Leo Gotrum |
As they try to escape Leo focuses on his weapon's control. Targeting the thrusters again he fires. Finally doing some good with these he thinks as the shot connects.
Firing at thruster: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Confirming: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Dmg: 12d8 ⇒ (7, 4, 1, 5, 6, 4, 4, 2, 5, 4, 1, 8) = 51
If confirmed: 12d8 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 8, 3, 6, 7, 1, 5, 1, 6, 2) = 47
DM Jelani |
Round 6
Initiative 27
Mordanna guides the Excelsior back towards the planet.
Initiative 25
Kimefe fires a shot into the thrusters of the carrier, causing one to explode and another to start sparking.
Initiative 20
Horus begins the extensive repair work.
Initiative 16
Leo lands a perfect shot against the thrusters, destroying another and causing a third to spark wildly.
Initiative 15
The carrier, unable to move make an attempt to hit the Excelsior one last time.
Broadside 1d20 + 10 - 14 ⇒ (17) + 10 - 14 = 13
Damage is 315 putting Excelsior at 146/1600
Fort save against fire 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
The FEF vessel is rocked again, all displays of system integrity are flashing red and there is a constant rain of sparks and hissing gasses on the bridge and in the hallways.
Initiative 15-
Grimwold puts a torpedo into the thrusters, but it doesn't do enough damage to destroy the third one.
Initiative 10
"Go go go go go go go go! Get us out of here, one more hit and we're all space dust!" Ageera says to Mordanna
Aid another on Mordanna 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
End of Round 6
---------------------
Begin Round 7
Mordanna 27
Kimefe 25
Horus 20
Leo 16
Pirates 15+
Grimwold 15-
Ageera 10
You automatically get upper hand.
Grimwold Starforge |
Grimwold heads for the medical bay " Jycla, I need a casualty report right away. " He says walking into his office. Once inside he adresses the ship. " Excelsior, are there any reports of injured crew? "
FEF Excelsior |
3d4 ⇒ (4, 4, 2) = 10
1d5 ⇒ 1g
1d5 ⇒ 3k
1d5 ⇒ 2h
1d5 ⇒ 3k
1d5 ⇒ 3k
1d5 ⇒ 4l
1d5 ⇒ 5m
1d5 ⇒ 5m
1d5 ⇒ 4l
1d5 ⇒ 5m
1d4 ⇒ 2
"There are ten deceased crew members and two more being tended to in sick bay Sir." The ship replies.
Suvyan
Menucher
Shirmard
Javidan
Periadoc
Seddyn
Verica
Jaera
Mujeeb
Veran
Grimwold Starforge |
Damn, ten deceased! Too many, and where was I... On the bridge. Gah I can't save everyone don't let it get to you Grim. Grimwold gets up and checks on the status off the two crew members in the sickbay before hurrying to the conference room.
Heal check to access their injuries: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
Are their injuries bad? How quickly does Grimwold think they'll be back in service?
Leo Gotrum |
Activating his communicator: "CWOs of operations and staff this is the XO, status reports now. Seddyn I want you to compile a complete status of the Excelsior disperse the rest of you people to assist where needed. CWO of operation assist Ensign Hightower with fire fighting and repairs." Leo checks his targeting informations on last time ensuring that no enemies followed them. He walks to the scanners performs a scan of the ship to asses the damage. "You're going to pull through, we'll make sure of it." He says as he pats the console before leaving for the conference room.
DM Jelani |
All of you get your status reports, Leo you get the same list of casualties as Grimwold. Included was your aide Seddyn.
Kimefe, by the time you get to the morgue, your soldiers are already laid out in Gentle Repose coffins, draped with FEF flags. The medical officers inform you there will be a funeral service in a few hours for all the fallen.
Once everyone has arrived, the Captain has everyone make their report. After they are finished he speaks.
Captain Alejandro Ageera |
After hearing what everyone has to say, the Captain sighs heavily. "I'm sorry we lost so many. I should have never taken us in there. This ship was already undercrewed and under-armed." He pauses, shaking his head "Damn the Guild!" He exclaims, slamming his fist down on the table. "I never thought I'd say that, but I've lived inside their politics my whole life. I can't believe the situation they've put us in, just because we're FEF we're expendable." The Captain half-stands, leaning on his fingertips over the conference table. He appears to be enraged, but takes a few deep breaths and then sits back down.
"I'm sorry. I'm also new to all this. Obviously what I just said can never leave this room. Lets go over the positives. We've destroyed several of their spike-ships, most of their drones and caused crippling damage to their Carrier. Stuck out in the middle of an asteroid belt, they won't have the parts needed to make repairs that extensive. Long as we leave them there, they'd eventually starve to death."
