Jacking his slicer pad into one of the console's data ports, Delmani began using the system's interface to take stock of what exactly the Jedi had at their disposal that the Commandos might be able to use against them. Data began streaming across the main display screen in front of him, which he logged using his HUD systems. The Temple had holocams, but they seemed to be concentrated on the first and second levels of the building, which explained why none of his team had run into any trouble. They're always watching the front door, but little else, Delmani thought to himself as he took stock of the rest of the Temple's assets. A text message suddenly blinked into existence at the corner of his HUD, a sitrep from Hileo, the leader of the Mandalorian team running the recce outside of Knoss. Delmani ignored the message for the moment, remembering to check it once their work retargeting the security systems was complete. It seemed as if Delmani would have just about everything he would need to secure a building's worth of Jedi. Turrets, holding cells, holocams, communications relays, and...
What's this then? Delmani muttered. Tag leaned over from his own console and glanced over Delmani's display. Why-Vee-Aitch Hunter Droids? What do Jedi need with them? Tag asked, an incredulous tone lining his words. Delmani shrugged. They don't. We do. And we'll have them as soon as we can get this system cracked. Tag nodded before returning to his own console in silence, jacking in his own slicer pad along with the rest of the team. They had been lucky enough to catch the center's guards soon after they had already logged into the system with their own credentials, though it seemed as if none of them had ranked high enough to warrant full access to the system.
Delmani could scroll through communications and status information, though assignment of control seemed to be reserved for someone else, likely the shift leader or perhaps one of the Jedi. For the moment, Delmani remained locked out of primary control, and therefore would be unable to directly control the Temple's security assets. Slicing the system wasn't impossible, but would take time, and more of it than any of them had. Del glanced at the chrono in his HUD, they had begun their assault just over half an hour ago. Too long already, Delmani thought, grimacing.

Quickly, he arranged his priorities. Without the Temple security assets on their side, his team had no chance of securing the Praxeum's occupants. One GALSAF Black Operator was worth twenty soldiers, but even a single Jedi Knight was a hard target for a single commando, and they had Ysannans on their side as well. Delmani leaned away from the console for a moment, issuing his next set of orders.
Tag, Soviet, you two stick it out here. Get this system cracked and full control over their assets. I want all communications shut down, nothing operational save for green status reports sent at whatever intervals their security forces use. Keep everything else on standby until I say otherwise or we'll spook the Jedi into action.
Tag and Soviet both nodded, the former stepping in to replace Delmani at the main console while he pulled his slicer pad from the data port. Tag inserted his own and got to work. Del signaled the rest of the team with a wave of his non-firing hand. The rest of us are going to make our way downstairs, where we'll hide out until their work here is done. Once they're ready, we'll move with their Hunter Droids and lay the trap in the main level just before putting out the call to get the Jedi out of their bunks and into our arms. Gaunt and Slag nodded and joined Delmani at the door, stepping over the bodies of their former targets. As Delmani queued the door release, Tag turned and commed a goodbye. May the Force be with you. He quipped, prompting Delmani to roll his eyes. Shut up, Tag. He replied, leaving the chamber and clearing the corridor outside. Tag snorted his stifled laughter and returned to his work as the other three Black Operators left.

"Tag," UNDESIGNATED
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Security Center (Third Level) of Ossan Jedi Temple
0038 by Ossan 31 hour day

