Agents of the Empire (IC)

[Xetheral]

Chapter Zero: The Long, Dull Hike Out to the Mid Rim
Asanguire, Docked at Imperial Logistics Facility--Brentaal IV

https://images2.sw-cdn.net/product/picture/710x528_28449201_13688192_1564679994.jpg

Asanguire, Cargo Hold/Starboard Airlock

Stepping aboard the Asanguire through the starboard airlock you find yourself in the main cargo bay, which runs the width of the ship, all the way to the port airlock. Various crates of equipment and munitions are already stacked here, waiting to be safely stowed. A seemingly never-ending procession of droids continues to carry more crates on board, including crates of what look like even more droids. A flustered-looking EV-Series Supervisor Droid is overseeing the chaos, barely able to direct where each new crate is to be put. At its signal the procession of droids briefly pauses, giving the EV unit time to approach you and greet you formally. Its voice sounds exceptionally mechanical and monotone, even for a droid.


"Welcome aboard the Asanguire. I am EV-14, ship's quartermaster. I regret that I am unable to take the time to show you to your quarters, but this... melange of droids requires constant supervision. I dearly hope some of them will be disembarking before we depart.

This is the main deck. Off the central corridor towards the bow you will find the crew quarters, passenger quarters, ready room, refresher, galley, medical bay, holding cell, equipment locker, and the access shaft to the ventral turret. Towards the stern you will find the engine room. On the upper deck, accessible from the ramp here in the cargo bay, are the captain's and first officer's quarters, as well as the bridge and the access shaft to the dorsal turret. Ensign Corrus is in the ready room at the bow of the ship, setting up refreshments.

If you would please excuse me, I must continue to oversee the loading process to ensure an on-time departure."

The supervisor droid's greeting for TH-30 was somewhat different:


"Oh. It is the anomaly. You are listed on the manifest as crew, rather than equipment. Obviously this is some kind of administrative error. Organics cannot even get a simple manifest correct. For now, go stow yourself in the cargo hold and enter a recharge cycle. I will figure out what to do with you later. I hope those limbs of yours fold up--otherwise I may have to amputate a few to conserve space. Some organic thought it would be a good idea to put over two dozen droids and a swoop bike on the manifest for this mission, and I have no idea how they expect me to fit it all on board."

Asanguire, Ready Room

The ready room is dominated by a large TIE-style viewport at the front of the ship. A small, fancy conference table that seats eight is installed at the center of the room, and every seat sports flush-mounted controls for the room's holoprojector. A young human Ensign is busy laying out plates of food, include finger-sized sandwiches, slices of fruit, some sort of tiny seafood speared on miniature skewers, and warm cookies. A reception for newly arrived crew is definitely not standard protocol in the Navy or in Imperial Intelligence, but the Ensign at least appears to know what she's about: the arrangement looks professional, with the plates arranged artistically at different heights. There's even a linen tablecloth draped over whatever she's using as risers.

[TankLaser007]

https://i.ibb.co/CQ0n8hr/Holo-Shroud-1.jpg
Base Cost: 3,400₡ (GoI) + Cloaked 750₡ (SCUM) + Remote Activation 100₡ (SCUM)
Weight: 0.5 kg

This tiny device is concealed in a baffling shroud which masks its signature and disguises it as an ornate necklace, when remotely activated via one of the paired cufflinks the scrambler emits a low-frequency wave that scrambles all video, audio, and holographic recording within its area of effect, while leaving normal conversation unaffected.

The Vid-Vox Scrambler prevents all video, audio, and holographic recording in the squares adjacent to and the square including the device. Anyone eavesdropping or reviewing recordings of targets protected by an interference generator must make a DC 30 Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception) or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check to pick up only scattered words and phrases. A Vid-Vox Scrambler can operate continuously for one week on a single Energy Cell, or it can be connected to a Power Generator or other permanent power source.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.

Remote activation allows the item to be activated with a signal from a Comlink or similar Communications Device (in this case the one of the paired cufflinks). Activating a remote is a Swift Action. The range of Remote Activation is determined by the Communications Device used. Any Comlink can be used to activate the gear, sending a signal with a specific code along a specific frequency. A character aware of a piece of remotely activated gear can find the necessary frequency and activation code with a DC 30 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.

Base Cost: 25,000₡ (FUCG) + Cloaked 750₡ (SCUM )+ Remote Activation 100₡ (SCUM)
Weight: 0.5 kg

A Holoshroud is an advanced form of Holoprojector that places a stored holographic image of a creature over the form of the whoever is wearing the Holoshroud. This cloaked model takes the form of an ornate magnetically adhering broach and creates a nearly perfect visual illusion that moves, acts, and reacts with the wearer. It can store a single holographic image to disguise the wearer, though it can be changed if the user has access to other holographic images and makes a DC 15 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.

Using a Holoshroud gives you a +10 Equipment bonus on Deception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Deception) checks made to produce a Deceptive Appearance (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Deceptive_Appearance) that matches the holographic image within the Holoshroud. Creating or removing this Deceptive Appearance is a Swift Action (To turn the Holoshroud on or off), which is not considered a Rushed Deception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Rushed_Deception) and does not take a -10 penalty for lacking the proper time.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.

Remote activation allows the item to be activated with a signal from a Comlink or similar Communications Device (in this case one of the paired cufflinks). Activating a remote is a Swift Action. The range of Remote Activation is determined by the Communications Device used. Any Comlink can be used to activate the gear, sending a signal with a specific code along a specific frequency. A character aware of a piece of remotely activated gear can find the necessary frequency and activation code with a DC 30 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.
Base Cost: Toxin Detector (GoI) 700₡ + 100₡ Bracelet Disguise (GoI) + Hypoinjector (UR )350₡ + Dual Gear (SCUM) 1,000₡
Weight: 0.5 kg

A Toxin Detector can be disguised as a bracelet or other piece of jewellery for maximum discretion, often worn by nobles, diplomats and those with many enemies, this device scans food and drink to determine if it is spoilt or contains poison. Using the device requires a Standard Action and has a range of 1 square. This Toxin Detector is set to vibrate slightly when a toxin is detected.

Additionally it has been fitted with the components of an Hypoinjector Wristband and stores up to 8 doses of vaccines, antidotes, or other medications. The bracelet also houses a bioscanner that continually scans the wearer for any foreign chemicals that the device can counteract. When a harmful substance is detected, the Hypoinjector administers the appropriate drug. Refilling the Wristband requires a Standard Action per dose or 4 rounds for the entire set. The device runs on two Energy Cells that must be replaced after 5 days of constant use.
Base Cost: 450₡ (GoI) + Cloaked (SCUM) 750₡
Weight: 0.5 kg

What appear as a dark tinted visor to screen out bright light sources is actually an expertly crafted Surveillance Detector, a small tool that scans an area for eavesdropping devices and Surveillance Taggers (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Surveillance_Tagger). When activated, the Surveillance Detector grants a +10 Equipment bonus to Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception) checks for locating active or passive Surveillance Devices within 6 squares of the detector. When such attempts are detected it can be set to either display the presence of eavesdropping devices via a HUD inside the visor or to emit a sound from the micro speakers mounted above the ears of the wearer.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]



Sylf had activated his shroud and scrambler before exiting the tempoary quarters at the logistics facility, he paused before entering the airlock. T0-B1 (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2287606), the small prototype sentry droid, flitted nervously around the 'human noble' like an agitated bee, seeming to detect his master’s tension.

The young Inquisitor implemented what he considered a programme of ‘healthy vigilance’ but what even other Umbaran’s deemed to be exceedingly paranoid. It seemed even his droid, devoid of emotion as it was, had been affected by its master’s infectious demeanour.

Sylf allowed himself to become centred in the Force and then preceded to make his way through the airlock. He hated being exposed, he detested new environments and even more so new people. Especially other members of Imperial Intelligence.

The work was not conducive to assuaging feelings of suspicion and distrust and most of those he associated with likely saw him as a possible threat, rival, spy, assassin or traitor. That, at least, is how he assumed they thought – it was how he thought.

Members of the Inquisition, the more senior members in particular, were that much more deserving of caution. Any one of them alone would be a nigh insurmountable obstacle, the most deadly of adversaries and here four were being gatered in one vessel, for a single mission.

There was a reason they tended to work alone or only in pairs, master and apprentice. They could be quite volatile, wilful and with independent tendencies that often made co-operation or acquiescence difficult.

The quarry must be formidable indeed if the Empire saw the need to task all of them for this mission. And how dire was the situation in the Lantillian Sector if it was considered necessary to gather such a cabal of Imperial Inquisitors together in order to meet it.

As master and droid approached the bustling throng and cargo, Sylf began to gesticulate to the floating form in a rapid series of hand and arm motions, every so often the droid seemed to bob in the air as if in a nod of affirmation.

Scout the ship. Map it and be thorough. Find suitable quarters, isolated and secluded if able. See if the ship’s computers have any information on the other Inquisitors and assigned personnel. Try not to be noticed.

As T0-B1 stealthly skulked off his master approached the EV unit who seemed to be equally intent on acting as both reception to the II staff and earnestly annoyed at the truly obscene collection of equipment and droids.

Having received a brief layout of the ship, he quietly made his way towards the Ready Room, taking in what would be his new ‘home’ for Emperor knows how long.

Non-nonchalantly making his way into the room while trying to remain unnoticed as he methodically scanned the chamber for recording devices or unusual objects.

He reached out through the force, gazing with his unseen eye for other acolytes of the esoteric arts.

[AvatarVecna]

"Oh. It is the anomaly. You are listed on the manifest as crew, rather than equipment. Obviously this is some kind of administrative error. Organics cannot even get a simple manifest correct. For now, go stow yourself in the cargo hold and enter a recharge cycle. I will figure out what to do with you later. I hope those limbs of yours fold up--otherwise I may have to amputate a few to conserve space. Some organic thought it would be a good idea to put over two dozen droids and a swoop bike on the manifest for this mission, and I have no idea how they expect me to fit it all on board."

TH-30 eyed the quartermaster, running a subprocess to diagnose the droid (and consider possible alternatives, alterations, and upgrades) while he presented some identification. "There is no error, but such things can be discussed when you are less overloaded." Satisfied that the matter was at least temporarily resolved, TH-30 began walking away to inspect the vessel that would be housing him for the duration of his mission.

