[IC] The Endless Struggle

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac's brow furrowed at this knowledge, figuring it was likely a sabatuer. "I found it scanning through the ship's communications array during my general sweep of the ship's systems. I would suggest you compile a list of all those who had access to the ship and run a through background check on them. This is most likely the work of Klith's accomplice. Capture him alive if possible. We may be able to interrogate him for the target's whereabouts. For the time being I'll perform a more thorough examination of the ship should they have left more surprises for us. Rennac out." He closed the channel and hooked the datapad back into the system, programming it to do a even more thorough sweep and moving up to check the engines, spotting the Litharian from the other day in the bunks area. "You're the representative from the Council I take it? Sadly not a lot of time for introductions. We need to perform a full sweep of the ship. I discovered a data slice in the ship's comm systems and sent the data to the master of Structure. Hopefully he can round up those who worked on the ship for questioning. How much you know about ship engineering and maintenance?"

[FrozenPhoenix]

The Master of Structure found it odd and once off the call she began searching the names of those who had worked on it. Virathus looked up to see a rather upset Rennac, after hearing him he realized why. Good news, he had just finished putting everything away so he was free to act. But something Rennac had said rang in his mind, why the com systems? And why a splice that was separate from the calls, it wouldn't send out any calls they made. It was a hole for untraceable calls. "I don't know much, I never cared to leave how all the systems worked." Virathus confessed.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac sighed and shook his head, muttering to himself. "Dii rax wah ok ruus! Crap, best option is for you to go over the armor plating. Typically if someone sabotaged that it would be easier to find. I'll start by doing a check on the engine's cooling systems and work my way to the laser defense grid. Hopefully that data spike is all we will find. Just remember: If they could affect one system, they could affect any system. Keep your eyes peeled." He quickly walked towards the engines, muttering how someone could have already compromised their security. He was unsure whether the Litharian would know the meaning of his cursing but knew there would be time to explain later. Right now, he had to make sure no other surprises waited for them on the ship.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus nodded and jogged off to inspect the ship's hull. He did some what lie to Rennac. He did know a good deal about ships since he had a little pet project of building his own back home. Nothing real complex about the interworking systems, but he knew his hull pressures and engine set-ups. It didn't take long to realize that the ship was in perfect condition from the outside. As for Rennac's searching the engines systems and teh defense systems were in perfect working order, no signs of sabotage or tampering. Virathus started to head back into the ship to check the com systems for himself and the datapad Rennac had plugged in had been turned off. He didn't think anything of it and instead decided he'd return to the bunks. After all the ship seemed perfectly fine.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac found nothing that would have been considered as tampering. At most a loose gasket and a slightly off coolant level. This was infuriating. There was proof that their ship had been tampered but there was nothing notable besides the data slice. He looked to his datapad curiously, finding it odd that it had turned off. He pressed the power button on the side, aiming to take it out of what he assumed was the pad's hybernation mode.

[FrozenPhoenix]

When Rennac pressed the power button, instead of leaving sleep mode, it began it's initial power up cycle. Booting up from a cold stop. Virathus elected that it be best if he checked their gear, it couldn't hurt to be thorough and he found it calming. Checking plasma charge cells, making sure the barrel was free of debris, checking each slide for that satisfying, smooth action.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac's brow furrowed seeing the cold boot sequence, knowing that nothing in his datapad would have made itself automatically shut off. He then performed a diagnostic on the device, examining it on the code level to check if any of the registry entries or code had been tampered with.

[FrozenPhoenix]

When Rennac checked the Datapad there was no tampering to be found and the registry only said that the device was told to shut down about three minutes into the deep scan. There were no new viruses, worms, or aggressive programs. It was simply told to shut down. Virathus' wrist computer lit up with a message, upon checking it he realized that all the clearance codes and flight paths were set for take-off. They were green lit on the operation. Similarly he recieved a message from an unknown contact. It was short and curt, "Stop Rennac." Virathus left the bunks to find Rennac, seeing him fiddling with a datapad he made it known, "We have a green light on the operation we need to get started. The ship doesn't seem to be in danger and we are on a strict timetable. If you don't mind, could you get us in space while I finish securing the gear?"