Tag more or less had his work cut out for him. After sticking a pair of his button-cameras onto either side of the doorframe outside, Tag uploaded the camera feed to the corner of his HUD so he could watch the hallway while working on slicing the Jedi's security system. The Temple ran a rather specific crypto system that, while not unknown to Tag, was one he had less experience with than he would have liked. All of GALSAF's commandos were trained extensively in slicing, though Black Operators took everything to the extreme, which would work to Tag's benefit. Or so he hoped. Scrolling through lines of code, Tag identified a series of parameters that governed the various levels of access to the Temple's security assets. Some of them controlled communications, others the holocams, but those were all passive measures. The active assets, such as the turrets and YVH Droids, were buried so deep into the system software Tag must have passed them by a dozen times before identifying even half of them.
By Kad, these folks are thorough. He complained, not at all looking forward to the challenge. Soviet only grunted in response, running into similar obstacles.
See here? The other Operator pointed to a specific line of code. This one seems to control their holocams, but I've got another two segments here and here that are only one or two characters different. See? That one's got a Gee-Forward Slash-Exlaim-Apostrohle-Three instead of a Dee-Exclaim-Apostrophe-Three. They're running dopplegangers of their own code to waste our time. Tag glanced at Soviet's display screen, nodding as he identified the problem. I knew crypto systems were tough, but this one is ridiculous. He muttered, turning his attention to his own console. Try running a code search, it might identify all the similar lines for you, make them easier to sort through. There should be a ready algorithm loaded into the slicer. He suggested, keying his own 'pad for the same. Soviet remained silent for a moment, then jabbed Tag in the side playfully. Ha, it worked. He said. Tag echoed Soviet's glee as the function performed with similar results on his own screen. He had managed to isolate all the similar lines of code pertaining to the system's access software. Quickly, Tag began skimming through it all, trying to identify patterns in the various different code segments. Segments that differed from their asset counterparts would mean they were junk code, intended to waylay an invading slicer. Segments that shared patterns in their varience were most likely to be the ones they needed. Tag began sifting through the mound of data, using his HUD to track specific lines as either legimate, junk, or uncertain in green, red and yellow text markers. Their work seemed to drag on for hours, though when Tag checked his chrono after sorting out all the access level-oriented code he needed, he was surprised to see only five minutes had passed. They were obviously making progress, though Tag would have to identify and isolate each correct line of access code for each of the Temple's assets. Without an independent server to help him run through all the code, Tag knew the work would take more time than he assumed he had. Five minutes was a long time for an operation to drag on, longer in a firefight. For a brief moment, Tag silently thanked Kad they weren't knee-deep in one…for now.

The two commandos continued sifting through reams of code, identifying code segments, separating them, comparing them, then finally sorting them out from the rest of the tangled mess that was the Jedi's crypto system. Why don't GALSAF run a system like this? Tag wondered aloud. Soviet remained quiet for a moment, then responded absentmindedly as he isolated another segment of code pertaining to the YVH Hunter Droids control parameters. All our software coding is in Mando'a, remember? He glanced over at Tag, watching the man at work. It's all contextual, you have to know the language and the culture to make any sense of it. Tag nodded, understanding coming to his mind upon hearing the explanation. So how do we keep other Mando'ade from cracking our code? He asked, separating another segment of holocam control coding. Soviet shrugged. Not sure. Something for the techies to explain. Has to do with redundancies and biometrics coupled with our buy'ce. He said. Tag remained satisfied by Soviet's answer, though made a mental note to get with one of the tech officers on board the Basterd's Hand once their mission was ended. He'd need to know more about the field itself in case other Force Using organizations employed systems like the Ossan Jedi.

Minutes ticked away, six, nine, eleven, and Tag began to wonder why Delmani and the rest of the team hadn't reported in. Looking up from his console, Tag quickly stitched out a text message for the BOG commander.

ORIGIN:: UNDESIGNATED "TAG" >> RECPNT:: GC-02 "DELMANI ALTIC"
CONTENTS:: Everything alright?

He queued the message for sending, then returned to his work, isolating the last segment of code he would need to gain control of the Temple's passive security measures. I'm done, just need to get to work on cracking their access code. Now that was going to be a real mother. As layered as the system's control codes were, Tag soon learned that the access software was much more complicated. Redundancies were everywhere, firewalls were wrapped around almost every sector of code, and to top it off, a datacard clearance was required, which the chamber's former guards didn't have. The redundancies wouldn't take more than a few minutes to work out considering Tag had already devised a quicker way of sorting through it all, and firewalls were easy when you could find slips in code, but the datacard…Tag almost swore to himself, deciding to put it off until he'd dealt with his first two problems. Common Access Cards, or CAC cards, were used in almost every security access system in the Galaxy, but normally without the same layered protections as the crypto system he was facing now. Slicing a card reader was easy as the adjacent code saved in the reader was usually already isolated to allow for quicker reading and access of the data. But with unique redundancies and firewalls surrounding almost every line of code, isolating the adjacent access data would take time.
Tag cracked his neck quickly, feeling the tension that had built in his muscles while looking down for so long relax somewhat. He focused on the redundancies, separating them within a couple of minutes, then moved on to find slips in the firewall coding, which proved to take less time than he thought it would. It seemed that the Jedi used less varied coding for their firewalls, which meant that Tag could exploit each slip in data to open up more than one firewall at a time. Sometimes, these slips only opened random access memory, or RAM, and others it only gave him access to useless files and background programs, like private terminal files or lighting controls within the hallways. But others yielded more positive results, giving Tag a wider perspective of the adjacent access data he was looking for. As long as he could secure that access data, he wouldn't need the datacards they went to.
Connecting adjacent access code to datacard code was fairly easy. Tag always thought of a wooden toy he had growing up as a child. It was a box, with holes cut into the top with different shapes. It came with small wooden pieces that were cut the same as the holes, so that only one piece fit in each slot. The toy itself had come with a star, a circle, a square and a triangle. The adjacent access code and the datacard code were constructed the same way. For every datacard, there was a segment of code assigned to it, so that when the datacard port read the card, it would retrieve the adjacent access data and allow entrance into the system. All Tag had to do was read these segments of code and determine what their brother-segments on the datacard would be. The rest was easy.