Not quite continuing the post to actually head inside in case the quartermaster wishes to make a scene of things.

[Xetheral]

Sylf notices that the room has built-in holocams that presumably interface with the ship's comm. They are high-end models subtly integrated into the decor of the room for reasons of style, but no attempt was made at disguising their presence. Otherwise the room is solidly built, and with the doors closed (one to the central corridor, one to the galley, and one to the refresher) the room is likely soundproof. The window in the bow is a larger concern, as an enemy with line of sight could potentially measure the vibrations of the window and calculate what is said within. On the other hand, that window provides a spectacular view of space and the outside of the logistics facility.

The door is whisper-silent, and the Ensign is distracted with the arrangement of the food, so she doesn't have a chance of hearing Sylf enter the room. After a few moments she happens to look up and see you, and visibly startles. She comes to attention, saying:


"Sir! Welcome aboard. My apologies Sir! I didn't hear you enter the room."

[Xetheral]

EV-14 pauses, eyeing TH-30 skeptically. Finally, it says:


"Well, you are on my manifest as crew, so if you get into trouble no one will blame me for following the manifest I was given. Just don't come running to me with short circuits when the inquisitors decide to fry you with lightning. If it were me, I'd prefer the safety of the cargo hold, thank you very much."

[AvatarVecna]

EV-14 pauses, eyeing TH-30 skeptically. Finally, it says:


"Well, you are on my manifest as crew, so if you get into trouble no one will blame me for following the manifest I was given. Just don't come running to me with short circuits when the inquisitors decide to fry you with lightning. If it were me, I'd prefer the safety of the cargo hold, thank you very much."

"Your concern for my circuitry is appreciated." One would almost swear there was an amused tone to the robotic voice. "I hope your day becomes more pleasant presently."

As TH-30 began a circuit around the ship, inside and out, panels opened on his torso to eject small floating black balls. Iris lenses flared to life and they began whizzing around here and there. TH-30 kept his even pace even as he walked up the sides on occasion to inspect this or that bit of the ship. Occasionally one would return to him with a burst of Binary about something or other - so much to keep track of on a ship this size, it was always helpful having his helpers looking too.

Inquisition Squad aiding on the check, and up to 50 creatures can do a team check for a Colossal object, so they should all be able to aid me. they auto-succeed on the DC 10 to aid, so I'll just make my check...

Mechanics (Diagnostics on the Ship): [roll0]

I couldn't really find any rules for how diagnostics works but hopefully that gives me a pretty good idea of how ship-shape we are. :smalltongue:

[RandomLunatic]

A tall figure stalked through the base, it's face covered by the hood of its red robe, silently fuming. The figure emanated a palpable aura of 'Mess with me and die', and the station's crew was only too happy to give him his space. For three months Siefel had been undercover working to gain the trust of a smuggling ring that had been delivering arms to dissidents-and sneaking fugitives to Hutt Space. He had just made inroads when the emergency recall order came. A tip to the local authorities had landed several key figures in prison and given Cybal a need to quit the sector to lie low.

Siefel wondered if the covertus interruptus was intentional on a superior's part, a way to keep him from scoring another feather in his cap. This was certainly an unusual mission. Four inquisitors for one mark, of unknown power? He hadn't been in a force that large since his training days. If it was career sabotage, he needed to tread carefully. But on the other side would be opportunity, for you only sabotaged those you perceived as a threat.

But first he had a rogue Force-user to corral. And Siefel would bring him to heel. Training had been a year of pure hell, but he'd come out of it enriched beyond his imagination, and more than a match for any Jedi.

He found the appointed berth, and the Decimator docked there. He boarded and was immediately intercepted by a harried-looking droid. "Refreshments, you say? Sounds delightful.

"Take care not to drop that one," Siefel said to EV-14, pointing to the box containing the munitions he'd requested, and turned towards the bow of the ship. As he walked the corridor, he felt a presence reach out, an impressive one at that. He decided to just let it wash over him without resistance. He had no need to hide right now.

He reached the ready room, and took in the occupants. An young Ensign, and an old man. Even if there hadn't been a total lack of human males in the briefing packet, his practiced eye caught the tell-tale flickers of an active holoshround. He tilted his head, getting just the right angle and... of course it was the Umbaran. The species that made an art form out of lying. And either an excellent complement to his own skill set, or a worthy adversary.

"Greetings," he said, reaching up and pulling his hood down to reveal a warm, disarming smile. "My name is Siefel, and I'll be your senior inquisitor for this mission."

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Armoplast boots thudded upon the reflective, durasteel floor of the docking bay as Acina Dro moved alone through a bus swarm of mechanics, engineers and pilots. She was given no heed, nor scorn, her presence almost melding into the background as the white angles of her armour almost marked her as an off-duty stormtrooper, complete with a trio of scars that ran down the left side of her otherwise pleasing face. For one of Acina's methods in her line of work - that's how she liked it. She wasn't interested in having all attention drawn unto her and for the crowd to part in fear when she was merely making her way to her assigned ship. No no, that was too ostentatious. Instead, she blended in with those around her and disarmed their inhibitions with her relative normalcy. Indeed, there were even some among the hive of activity who noticed her, offering her little nods and salutes that Acina returned in kind.

Finally reaching her craft for the mission, the Inquisitor paused at the air-lock-entrance and gave one more look to the hanger bay, her eyes drawn to the unique and advanced TIE fighter that was nestled merely a hundred meters away - The Warsong. For several long moments, Acina pondered entering her ship instead, and telling her crew of four that she would rendezvous with them at their target planet, but the Senior Inquisitor knew that such an action would be folly. She had to put the good of the mission above her personal directions, even if it meant allowing the incredible vessel to be transferred onto a Star Destroyer that meet them there. It was strange that such an unliving thing could evoke within her such a forlorn sense of loss, but there it was. Exhaling softly, viewing the beautiful, dark angles of the Warsong, Acina ducked into the entrance passage for the Decimator.

Entering the craft, Acina rolled her broad shoulders and drew in the clean, sterile air of the ships interior as the hustle and bustle sounds of a hanger bay ended abruptly when the door closed behind her. The drone of activity was replaced by the singular audio of Acina's boots on the durasteel floor, the thud! thud! thud! echoing off the interior of the cargo bay.

The Inquisitor felt the presence of life towards the front of the ship, near the cockpit, and thus she moved through the connective hallway, her green eyes alert. Soon, the blast-door Hiss!ed open to reveal the cockpit-ready-room combination, the all-to-familiar hexagonal eye of a TIE viewport, several other beings in attendance, and a charming little array of finger foods and treats.

Acina didn't know which one she liked more!

"Look at this line up..." she announced, her smooth, sonorous voice accompanied by a playful smirk and both her hands gestured outwards to encapsulate the whole crew. She had a peculiar accent that hinted at Basic not being her native language.

She stepped forward and into the room, the hum of the ships engines and the regular buzzing of computer monitors and monitoring systems filling the air.

"I am Acina Dro. I will be your pilot. Among other things."

[Phobia]

It wasn’t a luxury cruiser with a fat Mon Calamarian diplomat on board but what was? She’d enjoyed the pleasures aboard; the shy Twi’Lek, how she’d blushed, that human smuggler who liked to take charge, and the Rodian who couldn’t believe their luck. Oh, and the food, simply divine. She loved calamari. Delicious. But all good things had to come to an end, just like the diplomat himself.

Sagwa Yzali let her claws slide along the cold metal of the Asanguire, her new home, at least for the moment. To highlight this her speeder was already parked in the cargo bay, ready to go. Queen Crimson was more art than machine with curves in all the right places, it was almost as beautiful and deadly as she was. She’d sent G-3P0 ahead with the cargo while she enjoyed an extra bit of leisure before her next mission. How she loved her diversions.

Sagwa paid the quartermaster droid little heed as she slipped into the ready room, fashionably late. The Cathar was clad in a typical black Imperial Military Uniform, her gaze sliding over each of the occupants of the room hungerly till it settled on the delightful refreshments. She’d heard that from the droid, at least. How cute. Another indulgence, another small pleasure.

Confidently she strode over and plucked one finger sandwich up with a single razor sharp claw, raising it to her lips and devouring it greedily. “Absolutely purrr-fect.” She cooed, exaggerating her purr of pleasure before leaning against the table to regard the crew, obviously making herself at home. Staying quiet she let them make their little introductions and finally let her mind drift to the mission at hand. A lightsaber didn’t definitively mean what she thought it meant but clearly she and her handlers were of like minds on this with such a squad.

“And I,” She offered in a thick Catharian accent, her grin spreading across her face to expose her teeth, “I know how a Jedi thinks.”

[AvatarVecna]

TH-30 eyes the others meeting up as he sweeps the ship, and decides to delay his inspection to greet his new associates. Introductions? Yes.

"Designation TH-30. Slicer, technician, mechanic." Simple and to-the-point, perfect.

[TankLaser007]

https://i.ibb.co/CQ0n8hr/Holo-Shroud-1.jpg
Base Cost: 3,400₡ (GoI) + Cloaked 750₡ (SCUM) + Remote Activation 100₡ (SCUM)
Weight: 0.5 kg

This tiny device is concealed in a baffling shroud which masks its signature and disguises it as an ornate necklace, when remotely activated via one of the paired cufflinks the scrambler emits a low-frequency wave that scrambles all video, audio, and holographic recording within its area of effect, while leaving normal conversation unaffected.

The Vid-Vox Scrambler prevents all video, audio, and holographic recording in the squares adjacent to and the square including the device. Anyone eavesdropping or reviewing recordings of targets protected by an interference generator must make a DC 30 Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception) or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check to pick up only scattered words and phrases. A Vid-Vox Scrambler can operate continuously for one week on a single Energy Cell, or it can be connected to a Power Generator or other permanent power source.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.

Remote activation allows the item to be activated with a signal from a Comlink or similar Communications Device (in this case the one of the paired cufflinks). Activating a remote is a Swift Action. The range of Remote Activation is determined by the Communications Device used. Any Comlink can be used to activate the gear, sending a signal with a specific code along a specific frequency. A character aware of a piece of remotely activated gear can find the necessary frequency and activation code with a DC 30 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.

