Through care and stealth, you lead the survivors back to the Lucky Sixes. As you approach you are surprised to find a shadowcat corpse on the ground, or rather, half a shadowcat corpse on the ground.
It looks like some terrible native beast has bit the body in half. One of the miners vomits.
You pick up the pace and as the ship looms larger you see two figures silhouetted against the light from the loading ramp, one large and one small. Two more shadowcat corpses sit near the ramp, one filled with shotgun rounds, another with its skull and upper body completely flattened.
As you approach Kray speaks: Hurry up! Cap'n put me in charge of the survivors. You better get to your battle stations, we've got company. Beside Kray, Rotgut is calmly picking his teeth with what appears to be a large rib bone.
What stations do you sprint towards as Kray leads the survivors off to the medical bay?
Straight to the torpedo bay, ready to fire.
Sona makes her way to the shields console, loading and terminating algorithms to shift from travel to combat.
Jamee is already remote-wired into the Sixes' scanning and tactical suite from his room. His RAB - after hi-fiving Rotgut - enters autonomous operation mode, its orange light shifting colors to indicate that he has relinquished direct control. Blast-O-Tron secures itself to the bulkhead of the cargo bay and temporarily powers down.
Jamee spins the sensors into full detection mode, scanning for incoming threats that may be approaching the Sixes. His priority is to find large holes, doors, or openings that something enormous could come through, and mark it as dangerous on the HUD of everyone else on the ship.
Jamee, it isn't hard to pinpoint the nearest threats. While the Cap'n was waiting for the survivors to board, the three enemy ships took up position above the Sixes, in a triangle formation. Each is within easy firing distance. There is one to the aft, one to fore-starboard, and one to fore-port. They are approximately 100 meters above the Sixes.
The scanners register the ship to port and starboard as light patrol vessels. The ship to the aft is a heavy patrol vessel. Individually, each does not pose a significant threat to the Sixes, but together ...
Jamee, the comm lights up and you patch the vid call through to Cap'n, Sona, and 2BR. A grizzled bald face appears. An elderly goblin smiles and raises the stump of his left arm. Hail Bucanero. No need for any stupid heroics. Turn over that drunk Kray and you'll be on your way.
What do you do?
>> LET ME AT THE BASTARDS LET ME TEAR THEIR LIMBS TO 'TATOES THIER SPINEE TO CARBOHDRYATES TTHEIRR SHP TO SMITHEERERNS SYJFAFFFHJ <<
2BR fades out into a rage-filled static. If anyone wants to point him at a ship and press the big red button... well, I'm sure the results will be obvious.
> He has a point.
> I mean, it's just Kray.
Sona points to the launch controls and Miss Muffet springs across Engineering, landing next to the aforementioned big red button.
> The door prize is ready. Awaiting orders.
"We aren't abandoning Kray, Sona! He's part of the crew, dammit!" the young elf boy shouts into his intercom.
His robo-fingers flying over the controls at top speed, Jamee configures the sensor array on the Sixes in a way that's specific to his own design, offering an improvement over the standard scanning suite that's programmed into the base of the machine.
There must be something useful the scanners can pick up about that heavy patrol vessel, aft. Find me the bridge window...
When the spot is pinpointed, he plugs the coordinates into the targeting computer and uploads the information to Sona and Bunkr-Bustr. "Fire!" he cries out, once the target is locked.
It's physically impossible for Sona to object. Instead, she makes sarcastic computer noises.
> Beep boop. Complying.
Miss Muffet presses the lauch button... assuming the torpedo tube works from the ship's current position and external atmospheric conditions.
Sona prepares for the return battery.
The Cap'n stares wide eyed at Jamee as he launches the torpedo, and then begins to laugh.
Boring conversation anyway me boy! Take t' wheel Jamee.
The Cap'n jabs his fingers at a few buttons .
Ahoy ye mangy kobold! One o' me crew be coming' t' meet ye!
Jamee, this roughly spherical patrol ship is built for combat and the bridge is wisely placed in the dead center. However, she is obviously battle worn, and your scanners pinpoint a weakened section of outer hull.
Jamee, please roll a volley to fire 2BR at the target and take a +1 from your discern reality roll. 2BR, feel free to aid using your retro-thrusters.
As the Cap'n finishes speaking the old goblin speaks wearily and with a tint of sadness to his voice.. Fire.
Sona, as you modify the shields you quickly realize that the Sixes AI was not nearly as effective as you at combating the goblin's brute force virus. This is causing a number of problems, including a subroutine that is feeding your shield harmonics to the enemy ships in real time. Your shielding is worthless.
