Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri had sent out invitations to three of his most trusted friends and allies on Hoth and another who had already embroiled themselves in the situation.

He had mostly gotten the ship back in order after its crash landing. The matte black and sleek silver materials were back to looking like their luxurious self.

The door was unlocked for now and Omandri sat at the table and awaited his guests.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

Punctual as always and as exptected, Kat arrived following Omandri's call. She hadn't had much time to clean up from her work in engineering, judging by the smudge still on her face that seemed to interfere with her otherwise clean and presentable appearance.

Some sacrifices had to be made these days after all.

"I do hope you got some rest after all the work yesterday, Omandri?" she greeted with a slight smile, hoping the doctor hadn't run himself through the night with the influx of new people on the base.

[Riss]

Riss would arrive with a weight on her mind that was playing second fiddle to the topic she knew she was about to walk into. Walking in with a quickened step she looks between those two who were very close to her heart indeed. Swallowing down a thought she focuses on Kat, "Heya, Omandri," she says walking to the Jedi Princess-consort.

Licking her thumb she doesn't think much of it as she brushes away the smudge from Kat's face.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri nodded to both as they entered giving them a tired smile "you know me Kat, I have a hard time resting when I know I can help. I'm sure I ended up getting a couple hours here or there." He was putting on a calmer face than he felt and those roiling emotions likely were fully concealed to those that knew him well.

"Hey Riss." The tone of it was friendly but also concerned though he tried to suppress it.

[Baesal Zyn]

The third guess to arrive gave a light nock on the door to announce her presence before entering the room

''Good afternoon'' she inclined her head towards host and guest but her face was a mask

She respected Omandri as a doctor enough to attend but the theft of data yesterday was...something different.

[Aurilie Alde]

Aurilie was here too, mostly following Riss to ensure that nothing brash happens. She didn't have the entire story, they could have made up to only fight again. This was going to be an interesting one, having a slice of Alderaan matters so far from home. Now, if the base was a little cozier then it could almost be home.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope things are well." She greeted everyone after a short bow.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri stood as they all filed in and took a seat and nodded to them "Thank you all for joining me. I have asked you here as you are some of my most trusted allies and friends here on the base and this is a matter where the less who know about it the better."

He turned toward Baesal "You are here Master Baesal because you have somehow found yourself already entangled in the web."

His manner overall was far different from what he was like day to day from his posture to his expression to his speech, he was sharp and commanding of attention. This was Duke Rist.

"Now first things first, I must scan the room and your persons, while I don't believe any one of you would intentionally bring anything but we are dealing with something that is known for ingenuity in evading escape."

He withdrew a handheld scanner "a moment." He moved around the room in practiced motions moving the device expertly along the walls and table and various other things. He would then scan each person looking for any trace of bug or listening device.

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The scanner is designed to detect hidden cameras or listening devices. Usually a average computers check to uncover them but can be an opposed computers vs mechanics check if such devices were expertly hidden.

[Baesal Zyn]

The togruta cocked her head

"Interesting...but go ahead. I have nothing to hide."

[Dapper Dog]

Omandri stood as they all filed in and took a seat and nodded to them "Thank you all for joining me. I have asked you here as you are some of my most trusted allies and friends here on the base and this is a matter where the less who know about it the better."

He turned toward Baesal "You are here Master Baesal because you have somehow found yourself already entangled in the web."

His manner overall was far different from what he was like day to day from his posture to his expression to his speech, he was sharp and commanding of attention. This was Duke Rist.

"Now first things first, I must scan the room and your persons, while I don't believe any one of you would intentionally bring anything but we are dealing with something that is known for ingenuity in evading escape."

He withdrew a handheld scanner "a moment." He moved around the room in practiced motions moving the device expertly along the walls and table and various other things. He would then scan each person looking for any trace of bug or listening device.

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The scanner is designed to detect hidden cameras or listening devices. Usually a average computers check to uncover them but can be an opposed computers vs mechanics check if such devices were expertly hidden.

OOC: 4eC+2eD for opposed check.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

A look of concern graced Kat's features, wondering what was going on, but she gave a nod as well. "Of course. I have nothing to hide from you, Omandri."

[Omandri Rist]

OOC: 4eC+2eD for opposed check.

As he sweeps the room and his guests he is incredibly thorough and does his best to find any trace of possible vulnerability.

D6 EA Sweeper check opposed computers mechanic check destiny: 2eP+4eA+4eC+2eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Anything minor for the advantage?

[Omandri Rist]

OOC: hmm cause interference so anything picked up is a little garbled still usable but things could be missed?

[Katarzyna Panteer]

Kat looked between Omandri, the others, and then back to the Duke. "Is everything alright?"

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri frowned a little but nodded "it'll have to do." He said putting the scanner away he hit a button and music began playing, classical from Alderaan it wasn't ear splitting but was loud enough to need to be talked over a bit but he had sat the chairs together closely so that they could keep their volume a bit lower.

