First Seeker Elsebo Luwazi clears her throat and makes an announcement to all of the gathered Starfinders as they slowly trickle in. “Starfinders, we stand at the precipice of momentous history, and I want to thank you all for making it possible for us to be here today. The Starfinder Society has spent the last year recovering from the Scoured Stars incident, our greatest defeat in recent history. We are finally ready to return to the Scoured Stars, find out what happened to our missing colleagues and friends, and rescue any survivors we can find. Report to your stations and lend your assistance to our fleet by performing the final preparatory tasks. More instructions will come shortly.”
After a long voyage through the Drift, the bulk of the Starfinder fleet has arrived at the outer reaches of the Scoured Stars system. Several immense carriers form the core of the fleet and contain docked transport ships, fighter craft, and scout vessels. Each of the stored ships contains armor, weapons, provisions, and other equipment. There is an almost palpable feeling of tension and excitement as hundreds of Starfinders aboard the central carriers prepare themselves for the mission. Ahead, a shimmering veil of golden energy conceals the three stars known to be within.
Venture-Captain Naiaj, a no-nonsense bleachling gnome, approaches with a datapad in hand. “Do you have all your gear? Are you ready? Good. Now let’s help our fleet get ready for the final journey into the Scoured Stars. But first, tell me your names and what special training you have so we can assign an appropriate task for you to assist with.”
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The stocky Lashunta who has been contemplating the golden veil turns slowly at the call to attention. A very few people might recognize him as he is sort of a little famous.
"When we look up at the stars, are the stars looking back? Are we siblings separated at the birth of the universe, contemplating each other with a sense of awe? Or are they our parents watching us with disappointment? he says with a tone as though he is saying something by rote.
"Gear gathered. Ready to go. I am Azara. I contemplate and manipulate the very stuff of the stars," he says, gathering up the mote of glittering golden energy (not too unlike the veil they're approaching) that hovers between his antennae. It takes only a moment for him to reshape it into an ankh that he holds by the loop, the base and crossbar clearly razor sharp.
"I also have some skill in convincing people to see things my way."
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A slightly inebriated human man wonders into the briefing just as the gnome finishes its talk. He wears a black trench coat, and has a ruddy complexion covered in several days of stubble. A confused look crosses his face, When do we leave Absalom Station? Realizing he's expected to answer he musters, Ummm...I'm Gary King...of the Humans, mate. And I am your entertainment de-rect-torrr! Ha Ha HA! He chuckles clearly amusing himself. Then makes an attempt at a serious face.
Ummm, what I meant to say is I'm good with people, yes that's right, people like me or at least I think they do, ah, yeah they do. They really do. Ohh...and I can give a little tap-i-tap on the old keyboard or I could probably fly this baby. Really, good ol' Gary is your man to get the job down, whatever that might be. Now if we are done here, I'm meeting up with my main man Andy for a few libations! Anyone want to join?
"Hmm, well, if you're into computers and contemplating, Historia-7 could probably use some help up on the bridge."
As you arrive at the bridge, Historia-7, the pale android who leads the Dataphiles faction, gives you a brief smile.
"Here to help? Well, thank you for any assistance you can provide. Once we jump into the Scoured Stars, we will need to scan the system to locate any survivors from the previous expedition. Please check connections and run tests on the ship's computers to ensure the sensors, comms, and other critical systems are running without glitches. Once we arrive, we may be far too busy to make any last minute adjustments!"
You identify a few trouble spots, and are able to patch them before any problems arise. Thankful for the assistance, Historia-7 shares a priority code that will allow one of you to divert CPU power from the carrier to your own systems.
Just outside in the access corridor, Venture-Captain Arvin quickly gestures you to his side. The broad-faced lashunta gives an uncomfortable of his mouth as he greets you. “Finally, some agents who don't look like they expect us all to die at any moment. Many Starfinders, especially newer recruits, fear what might await us in the Scoured Stars. Talk to your colleagues and see if you can lift their spirits. You have my permission to be creative—pep talks, jokes, or playing some music through the comm system are each valid options. I'm not the morale type, just get it done!”
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When Arvin mentions"Finally, some agents who don't look like they expect us all to die at any moment." Gary is quick to point out, It's cause I'm drunk, mate!
As Arvin continues, Ah Now-You-Are-Talking! Don't worry Gary King will get these new recruits emboldened beyond your belief!.
As they walk away Gary pats Azara on the back, What'da say Azara, it's time to party down. It gonna be epic!
He then gathers up as many new recruits as he can find, Come on, join Gary King, it's Captain Arvin's orders. Once the liquid courage is flowing Gary launches into his pep talk.
