Hmm's Incident at Absalom Station (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

"Greetings, shirren. Spoken like a true soldier!", says the skeleton.

”Hopefully, it is a diplomatic overture, since the commander is bound for the embassy,” Hawthorne replies to Xylkik. ”And I would hate to think that the Hardscrabble was smuggling terrorists.”

He looks at the coffin case. ”Would you mind walking to engineering before getting back in? You’re heavy.”

Hearing Zeyram over the comm', Commander Eskolar answers: "Greetings Zeyram. You make a good argument, and I am truly wholeheartedly with you, and will root for your success, but I must regretfully decline to assist you in your clearing this ship. It is not, if I may be so blunt, my problem. And I have my own business to attend to."

“Understood, Commander!” Zeyram crisply replies.

Well, they aren’t going to be any help. At least they are polite though.

I will have to ask Hawthorne about the details latter, since not all of what I’m hearing makes sense.

He continues to guard the corridor, waiting for the rest of the team to retreat to Engineering.

Looking at Hawthorne, the skeleton answers: "Why go to... Engineering, wherever that is? My "package" is here, so I can just get back in", and Commander Eskola does just that, stepping into the 'coffin' and sitting down.
"And you can close back up what you broke open."
Then she shakes her head and whispers: "Heavy? Mentioning a lady's weight, pff... manners".

Is there space on our shuttle for the crate?

Yes, you could put the crate in the baggage hold, below the seats - it is an 8x8 foot crate, probably 3 ft deep.

"Because it's defensible," Hawthorne mutters to himself.

Because it's defensible, Sophia echoes in sync with Hawthorne.

"This may explain why every Corpse Fleet ship I've encountered has been so easy to dispatch," he continues muttering to himself.

"It was very entertaining meeting you, and I wish you the best of lucks with your aliens."
Commander Eskolar lies back down in the "coffin": "I am fine remaining in my indefensible position, if you will be so kind as to close the crate back up".

Alright, make that less than no help.

“Hawthorne, best do as the Commander requests but please be quick about it. Leave the crate there until we have secured the ship.”

Xyklik looks to the others, then, if no one objects, he places the crate's cover back into place and locks it tight again.

"Interesting diversion. Yes, I agree Zeyram, we should clear the ship before dealing with this."

He moves out of the hold and into the hallways again and toward the bridge brandishing Cade's pistol.

As the shirren passes him, Zeyram shouts “Xyklik, no!”

“We need to rest and recover before going forward!”

Big Jim is out of Resolve. I think Cade is out of spells.

Xyklik huffs into his comm unit. "Very well. Then let us rest for the 'night'."

”It will give me time to build a few weapons, anyhow,” Hawthorne tries to reassure the soldier.

Xyklik sees a skeletal head grinning at him... all teeth, no lips before sliding the cover back in place, and closing it.

Commander Eskolar back in her sarcophagus, you talk a bit, and then decide to rest.

Cade browses some ent. channels, ends up watching The Vipers again, ”My grandma could have caught that! What’s wrong with these people?!”

Then he gets some food and some shut-eye.

In the morning, he grumbles away until he’s eaten, then meditates, ”Now this is good coffee. I wonder if they have coffee on Eox?”

He stares thoughtfully at a blank piece of wall, tapping a coffee spoon against his lips, ”I wonder what the punishment is for smuggling terrorists onto Absalom Station?”

As they retreat, Zeyram makes sure they close the doors into the area with the power core and the ones into Engineering.

Once back in the shuttle, he says "I think we should set a watch. If we are really feeling paranoid, we could detach the shuttle from the Acreon's airlock."

"Detaching seems like a safer option, if those things were able to open doors and fly around they wouldn't still be in there I bet"

Nodding, Zeyram prepares the shuttle.

Once everyone is settled, he detaches from the Acreon's airlock and moves the shuttle a few hundred yards away from the ship. He points the shuttle so that they will have a good view of the outside of the Acreon.

"There, we should be able to see any space lions or other things as they traverse the empty space before they get here."

Looking towards Big Jim, he says "You took quite the beating. Are you going to be alright?"

During the day, he offers the assault hammer to Xyklik who accepts it.

Crossing the item off my profile.

Hawthorne returns to engineering and begins scavenging for more supplies. He pours out the spare parts from the port storage and lays out the flame pistol on one of the tables.

"Now, if Cade and Jim can give me a han--leave? What? There's no engineering bay on the shuttle. We can just shut the doors, here," he says with exasperation.