I've got it. Tag muttered, a smile creeping onto his face as he stretched his back and arms. Soviet looked over at him and nodded, then returned to his own console. I'm almost there, just retrieving the adjacent access data, and…done. Soviet tapped a final series of commands into the control console, then lightly slapped his hands together. Both Commandos were grinning now, rather pleased with themselves. I'm going to update Altic, give me a moment, then we'll get to work reassigning command of the Temple assets to out helmet systems. Soviet said, taking a moment of silence to do as he had outlined. Once finished, Soviet looked back to Tag. I'm not getting anything back yet, so let's just get to work. Tag nodded in agreement, and together the pair began pulling and altering segments of the crypto's code to assign sole control of each system to their teams' helmet software. All they needed to do was replace the adjacent access data with code linking the Temple's communications systems to a relay program that would transmit to their helmets' secured frequencies. Tag was able to complete this task in under a minute, leaving him feeling rather giddy. Now the team of GALSAF Black Operators had sole control of the Temple's security assets, including their YVH Hunter Droids. Quickly, the pair updated the rest of the team.
Boys, we've got control. Make good use of it.

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Second Level of Ossan Jedi Temple
0039 by Ossan 31 hour day

The hallways were quiet, and it was making Delmani nervous. While the emptiness of the place made sense on the upper levels, where only visitors were quartered, the deserted corridors Delmani now faced made little to no sense at all. The Jedi were either incompetent or they were suspicious, and Delmani was far too experienced to think them stupid. Jedi were smart, and quick, and trained more rigorously in their various disciplines than almost any other fighting force in the Galaxy, besides perhaps GALSAF's Black Operators themselves. Even so, they had the Force to top things off, which was a boon to any soldier. Even Padawan learners were a danger Delmani knew, and they would be treated like one. Slag flanked Delmani as they rounded the corner, taking them from the primary hallway attached to the stonework staircase down whence they had come, and into a secondary corridor that was likewise empty. Delmani halted the team briefly as they considered their options.
I don't like it. Delmani muttered. Me neither, I smell a trap. Gaunt replied.
No one's picking up anything on sensors? Slag asked. Almost in unison, the team shook their heads. Delmani kept his rifle up, thinking the situation over.
We just need to get to the main entrance hall and we can set the trap. But we can't move on until we at least know Tag and Soviet have full control over their communications, or anyone we meet could alert the rest of the Temple. That was Gaunt, again. Delmani silently agreed, then checked his HUD. He had a message waiting from Tag, that had been sent just four minutes prior. He checked it, then passed it on to the other three before responding that they were in good sorts, for the moment, but suspected activity.
Looks like we have time to move forward some, they can't be more than halfway done with the job. Slag suggested. Delmani bit on his tongue lightly before replying.
We move forward, making for the next transfer to the main level and wait it out. They shouldn't need more than ten minutes. Delmani said over the secure comlink. The rest of the team nodded their agreement, and as a group the Commandos pushed onward toward the center of the level. The next staircase or turbolift, the latter of which Delmani wanted to avoid, was deep in the center of the level. The Temple was proving to be larger than he had originally suspected, though the inverted pyramid design of the structure made it look much smaller than it really was. All they needed was some time to get in place, and then their trap could be laid, the turrets could be reoriented, the communications shut down, and the YVH droids ordered to meet with Del and his team at the ambush site.

Time. Why wasn't there every bloody enough of it?

Hileo Bui'tsad
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Affiliation: Mandalorian Empire- Clan Son'tir

Jedi Praxeum Nov 10, 2013 16:50:22 GMT -8

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Post by Hileo Bui'tsad on Nov 10, 2013 16:50:22 GMT -8

The GALSAF Black Operators moved with swift accuracy, taking out the guards in the security office. As the team moved from the roof into the third level window and sealed the civilians into their quarters, then down the hall into the security. The whole time GALSAF was taking point, the Son'tir elite pair (Hileo Bui'tsad and his cousin, Tram Bui'tsad) moved silently-- covering the groups six at all times. With their verpine disrupters at the ready, staring down the scopes and being ever vigilant. The comment of hoping for more killing put Hileo on edge about the professionals that he was escorting. But he was resolved into entrusting that these GALSAF were just that: professionals.

