- "The Shadow Knows"
- ―Shadow Gate Motto
Shadow Gate is a Battleteam within House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona. It comprises of elite agents known as *Gatekeepers*. They work alone or in small task groups to secure the interests of the Shadow Clan through espionage, intelligence gathering, subversion, political machinations, assassinations and the occasional explosion or two.
Battleteam History
First Run
Originally founded in early 31 ABY, Shadow Gate was an oddity as it broke the stereotype of other Battleteams; while Shadow Gate members were all combat-trained and capable Dark Jedi, their methods of operation revolved not in the realm of commando tactics and overt assault, nor was it a covert operations unit. Instead, they dealt in the world of passive intelligence gathering and special ventures, which included striking deals with the seedier elements of the galaxy and securing items of interest through bartering, haggling, and occasionally thievery.
Shadow Gate's first leader was the then-Guardian Driftan Housan, an up-and-coming Arconan prodigy who, from the very earliest stages of his training, displayed the level-headedness and intellect to lead this unorthodox unit.
Decommissioning
Shadow Gate was shut down at the same time that Arcona lost its Clan status, but the team’s members at that time archived all of the information in their databases, counting on a future date when it would be needed again.
Revival
Once the Shadow Clan was reformed there was once again a need for the Battleteam and the Gatekeepers were recalled to active duty. The first of the new Gate Wardens was Talos Erinos, but duties in other parts of the Brotherhood quickly claimed him. Solus Gar was the next to hold the mantle, but soon he too was needed elsewhere.
The Battleteam was once again shut down until 38 ABY, when it was determined that Arete no longer fulfilled Clan Arcona’s needs and in its place, Shadow Gate revived through the efforts of Rrogon Skar. With its new leader, the team was commissioned to form a unit of undercover operatives who were tasked with the objective of seizing control of Ol’val’s criminal underworld.
Recent Events
Ktana and, formerly, Nath Voth ran Shadow Gate as a primary source of intel for Qel-Droma on Port Ol’val. Just before K’tana became leader of the Battleteam, she infiltrated a small gang that helped several members of the Battleteam remove small rival gangs from the Port immediately after she became Gate Warden. A search and destroy mission had the Battleteam remove control of the Port from the Triumvirate. The Triumvirate had been a sect of three gangs which had formed an alliance to subvert Qel-Droman control, but between Shadow Gate and the 27's, Port Ol’val was conquered and the Triumvirate disassembled.
During this time, K’tana used her knowledge to bring the members together in their DCA’s, something highly frowned upon that would cause issues later on. The Gate Warden had them go in small groups to rid the Port of the three heads of each gang that formed the Triumvirate.
Inside the Gates (Methods of Operation)
Deep-Cover Aliases (DCA)
First and foremost, each Shadow Gatekeeper, including the Gate Warden, has the opportunity to create one or more in-depth cover identities for use while active on Port Ol’val. Known as a Deep-Cover Alias, or DCA, these faux identities are created for the purpose of making intelligence gathering easier while also protecting the Gatekeeper’s true identity, thereby protecting House Qel-Droma and Clan Arcona as a whole.
Given the importance of the DCA to the work of the Battleteam, every possible effort is put into the creation of a new cover. Each possible aspect of the personality that is to be assumed is filled in, such as birthdate, home planet, family status, social background. Even minute data such as what brand their first speeder was, or where they worked their first job, is covered. The idea is to make the identity airtight - able to hold up against the most dedicated scrutiny and attempts to reveal it as a fake. In fact, the last step in the process before any DCA can be considered complete is for all of the other members of Shadow Gate use all of their skills to attempt to crack the cover’s facade. Only when they all fail is the seal of approval given for field use. A testament to the team’s success and skill in the creation of these covers came about 2 years ago when one of the cover identities received a summons for jury duty on their supposed home planet.
