Humanoids: I have made a most startling discovery. This Drift Rock is part of a much larger structure. It is incredibly ancient and predates the Gap, perhaps by several millennia. There are several parties in Absolom Station that would be very interested in such a find. The archeological value alone is...incalculable.
EH-RK then remembers that Ambassador Nor has eyes and ears right nearby.
We should contact the Starfinder Shirren Chiskisk immediately. As a third party, the Starfinders might do well to be the first to study this Drift Rock. and EH-RK will send a message to Chiskisk with this info.
"Doctor Manteca Imani, have you ever been combat trained?" Boreal asks matter-of-factly. "Combat is not something that you can walk into without prior experience and expect to cope with. Without experience the mind and body betray you. Not performing as they would on a day to day basis. It is nothing to be ashamed of to not perform well in a combat situation if you have never been trained to deal with the extra stresses it places on you." Boreal says, "One should be ashamed of giving up on their allies because they feel inadequate. If you feel you are inadequate you try harder, you train harder, and you make sure that next time your allies rely on you you do not let them down."
Manteca's compound eyes flash angrily at the vesk, shrugging to remove the vesk's hand. "Boreal Typhon, you are precisely correct - I have n ever been combat trained. And I absolutely walked into it expecting to just 'cope' with it. And that is putting other people's lives at risk, because I am unable to meet the needs of this group. You and Dame Tannhauser are putting your lives on the line, and I can't even stem the bleeding from the wounds you're gaining defending my useless chitin?" Manteca shakes his head. "I'm a pop psychologist who thought that a few first aid trainings and a medical textbook would make me an asset to the Starfinder Society. And instead, I'm dead weight - hardly more than a cheerleader and a pack mule, in over my head and dragging those in my care down further. You'd be better off taking my share of the creds and buying serums - or hiring a real doctor." The shirren moves to walk past the vesk back towards the group, but stops briefly. "I can't leave now. For one, we only have the one ship... but I intend to do everything I can to help. As little as that is."
"Nobody is dead. Nobody is hurt beyond repair. Calm down, and try harder." Boreal says to his back when he stops
Manteca whirls around again, his despair mixing with his anger. "Trying harder isn't going to save anyone!" he yells. "This is battle and medicine, not some desk job pushing papers - if I fail, people die! If I doggedly keep making cuts without knowing what I'm doing, I'm going to kill someone as thoroughly as another akata or one of those space ghosts! I can't just try harder, I need to do better, period!" The shirren whirls around and stalks off. And if I don't, well, you won't be around to give me pep talks for much longer, he shoots back telepathically as he stalks back to the group.
He pulls together the medkit where it was left on the ground, and then arrives behind EH-RK to view what the android had discovered. "This is incredible," he says, the excitement at the discovery overcoming his self-loathing. "Where is this from?"
Then try harder to be better. Use your anger. Boreal thinks "out loud".
She makes her way back in to Tannhauser and stands next to her watching the others
The console EH-RK hacked goes black and then a mandala is created on the display. Some symbols run through repeatedly at the bottom.
We should contact the Starfinder Shirren Chiskisk immediately. As a third party, the Starfinders might do well to be the first to study this Drift Rock. and EH-RK will send a message to Chiskisk with this info.
With his message in the unsent box, EH-RK will begin querying the console once more attempting to unseal the doors. While typing at the console, EH-RK responds to Manteca Shirren Manteca Imani: It is highly likely that based upon the presumed age of the Drift Rock that whatever species built this is long since extinct.
EH-RK will tell his allies Humanoids: Based upon my scans of the internal workings of this Drift Rock. There are only two areas we have not explored fully. I suggest we do that.
The doors both open according to the console, but one of them (blue) shows a malfunction. As you go to check what it is you find out that it seems to be a mechanical problem. Boreal solves that with her doshko. Two minutes later the door is open, though it will not be possible to close the door again. The reason fo rthe malfunction is, that the door was barricaded from the inside. You find a human body. Or more like a mumified corpse in a space suit.
Found on it is an estex suit I with a brown force field, though the force field’s battery is depleted. The body also carries two spell amps of lesser restoration and a personal datapad (tier 1 computer). Moriko’s empty static arc pistol lies on the floor next to her outstretched hand.
Activating the datapad you find that the corpse belongs to Moriko Nash. After a few moments it starts playing a holographic message that shows a moving 3D portrait of Nash telling the message. "I think I’ve come to terms with it. I won’t survive, but at least I’ve explored strange worlds and seen wonders I would never have dreamed of as a child. I guess everything comes to an end eventually. I’ve always been the master of my own fate, and I’m not going to change now." Captain Nash holds up a pistol. "When my force field goes down, I’ll fight. But I’m saving my last charge for myself. My life, my death. "This is my last will and testament. To whoever finds this recording, I leave the
Sunrise Maiden to you. It’s a good ship, and no matter where I’ve gone, it’s always brought me home... until now. If you treat it right, it’ll do the same for you. Leave my body where you found it—we came from the stars, and to the stars I’ll return—but the Maiden deserves to keep flying." Nash takes a deep breath and ends the recording.
