Round 2
Vetch shifts into underdrive, diving away from the space missile and the other ship, darting down. He tries to avoid any space roadkill as he flies.
The flak gun should be automatic, but I presume the first non-use was due to us being 'flatfooted'?
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Watching the Maiden for signs of weakness the Fearless Symmetry spins around, pouncing on it's prey.
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Sunrise Maiden-( 65/65 | F:0 P:30 S:30 A:30 | Life Support: Normal| Sensors: Normal| Weapons: Normal | Engine: Normal | Power: Normal | Status: Nil)
Fearful Symmetry-( -5 | F:- P:- S:- A:0 | Life Support: Normal| Sensors: Normal| Weapons: Normal | Engine: Normal | Power: Normal | Status: Gunnery -2; 3 rounds; Evade)
Captain (Dash)-May act on any Phase
Engineering Phase (Abe)
Helm Phase (Vetch- pilot)
Helm Phase (- Science Officer)
Gunnery Phase (Zane / Draka)
Vetch offers no stunts, but is cleverly luring them into a false sense of confidence...ensuring that this ship is nothing more than easy pickings.
”Vetch, I’ve seen blind goblins fly better than this!” Dash insults his pilot, hoping to motivate him.
Zane's blast goes into the shields and the power socks right through to the hull. Zane goes ape-sh!t in his gunners chair.
bouncing in his chair in spastic motions.
But a return blast gives him a sobering view. Normally, he sees space in his 360 degree turret and there's this "silversheen" or "film" would probably be a better word - that's a protective bubble that keeps space and laser blasts away from his face. That protective film just "poofs" away in the forward section of the ship. No hull damage or sparks, but that "layer of protection" that lets Zane sleep easy at night- it's gone.
He thinks:
S$&$! Time to get serious.
Zane unloads with everything he can. even using a foot activator that he rigged to shoot the second Heavy Laser but also the Port gun.
Symmetry pounced just a bit too close! It's within range of these heavies!
minus 2 more for second range.
He starts going all "Tom Cruise" all over again.
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. Given the way Zane and Draka are shooting, and Abe's shieldwork, might not be off the mark. ;) *zing*
Oh contrar-monfrair! You just helped out Zane by invoking the Dicebot.
. Given the way Zane and Draka are shooting, and Abe's shieldwork, might not be off the mark. ;) *zing*Oh contrar-monfrair! You just helped out Zane by invoking the Dicebot.
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Engineering Phase
Abe is so shaken by the blasts and explosions that his mind just spins. Surely it will clear up soon enough to restore the shields to the Sunrise Maiden.
Helm Phase
Dash demands too much from vetch as he lazily flits about the Drift. the intimidating remarks fall on deaf rat ears.
Gunnery Phase
Vetch's eyes go wide as the ship lurches starboard. The Zane has released every weapon at once as a volley of lasers that would make a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert proud is released into the Azlanti starship.
The shields can't hold up against that immense firepower as the entire front end of the Azlanti warship bursts into flames.
The power core begins to glitch out as the starboard plasma cannon jerks violently against its will.
Quick on her feet Draka tracks the torpedo coming in towards their aft. Timing it out she fires the flak thrower, obliterating the torpedo just at the last moment.
A third torpedo ejects and quickly slams into the port shields, throwing the Maiden forward, knocking The Zane to the floor as he was too busy dancing around in his chair.
******************************************
Vetch finally begins to take the fight seriously as he shows dash how to outmaneuver the purebloods.
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Sunrise Maiden-( 65/65 | F:0 P:19 S:30 A:30 | Life Support: Normal| Sensors: Normal| Weapons: Normal | Engine: Normal | Power: Normal | Status: Nil)
Fearful Symmetry-( -26 | F:0 P:- S:- A:0 | Life Support: Normal| Sensors: Normal| Weapons: Normal (Starboard- Glitching) | Engine: Normal | Power: glitching| Status: Gunnery -2; 3 rounds; Evade)
Captain (Dash)-May act on any Phase
Engineering Phase (Abe)
Helm Phase (Vetch- pilot)
Helm Phase (- Science Officer)
Gunnery Phase (Zane / Draka)
Round 3:
Draka lets out a roar of encouragement at the opposing ship begins to burn. "Draka want turn!" Her muscles flex as she grabs onto the controls at her gunnery station and presses the triggers. The vesk cries out again in a roar, "RAAAAAUGH!" excited that there is action to be had in deep space.
