"What tha hell?", Karter sees Francis doing a good impression of an incinerated corpse, "!!!". He shouts into the comm link, "Hartshorn -get your tail up here with a fire extinguisher and put out the captain -NOW!!!" He then takes another stab at the woman.
>>
Francis continues to burn from the fire that consumes his body.
Xerxes stabs wildly but his luck has turned against him. Karter likewise is not able to hit Zarski and meanwhile Captain Francis continues to cook in the background.
The poison runs in Sh'yl's blood not affecting him fully yet.
Thanks to his training he dodges at least one blow but he was time to fight back, better this time.
Beginning in the space where he was attacked, Sh'yl calls for the Force to help him up his speed.
He closes his eyes and begin to let his blades fligh.
May the Force guide me.
Sh'yl's luck is no better than the rest of the party's and Zarskia only laughs at your attempts as Francis slowly burns to death behind the force wall. A small device appears out of nowhere at Xerxes' feet and a blast of sonic energy erupts near the protoss!
”This is messed up man...”, as Karter grimly tries to fork the woman.
>>
,
With the loss of so much force, Sh'yl stopped using power attack and focus on trying to hit something...
And the poison still takes its token on Sh'yl's strenght...
Xerxes's senses aren't acute enough to feel the blast coming, and it utterly devastaes the zealot. Xerxes rises to his feet then strikes once, hoping to end the invisible menace.
Karter digs Zul into the invisible drug dealer and Sh'yl also senses that his lightsaber connects with something. Xerxes cautiously leaps back up but his blade doesn't connect. "Oh really now!" an invisible voice calls out from between the trio still fighting on. "Your captain is dying over there, you know! Soon it will be all of you!" Xerxes feels another explosion at his feet!
Francis continues to smolder, though the flames seem to be burning quite timidly as they try to consume the Captain, but they finally reach his heart, causing him to expire in a burst of flames.
This time, Xerxes manages to remain on his feet after the blast of force. He strikes back multiple times, crazed by the early demise of his captain.
Despite his strength loss, Sh'yl was still able to fight.
He continues to strike at the druglady, here there is now only two option, perish or survive.
Sh'yl organism stopped the poison's effect for a time.
Karter flanks the woman and attacks again.
>>
Xerxes lands one good hit but Sh'yl only misses as Karter also misses and the Captain quietly passes away behind the force wall dividing the room. "Looks like you'll have to find a new Captain!" Zarski taunts as she continues tormenting Xerxes with her small explosions.
Once again Xerxes dodges, now his mind fully focused into the deadly encounter with the master blast-chemist. He strikes again and again, relentless.
For Aiur! Ancestors, guide my blades.
Karter continues to flank with Xerxes.
>>
>>
Xerxes and Karter are unable to hit Zarskia!
Sh'yl continues to strike at the druglady, hoping to be able to connect more than one time with her.
May the Force guide my weapon
Sh'yl closes his eyes, letting the force guiding him and his sabers.
Sh'yl continues to chip away at Zarskia's invisible defenses as the poison works its course through his body, threatening to paralyze him before he can deliver the killing blow. Another two devices fly from the air and land at Xerxes' feet!
A forlorn moo echoes across the galaxy...
Seeing his comrade falling one at one, Sh'yl continue to move with the flow of the void and let his weapons be guide by the Force.
Xerxes goes down in a long telepathic scream echoing through the minds of all those around.
Sh'yl summons the last of his strength and blindly plunges his lightsaber into Zarskia two more times. There is a quiet exhalation followed but a thud, after which Zarskia's unconscious body slowly becomes visible, bleeding out onto the carpet.
formula book (contains all prepared extracts plus alchemical allocation*, alter self, discern lies, dragon’s breath*, invisibility, keen senses*, perceive clues*, shield, spider climb, undetectable alignment, and water breathing)
prepared extracts:
4th—greater invisibility, stoneskin
3rd—cure serious wounds, displacement, fly, haste, protection
from energy
2nd—barkskin, bear’s endurance, false life, fire breath* (DC 15),
see invisibility
1st—bomber’s eye*, crafter’s fortune*, cure light wounds (2),
disguise self, expeditious retreat
Before his last remaining strength goes away, Sh'yl touchs Xerxes' body and heals him
May the force washes your wounds
unable to fight the poison, Sh'yl drops uncouncscious on the floor.