"On the other hand, we don't know if they have other non-capital ships still in operation, or where their leader is. We also still don't know who the mole is. I'd like to open this up for suggestions, comments, or questions now. Please, let me know what you're thinking before I issue my orders."
Leo Gotrum |
It never gets easy, I g&~ d$*n hate this. Leo thinks as the captain speaks. "I agree sir." Leo responds when the captain is finished, and continues: "You did good, all of you." As he looks around the room at the ensigns and finally at the captain.
"As Starforge said we need to get the excelsior repaired and unfortunately we need to take a look at the crew as see how to best reorganise until we can replenish. The crew of the operations section will have to fill in where needed." Leo adds as Grimwold finishes. He looks at Horus and asks: "Hightower can you keep the Excelsior together while Na'Tal flies us back?"
As the room is silent for a few seconds he continues: "Al right your crew might need someone to talk to, remember to debrief. If you need further debriefing than this my door is always open." That was what Sgt. Halls would have done, Leo thinks as he finishes
Grimwold Starforge |
" Maybe we've done enough damage ta attract some more attention... I mean you were already attacked once just for askin' around a little. Maybe just being' planet side will be enough ta draw out some enemies we can capture and question." The dwarf rubs his bald head and looks around at the others.
Captain Alejandro Ageera |
"Well, in any case we are heading back. We will need the headman's assistance to make repairs this extensive. They will also take quite some time. Though we may not have exposed the mole, we've removed the threat for the foreseeable future. After we finish our repairs, we will offer to escort a shipment of Arcanicite to the Gate. If we can manage that, it should be enough to convince the FEF to send in some reinforcements and to satisfy the Headman that our work is done. Once we make it back to Vega, I am going to pull every string I can to make sure we are fully crewed and equipped before heading out on our main mission of exploration. You've all done excellent work here. Catch some bunktime. When we near the star, we'll hold a funeral for the fallen." The Captain stands and nods, "Dismissed. Grimwold, stay after a moment please."
Everyone can level up.
Leo Gotrum |
Leo acknowledges the order with a nod and asks before he leaves: "Sir are you considering temporary promotions? I would like a new CWO to replace Seddyn." He pauses and continues: "Should I draft letter for the families of the deceased for your approval sir?"
Leo heads to sickbay to look in on any staff or operations personal that might be there. After talking with the wounded he heads of to talk with first the operations personal and afterwards the staff.
Grimwold Starforge |
Leo Gotrum |
After debriefing both groups of personnel Leo retires to his personal quarters and begins looking through the files of the current staff trying to decide whom to promote. Pushing the files aside after a little while he begins to write a letter to Seddyn's family.
Captain Alejandro Ageera |
An hour and a half later, the Captain's voice comes across the comm. "Anyone who wishes, please joins us in the torpedo bay for the funeral."
===================
Funeral:
Once everyone is gathered in the torpedo bay, the Captain standing in his full dress uniform moves to stand in front of the ten coffins draped with the FEF Flag. He looks at the crowd for a moment before beginning to speak. "None of us have known each other for long. We've been thrown together by circumstance, by duty. These brave souls," He says gesturing to the coffins behind him. "Embraced their duty. They strode without complaint into the jaws of doom, against a superior foe. They died as heroes, protecting the Federation that we all love. They died as our brothers and sisters, protecting us. Their sacrifice was not in vain. We will remember them, we will make their gift of life mean something."
"Look around the room at the men and women here. Know that should you ever fall, you too will be remembered. You too will be honored. Let us take a moment of silence to remember the fallen." He pauses, his head down for a long minute. When he looks back up there is fire and steel in his gaze. "We return now these lost brethren to the stars. Those great cradles of creation from whence everything sprang. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." He signals with his hand and taps begins to play over the comm. The great white burning orb of Cygnuss can be seen through viewscreen behind him. The coffins slowly move forward along the feed belt one by one into the torpedo tubes. They are fired one by one slowly into the vastness of space, dirfting in a line directly towards the star. Silence reigns in the bay until the last of the small missiles fades from view in the brightness of the corona. People begin to slowly leave the room, many of them have their heads down and tears in their eyes.
Grimwold Starforge |
Grimwold spends the funeral with his head bowed but salutes each casket that is fired at the star. After the funeral he heads back to his office and looks over the medical records of the fallen. Looking over their causes of death and trying to work out if improved procedures could minimise deaths in future ship to ship combats.