As the team that they traveled made it to the corner and dealt with the security officers inside the center, thy proved their quick and efficient work. GALSAF moved into the security center, the Mando pair dropped to their knees and covered the door as it hissed closed behind them. As they covered the hallway, GALSAF sliced into the security and took over the defense systems of the Praxeum. As the pair listens to Delmani and his crew as they depart from the security center, he has a point. It is eerily quiet.

Hileo decides to pipe up. ::This is a place of learning, most of the jetii of combat roles had been called out on missions. This is a library and database, not a military compound. No jetii is defenseless, but this is a defenseless as they come.:: Hileo began to reveal his bias, if they are attacked, however, the ner'vod would not hesitate to neutralize the threat to the mission at hand. The pair take up the rear as Delmani and his crew moved to the main level.

The jedi are here, and will begin to know that so are we. . . .

Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh
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Freedom and security are not separate. To have one is to have the other, know them both well.

Posts: 171

Affiliation: Ysanna (pron EEE-Sahn-Ah), Grey Jedi, Jedi
Traffic Light: Green

Jedi Praxeum Nov 10, 2013 20:19:49 GMT -8

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Post by Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh on Nov 10, 2013 20:19:49 GMT -8

Riddick got feedback, after the hit teams cracked one of the systems.

Oim 9 01:51:36 SecStat.local com.hal.authd[1138]: Succeeded authorizing right 'system.decoy.hdd.smart' by client '/Library/Application/login/LoginDaemon' [10050] for authorization created by '/Library/Application/login/LoginDaemon' [10050] (10000B,0)

"Good," he thought. "They found the decoy systems." The decoys were put in place, in the event that anyone associated with the facility was threatened, blackmailed, or something like this attack. These decoys were stuffed full of misinformation, mundane detail, or what were known as "hollow" programs, meant to look like actual protocols and controls, but had little if any use at all. In this case, the false controls were to give the appearance of compliance, but only to a point, and security video loops.

The real meat of the systems weren't only better encrypted, but done in cascade, where more than one pass at encryption is done. Even with slicers, the it would take inordinate amounts of time to go through every single layer, partly that each layer was a different algorithm, and each had their own independent key. Of course, it wasn't likely at all that they would tell the difference between decoy and real, either, since the real systems would appear as nothing more than digital junk at this point, like the multiply-overwritten remnants of an older system, or perhaps a few holomovies that weren't supposed to be there.

Riddick mentally searched for the nearest Ysannan SecFo troops. There was a fire team that wasn't far from the T-junction that was at the far end of a long hall that connected the security station with the rest of the Praxeum, made that way so that any and everyone would be seen well in advance of entering a restricted area, coming of from below. Though there were plenty of sensors in that area, with the decoy system up, and the SecFo fire team having a few tricks up their sleeves, so to speak, it wasn't likely that the aggressing teams would really know their whereabouts, though a hunch would've been typical for any commander, regardless of side.

"Ecnis dr?j?, skodhos w?ij?. Stiprós domos semos, eg? menos sweks nemots. Bhilis tough?, bhilis woit?."¹

The Ysannan fire team acknowledged with a small ping of mental/force energy, and took positions. They crept and stopped maybe two yards from the corner of the T-junction, masking their presence in the Force, and thus from the senses of any wandering Mandalorian. Their rifles ready to go, though they were well aware, due to the news that flew down from intelligence circles, that Mandalorian armor was best defeated by a severe electrical shock. Their rifles were currently loaded with kinetic rounds, though they did all have EM grenades that would, or at the very least should, do the trick. If shots were to be dealt, there were always chinks in the armor, and the Ysanna were known for being very accurate shots.

¹: "Fire mission, danger close. Sec Station prime, I sense six count OpFor. Good luck, good hunting."

Last Edit: Nov 10, 2013 20:25:30 GMT -8 by Ja'Sean Tabr Raddekh: Minor touch ups.

"Treat me well, and I will treat you better. Treat me poorly, I WILL treat you worse."

