Dindreann confirms, "The House of Stolen Kisses has leads on such information, as many people share heir secrets with our temple’s sacred prostitutes in the heat of passion. But these secrets are shared in confidence, and the temple cannot simply give them away for free. But you have already guessed this so let me tell you my price."
"ship owned by the temple, the Lady’s Sting, recently went missing. Divinations have revealed that the ship was attacked by a group of pirates who deliberately lure ships into danger so that they can salvage the cargoes of the resulting wrecked ships. Piracy is a way of life in this sector so we are prepared to lose cargo and ships now and then but the Lady’s Sting was carrying a relic sacred to the faith—a gold-plated wasp statue known as the Golden Vespal. We seek revenge on these wreckers who would dare attack one of our holy vessels, as well as the return of the Golden Vespal, but we have so far been unable to locate the wreckers that attacked the Lady’s Sting. If you can find the wreckers, enact our revenge upon them, and recover the Golden Vespal, I will give you a lead on the spies you are seeking."
”No problem, madam”, Karter nods with clueless certainty.
"Of course, I'd ask for something a bit more iron-clad, but since no one is to know that we are here, then I'm sure the word of both parties is good enough." Francis says with a bow.
"Any last minute information that you might want to share to facilitate this return of the Golden Vespal? Now is not the time to hold back." he says as he rises from the table and offers his hand to Dindreann.
---
Once they have concluded, Francis calls everyone to the bridge and informs them of the situation. "Listen, we are going to Beachcomber to hunt down some wreckers and locate an artifact. Everyone watch out for trouble before we hit warp." he commands as the men and women scatter to their stations.
"To Beachcomber!" he commands.
It's seems to me a fair trade. Religion is a serious thing and stealing a holy relic must be punished.
To Beachcomber !
With no particular leads, you head to the system where the theft occurred but spend several days scouting with no luck. Finally as you come near a watery planet full of healthy reefs and small islands, you spot a ship in orbit with the tag Shining Star on its side. As soon as you spot it, the ship twists down in a descent towards the surface as if trying to evade you.
"Quick! Follow that ship!" yells Francis as he stares towards the planet. "Keep an eye out for any incoming attacks from other vessels. It might be a trap."
He yells to Maheem. "Ready the photon blasts to disable their engines temporarily!"
"Xerxes, send the ship into combat status!" he barks as the protoss slams a red button next to his console and the whole ship takes on a reddish hue and sirens blare in the background.
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Captain, you surely remember that wreckers are not an uncommon hazard and finding the specific crew that attacked the Lady’s Sting will be a difficult task. However, it’s possible that the Temple of the Hidden Name in Beachcomber might have some information that could lead to the wreckers. suggests Xerxes before the chase begins.
Xerxes nods, putting his full attention to the task at hand. His inner voice echoes in all the minds of the crew, instilling both courage and confidence in the assault ahead.
Action stations, action stations. Set condition one throughout the ship. This is not a drill. Weapons unlocked, ready to fire. Hold for the Captain's order.
The ship dives down into the atmosphere with the Millenium Yak in hot pursuit. It streams through the clouds and you can see bright blue water below with a curving reef around a small island. Part of the reef is exposed in the low tide and the ship is making straight for it... in fact, you at first think it is making a suicide run into the reef until it slips right through!
Francis and Xerxes easily see through the illusions: first of all, the reef itself is only a hallucinatory terrain hiding a small cove in which sits an armed ship and several contingents of soldiers. Furthermore, the ship you were chasing was also nothing more than an illusion meant to draw you into the fire of the waiting wreckers.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Francis bellows as he spots the deception. "The reef is an illusion to cover their activities! Hard turn to port, Maheem!"
The klingon scowls and slams the controls to the left in an effort to avoid the blasts from the wreckers.
"WWWWTTTTFF!", rolling around the kitchen like a loose onion, Karter finally makes it out of the galley and to his station, "Alright men, keep those MREs down!".
