Hired to transport supplies to a fog-shrouded world in the Vast, the heroes discover that a small military force from the Azlanti Star Empire has invaded and occupied the Pact Worlds colony there. The heroes must liberate the settlement from its merciless oppressors, but when they do, they learn that the Azlanti have taken both an experimental starship drive discovered on the planet and one of the colonists—an old friend of the heroes—back to the Star Empire!
3-part arc by Ron Lundeen, Eleanor Ferron, and Larry Wilhelm.
It is the eighteenth day of drift travel and the computer systems read that your exit is a mere twelve hours ahead. The journey has been uneventful, one Pact Worlds ship was passed early on but they had no news of the section of the Vast that you're headed towards.
You have all been a crew on this ship for a little over a year working transport runs for whoever could pay, though some of you may have known each other for much longer. This job is a legitimate contract from the Pact Council to bring supplies out to a colony on Nakondis. Conveniently that is also the home of an old friend, the Android scholar Cedona, making this trip also part pleasure.
Nearing the end of this long jaunt, you each have one last moment to wrap up any projects that kept you occupied during travel and prepare for the process of registering your cargo and passing through colonial customs.
SunneeBoom has been practicing their fighting technique every moment of the trip that has not been eating, napping, or boring meetings.
SunneeBoom constantly harasses 'BigFriend' to practice melee fighting. SunneeBoom tries to use all the melee weapons the crew has on hand, but is definitely best with the weapon that manifests from the glowing red speck that follows Sunnee everywhere. In combat it becomes a curved sword, glowing with a red sun's resplendent light; dancing fancifully between SunneeBoom's six hands.
SunneeBoom practices aiming their pistol a few times on the trip, but doesn't fire it. They say it's to conserve ammo...
SunneeBoom also loves listening to stories, and will be actively engaged in anyone telling a tale. Particularly if they tell it while practicing fighting, while eating ice cream, or at the beginning of nap time!
Sharlnaxath, Shar for her crew and friends, spends her time divided between tinkering on some gear (its hard to find something to fit you if you are large, and have a tail), indulging SunneeBoom, and doing maintenance work on the ship.
The ship is an old lady, but she has many good years still in her, and Shar is going to make sure the crew gets the best out of them.
She is looking forward to finally exiting the drift. So many days cooped up in the ship are hard on her large frame, and it would be good to see Cedona again.
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Sharlnaxath sticks her head out the doorway. "[/b]"Guys, we're nearly there. Make sure you're packed. I dont want another sock incident!"[/b]
Sauco is often found surveying the ship making sure everything is in order. When comfortable the old girl isn't going to fall apart, she will be found boosting moral chatting with others over meals, cleaning her weapons, or making sure Shar has everything she needs and cannot reach due to her large form.
You are all used to this by now but you will often notice Shar and Sauco nodding or smirking as if to some unspoken request or joke, as they communicate telepathically to each other with some frequency.
Reaching your exit in the Drift, you all brace for the transition back into Material space. With the twisting light around you and the shuddering of your patchwork vessel, the video screens and windows suddenly shift from the kaleidoscopic purple Drift back to the black void of familiar star speckled space. Before you sits the green and cloudy orb of Nakondis.
Deftly entering orbit around Nakondis the navigation screen begins to populate with entry and telemetry data for your delivery to Madelon’s Landing. However, he deck is bathed in red lights as the ship’s sensors immediately activate in alert!
WARNING HOSTILE SHIPS DETECTED. WARNING TARGETED BY FOREIGN SHIP
"Wuh-woh..."
SunneeBoom starts running for the gunnery controls, four arms waving wildly above their head.
Sauco immediately begins issuing orders, cool, calm and in control.
"To your stations! Can we get any more information on this ship?!
Waydan's curly toes, what now?"
Shralnaxath inches sideways trough some corridors untill she gets to the bridge. "Where do you need me Sauco?
Sauco nods to Aquila scanning the foreign ship and Sunnee heading to a gunnery station.
"Shar - shield report. We are targeted. From what side. Are shields sufficient there?"
"Choo - be prepared to out maneuver. Or I can hop in as necessary."
The alarms are silenced as everyone swiftly enters their positions. Two hostile crafts can be seen on either side of you.
"Shields are looking good. Not knowing what those ships are up too, I'm diverting power to the engines."
"She's all yours Sunnee!"
As Shralnaxath juices the ship's engines, Choo Lain can feel ample power at their finger tips.
The drones whirl in spirals around the Storm Petrel Keuschheit, Choo Lain is able to throw one off course, but the other ends up on your starboard flank!
The lasers fly past just over the hull!
"Woh no! Me shoot that one back!"
SunneeBoom's tongue sticks slightly out of the side of their mouth as they focus intently on aiming the coilgun turret.
"You got this, Sunnee!"
Even with their captain's encouragement, Sunnee's shot arcs just over the enemies bow!
With no systems having taken damage yet, Sharl tries to boost the engines again to keep them ahead of the drones.
"C'mon Sunnee. You can do it this time!"
Information continues to stream past Aquila, 'Equipped with minimal armaments, single forward light laser cannon, short ranged.'
Meanwhile Shralnaxath charges the thrusters and the ship begins vibrating under everyone's seats.
Fooling one of the drones, only one is in position to get a shot.
It hits and the ship shutters around you!
Sunnee's face scrunches up with concentration, his tongue sticking slightly out of the left side of his mouth...
Sunnee's shot arcs even wider this time, winking out into the dark abyss of space.
Choo, botting just because of the fun you're having. If you're reading this and want to post by all means do! Your actions will supersede mine in that case.
Move first if you're worse than one or both of these.
I'm doing the best I can!
The Storm Petrel deftly swings out of both firing arcs, aligning it's beefed up starboard side with the swift enemies.!
"Sometimes you gotta give that one a good tap! Get those targeting arrays in order.
"One tap! O'tay!"
SunneeBoom tries desperately to target the first array in the order... and settles for shooting at the enemy drone instead.
'This will make Suaco just as happy as that array order!'
...Sunnee pouts.
Sunnee's shot yet again is off. Taking a moment they remove a smudge of grease from the targeting computer.
"C'mon baby, dont let me down."
"Yes!", Shral exclaims as the shields flare to life.
The drones attempt to close in, one leaving itself open in the SPK's front arc!
The ship rattles as the coilgun batters against the hull.
SunneeBoom attempts to focus intently on aiming at his target. Closing one eye, squinting really, really hard.
Again the shot misses and the drones continue to buzz around the SPK in attack formation.
"Stupid. Shields. Work. For. A. Change."
There is some banging and grumbling.
Swirling around their target ship, the drones continue to fire off their simple coilguns.