Delmani Altic
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: GALSAF (Galactic Security Assistance Force)
Traffic Light: Orange

Jedi Praxeum Nov 10, 2013 23:05:09 GMT -8

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Post by Delmani Altic on Nov 10, 2013 23:05:09 GMT -8

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Second Level of Ossan Jedi Temple
0043 by Ossan 31 hour day

Tag, how's that job coming, eh? Delmani snapped over the comlink, dropping to a knee as they reached yet another four-way intersection. He looked about carefully, using the button-cameras to check his corners before clearing them a second time with his firearm. There had been no communications sent throughout the Temple's systems that Delmani's hi-jacking device had picked up, though he suspected the communication's relays had sublayers to allow transmissions to be made in case the main lines were compromised. The suspicion told Delmani that someone was on to them, though he hadn't the foggiest idea who. Jedi did not play by the same rules as the Sith, and more often than not preferred to face their enemies head on. True Sith, not the mindless rabble their religion often bestowed Force Powers upon, were more subtle than that. Delmani began to suspect the Praxeum's security forces were afoot throughout the Temple, though he would have seen some sign of them by now. His thoughts turned to the natives, the Ysanna he knew to work alongside the Jedi. For the moment, Delmani accepted nothing as fact, and kept all his options as open as possible. But time was running out. His team was nearing the ambush site; the stairwell to the main entrance hall of the Temple was close by, and Delmani could only risk sitting about in the hallway for so long before they had to move.

Thankfully, before he had to make any decisions, Delmani received a transmission from Soviet's comlink. Altic, we've gained access to the mainframe, and are securing control of their assets now. You're clear to move when we have confirmation the systems are working. Delmani silently thanked the man, then conferred briefly with the rest of the team. They resolved to wait the short time it would take for Soviet and Tag to recheck their work before pushing forward to the lower level where the ambush was to take place. Moments passed, dragging on as Delmani's HUD chrono ticked away. The hallways remained empty and still, and his trigger finger began to itch. Operations never went this smooth, that he knew. No plan survived contact with the enemy, he'd been taught so many years ago. But contact didn't always mean the enemy was in sight, or firing at you. Contact started when the enemy knew you existed. Tag's voice sounded over the comlink suddenly.
Er, Altic, I have your position located on my HUD, but you're not showing up anywhere. I've got a camera positioned just down the hallway from where you're supposed to be, can you stick a hand out to let us know you're there?
Delmani stashed his complaints away for the moment, then slowly crept his non-firing hand out passed the corner of the wall, shaking it up and down before retracting it again. Well? He grumbled. Tag's response didn't sound like a pleasant one. Uh…nothing. Try it again. Delmani felt his suspicions growing stronger by the moment, but stuck his hand out around the corner once again, waiving it more vigorously before pulling back. Tag's disappointed sigh leaked out over the comlink.
Nothing. I'm not actually seeing you. Must be looped footage. They've got their active code wrapped up in some sort of mess of decoy. Looks like we weren't looking close enough when we separated some of these segments. Give me a second, I just need to run a similar test on the other systems.
The nagging at the back of Delmani's mind blew into full on alertness. He shuffled backwards along the wall, and spoke quickly to the rest of the team. Tag's been duped. He doesn't have camera control, which means he might not have control of the turrets, the doors, transmitters, or hunter droids. Seems the Jedi were more diligent about hiding their code than either of them thought. Gaunt was the first to speak in response. We can't move knowing those system's are still up and running, and that little hand trick might not have shown for Tag, but it might have shown for someone.
Delmani nodded, the realization forming in his gut like a rock. If they're ahead of us on the software, they might be ahead of us physically as well. This suggestion didn't sit well with any of them. If the Jedi already had personnel lined up to take shots at them, they would be walking into an ambush in their own ambush zone. Great, so what now? Slag demanded, his helmet and weapon still facing rear. Delmani thought for a brief moment, then remembered the charges they had in place along the roof.
Here's the plan. There's a single corridor leading to the main entrance hallway from here would be the best place to ambush ambushers. A T-intersection must be stuck in the middle of it, where the hall turns down to the main entrance level. So we're going to walk right into their trap. Rush 'em. And when we're right up on them, we're going to blow the top of this Temple. We'll know it's coming, they won't. The blast should rock this place well enough to give us the chance to cut up whatever they've got hiding about. These halls are empty of cover, they won't have many places to hide, Force or no.
Gaunt was the only one that had a problem with the plan. Any one of us can on a handful of Ysanna, projectile tricks or no. But what of their Jedi? I never even managed to best any of the Knights when we still lived on Yavin. Delmani shook his head. It won't matter. Fighting Force Users is what we're trained best at. I'm a Clone Wars vet, remember? The answer seemed to satisfy Gaunt for the moment. The Jedi's Force Powers and their lightsabers would count for nothing against the speed and silence of their Verpine weaponry. The Ysanna were actually the bigger threat, if they were even in the area, which Gaunt doubted. Why would Jedi leave the security of their beloved learning institution up to natives? Regardless, Gaunt was trained to account for all options, and the possible presence of the Ysanna and their own projectile weapons was a factor he couldn't ignore. Their beskar armor would take in more than enough Ysannan rounds, though their bodysuits were a bigger concern. Projectiles would cut through their underlayer with greater ease, and the Ysanna were renowned for their accuracy, though their abilities had their limits.
We need ordnance. Gaunt said suddenly. Delmani looked over at the man, waiting for him to continue. Fragmentation, not energy or sonic. Jedi can seal their ears and protect their eyes from sonic weapons and the like, and headsets can do the same for non-Jedi. We need shrapnel. Hit them with ordnance they can't concentrate well enough to avoid while firing on us at the same time.
Delmani almost smiled. Almost. Gaunt's suggestion was a good one, and each of his team was packing enough explosive rounds to bring down a Star Destroyer. Not literally, but they each had more than enough, especially in stonework hallways that would compress the concussive force of the explosives. Delmani nodded.
Get your launchers ready boys. We're going to town.

