Dante De Luca

((Guys, I am so sorry. Last week was absolute hell for me, and I'm still picking up scraps and forging forward as best I can. I am still committed to taking this wherever you guys want this to go.)) Dante nodded, following Aelyn. He spoke aloud, but quietly so that few outside of earshot of the three could overhear him. "I fear we are running out of time here. If there is some larger conspiracy at work, this is definitely going to draw attention in the bad kind of way. By the time we are done questioning him, whoever or whatever is behind all this is highly likely to leave and cover their tracks. I am also concerned that electronic warfare has played a significant role in the case thus far, as such I will attempt to remotely find anomalous activity and communications regarding the mine on the trip back to the station. Depending on the skill of whoever is at work here, they might be able to clean their digital footsteps very quickly." With that, Dante went silent, attaching a cable from his datapad to a small port hidden under his hair near the back of his neck. He kept just enough of his focus to follow Aelyn and recognize times when he'd need to pay more attention to relevant conversations, but the majority of his attention shifted to the task he'd given himself. As the link to the holonet established, lines of code were fed directly to his consciousness, and he began sifting and untangling the mass of information swirling in his head.

Dante dropped the stunned assassin on the ground gingerly but not exactly gently as they made it to the lift and began ascending. "I estimate several minutes before our backup arrives. You mentioned a Foundry? I wonder if that means they brought an automated factory here. It's not uncommon in large scale operations like this, and they would have been able to produce all their needed equipment on-site. Expensive, but effective. I don't remember seeing it on the layout the foreman showed me, but that kind of facility would need a lot of space, it wouldn't be easy to hide." He looked down, refocusing his optical inputs on the unconscious Skakoan. "We should probably wake him, but I'd rather it were in more controlled conditions. I have no real means to wake him, though...perhaps a sharp pain? I am rather unaccustomed to interrogations."

As Aelyn pulled back the hood, Dante squinted, recalling the facial features of this particular Skakoan he'd seen recently. "Isn't that the intern from the foreman's office?" He holstered his slugthrowers, allowing the other two to deal with the incapacitated assassin. "And the other one mentioned shutting down the local transmitter...perhaps these droids are being controlled remotely? If so, a skilled hacker might be able to reactivate the local systems soon. Faster, if they have backdoor access or accomplices like this one here. Knight Talis's assessment is correct: we are not safe here. How should we proceed?" Dante looked to Aelyn, visibly concerned, but she was in command here. They now had two leads, but both could grow cold fast. And whoever was behind this was still at large...this whole mission was beginning to uncover a conspiracy that Dante knew they shouldn't have simply stumbled across, and whoever was at the center of the spiderweb would now certainly want them dead.

The attempt on Aelyn from the drone crippled the droid, a severed hydraulic line only made worse by the movement now only immobilized the lumbering bot. The other five plodded slowly and silently forward, only equipped with digging equipment. The Mandalorian's blaster shots merely impacted on the plating of the joints on the remaining drones, but two found purchase on the sensor array of one of the drones, and unable to see its surroundings it began veering into the path of one of the others. It was working, for now. Dante was hoping this wasn't going to turn into a dangerous situation, but he was prepared. He activated his cortical implant, flooding his brain with neurotransmitters and altering his perception of the events proceeding around them. He dropped the dtatpad he held, unsnapping the holsters for his slugthrowers and drawing them. In a swift motion he unloaded their magazines rapidly, targeting exposed hydraulic lines and other detected vulnerabilities. Though the slugthrower rounds were even less effective than the blaster rounds against targets like this, the pinpoint precision shots would serve to weaken or cripple areas that the Mandalorian was targeting, making nearly every one of her shots more effective. As his weapons barked their last shots, Dante deactivated the implant, slowly coming back down off the natural high it afforded him. Two more drones immobilized, the final one approached the trio, but stopped short, going idle. A single Skakoan worker hurried from among the rest of the heavy equipment, rushing toward them as fast as he could, waving his hands. "Please! I disrupted the local transmitter but it will be back online soon! You have to get away from the machinery!" A shot echoed out from behind him, a single high energy blast catching the Skakoan in the back. Another cloaked figure left its position from within the heavy machinery, retreating away from the trio. Dante glanced at the others, before breaking into a sprint to chase them down, scrambling to reload his slugthrowers as he did so.

...n͏͔̫̳̟̬̲̼o̾̓ͣw̫͓. ------------------------------------------- Dante nodded to the Mandalorian, approaching the crane to inspect it. His own ocular prosthetics could see incredible detail, but they were not outfitted with sensors that allowed him to see much outside of the normal human range of vision. The AI who raised him wanted him to feel as human as possible, but right now it almost felt like a hindrance. As he approached though, the crane slowly lurched to life, maneuvering a large claw over Dante. Immediately Dante tensed, knowing this wasn't supposed to be happening. As the claw was released into a free fall, Dante dove sideways, narrowly escaping being crushed. As he rose from the ground, moving away from the crane, he noticed several figures begin to shift from behind some of the other equipment. Loader drones, used for heavy lifting in the mine as well as some of the more heavy-duty operations. Six in total, they lumbered forward. Dante slowly backed up to where Mellanie stood, debating what to do. None of this felt right.