Fearing the shields will be drained by the time he rejiggers them, he shifts back to the engineers chair and does what he can to bring up the forward shields.
”C’mon…” he says under his breath.
vs DC 19
He diverts power successfully to the forward shields. "All right! Now we're cooking!"
Dash monitors the Azlanti ship, noting a mistake in their course that might give the Maiden and advantage. Jumping from his chair, he leans over Vetch to make sure he pays attention.
”They’ve screwed the pooch. On my mark, roll to starboard and fly right by them. Zane, prepare for a money shot!!”
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Round 3
"Once the hunter, now the hunted," Vetch says as the crew of the Maiden switches rolls with the Azlanti. His plan had some to fruition. They had lulled their foes into a false sense of victory.
He quickly pulls up a tactical display of available maneuvers, and deftly pushes a few buttons to enact a series of gyrations, all spurred by Dash.
"Alright, let's see here...let's take the atomic mass of this ship...divided by our string theory...less the jeffries tube intake...divide by the tachyon emitter array...1.5 times our ship tier...and then..." Vetch evades.
Pilot vs. DC 21
Then he punches another button for a fly-by attack.
Pilot vs. DC 26
"ZANE! POP THESE HONKIE RACISTS IN THEIR MAGA* FACES!" Vetch cracks over the intercom, his maneuver successful.
Abe does his part.
Vetch does his part.
Draka does her part.
Zane really hopes he can do his part. Internally he is fretting about his performance.
Externally, he is as boisterous as ever.
Stupid Half-Breeds!
Halfbreed? Oh no. The Zane has got a 100% Pure Castrovellian spitsnake.
Zane unloads his weapons toward the aft of the enemy ship. Hoping that the shields are still fully down.
Heavy Laser Aft
Sorry, couldn’t hear your reply with The Zane’s Missile heading down your throat. Did you say, Too Bookoo? The Zane’s assault is too bookoo?
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Engineering Phase
Abe swaps out some cables as during the restructuring of the Maiden they were put in the wrong spot, which is why the shields weren't restoring. With the cables swapped Abe is able to begin restoring the shields on the forward quadrant.
Helm Phase
Vetch flies in close and right over the Fearful Symmetry. The self-righteous and egotistical Azlanti's never expected such a head on maneuver.
Gunnery Phase
The Azlanti's aft end explodes out into space. Your communication channel opens once more, though it doesn't seem like it was intentional and more of a hotmike situation cause by a fire or shorting of wires on the Azlanti ship. "You saw the readings...The Corpse Fleet are onto them and will be here soon enough to clean up. We need to escape-" Another voice sounds. "It is too late for that. We can't let them get ahold of our tech."
Silence takes hold of the radios. "Right, we can't let the unworthy anywhere near it. Do it." Part of the Aeon Guard’s rigorous training is to not allow unworthy foreigners to get hold of Azlanti technology, no matter the cost. The Fearful Symmetry activates it's self-destruct sequence and explode in a massive ball of flames.
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Vetch claps his hands, his work done. He watches the self-detonation with a ratty grin.
"Did, uh...did...uh...did they just say that they are working with the Corpse Fleet? What...?" Vetch tries to make sense of the mis-communication .
"Well done!" Abe shouts as he continues to work the controls. He doesn't stop to rest until the shields are powering up and recharging and all the sensors are clear.
Then he'll take a closer look at the rubble of the opponents ship. He'll scan for survivors (unlikely) or intact tech (just as unlikely). But he tries.
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Dash holds tight to the captains chair during Vetch’s inspired stunt work, resisting the urge to paint the bridge with android hydraulic fluid as his insides swirl from artificial gravity strained beyond limits.