What ? Where ? I only sees the Shinning Star
Maheem tugs at the levers and switches and the Millenium Yak screeches up just in time to miss the cove where the wreckers were waiting. The illusions disappear as you watch a burly Klingon woman work a spell to send a patch of fog providing cover to their base. As the Millenium Yak banks and circles back closer to the spot, you can see her rising from above the fog, getting ready to work more spells...
"Combat stations! We're gonna take out these wreckers and get what we came for!" he yells to the bridge as the officers relay the commands down to the rest of the crew.
"Maheem. Tell Ratsberger to teleport me and the strike team to the enemy ship with the Klingon." he commands as he turns to Pudding.
"Pudding, you're in charge!" he says as he stands, ready for the landing party to show up in a blaze of glory.
The Magpie Princess wheels about and the away-team hurries to the transporters to beam over to the enemies for a closer combat against the Klingon assault. Their small ship hovers just below the fog, with the woman and four crew standing atop the flat roof around an open hatch leading in. You materialize on the platform near them, able to make out their forms in the fog but only just.
Karter begins a joke about a Klingon and two cups, and readies the Zul trident.
Xerxes steps forward as his psyblades hum to life, ready to strike.
Francis tires of the fog and sighs. "Gird your loins, Karter. It's about to get real."
The Captain of the Millennium Yak blasts the area in front of him with fire.
Francis burns away the fog, allowing Xerxes to leap forward and finish off the most-burnt klingon. The three remaining warriors leap forward to engage Xerxes, Karter, and Sh'yl.
The female captain enters a war-stance and stares deep into Captain Francis' eyes, shouting and baring her teeth, trying to frighten him to death!
Vak: 14 dmg
#2: 14 dmg
#3: 14 dmg
#4: 14 dmg
Francis winces as the woman assaults his mind and he very nearly succumbs to the horrible images, but Karter's rousing song keeps Francis focused on the real problem.
The Captain yells to his men. "I'll handle her. Take care of her men!" he bellows as he rips open the continuum of space and draws forth his lash of pure chaotic energy.
He moves up to the woman and flings the whip at her throat, hoping to snare her and drain her very life force.
Sh'yl was surprised by the hit and unable to avoid it.
All his weapons drawn he called for the Force to help him fight.
May the Force be with me !
Then he began to cut in pieces his ennemies.
Francis fights off the urge to let his mind slip into the void and instead turns the powers around on the klingon captain, lashing her with the powers of chaos.
In four quick strikes Sh'yl then takes down two of more of the klingon warriors.
Vak: 14 dmg (3 physical dmg)
#2: 14 dmg
Wounded by the klingon, Xerxes delves into battle, letting his blademanship take over his very mind to cleave through his enemies.
Karter dodges a bat'leth swing, right into a faceplant against the other. "Oww!!! I've got a hard on for you buddy!" He takes a stabbing thrust with the Zul, activating the transmuting powers.
>>
DC16 vs Dex dam, Slowed 1 round >>
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Xerxes takes down the last warrior and then steps over to the captain but she deftly deflects his blade, although this opens her up to Karter, who digs his weapon into her side!
As the klingon captain's movements are slowed, a small winged monkey creature peeks out from her battle-garb and starts flinging poo at Karter. "I see you just want to get closer to me, human! I'll let you choose which!" Suddenly several images of her dance in the place where once there was only one.
Vak: 24 dmg (3 physical dmg, 4 dex dmg, 7 images)
"Now, Karter! We aren't going to sexually assault these klingons! Put away your hard on!" he bellows, clearly tickled by the freudian slip.
"Hit the one with the lash around her neck!" he commands as he grips the lash tighter, draining more of her energy.
”These pants are just really tight!”, Karter swings at the klingon again.
cont. Bardic
>>
You die now. telepathically emits the protoss as he circles around his target to flank him and strike multiple times at the multiple images of his enemy.
Sh'yl followed Xerxes moves and began the bladed dance digging in the Force
|
Captain Francis tightens the leash and Captain Vakarla's muscles tighten up in response. Karter misses but Xerxes and Sh'yl both work together to pop most of her images, Sh'yl even landing one blade on the real klingon!
She curses and spits as her flying monkey continues flinging poo from atop her shoulder. She tries to cast a spell:
And pulls it off, turning invisible!
