Barely able to get her warning out to the rest of her team, Xera turns her head around the corner to see the blue creature crouching low on its hackles, appearing to snarl noiselessly as it prepares to leap towards its newly found prey.
Surprise Round
14 - Xera
7 - Creature
Xera falls back to the rest of the group. "Something in the hallway!" she shouts. "I think it's a..."
Moving back to the relative safety of the group investigating the store-room, Xera's memory brings to mind a recollection of the creature aboard the ship. Known as akata's, they are a terrifying predator that dwell in the vast void of space, hibernating on asteroids and comets within metallic cocoons for centuries. An akata has terrifically acute olfactory sensors within its mane-like mass of tentacles, does not need to breathe oxygen in order to survive in space, and its bite carries a wasting disease that can be lethal if left untreated. She also knows that the akata is resistant to fire and susceptible to salt water, which acts like acid against its rubbery skin.
Mere seconds after making her way to the airlock door, the blue-skinned creature tears around the corner, the lack of atmosphere bathing the creature's movement in eerie silence. Its teeth glisten wetly in the emergency lighting, and it appears to roar and snap at Xera.
Round 1
25 - Orlam
14 - Xera
9 - Private Eye
8 - Valius
7 - Akata
4 - Mysterra
Private Eye rushes into the hallway when he hears Xera's shout. He tries to get a read on the creature's movements and then fires his pistol.
Valius cuts his jokes at Xera's warning, rushing out alongside Private Eye. The beast is nothing like anything he's seen before, but he puts himself in front of Private Eye after his shot, slashing out with his stellar blade while his photonic alignment strengthens and builds up.
"Akata!" Xera calls out over her commlink. "Don't use lasers!"
With a couple of silent flashes, Xera snaps off a couple shots from her pistol. The bullets glance harmlessly off the walls and ricochet down the corridor.
"What is that thing?" Orlam growls as he closes in on the dangerous-looking creature, slashing at it with the heavy blade he wields.
Under the combined force of Private Eye's pistol, Valius' solar weapon, and Orlam's doshko, the akata falls to the ground. Dark blue-black liquid begins to pool under the creature, and the mane of tentacles stops writhing and drops limply to the metal floor of the corridor.
Oh, no! An enemy! I should fire at -- Too late. It is dead. Less thinking, more doing! Less thinking, more doing!
Mysterra stares impassively at the alien beast. After a moment, she approaches and inspects the alien corpse.
"It's an Akata. They live on asteroids and comets, hibernating for years or even aeons before waking. Their bite carries a terrible disease, and they don't need to breathe air. Salt water is deadly to them."
"This one must have been hibernating on the drift rock, and came aboard after the miners began towing it. It didn't seem too tough though. If they killed off the crew, there probably would be more of them, as there are signs the crew fought back. I doubt one of these could have taken out the whole crew... though I suppose it is possible."
"Up ahead the passage forms a cross. The aft passage leads to an engine room, while the forward one likely leads to the bridge. I think we should head there... if we want answers that will most likely be the place to find them."
"Yeah, I don't know much about something like this akata, but I doubt a wild animal could breach this ship without help," Valius hypothesizes as he glances at the body further down in the corridor. There was no need to wipe the blood from his blade; the essence of a star evaporated any remaining stains. He pointed with its curved tip to the intersection.
"Which way did the akata come from? If there are more we should root them out before seeking answers. You shouldn't run a diagnostic program when there are still spiders in your manifold," He says, the analogy more than figurative to him.
"I'm sure if there's more we'll find out the hard way. Maybe from here on out I, and anyone else who can, should scout ahead in the shadows."
Eye makes his way over to the body to see if he can get an idea how they died.
"Understood." Mysterra replies to Xera. She stands and approaches the hallway. She peeks both ways...
Seeing Private Eye assessing the corpse, Mysterra approaches the double doors and inspects them for anything out of the ordinary.
Valius enters the intersection, keeping his eye out for any more of those akata. He knows that if it comes to a fight, he's better on the front lines than Private Eye or Mysterra.
Private Eye approaches the fallen body and turns it over gingerly to reveal the corpse of a space goblin in the tattered flightsuit. The poor creature appears to have been bitten several times by razor sharp teeth and has died of its wounds in the middle of the corridor before being gnawed upon as food. A crude blade with holes bored into it lies discarded near the body, and a laser pistol that appears to have been made out of the parts of several different weapons is still strapped in its holster.
Mysterra makes her way to the open set of doors at the aft end of the corridors and gazes out over the spherical shape of the Acreon's power core sealed within a large transparent casing that is heavily tinted. 10-foot wide corridors flank either side of the power core casing, heading towards the aft of the ship.
Private Eye pulls up his notes on his comm unit.
- Chimara Hoenn: female human, captain
- Tormul Hoenn: male human, engineer
- Kingare Truss, male dwarf, demolitions specialist
- Orlumiel Sov’rin, male half-elf, pilot
- Phryne Swilern, female human, geologist
- Carret Frink, male human, engineer
Just as he remembered, no goblins. "What's this guy doing here?"