"SKKKKKKT..." blares the mobile comms system once the Wall of Force fades. "Report status. There was a gap in the vitals detection system and the system is showing Free Captain Sh'yl as unconscious and Captain Francis as dead. Report! Report!" Maheem yells over the comms.
Karter quickly tries to stablize Sh'yl.
Then moves over to check Zarskia for a pulse, stabilizing her if possible.
Then grabs the comm and shouts back at Maheem, ”YOU STUPID @*&$^@*$&%s!!!! Yes, the captain is down and others wounded”, not wanting to tell the truth of casualties yet, ”Get up here with some meds now!”.
”Xerxes -she must keep records of her spies, toss the room.”
Emerging from his shocked unconsciousness, the protoss immediately rises to his feet, and addresses a quick prayer to send the Captain's soul in the infinity of the 'verse.
You were a great Captain... but I think you're not through with us just yet. You will rise from the ashes, stronger for all your trials.
Then he turns to the task at hand, searching the room thoroughly.
Outside the meeting room, the place seems to be in a similar panic as words gets out that something has happened to Zarskia. Some of the guards seem to be holding position but without orders they seem unsure what to do. Others are quietly looting and some have simply fled.
The meeting room doesn't have anything interesting but down the hall is Zarskia's office. The guards are little threat to Xerxes in his battle-readiness and as he bursts into her office and mechanic's shop.
The alchemical components and comprehensive alchemist’s lab here are worth a total of 1,000 gp but weigh 125 pounds in total. Stored in a sealed chest with many now-empty partitions are 3 doses of id moss and a pouch of dried sassone leaves . A latched iron strongbox under the westernmost bench holds six f lasks of acid, four f lasks of alchemist’s fire, two vials of antitoxin, three smokesticks, two tanglefoot bags, and four thunderstones. In a reinforced brass tin are a vial of salve of slipperiness, a small sealed bottle holding an ounce of sovereign glue, three f lasks of unguent of timelessness, and a jar holding 5 uses of universal solvent. Inside a steel box is a journal containing notes and observations about Zarskia’s alchemical experiments.
A stylish purse in the north wardrobe holds Zarskia’s day-to-day spending money: 10 pp, 47 gp, and 29 sp. Fashionable outfits and dresses in the wardrobes are worth a total of 360 gp. A jewelry box in the dresser holds high-quality imitation lady’s jewelry worth 215 gp.
A leather bandolier on the table holds an emergency fund of 50 pp and 100 gp, an elixir of hiding, elixir of tumbling, and elixir of vision, as well as a feather token (swan boat). Among the papers on the table are writing equipment and a large vial holding 4 uses of superior invisible ink (Adventurer’s Armory 10), along with a smaller vial of the triggering substance that reveals this particular ink.
The papers and missives on the table were originally written using invisible ink, but Zarskia has already revealed the hidden messages. Many of the papers are encrypted or use ambiguous code words, but they nevertheless expose the identities of a widespread network of spies throughout the Shackles. The papers also detail the primary players in the spy ring—Corlan, Elliece Farhaven, Haddon Pike, and Roweena Kellet, as well as their ordered assassinations. Dated 3 weeks ago, one missive reads, “Silence is now key. Our plans will go into full force once our agent finishes his preparations. Destroy any remaining evidence and discreetly sell your business. Report to Nisroch for your next assignment.”
Xerxes quickly pockets the evidence as well as all the loot he can easily transport, then calls it in.
This is Xerxes. We need extra hands to transport the Captain's body, as well as as the plunder down here. Be quick about it - chaos reigns supreme, but I doubt it'll last.
Within minutes the Millennium Yak is hovering over the building, putting down some of the crew who start swarming through and gathering anything that Xerxes hadn't already grabbed, including the bodies of Captain Francis and Sh'yl. "This is bad," Sandara Quinn says when she takes a look at them in sickbay later. "Sh'yl is just in a coma. . . once the poison has worked through his system, he should be fine. But it will be quite a few days, maybe even a week or two, before he is back to normal. But the Captain?" she shakes her head. "I might have the power of the Verse at my command, but not that kind of power. I can't bring back the dead."