"Again thank you all for joining me. Excuse what probably seems like theatrics and eccentricities but I can't afford to under estimate our opponent." He passed around a picture



"The woman you see here is a doctor operating out of Junktown and also using the alias of Valen. She claims to be a SIS operative in deep cover here on Hoth. However I believe this is a lie. She or someone posing as her has admitted to me to be Vidara Rist, my presumed dead sister and also the Cunning Man." He said with gravity.

He allowed a moment to let information process "Now many of here have been hunting the Cunning Man for years but recently their trail went cold. Well my sister or again someone claiming to be her sent me a message saying she was on Hoth when investigating this I found out she was in Junktown. Upon making contact she requested my help in completing a job to acquire a dangerous object called the Black Codex. This is where Master Zyn comes in she assisted us in retrieving information regarding the own of the codex. I did this for two reasons. One this object sounds like something that needs to be contained and two it gives information on her goal here."

"I have asked you all here to help me take her down. I recognize that I am too close to this to have clear judgment on what we have to do so I have called people I trust and an involved third party to aid in this matter. I know there are many things happening, with pirates and the Eternal Empire, big galaxy spanning things but this is my main focus, she has to be stopped." He concluded and then folded his hands in front of him in conclusion opening it up for others.

[Baesal Zyn]

Baesal's mask shifted as Omandri revealed his secrets. This was surprising, to be sure, but the the shock of the revelation was countered by the lessening of the doubt she had about him.

She relaxed a bit more but felt some shame having questioned his integrity

''Thank you for coming forward with this...I know it must be difficult. I suspected something was afoot when she presented herself yesterday... alas I did not suspect she would be the Cunning Man in person.'' she leaned her head in her cybernetic hand ''What is this Black Codex?''

[Katarzyna Panteer]

If this was indeed the Cunning Man, it was someone incredibly dangerous, that was for sure.

"And this Codex, does she have it now...?" she too wanted to know what it was.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri leaned forward a bit he shook his head "Not to my knowledge, she wants help retrieving it from the person we stole data from yesterday."

"As she described it this Black Codex is a hyper-computer data storage device. It can work in real time to create and delete media data across all known networks in known space. In short it’s like having the backdoor to every known database with any connection to the holonet." He said drawing from memory the way Vidara described it "like I said an exceedingly dangerous object that needs to be kept away from an exceedingly dangerous woman."

[Baesal Zyn]

Baesal's eyes grew wide in understanding and she began drumming her fingers on her seat

''I figured something unique was in play but I did not expect that. This is troubling new indeed...more so since I consider there might be a link between the Star Cabal and the Eternal Empire.''

[Katarzyna Panteer]

That was indeed a dangerous tool to find its way to the hands of a dangerous woman.

Though Baesal's words did draw her attention. "Hmm could you elaborate?" They did not seem to have matching objectives to her, but maybe Baesal knew something.

[Baesal Zyn]

She breathed in

''A few years ago I had a vision about an unknown threat decimating the Republic and Empire, which we now know to be the Eternal Empire, and in it's wake an aggressive cull of force users would take place by agents of the Star Cabal: Jedi, Sith, unaffiliated, minor traditions, adults, elder or children.''

She frowned

''I shared this a few years ago on Alderaan, it you remember.'' she paused ''I cannot know if they are vultures following the wake of a bigger predator or the Eternal Empire's pawns to destabilize both Republic and Sith...perhaps both.''

[Riss]

Riss didn't quite allow herself to look at the picture when it was passed around. Just handing it off to the next person. For the moment, the otherwise verbose Riss Lanar was rather content to just listening along.

[Katarzyna Panteer]

A totalitarian regime where the Force users were at the top and dominant, paired with a secret organization that wanted to remove Force users from the galaxy... it didn't make sense to Kat that the two would be connected, though she figured she'd speak more with Senya on the subject in case she had misunderstood Zakuul.

For the moment, she didn't bother arguing about it with Baesal, seeing little point to sidelining Omandri's meeting with that.

"So what's the next step in her plan, and how can we fit in?" Kat asked of Omandri, trying to form a better picture of what they had to work with.

[Aurilie Alde]

Prior to the later plan discussions, Aurilie was sure to speak up and commend Omandri on his character. "Before we are caught up in the flurry of planning to stop the Cunning Man from getting her hands on something so dangerous, thank you very much for coming forward with this information, Duke Rist. Something like this must have taken a lot of deliberation to both separate yourself from the matter and seek out help at the same time. Family business is understandable private and I wouldn't have faulted you for keeping something like this secret...however, given the scope of what is at stake and the many others who have been affected beyond this room, you have done something right here."

With that out of the way, she allowed Omandri to speak up about the plan. Her gaze did look to Riss, both for her reaction and to see how she was handling this. She would put herself beside Riss and place a hand on her shoulder for comfort.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri nodded in thanks to Aurilie the movement almost too mechanical and efficient "Thank you for that. I recognize this is outside the scope of what I can do alone."

He did move on to larger planning "Frankly I do not know. I know she wants this Black Codex and that is likely her next target. Hopefully the data Master Zyn has will tell us more about her next move. Unfortunately she was able to get a copy of the data as well so she is likely decrypting it as we speak."

He looks to Baseal "speaking of, have you had a chance to try and Crack the encryption yourself Master Zyn?"