Log:The Irregulars: Slicing Threads
The Irregulars: Slicing Threads
OOC Date: January 9, 2020
Location: Corusca Sector, Outer Edge of Coruscant Solar System
Participants: Jax Greystorm, Sesti Greystorm, Qadira Suuryet, Rial Het, Sapphira Yavoc, Dyannah Nerus
Corusca Sector. Coruscant System. The quiet of space at the edge of one of the busiest systems in the Core Worlds. The loudest noise the electronic whisper of dust brushing against the shields. Two ships glide towards one of the pivotal points of communication in the Core Worlds.
They are on approach for something that hasn't resolved to the naked eye yet. Only a blip on their tracking screen. The Irregulars chose to glide in from a distance leaving the ripples left by their hyper jump arrival too distant to make their target obvious.
It is one of the five major hubs for Hyperspace transceivers in the Galaxy. It sits isolated on the edge of Coruscant's system. Surrounded by mines that make it a danger to shipping traffic hence the distance from regularly travelled lanes.
The holoprojection is on a direct bounce between ships. They need to avoid leaving any more trace of their presence than their mission will accomplish. Dyannah's image fades into lines then corrects to an image of her sitting on the Compass Rose's bridge. Her solemn face is framed by the bridge viewing screen where their objective floats.
"We need to hack one of the droids into sending a NORMAL STATUS signal to the other droids. They are slaved together to shoot down any intrusions except for repair modules. We take one out then all the others will shoot, too. They fly in complex random orbits around the transceiver, seldom repeating configurations."
"First objective: Put the mine droids out of operation without alerting the authorities."
"Second objective: Reach the transceiver and physically attach to it, slice into it and try to determine whether the Palpatine broadcast was a ruse on the part of the FO. The transceiver is a round sphere about a quarter of a kilometer in diameter with a platform around its widest point."
Sapphira is here, dressed for stealth. She's got a silenced weapon and a shadowsuit on her like a second skin. Her red hair is pulled up and tight under a black cap. She could be a blonde for all anyone knows. She's sitting in one corner of the room during their briefing, doing a check over of her materials. "Who's the best slicer we've got here tonight?" she asks, looking around.
Nova, another passenger on the /Compass Rose/, is at the back of the bridge, reading a briefing screen as she checks her armor's seals and fittings. "If there's nobody better, I can handle the slicing," she replies. "But we're dealing with droids. I hope we've got someone who has some idea how they work." She fusses for a long moment with her waist seal. "Big seals are always the worst ones..."
Rial Het lets out a low whistle at the defenses glimpsed through the Compass Rose canopy. "I'm good enough to lend an assist, but not do good that I'd pass up your help on me own," he lilts on the subject of slicing. "I've got the schematics for these explosive lads, we've not much room for slipping."
Kadi is with Jax and Sesti, helmet off for the moment, but in a fairly obviously new set of medium armour. She tilts her head, as she listens. "I know my way around a computer program, a freighter, cap ship, fighter, droid, and a little bit of hacking. How do we know who the best hacker is?" That brings a slight twitch towards a smile to her face, as she is settled in the computer and sensors seat on the bridge.
It takes skill to come out of hyperspace and use your momentum to hit a small target across the system, which was what Jax was doing at the moment at the controls of the Painted Warrior. The Helix fighter mirroring the Compass Rose. Jax's helmet sitting near by. As Kadi asks her question about who was the best hacker, behind Jax an R2 unit extends a manipulator claw and raises it. < Exine, put that hand down. I'm not letting you slice anything Sith.> The R2 unit whines and lowers it's claw.
Sesti appears behind Jax's shoulder blocking the view of the R2. "I am not even that group, I can use a computer, but usually for medical purposes." She settles a hand lightly on the abck of his chair helmet in the other hand of the flight suit she borrowed from Jax.
Both ships, the Painted Warrior and the Compass Rose hang off at a distance from the mine droid protected target. Conferences, long discussions on both ships having them putting their heads together. Nova has laid out a program that Sapphira has refined and then sent for examination by the Painted Warrior crew with their engineering and computer expertise. Rial has added knowledge of illegally slipping into systems to refine their hack.
Dyannah coordinates between the teams by holoprojection. "Alright, are you all ready to sign off on this? We have to be sure that they accept our 'handshake' and then keep reporting that all is normal as we approach them so they don't start firing on us."
"Sure," Sapphira says with a sigh, checking over the Defender one last time before she stands to peer into the viewport. "I'll get our hackers in as best I can once we're on the ground. Either we start this now or we all go home for the night," she says, bright greens sweeping those around her.
