As the doors to the Lorespire Complex slide open, a green holographic image of a middle-aged human woman shimmers into view at the center of the room. “Greetings,” it says. “I am Guidance. Please use the cheek swabs in the open receptacle to provide a genetic sample for Starfinder Society identification purposes. If desired, you may place your hand on the glowing panel to receive a subdermal implant further marking you as a member of the Society.”
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A gray eyed Lashunta approaches the kiosk near the hologram, his movements nearly silent. After a moment of examination for the panel, he swiftly swabs his cheek as instructed, and places his hand on the panel. His face remains expressionless as a quick sting in his palm marks the successful placement of the implant.
He gives the hologram a slight bow of his head, "As requested, Guidance." As quietly and gracefully as he approached he steps away from the kiosk.
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A second lashunta approaches Guidance. In stark contrast to the first there is nothing silent about this one. From his long hair streaked in garish blue and green highlights to the neon pick sunglasses wrapped around his head, this lashunta is colorful from top to bottom. His plate armor is emblazoned with countless corporate logos . Proudly printed across the breastplate area, and larger than all the rest is the word "RejuvaJuice!"
Around his head flits a tiny camera drone which the lashunta now speaks to...
"Yooooo, what up infospehre! This is The Kashari Show, brought to you by RejuvaJuice, the only healing serum with that authentic skitterberry flavor! And I'm Kit Kashari! As you guys know, I'm always looking for new opportunities to demonstrate the healing power of RejuvaJuice, and last week I said if my video got 20,000 likes I would try and join the Starfinder Society so you guys could watch me fight some real space monsters and maybe do some crazy dangerous stuff. So we got a TON of likes from you guys and now I'm here at the Lorespire Complex for what they call The Commencement, I don't know what's gonna happen, but I've got a feeling you guys are gonna want to stay tuned to my channel, make sure you like it and hit the subscribe button down below, because this is gonna get crazy guys!"
Kit turns the camera off and looks at Guidance as he takes a swab and winks at the hologram, "If you're looking for a DNAutograph, sweetheart, I usually charge, but I'll make an exception for you. And I'll take your implant, the fans will love this..." Kit turns the camera back on and begins to prattle inanely to his fans as he records himself touching the panel to recieve the subdermal implant.
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Watching from a few steps back, a half-orc shakes his head and grins. "Takes all kinds," he mutters in mock exasperation. He then tosses an empty bottle of energy drink (not RejuvaJuice) into a trash receptacle and takes his sampling. His thick armor is mostly several grays, with brighter orange lines. He bears only one gun and a backpack, though a mote of amber light hovers around his head. It pulses slightly as he receives the implant.
That done, he leans behind Kit to introduce himself to the team and camera alike. "Joaquín here, Joyner. If my last mission was any indication, we're due for some crazy. Is this your first, Kit?"
The glowing panel stings for a moment as the tattooed circuitry is placed within your palm.
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Kit turns the camera off to answer Joaquin. "Yes!" he hisses "Man, I never thought I'd actually get 20,000 likes, I don't think I even want to be here really. But the company that makes RejuvaJuice, NecroBev Incorporated, thinks it's a great opportunity to promote their products and they say they'll pull all my sponsorships if I don't go through with this. I'd lose my show! And my fans! And my income! And my rock n' roll lifestyle! You guys just gotta help me get through this."
He then turns the camera back on and put's his arm around Joaquin and says to the camera. "Yo guys, I think we just found our first recruit for the RejuvaJuice RejuvaCrew! Tell everybody about yourself man!"
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A female Lashunta walks through the door to the meeting room. She stands there, eyes scanned by the room at those arrived before her. She eyes the panel spoken of by Guidence.
If you insist. My DNA is for record purposes only I presume. If I find out there is a clone of me, there will be HELL to pay!
She then places her non dominant hand on the imprint device, and doesn’t even flinch as her palm gets “pricked”.
Hmm, I wonder what this mission will entail. My last was cut short, we were pulled back for circumstance not detailed in my debriefing.
She looks at the fellow Lashunta, the silent and the boisterous.
Seems we have polarizing opposites here
She looks at Hikaze,
So, it seems you and I have more in common then the walking billboard. Think he’d notice if his troublesome camera disappears? If it causes issues on this mission, it might meet an unfortunate end.
"Cloning is available upon request," Guidance responds helpfully. "It is very expensive, however."
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Joaquín readily obliges the talkative lashunta, smiling. "It's not half bad here. Most are nice, and they're always in need of big guys like us. We'll see if you take a shine to it," he mutters before the camera starts rolling again. Then he launches into a story.
