Looking back and forth between the rival gangs Kris notices the fallen data pad. That could be our ticket
Running over she grabs it and.....
....so if Kris can do so she takes the remaining 10' of movement up towards Ed. Either way she drops to the floor in either position. To remain harder to hit.
Kris grabs the data pad mind stride and halts next to Ed... and across from the pyromaniacal punker
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Growling and taking in the words of Ab-Sec and Ed both Kenta growls. His upper lip trembles a few moments before he hocks up a grenade into his hand from one cheek pouch. Holding it up and drawing up on his haunches he chitters "All gang-scum fleshbags! Shoot each other fine, but me and mine go this way... You follow... I throw" cocking his head and holding the grenade up in plain view.
As the klaxons wail mournfully, the burning ganger falls to his knees in a keening scream, then faceplants to the deck as the flames take his life...
His fellow 21Crewers yell in anger and renew hostilities: opens fire at the gloating punker;
"NOOOOOOOO! GONNA KILL ALL YOU KING BASTURDS! "
He nails the Downsider a pin-point shot - knocking him sideways as his foe's armour engulfs in flame!
The remaining 21'er rushes forward, las-pistol firing as he screams vengeance;
"Burn you frakker! BURN!"
His shot however careers off the crate next to the crisping King.
For their part the the imminent threat of the surviving Kings is stymied by the tandem of las-burn and brandish grenade.
The burning King drops his las-pistol and slaps at the flames with a manic intensity - and successfully extinguishes the burning!
The last Downside King weighs Kenta's threat and levels his las-pistol at the group with a sneer;
"No ratter. You stay right there. Tell pretty-pretty to drop the pad or I shoot her pretty-pretty face right off. Maybe burn her up a little..."
azimuth laser pistol +6
21Pink:
21Blue:
21Green:
DSKYellow
DSKRed
Aiko:
Ed:
Kenta:
Kris:
Retsiji:
Sneering Kenta hisses "Bad choice smeg-brain" and hurls the slobbery, slightly digested grenade in las-pistol man's direction...
Frag Grenado I @ Yellow: for
Kris tightens her grip on both the data pad and her pistol as the gang banger threatens to shoot her. Smiling grimly as Kenta throws the grenade at him.
:
The saliva coating of Kenta's grenade means it slips from the ysoki's hand early...
The explosive bounces off one of the drums the punker is cowering behind and skips past him settling on a grating some 15ft away.
As it bounces past the Downside King cackles, ready to crack off his shot, then as the grenade ominously rattles on the vent grill, he stops... turns and curses as the explosion catches him...
:
... but a comibination of reflexes and outreach of the blast result in some minor shrapnel wounding. However it was enough to distract him from his intended targets...
Amidst the chaos your eyes fleeting focus on one of the many info-monitors scattered throughout the dock (and station). Usually these show flight updates and docking itineraries mixed with station data_news bulletins.
It is one of these very bulletins that has drawn your eye:
Retsiji strides confidently around the line of crates, still-smoking pistol in one hand and encrimsoned assault hammer in the other. He turns his head towards the remaining Downside King and emits a hissing laugh. "You're next."
On his way the vesk catches a quick glimpse of the news monitor above. Time for evac.
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Ed suddenly senses both that the thug may have murdered Kreel intentionally for this data pad that he is now threatening Kris over and that the mission may be jeopardized by a indiscriminate sweep by the authorities. His antennae crook sharply with anger as he sends a pair of radiant stars flying at the remaining villian.
Ed's enhanced comets slam into the intimidating punker rocking him on his booted heels. Amidst the after smoke of Kenta's errant explosives, you see both surviving Kings still stand - one crippling from magic and shrapnel, the other burned but still belligerent.
Most of the citizens have now fled, with only a couple hunkering down as the skirmish carries on. The wounded gamer drags himself into Aiko's old hiding spot with a melodramatic wail of pain.
Around the bay displays and screens still flash with info-mercials and data_news bulletins
Whiskers a twitter Kenta brandishes his pistol and looks to Ed "We have thing we need? Any reason stay?"
Ed responds telepathically to his nearby companions, Let's go. He gestures toward the door where Kreel lies.
Climbing to her feet, Kris makes for the door and waits for the others once they are through she'll shut the door.
As you hustle to exit the Docking Bay, the auto doors open for you revealing once again the still corpse of your would-be benefactor Duravor Kreel...
A pang of perhaps regret ripples through your emotion cortex, before the jeers of the gangers snap you back to the now. Curiously battling with the claxon alarms and punker shouts is a new sound in the distance... pneumatic almost in its repetition...
... but you cannot place it.
All you do know is that the noise is coming closer - toward your current position...
As Kris exits due north with the data pad slung, the remaining punkers jeer defiantly...
Perception
Aiko peaks out from her hiding place, cringing at the smell, sound, and sights of a real battle. This is so much worse than it seems in a game...it's overwhelming.
She can do little but stare until she hears the mental cry to haul ass, which motivates her to do just that, running full blast to join her companions.