What do you do?
Jamee, warning klaxons blare as the Sixes is painted with three target locks. You are a sitting duck right here.
What do you do?
"EVASIVE MANEUVERS!" the young elf prodigy screams into his comms as he jerks hard port on the controls. The Sixes lurches and groans as retrorockets fire on the starboard side, launching her hopefully clear of harm's way.
While he evades the blast, he fires 2BR.
Clear of the Sixes, 2BR instinctively fires his shiny new retrorockets. Apart from the blood, of course. Next stop: The bridge.
2BR, you find yourself gliding gleefully through the atmosphere, heading straight for the heavy patrol vessel. The enemy pilot is quick and attempts to dodge, but your new retrothrusters ensure that your aim is true. You slam into the front of the ship, through three out decks and come to a stop in an empty metal room. Warning klaxons blare as the emergency lighting kicks on. You hear several guttural curses from the hallway through the doorway to your left, followed by the clang of heavy boots on metal coming your way.
What do you do?
Jamee, there isn't much room to maneuver as the Lucky Sixes was parked on the ground only moments ago. You hit full thrusters up to gain altitude and roll right hoping to avoid the enemy fire. Roll a defy danger with Dex to see if you manage to surprise and confuse the light patrol ships.
Sona, the brute force attack is starting to penetrate additional primary systems. What do yo do?
2BR passively scans the room, shunting the raw data back to the Sixes for processing.
What here is useful to me?
Unfortunately, Jamee is too occupied with trying to steer the ship away from the attacking patrol ships to aid Toober with his scans. He can barely tell what's going on inside where he shot Toober; merely hoping the big war machine can take care of himself.
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> systemSound.out(onHold.mp8);
Sona eventually reaches the ship core, having abandoned the shields, and begins her counter-hacking efforts, sniffing out the port these packets are using to assault the systems.
Rather than closing off the ports in a particularly futile and potentially dangerous game of whack-a-mole, she sets up a retinue of dummy systems to respond with affirmatives and false readings, something she's rather used to doing. This should buy them some time, at least.
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2BR opens his projectile cannon intake port and proceeds to stuff as much of the blasted wall as he can into its hungry maw.
The call with the elderly goblin is still being ported throughout the Sixes. This is madness Bucanero! What is Kray to you? Stop this nonsense now and let's discuss this like gentlemen.
2BR, you are programmed with the layouts of the most common ships in the galaxy. This ship is no exception. You know that you are about a 2 minute walk from the bridge. You need to exit this room, turn right, and continue down that hallway. Unfortunately, you also know that this ship is specifically designed to keep boarders away from the bridge. There are numerous defense systems between you and your quarry. The footsteps stop outside the room and you hear the unmistakable sound of a frag grenade being armed.
What do you do?
Jamee, your fingers dance over the controls like a savant and the Sixes dances in response. You manage to roll out from under the starboard ship. The three ships are now generally off to the port side and slightly above you. Bucanero has finished charging up the turrets, has a clean firing solution. However, all three ships are turning to bring their light cannons to bear. They will be firing on you in seconds.
What do you do?
Sona, the intrusive virus is like putty in your hands. You are able to feed whatever information you wish to the enemy ship AIs. You are able to restore shields to full capacity.
What do you do?
2BR is going to rush out the door and smack a stun-wave into his grenade wielding enemy.
And then duck back round to wait for the 'nade to go off.
Jamee reaches out with his left arm to tap the visual display interface of the monitor high above his shoulder. Comm channels with the enemy ships are closed; Jamee is only addressing his own shipmates. "Alright, this is going to be very dicey. Sona, can you try to override their targeting systems? Buy me 20 seconds, that's all we'll need." as he speaks, the elf prodigy is keeping the ship rotating slowly under the crosshairs of the patrol vessels. "Bucanero, open fire with all cannons on my command...plugging in a firing solution and countdown..." his multi-digited fingers fly over the keyboard, lighting up weak spots...not in the patrol vessels above, but in the nearest wall leading outside. He focuses on structural load-bearing sections that could bring the roof down on the heads of the other ships. At the same time, he begins to spin up the hyperdrive. The ship's core begins humming throughout the ship, and the exhaust pipes on the rear of the Sixes begins to flash. Large red numbers count down from 5 on the Captain's weapons interface.
Alone in his room, Jamee has to remove his headset and wipe the sweat from his forehead before slipping it back on. This had better work... he thinks to himself...