Commonly, the Gatekeepers use their Deep-Cover Aliases to infiltrate one of Port Ol’val’s pre-established and already known organizations. Due to the free rein that the team is given to operate, day to day details of specific operations are kept classified, and not reported higher up the chain. Regardless of this, certain higher members always seem to know who has done what.
As such, each Deep-Cover Alias is kept in the utmost secrecy by the House and there are no hardcopy records of the DCAs and their creators/users anywhere in the Dajorra System, from the High Summit to the Dajorra Intelligence Agency, as compromising even one DCA could throw Qel-Droma's position on Port Ol’val into chaos. Because of this ever-looming risk, knowledge of each member's exact identity is kept secret as much as possible, even from other members of the Clan.
Not every member of Shadow Gate resorts to a single DCA, however. In the past, for example, Ronovi Tavisaen resorted to multiple impromptu identities for each separate mission she undertook while on Ol'val. In fact, most of the operatives have a bevy of different personas in their repertoire that they can use as covers at any given moment, although it is true that each agent tends to pick a favorite that is their most fleshed out and back-stopped cover.
Other members, such as Ktana, choose to keep a single DCA and hold them down with resources like the 27’s or business fronts. The small gang knows her by nothing other than her Cover Alias and no amount of prying, torture or interrogation can make them tell what they don’t know.
Front businesses
The Gilded Credit
Upsilon 3
In addition to setting up their DCAs, all Gatekeepers have the task of finding and establishing various Front Businesses around the port. This practice gives the agents safe places to rest, relax, and lay low when necessary and it also allows for the expansion of the team’s area of influence. The location of a Front Business should be in a such a place that people coming and going at any hour of the day won’t arouse suspicion. Ideally it would be a location with multiple entrance and exit points. It should also be nondescript, and unlikely to attract attention from either the authorities or criminal elements.
Current front companies
Orion's Shadow
The re-creation of Shadow Gate came with orders to form a mercenary group to take over Port Ol'val. This led to the creation of organization known as Orion’s Shadow. However, the company was to receive no help, overt or otherwise, from House Qel-Droma. The Gate Wardens took to the challenge immediately, forming the Company with nothing more than what few blasters they could afford out of their own pockets. Over time, through careful planning, Orion's Shadow grew into a large ground force, and even a small fleet of ships consisting of mainly fighters, with a few corvette class ships. Orion's Shadow’s leader can usually be found in Ruby's Perch taking contracts. Their fleet operates out of Malikie’s Repairs.
Ruby’s Perch
Place where you can drink, eat bar food and gamble to your heart’s content. It also serves as one of the entrances to the secret series of tunnels known only to current and former members of Shadow Gate (as well as the Quaestor & Aedile), which lead to safe houses and different locations throughout Port Ol’val.
Malikie’s Ship Repairs & Upgrades
A small shelf in the docs with a addition hanger carved into the wall behind it. Set up as a front by Revs this small landing pad also acts a a shop for pirates and smugglers to bring their ships to be repaired. Having bugged the ducts and Kas Tunnel with sensors and microphones, Malikie is able to gain information on any ship or persons coming into or leaving the Port. The secret tunnels leading to it also act as a way for Shadow Gate to smuggle supplies into the Port completely undetected.
Thanatophilia
Thanatophilia is a quiet bar with a morbid theme and no tolerance for violence. A frequent gathering place for the various gangs of Ol’val to scheme and deal with one another. Tables contain corpses in varying poses and glasses have been embedded with bone. It is currently under the reluctant supervision of Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae.
Bleu's Clues Investigative Services
A small office in one of the cheaper levels near the Plaza has found itself home to a small Private Investigator's firm ran by Kordath Bleu and his Fades, with simple rules and rates concerning the recovery of items and people. Bleu refuses, quite adamantly, to ever go after casino debtors from the Hutt businesses as those who take lines of credit from such places deserve what they get.
Roster
The current roster of Shadow Gate is as follows:
More TBA