Kenta crouches low to the ground and exits the fray with Ed, once clear of the bay he turns and reverses slowly with his pistol still brandished.
azimuth laser pistol +6
21Pink:
21Green:
DSKYellow
DSKRed
Aiko:
Ed:
Kenta:
Kris:
Retsiji:
As Kris exits, the 21 Crew use the opportunity to press for vengeance;
Standing tall upon the crates the Crewer that Kenta wounded earlier blasts at the hunkering King scoring a fatal hit. At the same time his fellow ganger runs forward and blasts the prone punker leaving him still and smouldering upon the deck.
As all the Downside King punkers fall, the surviving 21 Crew members turn their visored eyes toward your group.
As his eager companion celebrates with a shout of "Regicide Baby! Level 21 King Killers!", the wounded ganger upon the crates looks down with a hard word;
"You Mercs best walk away now. Level 21 Crew own the Dock. Spread the word."
Ed wordlessly complies and follows Kris through the door. He pauses just outside at the dead dwarf. Does anyone know if he had any kin here to notify?
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Retsiji gives the speaker a long look, then turns and walks out, his boots sending back metallic echoes. No one's paid me to kill you, pinkskin. You can keep breathing. For now.
" The Starfinder society should know of his death. We should seek them out."
Kris's finger tightens on the trigger of her weapon but she holds her fire as her companions continue to leave the room.
Looking at the data pad Kris checks to see if it has been locked out.
As your group begin to filter out past the doors, you assemble near the downed body of your dwarven patron.
A bank of doors similar to the one you have entered lie before you... with that being the only apparent way forward.
In the distance you can see flashing lights approaching around perhaps six or seven sections away.
In tandem with the lights is a faint pneumatic rhythm...
You've heard that noise before, or something similar... An armoured bot of some kind, most likely at least two... It is a noise that never bodes well.
On the map there are 2 routes indicated by arrows - should you consider an alternative direction these would be the most obvious "indiscreet" escape routes.
Green Arrow: This is the entrance to the one of the station's blast tubes - effectively an anti-grav chute that will take you to the next station level, but you have no control over direction etc - effectively when you jump in your on the journey until terminus point.
Blue Arrow: One of the station's "rat runs" - tunnels under mezzanine flooring and gratings that take a complex route past engineering service points. As the name suggests they are tight, and Medium sized characters need to stoop or crawl (movement reduced by 10ft)
The vesk looks askance at the rat run. "Might be fine for some of you. Better for me to take the tube."
"Security Bots incoming, time to go! Fastest route out of here it the blast tubes, if we get pinned down in the rat ways, it will not be good. Think target practice for them."
Moving back into the terminal again. "Crow if you like but security bots come." Moving to the dead king, she checks for his weapon.
if found, she picks it up as she moves to the blast tube.
Ed just nods, still rather numb from the sudden loss of their benefactor, and heads for the tubes.
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Kenta twitches and mutters "Not sure why not like rat run... seem fine to me" but doesn't look willing to make an argument of it or speak out against the tubes... following after the others.
Based on the quick check, the datapad is easy accessed (Having been running when Duravor was dropped).
You can see dataprofiles on each of you, and some other file paths incl. the Starfinders.
Wth more time and focus you feel confident that be able to process its contents fully.
The downed King has an azimuth laser pistol with battery (9 charges registering), club and a credstick. All of which can be grabbed quickly.
Aiko is a bit dazed by all the danger unfolding in real life. It was one thing to escape the first time with time to plan, and scheme... and with others to help, but this... chaotic... She was on the verge of panic.
"Should we split up, so they can't catch us all at once? Maybe we can come up with a rendezvous point? Or do we all go down together"?
It is obvious that the young inexperienced girl is on the verge of either dashing away in a random direction at full speed, or balling up in the corner and crying.
Finally a thought enters her mind. "Wait. I might know a way. I have the ability to change my appearance. I could do that, lay upon the ground as though injured by the party's passing, then, send them in the opposite direction that you all go to. If you decide to take the rat runs you can wait for me inside. If you go with the chutes, we can arrange a point to meet up later. I'd say we need to decide quickly".
"You're from here. Can you bluff them? The other thugs may have a different story."
As you all debate what route to take next, one the remaining 21 Crewers orders the other their downed gang-mate.
"Jymmer. Grab Vegger's pistol, creds and ID..."
As Jymmer stoops to recover weapons, effects and ID from the charred body, the first ganger turns towards the rest of you as he drops down from the crates;
The stoop to pocket his weapons, effects and ID, shouting back at your group;
"We're taking the rat-run! Just remember mercs... Wasn't us Levellers that smoked your friend. We ain't cold-cap murder1s like them Kings. Not us."
Quickly scanning the data pad, Kris says to the others. "There is a file here for all of us it appears, we should read this as well when we have a moment."