Bucanero sees the number reach 0, and presses the big red button.
The ship touches down gently in a clearing within the former shield perimeter. The Cap'n puts the active scanning data up on every console. The scan indicates that the surrounding area is pockmarked with craters and portions of the ground have been turned to a brittle glass. There is no sign of humanoid life. The scanners also show that there is a series of tunnels and rooms carved down into the bedrock below.
"Bucanero, open fire with all cannons on my command...plugging in a firing solution and countdown..." his multi-digited fingers fly over the keyboard, lighting up weak spots...on the two patrol vessels that don't have their War Machine in them. He trusts Toober to be able to handle the third ship that he's currently wreaking havoc inside.
I'll use my previous two rolls for double Volley rolls on patrol ships #2 and #3, since they both used Dex. I'm also still winding up the hyperdrive core, that's still happening after I finish the firing solution.
Sona de-syncs the simulated systems to mask the spooling hyperdrive and zig where Jamee zagged. There's no need to operate shields or try again to hack the other ships systems if they think they have control of their systems. Still, she wishes she had her jammer module online.
> Make it count, we can't dodge them forever and their systems are being rude.
Cutting into the feed the goblin is using to taunt them, Sona feeds them the following warning:
> Attention, un-identified vessel, you are currently in possession of a rogue legacy-model Theta unit. If you do not return the device to proper company supervision, you not only risk personal injury, but full litigation under interstellar law. Any attempt to obstruct the recovery of the device will be met with lethal force.
2BR, you duck back into cover and are rewarded with the sound of an explosion followed by ... rainfall? As you peek your sensor array around the corner you see bits of goblin slowly peeling off the ceiling and falling to the floor. As you take in the wondrous sight, two automated turrets down the hallway open fire at you.
What do you do?
Jamee, what do you choose for your 7-9 on ship #2? Roll 1d8 damage to the enemy.
Your choice will help inform the 6- result on your second shot (unless you get an aid somehow. Remember that early on I said Bucanero can aid or be aided as if he has 0 bonds.)
Sona, the elderly goblin is infuriated by your transmission. Bucanero! Get this Theta off my ship or I'll kill the lot of you!
The enemy AI kindly informs Sona that it has just launched a torpedo at the Sixes' stern. What do you do?
2BR has the map of the ship layout. Are there any hallways running parallel to this one?
If there are, the bot is going to move through that one to approximately the same location as the turrets, chew through the wall (feel free to roll for him on that one) and try and grab a turret.
If not, well, maybe running straight into turret fire isn't that bad, really.
Through the roof space it is then!
2BR, you climb up into the Jeffries tube but find that it is a pretty tight squeeze. You will need to "expand" the width of the tube to move around. Accordingly any time you want to move to a specific location in the tube you will need to roll another Bend Bars. At the end of the tube near the bridge you see a bluish force field across the tube.
What do you do?
Jamee, what is your 7-9 choice on the volley roll? Sona, that torpedo is still closing!
Sona continues to integrate with the ship's core. Cables and ribbons of wires give her deeper access to other ship systems. Keeping a wary eye on the digital ports for foreign access, she reaches out to the point defense system. From the back end, she has to route sensor coordinates to servo angles manually, rather than the usual point and press interface, which is to her advantage.
We can restock our arms later! -1 Ammo!
Jamee, you still need to roll 1d8 damage to your target ship.
Sona, you shoot down the torpedo and, for the first time in this engagement feel like you have a moment to assess the situation. The Sixes has pulled out ahead of the three patrol vessels and is climbing for atmo. However, the pursuit is hot, and Jamee can only dodge so much. Stray laser blasts are beginning to cook your shields and they are in danger of collapsing.
What do you do?
Of course! I wasn't sure if my damage applied to the ship's damage.
"Reroute all forward shielding aft! Shut down nonessential processes! Toss the kitchen sink out the window for weight! I need more speed!" Jamee shouts, part to himself and partially on the intercom. Using the aft sensor array as his guide, he lines up another shot on the pursuing crafts, emptying the torpedo bays at the other ships.
First of all, 2BR is going to work his way towards a spot directly over the turrets.
Then peel back a tiny piece of roofing and try and check out the specifications of the turrets.
Just as things were looking managable, Jamee's verbal commands override her current processes. She immediately attempts to simultaneously divert shields, feed power to the engines, and eject the mess hall from the ship. The overhead lights shut off throughout the Sixes...