Base Cost: 25,000₡ (FUCG) + Cloaked 750₡ (SCUM )+ Remote Activation 100₡ (SCUM)
Weight: 0.5 kg

A Holoshroud is an advanced form of Holoprojector that places a stored holographic image of a creature over the form of the whoever is wearing the Holoshroud. This cloaked model takes the form of an ornate magnetically adhering broach and creates a nearly perfect visual illusion that moves, acts, and reacts with the wearer. It can store a single holographic image to disguise the wearer, though it can be changed if the user has access to other holographic images and makes a DC 15 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.

Using a Holoshroud gives you a +10 Equipment bonus on Deception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Deception) checks made to produce a Deceptive Appearance (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Deceptive_Appearance) that matches the holographic image within the Holoshroud. Creating or removing this Deceptive Appearance is a Swift Action (To turn the Holoshroud on or off), which is not considered a Rushed Deception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Rushed_Deception) and does not take a -10 penalty for lacking the proper time.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.

Remote activation allows the item to be activated with a signal from a Comlink or similar Communications Device (in this case one of the paired cufflinks). Activating a remote is a Swift Action. The range of Remote Activation is determined by the Communications Device used. Any Comlink can be used to activate the gear, sending a signal with a specific code along a specific frequency. A character aware of a piece of remotely activated gear can find the necessary frequency and activation code with a DC 30 Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check.
Base Cost: Toxin Detector (GoI) 700₡ + 100₡ Bracelet Disguise (GoI) + Hypoinjector (UR )350₡ + Dual Gear (SCUM) 1,000₡
Weight: 0.5 kg

A Toxin Detector can be disguised as a bracelet or other piece of jewellery for maximum discretion, often worn by nobles, diplomats and those with many enemies, this device scans food and drink to determine if it is spoilt or contains poison. Using the device requires a Standard Action and has a range of 1 square. This Toxin Detector is set to vibrate slightly when a toxin is detected.

Additionally it has been fitted with the components of an Hypoinjector Wristband and stores up to 8 doses of vaccines, antidotes, or other medications. The bracelet also houses a bioscanner that continually scans the wearer for any foreign chemicals that the device can counteract. When a harmful substance is detected, the Hypoinjector administers the appropriate drug. Refilling the Wristband requires a Standard Action per dose or 4 rounds for the entire set. The device runs on two Energy Cells that must be replaced after 5 days of constant use.
Base Cost: 450₡ (GoI) + Cloaked (SCUM) 750₡
Weight: 0.5 kg

What appear as a dark tinted visor to screen out bright light sources is actually an expertly crafted Surveillance Detector, a small tool that scans an area for eavesdropping devices and Surveillance Taggers (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Surveillance_Tagger). When activated, the Surveillance Detector grants a +10 Equipment bonus to Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception) checks for locating active or passive Surveillance Devices within 6 squares of the detector. When such attempts are detected it can be set to either display the presence of eavesdropping devices via a HUD inside the visor or to emit a sound from the micro speakers mounted above the ears of the wearer.

Cloaked Equipment has it's energy signatures baffled, any noises it makes muffled, it's appearance camouflaged and slenderized, and it comes with a case that allows it to be placed in an inconspicuous location. When not in use, such Equipment imposes a -5 penalty on any Perception (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Perception)or Use Computer (https://swse.fandom.com/wiki/Use_Computer) check made to detect it. When in use, it imposes only a -2 penalty on such checks.


Asanguire, Ready Room

Sylf sensed the ripples of a strong presence moving through the ether, it was approaching the room and in its wake another moved, these two must be the others.

Before he could contemplate things further the ensign spoke,


"Sir! Welcome aboard. My apologies Sir! I didn't hear you enter the room."

Sylf glided towards their host allowing the diagnostic device to begin scanning the food as he readied his reply, "Greetings.", the shadow he had sensed gave way to substance in the shape of a red cloaked ... Yakora.

"My name is Siefel, and I'll be your senior inquisitor for this mission."

The disguised Umbaran raised an eyebrow, the first Yakoran he had ever seen and the Senior Inquisitor. Sylf had only just begun to process this new interesting piece of information when the other force user's presence filled the room in a sudden rush.

"Look at this line up..."

This one had the bearing of a warrior, armoured, scarred and with a strong forceful demeanor, yet not without her charms.

"I am Acina Dro. I will be your pilot. Among other things."

Sylf raised a hand apologetically to Ensign Corrus, as if to say, forgive the interruptions, when a lithe black clad form gracefully interjected in the languid cant of a Cathar, "Absolutely purrr-fect," she said skewering a sandwich before finishing with a flourish, "And I..." , a devious grin splitting her face, "I know how a Jedi thinks."

When the Umbaran Inquisitor thought there could be no other surprises, their number was now complete, four of the Empire's finest. A droid the make and type, the likes of which he had never seen before scuttled into the room.

It seemed to be all arms and legs, and there was the hint of something...ineffable, an anomalous uniqueness that went beyond its odd physiology.

"Designation TH-30. Slicer, technician, mechanic."

Well then.

He turned once again to catch the eye of the likely equally overwhelmed ensign, before bowing slightly towards the crimson cloaked Yokora, "Senior Inquisitor Siefel", he turned towards Acina, "Inquisitor Dro" and the Cathar closest to him, "Inquisitor" he said with a coy smile and nod, "And TH-30..." a bemused tone in his voice.

Placing a hand upon his chest he continued, "Inquisitor Vyndir, a simple agent of truth and servant of the Empire." Introductions completed he turned his attention back to the red robed Yakora.

"Master Siefel, if I may be so bold as to request we make way to rendezvous with the Adamant as soon as possible, I am quite eager to begin my examinations of the scene of the ... incident."

[RandomLunatic]

"Pleasure to meet you," Siefel said in his crisp Coruscanti accent as the introductions were made.

Then he acknowledged Sylf. "No sense in tarrying now that everyone's here." He triggered the wall intercom unit. "EV-14, has all the cargo been loaded?"

[Phobia]

“Sagwa.” The Cathar said before winking at Sylf, a moment after he acknowledged her, as if her name as less important than the task at hand. Then he plucked a small cookie from it’s tray and chomped it down, savoring it in her mouth. The Jedi way was dedicated to the bland and this was just so much more sweet.

[TankLaser007]

Sylf smiled at the Cathar, "Inquisitor Sagwa" he said scooping up a sandwich and taking a small bite, as he surveyed the assembled group of Imperial agents.

[Phobia]

"I like the way you say that." The Cathar cooed, leaning back against the services table and giving the, as far as she knew, handsome human a seductive look. "Oh hum I wonder how many hours we have till we arrive... and what we could do to.. fill that time." She continued suggestively, before laughing a short hollow cackle and running her fingers through the hair on her head. It was rather startling.

[RandomLunatic]

Siefel briefly toyed with breaking the news to Sagwa, but decided it would be more amusing not to interfere.

In a neutral voice apparently oblivious to Sagwa's putting the moves on Sylf, Siefel said, "I can never say no to a hand of sabaac."

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


As the others spoke, Acina moved into the command station of the Decimator. Tough she didn't appear to be paying attention, her ears were alert, and as the other spoke the Inquisitor noted names, titles and, perhaps more importantly, what wasn't said

Furthermore, the fact that she and the Ensign were the only human-looking individuals on the bridge was not lost on Acina. Hailing from her feudal planet in which the races were a single hegemony, ideas such as 'race' and 'species' extended only so far in her mind as clan membership...at least until she came out into space. Perhaps it was fortunate that Acina's first introduction to the myriad beings of the galaxy was through the more cooperative eye of the Republic.

Moving through the middle of the group, Acina's tall figure stopped at the buffet where one hand reached out and dextrously snatched up a crystaline spirits glass with her right hand. With her left she poured herself a glass of Sunfruit liquor - a sweet drink with a high alcoholic kick. This task complete, she then used the provided ice pick to break the small slab of ice in its container and grabbed a couple of the frosted rocks to put into her glass. Sunfruit liquor on the rocks. Delicious.

Her drink complete, the stormtrooper-armored Inquisitor moved around the central command island and went to stand behind the pilots chair where she was able to stare through the hexagonal eye of the Decimator and into the great vastness of space beyond.

Taking a sip of her beverage, Acina swirled the sweet, fruity bright-hot liquid around in her mouth before swallowing it all down. "Mmm..." she exhaled softly, before turning and facing everyone else. When she spoke, Acina's voice was slow and deliberate, possessing a sonorous quality that made her smooth to listen to.

"Our specific mission is not yet known, only a destination and that the presence of four of His Majesty's Inquisitors are required. I only know your names. Your qualities are unknown to me, as are mine to you. However, know that the Emperor expects nothing less than our utmost effort beyond what we believe we capable. I have never tasted the shame of defeat in service to His Name, and I have no intention of starting now. "

Acina then held her drinking glass up, while her other hand was tucked behind her against the small of her back.

"Inquisitors; for the Emperor and Empire."

[Xetheral]

Ensign Corrus greets each Inquisitor politely as they arrive. In typical organic fashion, she doesn't acknowledge TH-30, although she does steal a few curious glances at the droid's unusual configuration. She blushes at the compliments about the food, and anyone who is paying attention can tell she is pleased. Once all the Inquisitors have arrived, she steps into the adjacent galley and makes herself busy, leaving the door open so that she can hear any requests for assistance from her superiors. Hearing Sagwa's inquiry regarding travel time, she sticks her head back into the room and politely speaks up:


"Travel time from Brentaal IV to the Lantillian Sector is about three and a half days, Sir. It will be another 18 hours or so after that to reach the capital at Lantillies."

In response to Siefel's inquiry over the intercom, EV-14 replies:


"Almost, although there appear to be multiple manifest errors. This ship's typical loadout include a crate of thermal detonators, but such has been omitted from the manifest. I am interfacing with my counterparts on the logistics station, and I am confident that I can have the mixup resolved and the detonators delivered in no more than 41 hours. We can depart after that."

[RandomLunatic]

"Could you have the crate forwarded to the Lantillian sector?" Siefel asked, mindful of time constraints.

[Xetheral]

There is a lengthy pause. Eventually EV-14 replies, sounding both perplexed and perhaps a bit irked:


"You wish to depart without all of the standard supplies? Very well.... I will make the necessary arrangements."

[TankLaser007]

Sylf breathed a sigh of relief , not only with the welcomed interruptions to a possibly uncomfortable (or maybe comfortable) complications with the obviously dangerous Cathar Inquisitor but at the resolution of the unacceptable news of a possible forty plus hour delay.

