Ryo hangs back, appearing to be utterly bored with the most current series of events, but his eyes travel about and meet those of any watching. They quickly look away, as if trying to keep Ryo's eyes from staring into their soul...
Aananda pretty much runs the poor guard into the ground. They arrive at the substation, and the guard keys in access. The doors open, and a bunch of veerry nervous looking folks are in there. An older man in uniform is standing at attention as they come in.
"Agents - my apologies for the delay. I am Captain Falkvin. How may we assist you today?" he says with unsettled formality.
"Hmmm." She looked him over critically as if she found him wanting. She walked slowly around the room, examining everything.
"I am not particularly impressed with you inefficiency thus far. I would suggest you not bring me any further disappointments today."
"As for how you can be of assistance, there is a vessel on landing pad 42. My subordinate will give you the particulars."
Tam steps up with a data stick, and plugs it into a computer terminal (which is quickly vacated by its current user).
"The Outrunner-class vessel Garnet was purchased recently on the black market, and it currently under the ownership of this man," as an image of the Silver comes up on the big screen on the opposite wall. "Tell me, Captain, why did you let this ship land?"
"I was unaware that this ship was a black-market purchase, sir....MA'AM!" Falkvin quickly corrects himself. "Dr. Tyres is a well-respected professor of archeology, and sometimes visits here to see old colleagues..."
"And did you also know he was trafficking in black market surveillance equipment, Captain? Don't you think this is the wrong kind of person to welcome to Kalus III with open arms!?"
"Nevermind," he says, waving his hand dismissively as he retrieves the data stick from the terminal. "Dr. Tyres is acquiring intelligence-gathering hardware - and software - in order to potentially compromise Imperial interests. And your blithe ignorance of what is going on directly under your nose is helping him do that, Captain. That sounds...almost treasonous. And treason carries a particularly heavy price these days, doesn't it?"
Captain Falkvin's brow has a thin sheen of sweat on it now, his eyes involuntarily widening at the mention of the word 'treason'. The rest of the room has gone silent, save for the sounds of the computers and the air circulation.
"Glad I have your undivided attention now, Captain. If your senses had been so sharp earlier, you might have avoided this whole incident. Too bad for you."
"Here is what is going to happen. As Dr. Tyres is undoubtedly well-versed in the use of intelligence-gathering techniques and gear, we can't handle this in a normal manner. This must be done...quietly. To that end," Tam says as he walks around the room with his hands clasped behind his back, "the information I have just disclosed will not go beyond this room, will not be documented for fear of him getting wind of it, and anything that has been recorded will be immediately copied for us, then erased from your records. Do you understand?"
"Ye...Yes," the Captain stammers out.
"We will be given access to that ship and that landing pad, so that we may apprehend the good Doctor before he can put his plans into motion. We will set a trap for him, and your detail is going cooperate 100% to make sure that happens. Are we clear?"
"Yes sirs, yes ma'am."
Armed with the new-found cooperation of Captain Falkvin and his security detail's equipment, the trio is able to scan the Garnet, discerning it's mundane and magical protections (of which there are both). At present these are the ship's defenses:
- Facial recognition/retinal scan software for hatch access enabled;
- Compartment Lockdown / Air evacuation countermeasures inside the ship;
- Anticipate Teleport spell chained to a Teleport Shunt spell covering the ship;
- Glyphs of Warding in key access points
"Overriding the locks and mechanical security systems should be no trouble at all," she said, sounding bored.
"I presume we brought some way of dealing with the glyphs?" she added archly, as if expecting to be disappointed.
"Overriding the locks and mechanical security systems should be no trouble at all," she said, sounding bored.
"I presume we brought some way of dealing with the glyphs?" she added archly, as if expecting to be disappointed.
"We can engage security dispel protocols to enable safe access to the ship, ma'am," the Captain replies quickly, motioning to one of his detail, who heads over to a secured door.
"Your efficiency has improved remarkably in the last twenty minutes," she said dryly. "Will wonders never cease?"
"Alright, let's get this taken care of," she snapped.
"Your efficiency has improved remarkably in the last twenty minutes," she said dryly. "Will wonders never cease?"
"Alright, let's get this taken care of," she snapped.
The captain initiates a quiet 'lockdown' of Pad 42 from here, and his underling returns with a pair of wands.
"Have a maintenance crew outside the pad's access doors doing work on some 'broken hydraulics, Captain. We want no interruptions while we get inside this vessel."
"Understood. Jowain, make the arrangements," Falkvin instructs another of his retinue.
"We can get to the pad through the service corridors, if you wish to keep your presence here out of public view," he offers as puts the wands on his belt.
"Understood. Jowain, make the arrangements," Falkvin instructs another of his retinue.
"We can get to the pad through the service corridors, if you wish to keep your presence here out of public view," he offers as puts the wands on his belt.
"Yes, I do believe that would be the point of a clandestine operation. Not tipping off the suspect," she said, sarcastically.
Giving orders to make sure the service corridors to Pad 42 are cleared, Captain Falkvin then motions back toward the corridor to go to the landing pad.
Heading back to the elevator, the trio (along with Falkvin and two security officers) head up several levels, getting off at the service level just below the main landing deck. A cargo/equipment lift grants access to the pad itself.
"Jowain, is the pad clear and the crew in place?" Falkvin asks into his communicator.
"Pad is clear and security doors have shut due to a 'hydraulics malfunction', sir," Jowain responds back.
Falkvin then hits the button for the lift, and the group rises up. The access doors slide to the side as the lift comes to a stop level with the rest of the landing pad.
The Garnet stands before them on the pad, unattended.
"You can proceed with the dispel protocols, Captain," Tam says impatiently.