"It looks good to me," Nova replies. "As good as we're likely to get in such a short time. /Warrior/, you've got our part of this... keep your fingers crossed. Mine sure are."
Kadi chuckles as she listens, reviewing what's there and considering her droid and ship knowledge. She scrubbles her hands through her hair, and glares at the space suit she's quickly growing to dislike. At least at the moment. "I think it's as good as we're going to get without a full workshop and all," is her reply back.
Jax makes a minor course correction. He takes a deep breath and lets it out as he reaches for the force, letting it flow through him. <The Force is with us and is our ally. We won't fail.> THen he looks back to Kadi, <This is your thing. I'm just flying the ship.> He looks at Sesti and smiles. <If Exine complains. Thump him?>
Rial Het nods once to Dyannah, and again to Sapphira. "Aye, this looks our best bet. And *everybody* best cross your fingers," he adds with an easy laugh. A sharp exhale follows, and the rogue nods a final time. "Once we're through the mines- optimism- I'll be ready to input the data splice, and we'll see what's to be seen."
Having given permission to thump Exine, Sesti smiles as she turns to look at him and raises her eye-ridges. She chuckles at the zrbrrt Exine gives back to her, and rolls back with a annoyed whine. "Ready as we will ever be," she muses.
The bridge is littered with food containers and zero G liquid containers. "We are going to have to clean up before the next push," Dyannah says to the bridge at large. Over ship to ship coms, <<"Looks like we have quieted the droid mines and we are in with them thinking we are all good and acceptable. Next step is getting us as close in to the transceiver as we can. We have Nova going EVA from the Compass. Who will be going from the Painted Warrior? Then, we need to get you to the platform and we begin slicing the transceiver for information on that broadcast.
Sapphira nods, moving to one of the computer terminals on the Compass. "I will literally foon my own eyes out before I go EVA-ing," the redhead explains. "But once you're on board, I can use the trackers on your suites to guide you through. I'll be the sweet little voice on your shoulder," she says to them all, but really she's just smiling fondly at Nova. "Ready when you guys are."
"Guess that just leaves me, then. I'll be counting on sweet advice as well as sweet nothings, Sapph," Nova says, grinning back at the redhead. She turns to the cockpit. "Just don't hit any speedbumps, Dya. You know I get motion sickness."
She steps aft to the upper boarding airlock. Finding a tether line, she clips it to her suit's waist cinch and winds the rest around her waist to keep it out of the way 'til it's needed. <Okay... comlink active. Here's where I get off.> Cycling the airlock, she makes the short leap from the /Compass Rose/ to the satellite. <I'm down. Just watch that first step!>
Kadi grins impishly, as she puts her helmet on, sealing up her suit. << It's Kadi, I'm going, and I think Sesti as well,>> she says, testing her comm at the same time. She looks at Jax, smiling sweetly. << Hang in there, Jax, we're gonna be just fine.>> That said, she is on the way to the airlock, the tether, and waits for Sesti.
"You guys be careful." He says moving to pull his helmet on and lock the seals. <I'll be here in case you need back up.> He says as the Warrior is locked on Formation. <I'll be here too. I'm far less useful though then Sap.> He says looking at the sensors of the warrior. Jax looks at Sesti, <Tell her I said never say that. It's unlucky.>
"Do not worry, I will make sure she comes back in one piece. Ax will not murder us today," Sesti tells Jax with a kiss next to his ear before she puts on her helmet and follows Kadi to the airlock. Once it's sealed, she checks the oxygen, her tether, and the clips the tether into the airlock before she cycles the lock. <<Jax says never say that, it is unlucky.>>
"Aye, got your back, Nova," Rial lilts on the heels of Nova's departure, stealing a quick peck fro Dyannah with a wink, before following the trooper out to the airlock and drawing his helmet on, and engaging the vaccuum seals. <<"Alright, ready when you are.">> He's not quite so graceful as the others in crossing the distance through space, but they are near enough that it makes little difference. <<"I recall talk of sweet nothings?">>
The Painted Warrior jets up to the target as delicately as a classically trained dancer. Behind him the Compass Rose, an ungainly box, moves around to the other side of the target to deposit their slicers. A smile for Rial over her shoulder before turning back to the all important maneuvers to come.
Dyannah leans into the console as she talks, using the docking jets to maneuver the ship the final meters. <<Interesting that these things can't be talked to from a distance, isn't it. Another layer of security. I figure they didn't think that anyone could get past the mines.">> The distant clank of an airlock functioning can be heard as the Compass Rose opens herself to space. On her console, Dyannah watches them move through space on the exterior cameras.