Well, we can always play Tetris on your comm.

"They don't even know what they're missing."

"Space walk there and back? That or we can remain connected while you do the crafting."

With a shrug, he adds "Whatever works for the group. I don't think it is critical except while most of us are sleeping."

”Yeah, lets stay attached until s@~!-eye and do some crafting. I’m in.”

Cade assists Hawthorne as far as he can.

Hawthorne has a smaller pile of salvaged goods than he hoped for, obviously the miners were using a lot of second hand things, and patched up items that turned out to not be re-usable.

You discuss amongst yourselves the best course of action.

My feeling, based on the calculations I posted, is that you rest first - you can detach the Hippocampus and move it away for super safety vs. attacks from the Acreon... and to be ready for space attacks! - and then all go in to craft and/or guard the crafters (will be in 2 groups).
Doing 1 or 2 craft sessions.

Xyklik says, "We've already been attacked once in space. As the loud vesk proclaimed, the 'space lions' do not seem to be able to open doors, or at least thick airlock doors. Sleeping in the shuttle while attached offers a chokepoint and killzone to work with. Space is unknown. We know the enemy here."

He sits down on a crate, checking over his new assault hammer. "I do not need much rest. I can be guard for much of the night while the engineers work to produce their weapons."

Hawthorne collects the UPB packets from the shuttle. He breaks off two packets for Sigamus, two for himself, and leaves the rest for Jim and Cade.

"Between the parts here and the UPBs, you should be able to build Xyklik a pulsecaster rifle," the engineer says to Cade and then looks to the shirren. "If you're not adverse to using rifles."

He slides the packets he kept for himself into a pocket on his belt. "Sigamus and I can work on creating healing serums. As much as I'd like to build you some fine pistols and rifles, I think we may need the healing more."

Those who wish to, rest, in the shuttle or on the Acreon.
Those who want to, craft.
In whichever order you want.

The next day you are all rested and have replenished your health and resolve - and spells for the casters - and have whatever you wished to make if such was your choice.

During this time you realized that your Ambassador friend is giving recordings from the skull-like drone to the news, since there are broadcasts of your fights with the "Space Lions" and your exploration, and you are a hot topic on Absalom Station.

Hawthorne and Simagus got a very serious fever during the early morning of the second day, and feel that their bodies successfully fought off some disease or illness.

Back to exploring the Acreon it is.

minor retcon
Cade drags himself away from the cricket, ”Not like the Vipers are going to win anything this season anyway...” to construct a pulse caster rifle for Xyklik.
”That looks a bit more like some serious military hardware anyway, check out the society badge I put on the side, you want it?”

now

Cade stands back, letting the proper fighters lead the way through the airkock.

Jim is a bit more ginger "Well this whole adventure is not what I thought it was, I was sure this was all going to be something about a show - but with those crazy space lions, well those truly are something else"

Buster rolls in front of Jim now, Jim being a bit more cautious now the gravity of the situation has finally dawned on him. His reptilian brow has hardened slightly, more a visage of determination than joy.

During one of his crafting sessions.

Hawthorne places a bubble pack of UPBs into the 3D constructor and types in the code for several instructions, including a unique chemical signature. While the constructor is building a glass vial, the Triunite kneels on the floor of the science lab and chants a litany of prayers in Akitonian.

Several hours later, the vial is full of divinely energized healing serum.

Later...

He hands out the serums. "Nice work, Cade. I like your artistry," Hawthorne comments while examining the rifle.

Cade smiles, ”Cheers, after that chat with the Admiral, I realised I ought to admit that I’m a Starfinder now.” He flicks a thumb toward Xyklik, ”and most soldiers love insignia.

In the engineering bay, Xyklik takes hold of the pulsecaster rifle when it is given to him and inspects the workings.

"Yes, good," he growls, "It will cause many things unconsciousness."

It seems that is the best Xyklik can do for a compliment. He moves from the crafting station, radios on his comm, "Ready to move. Say the word and we will commence."

Hawthorne readies his own sealed rifle. "I suppose it is too much to hope that we killed the last of them rather than they're infinitely incurious creatures (or hibernate in the absence of life)," the engineer comments in a grim monotone. "I'm ready, though."

As the group fills up the corridor approaching the bridge, Cade lets threads of magical energy play around his hands.
The energy moves from green to orange to blue to white...

He breathes into his comms, "See anything up ahead?"

Having divvied up the items you crafted, you get ready and move out, reforming your exploration-scouting formation as you head towards the place you left off: the 'intersection' before the door to the bridge.