Vak: 40 dmg (7 physical dmg, 4 dex dmg, 2 images)
Karter maneuvers to flank takes a stab at the spot where the monkey disappeared!
cont. Bardic
>>
Francis sees that the fight is in hand and moves closer to his prey, keeping his hand firmly on the hilt of the lash, drawing more of her strength into the crackling whip.
"Let's not kill her, if possible. I'd like to get some answers out of the woman if possible." he says gleefully.
Sh'yl call again the Force to make him faster. .
Then, thanks to his long hours of blindfold training, he tries to hit the invisible ennemy.
As Karter and Sh'yl smack the captain around, Francis topples her over by paralyzing her with his leash.
Karter wipes the space monkey doodoo from his eye patch then ties her up, "What's her fate capt?"
"Divest her of her gear."
"The scrolls and wand can be of some use and the weapons can be sold." Francis reasons as he sees his crew quickly take anything of value. "The rope might be helpful if we need to scale something and I could use a new cloak..." Francis thinks.
"No, Karter, you take the cloak. It will keep you out of trouble."
Francis looks satisfied now that the gear has been divvied up and tunrs his attention to the donor. "Now, tell us where the Golden Vespal is and I won't have my men slaughter you on the spot. If you are quick enough, we might not even take your ship." he threatens.
There is deep hate in Captain Varkarla's eyes but she spits out her answer, struggling to speak from the paralysis wracking her body. "The Lady’s Sting is down on the beach but everything inside has been picked clean. If you mean the golden wasp statue they had aboard-I kept that for myself. Most everything else was sold."
Indeed, in the captain's quarters of her ship you locate the Golden Vespal, wrapped in oil-cloth.
Francis releases the lash and it dissipates into nothingness. The Captain finds that she can move freely once more as the true Captain examines the holy relic.
"We thank you for your aid, Captain. Chaplain Sh'yl, she is yours to do with as you please." Francis says to the kasatha as he grabs for his radio.
"This is the Millenium Yak."
"Get ready to beam us up." Francis states. "We have the object."
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"Hey now!, Karter approvingly throws the golden colored cloak around his back and laces it across his neck, completing the look of spacy awesomeness, "Thanks Capt, this'll keep the creeps out and the kool in! Tossing the rest of the loot into a storage container, he activates the beaming locator.
Once you have taken the statue and Sh'yl has dealt with the Wrecker captain appropriately, you are beamed back aboard the Millenium Yak. "Moooo," the first mate asks, which roughly translates to Where to, Captain? Back to the House of Stolen Kisses to deliver the statue or on to the Temple of the Hidden Name?
"Yes, First Mate Pudding! We leave for the House of Stolen Kisses immediately! Perhaps we can find a wife for our chaplain there." Franics remarks with a wry grin.
Arriving back at the House of Stolen Kisses, the priestess Dindreann meets you at the entrance. "So you have taken revenge on the Wreckers? Excellent. Now I will fulfill my end of the bargain: one of our patrons, a man named Jaymiss Keft, claimed to have knowledge of a spy operating in the Shackles. If you want the name of this spy, you will have to find Jaymiss. He is known in the next town over as an expert carver and shameless rumormonger."
Tracking down a man and have him talk? This sounds like a job for me. This will be taken care of swiftly.
Francis bows to the beautiful woman. "Thank you for your aid, madam. Perhaps we will visit next time under better circumstances." he says with a wink.
---
"Men, we have a name." Francis radios in as he grips the handheld device, speaking as he moves out of the temple. "Get the ship ready. We are moving to the next town and looking for a carver name Jaymiss Keft. With a 'J' and a 'K' respectively."
Stowing the radio, Francis turns to Xerxes. "You got this?"
"I agree!", Karter slaps a nearby post to make it official,"Xerxes's got it!". Certainly happy not to get volunteered, but just in case, asks, "You meant 'we' though, right?"
Aye aye, Capt'n.
Once the Millenium Yak reaches its destination, Xerxes will endeavor to find some information about his quarry, activating his contact network.