Look I know you're all freaked out and stuff. I get it. I mean why would you want to go to a place where all the most experienced Starfinders in the galaxy suddenly disappeared? Crazy right. But is it? I mean we know now, that the danger is real and this time we are prepared, we know what to expect. I was just chatting with that History 7 guy, thing, blank and they have sooo much good intel on what's ahead, they are super prepared. And the fleet's computer systems were even just this morning given a major upgrade. The processing is sooo clean and crisp, it's like a wedge of lime in a fine lashunta brew. By the way, hand me one of those beers real quick.
Gary pauses and downs a beer in record time before continuing. Now I see your faces, you still doubt Old Gary King, but I'll tell you why you have no need to worry, at all, and not everyone knows. He motions the recruits to pull in close, The fleet is LOADED for bear! These ships have so many laser cannons, missile launchers, pisss, big freaking guns okay! We have enough munitions to blast a hole in a star. I mean it's really amazing, impressive really.
Enough chit chat, Quig play the tape...I know you all love some Strawberry Machine Cake. At least I think it's them.
The music starts up, I'm free to do what I want any old time.
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Azara is pleased to see another Lashunta. All this mouth talking can be exhausting but many other sentient species are strangely disconcerted when you speak directly to their thoughts and read them in turn.
He messages the Venture-Captain directly.
Azara begins to speak to the gathered Starfinders but also over the intercom.
"It is said that a coward dies a thousand deaths and a brave man but once."
"But did the coward ever truly live?"
"Is a life lived in fear living or is it only existing?"
"Better to never be born than to do nothing but avoid death."
"Glory lives in risk but so does life itself."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Everything ventured, everything to win."
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Naboh posts a vid on his official VidList for his fans. While speed-running the newest version of Shooter Guy 17 - The Shootiest Shooter In Shoottown, he reports:
¡Hopa!, viewers! XaosArkittekt here. Some of you know I don't just kick patootie on every game from here to the end of the Drift, I kick it with the Starfinders for some Real World action and adventure. Name me anyone else on the Leader Boards who puts their butt in the line of fire in real life. And I'm tellin' ya, it's the Jams! You don't know excitement until you set your feet on a planet no one else has ever been on. So to all my fellow Starfinders, ¡Zukoi!
And I'll see you below me on the Leader Boards, as usual.
Hey, the usual shoutouts go out out to my cousins. This week they include Xookah, LittleBite, GroaningVesk, and @! Hey, nice tag, @. Did you sign up for that when Golarion was still around? ¡Hopa!
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Quig listens to Noboh, 'The Naboh?'
:Hoi to all my followers!, I have a chalange, I am 2 meters away from Haboh, he just started a feed: The Naboh feed begins as a small sub-screen then moves to become a split-screen. :Today I am going to race a hero of mine, and win or lose tomorrow I am gonna stand at his side against a real enemy:
Crash begins his own real time speed run of Shooter Guy 17 hopping, twisting, shooting and jumping in place.
After the run he heads over to Naboh his big eyes filled with awe. "I am a huge fan"
Despite, or perhaps because of your relative experience, your good cheer carries a lot of weight, and you can tell that the overall morale is improving. When the going gets rough, you can count on your allies to stand with you.
Thrilled with the prowess displayed on the vids, and perhaps attaching the wrong kind of importance to it, Zigvigix, leader of the Exo-Guardians, is the next one to request your aid over in the missile bay. The cheery host shirren broadcasts to the group with a few accompanying **clicks** “Hey! Thanks for showing up! I’ve got a special mission just for you! See those missile tubes? I need them checked to make sure that there’s nothing obstructing missiles from being launched, so could you climb or crawl in and have a look? I’m pretty sure it’s safe and we won’t accidently fire you into space!”
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Azara's cultural bias kicks in for a moment and he recoils slightly at the presence of the giant insect. But the fact that it speaks to him telepathically is actually reassuring to him.
He looks at the tubes thoughtfully and dubiously. He doesn't appreciate the possibility of being launched into space.
But he wants to help, so he crawls into the tube, as requested.
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Gary stares at the Shirren, Check the tubes! Okay
Gary climbs in and decides a quiet, dark place is a perfect place for a little rest, and within a couple minutes he's passed out and snoring loudly. At some point he either awakes or maybe his fellow Starfinders rouse him. Either way he eventually gets around to inspecting a missile tube.
Aside from any napping Starfinders that you find along the way, you are able to deal with some unpleasant residue that you would expect to merit a followup.
Pleased with your efficiency, Zigvigix sends you along to the Science Lab with your sample, and has some of their personal special ordnance loaded into your starship.
Her nose and whiskers twitching, Fitch, leader of the Wayfinders, is reading something on a large screen in the science lab when you approach. Her children operate other consoles and devices, and quickly get to work on processing whatever was in Ziggy's torpedo tubes. “Hey, in the meantime, can you help me with something? What we have here is a database built from references to creatures in travelers’ logs and fragments of communication signals that were sent from the Scoured Stars before the force field appeared. Sift through the info and take notes on what kind of threats we might face.”