Dante nodded, quickly downloading the files to a spare data cylinder and handing it over. If she had an upgraded comlink or datapad, Aelyn could freely access the information later at her convenience. He bowed as she left, signifying his obedience. It was one mannerism from the galactic culture that he'd learned, though he tended to use it awkwardly in most other situations. Dante looked about, noting a fenced yard containing heavy equipment, and spoke to the Mandalorian. "I will investigate that area. One death is recorded to have happened there recently. Do you have multi-spectral imaging sensors on your helmet? If so, they might be useful in the search of the mine." Dante looked back to the heavy equipment yard, not bothering waiting for a reply, as most people didn't give him one anyways when he attempted small talk. "Your presence would be appreciated but not required." Dante tapped his eye prosthetics, miming a 'wink' to the best of his ability, though he had no outward way of showing it. Yet another awkward attempt to fit into a culture that he was still alien to. With a bow, he walked to the yard. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A security camera swiveled slowly, zooming in on Aelyn. Concern quantified from expanding probability tables, potential counteraction task lists formulated slowly with each passing second. This was not expected, but it was not something that could not be dealt with. But certainty limits were reached in extrapolation scenarios, action was required. And a̰̲̣̳̘͜ctio͍̻͘n would so͍̻͘o͆̌̇͂̄̓n be taken̜̤͚̱̲͖.͏̠͙̮̼̰ .

Dante keyed a few buttons on the datapad he was holding before passing it to her, demonstrating what he started to explain. "These are images of the remains the morgue forwarded me. I noticed distinctive markings on the flesh and ran a reconstructive algorithm. The symbols appear to be a kind of tattoo used in Sith rituals, though when I cross referenced them through the GA's database, they don't match anything in particular. Their order seems atypical, more structured and rigid than traditional symbology suggests. At the least, it is interesting. It is uncertain if the Sith are involved, though if they are this appears to be something we have not yet come across." Dante gestured back toward the mine. "The only other lead I would like to follow up on other than a routine check of the mine is the local communications node. Files were deleted, though there should be temporary records kept of all files passing through the local nodes in the event of an investigation such as this. At the least, there may be a chance something was transmitted and forgotten about. "Of course, Master Jedi, I was instructed that you have the lead on this assignment. The next move is yours to decide."

"I have been assigned to this case for the last fifty-seven galactic standard minutes. The ship I was assigned to is performing military maneuvers near to the planet, and the captain placed emphasis on getting me here quickly. I spent the shuttle ride downloading and analyzing the relevant data that was relayed as requested, and decided here was the most prudent place to start finding additional facts." Dante cocked his head, staring peculiarly at Aelyn. "I understand the Jedi and Sith can somehow tell when each other are near. Have you detected any Sith nearby? It is pertinent to existing facts."

Dante paused, looking away from his active conversation, then excused himself as he turned to face the two newcomers. Somehow...he knew they would be there. An interesting anomaly to query later. "You must be the Jedi and the Mandalorian. My designation is Ensign De Luca, but they refer to me as Dante. The Talusian government has filled me in on the relevant data. I was just checking out the mine, and already have two promising leads. Shall we continue?" Dante was matter-of-fact and rather brusque, though he didn't mean any ill will by it. It was merely how he was, having been raised by droids. It was also probably why he was transferred to a small picket ship currently running maneuvers in Corellian space, and why the captain of that ship assigned him to this when additional aid was requested. At the least, Dante's proficiency when it came to handling data would not go to waste.

Tegg nodded. "Absolutely. Fen, get some more badges." The intern opened a drawer, producing two more VIP badges for the Mandalorian and the Jedi. Tegg scratched his head, continuing. "I think his name was Daint..Danta? It started with a 'D' anyways. He went into shaft B not too long ago, he wanted to check the site of the most recent accident. I offered to send someone to escort him, but he wanted to see it by himself for some reason." Tegg pointed to a chart on the wall depicting a layout of the mine facility. "You can access shaft B from the entrance just out there. There shouldn't be many workers left on the site, just inspectors and assessors if anyone. Show them your badges if there's any trouble, they all answer to me, anyway." A note of genuine concern came across his modulated voice. "Just...be careful in there? I know you can probably take care of yourself, but this many accidents happening so close together is just a bad omen."