"Tag," UNDESIGNATED
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Security Center (Third Level) of Ossan Jedi Temple
0048 by Ossan 31 hour day

As it turned out, the YVH Hunter Droids were the only security asset Tag and Soviet had successfully isolated control over, though he avoided activating them in case he revealed their success to whoever seemed to be over-watching their activities. He had been severely disappointed to discover he'd been duped by the strings of decoy code controlling the various other systems they needed on their side, though Soviet was already working his way towards a solution for the holo-cams and communications assets. They were forced to recheck the "junk" code they'd previously discarded, though thankfully their slicing pads had logged all the datapoints and were able to bring them right back to where they had left off. Each Black Operator scoured their own sourcecode, identifying similar markers found in the legitimate code they had found for the YVH droids. Luckily, they had the droids to act as a comparison point to better tell the decoy code from the real stuff.
I'm telling you, when we get off this rock, I'm doubling my studies of this garbage. Tag voiced the oath over the comlink channel established between himself and Soviet's helmets. The other Commando scoffed as he secured another line of code controlling the Temple's communications assets, the last he needed.
You study whatever you want when this is all said and done. Though I guarantee you won't find another system in the Galaxy as convoluted as this one. Soviet muttered. I've got the communication systems locked in. Even their sublayer transmitters won't work now. Anything tied in to the Temple communications, hardline or wireless, now belongs to us. Even their personal communicators, if they're linked with the Temple system. Tag voiced his congratulations as he isolated another segment of code, double checking its makeup characters to ensure they matched the underlying patterns established in the YVH control code. I've got holo-cams. Tag added, suddenly wishing he had a hot mug of caf' to sip at in celebration of his minor success as the holo-cam feed jumped and reset itself on his display screen. Keep working on those turrets, I'm going to update Altic. Tag opened the squad channel and called for the BOG commander.
Altic, we've got cams, get your hand out again, let me see you smile. After a brief moment, a fist with a middle-finger popped out around the corner on the holo-cam feed Tag had sent up to the display. The hand disappeared after a second, and Tag heard the older Commando's voice over the comlink. Good enough, di'kut¹? Tag almost laughed. Yes, you're good. When you're ready to move, I've got the YVH droids on standby. He replied, bringing up the YVH coding segments onto his display screen. Tag began logging all the data, transferring it to a package that would upload to his helmet system. Once the package was transferred, Tag would retransmit it to the rest of the team's helmets, and they would have sole control of the YVH droids, holo-cam and communication systems of the Jedi Temple. While waiting to hear back from Delmani, Tag relayed a series of short orders to each of the three systems under his control. He started with the YVH Droids as Soviet continued working on the turret systems, which were proving to be more difficult than the rest of the Temple's assets had been.
Tag quickly reassigned the hostile designation data loaded into the YVH Droids, registering a false transponder for each of the Commando's helmets, to include those of Hileo Bui'tsad's men, that would show only to the droids themselves. Anyone else spying on those transponders would be unable to pull any relevant information, or even triangulate their position. Tag then got to work on the droids' friendly markers, reassigning the various tags for their Jedi allies so that they would read as hostiles. Going even further, Tag expanded the parameters and reassigned all the droids' existing friendly datapackets as hostile, which included their own security personnel and the Ysanna. Double checking his work, Tag ensured there were no back up programs loaded into the YVH Droids that would turn on them. Standing back from his console after he rechecked his efforts, Tag looked over and dropped in on Soviet. The other Commando was finally working towards a solution for the turret systems, but it included pulling existing data from the YVH Droids Tag had recently secured for them.
I need their physical motion programming. Soviet told Tag as he generated a new coding field with a few keystrokes. Tag looked back to his console and used his slicing pad to isolate the required code before transmitting it to Soviet. That'll do, thanks. I'm having to recreate the control software running the turrets, I just couldn't isolate enough of the code to get it working. Soviet narrated his actions as he began writing his own segments of code to link together the YVH Droid control programming and the physical hardware of the turrets themselves. The idea was akin to reprogramming a ship's flight stick to function within the console of a different model vessel. Like sticking the yoke of an X-wing into the cockpit of a TIE Fighter, you had to ensure the hardware would be able to communicate with the software or else you'd end up firing torpedoes when you meant to turn on the running lights.
Done! Soviet grinned, before transmitting the data to the rest of the team's helmets as well as his own. Tag acknowledge the receipt of the package as it flashed near the bottom of his HUD. Soviet began testing the data package, using it to power on the Temple's turret systems and began reassigning targeting data in a similar way as Tag had done with the Hunter Droids. The other Commando looked over and held out a fist, thumb up. Tag grinned behind the visor of his helmet and slapped his own fist down against Soviet's. Codes before hoes, right? Tag chortled, keying open his comchannel with Delmani to provide him with an update.