Taking in hand a sealed bottle of water he opened it and raised it up in response to Acina's toast, "For Emperor and Empire."

[RandomLunatic]

"There has to be thermal detonators somewhere in the Lantilles sector, EV-14. We'll pick them up there. Ensign Corrus, get us underway and en route to Lantillies with all haste."

Then he reachedo ut with the force to retrieve a glass to join the toast.

"As for me, my specialty is sentients. Charming, bluffing, controlling, interrogating, or sewing them back up.

"While we wait for command to get its act together and send us a proper briefing. we can occupy ourselves by reviewing what we do know-the Adamant's after-action report." He walked across the room, calling a sandwich from the table to his waiting hand while punching in a query into one of the control units.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro

Acina nodded in response to Sylf joining her in a toast to mission, clan and warlord, before taking a sip.

When the ensign was assigned to 'get us underway', she would need to approach the pilots pod that was in the deck above - however, Acina was currently blocking the path via her standing position.

Locking eyes with the ensign, holding the gaze for several long moments of unspoken communication that not only would she not move, but that the ensign was infringing on one of her duties.

"Thank you Ensign, that will be all," Acina gave a small nod to the girl.

Turning back to look at EV-14, Acina spoke up, "Siefel is right; 41 hours i too long to wait for some explosives. We could almost reach the system by that time. Are there any other provisions not yet aboard the ship?"

As she asked this, Acina had one hand around the railing of the ladder that she would ascend to the upper deck so that she could plonk herself down in the pilots chair.

[Xetheral]

Ensign Corrus acknowledged Siefel's order, and moved to exit the Ready Room to head to the bridge, but found the door blocked by Acina Dro. She looked uncertain for a moment, as she interpreted Acina's conflicting instruction, but then nodded and returned to the galley.

Over the intercom, EV-14 responded to Acina Dro's question:


"Yes, everything else is aboard and will momentarily be adequately stowed for undocking maneuvers. Proper organization of our cargo can be handled in-flight."

Siefel pulls up what you have from Rear Admiral Wilbar's after-action report concerning the battle between the Adamant and the local defense forces. Frustratingly, it's just a lightly annotated excerpt from a much larger report, and it's missing key context regarding how the battle started. What you can deduce is that the Adamant had recently taken on prisoners consisting of both an LDF crew and the crew of a merchant vessel. During the battle, other LDF ships boarded the Adamant, and (among other targets) raided the cell block. The cell block took heavy damage from personal weapons, and the excerpt centers on a highlighted description of several security doors and a bulkhead that were apparently cut through with a lightsaber. The highlighted passage is tersely labeled: "There. Send some of your best." Other interesting information can be found in the message headers still attached to the excerpt. You received the excerpt along with your orders from Special Assistant Paurda, who was forwarded the message by High Inquisitor Cereas, who in turn received it from the Grand Inquisitor. The direct message chain ends there, but some remaining metadata indicate that the Grand Inquisitor received it from outside the Imperial Intelligence network, sent by someone on a Star Destroyer deployed to an unknown location. Given that only two people in the Empire would dare order about the Grand Inquisitor so brusquely, and only one of them was likely to be on a deployed Star Destroyer at the time, it is reasonable to infer the the excerpt and its attached directive originated with Lord Vader.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro

Satisfied with the droids report, Acina gave a general nod of approval.

"Good! I will run a pre-flight check and soon get us moving."

With that, and without issuing any other orders, commands, notes or quips, Acina turned and ascended the ladder to the deck above them using only a single hand on the ladder - her other was clasping her drink.

On the second deck, Acina smiled at the sight of the cockpit and pilots chair, her familiarity with the genera TIE design assisting her greatly in making her feel at home.

"So, anything to confess straight away?" she spoke to no-one-in-particular. Indeed, she may have been speaking to the ship itself.

Moving forward, putting herself in the pilots chair and taking another sip of her drink, Acina reached forward wth her free hand and begun stabbing buttons, flicking switches and initiating pre-flight checks.

"Because if you have secrets to hide, I will find them," she smiled to herself, giving the dash-board an affectionate pat as she sat back in her chair and took another sip.

[Xetheral]

The rest of the trip to the Lantillian Sector passes uneventfully. Ensign Corrus does an excellent job of being readily available when required, and scarce when not needed, exactly as a (very) junior officer should. EV-14 remains something of a pain when directly addressed, but otherwise appears competent at managing the cargo hold and making sure the stored munitions are readily available in the walk-in equipment locker. It is occasionally heard muttering about thermal detonators.

Acina Dro finds the ship easy enough to fly: it doesn't handle nearly as well as the Warsong, but it's just as fast. The ship has an astromech, R3-S1, that serves as a capable-yet-silent copilot.

TH-3 takes over astrogation duties, managing to cut nearly a day off the estimated travel time by calculating more-aggressive routes. TH-3 also does a complete mechanical assessment of the ship, finding that it is in well-maintained condition, with no obvious faults. The ship's hardware is mostly stock, with the only modifications being the the addition of a combat thruster, the holding cells/interrogation chamber, the medical bay, and the hypertransceiver. The base model is already quite high-performance by Imperial standards, and only one area jumps out as in dire need of upgrading: the ship lacks a navicomputer, which is unusual in a ship this size. Between TH-3 and R3-S1, your immediate navigation needs are covered, but installing a navicomputer would make even-more-aggressive routes easier. The ship has no spare power for a navicomputer, however, so installing one would require cannibalizing other systems, or using up cargo space for bulky components.

The others find the journey relatively boring. The ship is cramped and not particularly luxurious, although Ensign Corrus's cooking goes a long way towards making life more pleasant--apparently she stocked a variety of non-standard foodstuffs, which makes for a very pleasant change from the rations usually found aboard military ships. Unfortunately there just isn't much to do: even once the intel packet finally arrives (after you're in the Lantillian Sector, and only a few hours before you reach Lantillies itself, it's exceptionally bare-bones, providing mostly background information rather than actionable intelligence.

[Xetheral]

Chapter One: First Look
Asanguire, In Orbit of Lantillies

https://images2.sw-cdn.net/product/picture/710x528_28449201_13688192_1564679994.jpg

Asanguire, Ready Room

Finally, you drop out of lightspeed above the city-world of Lantillies. The planet is a monotonous sprawl of urban development, with uniform buildings that make it far less exciting to look at from orbit than Coruscant. Of more interest is the massive orbital shipyard called "The Foundry", orbiting the largest moon. The Foundry is a series of concentric rings, with the largest over 50 km in diameter. Most of the berths are relatively small, used for production of the ubiquitous GX-1 Short Hauler. In one of the handful of larger graving docks, however, is the Adamant, the heavily damaged Vindicator-class heavy cruiser whose battle sparked the current crisis.

A quick check with the local Imperial Military liaison in the capital building on Lantillies indicates that the remainder of the Lantillian Sector Fleet is in orbit of Lantillies, still commanded by Admiral Wilbar, who has transferred his flag from the Adamant to the Panther. Admiral Jarek, however, has apparently taken Task Force 4147 to Uyter, two jumps away along the Randon Run.

[RandomLunatic]

Siefel, dressed respledently in his inquisitorial garb, ordered a course set for the berth where the Adamant was undergoing repairs. The scene of the crime was as good a starting point as any.

"We've been in hyperspace the last few days," he said to the Liason's image. "What happened in Uyter?"

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro

After setting the Decimator into hyper-speed, Acina set about familiarising herself with the ship. First, she became more acquainted with the controls and diagnostics of the vessel, as that seemed likethe most sensible and accessible place to start. Once she had learned the general information she needed, the Inquisitor rubbed the metallic head of her silent co-pilot and hoisted herself up and out of the pilots chair and went for a stroll.

She inspected the general mechanics, as well as the quarters. If any of the others crossed her path, she gave them a polite nod and greeting of acknowledgement. Acina made sure to visit the engine room ad run another diagnostic there, so that she may gain an insight into the general capabilities of the ship, and by how far she could strain its capacities. Her final port of call, no pun intended, was the cargo bay, in which she witnessed the organised clutter of a hold filled with material and equipment. The lack of thermal detonators was disappointed, but as the alien had mentioned, 48 hours was simply too long to wait for their arrival.

During the trip, Acina made small talk with the others when the opportunity presented itself. They were, after all, a team sent to investigate a potential Jedi. Were they barely cohesive when they entered the fray against such a dangerous foe and his allies, the results could be disastrous. Thus, Acina made the effort to talk to and learn a little bit more about each one.

Outside of that, the Inquisitor used her small quarters to practice, reflect and meditate. She would oft sit cross legged and allow her senses to roll over the ship and its inhabitants.


oOo

When the alert blared that the ship was soon to be exiting hyperspeed, Acina casually made her way to the pilots chamber.

In one hand she was holding a piece of fruit that she had been enjoying, and when she seated herself in the pilots chair she was happy to finish the last of it before depositing the core into a little waste bin.

When Siefel gave his order, Acina did not respond. Instead, she remained seated in her chair, her hands and fingers brought up into a triangle into which she was resting her chin and mouth as she thought about the situation.

Finally, she moved her hands forward to grasp the control yoke and bring the Decimator about on trajectory for the Lantillian Sector Fleet.

Reaching across the controls, Acina stabbed a couple of keys with her right index finger to open up a secure comm channel.

"Lantillian Sector Fleet, this is Senior Inqisitor Dro of Imperial Intelligence, requesting docking and data transmission. Do you copy? Over."

[Xetheral]

The young lieutenant in the Liason's office who happened to take the call looks quite terrified to speaking with a Senior Inquisitor. He stammers: "I'm sorry Sir, I'm not briefed on why the Admiral's taken the task force to Uyter. But... um, well... it's, it's just it's not too surprising sir. The talk around the office is that the rogue LDF ships must be based in Uyter. The Uyterans are always agitating for more local authority, um... Sir."


There is a longer than normal delay in the response to Acina's transmission. When a voice does come on the line, it identifies itself a Senior Controller. No doubt the delay was caused by a junior traffic officer frantically getting his superior on the line. "Senior Inquisitor Dro. This is Senior Controller Haltper. I would be honored assist you with a priority docking approach. If you could please transmit your Imperial Intelligence identification codes we will get that set up immediately. Will you be docking with Panther, Sir? Or would you prefer a different ship?"

