Shadow Gate

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Shadow Gate
General information
Founder(s):	Marick Del'Abbot Dralin Fortea Talos Erinos
Leader(s):	Gatewarden Talos Erinos
Headquarters:	Classified
Location:	Port Ol'val
Historical information
Founding:	31 ABY
Dissolution:	33 ABY
Restoration:	35 ABY
Other information
Affilliation:	House Qel-Droma Clan Arcona
Era(s):	Dark Jedi Brotherhood Era
[ Source ]

Shadow Gate is a recently re-opened Battleteam within House Qel-Droma of Clan Arcona. More cool stuff to come.

Battleteam History

First Run

Originally founded in early 31 ABY, Shadow Gate was an oddity among Battleteams 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, but rather 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 levelheadedness and intellect to lead this unorthodox unit.

Inside the Gates (Methods of Operation)

Deep-Cover Aliases (DCA)

First and foremost, each Shadow Gatekeeper, including the Gatewarden, is responsible for creating an in-depth, cover identity for use while active on Port Ol’val. Known as a Deep-Cover Alias, or DCA, these faux identities are created for the dual purposes of making intelligence gathering easier while also protecting the Gatekeeper’s true identity, thereby protecting House Qel-Droma and Clan Arcona as a whole.

Commonly, the Gatekeeper’s use their Deep-Cover Alias’s to infiltrate one of Ol’val’s pre-established and already known organizations, as House Qel-Droma does not sponsor a front company or have a “public” presence on Ol’val in terms of being well-known; indeed, the only people who actually know of Qel-Droma’s activity in the Port are the Arconae and the High Summit along with the House Summit and the two Battleteams of Qel-Droma.

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 the compromising of even one DCA could throw HQD’s position on Port Ol’val into chaos.

Because of this ever looming risk, only the Gatewarden and the benefactor known as “Blindman” are privy to the knowledge of exactly who is who.

Examples of Deep-Cover Aliases and their Shadow Gate creators are Garter Mason and Chrai Dewal; using these two personas, Talos (Garter) and Ronovi (Chrai), have been able to infiltrate two of Port Ol’val’s most widely known corporations, Fly-On-The-Wall and Mal Company respectively.

Adaptive Reconnaissance Intelligence Agents (ARIA)

Adaptive Reconnaissance Intelligence Agent is the “occupational code” associated with Shadow Gate’s more “combative” side, for as well-versed as each Gatekeeper is in spying, each is also a trained tactical operator, supposedly working out of the Adaptive Reconnaissance Intelligence Division of the Dajorra Intelligence Agency.

This is a wide-spread misconception, as neither the DIA, nor any of the Arconan Military Corps., have a division known as the ARID. However, neither side has gone to any great lengths to stop the circulation of the misconception, as it has served both Shadow Gate and the DIA well; for Shadow Gate, it provides the Battleteam with another organization to hide behind, while it allows the DIA to bask in the glory and praise of Shadow Gate’s accomplishments, as all “ARIA” operations, both successes and failures, are attributed to the DIA.

As for the exact role of the Adaptive Reconnaissance Intelligence Agents, it varies very little from the role that the Deep-Cover Aliases play, except for one major difference. Whereas “covert” and “clandestine” are the watchwords with the Deep-Cover Aliases, “aggressive ” is a more fitting description of the ARIAs; they are tasked with the covert, but aggressive, gathering of intelligence as there are always situations, especially on Port Ol’val, where intelligence cannot be gathered through “clandestine” means, no matter how proficient the spy is. The only way to that intelligence is through bloodshed.

Thus, ARIA operations are handled very professionally and tactically and despite the agents being the same people as their DCAs, there is no resemblance between the two divisions of Shadow Gate. During ARIA operations, Gatekeepers wear a hood and balaclava as part of their Fortea Operations Armor to conceal their faces and outward communication is kept at a minimum (though agents are free to speak via the encrypted throat-mics they wear).

However, as total silence is impossible during any sort of operation, Shadow Gate has taken a few precautions; callsigns are used in the place of names and a simple set of commands have been drilled into each Gatekeeper’s head.

Additionally, it is almost always the duty of Shadow Gate to act on the intelligence gathered by both of the Battleteam’s divisions (the exception is the targeting and assassination of single, high-profile individuals, which is handled by Oblivion Brigade). Acting on intelligence includes actions such as ambushing arms deals and drug shipments, destroying or sabotaging property, and providing the details for an Oblivion killteam’s assassination.

Therefore, acting on intelligence usually requires Gatekeepers to use their ARIA training but there is always the occasional need for Gatekeepers to step back into their DCAs and go even deeper undercover.

Training

Shadow Gate personnel receive double the training of most Battleteams, as both of Shadow Gate’s roles must be catered to. However, the doubled time and difficulty of the training results in double the benefits received at the end, as by the time Gatekeepers are activated, they are probably bi-lingual and can withstand a wide array of interrogation techniques, while also being able to conduct a tactical assault operation with maximum efficiency and lethality.

Training Regimen Alpha

Subjects Covered:

*Cover Identities

*Society Integration

*Interrogation Defense

*Criminal behavior/mannerisms

The training for Deep Cover operations, codenamed Training Regimen Alpha, is a “passive-intensive” training program designed to teach Shadow Gate personnel how to be effective in deep-cover scenarios and create natural, believable cover identities. In addition to that, instruction in how to withstand interrogation, how to blend in with society and the how to analyze the various types of criminal behaviors and mannerisms is also provided.

Regimen Alpha is taught by employees of the Dajorra Intelligence Agency, from both the Bureau of Analysis and the Bureau of Operations, and lasts roughly 8 weeks. Weeks 1-4 have recruits creating, fine-tuning, and learning to use their Deep-Cover Aliases, while Week 5 is dedicated soley to society integration. Weeks 6 and 7 are often referred to as "Void Week", due to the fact that it is during these 14 days that potential Gatekeepers are taught how to resist interrogation...first hand. Finally, Week 8 instructs the near-graduates on the various types of criminal behaviors and mannerisms that they may encounter while operating in Port Ol'val.

Despite "Void Week", the Regimen itself is classified as “passive-intensive” due to the fact that no “hot” instruction, such as live-fire exercises, takes place. This is not to say, however, that the Regimen is an easy course; indeed, Regimen Alpha taxes its students just as hard mentally and emotionally as Regimen Bravo does physically.

Standard Loadout

Fortea Operations Armor

File:Fortea Op Armor.jpg

Gatekeeper wearing the Fortea Operations Armor v1