Fitch then pats one of her nearby children on the shoulder. “See this red guy here, Kirkath? Your notes should be: This is a balor demon, if you see one... RUN!”
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As Fitch gets to work analyzing the sample, Gary comments, It's entirely possible that's my drool?
Having no real stomach for research, Gary gives a call to his old friend O-Man to help him out.
While O-Man works, Gary screws around in the science lab. This primarily involves spinning around in the rotating chairs, while shouting Whee!
When it's all said and done, Gary collects the research. Fine job O-man, that next beer is one me.
Suddenly, every screen aboard the Starfinder fleet switches to show nominated First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo standing next to a golden obelisk about two feet in height. Behind her, a large observatory window showcases the Godshield, a shimmering force field surrounding the Scoured Stars system. Luwazi Elsebo slowly lifts her eyes from the artifact and addresses the Society.
“Starfinders, this is the Tear, an ancient artifact some of our most skilled agents recovered during a recent mission. The Tear is our key back to the Scoured Stars—our key to liberating those who were lost a year ago. We are ready, so let’s not waste any more time.”
Luwazi Elsebo speaks a few words in an alien language and the artifact start humming softly. She then traces her finger along the artifact’s surface, and a set of glowing runes appear around the obelisk. The golden field surrounding the Scoured Stars starts twisting upon itself, and massive gashes appear as the force field starts tearing itself apart. As the final shreds of the shimmering field evaporate, Elsebo speaks: “It is time. Good luck, Starfinders. Fleet—activate Drift engines! Go!”
One by one, the ships of the fleet pierce the veil between the Material Plane and others, splashing through space like it was water, and then vanish into the swirling depths of the Drift.
*****
Whisked away through the Drift, the Starfinder Society fleet spreads across the three solar systems that form the Scoured Stars. The ships begin scanning the planets, asteroids, and other objects orbiting the three distinct stars. The fleet’s long-range sensors soon start picking up communication signals, energy signatures, and signs of life. After a quick analysis, the Society has identified a few locations where information on the lost Starfinders is most likely to be found. After nearly a year of waiting, the search for survivors can begin!
Going through Fitch's information has given you a good idea of what type of monsters you might face: misshapen abominations, carnivorous plants, dead things, megafauna, robots, terrible extraplanar beings, and worse!
***
You and other teams of agents have a variety of tasks to accomplish, and since each team has their own specialties, you are encouraged to take on the missions to which you are best suited.
Zigvigix, leader of the Exo-Guardians, gestures at a screen behind themself. On the screen, several derelict ships can be seen drifting amid the ring system of an ice giant planet. “Look, look at that!" they project, "So many ships. They all look pretty badly banged up, so we don’t expect to find any survivors here, but there must be a reason why they’re there.
If you can find any intact data modules, we may be able to uncover what happened. Something destroyed those ships and we don’t know what it was, so choose a functional ship for yourselves that you think can handle any trouble you may find.”
As you approach Bastiar-7, your ship’s sensors confirm what Zigvigix showed you earlier—there are several Starfinder ships floating in the planet’s ring system.
Your sensors don't pick up any mobile threats, though you should be careful about falling into the gravity well of the planet or crashing into a derelict ship or a chunk of ice.
But from this far away you won't be able to download any of their data...
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"Sensors cumming on line Sir." 'Crash' makes a snappy salute.
He looks over to Naboh and sends him a quick DM
::Chummer, check out this flash AR skin I have been working on:: file attached 2PB
As the mouse begins to make adjustments to the sensors it becomes obvious that he is not interacting with anything you can see.
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Azara stands on the bridge, watching the vidscreen, not at all sure of himself. Mostly, he's just trying to stay out of the way, though he will do what he can to keep the spirits of the rest of the crew up.
"A blade cutting through the void but it is the void that is sharp and the 5 lights illuminating the blade can be snuffed in a moment by the void."
"We know you can keep us steady and keep us safe, Naboh," Azara says.
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Naboh's exocortex sends a response to Quig.
Thanks, Cap'n. I'll do my best. Everyone stay in your crash harnesses unless you need to be up and around. This might get furry...
Naboh does his best to avoid debris and gravity wells and the rest of the myriad deadly dangers in space.
Your scanners still aren't picking up anything out of the ordinary, but as you scoot expertly closer, you're able to get a better look at some of the scuttled ships.
Unfortunately, the ship you're closest to has had its entire system destroyed, no logs here.
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Hey, Quig, ya forgot to attenuate yer transducers for the ambient radiation. I think I can adjust from...
Naboh adjusts the sensor display.
...here. Oh, wow. You seein' this?
Hey, Cap'n? These ships were destroyed by starship weapons. Coil guns and mid-strength lasers, by the looks of those scorch marks.
He lets out a low whistle.
I think we might be lookin' at Friendly Fire.