"A goblin and an Akata. I can't imagine how those two could be connected. But looking at the wounds, it could have been the Akata that killed the goblin."
"I'd prefer to head for the bridge, but if we find a galley perhaps we should create some canisters of salt water in case there are more Akatas."
"Galley seems to be the choice place then to head next," Valius says as he looks around carefully and thinks about this latest discovery. "My gut theory is that these goblins must have tried raiding the ship first, then the akata got inside after them. Hopefully the crew has barricaded themselves somewhere," He states brightly, since he hasn't seen any bodies other than this goblin. He points up towards the closed door on the starboard section of the hall, stepping over and against the wall, before giving it a knock with the tip of his scimitar three times, then three again.
Orlam frowns as he regards the body of the goblin. "Could be that this goblin is part of a group that scavengers that came upon this wrecked ship after the fact. Or maybe they were part of the reason for it as Valius has guessed. Either way, we'll not find out standing here."
The kasathas moves up the corridor beside the human solarion, pausing next to the door upon which Valius raps with his blade. If there is no response, Orlam gives the others a nod, then opens the door, if he is able to do so.
"Personally, that airlock in the back being left open worries me. I think we should check that out before heading towards the bridge but I'm not dead set on it."
Eye reloads his weapon to clear out the room Valius and Orlam are about to open.
Mysterra takes up a defensive position in the crossroads and keeps guard for further danger while Valius and Orlam investigate the starboard side room.
Valius raps his scimitar against the closed metal door of the starboard area, but thanks to the lack of atmosphere within the ship there is no sound in response. Orlam heads over to the other side of the door and prepares himself for whatever may be on the other side. With the three androids waiting in the corridor junction, the kasatha presses on the door release.
The sliding door opens noiselessly, revealing another cargo hold. The starboard cargo hold contains laboratory equipment, compact mining equipment, as well as a number of small crates and and capsules. There is also a broken table near the far corner with its contents spilled and shattered across the floor. A pair of akatas stalk around the back of the room, several of the tips of the tentacle mane fluttering over the floor as they explore the room, almost like an animal with sniff at the floor. As the door slides open their tentacle manes begin writhing manically and they turn towards the door frame, their hackles raising immediately as they notice Orlam standing there, and the soldier's grip on his weapons alerts the rest of the group that trouble is afoot.
Round 1
24 - Xera
21 - Orlam
18 - Mysterra
8 - Private Eye
7 - Akata
7 - Valius
Mysterra approaches closer to see what's going on. At the sight of another akata she takes aim and fires her laser rifle, careful not to hit Orlam.
Orlam blocks the doorway with his body, intending to bottleneck the two creatures here. He fires his light cannon at the one directly ahead, then turns to Mysterra. "Xera warned us against using lasers, I think they are immune to fire." The soldier is ready and waiting with his heavy doshko if one of the beasts rushes his position, intent on keeping the pair out of the hallway where they might attack the others.
Piercing
1 (of 6) shots expended
Private Eye moves forward to help when he can.
Mysterra squeezes herself into the corner of the hallway next to the closed airlock door and fires her laser rifle at the creature. Despite the four-limbed kasatha standing partially in the doorway, her aim is true and the laser grazes across the akata's flank, although the rubbery skin appears to absorb most of the potential damage. Orlam levels the reaction cannon at the blue-skinned creature and pulls on the trigger, the shot impacting fully into the alien's back leg and leaving a gaping hole. Dark blue-black blood spills from the wound, but does not seem to have slowed the akata down any.
Round 1
24 - Xera
21 - Orlam
18 - Mysterra
8 - Private Eye
7 - Akata
7 - Valius
Xera rushes forward with her pistol out, heading for the door. She pushes past Private Eye and peers around the door, firing a single shot from her pistol.
Private Eye and Xera both quickly make their way up to the doorway and each fire at the akata at the back of the room. Eye's bullet flies wide as he attempts to not hit Orlam in the process, but Xera's shot contacts the blue-skinned creature. The bullet grazes the akata, and a thin trail of dark blood oozes from the fresh wound.
The wounded akata snarls noiselessly and bounds towards the doorway, tentacles flailing wildly, and leaps towards the kasatha. It bites at Orlam with its strong jaws, and the soldier does not pull his arm away in time as the sharp teeth manage to penetrate his armour barely before the environmental protections seal the perforation. Orlam's arm tingles and momentarily goes numb around the bite, and the slavering beast shakes itself as it rears up for another attack.
The second akata moves quickly as well, launching itself powerfully at the wall above a pair of barrels stacked neatly in the corner near the doorway. It crashes to the floor as its claws fail to find putchase along the smooth metal wall, and it begins to climb. Effortlessly it grips into the smooth walls of the cargo bay with razor-sharp claws at the end of powerful paws, and begins to claw along the wall and ceiling, each step leaving massive rends in the steel as it stalks along the corridor roof above the group of Starfinders. Stopping directly above Valius, it opens its mouth hungrily.
Round 1
24 - Xera
21 - Orlam
18 - Mysterra
8 - Private Eye
7 - Akata
7 - Valius
vs DC 10 = Success!