<Alright, the voice of your savior is here.> Clearly Sapphira has been hanging out with Zhu Yan too much. <Trust in me and all will be well. No one's aware of your presence yet, alarms are all quiet. So let's keep it that way, shall we? Nova you look fantastic in your EVA as always,> she adds with a chuckle, fingers switching over flicks as she continues to gather info like a bawss.
<Good to have you, Rial.> Nova hast to smile at Sapphira's idea of being comforting. she ripostes with a low chuckle. <No visible panty lines, I hope?>
She pauses at an access port, locking her magnetic boots onto the metal grating. A couple commands and an access port slides open. She hastily connects her SCOMP-link and toggles her datapad on. <Breaching... Qadira, can you back me up? I'm out of practice at this. The keystroking, I mean. Protocol's still okay, uptight First Order inserts or not.> She turns, offering the datapad Kadi's way. <Standard options. Shouldn't be any learning curve.>
Kadi makes it to the platform, fairly easily, She makes a face to Sesti, and comments, <<Fine is an interesting word. Consider it an acronym. And I'll try to remember it. >> She watches until everyone is safely on the platform, heart in her throat. There's a grin for Sapphira's words, and then she nods to Nova. <<Oh! Yes.>> The wayward engineer (seriously, her hubby is probably climbing the walls worrying.) listens to Nova, and moves to the datapad. << Standard options I know. >> She can do this, sure she can. The keystroking comes easily to Kadi, even with the armour on. It's like she does this every day as part of her job.
<<"Well, truth be told: the mines were a bit intimidating, weren't they?"> Rial drawls back to Dy over the comms, while the team boards the colossal holonet hub. <<"We're in. Bloody hell, this whole place is one big data relay, innit? Nova, luv: I've got a good spot lined up for the splice input- can ye isolate the feed to this cluster long enough for me to cut in without anybody catching a blink?">>
Jax lets out a breath as Sesti makes it to the landing plat form. He was not in the process of raising his hand to use the force to try to help. Nooooo. Shut up Exine. He was not. <Great job, Nova. Now I'm worried all my armors got the panty lines showing on them.>
Allowing Kadi a little space before she steps out, Sesti puts a foot to the platform. She realizes she's stepped right into the path of the engineer's tether, and it starts to tug at her foot. She hops quickly to the other foot, the original foot now waving in the air as her arms windmill. "Whooooaaaaaaaaa," she warbles, then leans back, braces her hands against the side of the Painted Warrior, releases the mag of her boot so she can swing her feet down precisely on the walk. Straightening, she brushes a hand at her shoulder as if flicking off space dust, and then moves on down next to Kadi to watch her.
<<"So are you all ready to hear me droning on about the science behind these transceivers? Remember your S-thread theory from school? S-threads are extremely small hyperspace tunnels used to ferry communications waves through. Due to their incredibly small dimensions, it is virtually impossible to intercept communications through an S-thread; the only way to do so is to attach a listening device to the transceiver responsible for managing information through the S-threads. And, that boys and girls is what we are doing today and why they have those vicious drone mines flying the perimeter.">>
As Dyannah lectures aware of her own pedantry (it is pure nervousness on her part making her talkative) the team begins successfully slicing into the system.
<Sesti! You okay?> Nova calls, hearing that awkward moment. It looks like she is, fortunately. Back to business. She turns to the access panel, taking advantage of the link she'd established already to put in a few extra commands. <Just need a sec, Rial... patching it in... there! It's only good for a few seconds, so hurry!> She has to smile at Jax's remark. <On the plus side, I'm sure we're both fuel for active imaginations... and no, that's not me coming on to you. You're not my type. Besides, your wife's here.>
Kadi follows instructions, and hands the datapad back to Nova if she needs it. If not, Kadi's well able to use the computer, so long as she knows what to do. Just don't ask her to figure it out on her own exactly. She doesn't comment on panty lines or on the science of the S strings, intent on the datapad in her hands, and doing what she's supposed to do. so it might come as a bit of a surprise when she says, <<I think you're good, Jax. Besides, don't most people look at Sesti?>>
<<"A few seconds ought to do it-">> Rial returns with a distracted edge to the words as he works swiftly to attach the lead and complete his roguish work in all haste. <<"Annnnnd there we are. Link is in, and... live. Dyannah, you picking up the data stream, are ye?">> A sharp exhale. <<"That it? No alarms raised, nor nothing exploding? Fan bloody tastic. Nova, you done? Everybody, we done?">>
<Thanks Nova. I wasn't taking it that way.> He's checking the sensors, < Worse, than my wife is Kadi. She's like my little sister but cooler.> Then Kadi asks her question, <See. Yes, everyone knows Sesti married down. She got the looks and the brains. >
Sesti reaches out when Kadi offers over the datapad and helps herself to it. She's not the guru the others are, but every little bit that can be downloaded, helps. As the others work at their stations, she taps quickly, surprisingly dexterous as she continues a download already started, and tilts her head as she watches the data feed onto the pad. She grunts, <<and the brawn. Do not forget the brawn," she adds in all her modesty. <<Brains, Brawn and Beauty, all in one.>>
Nova chuckles. <Stop, Sesti, you're embarrassing me. But not too much. The truth doesn't /always/ hurt,> she says, with a grin at the Zabrak; one warrior to another.