When it’s all over, and the Azlanti ship is exploding in their rear view scanners, he plops back in chair with a grin. Though he’s loathe to say it, he knows someone will, so it might as well be the Captain.
”Great f@#%ing work everyone. Had my butt clenched up tight on that pass, but we did it. I think we should call that The Zane Maneuver.”
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Abe does a lengthy scan of the wreckage, while not able to salvage much he is able to gather scraps and pieces to upgrade the ship for later.
Just as you are getting ready to leave Abe spots a true prize. A mostly in tact torpedo system that the Azlanti crew was using.
Seeing the Balanced Terrors ship explode and leave spare parts all over The Drift space, Zane gives a victorious fist pump.
He beams when Coach gives him a pat on the back and even calls a play after his name (not realizing it's really about projectile vomit).
But, his finger goes to the button.
Coach, the game ball should really go to ABE. Without his improvements and turbocharging The Sunrise, that ship would have outclassed and outgunned.
ABE's hard work kept you guys from dying.
Zane says this, because he knows that no matter the gruesome end met by his co-workers, HE is destined for greatness and will be surviving everything and anything. He proceeds to daydream about being picked up by All female Drift Pirates and then the crew realizing how superb he is and making The Zane their captain......
******
Later, when the missile is brought aboard -he looks over the weapon tech. Very interested. Dissecting everything that is mechanical and disregarding any components that are mystical or involves mathmatics.
Abe excitedly fills the cargo bay with spare parts, "....and this can get slotted in the Jeffrey's Tube, and these can reinforce our shields, and, wow, that's quite a weapon right there. It doesn't do as much damage as our current torpedoes," "but it allows you some corrective fire. It has its own weird tracking."
"We don't use our missiles much, but it would be kinda nice to be able to shoot something and know it's gonna hit. You know? Might save our bacon against some otherwise hard to hit bastard. Still, it's got less punching power..."
When The Zane gives him credit for the ship, he laughs somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, we all talked about it. Hell, last time around, I was just making sure Draka had a decent weapon to use! I really should have raised the shield power. Clearly. No, we all managed to pull this off." he grins.
Vetch settles under Abe's desk, snoring rattily as Abe blathers and works on installing the new missile array. Vetch has some understanding of such things, but prefers a rat nap to overseeing Abe's good work.
When the repair work is done, Vetch will re-plot the course.
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Re-plotting the course Vetch avoids anymore space storms and curls back up underneath Abe's desk. The remainder of the trip goes uneventful.
The Sunrise Maiden exits the Drift very close to the sixth planet of the Nejeor system, a nine-planet system with a yellow dwarf sun. The first two planets actually share a single orbit, though one is always on the opposite side of the sun from the other; both are hot, rocky wastelands. The third, sixth, and eighth planets are gas giants, each swirling with a different color of gas. The fourth planet is dotted with petrified forests, and the fifth planet has a multitude of active volcanoes constantly spewing ash into the air. The seventh and ninth planets are both cold and lifeless rocks. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh planets are the only ones with moons, which have varied compositions.
With no clues as to where the Cult of the Devourer might have gone in their search Abe manages to scan each of the planets. A cursory scan of the system’s planets reveals that only one of them shows any signs of life: Nejeor VI. Life this far outside of the Pact Worlds.
A more in depth scan of the planet pinpoints the signs of life on a floating metropolis in the stratosphere, sitting just above the churning clouds of Nejeor VI. The city is crumbling in places, while other areas are overgrown with trees and other plants.
You also note that the energy signatures that would normally come from a settlement of that size (energy from a power plant, wireless signals, and so forth) are weak and erratic.
You can also tell that this city is millennia old and that age is the cause of much of the decay (as opposed to it having been destroyed by some outside source).
Regardless you can see that there is only one safe place where they can bring down their vessel: an emerald-green landing pad on the outskirts of the city. All other possible landing areas in the metropolis are either unstable or are covered in impenetrable thickets.
Abe scans the surface as they close in, looking for whatever he can find.