((Assuming control of the NPC)) "Uhhh..." The grubby man looked up, trailing off, a little confused at the people before him despite the introduction. A Skakoan came out from the back room, his pressure suit specialized with safety equipment and painted bright colors. Immediately he spoke up over the man holding the datapad. "You'll have to forgive Fen, he's an intern. Part of the Talus work-exchange program. I'm Tegg. Foreman Tegg. I more or less run the operAAAAtion over here." He muttered a short apology after finishing, having to adjust his audio modulator halfway through speaking to account for pressure differentials, causing his voice to distort. It was a common problem among Skakoans and their pressure suits, but few actually bothered to apologize for it to other species. At the least, Tegg seemed to be honest and willing to work with them. "As I told your associate who was here a few minutes ago, I have not seen nor had contact with Jarett in several days. And according to that associate, Ensign Daint I think he said his name was? Anyways, according to him, his signature appeared on some paperwork after he disappeared, which he thought was interesting. I think he went to go talk to my assistant, who is inspecting the mine. We've had several cave-ins recently of what were thought to be stable areas, leading to a few deaths, and it is impeding work at this point. Not to mention, we've had to inform the families and file the proper paperwork, and well..." Tegg gestured back through the door he'd come through, and through it his desk was visible, piled high with datapads. "It has been stressful."

It was a quiet afternoon. The sky was a brilliant shade of orange as Coruscant's sun slowly began to set over the horizon. For Dante, the day was done, and it was time to return to his residence. He'd long enjoyed not being forced to sleep at his assigned barracks quarters, part of the perks of being an officer, something he was unaware of at the beginning of his tenure with the Galactic Alliance. But it afforded him a daily walk to and from his work, including public transits, and he tended to relax by simulating combat scenarios in his mind. He was more than a capable soldier, he was a one man wrecking crew that the GA could and did send in to ensure certain objectives, and so far he had yet to fail. Each passerby was a potential threat, and Dante occupied himself by imagining the ways in which he would dispatch a potential attacker, perhaps a spy from the Sith or Imperials? With ease he mentally disarmed and subdued pedestrian after pedestrian, and every now and then he came across someone who he knew the only way to stop them was to take them down. This, too, was usually easy. Dante was efficient and preferred nonlethal methods, but he had zero misgivings about taking lethal action when and if it was necessary. And then, he came across her. Well, she was still a ways off, nearly a hundred yards, but at their pace she would reach him in seconds. Dante stopped, red flags popping up in the back of his mind as he analyzed why she was such a threat. Firstly, she was wearing a gunslinger's duster coat of some kind of brown leather, and certain bulges near her hips only told him she was certainly armed. Fantasies aside, Dante knew from her tattoos she was likely a mercenary or foreign state representative that filled a role similar to the one he did. At the least, she didn't work for the GA like he did. As she approached, he continued to stare unblinking at her, mentally unbuttoning the catches on his holsters that he wore on either side of his uniform pants. She was just another puzzle, that was all. A puzzle he would solve. And as she finally met his gaze, it seemed like a bolt of lightning struck through him. The game was on.

DANTE'S (XBU-001) CHARACTER SHEET Identity Real Name: Dante De Luca A.K.A: XBU-001, Experimental Biological Unit, First Iteration Homeworld: Unknown, raised on Mechis III Species: Miraluka (cyborg enhanced) Physical Description Age: 23 Height: 5' 10" Weight: 158 lbs Hair: Black, medium length ragged cut Eyes: Miraluka naturally lack eyes and generally see through the Force, but XBU-001 has been given visual sensor prosthetic eyes. Sex: Male Equipment Clothing or Armor: Bland black clothing Weapon: Twin custom .45 slugthrowers (modified grips with biometric safeties and flanged magazine wells facilitating speed reloads) Common Inventory: Comlink, credit chit, identity credentials Faction Information Force User, Force Sensitive or Non-Force User: Force Sensitive Alignment: Lawful Neutral Current Faction Affiliation: Galactic Alliance Current Faction Rank: TBD History: Force Side: Light Trained by: N/A Trained who: N/A Known Skills: N/A (Force sight from Miraluka heritage, but doesn't use it often, views it as inefficient) Background: Dante De Luca was the only infantile son of Ezri De Luca and Christa De Luca, Miraluka explorers and scholars. They had heard whispers and legends of a hidden droid collective operating on its own on Mechis III, and had traveled there to study the society and culture of the collective. However, an unfortunate accident left Dante orphaned soon after reaching the planet. After being discovered by the collective, a joint decision was made to attempt to raise the child, largely seen as a 'disabled' member of a society where every member had a function. Dante was taught and raised by the droids, who also gave him upgraded sensor prosthetics for his eyes as well as neural implants to flood his brain with neurotransmitters so he could think at the speeds of lower end AI when necessary to better facilitate communication. Eventually, as news of the war reached the collective, another decision was made to send Dante out as an emissary and ambassador to the Galactic Alliance, a group that was calculated to not only have a significant chance of winning the war, but treating the collective with the autonomy and privacy they desired after the war was won. Dante was trained in rudimentary arts of combat, as well as certain diplomatic skills, and sent off with a shuttle and some nutrition rations. Finally having a purpose for the collective, Dante is eager to do them well. Ship Registration ((Basic unarmed shuttle, not bothering to fill in specs, will change later once he acquires a ship from the GA)) Name: Class: Model: Manufacturer: Length: Armaments: Armor: Anti-Personnel Defenses: Appearance: Modifications: