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When a routine salvage operation deep in the Vast goes awry, the skittermanders Dakoyo, Gazigaz, Nako, and Quonx must board a luxurious cruise liner controlled by a rogue artificial intelligence to save their vesk boss and a group of hapless passengers. All manner of obstacles block their path to success, from malfunctioning massage tables to cybernetic undead to vermin from another plane, but if the skittermanders can work together (something skittermanders do best), they are sure to be hailed as tiny, furry heroes! That is, of course, if the passing pirate starship doesn't blast them all out of space first...
Me. Me. I'm here to be a skittermander. I want to help.
"I is ready for action, nufriends!"
An emerald green skittermander is checking his elaborately styled beard. He's wearing the latest in fashionable cloaks. "Hidy Ho nu friends. I am most please to be on this adventure to meet new species and salvage ships with you all."
"Ready to give it allsix!"
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It began as a dull day aboard the Clutch, Nakonechkin Salvage’s only ship and your home for the past year or so. Your boss, the vesk Nakonechkin, brought the ship out of Pact Words space and into some of the void beyond, looking for derelict space stations or the remains of forgotten starship battles to pick through.
Suddenly, with a buzzing chime, the ship’s computers registered a starship drifting in the region. Nakonechkin rushed to the captain’s console and initiated a scan. An image of the target ship appeared on screen: a large, ornate green starship with brass accents. It looked abandoned and ill-suited to be so far from the Pact Worlds.
Nakonechkin quickly pulled on his space suit and grabbed a set of all-purpose tools. “This looks like an easy enough job. You lot stay here and keep an eye on the Clutch. Try not to ‘repair’ anything while I’m away. I should be back in a couple of nanoseconds.” He nodded curtly and cycled the airlock to float over to the derelict ship.
Two hours have passed since Nakonechkin departed, and he isn’t responding to your communications. Something must have gone terribly wrong—and Nakonechkin might need help!
Nako salutes in a military fashion as the Vesk leaves, then grins broadly before returning to a solemn look.
When time passes, she begins to get worried. Finally she nods.
"Nakonechkin is in trouble and we are going to go-go rescue him! Assemble the troops! Make ready for inspection! Get the big-booms and heavy-hammers and we will win!"
Quonx immediately starts repairing minor gadgets as Nakonechkin mentions not to. Over the hours of waiting the Skittermander finds themself in the Vesk's quarters scrolling through his library of "entertainment."
Hearing Nako, Quonx runs out into the hall, "The BIG big-booms?!" they ask excited. The blue 'mander is ready in short time and waits by the airlock, bouncing slightly.
Gazigaz spends the two hours waiting for the boss to get back fixing his beard in a new quite amazing set of triple curls.
Friends it's been a long time. He said nanoseconds. It's been much longer than that. We make sure he doesn't nee our help! Let's go friends." He straightens his cape as he moves to the airlock.
Dakoyo, clearly having fallen asleep staring out the viewport waiting for Nakonechkin, yawns as he walks up to the group.
"Sorry friends! I got sleepy waiting. But I'm here now! Has been a while since Nako-nako left, gree? We gonna go check on him?"
"Yes yes! We gonna go RESCUE him! We gonna be HEROES!" Nako proclaims, then strikes an appropriately heroic pose.
Dakoyo giggles amusedly at Nako's heroic posing before looking to Quonx.
"Hey Quonx! You wanna go give this thing a scan before we dive over?"
"Yeah! Yeah!" Quonx spins in a circle before climbing upbthe Vesk sized chair and typing with all 6 hands.
"What did you learn? We need to help him." Gazigaz asks Quonx as he makes sure his cloak doesn't have any dust on it.
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The vessel’s transponder identifies it as the Emerald Empyrean, a pleasure barge owned by a Vercite company called Trendsetter Excursions. The only ways to enter the ship are through two airlock doors, one on the port side near the aft and one on the starboard side near the fore. The forward airlock is completely sealed shut, but the aft airlock could be forced open.
The Emerald Empyrean is a modified heavy freighter with a forward-facing heavy weapon and a small turret weapon, but plenty of room for passengers and recreational activities. Though its thrusters are active, they are currently idle, and the ship has enough power to provide artificial gravity, interior lighting, and life support.
Further scans reveal over a dozen life signs aboard the ship, which Nakonechkin missed on his initial scans. Most of these life signs are concentrated in an area in the ship’s aft, on the starboard side. Nakonechkin’s life signs are visible, but the vesk is currently in a semi-conscious state and his location cannot be pinpointed. An additional anomalous energy signature is detected in the ship’s center.
It appears that most of the Emerald Empyrean’s functions are controlled by a single onboard artificial intelligence core, which is very unusual for a ship this size. However, the AI doesn’t respond to any attempts to communicate with it.
Dakoyo seems concerned, especially about the AI not responding and the concentration of life-signs.
"Huh. That ship seems pretty drift. I'm worried about Nako-nako though, so we should definitely check it out! Hey Nako, think you can pop their 'lock? Maybe then we can see if we can make nufriends with the people in the aft-board?"
"We need to help everyone. They can be nu friends. Nakonechkin is hurt as well. We need to find him." Gazigaz heads to the airlock. "To the airlocks."
Quonx frowns, "Rude AI. Won't make nufriends? Fine, we'll come to you." The blue skittermander jumps off the chair and scuttles over to the airlock. "Nakonechkin better just be sleepin, he always talked about that pleasure cruise 'round Castrovel." With a not, he is ready to breach.
Nako looks at the envoy. "I am war-leader! You are talk-leader!" Nako strikes a pose, holding her doshko aloft. "To the airlocks!"
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Your ship is few hundred feet from the Emerald Empyrean. Always concerned for safety, the skittermanders hook themselves with tethers to the Clutch, and push themselves towards the other ship!
About half way across, the team is engulfed in a passing micrometeoroid storm! Dakayo and Quonx avoid the rocks, but Gazigaz and Nako take a bit of a beating.
The storm is over almost as soon as it starts, and the skitters make it across to the other ship. The cruise ship’s outer airlock door is marked
with a large Trendsetter Excursions logo (a golden rocket blasting out of a glass of sparkling wine) and can easily beopened using an adjacent access panel.
Quonx relays the information. "War-Leader, your lead?" he then says with a nod.
Dakoyo looks concerned over at Gazigaz, since he appears to be the more haggard of the two from the micrometeorites.
"War-leader Nako, you want rest so Gazigaz can catch his breath? If not, I can keep the healing on him."
"You're Computer-leader. Open the hatch!"
"Better keep Gazigaz going. We don't want to be here if more meteors come along. More holes is less fun!"
"Uh, uh, SO!" Quonx slams the enter key down to engage the hatch's open sequence.
Gazigaz waves away the concern. He straightens his cloak, and mustache. "I'll be fine. Let's get inside. I'll stay back. We need to find nu friends."
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This square chamber has little in the way of furnishings, and the walls and ceiling are a clean white, while the floor is a silvery metal. Four cages are stacked in the two forward corners of the room. A heavy door leads into the airlock to the port, while a flickering holographic sign reading “Welcome Guests” floats over the door to the starboard.
You see a set of three observer-class robots hovering in the entry room. As soon as they see you, the Blue-trimmed robot says, "“Error! Pets must be placed in approved carriers before boarding the Emerald Empyrean. Initiating containment protocols.”
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The robots then open fire!
Red fires a grenade at the blue skittermander, Quonx! It hits, and explodes onto a shower of sticky, hitting all four skittermanders.
Blue fires at the purple Dakayo!
Green starts off attacking Quonx!
- x Robots
- => Quonx
- => Nako
- => Dakoyo
- => Gazigaz
U = Unconscious S = Surprised D = Delay
Conditions:
Dakoyo: 12/14 sp 14/14 hp 5/5 RP
Gazigaz: 4/14 sp 12/12 hp. 5/5 RP
Nako: 11/16 sp 18/18 hp 5/5 RP
Quonx: 9/14 sp 12/12 hp 4/4 RP
Enemies:
Green:
Red:
Blue:
"GOO!" Nako screams and Struggles forward to swing her doshko at the blue robot!
for damage!
"Ahhhhh!!" Quonx shrieks as his laser erupts at the red robot.
Dakoyo reaches out with his mind, and flings a piece of detritus at Blue, landing a perfect shot.
Gazigaz looks discusted as he's held down. "I am not a pet." He fires at the green robot with his arc pistol.
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Gazigaz hits the robot with his pistol shot...
The, the red robot attempts to shove Nako into the cage it is hovering over!
Green fires at Gazigaz!
- x Robots
- => Quonx
- => Nako
- => Dakoyo
- => Gazigaz
U = Unconscious S = Surprised D = Delay
Conditions:
Dakoyo: 12/14 sp 14/14 hp 5/5 RP
Gazigaz: 0/14 sp 12/12 hp. 5/5 RP
Nako: 11/16 sp 18/18 hp 5/5 RP
Quonx: 9/14 sp 12/12 hp 4/4 RP
Enemies:
Green: -4
Red: -6
"NONONO! Bad robot!" Nako smacks the red robot!
for damage!
"That is not friendly NuFriend. Get'em. he points at Green. Then he fires his weapon again. His laser fire goes wild and almost singes Nako. Sorry Friend.
Dakoyo focuses, and flings a piece of blue at Green!
He winces from just how bad the throw was, then he sheepishly calls out "Anybody need some healing?"
Quonx targets the red with his auto-targeting system and fires again!
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Quonx hits, doing a tiny bit of damage.
Red.once more attempts to shove Nako into the cage, after a guarded step, but fails.
The Green does the same!
- x Robots
- => Quonx
- => Nako
- => Dakoyo
- => Gazigaz
U = Unconscious S = Surprised D = Delay
Conditions:
Dakoyo: 12/14 sp 14/14 hp 5/5 RP
Gazigaz: 0/14 sp 12/12 hp. 5/5 RP
Nako: 11/16 sp 18/18 hp 5/5 RP
Quonx: 9/14 sp 12/12 hp 4/4 RP
Enemies:
Green: -4
Red: -7
Gazigaz yells Get'em and points at green. Then shoots.
"I could use a little healing, but I can rest after our nu friends have been helped out of this world."
for Nako swings again at the stupid robot!
Continuing with his auto-tracking, Quonx allows a little more time for the algorithim to train in....thenn... BAM!
Dakoyo scampers a little towards starboard, focuses again, and takes another toss at green!