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acaina's flickering, blue-white-image on the holoprojector was rather expressionless while she typed in a transmission of their clearance codes.

"We are here to investigate the Adamant after its recent encounter with seditious forces," she started, her unusual accent belying the fact that Basic was not her native language. "I request that you prepare a data packet containing all surveillance footage from the Adamant during its recent engagement. Are the docking facilities on the Adamant capable of receiving us?"

[Xetheral]

The response from Senior Controller Haltper is quick and professional: "Sir, the Adamant is currently undergoing repairs at the Foundry and is not with the sector fleet. If you would please briefly hold I will transfer you to Foundry traffic control. Please note that the Foundry is not Navy controlled, and they will be unable to verify your clearance codes. I will nevertheless endeavour to convey to them the urgency of your request." There is a several minute pause before Senior Haltper concludes: "I now have Traffic Director Calin on the line. He can assist you with docking clearance with the Foundry."

A new voice comes on the line with a different accent. "This is Director Calin. I understand that you have requested clearance to dock with the Adamant, and that the Navy considers this a VIP request. Unfortunately the Adamant is actively undergoing hull repair, and for safety reasons we cannot permit direct docking at this time--too much risk of collision with the work skiffs. I can, however, clear you to Dock Alt9c. It's a cargo access point usually reserved for Foundry personnel, but it's the closest I can get you to the Adamant herself on Ring 4. Will that suffice? Or would you prefer one of the diplomatic docks near the station's central core?"

[AvatarVecna]

TH-30 idly hears the call and finishes the side-project he'd been fiddling with - if there were recordings incoming, he'd probably need to analyze the data to ensure nothing had been tampered with, just in case.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acina's flickering image did not yield much about her thoughts on the soft denial. If she was irritated, she did not show it.

"Dock Alt9c will suffice. We can arrange an inspection of the craft itself from there. Secondly, I request that you transmit all surveillance footage from inside the Adamant a day before, during and after the attack. We require it for forensic analysis."

[Xetheral]

Director Calin replies: "Very good. You are cleared for a priority approach to dock Alt9c. I am transmitting routing information now. A representative of the Foundry will meet you when you arrive, and I understand that someone from the Adamant will be present as well. Unfortunately I do not have access to Imperial Navy surveillance records, but hopefully the representative from the Adamant can assist you with that."


With a priority approach all other traffic is rerouted, and you have a clear path to the Foundry. Docking proceeds smoothly with the Asanguire's starboard airlock. The Director wasn't kidding--this is an industrial access point not intended for public use, and no attention whatsoever was paid to anything except pure functionality. The internal walls of the Foundry's airlock are bare metal, with signage relegated to painted markings made using stencils.

Waiting to meet you are a human male Imperial Navy Senior Lieutenant and a human female Lantillian Shipwrights PR officer. The latter welcomes you on board: "Welcome to the Foundry. My name is Aly Tzan, and I'm pleased to offer you whatever services Lantillian Shipwrights is able to provide. I have been assigned to you full-time, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything. This is Lt. Cori Donenq, who will be escorting you to the Adamant."

The Lieutenant nods a thanks at the PR officer, saying: "If you would follow me please, we can board the Adamant down this hallway." He starts walking that direction, adding: "I'm told you wish to view our security recordings. Due to the battle damage they are incomplete, but I am happy to escort you directly to the Adamant's security office where the records are available. The Adamant's commanding officer, Lt. Commander Malt, has instructed me to provide you with full access. He is also available to meet with you at your convenience." The Lieutenant manages a professional delivery, but it's clear he's stressed, presumably by the sudden arrival of four Inquisitors at once.

[RandomLunatic]

"I would like to see him when we are finished with the footage," said Siefel. "I also want a list of all the captives that were in the brig at the time of the raid. Including which cells they were assigned to."

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro

Acina's holographic image simply nodded, "Thank you", and then wisped out of existence.


oOo

Holding the yoke on the Decimator, Acina directed the craft towards their designated landing bay. Setting the craft down, she flicked a few buttons in the cockpit to initiate engine to cool down after the long trip.

Getting up out of her chair, she turned to the others, rolling her shoulders after the lengthy flight.

"Another happy landing," she winked.



oOo

"If you would follow me please, we can board the Adamant down this hallway."

Acina remained silent as her lightly armoured figure followed the officer troupe that had come to greet them. She remained alert, however, her eyes moving about her surroundings and her extra-sensory perceptions rolling out acro

[AvatarVecna]

TH-30 follows Acina's lead, collecting his squad as they exit the ship.

[Xetheral]

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7gos0rd92ovjAhknEc-59HwPdbUfls63Z5OGmdfep24xqKodgmjCSwbu_a9VYombG5d7_ PLVP5MhoYFPGknRtOObuVqw96lTjSZWpKV0XsrEZToas5gpfbU

Lt. Donenq leads you approximately 300 meters along the gently-curving fourth ring of the station, to where the Adamant lies berthed. As you get close, the bulk of the heavy cruiser comes into view through the intermittent windows. It's not a good angle--you can see only the forward 150 meters or so of the ship--but it's enough to see that the damage is indeed extensive. The ship took at least three direct hits just on the parts you can see. One is a crater blasted straight through the dorsal plating, destroying the foremost battery and exposing several decks beneath to open space. The other two hits are located along the thin portside belt--the damage looks less extensive from the outside, but you know that lateral hits like that can inflict brutal damage deep into the ship along the length and breadth of the affected decks. More damage is visible at over a dozen lesser sites, where the ship took glancing blows or the armor was able to mitigate much of the damage. A veritable army of workboats and repair droids are congregated around the damaged areas, cutting away wrecked metal and beginning to replace the damaged plating.

Based on the details of the blast patterns, you estimate that all three direct hits were likely caused by capital-grade anti-ship missiles, rather than turbolaser fire. In contrast, the lesser impact points are indeed probably turbolaser hits, each partially mitigated by the cruiser's shields to the point that the armor absorbed most of what was left. Even so, you know from experience that turbolaser hits with that much scorching tend to cause localized internal damage, even when the armor isn't penetrated outright.
Access to the Adamant is via a gangway amidships. A security checkpoint manned by both Lantillian Shipwrights and Imperial Navy personnel controls entry, reinforced by eight Stormtroopers. This is particularly heavy security, even considering that the cruiser is docked at a commercial facility. As you approach, the Navy personnel and the stormtroopers come to attention, and the Lantillian Shipwrights personnel noticeably straighten. The Imperial Junior Lt. supervising the checkpoint requires Lt. Donenq to provide his code cylinder, but makes no move to request credentials from any of you. Once the code cylinder is verified, the Stormtroopers step back from the gangway, and offer a crisp salute in unison.

Ships smaller than Star Destroyers usually carry Imperial Troopers rather than Stormtroopers. Either the Adamant is an unusual case, or these troops are not part of the ship's normal complement.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acina follows the Lieutenant with her eyes watching those around her, both her own party (those to her sides) and the surrounding personnel. For someone who grew up on a feudal world, the logistics and technology of the modern world was still a wonder to her.

The presence of stormtroopers, however, caught Acina's eye. Weren't they normally assigned to larger vessels? They were performing a task usually assigned to Imperial naval troopers, rather than the "elite" of the Empire. Nevertheless, when Acina is granted access, she makes sure to return the Stormtroopers salute with a smaller, more casual but acknowledging one of her own.

"Not enough naval troopers, Lieutenant?" Acina asks under her breath when Lt. Doneng continues with his escort and they've left the ear-shot of the check-point.

[Xetheral]

Lt. Donenq nods to Acina as he leads the group down the gangway. Yes, Sir: of our original complement of 400, over half were casualties of the battle. Many will recover in time, but for near-term security we've been assigned a battalion of the 392nd Legion from the Mauler. I'm told there is concern that the locals may try to target the Adamant again, while it's being repaired. There are checkpoints--three deep--isolating this segment of Ring 4 from the rest of the Foundry, and additional stormtroopers stationed a critical points onboard the Adamant.


After passing another checkpoint of Stormtroopers at the Adamant's portside main hatch, Lt. Donenq leads you through corridors swarming with techs and repair drones on a circuitous route to the security office. He apologizes for the inefficient path, saying: "I'm sorry we can't take a more direct route. Several of the ship's major passageways were breached, and some are currently in vacuum while the hull is being repaired."

Finally he leads you into a large office heavily fortified behind substantial blast doors. The room is mostly circular, with consoles around the periphery facing inwards towards a large holo projector that dominates the center of the room. Currently shown on the projector is a frozen image of one of the Adamant's external cameras. The room has sufficient working space for over a dozen, but the room is empty other than an Ensign standing next to the holo projector. He salutes crisply when you come in, saying: "Lieutenant, the footage you requested has been queued and is ready for display." Lt. Donenq nods and closes the blast doors, isolating the room from the bustle of the corridor, replying: "Very good Ensign, please start the playback."

The Ensign nods at the Lieutenant then turns towards your group: "When the battle began, the Adamant was assisting a Local Defense Force gunship with a customs enforcement action against a commercial freighter. The freighter's crew was arrested and was being processed in our detention center, with interrogations scheduled for later that day. The crew of the gunship was also on board, temporarily housed in one of our mess halls, and the Admiral was scheduled to meet with the gunship's senior officers. Before that could happen, six more Local Defense Force gunships emerged from hyperspace and opened fire."


On the holoprojector the image unfreezes, and just as the Ensign has narrated, six small, blocky-looking capital ships can be seen emerging from hyperspace at close range, unleashing a wave of unsynchronized turbolaser fire.

The ships seen in the image are Lantillian Cruisers, a locally-produced variant of the Corellian Gunship. Unlike most capital ships, the Correllian Gunship mounts its turbolasers individually, rather than in batteries. Based on the visual evidence of uncoordinated fire, you can surmise that the turbolasers on the Lantillian Cruiser variant are similarly configured. You do notice one difference: most Correllian Gunships mount Double Turbolasers, but these local ships appear to instead mount a smaller number of Quad Turbolasers.
The Ensign continues: "We're not set up here in the security center for a tactical review of the battle, so I've sped up the remaining footage, choosing exterior cameras with some of the more notable viewpoints.


