Mister... Vulture is it? Regardless of what your name is, I have some good news for you, I am making progress.
A breach has been found in our system on Mactan Base linking back to a dossier on Ari Kova. One I did not think we had, though then again, I never really bothered learning of Lane Hackers of old that I don't or haven't directly worked with. The individual has clumsily left us the digital breadcrumbs required to learn more on this Blackwood individual. Additionally, with this, I was able to intercept any and all messages sent by the individual. Though I am probably telling you nothing new as I intercepted this message being sent to you, Ari Kova is still alive. We still haven't failed her.
Here's what I have found so far on Blackwood. The individual is using an ancient coalition encryption. When he broke into our Database, search queries have been found leading to a certain Project Kronos. My own searches brought nothing back however. Whatever this Project Kronos is, Blackwood and Ari Kova both knows about it and it is the missing link between these two individuals and ultimately, our whole involvement in the matter.
Something tells me you know a lot less about your friend than you might know. If you want, I will dig up the dossier of Ari Kova that we have on file. It will take some time as the breach has damaged the file a little bit however. Aditionally, the dossier does shed some light on what we're dealing with here. This has been in the cooking pot for a long time and it seems the Coalition is involved further than we thought.
I will build the dossier back up for you, you will understand what I mean.
<<<INCOMING TRANSMISSION>>>
<<<Ship Designation: ScrapVulture>>>
<<<Encryption: Do it.>>>
At the last second, eh? Right, not surprised the Coalition's involved this deep, she started raving on about some traitor that brought about unification in the Coalition before she got transferred to whatever metal body she shares a consciousness with this time.
Seriously though, it's amazing you came up after I'd given up hope, my friend. Looks like I can't walk away just yet, seeing as how you went to the effort to bring this together.
Thanks.
The name's Beaumont Snell, by the way. It's a bit up-front, but no one else took it.
<<<TRANSMISSION CLOSED>>>
User was banned for: They will know.
Time left: (Permanent)
Subject's name: Ari Kova (Previously Yaroslava Ivanov)
Height: 1.62 meters
Hair Color: Auburn
Eye Color: Green
Age: 33
Status: Killed in Action
Background:
The subject, real name Yaroslava Ivanov, was born and raised on Planet Denver. Little is known of her past but she was the daughter of a Coalition sympathizer. At age 18 is when records of Yaroslava Ivanov orignally starts to appear, the subject changed her name when her father was arrested and sent to the Attica Supermax under accusations of being a Coalition spy. She later decided tp join the Lane Hackers at age 28 in the hopes of one day being able to free his father.
Known Crimes:
Armed robbery and extortion of corporate vessels. Attempted prison-break of the Attica Supermax facility in Illinois.
Threat Assessment:
Dangerous. Subject has little to lose and a strong will to achieve her goal of freeing her father. Will be ruthless in pursuit of her goals.
Disposition:
Quiet and calculating, subject has shown incredible intelligence and seems to be very gifted.
Addendum:
Subject was KIA in an attempted raid on the Attica Supermax facility on 08.30.815 A.S
Sorry if this isn't much but it's all I could dig up from the remaining fragments of her Dossier. As you can see, the Addendum is rather.. concerning. Ari Kova is supposed to have been killed in 815 A.S in that raid. Yet here she is and our intelligence network seldom make mistakes.
I would wager that the apparent death of Ari Kova, Project Kronos and her current situation are largely connected. With blackwood also happening to be using an ancient coalition encryption, it's even easier to assume a link to their past and perhaps even her father.
Inconsistencies upon inconsistencies. They went to extreme lengths to hide her association with the project to give her a full face-lift and feign her death, if that's even the case.
If Blackwood is indeed her father, he's not exactly the caring type. Hell, you've seen how he thinks of Ari, a means to an end at best and an obstacle at worst.
Now that we've got a (relatively) clear image of her background, I need to get searching for what body she's inhabiting now.
Thanks, by the way.
<<<TRANSMISSION CLOSED>>>
User was banned for: They will know.
Time left: (Permanent)
Anytime Mister Snell. Naturally, I'll keep my ears and eyes open for anything more but if you require any further assistance, do not hesitate to ask me. I am curious as to how this will all play out and at this point, I'm probably deep down the rabbit hole enough that my involvement might no longer be simply a passive one. Blackwood is likely aware of our correspondence.
Ahh, morse code. Using an ancient coalition encryption and now an ancient transmission protocol? How interesting. Blackwood seems to be a real throwback.
At any rate, morse code was widely used in times of old, I would feel that you wouldn't need the experience of a Lane Hacker to know what this recording says but just in case:
"THIS IS ARI KOVA STOP BLACKWOOD IS AN ORGANIZATION NOT A PERSON STOP NOT COALITION STOP UNIFICATION STOP PROJECT KRONOS EXTRACTED FROM ME STOP IT WAS DAAM KVOSH TECH STOP DO NOT TRY TO CONTACT ME STOP"
Seems we've got the blue guys involved now. Lots of them apaprently too if this message is to be believed as Blackwood appears to be an organization and not just an individual. Where have you received this recording if I may ask? Can you confirm the legitimacy of it? From what I have gathered up to now, it would seem that Ari Kova and Blackwood have somehow fused to an extent. As such, following the recording back to the source might give us much needed answers.
<<<INCOMING TRANSMISSION>>>
<<<Ship Designation: ScrapVulture>>>
<<<Encryption: Frequencies and such.>>>
Not really much of anything to work with, just a burst transmission I got out of the blue in morse code today.
We still have no concrete idea as to who is involved with this aside from us. Whoever forms Blackwood, we can't pinpoint a single individual in the group.
Transmissions being completely anonymous seriously do not help, either.
<<<TRANSMISSION CLOSED>>>
User was banned for: They will know.
Time left: (Permanent)
<<<TRANSMISSION OPENED>>>
<<<ENCRYPTION: Bit by bit>>>
<<<SHIPDES: ScrapVulture>>>
[VIDEO FEED UNAVAILABLE]
Firmware updates and such, but that's not exactly why I decided to submit this.
Junkers.Remorse, now back to it's original name Soldiers.Fortune has come under a new owner, whose name currently is unknown. After he accidentally wired the communications to the largely fried blackbox, it transmitted the names of two stations.
Kawada and Nansei, were the names, both in Kusari, if I had to wager.
This just got even more interesting.
<<<TRANSMISSION CLOSED>>>
User was banned for: They will know.
Time left: (Permanent)
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Dossier 5173-2 Ari Kova