Orlam winces as the razor-like teeth of the creature penetrates his armor, grazing his flesh. Though he feels the sting of the creature's venom, his body fights off its effects for the moment. Orlam is more concerned at the moment with the self-sealing capabilities of the armor's environmental protection system, but the soldier finds to his relief that it functions properly.
Somewhat surprised as the other akata crawls above the roof to get behind him, Orlam thrusts his heavy weapon upward, hoping to impale it before it can reach Valius or the others.
vs KAC (Orange Akata)
Piercing
Then he focuses on the one in front of him, and Orlam swings his doshko at the wounded beast.
vs KAC (Red Akata)
Piercing
As the kata tries to pass by Mysterra gives it a swift leaping kick to the head.
Valius is taken by surprise as the akata climbs onto the ceiling and wall, making due with what little space is left. Lucky for him, he has a solid blade of sunlight in his hand to slash at it.
Whirling with the blade in his hand, he strikes again, attempting to cleave through the ceiling akata to strike at the other in range as well. In the moment, he wonders how these beasts ended up trapped in this part of the ship.
Eye attempts to follow the creatures movements and looks for an opening for his shot.
Round 1
As the akata scrambles across the ceiling above them, Mysterra and Valius both take a swing at the blue creature. Mysterra's boot connects with the side of its face as she kicks off of the wall behind her and flips into a leaping kick, and Valius slashes at it with the stellar weapon, drawing a thick rivulet of dark blood from the akata's back.
The solarian attacks the creature on the corridor's ceiling again in a overhead arc, carving a twin wound before cleaving down towards the one in the doorway. Unfortunately the metal wall gets in the way of a clean shot against the creature.
Round 2
Private Eye takes a close quarter's shot at the akata on the ceiling, which appears to snarl in response and bites at the android's hand in return. Eye does not manage to get his arm back in time, and feels the sharp scrape of teeth against the skin of the back of his hand.
Initiative - round 2
24 - Xera
21 - Orlam
18 - Mysterra
8 - Private Eye
7 - Akata
7 - Valius
Xera steps carefully back and draws her tactical baton. She swings at the creature on the ceiling (assuming I can reach it).
Mysterra holds her rifle in one hand, draws her semi-auto pistol in the other, and fires a shot at the orange akata on the ceiling.
Despite the tingling feeling, Private Eye's android constitution rejects whatever affliction tries to invade his system, and he lifts the pistol back at the creatures leathery form and squeezes the trigger. Silently, the akata's skull explodes, spraying the corridor and its occupants with dark blood, and the blue form loosens its grip on the pipes in the corridor's ceiling and falls unceremoniously to the floor.
Orlam turns his attention to the akata in the doorway before him, and he stabs at it with the doshko. Skewering the blue creature through the toothy maw, the creature spasms and expires quickly, flopping to the metal floor.
"Ow," Eye says with little inflection. "Hmmm. I wonder if the crew shut them up in there on purpose."
He walks into the room to take a good look around.
Valius lets his solar blade fall but not return to its mote form just yet, looking at the lifeless akatas, then to the door for the starboard cargo room, asking the question that's on his mind.
"How did they get shut inside?" He asks, stepping inside. He's looking up at the ceiling and the upper parts of the walls, seeing if there is a maintenance access hatch or the like in there.
Mysterra stows her laser rifle and tactical pistol, and pulls out her auto target rifle instead. She makes sure its loaded, then takes up her position in the hallway as a guard.
Orlam has no immediate answers to the questions posed by the others and keeps a sharp eye out as they conduct an investigation of the room's contents.
Entering into the Acreon's starboard cargo hold, Valius and Private Eye begin to look closer at the room's contents while Orlam and Mysterra stand vigilant against further threats. The remains of an up-turned science lab lie scattered in the corner, with numerous resinous shards of a pale green crystal-like substance scattered throughout the room.
Both Valius and Private Eye spot a discarded flame pistol, lying forlornly near some crates. It is currently less than half-full of the petrol required to activate it. There are no maintenance hatches within the cargo hold for the akata to have crawled out from.
"Ah," Xera says as she looks at the fragments. "This is from an Akata Cocoon. It's how they survive for long periods in a vacuum. Perhaps the crew brought them aboard to examine them, not knowing what they were."
Orlam nods at Xera's observation. "That might explain what happened here. Maybe there are more of these cocoons in that huge rock out there. The crew brought them aboard to study them, as you said, and the creatures hatched, killing the crew. The goblin corpse might have been a scavenger, perhaps it happened upon this ship as it drifted aimlessly and thought to pluck some valuables from the hold and any bodies it found. Instead it found only death dealt by the same creatures that killed the crew."
The soldier knows that all of this is conjecture, and based on only a bit of evidence they've found so far. But it feels right to the kasathas. When the others are finished exploring, Orlam calls out to them over the comm as he moves back out into the corridor. "Come, let's clear the aft section of the ship and seal those airlocks. Then we can move forward toward the bridge and see if there are any survivors to be found. Whether of the original crew or goblins."