"I was a prizefighter on Apostae, was doin' pretty well. Got some part-time work hauling crates to earn a little extra. Turns out those were stolen Society weapons! I wasn't on shift at the time, phew, but maybe 5 Starfinders blitzed through the whole compound, wiped the floor with everyone there. Must've been at least a dozen half-orcs, a fair few drow, one fleshwarp - wiped." He slaps a fist into an open palm to emphasize. "I was out one of two jobs, and I could respect that kind of power. So I sent in an application, and since then I've been on one assignment." The half-orc had to quickly refrain from calling Apostae a despotic garbage heap, as is his normal custom, in case Kit's viewers took offense.
"I'd say this one has what it takes to be a Starfinder," he adds.
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Hikaze had been quietly watching and sizing up the other two. When Shess enters and eventually looks at him, he politely nods to the female Lashunta.
“It is our pleasure to officially welcome you into the Starfinder
Society. Today is the commencement of your new role as a Starfinder field agent. It is our tradition, at the end of the graduation ceremony, for new graduates to present themselves to the heads of our most prominent factions and complete a task at those leaders’ behest. This allows the leaders of these groups to become familiar with all new Starfinder agents, and it provides a constant supply of agents for handling situations in our holdings on Absalom Station. While these tasks were formerly symbolic, the heavy loss of Starfinder agents in
the Scoured Stars necessitates that these missions become something more. Please treat any tasks given with the gravity you would grant any other Starfinder assignment.”
Your communication units ping with incoming data.
THE ACQUISITIVES
Leader Radaszam “The Dealmaker”; Location Nyori Palisades
The Acquisitives represent the result of Luwazi Elsebo’s efforts to old the Society together by hiring mercenaries to fill the role of missing Starfinders. Many mercenaries realized that the Society was a far more lucrative venture—both monetarily and in terms of popularity—than their old line of work. The faction’s current leader, Radaszam, is concerned with maintaining the organization’s public-facing reputation, as well as the reputation and fame of those Starfinders directly serving the Acquisitives’ interests.
THE DATAPHILES
Leader Historia-7; Location Lorespire Complex
The Dataphiles cherish information above all else, seeing themselves as the guardians of any knowledge obtained by the Starfinder Society. Their leader, Historia-7, promotes a belief in superiority through the acquisition and controlled dispersal of information. While cataloguing and data searching are necessities in this faction, the Dataphiles are known to employ less technologically savvy combat experts to procure information.
THE EXO-GUARDIANS
Leader Zigvigix; Location None (Downlow)
The Exo-Guardians are made up of Pact Worlds citizens who are concerned for the safety of their home, and who act to ensure that safety. They believe that the best defense is a strong offense, and they work to build up a stockpile of magic and technology to deter external threats. Most of the faction’s operatives were lost in the Scoured Stars. The Exo-Guardians utilize lower-grade installations within the Pact Worlds, having lost their headquarters and many of their operations in the aftermath of the disaster.
THE WAYFINDERS
Leader Fitch; Location The Armada (Master of Stars)
The Wayfinders are Starfinders who adhere to the Society’s primary mission of exploration. The most transitory of the Society’s membership, the Wayfinders are dedicated to exploring the Vast and maintain few direct ties to the Pact Worlds. Wayfinders specialize in both exploration and first-contact scenarios, thriving on the thrill of the unknown and the monumental task of meeting new species.
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"That's a good idea Hikaze, but the Infosphere is where logic goes to die, and in the Infosphere biz we usually let the viewers decide." Kit flips the camera on... "Heyyyy guys, you heard Guidance, the RejuvaCrew has four missions to complete, one for each faction; the Aquisitives, Dataphiles, Exo-Guardians and the Wayfinders. So be sure to leave a comment below saying which faction's mission you want to see the RejuvaCrew tackle first in the comments below. Whoever gets the most votes wins! Get commenting! And don't forget to subscribe and tell your friends about The Kashari Show. Peace ya'll!"
Kit watches his infosphere connection on his comm unit for a minute before saying "All right, I think we've got enough votes... the fans want us to go to the... oh , wow,...to the Dataphiles first. Huh, what you know Hikaze, I think the fans must like you. Must be because you're so talkative."
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Ensuring the camera is pointing away from him, Hikaze allows his face to momentarily register his disgust with the "let the viewers decide" attitude.
There is little that can be done now, his face is now on this persons video feed. What may happen in the future because of that will have to be dealt with when the time comes.
"Mr. Kashari, do not your sponsors require releases from participants in your ..." he searches for a word, "spectacle? I have not, nor will I sign such a document."