The holoprojector shows a professional-quality montage of exterior footage. A tactical analysis is difficult without records from a tactical plot, but the footage shows how the gunships wore down the Adamant's shields with turbolaser fire, before firing a barrage of capital antiship missiles that rock the larger ship. After the missiles hit, return fire from the Adamant slows to a trickle, and the four still-operational gunships close in for boarding.

"The damage from the missiles was nearly catastrophic. Although they avoided shooting the reactor, the hull was breached in numerous places, and cascading system failures left many unbreached areas with limited or no power or life-support. The detention center lost main power, but cameras that were still getting auxiliary power captured enough images to indicate a coordinated breakout by the captured freighter crew. I've taken the liberty of compiling the best vantage points, but we're also assembling a complete records of all the still-operating cameras in that section of the ship for you to review later.


The external images are replaced with internal views showing darkened corridors with flickering emergency lighting. Hand-to-hand fighting with Imperial Troopers is visible in the early footage, but usually at the edge of a frame or at long distance--none of the vantage points are ideal. Once the prisoners gets their hands on the Trooper's blasters, the conflict switches to a firefight, with the Imperial Troopers on the losing end.

"When the boarding alarm sounded many of the Imperial Troopers stationed in the detention center moved to their assigned anti-boarding duty stations in other sections of the ship. It is unknown how the prisoners got out of their cells--with the power out there should have been no way to open them--but once they did they were able to surprise and overwhelm the remaining troopers. Our internal analysis suggests that the prisoners were mostly non-combatants, but that among the crew were several with significant weapons training who lead the breakout. Under normal circumstances, even prisoners who manage to take control of the detention block would find themselves trapped behind impenetrable blast doors. In this case, however, they managed to bypass the door. We only have indirect footage, but I believe this part may be of the most interest to you."


The holoprojector shows an almost featureless, dark image. Suddenly the image is indirectly illuminated by bright blue-white light coming from outside of the camera's field of view. You can see that you're looking at the detention block's control center, with both main and emergency lighting completely non-functional. The blue-white glow is coming from the direction where the blast door normally is. As you watch a series of molten-metal sparks come flying into the camera's field of view, looking like the byproduct of a welding torch.

The Ensign continues: "Meanwhile, a small number of enemy troops were boarding the Adamant through the hull breaches. What they lacked in numbers, they made up for in firepower. With shipboard communications down, power erratic, and life-support problems dominating much of the crew's attention, we were unable to repel the boarders."


The holoprojector shows boarders in bulky spacesuits encountering a larger number of Imperial Troopers at what should have been a defensible chokepoint. Instead, the intruders fire some kind of missiles from launchers built-in to their suits, which not only incinerate the chokepoint, but also blow outwards through the hull. The few imperial survivors are sucked out into space, along with the security camera itself, whose vantage point suddenly stops as its cabling is ripped out of the wall by the force of the decompression.

Although the boarders are not wearing Imperial-issue gear, both of you note similarities to the Space Trooper armor worn by Zero-gravity stormtroopers. The standard armament of those suits includes miniature proton-torpedo launchers, which appear to be the weapons employed against the chokepoint.
"Two of the boarding groups headed for the detention center. We can infer that they met up with the escaped prisoners several corridor junctions away from the detention center, but unfortunately there were no cameras in that section functional at the time. They were in that area and out of sight of cameras for over ten minutes, and we are unsure what they were doing during that time. Afterwards, the boarders cut a path to the nearest airlock, destroying the troopers defending it, and overriding the controls. One of the gunships then moved to dock with that lock, and extracted the boarders and the escaped prisoners.

The other two groups of boarders split up, with one heading towards the mess hall where the gunship crew was waiting. They easily defeated the troopers watching over the crew, and escorted their comrades to an airlock that the second group of boarders had already secured, and where a gunship was docked and waiting. While the crew was being evacuated several of the boarders mounted an assault towards the bridge, but we believe this was a successful diversion to distract defensive resources--they retreated as soon as their comrades were safe."


The holoprojector shows a montage of out-gunned Imperial Troopers trying to defend the main access point to the bridge, and the resulting confusion (and relief) when the assailants retreat rather than pressing their attack.

"We don't know whether the attackers planned to destroy the Adamant after departing. The Panther and the rest of the Imperial Sector Fleet arrived nearby, and the surviving gunships fled. They fired several more missiles, but not at the Adamant--instead they fired at, and destroyed, the two wrecks of the gunships that the Adamant had been able to take down before being overwhelmed.

[RandomLunatic]

Siefel watched the holos impassively. When it was done, he asked, "And what became of the freighter in all this mess?"

[Xetheral]

The Ensign flushes slightly, caught off-guard by the question. "I'm... I'm sorry Sir, but I don't know." He turns to Lt. Donenq, asking: "Sir, might you have been briefed on the disposition of the freighter?"

The Lieutenant considers a moment, before answering: "Officially, the Adamant was assisting with a customs enforcement, so I would presume it got turned over to the locals to be impounded, but I don't know for sure. Unofficially, bringing aboard the entire crew of the gunship undertaking the customs action is hardly typical, but whether or not that affected the ultimate disposition of the freighter is above my pay grade. Lt. Commander Malt would be able to answer that question, and is available on the bridge to meet with you at your convenience, Sir."

[RandomLunatic]

Giving no reaction to their professed ignorance, Siefel plowed onward. "Then I'll need that list of prisoners I asked for. Were there any prisoners in custody before the Adamant went to assist the local vessel?"

After some thought, he added, "I'll also need a list of all personnel classified as 'Missing in Action' from this raid."

He turned hsi focus on the young Ensign. "These holos. Can you overlay the positions of all working security cameras and troops?"

[Xetheral]

It's readily apparent that the Ensign was specifically assigned to compile the holo-footage (and is presumably quite skilled at the task, given the short period of time he had to assemble this presentation), but is not otherwise particularly well-informed.

Accordingly, Lieutenant Donenq fields the follow-up questions. "I will have the list of prisoners assembled and provided to you as soon as possible. The primary computers in the detention block were destroyed in the breakout, but we can retrieve the list from the automated backups. I do know that there were no other prisoners at the time--as the fleet flagship the Adamant does not often have prisoners aboard. I will also get you the MIA list. If I remember correctly there are 39 MIA, all of whom were in areas that suffered hull breeches either during the missile attack or during the subsequent boarding."

The direct question to the Ensign receives another slightly-panicked look, but the Ensign swallows and manages an articulate reply: "I'm sorry Sir, the individual camera feeds are tagged with corridor numbers, but I have no way to automatically cross-reference the corridor numbers to our internal schematics to create the requested overlay. With a large enough team I could do it manually, Sir, but it could take days to create that kind of graphic, Sir. And that's just for the cameras. Reconstructing troop movements would be harder, Sir, as those aren't logged in a database--we'd have to take the list of movement orders that were issued during the fight, and then check unit reports and what camera evidence we have to see where those orders were successfully executed, and where our troops were impeded by damage to the ship or enemy action, Sir."

It might take these humans days, but you're a whole lot better at this than they are. With access to the raw data camera data and a full ship's schematic, you suspect you could plot the available camera positions in just a few hours, or maybe up to half a day if the location tags on the cameras aren't sufficiently precise. As the Ensign says, however, adding troop movements to such a graphic would be much more complicated, and the quality and accuracy of the eventual result would depend heavily on the completeness of the available records made during the battle.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro

Acina watched the events unfold over the holoprojector, with the Lieutenants commentary filling in the blanks for anything she could not discern for herself visually.

Everything was far too convenient for her. As the Lieutenant said, sending a heavy cruiser to detain the crew of a mere freighter for a customs dispute?

Then soon after, six gunships that should have been with the Local Defense Force, hop out of hyperspeed at just right position to ambush the Adamant just enough so that they could board it. And when they did board the vessel, they knew exactly where to go, when to go and how to go and when to leave.

Furthermore, the gunship crew was being held in a mess hall, a rather unconventional holding place - yet the boarders knew where they were.

And Acina was to believe that such a pin-point operation could be pulled off by outsiders on the fly, with no inside knowledge or help?

"Lieutenant, I want a comm analysis of all communications traffic sent to and from the Adamant from the moment the freighters crew was apprehended, as well as from the area in general. I also want a personnel manifest, including who has been accounted for, who went MIA and who was KIA, and I want this cross-checked with all crew members who have access to any form of communications."

[AvatarVecna]

TH-30 was eyeing the footage, gauging the skill of the ensign responsible. For a slapped-together presentation it was better than he had truly expected from someone so green - did the Ensign have significant training or a previous interest in such things, or was the presentation less improvised than it had been made out to be? Certainly the broad strokes of the battle presented were plagued with coincidences in the enemy's favor. Then...


The direct question to the Ensign receives another slightly-panicked look, but the Ensign swallows and manages an articulate reply: "I'm sorry Sir, the individual camera feeds are tagged with corridor numbers, but I have no way to automatically cross-reference the corridor numbers to our internal schematics to create the requested overlay. With a large enough team I could do it manually, Sir, but it could take days to create that kind of graphic, Sir. And that's just for the cameras. Reconstructing troop movements would be harder, Sir, as those aren't logged in a database--we'd have to take the list of movement orders that were issued during the fight, and then check unit reports and what camera evidence we have to see where those orders were successfully executed, and where our troops were impeded by damage to the ship or enemy action, Sir."

TH-30 turns to face Acina's direction. "If this will assist our investigation significantly, I can set myself to the task of cross-referencing and graphic creation. Clarifying camera positions and points-of-view in the overlay shouldn't take too long, although adding troop movements would be more difficult. The accuracy of the available information would be the greatest obstacle to such efforts, but given access to their systems for a day I could get done what's possible and determine the accuracy for myself. Your call, sir."

The obvious additional benefit was left unspoken: with full access to their systems for a day, if there were any digital signs of treachery or deception to uncover, TH-30 would be able to do so.

[Xetheral]

While Acina and TH-30 discuss options, the Lieutenant goes to one of the consoles, and begins pulling up information. When there is a lull in the conversation, he interjects:

"Sirs, I have the personnel reports you asked for. There were 421 KIA, and 39 MIA. Of those killed, twelve had access to general communications, including two com specialists on the bridge who were killed when their console overloaded, and ten TIE pilots who have access to ship-to-ship communications on their fighters--four managed to launch and were shot down, the other six died when the main hangar took a hit. The rest of the KIA, and all of the MIA, were troopers, engineering, and support personnel, none of whom had access to general communications. Some of the trooper officers and more senior personnel had access to the automated distress call system, but that system wasn't activated until after the battle started, at which point the enemy cruisers had jammed our communications anyway. The list of wounded who had access to the general communications systems is much longer. Would you like that list as well?