As Hawthorne reflects on the creatures, he realizes he too might be "infinitely incurious", since he did not seem to care one bit about what kind of illness or disease gave Simagus and he that serious fever, nor who else might be afflicted?
Actually, the entire party might be "incurious", watching cricket - and why: the Vipers were losing! - and Big Jim reruns, instead of seeking answers on AbsalomNet as to what those "Space Lions" are, and if they hibernate in the absence of life or not?

Ahead of you, in the silence of the airless corridor, dimly lit by the emergency LEDs, you see the open doors that lead to the bridge, where twinkling lights flicker on the dark wall.

The little chrome-skull droid floats ahead of you, up against the 8 foot high corridor ceiling, and then spins around to get a nice group shot, to keep on feeding the News.

Onward Starfinders!

"Buster can check whats going on..."

Jim ensures people are well positioned, then Buster moves into the room, scanning it for anything hostile.

Buster drives right past the side corridors and straight into the entrance of the bridge.
Buster scans the area, from port to starboard... and reports to Big Jim: "This is the bridge, and the bridge is empty. The twinkling lights are the stars! And some computer consoles. All clear boss. Can I have a spinoff show of my own?"

@Big Jim: Looking at the info' on your droid in your character sheet, your droid speaks all the languages you do (not just Common).

"Easy your turbo there Buster, maybe soon!"

"Any bodies or anything?"

***

"Nothing so far" Jim comments to his companions.

"Negative on the bodies. The computers and such seem powered down or on standby." Then, whispered: "Yeah: Soon™"

You know, I never even considered internet research: still too many dungeon-crawling instincts.

"We check our flank before continuing," Xyklik says.

He moves to the crossroad hall again and then moves down one of the hallways with the other rooms. He waits for the others to get to the crossroads.

"Ready weapons for hostiles," he says. Once everyone has readied an action in case an enemy appears, he will open the door and peer in.

Jim signals Buster to wait in place as he draws his pistol and moves to the crossroads to assist Xyklik.

Hawthorne readies his rifle and proceeds to the next intersection. He leans against the starboard bulkhead and watches for danger from the opposite direction.

Covered by Big Jim and Hawthorne, Xyklik moves up to the first open door, and peers in--
--The Shirren sees a cabin.
It is obviously a shared living quarters, for the Acreon’s crew.
It seems to contain two simple bunks, a pair of lockers, a small sink, and some personal possessions... of the space-mining crew - as in the holo-pic of Miss December.

• Xyklik: there is no door to open.
Other than the airlocks, all the doors are locked in the open position except for the ones marked 'closed'
• I moved Big Jim up to the intersection. Place him where you want him to be, or tell us where he goes.

Simagus seemed to have been somewhere in his own little mind space for a while but seemed to snap out of it as he gazed over the interior, rifle raised and at the ready.

As Big Jim is at the intersection, you see him have a coughing fit. You realize he has not been well since this morning. Even for a Vesk.

"Jim," Hawthorne speaks over the comm in his helmet, "You don't look so good. Your scales are losing their luster. Are you OK?"

Well that sucks :p

"Yeah I can't say I'm feeling all that good, I haven't felt this shady since I ate a questionable hot minty-lamb Hero roll at a run-down roadside diner when we were filming an episode on Akiton, think I'll stick to coffee for a few days"

Xyklik turns to the others, then looks at the Vesk.

"Then you should not shop the Stuffer Shacks. The Synthitos alone will scrape out your blood vessels and bloom a bacterial city in your organs."

He waits for whatever the others want to do next.

"Keep watchful and ready," he says to the others.

Once everyone is ready, he will move down both the hallways and peering in the rooms, looking for enemies first, then other dangers, trying to be sure the rest of the ship is clear.

"You do know that Akitonian lamb isn't lamb, right?" the Akitonian asks rhetorically. "Maybe we ought to pull back and have Sigamus take a look at you."

Xyklik checks the other room behind the open door, and it is another bunking room.

He sees the other door across the way - still starboard side - is locked, so he leaves it for now.

Crossing to the port side corridor, Xyklik sees the first door is locked, so he leaves it.
The second door is another sleeping quarter, and is as empty as the other two.

Across the way, he finds the galley: no door, but an open space.
Inside: sinks, fridges, tables, stools...
This is where the crew prepared and shared meals in this kitchen and eating area.
Empty as well.

Xyklik moves back.

You can go for the locked doors, of course.