Delmani Altic, GC-02
Black Operations Group, GALSAF
Second Level of Ossan Jedi Temple
0054 by Ossan 31 hour day

Altic, we've got full control…finally. The data packages you're receiving will allow you to directly control the Temple's systems we unlocked. I wasn't able to lock them out of the mainframe entirely, but they won't be recovering control of these systems until well after it no longer matters. I have the Hunter Droids on standby inside the Temple, they're located on either side of the main entrance level, far walls left and right. Just below you. Delmani acknowledged Tag's transmission, responding with his own. We're ready to move, we have ordnance prepped to deal with any hostiles in these hallways as we push for the entrance level. Get those Hunters powered up and ready to move, but keep them stashed until we need them. If they're right under us like you say, they ought to be able to deploy close enough to the area to jump right into the fray.
Tag's end of the comlink remained silent for a moment, before he replied, his tone somewhat frantic. Woah, wait. Ordnance? You'll wake the whole Temple up with that! Keep your triggers cool, I can pull the Hunters out to make an initial sweep of the entrance level, then they can creep your way upstairs. Either way, we win. The Hunter's either clear the entrance level for us, or they sandwich any hostiles between you and themselves. Done and done.
Delmani responded quickly with his agreement. That's a much better idea, go with it. Let me know when the entrance level sweeps are done, and we'll get moving.
Tag confirmed Delmani's orders and signed off the channel. Del updated the rest of the team of the situation, which included Hileo's boys, and from there they solidified their plan. The group had stun charges, sonic mines, and other various trap equipment they would be able to use against the Jedi they lured back into the Temple, but the current occupants had to be secured first and foremost, or that part of the mission would be scuttled. Delmani and the rest of the team stood, checking their corners again before stepping out and to the right, down the long corridor that led directly to the Main Entrance Hallway stairs. He couldn't avoid counting the meters they had before them, even though the practice annoyed him to no end. As he rounded the corner, Slag picked up far security, stepping out behind Del and staying off to his left flank. Gaunt followed as Slag stepped off, keeping rear security on the intersection where Slag left off and picked up forward with Delmani. Gaunt stayed behind Delmani, though further back, off of Slag's right flank.
As the team neared the third-way mark to the end of the corridor, a sudden spurt of spontaneity struck Delmani's mind and he signaled for a halt. They were standing before the turbolift Delmani had wanted so much to avoid, though something in his gut told him it might just be the safer path. Narrowing his eyes, now suspicious of his own mind, Delmani slapped the lift panel, calling for their floor. The group waited, Hileo's own men providing a rear security element. Delmani and Slag paired off, taking sides across from one another outside the turbolift doors. As the doors opened in silence, the two Commandos thrust the muzzles of their weapons forward, checking the lift capsule and marking it clear.
Together, the men all stepped inside the lift as Tag activated the YVH Hunter Droids, deploying them from their stations on the Main Entrance Level.
In unison, the group of steely-eyed killing machines debarked from their staging posts, their mechanical limbs sighing and whirring quietly as their disturbingly human faces began searching the Main Entrance Level for signs of activity ahead of the arriving Commandos. Delmani waited for the turbolift to halt its movement downward, peeking out with his button-camera as the doors opened, revealing the intricately decorated main entrance of the Jedi Temple.
As the group of Commandos silently exited the turbolift, their YVH Droid counterparts took up a guard formation around them, keeping more than enough distance to account for the effective radii of most explosive weaponry. The muzzle of Delmani's rifle followed his gaze as he looked around. Stone benches, sloping sculptures, even a water fountain, marked the Entrance Level as a place of peace and warm welcome.
Alright boys. Delmani ordered as they began checking over the empty chamber they now stood near the center of. We've got all the help on our side we're likely to get.

