Computer illiterate, but learning (closed)

[Inu]

There's a huge room reserved for Jedi to browse the archives. Inu boots up one of the computers, watching the screen go through the paces of loading. He's never used these, but his wife has taught him a bit. So when the computer finishes its loading and displays the desktop, he immediately searches for an icon labeled "search". This will let him find whatever he wants, at least, that's what Sorr told him when she was browing the net on her computer.

The box pops up with a message: "Enter search terms"...he types slowly, picking out the letters with the skill of a child learning to write.

"G-J-O...m-e-m-b-e-r-s..." he mutters, dictating the search terms as he types them. He hits enter, then sits back to wait on the results.

[Pierce Tondry]

Though seemingly innocent at its' core, the request for a list of GJO members has potential security ramifications. Masters and Knights are often on tasks that require secrecy to ensure their safe success, and many Padawans are frequently taken along as part of their training. Personal biographical information is an unretrievable function in most cases, at least without a security code of a certain level.

Inu's request for information is greeted with a message politely stating that he does not have the required clearance for this information, but may look through the Archives to read public historical accounts of recent Jedi.

And within the database's subroutines, a link to a separate system copies the request and flags it.

[Inu]

Inu releases an impatient sigh. Public historical accounts, it says. Basically the biographies and vital stats of every Jedi that's bothered to submit the info.

"As if the eye color, age, height, and weight of Jedi could be of any use..." he mumbles. The padawan sits back, putting his feet up on the desk and sighing at the black sneakers on them. "Ah, who knows...maybe these 'public historical accounts' would have something to aid him. He pokes the words into the search box and hits the enter button again.

[Pierce Tondry]

Several historians have compiled data regarding the Order's more prominent members. There isn't much that's declassified, but there are several incidents that have been defused through the mediation of people like Figrin D'an and Morgan Evanar which have been noted as shining examples of Jedi philosophy in effective action.

[Inu]

Philosophy? He's learning that already, along with history. At least, he thinks he is. He's not been awake for them most of the time. What he'd really like to see are the Force powers. He clears his search and goes with that, trying to think what lightside equivalents of his old darkside abilities would be.

"Force...alteration..." is the best way he knows how to describe it. Telekinesis, Force barriers, and some other advanced things further down the list. He skips by telekinetics and goes straight for the other skills, in particular something on the theory of a destructive Force push. His purpose is momentarily forgotten as his eyes narrow with curiosity.

"How in the world...?"

He can't figure out for his life how one would manage that.

[Pierce Tondry]

You have requested access to restricted records. Please enter your security access. is what the computer says.

What it does is send another message to the separate database and flag it again with a much bigger and more red warning label.

These two happenings aren't likely to be sheer coincidence. The secondary database sends out another message, this time to its owner.

<hr>

"Padawan Tondry?"

Pierce's eyes snapped open. He'd been trying to meditate to get some idea of what his future held, but it seemed that future was already here. "I'm here," he said, picking up his commlink.

"This is Luna at GJO Archive security. We- well, we've got some restricted searches going on."

"Yes, and?" said Pierce once it became clear Luna had meant that as a finish to her sentence.

"Well, whoever's doing them doesn't have access to that level of information."

Pierce grabbed for his shirt and wondered what hammer was about to drop. "And?"

"Well, they're coming from inside the Jedi Order. We were worried."

Slicers. "Why are you calling me? I volunteer for watch duty now and again, but I'm not a Knight. I don't do things like investigate Jedi problems. That's a Knight's job."

"Well, sir, we contacted one of the Council members and they told us to find the closest person who could check on it and contact-"

"Okay, I get it, you're following instructions," Pierce interrupted. "Give me which quarters the searches are from and I'll go take a look."

"Er- I don't quite have that information. I'll have to pull it up-"

"Do that." Pierce grabbed his lightsaber and headed for the door. "I'm on my way out the door now. Oh, and one other thing."

"Yes?"

"Next time, call a Knight, would you? Jedi investigator I'm not."

[Inu]

"Plah," he mutters, backing up and looking over the list. So much for morbid curiosity. He chooses a file on the creation of Force barriers next. A defensive skill, meant to defend one or more people. He sits forward and studies the screen, unaware of the discord he's caused.

[Dasquian Belargic]

As Pierce headed towards the location given by the member of staff in the Archive, Dasquian was contacted and told roughly the same information. He wandered down the hall towards the great library and found that as he turned the corner into the corridor that adjoined the main archive chamber, Pierce was arriving from the across the hall. He had a determined, yet somewhat peeved, look on his face.

“… Did someone contact you too?”

[Pierce Tondry]

"How'd you guess?" said an exasperated Pierce. "I swear slicers are the most literal damn category of people I've ever known."

He took a look into the Archives from the doorway. Everything seemed peaceful, but somewhere in the room someone was searching for knowledge that was more dangerous than thermite. "Glad you're here though. I don't mind lending a hand, but GJO security really isn't my responsibility."

Pierce turned back to Dasquian. "Shall we fan out and start looking?"