The High Priestess Dindreann is surprised to see again so soon, especially as your deal with her has already been completed; you recovered their statue and disabled the Wreckers and she provided you what leads she had. "Is there some other service-oh my, I am so sorry. Bring him right in." She covers her mouth in surprise at the sight of Francis' limp body and escorts you to a back room flush with pillows and elaborate silk curtains covering the walls and ceiling. "Please, lay him here. If you have the appropriate payment, I will do my best to bring him back. It is the least I can do."
Dindreann sets to work, lighting several incense burners with various medicines and narcotics mixed in. There are several neural regenerators and heart activators placed on his head and chest, which begin beeping faintly as she mutters a chant under her breath. "Just a few minutes now, I think this might work." There is an electronic jolt and Francis' body seizes up for a second, nearly rising from the ground in the spasm. "Two more aught to do it," Dindreann says as Francis spasms again, this time releasing a grown. After the third jolt Francis' eyes shoot open but Dindreann carefully lays her hands on his shoulders and holds him down, speaking softly, "Just lie still for a moment, Captain. Let the incense do its work. Laced with painkillers, you see, and other neurotoxins. It should relax your mind in a minute or two." She slowly releases her grips on his shoulders and leans back, turning around to smile at the rest of the crew assembled behind her.
Steady, Capt'n. You were almost a goner there. The wench roasted you good, but you're tougher than that. Welcome back. he acknowledges as Francis rises from the dead.
Now we've got a delivery to make. Let's head back to Quent and report to Free Captain Tessa Fairwind. he suggests.
Once the Millenium Yak is packed up and ready to go, with a fresh and healthy captain back at the helm, you return to see Tessa and tell her what you've discovered. "So my suspicions were right then. . . the Empire has been sending spies throughout the sector. They must be planning something. So you got all this from Dindreann's sources? Fantastic! I will have to pay her a visit, she has always been an excellent informant. And what of the Temple of the Hidden Name? Were they able to give you anything useful? I want to explore every avenue before I bring this to the Pirate Council."
Then we shall. What about our pecuniary compensation, M'lady? Rising from the dead was no cheap expense for our Capt'n.
Sh'yl wakes up a few days after the fight against the druglady.
Force be bless, you are alive ! he says when he saw Karter and Xerxes around him with Sandara.
He asks, already knowing the answer How, how is the Captain ?
After the High Priestess Dindreann ceremony Sh'yl praised her. Thanks your godess for me, Priestess, for this miracle. You bring back more than a Captain to me, a friend.
We don't share the same believes, but for now, I will set aside our differences to thank you.
Turning to Francis he says
Welcome back Captain ! We have some Empire bastard to get to ! But be reassure, the one who get you rots in Hell now.
Captain Tessa's right, we need to go to the Temple of the Hidden Name, to have more information about the Empire hand in all of this.
We must be prepare to the tempest to come and ready to face it.
Francis cracks his neck, glad to be back from the fiery pits of the Outer Worlds. "Hmm... guess we took the hard way." he says with a shrug.
Karter activates Tess's starmapping device and holds it up to show the others, ”Look -Planet Bag is just around the corner. But like we were warned it was a den of vipers, and seeing how Shyl went out after a single dose of the date rape drug, I think we all need to carry some all-purpose antidote for the sake of one another -a few each at least. Moo?” (new slogan Karter is spread around the Yak crew - aka military Hooah)
Tessa nods. "I understand. I agreed to another 40,000 when I got the information. How about 20,000 now and 20,000 after you've checked out the Temple of the Hidden Name, whether they have anything useful or not."
"Agreed." says Francis as he shakes Tessa's hand. "Alright, boys. Let's head to the Temple." remarks Francis as he hands the Captain his credstick.
"To the temple!!!
With Tessa's maps and information, you are directed to a nondescript warehouse on a moon of an outlying planet in a nearby system.
Inside the warehouse, you are met by a short humanoid dressed in the black clothing of an indentured servant of an aristocratic household and wearing a cherubic mask. He introduces himself as "Slip," as he guides you to a discreet soundproofed room in the back of the warehouse. He then asks, "How may the Temple of the Hidden Name be of service?"
Sabers sheated, Sh'yl waits for Francis to says something.