Nodding, Falkvin pulls out the wands and proceeds to invoke their power on the dormant ship. After a few minutes, he pulls out a monocle and looks at the Garnet, then says, "The magical security measures are neutralized. All that should be left is the standard ones."
Nodding, Falkvin pulls out the wands and proceeds to invoke their power on the dormant ship. After a few minutes, he pulls out a monocle and looks at the Garnet, then says, "The magical security measures are neutralized. All that should be left is the standard ones."
"Then let's see the supposed competence of your team, Captain," Tam replies, motioning to the other two. "Get this thing open without drawing any attention."
The other two security officers break open a kit and get to work on the Garnet's hatch...
After about thirty minutes of work, the main hatch whirs open.
"Inefficient, but effective," she said, grudgingly. "You should have your team practice their skills more. Those locks should have taken less than half that time."
"Now," she said briskly, "let's see what the Professor has been hiding."
"Apologies, ma'am - they were neutralizing the interior security measures as well, so there would be no surprises upon entering the ship. It should be safe now."
They enter the Garnet and make their way to the cargo hold. Upon entering, they find it partially full of secured crates and containers of various sizes.
"That's why I was giving them so much extra time," she said dryly.
Looking at the stack of crates she snapped out, "Well? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Open them!"
The security officers hustle to open one of the larger containers. Secured within is a holographic monitor/display.
One of the smaller crates reveals its contents to be small cameras that look like they can be mounted to something.
Yet another container has sets of tiny audio microphones in waterproof housings.
Falkvin is walking around, surveying the contents as more containers are opened.
"Trap cameras...thermal sensors...bug microphones...nanite surveillance swarm orbs!! Nobody's supposed to know about these things yet!! Oh man...."
"As we expected. Professor Tyres has been smuggling. Now all we need is the man himself and we can be done with this."
"Once he has returned to the Garnet, it should be a simple matter of collecting him, and then taking this ship back to headquarters for questioning as to his specific plans, and his accomplices."
"Needless to say, Captain," as Tam snatches one of the nanite orbs out of his hand, "all of this is classified, and had better not appear on any security logs or other documentations. We don't want a good clean reputation ruined now, do we?"
"No sir, not at all," Falkvin replies quietly. "What do we do now?"
"We reset the trap, of course. Get your men to clean up their tracks from all of this hacking, make it look like everything's still working, and return to their posts as if nothing had happened. We'll remain here and welcome the good Professor back from his latest jaunt to the criminal side..."
Aananda watches critically as the hacked systems are repaired. She's absolutely dying to ask Tam a question about the technology, but instead she stood there glowering and making the occasional sarcastic remark to speed the work along.
The security officers finish their clean-up work, and radio the maintenance crew to start wrapping up their 'repairs'. When they are ready, Falkvin asks:
"Are there any further orders you need implemented?"
"Make sure the security walking the beat in this section does not change. If you can keep them at a distance from this pad without drawing attention, even better - we don't want gung-ho idiots getting in the way and ruining everything, now do we?"
He turns to Aananda.
"Anything else, ma'am?"
"Make sure that the Professor doesn't leave this place by any other means than this ship."
"And I'd suggest," she said in that tone in which Master Atreri used to suggest that someone be more quiet before pitching them bodily from the library, "that you work on your efficiency and response times."
"Yes ma'am. We'll make sure he comes back here, and notify you via encrypted channel if he tries to do something else," as he hands Tam one of the other security officer's communicators.
He then beats a hasty retreat with his men. After about ten minutes, Tam goes out and checks the landing pad - all is clear. They're alone again. :)
"Whew...So, what did you want to ask me?" :P
"Whew...So, what did you want to ask me?" :P
"You noticed huh?" she said sheepishly. "I was trying so hard to stay in character."
"Well, aside from the fact that it took them half an hour to do a five minute job....How is it that with all of this amazing technology, the Empire is still so backwards about nanotech? I mean, I had centuries old tech and the research of one deceased mad scientist to work with and I got farther than this....this fancy new comm stuff the commander was practically drooling over....it's basic. I mean, really basic. I wouldn't want Chan to get a hold of it sure, but with all the other wonders, how is this special?" she asked truly puzzled.
"You were great - we just seem to be able to read each other pretty easily now. Maybe it's a side effect of the bonding?"
"Anywhoo, as far as the nanotech goes - there are some pretty stringent regulations in place regarding its use. Since somebody could program a batch to be self-replicating organic consumers and devour a whole planet's worth of life if unchecked. So the best stuff is kept under very tight wraps, and out of mainstream consumption."
"That, and you are a bit of a technological prodigy, if you haven't noticed hun," he says with a mischevious smirk. ;D
"Well, I suppose that some subconscious telepathy is a possibility," she said thoughtfully.
"And I guess I can understand their concerns about the nanites. But that's what safety protocols are for. I'd hardly be using the things so extensively if I didn't know how to make them safe." She shrugged. "I'm not really sure what a prodigy is, but I do love machines," she said grinning. "Somehow, when I look at them I can just see exactly the way they're supposed to be." ^.^
"Well, I suppose that some subconscious telepathy is a possibility," she said thoughtfully.
"And I guess I can understand their concerns about the nanites. But that's what safety protocols are for. I'd hardly be using the things so extensively if I didn't know how to make them safe." She shrugged. "I'm not really sure what a prodigy is, but I do love machines," she said grinning. "Somehow, when I look at them I can just see exactly the way they're supposed to be." ^.^
"Just a fancy way to say you have a way with machines that most gearheads would kill for," he says, grinning back. :)
"Which is why I don't ever worry about you playing with nanites. He, though, should be scared to death," nodding over to Ryo. (^.^)