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac's mind was curious about what could have caused the deep scan to result in a shutdown, about to re-attempt it when the Litharian representative came back in. "Very well. Datapad shut off mid scan, piece of junk, so we'll re-attempt it once we're the black. For now just.. avoid plugging anything into a computer port." He got into the pilot's seat, uneasily gripping the physical controls. "Definitely like the direct control better.." He muttered under his breath, firing up the engines and prepping for launch along the vectors supplied by Litharian air control. Soon they were launching to break the atmosphere, the Wolkar donning his helmet and pressurizing as a precaution should his partner have missed something. All the while he had the datapad linked back in to the side, running the scan again as he took off. Should it turn off agaon in it's own he can at least now tell around when it would have happened.

[FrozenPhoenix]

As Rennac attempted to scan again it continued until about three minutes in where the datapad's scan reached out into the hole in the tracking programs where something on the other end reached back out and told teh datapad to shutdown again. Virathus was in the other room, not doing anything as all of the gear had already been secured when his wrist computer lit up again, the same unknown contact with the same message, "Stop Rennac." He stood up and walked towards the cockpit, this time grabbing SCYTHE on the way and putting it in it's respective holster on his armor. "Are we on course? No issues so far?" He asked once inside the cockpit.

[Rennac Faintheart]

By the time the scan was cut out again they were already out of the atmosphere and could do a subspace jump. It would take a day or two even then to reach Shad-noir and he would have plenty of time to check the systems more thoroughly and get to know his temporary partner. He was reaching to the datapad with a smirk, getting a bit more information of what was causing the trouble when THe Litharian came back in. "Ah! We're on course and ready to make the jump to subspace when you're ready. Though I do believe I've gotten a better of idea what the data spike is doing. Apparently it's been able to shut off my datapad when I attempt to scan it. From what I can tell, it could take over some control of the ships functions, namely our communications array. Since the Master of Structure assures me none of his engineers planted it, I'd rather not risk letting Klith possibly get the jump on us and know how we're coming or even have him try to misdirect us posing as the current Master of Eyes. I'll patch it up in a jiffy and we can be on our way."

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus nodded taking a seat in the copilot's chair, switching on the terminal to get read-outs from the ship's systems. Rennac was right, nothing wrong and they were right on course. he flicked through a few screens and charted a warp space path to their destination and strapped in. Once they were in warp space he wouldn't need to care, but the jump into it has been known to jolt smaller craft. "I don't know I think you should leave it. It isn't connected to any of our vital systems and if Klith did put in it place then we might be able to use it against him now that we know it's there." Virathus said to Rennac without taking his attention from his read-outs.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac watched and let the Litharian punch in the warp route before making the jump, watching the telltale flash of stars passing them by as their ship sped through the inky blackness of space. "Perhaps. However I haven't had much luck trying to trace back the signal. For now we should put a firewall in place to isolate it till we can find a way to get a trace through. That way we wont have burned that bridge and we can at least keep Klith or whoever planted it from knowing where we are. Shouldn't take long to reconfigure the system to bypass the spike and keep it isolated."

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus nodded again, "Sounds like a good idea." He flicked a few more screens on the terminal before setting it to sleep and unstrapping himself from the chair. Instead of getting up he simply closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Mind as well relax while he still could. Danger was a the horizon so quiet became a pleasure. What about this Rennac character though. A strange bird to be honest, but he seemed to know a deal about systems, when he wasn't blackout drunk and making a scene.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac sighed and pulled the datapad to his seat in the cockpit, starting to type out the commands for the improvised workaround. Once he had set up the comm array to bypass the dataspike he began to try and send trace packets into the spike, hoping for them to return with the full route that the data was coming from. At the very least, it would tell him where the tracing attempts were being cut off.