The Lorespire Complex, home and heart of the Starfinder Society, is a striking campus dedicated to knowledge. Communal labs and historical departments study the Archives’ massive collection of artifacts and texts, gathered by generations of agents from across the galaxy. A quick search of the directory indicates Historia-7 frequents the Archives’ Cortex, a computerized matrix containing digital records of the Starfinder Society’s most prominent discoveries.
The android reclines on a raised chair and is plugged into the local infosphere when the doors open. The neural cables detach themselves from her neck as she swivels in her seat to address the new arrivals. “Greetings, Starfinders,” she says calmly. “I am Historia-7. If you are seeking a mission from me, please be aware that my request requires both discretion and speed. Do not accept it if you feel incapable of working within these parameters.
“I discovered someone recently hacked into Bluerise Tower’s computer systems and stole a large amount of sensitive data from the resident corporations. I wish to be privy to this information. I managed to trace the hacker’s location through many proxies and erased the trail so that station and corporate security should be delayed in their pursuit. This deception will not fool them for long, so you must move quickly to retrieve the data before they can recover it. I will leave you to decide what to do with the hacker afterward, but should it be feasible, I believe that person would be an asset to the Society."
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Hikaze considers the requirements for the mission.
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Kit gulps nervously at Hikaze's words "Um, It's a legal gray area really, and since NecroBev Incorporated is registered as an Eoxian company, the laws regarding privacy are, um, pretty much non-existent. But, I'm sure if you contact NecroBev Incorporated's customer service department they'd be happy to listen to any concerns you might have."
"Chill dude! 97% of my viewers are like, 12 years old, whatever it is you're trying to avoid isn't watching The Kishari Show. Trust me."
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Mr. Kashari, I believe the esteemed Historia-7's request for discretion to be valid. How do you suggest we ameliorate the conflict between the desire for discretion and your need broadcast your exploits to the infosphere?
Hikaze looks at the other Starfinder recruits in the group, Any suggestions?
Historia-7 gives Hikaze an enigmatic smile and then leans back in her chair. "If you have no questions for me, I suggest you get to work. Time is of the essence."
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"No worries, I'll just scramble the hacker's face so you can't tell who it is. And I'll make his voice all deep, like this, so no one recognizes them, they do stuff like that all the time in documentaries." Kit does his best to imitate a deep robotic voice.
"Anyway, we should get a move on, viewers have very short attention spans. RejuvaCrew out!!
Hikaze's (and everyone else's) communication device pings with an address messaged to you by an anonymous account.
"You have the directions," Historia-7 answers the lashunta.
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The coordinates that Historia-7 gave you point to an apartment that resembles a cement cube, with several tomato plants in plastic barrels sitting on an otherwise barren porch.
A young human male is hand pollinating the flowers.
The young man gives you several sidelong glances as he continues to work with his tomato plants.
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Kit natters at his camera feed while the team is in transit to Drifter's End.
"Whoa guys, the RejuvaCrew just got their first Starfinder mission from Historia-7, and it is super duper top secret. We are right now on our way to find a hacker who stole some super top secret data from some really, really big corporations. We need to get that data and then try and recruit the hacker so the Starfinders can use his ninja hacker skills for future missions. We're getting close to the hacker's location I can just see his house now...
Suddenly the camera drone beeps sadly and the record light goes out.
"Huh? What happened? I just lost my connection to SpaceTube. Hold on, I'll try and log in again... All I get is a picture of a ysoki with a wrench, and it says 'SpaceTube is down for Server Maintenance. You can still download the Pathfinder Playtest Materials here...', what does that even mean? Do you think the hacker did this guys, is he on to us already!? Oh man, my show! I promised all the RejuvaViewers out there a special top secret mission, what if I lose a sponsor over this??"
Kit dejectedly continues trying to log-in to SpaceTube as the team approaches the house. After Hikaze tries to make subtle inferences to their mission, Kit jumps right in. "Oh this one's got skills all right Hikaze. No need to tip-toe around it, he already knew we were coming. Why don't you tell everyone how you hacked my camera drone so you could ruin my show! Mr. Hacker!!"
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Joaquín signs internally as Kit tries to record the mission's goings-on, but doesn't interfere. When the more vocal lashunta starts getting testy with the human, he steps in. "Bring it down there, I'll settle things," the half-orc rumbles, stowing his gun in a backpack pouch. The lack of weapons might help a little. He turns to the man. "Doesn't matter what you did, we're not here to hurt you. Not even to rat on you. We just wanna talk. Those conditions stand no matter how bad discussion goes."
"My gardening ski--? Hack? Dro--? Hurt me!?" the young man goes from bewildered to terrified in a very short span. His pollinating wand drops out of his hand as he raises them in the air. "Don't hurt us! I don't know what any of you are talking about!"