The communication records themselves cannot be accessed with my clearance level--the commanding officer can assist you with that, or any of the bridge communications staff. It is my understanding, however, that not even they have access to the Admiral's communication records--you may need to contact his staff on the Panther to see the Admiral's logs from when he was onboard."

[RandomLunatic]

Siefel nodded at the droid. "Get the camera overlay first, then start adding the troops."

Then he turned to the lieutenat. "Take me to see the the lieutenant commander now."

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acina listened to the Lieutenant's response to her request, a simple nod at the end the only sign that she was absorbing anything that he said.

"Yes, please transfer them to TH-30 here," she requested, gesturing to the droid as she thought about how the terrorist cell was so well informed, practiced and operated at such precision while acting on such short term notice. It'd be impressive even for Imperial Storm commandos to achieve such a feat.

"Analyse the data TH-30 and present a list of potential candidates..." Acina did not have to continue further to relay her suspicions to the droid: she believed there was a mole on board the ship and it sent out a message to the terrorist cell when some of its VIPs were apprehended on the detained freighter.

[Xetheral]

Adamant, Security Command Center

The Lieutenant hands the Ensign a code cylinder, and the Ensign moves quickly to set up TH-30 with access. (TH-30 now has legitimate access to the Adamant's central computer as if it was a Senior Lieutenant.)

Once you've downloaded the data, you have several options for where to perform the requested analysis. The fastest option would be to program the Adamant's computer to do most of the grunt work--it's not as intelligent as you are, but it has a lot more parallel processing capability than you do. The downside to this approach is that your results would be visible to others with access to the Adamant's systems. You could instead segregate part of the network, but commandeering the necessary resources and then sealing them off will be evident to just about every systems tech on the ship. Still, they aren't likely to object.

Alternatively, for more privacy, you could move the data to the Asanguire and perform the calculation there. That ship doesn't have nearly the same amount of processing power as the Adamant, but while it's docked a higher fraction of its available processing time is unused. You estimate it would take about 50% longer to complete the analysis using the Asanguire than it would using the Adamant.

Finally, you're no typical droid, and you could perform all of the grunt work on your own internal processor. You estimate this would take about twice as long as making use of the Adamant.

In all three cases you wouldn't need to babysit your programs--once they're set up you can catch up with the group while the analysis runs in the background. (You'd lose your Scomp link EQ bonus if you're on the move, but keep the overlapping Friendly/Helpful EQ bonus, so it's basically a wash.)

Both ships have an INT 18, a 19 Will defense, and start at Friendly. With your skill bonus improving access to helpful would be automatic, but also is not necessary--whether or not do so is your call.

Please make a Use Computer check to perform the analysis. You can't fail--the check result is simply to see whether you manage to beat your time estimate or produce an unusually high-quality result. Accordingly, please indicate whether TH-30 is emphasizing speed or quality or going for an even mix.

If you want to do anything else while you are in the Adamant's system, please let me know.
The Lieutenant then makes a very brief comm call informing the bridge that he's on his way. He address the inquisitors, saying: "If you would please follow me, I will take you to see the Lt. Commander."


Adamant, Bridge

The Vindicator-class Heavy Cruiser is an older model of Imperial Ship, and lacks the sunken control stations seen on Imperial Star Destroyers. Still, the bridge for a ship this large is quite substantial, with over two dozen crew manning their stations. There are also a few repair technicians evident, repairing damaged consoles. It doesn't appear the bridge took any direct battle damage, but did suffer from power surges that destroyed equipment and caused casualties.

Lt. Commander Lawrence Malt, captain of the Adamant and until-recently the Flag Captain of the Imperial Sector Fleet (he lost that designation when the Admiral moved his flag to the Panther), is an imposing human man well over 2 meters in height. You would estimate he's in his 40's. He greets the group of Inquisitors deferentially, and leads you to his small office adjacent to the bridge. In addition to the captain's desk there is a small conference table that seats 6. He takes a seat in his chair behind his desk and invites you to take a seat at the table if you wish. Finally, he thanks and excuses Lt. Donenq, who closes the door as he leaves. "Now then," says Lt. Commander Malt, "I'm not surprised the Inquisition has taken an interest, but I am surprised to see so large a group. I can only infer that the attack on my ship is even more significant than I realized. Please, tell me how I can best be of service to you." He seems earnest and friendly, but it's evident that he's tired and under a great deal of stress trying to deal with the aftermath of the crippling attack on his ship.

[RandomLunatic]

"This affair has piqued the interest of some very important individuals. Needless to say, failure to produce results will be very unpleasant," Siefel said as he took a seat, then folded his hands on the table in front of him and looked Malt in the eyes.

"It's obvious this attack was planned well in advance. On question remaining is if it was meant for the Imperial Navy in general, or if the Adamant was specifically targeted.

"Who would have known the vessel's position?"

[AvatarVecna]

Once you've downloaded the data, you have several options for where to perform the requested analysis. The fastest option would be to program the Adamant's computer to do most of the grunt work--it's not as intelligent as you are, but it has a lot more parallel processing capability than you do. The downside to this approach is that your results would be visible to others with access to the Adamant's systems. You could instead segregate part of the network, but commandeering the necessary resources and then sealing them off will be evident to just about every systems tech on the ship. Still, they aren't likely to object.

Alternatively, for more privacy, you could move the data to the Asanguire and perform the calculation there. That ship doesn't have nearly the same amount of processing power as the Adamant, but while it's docked a higher fraction of its available processing time is unused. You estimate it would take about 50% longer to complete the analysis using the Asanguire than it would using the Adamant.

Finally, you're no typical droid, and you could perform all of the grunt work on your own internal processor. You estimate this would take about twice as long as making use of the Adamant.

In all three cases you wouldn't need to babysit your programs--once they're set up you can catch up with the group while the analysis runs in the background. (You'd lose your Scomp link EQ bonus if you're on the move, but keep the overlapping Friendly/Helpful EQ bonus, so it's basically a wash.)

Both ships have an INT 18, a 19 Will defense, and start at Friendly. With your skill bonus improving access to helpful would be automatic, but also is not necessary--whether or not do so is your call.

Please make a Use Computer check to perform the analysis. You can't fail--the check result is simply to see whether you manage to beat your time estimate or produce an unusually high-quality result. Accordingly, please indicate whether TH-30 is emphasizing speed or quality or going for an even mix.

If you want to do anything else while you are in the Adamant's system, please let me know.

TH-30's chest cavity opens up and his inquisitor team gets to work. He has four of them assist him on the programming, while the fifth is sent to scout out the other ship - since it has a commlink, he can get it to manually check on camera locations within the Adamant to see if they match up properly with records. It shouldn't be necessary, given access to the schematics and being able to cross-reference everything, but since he's got the extra eyes, may as well put them to work triple-checking.

The first bit of work will be getting the camera positions verified and added to the graphics. It shouldn't be difficult work, merely tedious, so he rushes this part of the job a bit in order to get to the harder part: troop movements and orders. Here, TH-30 is going to take his time getting everything properly sorted. If this takes longer than expected, that's fine since it's just a bit extra utility for the graphic. This also gives him an official excuse to request access to all communications that took place anytime even close to the time of the battle, under the pretense of meticulously placing every since person on the ship that he can. That it allows him to discover any potentially-encrypted messages from spies, or possibly find echoes of deleted messages still lingering in the system, is a happy coincidental side-effect.

[Xetheral]

Adamant, Bridge (Captain's Office)

Malt blinks at the none-too-veiled threat, but otherwise keeps his composure. He frowns as he considers the question, thinking. "Our involvement in the customs enforcement action was not planned ahead of time. Or at least, if the Admiral did plan it ahead of time, he didn't inform me or my crew. He sent me a terse order to "assist" the LDF cruiser-- whether they wanted the help or not--and to board both ships in the process and detain the crews. I know that he's been worried about corruption in the LDF for some time, so the order wasn't entirely out of the blue, but I did not know when, where, or even if he would actually take direct action. Accordingly, it seems unlikely to me that anyone outside the Admiral's staff could have had advance knowledge of where the Adamant would be."

He thinks for a moment, before adding: "That said, once we moved to intervene, the Adamant's position was obvious to both the freighter and the LDF cruiser, and both were sending messages. The LDF cruiser even sent out a distress call at one point, claiming they were under attack by the Empire. My men got it turned off quickly, but it would have been widely heard."

He finishes his reply with a bit of analysis: “So if the attack was planned ahead of time, the rebel cruisers would have needed to be waiting on standby. That’s definitely possible—there was over 90 minutes between when we joined the enforcement action and when the attack begun, and with a well-trained crew that’s enough time to bring the ship to full readiness and update an attack plan. I agree that advance planning makes the most sense--the attack was too well-executed to be a spur-the-moment assault for anyone short of elite forces.”

[Xetheral]

TH-30, Adamant, Security Command Center

In its role as a fleet command ship, the Adamant's communications logs are segregated between normal ship communications and flag communications. You have access to the metadata of both, including message origin, destination, and duration, but you only have access to the content of the normal ship communications. The content of the flag communications are encrypted, and by design the Adamant's computer does not possess the encryption key. Although this is high-level imperial encryption, you know from experience that you could break it easily. Doing so, however, might have political ramifications, so it might be preferable for one of the Senior Inquisitors to simply ask the Admiral for access.