"Well, there's a floating metropolis in the stratosphere, sitting just above the churning clouds of Nejeor VI. Not much of a place, seems to be crumbling in places and overgrown with trees and other plants. That and there aren't many energy signatures, and what I do see are weak and erratic."
"Man, this place is ancient! On the order of millennia. That's probably why it's all crumbly, it's just old. We'd better watch ourselves, there's no knowing what might be down there."
He straightens up and gathers his gear as Vetch lands them safely (presumably). He readies his laser rifle though before they open the hatch. And he's got the shipboard mounted rifle at the entrance, loaded up on his screen in case they need additional firepower.
Vetch does pilot carefully and steady to a good landing spot should one be found.
”Near a city, you think? Where are we going here?” Vetch asks Dash.
The vesk fans herself daintily with her giant clawed hand. "Ship wizard know what is what. Good. Draka ready to get off ship."
Dash observes the planet and listens to Abe’s reports. At Vetch’s question he gestures to the floating city. ”Let’s set her down somewhere on that.”
Once they land Dash readies his laser pistol and disembarks.
Right after Zane and Draka.
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You touch down on the Emerald Landing Pad, one of a few landing pads that jut out into the clouds in the southeastern corner of the city, but the only one still usable. Like much of the rest of the city, the pad appears to be made of a thick, barely translucent crystal. A vibrant-green lichen grows along the underside of the pad, which makes the lone intact pad resemble an enormous slab of emerald.
The majority of the pad is open to the sky; the thick clouds of Nejeor VI swirl lazily below. An archway stretches above a 10-foot-wide walkway that joins up with walkways from other landing pads, leading into dockmaster’s building. A holographic sign in a foeriegn language than none of you are familiar with stretches across the archway.
Vetch leaves the ship, nearly tripping on the ramp down.
Perception
"Who misaligned the ramp?" Vetch gives a look to Abe, figuring the new missile array knocked something out of alignment rather than him not watching where he was going.
Zane steps off and does not have the same "balance" problems that Vetch has. He has perfect balance.
He's feeling good. The last planet they were on- he spent 90% of the time feeling sick or terribly hating undead.
This planet is like a whole new book - if he ever read book. No, that is a bad analogy for Zane. This is like a whole new laser gun. New, exciting, and just itching to be checked out.
Dash disembarks and takes the first breath of fresh air in almost two weeks. Organic smoothies give organic life forms unholy farts.
He takes a quick look around...
”Well, nothing here.”
Draka turns her scaly head as she looks around. "This right place?" She takes out a tube of lipstick and reapplies a thick line of bright red lipstick.
Vetch recovers his footing and stealths about, going from nook to nook and getting into things.
Stealth
Perception
Survival - any tracks?
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The large green pad easily accommodates the Sunrise Maiden. Departing the ship you look around the area, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.
The entire group is caught off guard six aliens, using climing harnesses climb up from the underside of the platform as they were hiding in the lichen. They are tall humanoids with three eyes and long, powerful limbs. They have sharp-toothed mandibles and smooth, hairless heads. Their skin color ranges from gray to sky blue, with gradations in hue across their bodies. There is little variation between the genders to tell them apart. They wear similar styles, with weapons and armor almost as a part of a tribe. They all have crude archaic battlebows along with battle axes strapped to their backs.
The aliens click their mandibles in a foreign tongue that none of you are able to understand as they begin to thump their feet on the platform in a rythmic and terrifying manner as bows are aimed in your direction.
Vetch (SP 49/49; HP 44/44; RP 8/8; Elec/Fire/Cold Res 5)
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Strange Aliens
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Dash (SP 36/36; HP 30/30; RP 6/6)
Draka (SP 53/53; HP 59/59; RP 7/7)
Zane (SP 65/65; HP 48/48; RP 7/7; DR/5-Cold/Fire; DR/6 Kinetic; 1 Neg Lvl)
Abe (SP 49/49; HP 46/46; RP 7/7)(Messalina 70/70)
Life Science
Vetch pauses, trying to think of a response to the ambush.
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Vetch has barely heard of these aliens. They are known as Kish. They are very descendant and not nearly as advanced as their ancestors as you can see. they wear archaic armor and weapons with not visible technology at all. They seem to only speak a Vulgar form of Kishaleen.
Kish are the descendants of the kishalee, an advanced civilization that ruled the stars millennia ago, though they have lost any firm grasp of kishalee mystical and technological innovations.
Kish are tall humanoids with three eyes and long, powerful limbs. They have sharp-toothed mandibles and smooth, hairless heads. Kish skin color ranges from gray to sky blue, with gradations in hue across their bodies. There is little variation between kish genders, though kish can easily tell males from females by subtle differences in the shape of the central eye.
Kish tend to congregate into tribes that are led by either the strongest or the wisest of their number. Some kish tribes pass leadership peacefully among themselves, while others put potential leaders to a test of might or wits—or both.
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Draka isn't sure if she wants to take a selfie with the natives or mow them down.
Round 1, Init 26
Vetch, seeing the danger and fearing ranged weapons, casts Fog Cloud on the party and scurries around within the cloud to hide his position from the ambush.
S: 49/49 HP: 44/44 R: 8/8
EAC: 22 KAC: 22 CMD: 27
Fort: +3 Ref: +8 Will: +10
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Right Hand: Empty
Left Hand: Pistol
Mouth: Serum of Healing II, Grenade, Serum Healing I, Shock Grenade I
Spells: 1: 0/6 used (MM*3,Identify*0,RLCond*0)
2: 0/4 used (fogcloud*1,forceblast*0,lsrRest*0,seeinvis*0)
3: 0/3 used (haste*0,slow*0,irradiate*0)
Melee: [ dice=Club]1d20+3[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=(B)]1d6[/dice] damage
Corona Laser Ranged:[ dice]1d20+12[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=(F)]2d4+3[/dice] damage
Disinitigrator Ranged:[ dice]1d20+12[/dice] to hit;
damage
[ dice]3d4+3[/dice] damage.
Resolve: 7/7 Stamina: 49/49 HP: 46/46
Weapon Equipped = Corona laser rifle
Conditions = Comprehend Languages (1/70m)
Spells (caster level 6 7
At Will = Token Spell, Mending
Psychokinetic Hand = 3/3
Comprehend Languages = 1/2
Tip of the Tongue = 1/1 (re-roll skill to recall knowledge)
Repair Drone = 1/1 (25%/12hp)
Miracle Worker = 1/1
Ranged: Attack: BAB +5, Dex +4 (weapon focus longarm +1) Damage: +5
Melee/Thrown: Attack: BAB +5, Str +1 Damage: +2
Messalina (20’ up)
EAC: 21 KAC: 21 CM: 29 HP: 70/70
Weapon Equipped = Frostbite zero rifle
Conditions = None
Ranged: Attack: BAB +6, Dex +4 (weapon focus: longarms +1) Damage: +5
Abe will use Comprehend Languages on the sign, to see what it says. He'll read it out to the others before the fog clouds his view.
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Able to comprehend the languages Abe looks up at the sign. Only one word remains working on the sign Istamak.
Vetch lays down a thick sheet of fog, making it quite difficult to see anything inside or outside. Though the group does hear strange clacking from the creature's mandibles as you hear their nails and soft feet skittering against the stone and moss.
Dropping their bows the Kish draw deadly looking and ancient battleaxe's from their backs. A guttural scream emits from one of them as he points his axe in. All of the Kish rush into the fog. Abe completely understands the crude language now thanks to his spell. "Istamak will stand strong against you foul demons."
The alien's feel their way through the thick pea soup as they push in towards the ship. Thanks to Vetch's fog only a single Kish is fast enough to be able to attack with their axes.
The axe cleaves right past both Dash and Abe, Vetch's fog saving them once again.
Vetch (SP 49/49; HP 44/44; RP 8/8; Elec/Fire/Cold Res 5)
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Kish
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Dash (SP 36/36; HP 30/30; RP 6/6)
Draka (SP 53/53; HP 59/59; RP 7/7)
Zane (SP 65/65; HP 48/48; RP 7/7; DR/5-Cold/Fire; DR/6 Kinetic; 1 Neg Lvl)
Abe (SP 49/49; HP 46/46; RP 7/7)(Messalina 70/70)
Round: 1
Resolve: 7/7 Stamina: 49/49 HP: 46/46
Weapon Equipped = Corona laser rifle
Conditions = Comprehend Languages (1/70m)
Spells (caster level 6 7
At Will = Token Spell, Mending
Psychokinetic Hand = 3/3
Comprehend Languages = 1/2
Tip of the Tongue = 1/1 (re-roll skill to recall knowledge)
Repair Drone = 1/1 (25%/12hp)
Miracle Worker = 1/1
Ranged: Attack: BAB +5, Dex +4 (weapon focus longarm +1) Damage: +5
Melee/Thrown: Attack: BAB +5, Str +1 Damage: +2
Messalina (20’ up)
EAC: 21 KAC: 21 CM: 29 HP: 70/70
Weapon Equipped = Frostbite zero rifle
Conditions = None
Ranged: Attack: BAB +6, Dex +4 (weapon focus: longarms +1) Damage: +5
Messalina and Abe take shots at the light blue enemy, even though it means an AoO on Abe… he panics. Messalina shifts a little as well, climbing higher in the air (which may provoke if she’s only 5’ up so far).
Round 1:
Unable to draw her weapon, move and swing her Swoop Hammer from her current position, Draka instead pounces to grip the green enemy, sinking her claws into the creature's back. She squeezes her giant scaled hands tight against the bug's flesh, enjoying (a little too much) the feel of the hot liquid pouring out of the fresh puncture wounds. As soon as she digs in, Draka pulls at her claws - an attempt widen the holes her claws have made. She intends a tight grip, but there's nothing but violence in her embrace.
"RAUUUUGH!" The vesk snarls and snorts, saliva trickling down her pointy teeth as she makes a move to clamp her powerful jaw on the bug-creature's neck. Her nostrils flair, taking in the scent of her prey and anticipating the taste of a fresh kill.
Dash feels the wind in his hair and sees a part in the fog. The axe passes close enough to make him thank the Iron Gods for the 1-in-20 chaos theory of success and failure.
Or was is the 20 in 100 scripture?
”Damn that was close! Sh!t! Why does everyone want to kill us?!”
Seeing a line of Kishbags gathering to his left, Dash hops back and calls for Vetch to skidoo.
”Clear out Vetch!”
Zane is holding his sword, he just recently named Boingo (get it, no spill blood by Oingo Boingo?! ) and advances straight forward. to get in front of ABE, who he hazily sees in front of him. He advances and sees two enemies. He takes a swing at the one in Blue. While noticing something that catches his attention.
The Zane is not staring at these's funky creatures junk, and The Zane is not homosexual, but does anyone else notice that these things have some star constellation patterns on their clothes?
Vetch, if you laugh, there's a haymaker gonna be thrown your way when this fight is over.
Round 2, Init 26
Vetch carefully steps back and fires at pink.
Disinitigrator Ranged: to hit;
damage
S: 49/49 HP: 44/44 R: 8/8
EAC: 22 KAC: 22 CMD: 27
Fort: +3 Ref: +8 Will: +10
Resist cold 5, electricity 5, fire 5
Right Hand: Empty
Left Hand: Pistol
Mouth: Serum of Healing II, Grenade, Serum Healing I, Shock Grenade I
Spells: 1: 0/6 used (MM*3,Identify*0,RLCond*0)
2: 0/4 used (fogcloud*1,forceblast*0,lsrRest*0,seeinvis*0)
3: 0/3 used (haste*0,slow*0,irradiate*0)
Melee: [ dice=Club]1d20+3[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=(B)]1d6[/dice] damage
Corona Laser Ranged:[ dice]1d20+12[/dice] to hit;
[ dice=(F)]2d4+3[/dice] damage
Disinitigrator Ranged:[ dice]1d20+12[/dice] to hit;
damage
[ dice]3d4+3[/dice] damage.