1: Idiot.

Last Edit: Nov 10, 2013 23:08:08 GMT -8 by Delmani Altic

Devlin Dewe
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Posts: 329

Affiliation: The Jedi Order - Ossus Praxeum
Traffic Light: Green

Jedi Praxeum Nov 12, 2013 7:04:43 GMT -8

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Post by Devlin Dewe on Nov 12, 2013 7:04:43 GMT -8

Usually, when the droids were activated, alarms blared throughout the Praxeum. This time, however, ther signal didn't reach the alarms thanks to the commando slicers.

Tenebrius curses as he walks toward the hangar roof.

Something felt out of place. He hated that feeling. It made his skin itch.

Atop the roof, he confers with the commando on duty to ensure nothing unusual has happened. He still cannot shake the feeling of wrongness that fills him. He leans over the edge of the roof and stares down the sides of the building.

Everything seemed normal. No flashing lights, not soldiers crawling up the sides.

He surveys the entire wall.

"Something's wrong with the comm system. I'm going to alert the team. Stay vigilant."

By team, of course, he meant the Force Stalkers.

Just as he was about to leave the roof, he stops. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bump. He turned to stare at it, it almost vanishes. He rubs his chin.

Peripheral vision is best...thanks Erie."

He points toward the small lump on the wall.

"Get down there, trooper."

Not that he was afraid to do it himself; but he wanted a clear perspective on the whole situation. He couldn't focus on just one detail.

The trooper attaches his rope harness to the wall and leaps over the side. Within moments he stares at the Mandalorians' detonator. He calls up to the Bothan.

"Not good."

Tenebrius sighs.

An attack had begun without any of them noticing.

Last Edit: Nov 12, 2013 7:07:36 GMT -8 by Devlin Dewe

"Do or do not, there is no try." ~Yoda

Hileo Bui'tsad
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Posts: 30

Affiliation: Mandalorian Empire- Clan Son'tir

Jedi Praxeum Jan 12, 2014 16:27:19 GMT -8

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Post by Hileo Bui'tsad on Jan 12, 2014 16:27:19 GMT -8

The Bui'tsad pair stood at the ready waiting for the entrance to blow. But a click on the personal channel the Son'tir clan used for emergency purposes. It came from their brothers scouting Knossa. Something might be going wrong. But this is too pivotal of a movement to just bail on. . . .

Synar Blackfyre
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Posts: 55

Affiliation: None
Traffic Light: Yellow

Jedi Praxeum Aug 6, 2015 21:24:52 GMT -8

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Post by Synar Blackfyre on Aug 6, 2015 21:24:52 GMT -8

Kirito steps out of the refresher and grabs a towel, drying off his hair he then wraps the towel around his waist and sits down at his desk. Keying up his terminal, Kirito looks over the data stream after a few moments he turns of the terminal. Still nothing he thinks to himself, getting up he gets his clothes together. Pulling his fingerless gloves tightly over his hands, Kirito looks at himself for a moment in the mirror. He wasn't a kid anymore, he was ready to be a knight, but it wasn't something he would do without his Master's blessing. And that was a problem all in its own, finding Aeryn. It had been six months since Aeryn had left Ossus and still no sign or trace of him. Kirito knew of his Masters skills but didn't think it would be this difficult to find something on him. Clipping his lightsabers to his belt he heads out of his room and to the library.

Talon Frost
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Meditating

Posts: 23

Affiliation: Jedi Order: Ossus Praxeum
Traffic Light: Yellow

Jedi Praxeum May 6, 2016 12:08:32 GMT -8

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Post by Talon Frost on May 6, 2016 12:08:32 GMT -8

Talon walks slowly through the corridors of the Praxeum. The Padawan has grown in his time here and away with his Master Devlin. He still keeps the look as his trademark, for now. He has his Traditional Robes up as he wears a more casual city apparel. He makes a few checks on the daily reports and continues on his way. Just a usual day at the Praxeum as he wonders how his Master is doing in the vastness that is the galaxy....

hrm....possibly