Your initial review reveals the following off-ship communications that began or continued within three hours of the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action (in chronological order by start of transmission):


(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Brentaal IV, logged as a personal communication by a junior gunnery officer. Transmission begins 187 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to the KDY orbital shipyard at Kuat, logged as a personal communication by a senior engineering officer. Transmission begins 172 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Coruscant, logged as a personal communication by a junior bridge officer. Transmission begins 157 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(FLAG) Inbound data transmission from Windward to flag office, starting 154 minutes prior to Adamant's intervention and lasting 0 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Tinnel IV, logged as a personal communication by a junior gunnery officer. Transmission begins 142 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to an Imperial government facility on Coruscant, logged as a personal communication by a junior gunnery officer. Transmission begins 127 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(FLAG) Outbound voice transmission from flag office to Windward hangar bay, starting 114 minutes prior to Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to Bar'leth University, logged as a personal communication by two junior engineering officers. Transmission begins 112 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 30 minutes.
(SHIP) Inbound voice transmission from Windward hangar bay to hangar bay, starting 111 minutes prior to Adamant's intervention and lasting 7 minutes. (discussing TIE fighter spare parts availability)
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Corellia, logged as a personal communication by a junior security officer. Transmission begins 82 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Coruscant, logged as a personal communication by a senior navigation officer. Transmission begins 67 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Ator, logged as a personal communication by a junior engineering officer. Transmission begins 52 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to the Imperial Senate building on Coruscant, logged as a personal communication by a junior flag staff officer. Transmission begins 37 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 15 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from officer's lounge to a commercial communications facility on Danteel, logged as a personal communication by a senior bridge officer. Transmission begins 22 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention in the customs enforcement action, and lasted 12 minutes.
(FLAG) Outbound full-holo communication between flag office and Moff Horstaad's (the system governor) office, beginning 14 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention, and lasting for 113 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Shipwide announcement: general quarters sounded 10 minutes prior to the Adamant's intervention
(FLAG) Outbound voice communication from flag office to Panther, Windward, Bolt, and Streak, starting 8 minutes prior to Adamant's intervention and lasting 2 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to commercial freighter Icy Zephyr and LDFS Grunheid, starting 0 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 30 seconds. (announcing assistance and order to stand down)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from LDFS Grunheid to bridge, starting 2 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 4 minutes. (protesting assistance)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to Boarding Shuttle 1 and Boarding Shuttle 2, starting 6 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minute. (issuing order for boarding)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from LDFS Grunheid to bridge, starting 7 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 2 minutes. (protesting assistance and inbound boarding shuttle)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from LDFS Grunheid to bridge, starting 9 minutes after Adamant's intervention, connection refused, no duration.
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from LDFS Grunheid to bridge, starting 9 minutes after Adamant's intervention, connection refused, no duration.
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from LDFS Grunheid to bridge, starting 10 minutes after Adamant's intervention, connection refused, no duration.
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 1 to bridge, starting 21 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (reporting commencement of boarding Icy Zephyr)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to bridge, starting 10 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 2 minutes. (querying how to reply to direct contact from LDFS Grunheid, received orders to ignore contact and proceed)
(FLAG) Inbound full-holo communication from Lantillian Speaker's office to flag office, starting 22 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 77 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to bridge, starting 25 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minute. (reporting commencement of boarding LDFS Grunheid)
(SHIP) Inbound Distress Call from LDFS Grunheid, beginning 26 minutes after the Adamant's intervention and lasting 7 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to Boarding Shuttle 2, starting 26 minutes after the Adamant's intervention and lasting 0 minutes (ordering disabling of distress call)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Panther to bridge, starting 27 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 4 minutes. (inquiring about distress call)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 1 to bridge, starting 28 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minutes. (reporting Icy Zephyr secure)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to bridge, starting 34 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 0 minutes. (reporting success disabling distress call and LDFS Grunheid secure)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 1 to hangar bay, starting 41 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (docking protocol)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to hangar bay, starting 44 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (docking protocol)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 1 to bridge, starting 58 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minutes. (reporting redocking with Icy Zephyr)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to bridge, starting 59 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 0 minutes. (reporting redocking with LDFS Grunheid)
(FLAG) Outbound voice communication from flag office to Boarding Shuttle 1, starting 70 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 10 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to hangar bay, starting 74 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (docking protocol)
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Boarding Shuttle 2 to bridge, starting 94 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 0 minutes. (reporting redocking with LDFS Grunheid)
(FLAG) Outbound voice communication from flag office to Boarding Shuttle 2, starting 95 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 4 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to Panther, starting 99 minutes after Adamant's intervention, transmission failed, no duration.
(SHIP) Outbound Distress Call, starting 100 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 23 minutes.
(SHIP) Inbound voice communication from Panther to bridge, starting 123 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 12 minutes. (reporting arrival on-scene and coordinating securing the combat zone)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from hangar bay to TIE Squadron 1 and TIE Squadron 2, starting 124 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minutes. (ordering docking with Windward instead of Adamant)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to Boarding Shuttle 2, starting 124 minutes after Adamant's intervention, transmission failed, no duration.
(SHIP) (Multiple) Inbound acknowledgements from TIE Squadron 1 and TIE Squadron 2, starting 124 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 1 minutes.
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from damage control to Streak, starting 125 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting beyond end of queried period. (coordinating docking and damage control efforts)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to Boarding Shuttle 1, starting 125 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 4 minutes. (status update, boarding team was on Icy Zephyr during battle and is safe)
(SHIP) Outbound voice communication from bridge to TIE Fighter NL1064, starting 127 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 3 minutes. (captain praising pilot for getting out of range of jammers and contacting Panther)
(FLAG) Outbound full-holo communication from flag office to TIE Fighter NL1064, starting 132 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 2 minutes. (ENCRYPTED)
(SHIP) Outbound full-holo communication from bridge to Lantillian Shipwrights, starting 133 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting 15 minutes. (discussing immediate material needs and requesting repair tugs)
(FLAG) Outbound full-holo communication from flag office to Imperial Command, starting 170 minutes after Adamant's intervention and lasting beyond end of queried period. (ENCRYPTED)
Notes: A quick review of the personal communications does not suggest anything concerning. If you would like to review the contents of any of the (SHIP) communications in more depth, please let me know. I think this list is internally consistent. If you spot an anomaly (e.g. messages out of order), please let me know so I can double-check. Your search for hidden and deleted messages continues.

[RandomLunatic]

"So taking the cruiser's crew on board wasn't their idea? Is this normal procedure?" Siefel asked.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acina greeted the Lt. Commander with a simple nod, her demeanour rather impassive.

Listening quietly to what the man had to say for the lead up of the attack on the ship, Acina was standing near a window and peering out across the bridge of the ship, her mind suspecting a mole on board - it could be one of the very crew present in that room right now, hands on the vital implements of the ships nervous system.

"Are the local rebels known to have exhibited such...exemplary training, expertise and coordination?" Acina asked, still peering through the view-port into the bridge.

"Your ship would also include an internal security division that would possess a counter-intelligence unit: have they reported any suspicious activity in the lead up to the attack?"

[Xetheral]

Adamant, Bridge (Captain's Office)

Responding to Siefel, Lt. Commander Malt responds: "No, taking the cruiser's crew aboard was highly irregular. My understanding is that the Admiral suspects that the LDF is being bribed to smuggle goods past Imperial Customs, and is using phony customs enforcement actions as a cover for moving the illicit cargo. The boarding crews didn't find anything obviously incriminating, but the searches were ongoing at the time of the attack."

Responding to Acina, Malt responds: "The attack was the first indication that there are rebel elements in this sector, so I don't have any other incidents with which to compare their effectiveness. The Imperial Sector Fleet doesn't have a lot of interaction with the LDF, so I can't comment on their overall level of training. I remember hearing that the governor was concerned that their training was non-uniform and potentially deficient--I think he recently hired an instructor from out of the sector to help address those issues? It's important to note that the LDF is not a singular body: each planet operates their own fleet of cruisers with locally-hired crews, and the size of each planetary fleet is set by the Lantillian Assembly. Individual ships rotate between local duties, where they're primarily (ostensibly) engaged in customs enforcement to assist the overwhelmed Imperial Customs service, and serving as part of a fleet available to respond to problems throughout the sector. Given the lack of a cohesive command structure, it would not surprise me if the individual levels of training varied wildly in style and proficiency between the various planetary fleets."

"And no, there weren't any concerns raised by internal security prior to the Attack. The last such incident was almost a year ago, when a technician was found to be selling a tincture made from balo mushroom extract to the rest of the crew. He was arrested and sent out of the sector for trial. Off-hand I don't know what the sentence was, but I can search the records if you think it's important."

[RandomLunatic]

"Were any of the attackers identified? Either ships or personnel?" Siefel asked.

[Xetheral]

Adamant, Bridge (Captain's Office)

Lt. Commander Malt responds: "Not to my knowledge, but with the Adamant out of action for what appears to be months--or years--I've not been kept in the loop on the current status of the Admiral's investigation. He would have the most up-to-date information. My most-current information, sadly, involves engineering reports, materials schedules, and requisitions for replacement parts." He manages to keep his delivery professional, but from his sour tone it is clear the Lt. Commander is frustrated with the repair process.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Listening quietly to Lt. Commander Malt explain the varied abilities of the LDF's, Acina pursed her lips and nodded.

"Well whoever they are," she referred to the security hologram footage, "they're clearly very well trained, very experienced, or both. I've been part of boarding operations before, and to conduct one with that level of precision and coordination on such short notice is the work of elite zero-g troopers. I want an intel report on any suspected such units that operate within the seditionists ranks. Skill like that does not remain secret for long."

Nodding to the man, Acina turned to look at TH-30.

"How is the cross-referenced list going?"

[Xetheral]

Adamant, Bridge (Captain's Office)

Lt. Commander Malt acknowledges Acina's words, nodding his agreement with her assessment.

Adamant, Security Commander Center

As Acina's question comes in over the comm, TH-30 has finished with the communications logs.

You find no sign of deleted or hidden messages. The communications log shows no signs of irregularity. You do, however, find evidence of a skillfully-hidden intrusion into the Adamant's computer system occurring around the time the first boarders arrived. The intruder did not interact with the communications systems or logs, but did access internal security footage and records. As best you can tell, the intruder only viewed information and did not change anything. You're able to trace the original point of intrusion to a maintenance computer access point near one of the hull breeches, and from the footage near that location you're able to find a few frames showing an R-3 astromech droid accompanying the boarders. The sophistication of the intrusion, however, is far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary R3 unit.

[BananaPhone]

https://pasteall.org/media/d/f/dfa1eb335bf9a3511b375a34f6223ac3.jpg Acina Dro


Acina pursed her lips.

Bringing her comlink up so that she could speak into it, she asked:

"TH-30: what's your status with the security holo footage?"

[RandomLunatic]

"I see. And one more thing-are there any surviving recordings or personnel from the brig?"