The door to the small flat opens and a wizened old woman in a blue and white abaya emerges. "Jubair? What's all this noi--Oh! We have visitors?"
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Not to worry, it happens. This'll be smoothed over yet.
It's difficult for someone of Joaquín's stature to not seem threatening, but he tries his best. The half-orc stoops down to pick up the wand and return it to Jubair's hand, should he accept. He then introduces each of the company in turn. "We were asked to investigate a hack traced here. Our higher-ups wanted to know about the stolen info, and maybe more on the hacker smart enough to get it. Might you have heard anything regarding such a thing?"
Unfortunately, his spiel takes on the "I'm totally not a cop" vibe he's heard a fair few times, making it less convincing.
"That's a very... odd thing to think came from our humble home," the grandmotherly woman says. "But you look thirsty. Why don't you come inside and have some tea."
She gestures you toward her cramped flat encouragingly.
The tiny flat is crammed full of nick-knacks, boxes of nutrient broth, and gardening tools. The old woman clears space on the unoccupied sofa, a stool, and two extra dinner chairs.
"Please, sit," she says as she goes about pouring tea for anyone who will accept it. "My name's Ceren. The boy's name is Jubair, my grandson. What brings you all to our tiny little tomato garden? Stolen data?"
Hikaze does not notice anything intentionally hidden (who knows what's under some of this clutter). He does see that the flat has a standard computer for accessing the data sphere.
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Lady Ceren, it seems some sensitive data has been appropriated from a certain facility on the station. Our sponsor would like to have access to this information, and ideally the skills of the person that retrieved the information. However, decisions must be made quickly. The security teams of both Absalom Station, and the entities that reside in the facility are on this individual's trail. Interaction with these teams is bound to be far less ..."
Hikaze pauses to consider the next word, "sociable."
Ceren looks troubled as Hikaze explains the situation. "Please, give me a moment," she asks of you and then her eyes deviate up and to the right. A green LED begins to blink from the right side of her head underneath the hood of the abaya. "Oh dear."
The old woman looks back to you all with a serious expression. "It seems that I am the data thief that you're looking for. You see, in my younger years, I was a bit of a skilled hacker. However, I developed a degenerative brain disease in my recent years that forced me into retirement. I have several implants that have halted the damage, but I still lose time every now and then. I must have slipped into a younger mindset and done the hack and then forgotten about it.
"I'm happy to give you the files, but I'll need a favor," she continues. "Obviously, guilty of stealing from the Bluerise Tower so it's only a matter of time before the less sociable, as you say, team arrives.
"So, you make me a new identity and throw them off my trail, and the data is yours. Deal?"
Jubair just stares at his grandmother, mouth agape.
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Kit looks up from his camera for the first time since they entered Ceren's flat. "Wait. You're the hacker!? And you don't even remember doing it? So that means... the hacker didn't shut down SpaceTube's servers. You're not trying to ruin my show?" he shakes the camera drone "What the heck is going on then? Why won't you work?!"
As he continues to fiddle with the camera, now seeming resigned to his show being on unscheduled hiatus for the foreseeable future, without looking up he continues. "Seems to me we could fix your little problem for you, and you do have a problem. Believe me, I know evil corporations, and if you had stolen data from NecroBev, you'd be on your way to the Eoxian flesh vats to be melted down for necrograft parts. Just, uh, don't anyone ever tell them I said that, they do pay my bills. And of course NecroBev's augmentation division, FrankenWorks, makes some of the highest quality necrografts in all of the Pact Worlds. Remember, if you need a hand, call FrankenWorks. The family flesh factory." The last he says to the dead camera in his hands, mostly out of habit. Apparently, Kit can't stop shilling NecroBev products, even when the camera isn't rolling.
"Anyway, first, we'll need to find an unclaimed dead body, and then make it seem like the body is you, instead of some other poor schmuck. How we do that, well, you're a hacker, you probably have some ideas how we could go about changing records. Once we have a false death certificate filed, we'll figure out what to do with you. I suggest we hit up a local mortuary, see what we have to work with."
Kit's feeds suddenly start displaying the Blue Rise Tower logo.
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Following Hikaze's leads, the team finds a morgue known for "shady dealings".
Kit leads the group inside and strikes up conversation with the attendant.
"Good day, good sir. We are looking for a cadaver, preferably of an elderly human woman. One no one has claimed. We understand it is possible to, uh... acquire such things here. For the right price.
Hikaze gets you a lead on a morgue that does some shady things, and Kit manages to convince the attendant on duty that you're not undercover security agents and that nobody is going to use that corpse of the elderly, female human over there.
When Hikaze tries to hack into the station's medical records, he finds the encryption a bit too complex.