[Inu]

Inu's ears twitch.

Shall we fan out and start looking?

He dismisses the statement. Probably two others are here for the same reasons he is. It's none of his business what they want. He folds his ears back to dim his hearing and lessen distractions, skipping over a paragraph concerning the applications of Force Barriers to find the explanation of how to make them.

[Dasquian Belargic]

“Alright.”

Dasquian and Pierce spilt up, each taking different directions. The archives were huge and despite how neatly designed they had been, it was still often quite difficult to locate a person within them – finding information itself was easy, of course. Luckily, the Jedi had the Force to help them in finding their ‘slicer’, as Pierce had called them, and it wouldn’t be long before one of them chanced upon them.

[Pierce Tondry]

The first thing to do when hunting for an unknown target among a crowd is to get a read on the people within that crowd. Such a task was made more difficult because of a semi-constant flow of Jedi coming and going. And with several areas of the Archives being semi-isolated by shelves and wall placement, picking one potential Dark Sider out of a roomful of Jedi was near impossible.

Break it down and go back to Intel training.

First- when Luna had contacted him she hadn't had a ready ID on where the searches were being run. That meant there had to be some potential for confusion, something less likely in any private record rooms or solo data terminals. The computer had to be part of one of the main network groups.

That's a good half the search area or more excluded- but still, I need a place to start. Keep going.

Second- it was unlikely that the person searching was a bona-fide system cracker. Had they been, security wouldn't have been flagged.

Third- the searcher had to be someone with minimal-level security clearance. Padawan or Initiate level only.

Fourth- the searcher had to be grossly unaware of GJO's security capabilities to try searching for Dark information on a public terminal. That meant someone who had joined the Order only recently.

Fifth- the searcher was likely, though not necessarily, someone with a Dark Side background, to be tempted by such information.

So- a newly-converted Sith, computer illiterate but learning, and located in one of the main terminal groups.

Pierce casually stepped in among the stacks, using them as cover to scan the area. Whoever it was, he'd find them.

[Inu]

Inu's got his nose in Force barriers, watching a video clip of a demonstration. A Jedi Master makes a casual gesture and forms a barrier as a handful of remote droids fire their practice darts. The laserdarts impact on the shield, making small ripples. The next to try is a Padawan; his shield is far smaller, and only catches three darts before a droid shoots him in the toe and cracks his concentration. Inu suppresses a laugh and closes the window for the demo, reading on about it.

[Pierce Tondry]

A slight movement catches Pierce's eye.

Station 13 has a curious occupant. According to the word around, the white-haired being is Inu-Aku, recent convert from the Dark Side. And the look disappearing from his face, he's just caught a bit of malicious humor.

Perfect fit to the profile. I need Dasquian.

Pierce stepped back into the stacks and re-emerged at his point of entry. A circling motion with his hand caught Dasquian's attention, and then Pierce flashed him a thirteen made out of fingers. Then he jerked a thumb at himself and pointed to the door, hoping Dasquian would understand what he was trying to say.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian nodded and began to walk briskly towards station 13, sending Pierce a silent word of thanks through the Force. As he emerged into the area housing a long row of computers against one wall. Just as Pierce had said, someone was sat at number thirteen. Approaching, the Jedi Knight said nothing, and stopped a couple of foot behind Inu – watching him and his screen from behind.

[Inu]

Inu's not noticed them in the least.

"Rarr! Barrier!" he mutters to himself, counting idly on his claws as he reads through the rest of the file. "Now this I can use...I'll have more options, for sure. It's as good a place as any to start." He sighs, looking over the screen. "Print print print..."

Inu shifts and feels a pressure in his pocket.

"Nevermind it then..."

He pulls out a disc and places it in the computer.

"Sorr said to put it in and find a disc icon to save...icon, icon..."

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian stepped into Inu’s frame of view, at his side.

“Do you need help with something?”

[Inu]

"NO!" Inu grumbles defensively, wincing at the sudden appearance of the knight. His face is burning red as he ceases his poking about for the save function. "I can work this thing myself, thanks."

He squirms, wishing Dasquian would go away. It was hard enough asking his wife to teach him this much. In a universe where technology's so commonplace, it's quite an embarrassment not to be able to use it.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Dasquian frowns slightly; wondering why Inu is so fractious.

“Has there been anyone else using this terminal in the last twenty minutes, or has it just been you here?”

[Inu]

"Me," he mumbles, glancing to the screen. He sees the icon and presses it, watching the bar slowly load the demonstrations and text into his disk. He's not at all aware that he's put their security on edge; he's wondering wildly if they know what a klutz he is with technology, and if they're going to put him down for it.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Still hovering about behind the ex-darksider, Dasquian continued with his questions:

“What is it that you’ve been researching, Inu?”

[Inu]

"Force Alteration," he mumbles. "I could do it ridiculously well as a Darksider, and I figured that the skill would carry over to being a Lightsider..."

Now his simpleton logic is compounding his embarrassment. It can't be that simple, can it?