As the coilgun fires and misses, the four drones continues to bombard the Starfinder ship. Shields begin to weaken even more but still nothing seems to have made it through them to the hull.
Orbital F:10,P:10,S:10,A:3 -35hp
Glitching Power core (-2 Eng)
Glitching Engines (-2 Piloting)
YDataY jumps on the rear turret and fires away at Red as Thorval shoots at Yellow. Throval's shot hits, sending drone debris into spinning through space.
The four drones continue to fire upon the Starfinders, concentrating their fire on the fore and aft arcs. One hits on each side, draining the shields and scouring the hull.
Orbital F:10,P:10,S:10,A:10 -35hp
Glitching Power core (-2 Eng)
Glitching Engines (-2 Piloting)
Yellow Drone: -8hp
Move first if your roll is lower than
Realizing he's fighting a losing battle, Ryu keeps at those shields.
The drones continue to surround and gang up on the Starfinder vessel. Repeatedly, the drones prevent you all from gaining much space on the mothership that is staying well and clear of the fray. As the last lasers slam into the Drake, all functionality but the life support systems are knocked out and the ship is sent down into Elytrio's gravity well without any control. The drones then peacefully turn and leave you be.
"WARNING, LOSS OF NAVIGATION. WARNING, POWER CORE CRITICAL. WARNING, LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS COMPROMISED. WARNING, IMPACT WITH PLANET SURFACE IN 5 MINUTES."
The emergency lights flicker on as the computer system blurts out warning after warning. Builder-42 wrestles with the piloting controls for a moment before realizing that the engines and thruster systems are indeed dead. With a frustrated punch into the nav board they spin around to see the moments of chaos engulf the cockpit.
Under the flashing red lights, Thorval screams enraged and summons his solar weapon. His fist glowing with celestial energy, he slams down into the weapons terminal cleaving it in half.
"We need engines and computers back online! 4 minutes and 30 seconds, this one isn't a drill!" Tolmu shouts as he leaps from his chair to aid. Ryu is already streaming like a bullet through the air and down the hallway towards the engine bay while YDataY has the dashboard ripped off and a circuit board in hand. The two androids begin to deftly rewire the cockpit for only essential functions as the ship begins to pitch and roll as it is entering the atmosphere. Soon they're able to boot up the piloting terminal to the ships root screen. "Is this enough?" someone asks Builder-42 who cracks their knuckles. "Damn well has to be."
From down the corridor Ryu can be heard shouting, "Hit it now!" YDataY begins manually booting only essential life support and navigational software as Builder-42 hops into the seat. Vision is regained and the view is a distorted grey, white. But breaks into a landmass speeding towards you all.
"F&*#ING FLOOR IT!" Thoral shouts as Builder-42 slams the controls down. A loud BANG can be heard from the rear of the ship as the entire vehicle shutters and everyone not sitting is thrown from the force. The Drake reverses violently against it's own momentum, but stops just in time about 100 feet above the surface.
The adrenaline slowly pulses away, giving you time to take in this planet. The majority of Elytrio appears to be a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Once the sensors are back online after an hour or so, they reveal that the planet has a breathable atmosphere, standard gravity, and higher than normal (though still harmless) levels of radiation. While most of Elytrio shows little sign of life, the ship’s computer picks up a large energy output from what appears to be a fully functional city three hundred miles away. These readings indicate the city has a level of technology that is comparable to that of the Pact Worlds (albeit slightly outdated), is encased in a powerful force field, and that the city contains life forms of some kind.
Looking over the ship's systems in greater detail, you feel that the ship could limp it's way around the planet without causing any damage to itself.
Taking off and heading toward the city, as you near your computer system warns you of the powerful force field surrounding a half-mile around it. With aid of the computer system you can deduce that you are not able to pass through the force field to land inside the city but it appears that you'd be able to walk. Putting down a few hundred feet outside the force field's edge, the weary ship creaks as it rests on the dusty barren surface.
Starting the trek of just a few hundred feet to the edge of the force field, you all trudge in a loose pack across the wasteland. Tolmu suddenly tenses and he begins to act in sequence with the emergence of what looks like a muscular lion with a beige-colored mane! It's body is covered with dark brown scales that seem to partially reflect light; has a stubby face, a big fanged mouth, and a segmented tail that sways as it bounds for the group!
DC 12
Tolmu bravely attempts diplomacy with the alien creature but immediately receives a screeching howl in return as it lumbers forward. The howl surprises Tolmu, momentarily shaking him.
Immediately Ryu and Builder-42 spring into action! Ryu expertly burries a round into the alien's skin as Builder-42 targets it and gets into position.
The large creature continues across the wasteland planet's surface and attacks Thorval with the long reach of its jaws. Wild eyes roll in the beast's skull as the salivating maw is keenly dodged by the experienced Solarion.
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"Ha! HA!" bellows out Thorval, "A CHALLENGE!"
Thorval attunes himself to light, causing his hands to become charged with solar energy. Immediately, the crystal he is wearing activates, causing his now enhanced fists to crackle with electricity.
He takes a guarded step forward, saying "If I have enough time, things are going to get interesting!" and punches the critter.
"Take that, you alien thing!"
Thorval's electrified fist slams into the beast's thick hide, producing sparks and causing the thing to visibly recoil. Tolmu steps back and recenter's himself with his deity.
The Starfinders begin to unload onto the alien creature! Ryu and Builder-42 get off shots in unision, hitting the creature's thick hide in series. Twack! Twack! YDataY summons three bolts of force that pelt the creature with concussive explosions!
Letting out a screech, the beast snaps its massive jaw wildly at Thorval! One bite snaps at empty air, but the next decisively chomps the half-orc on the hip.
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"You think that hurt, Beastie?" yells out the belligerent half-orc. "Me mammy used to slap me harder than that when I was a wee lad. Made me into the man I am today!"
Thorval then continues to attune, and takes another guarded step.
"All y'all should stay at least 10' away from me... gonna get exciting soon!"
He then strikes the creature
Ryu and Tolmu connect with the creature, then YDataY produces three more missiles of force that succeed in dropping the ravenous beast to the ground!
Catching your breath, a group of beings can be seen approaching from some bluffs in the distance. They are clearly armed, though as they near you can see it is with strange arquebus-style weapons. They continue until they are in shouting range and their weapons are pointed to the ground off to the side. They watch you and the corpse of the beast you have just slain, softly chattering yo each other.
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Thorval punches the creature in the head, just for good measure. As he sees the humanoids coming towards him, he puts his foot on the head of the large creature, and keeps his atunement going, just in case.
"Yeah, we're Starfinders. What do you want?" Just like the worst tourist, when they don't respond, he repeats himself, only louder and slower. "WE.. ARE.... STARFINDERS. WHAT... DO... YOU... WANT?"
The creatures are beetle like; with two arms, four legs, mandibles, and antennae. They all wear goggles over what you expect to be eyes along with desert toned cloaks and backpacks.
Ryu is unable to discern anything from their bizarre jabbering, but Thorval is confident that they do not mean any immediate harm.
One whom can be assumed to be their leader holds up one of their hands and lowers their head to show the flat of their twin mandibles. They strap their rifle to their back and begin to slowly approach the you, continuing to try the same greeting. They stop roughly 20 feet from Throval.
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Thorval, realizing that they mean no harm, drops his atunement. He steps forward, cautiously, and puts out his hand in an offer of greeting. He practically yells out (because that will help them to understand him), "MY NAME IS THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF THORVAL SON OF AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY OF THORVALS. WHO ARE YOU?"