I'm not really expecting to find much. It's just Grimwold needing to 'do' something.
Leo Gotrum |
Dressed in his dress uniform Leo behaves himself as protocol dictates during the ceremony. He stands unmoved for most of the ceremony, but the last casket is fired towards the star, a tear rolls down his chin. He walks of the deck as on of the first heading to his private quarters.
"CWO Alullyra report to the XO's quarters." he orders, going over operations reports while he waits. As she enters, he gestures towards a chair. "CWO Alullyra, we need to talk about your responsibilities. They're going to increase for while, now that we lost Ensign Bigfix. I'll check in when I can, but a lot of the day to day operations will be under your supervision." They talk for a little while before she is dismissed and Leo turns towards the personnel file of his perhaps future CWO of staff, the male goblin, who seemed to be old Seddyn's second in command.
Horus Hightower |
Horus is somber during the ceremony, but has little time to dwell on it afterwards as he is stretched to the limit of his abilities trying to keep the Excelsior together during their limping return to safety.
Grimwold Starforge |
Grimwold sighs and places the autoscroll down on his desk pushing back from it. He rubs his face with a hand as he stands and then heads out the door. " Deck 1." he says as he reaches the teleport. Stepping out he heads to the bridge with the intent of staring into space for awhile.
DM Jelani |
While the journey out only took two hours, the return flight was something closer to six. Mordanna and Horus manage to get the ship into orbit around Cygnuss IV. The captain has informed the officers that they are to form an away team under Lt. Gotrum. He's given them use of the remaining shuttle and requested that they meet with the headman and see after a few things.
-Update him on the pirate situation.
-Help repairing the Excelsior. A higher level shipsmith would be invaluable (someone who can cast Mending).
-What happened to Grunk?
-Any more talent to be found on this rock? We could use some extra crew.
How they go about this, he has left up to their discretion. He wants hourly reports, and cautions the group to tread carefully.
Leo Gotrum |
"Ensigns, briefing in room 1, 10 minutes." Leo orders over the communicator.
At the briefing:
"Take a seat." Leo says as the others arrive. "We're heading planet side again as you properly already know. Our assignments are few but important. We need the Excelsior back at full fighting strength that means a shipsmith and replacement crew so keep your eyes and ear open."
He looks at Kimefe and adds: "I want you to supervise this, make sure our safety isn't compromised. I don't think any pirates are singing our praises at the moment."
Heading on he continues: "We're meeting with the headsman again to inform him of current events and hopefully get some support. I need someone else to pad the man's ego, since our dear shrink left, any takers?"
Leo pauses and gives everyone a stern look around the table. "While we're down there look out for any information on Bigfix, I want to know what happend. And lastly be careful I want everyone back in one piece, that's an order."
Kimefe |
"The main thing for security is making sure everyone has their weapons at all times. If this takes more than just a day we will need to sleep in shifts and thoroughly search our rooms beforehand. We may also want to be wary of poison, and everyone's equipment--And the shuttle--will need to be scanned for foreign material when we get back."
Horus Hightower |
"I can kiss ass with the best of them sir, but I generally don't come off as being that sincere. "
"I was thinking that this might be an opportunity to try to sniff out the mole. Nobody should know the outcome of our little battle yet, except for someone who is in contact with the pirates. I might not hurt to feed the headman a little false information and see if anything comes of it."
Leo Gotrum |
Leo nods approvingly as the suggestions and comments are uttered from all sides of the table. "All good suggestions."
"Kimefe any suggestions on how we go about this recruiting business?" He asks.
Leo looks down on the hologram of the planet and the specific plans of the main city, he looks up at Mordanna: "Na'Tal have you planned an escape rute already?"
Laughing Horus' comment he continues: "I'll clear that with the captain before hand, since it's against orders." He glances around the table: Well who has the silver tounge if the captains green lights it? I'll have the talk with the headsman if he doesn't."
Kimefe |
Thinking for a moment about Leo's question, Kimefe adds her thoughts to the conversation. "All we really need to do is convince people that they want to come with us more than they want to stay here. As far as finding the proper skill sets and people who we can trust, that will take more asking around and background checking.
"I like the idea of giving the headman false info; although I'm not sure if any of us are good enough at lying to convince him."
DM Jelani |
The group secures all their gear, and readies the shuttle. Mordanna is able to pilot it down to the surface easily with no interruptions. They land on the same landing platform as before, and are again greeted by Botarr Cinderbeard and a security team. "Ah, You're returned!" The fire-haired dwarf greets them. "What news of the pirates?"