On the way to the blast tube she reaches down collecting the azimuth pistol, club and cred stick, pocketing them as she walks. club disappearing in her pack along with the datapad, while the cred stick was gone up a sleeve and the pistol to her belt. Checking the others, she steps into the blast tube unsure as she did so which way she would be going.
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Retsiji pauses to wipe most of the blood off of his heavy gauntlet, holsters his pistol, then follows the android into the blast tube. As quickly as possible, he tucks in his arms to avoid hitting anyone else.
Ed leaps into the tube.
Kenta keeps close to Ed, stepping into the tube after him... though with a mite more circumspection than the shirren's leap.
Aiko frowns a bit before following the others into the tube...
Nobody takes a young girl seriously. Well, I guess I'll have to prove my worth first.
The speed of the blast tube means that in less than a minute you have left the chaos of Docking Bay 94 behind.
The anti-grav transport is somewhat disorientating , but it slows and stabilises at jump on/off stations. After a couple of these you finally all choose to disembark.
While still in the Arms section of the Station, you find yourselves in a busy trade concourse - with a variety of bustling hawkers bars and stands. interspersed within the crowd you can see members of Absalom Station Security keeping watch for petty crime and there to keep order. .
Shop fronts and other establishments draw your eyes with neon lettering and holo-greeters beckon you to try their wares.
Meant to add this above - In addition to Datafiles on all of you - Kreel also has a file referenced Chiskisk - connecting to a Starfinder file pathway.
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Retsiji emerges from the blast tube a somewhat paler shade of green, and staggers forward for a moment before catching himself and standing upright. "We need to find out if Kreel had people he worked with, who will continue to honor our contract with him."
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Unsure as to which way she would go in the blast tube; the slight hesitation at the start, had Kris sure she would be going up. Only to have the floor and her stomach fall out from under her. The first two levels pass without her being able to step out, finally understanding how this was working; she steps/stumbles out as the semblance of firm ground is felt once more under her feet.
Looking for an out-of-the-way bench, she moves to the side to get her stomach back in agreement.
"There was another file, labeled 'Chiskisk' that was in a Starfinder directory. Let me get my stomach back in order and I'll see what I can determine. Unless someone else wants to review the datapad."
Kris will offer it to anyone who wants to review it
Fort: for
Kenta shares the physically discombobulating effects of the tube and proceeds to vomit messily as he exits back into the station. He mutters "Should have gone rat run.... never puke-puke in there." Given his predisposition to affairs of the regurgitated bile, he yields computing interest to Kris in the instant.
Your collective nausea draws little attention save the odd sympathetic look from passers by or hawkers in the vicinity, however law enforcement pay you little heed as you stop to recover...
You have a previous recollection of the word Chiskisk being a name - perhaps one that Duravor used in comms or discussion with you. The nature and clear identity of this Chiskisk is hazy, but you know they have connection to the Starfinders.
If it is the Starfinders you seek next, then their headquarters can be found in the Lorespike Complex located in the Ring section of the station.
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Fort
Aiko is able to swallow the bile threatening to rise in her throat, and she looks at the puking others... "First time on a blast tube"?
She looks over Kris-1's shoulder as he attempts to access the data pad...
Computers... (To assist)
Culture
"I think that's the name of that new Lashuntan resturant on Eox... but don't hold me to that".
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Ed suffers from the unconventional transport right along with most of his companions. He sits a moment until his stomach and head stop spinning.
Let's not talk about food at the moment please, Aiko. Maybe Chiskisk has to do with our mission. Let's find the Starfinder Society. I looked up their headquarter's location afer Duravor first contacted me; it's on the Ring level in the Lorespike Conplex.
"Agreed. Is there a way to get there that doesn't use those tubes?"
As you confirm that the next port of call should be The Starfinder Society, you spy one of the Station's many Grav-Taxi's awaiting custom on the concourse.
Additionally there are vendor's offering cuisines and beverages from across the galaxy, likewise numerous side alleys offer potential traders of a more low-key variety...
The vesk soldier glances distractedly at the vast array of shops, then shakes his head as the last of the nausea leaves him. "I say we get to the Starfinders first." Then I'll know how much coin I have to spend. His gaze turns to the shirren. Wonder if he knows what I'm thinking?
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"To stay in public view right now, leaves us vulnerable. We need to move, and right now the Starfinder society house here will be the most likely place for us to regroup and determine our next move. Perhaps we can move there quietly."
Twittering his whiskers Kenta turns to Ed "Want food-mush now? - better go Star peoples first?"
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Ed's antennae droop with disappointment. I am really hungry. Even your mousebars are starting to sound good. But duty first. I hope the Starfinders have something to eat.
You collectively move toward one of the parked grav-taxis.
The faded logo reads: Robo-Taksio - We Get U There. The vehicle's neon instructional strapline details the following:
◄PLEASE CLIMB ABOARD. ONCE SEATED AND BELTED UP JUST PROVIDE YOUR DRIVER WITH THE REQUIRED DELIVERY ADDRESS AND YOU WILL BE QUOTED THE NON-NEGOTIABLE FARE. DANKON.►