"The poor dear..." the Kasatha mumrurs. "Wait, the Surnise Maiden, I've heard about that. It disappeared decades ago..."
EH-RK cocks his head at Tannhauser. Kasatha Dame Tannhauser: That is most peculiar.
Eric collects the armor, spell amps, datapad and static arc pistol.
Eric begins checking the datapad for information about Captain Moriko Nash and the Sunrise Maiden.
Humanoids:Does anyone have a battery? I could use one to charge this Static Arc Pistol.
Manteca watches the video a second time, his antenna wilting sadly. "Brave, determined, undefeated to the end. Seems that Captain Nash was made of stern stuff." He again pulls out the serums from the med kit. "Does anyone else need these?"
Unless anyone objects otherwise, EH-RK will spent oh about 10 minutes or so scrolling around Captain Nash's datapad.
EH-RK will indeed then swap the battery from the Laser Pistol to the Static Arc Pistol.
As Erik begins searching through the datapad Tannhäuser takes up a restful pose as she meditates and ruminates on some finer workings of the universe she had been neglecting till now.
Manteca spends the 10 minutes restlessly pacing the hallway, even going so far as to absentmindedly kick the downed robot, hurting his foot mildly in the process.
After he and his allies rest, Eric says Humanoids: We shouldn't tarry. and he will lead the crew towards the Sunrise Maiden, which he is sure lay further on.
Moving along the corridor and passing two more doors you see your conclusions proven to be right. With its vaulted ceiling and smoothed stone floor, this sprawling cavern has the appearance of a primitive shuttle hangar or landing bay — an impression reinforced by the presence of a starship taking up the majority of the space. Only the western wall is finished with the ceramic-metallic plating found elsewhere in the complex; the remainder of the cavern is hemmed by natural rock walls. Huge doors stand in the eastern wall of the chamber—doors easily big enough to accommodate the starship parked in front of them. Of more immediate interest, however, are the two human bodies splayed on the floor just inside the western doors, their internal organs spread artfully on the floor around the corpses. And you find the cause of these deaths. Some muscular creature that looks like a upright walking quadruped with wings, but instead of a head the neck just ends in a round maw with several rows of teeth in it.
meh
Allison makes a snide comment about the ugly alien and shoots it with her pistol.
The Gargakal is hit but isn't too impressed. It makes some smacking noises and approaches Allison to get a taste of her. Which leaves her bleeding, and badly wounded.
”Wait! I remember a story about this, the Gargakkal, it can leech your life away with it's mind, if you got any electrical weapons, USE THEM!" Tannhäuser shouts before charging the beast.
Eric moves away from the creature as far as possible, he draws his new fangled Static Arc Pistol and fires
missing.
Boreal moves into a flanking position with Tannhauser and swings her Doshko at the beast, hoping to distract it so someone can aid Allison.
Tanhäuser burns the beast and Boreal hits it hard with the doshko. EH-RK shoots something else.
With Tannhäuser and Boreal flanking the thing Allison takes a step back and takes another shot at it from a distance.
Dr. Imani begins coordinating via telepathy as he draws his needler, and begins searching for the cartridge with the sedative.
The Gargakal doesn't like the close company of Boreal and Tannhäuser. So it withdraws into the air.
Boreal tries to land a blow as the creature withdraws but the unexpected nature of it's movement throws her off
Eric casts Supercharge Weapon on his Static Arc Pistol.
Allison plays something with the electronics found next to the door and makes the lights flicker. But she misses.
Tannhäuser slashes at the creature as it takes flight before following up with a blast of her Azimuth.
Manteca continues to direct people telepathically while he pulls out and loads the hypodermic needle full of sedative into his needler.
The gargakal targets that strong looking Vesk with its life leech ability.
Eric aims his Static Arc Pistol and fires
*1.5=28
Manteca squares up and very carefully aims at the creature. He lets his telepathy bleed a little, exuding a sense of calm determination to accompany the telepathic nudges and guidance he'd been providing. He aims the needler carefully, focusing intently on the gargakal and protecting his allies.
An enormous arc of light forms from EH-RK's pistol to the ceiling behind the gargakal. Manteca also adds to the scratches in the ceiling.
Tannhäuser takes aim and fires again.
Tannhäuser' shot adds to the damage the Gargakal has. But that only does as much damage, as the gargakal healed before by leeching the life energy out of Boreal.
The gargakal reacts with anger to the arc of electricity and attack EH-RK instead with his leech. EH-RK feels like his energy is sucked out of him.
Tannhäuser continues firing.
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"Die already!" Boreal shouts as she drops the doshko, and pulls out her heavy weapon before firing.
”Nice shot, m’lady!”
Allison too keeps trying to bring that sucker down.
Tannhäuser misses with her laser pistol, while Boreal and Allison work more successful on the demise of the creature.
Yeah, nope.
Eric fires once more with his Static Arc Pistol
Yeah, nope again.
HP 13/19 SP 1/18
Manteca maintains the coordination against the gragakal. Stay alert EH-RK, we need you! mentally shouts the Shirren.