Dyannah's fingers drum on the edge of the console as she waits for the airlock door to open to welcome Nova and Rial back on the ship. As all of their errant children are being gathered into the bosoms of their ships, the computer system is working through all the recent transmissions. There are thousands of them that came in or around the same time as the galaxy-wide transmission from Palpatine. The results will be read as they make their push out of the system towards jump. Almost more dangerous than the entry because the hyper jump comes close to the transceiver and that will set off alarms.
There is a ping from the computer board from the alarm set to find the transmission. Sapphira passes the raw data between them all and begins to interpret it aloud to everyone. "It looks like it really was a universal transmission. But, Rial, how do you interpret this?" She highlights something on everyone's screens. "Kadi, Nova? What do you think?"
<Aaaaaand... done! Let's get home.> Nova's already disconnecting the SCOMP-link and setting the timer for the access panel to close. <System control has to be wondering about us by now. Our luck can't hold much longer.>
With that, she's off. At least it's a short trip back to the /Compass Rose/. Back on board, she pulls off her helmet and sighs in relief. "I never get these climate control settings right in vac. It's always too high," she mutters, pulling the front seal down and the waist seal open. Once some cool air is flowing to her overheated skin, she gets to work on the code.
It doesn't take long before she notices a pattern. "This... wow. This code is /old/. I mean /Imperial/ old. It's the wrong keyset for FO stuff." She looks around at the rest of the mission team, or their holograms. "Either somebody knew their history and Imperial military procedures, or this was the real thing. And that's scary..."
Kadi grins, as the data flows are turned down, and she nods. << All done, >> she adds to the conversation. She waits while everything is removed, pulled off and the access panel reclosed, before she follows her tether back to the warrior's airlock, clambering in a bit ungainly, and waiting for Sesti to make it safely, before they cycle the airlock and head into the ship. once there, she takes her helmet and gloves off, giving her the opportunity to flex her fingers. "I hate typing in those things," she mutters to Jax and Sesti. And then they're looking at the transmissions and the info that Sap has highlighted for them. Kadi reads it, frowns, reads it again, and then she says, "It looks like an Imperial code but - " Her fingers fly on the computer, checking into a particular database that she has access to. After all, there's a lot of info that has been stored and she's got some good university connections round the galaxy. "I don't think that's one of the recognized types of imperial codes. I suspect this will take some doing to decypher completely, though I'd say it's definitely Imperial."
Rial Het follows Nova in, after hanging up his own vacuum helmet, giving the pilot a merry wink as they rejoin Dy on the bridge. His good humor dims as he looks over the glut of data they are reading regarding the Galaxy-wide transmission. "...Wait a tick," he mutters, leaning closer, and narrowing the search. "Well. Some bad news, atop of scary: I can't locate a point if origin for the signal.. because it came from so bloody deep into the Unknown Regions that we haven't the stellar cartography to keep reference. I've never seen anything close to that remote." A sharp exhale as he glances among the others. "Damnation. There's Unknown, and then there's Unknowable, aye?"
<And Modesty.> Jax says as Sesti and Kadi reenters the ship. The Warrior pulls away from the position and starts the process of an exit angle. Jax removing his helmet. <It's real.> Jax says reaching up to the console and hits a couple of switches. He checks the read out of the message. Jax shakes his head, <This looks like it's real. This is differently not New Republic, Corsec, Res, or First Order. You need to get this to the generals. You might not mention to the Grumpy one. That I'm here. She told me to lay low.>
<<Modesty is for weaklings>>, Sesti replies as she follows Kadi into the Painted Warrior and hands over the tablet to Exine, letting him hook it in and start translating the downloads. "It is not any sort of technical code, Iridonian or Common, so I cannot help you," she adds after a bit of a look at it.
Behind them as they run for a fast hyperjump, the First Order will have the first inkling that someone has been hanging around their transceiver. They will know that there were ships but not who. On board, they have confirmation of that the transmission did not originate in system making it very likely Palpatine as weird and unlikely as it might seem. Further verification that the code used was old Imperial and unknown by any on their respective ships will wing its way back to the Resistance. Everything helps.