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Also, please don't eject the mess hall ;.;
In the heat of the moment Sona missteps in her mad management of the shields. A blaster bolt passes through unmolested and strikes the shield generator. The shields fizzle and fail. Unfortunately, the shields were the only thing holding in the air in several areas of the ship.
As the Sixes reaches orbit the mess hall and one of the cargo bays begins venting supplies into space. Emergency bulkheads prevent a ship wide depressurization, but much of the looted lodestar equipment disappears into the void. The value of the lodestar cargo is reduced to 1 and your shield generator gets the tag destroyed .
Sona, you will have to work wonders to get secondary emergency force fields up to seal the leaks. What do you do?
Meanwhile Jamee has coaxed enough speed out of the Sixes to get out of weapons range of the pursuers. The riftdrive is spun up and you can jump to safety. Oh, also 2BR is still on the heavy patrol ship.
What do you do?
Speaking of solo party members: 2BR, you easily tear a hole in the ceiling below you and find yourself above two Trucorp Mark 3 Multi-Spectrum Automated Defense Stations. These are expensive beauties packing a few surprises. The barrels do not track up to your position.
What do you do?
Specifically, what might it take to have one turret target the other?
"$#!+"
Sona's chest folds open, popping the buttons on the front of her uniform, and she drives her own forge core into an interface on the ship's core. Her shoulder blades begin to vent exhaust through the back of her suit. The technician's eyes go dim as she shuts down her own ancillary systems in order to dive further into the ship's network and catch the sinking flinders of the operations she's dropped.
Sona patches through the system's operating system to the kernel and begins issuing commands in raw machine code.
> The ship will be prepped for drivespace in 3... 2...
In a litany of ones and zeroes, she is able to build a resonance through the ship's frame that fills the decks with simple, crisscrossing fields. A firm breath might expel air from one cell to the next, but the atmosphere of each ship module is now self-contained, putting strain on the life-support system's impellers, but maintaining interior atmosphere. This sort of shielding would be standard on a Commercial Passenger Vessel, but the Sixes has never had the unit installed. By sourcing and activating parts from different systems across the ship, she has managed to emulate the unit's effects. As a direct result, the captain's coffee dispenser and cup holder won't work until she has the proper shields restored. Other, more critical components are in use, but they are substantially less noticeable.
> @m0$ph3r3 $-$-stabilized.
> $h0u1d th1s 0ne... a1s0 prep... the $e-servo arm, M-m-m-Lestrade?
Jamee sits back in his chair with a heave of exhaled air. He didn't think they were going to make it there for a few instants. He thumbs open the comms.
"Didn't quite copy that, Sona. Servo arm? Don't know. Whatever it was you said, great job holding the Sixes together. That was insane. You alright, Captain?"
He keeps the comms open as he continues, lowering his hands to type calculations into the ship's computer regarding their drivespace orientation. "Toober has the advantage in infantry-level combat, and we were sitting ducks there with all those ships aiming at us. Once we've shaken them, which it appears that we have, we can loop around and sneak attack one of the patrol vessels to liberate the war machine. In the meantime..." the elf lad allows himself a grin. "I have a feeling Toober's feeling pretty in his element right now."
Jamee, you watch in amazement as a massive explosion rips one of the trailing patrol craft apart. It appears that your "dud" torpedo, buried deep in your target's hull, was just waiting for the right moment to blow. The Sixes is currently out of immediate danger, but the pursuit remains focused. Do you jump to riftspace or attempt to lose them in system?
Aye, we be fine me brave elf. Not sure what ye be worked up about..." The cap'n taps at his shield display. Shields be yellow fer a bit, matey but Sona be a wiz.
We be needin' to recover 2BR. Be expensive to replace!
2BR, you notice a small light start flashing on the closest turret. This model comes equipped with an enhanced suite of detection equipment and is designed to explode in the event it is overrun. Unfortunately, you don't know this. As you ponder the implications of the flashing blue light the two turrets explode with matching EMP blasts. The ceiling provides scant cover as the blasts fry critical circuits. Take the Weak (-1 STR) debility.
As your backup systems restore your mobility you see that the turrets are inert. The bridge is 30 meters further down the hallway. What do you do?
> Copy, w-weapon recovery secondary to target reduction.
> Standing by t0 assist in stealth maneuver.
Sona takes another breath of cohesive consciousness before diving back into the datasphere. She spreads herself over the comms bus to feel out any foreign packet activity, hoping to trace it back to one of the pursuing ships.