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus decided that if he was going to deal with this Wolkar it would be best to not be a total stranger. "So, Rennac Shadow of Clan Shadowclaw. Why come to help us with this mission? Your race owes us nothing and we owe you nothing." When Rennac attempted to trace the hole it was almost instantly shut out. It didn't go to anywhere other that the ship's internal systems. Whatever was working through this hole had this breach build like a fortress. As for the firewall attempt the wall was placed around it and seemed to be holding.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac scowled at the screen seeing the trace packets were shut down as soon as they reached the internal systems, part of him worried that this spike could intercept their transmissions if they had not dealt with it. It was then that he thought on his response to the Litharian's question. "The Wolkar have a... philosophy when it comes to meeting other people. Despite whatever we may look like on the outside or how we grew up, we are all people, striving to lead a happy life. Working alone towards this is lonely, and grows tiresome with age. It is when we work with others to truly live rather than just survive day after day that one sees the beauty of life. Truth be told, most Wolkar are still holding out for a great union of the galactic factions, having all of the different races and cultures melding together, seeing past their differences. No Wolkar, no Litharians, just simply people of different sizes and creeds. Not divided, but as one. I know I will likely never see it in my lifetime, nor will my children see it in theirs, nor even my grandchildren. All I can do is try and get us just that little bit closer and I can be happy knowing I did what I could to make it happen. As for why I do that as a Hunter, it is... a more personal tale.." The eyes previously full of wonder and pride turned to a mixture of solemn remembrance and withheld anger. "A member of my family was... unjustly killed. Some thug who wanted a device my father had been designing to sell. My father took pity on the man, knowing he could always build another even as this thug would sell off the original for a mere handful of slivers that might be used to feed himself or his family. Even after my father gave him what he wanted, he murdered my father in cold blood right in front of me. I was not much older than a pup, just finding my place in the world. Before the authorities could capture him he fled off planet, going out of their reach. I was... furious to say the least. All I had been taught about how we should not be afraid to help others who are in need, and some honorless nikriin kills someone I cared for for little more than his own amusement. I spent the month after using my knowledge of engineering building a hidden dart launcher to use on the coward once I found him. Once I had all I needed, I traveled the stars and hunted him down. Six months later, a pup with no real training or tools besides his hands, a thrown together hidden weapon, and his instincts tracked the man down to some smuggler's moon. I didn't just end it quickly. I slashed and battered him till he was begging for mercy. My response. 'Did you show any mercy to my father?' In that instant, he knew why I was there, what he had done to earn my ire. He died with that same expression, the same one he carried when I severed his head and brought it back to Ferran. The guild recognized my natural talent and recruited me, equipped me, gave me a ship, and most importantly taught me all I needed to track down the true threats."

[FrozenPhoenix]

Virathus listened passively to Rennac's story. It wasn't something he experiance or could truely relate to, but it was something he could understand. When his parents were killed eh wanted to avenge them, but who would he go after? Who would he kill? They died heroes of war not victims of a drive-by. "I'm glad you found closure. I know what it feels like to want a satisfying conclusion. Even if it isn't the ideal." He said, still not turning his head or opening his eyes. "As for a joined galaxy, who knows maybe we wont' see it, but I know it can happen. The Karadons and Litharians have been living, building, and working together for centuries. Now? Now we are family, race and planet of origin mean nothing to us anymore. But not all races are like the Karadons and it isn't as easy to accept and integrate them." He finished reaching up with his arms to fold them behind him head.

[Rennac Faintheart]

Rennac nodded solemnly, a brief smile coming across his face as he found the Litharian shared the same ideals for unity. He gave a quick nod and was about to respond before subsequently facepalming. "Oh, right. Never got your name. Too much with the data spike issue and potential sabotage. You know my name, but I never got yours. Can't exactly should 'Look out Litharian' now can I?"

[FrozenPhoenix]

Finally this was enough to get Virathus to open his eyes and turn his head, "You can call me Reaper." In that moment he stood up and began to walk off towards the bunks. The ship could basically fly itself to their destination and he hasn't had lunch yet. Once at the bunks he pressed a button on the wall and it folded down to make a small table with a sink and heat-chamber built in. Then he started to prepare some Yithru, a traditional Litharian dish comprised of mostly Litharian fruits but also some grains.