You are each members in good standing of the Starfinder Society and have been hastily summoned to the Lorespire Complex aboard the vast, artificial construct known as Absalom Station that serves as the Society's home.
The summons, which arrived via comm message, was issued by none other than Venture-Captain Arvin, a tall, confident lashunta, known both for his no-nonsense approach to Society affairs as well as for having a penchant for magic, although he would likely never refer to it as such. The comm message contained only sparse information, but held the promise of an opportunity to recover some information critical to the Starfinder Society and indicated that urgency is required if this opportunity is to be seized.
Upon arrival at the Lorespire Complex, an assistant ushers you into a waiting conference room with an assurance that Venture-Captain Arvin will be with your shortly.
There above the conference table floats the blue-hued, holographic image of a spacecraft bearing the markings of a Starfinder vessel. Appearing on the side of the holographic vessel is the name, "Unbounded Wayfarer".
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A sensibly dressed Damaya Lashunta enters, walking with the casual confidence of a trained warrior. A tiny sphere of glowing light circle her head, and she occasionally grabs it and rethrows it into a slightly different orbit absentmindedly.
She greets Darqen.
You must be Darqen. I recognize you from the briefing material. I'm Ozei. Any idea what the mission is?
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Soon after Ozei, a tall shirren trots quickly into the conference room. His chitinous plates a dusty orange and his eyes a golden hue, his antennas dart from side to side in an eager manner. Although his demeanor seems juvenile or amateurish, his gray ceramic-plated armor is well-fitted and well-worn, and the hunting rifle strapped to his shoulder doesn't appear to be a recent purchase.
{"Ah! Good. I heard it was urgent. It appears I'm on time."}
The shirren nods his head towards the ysoki and the lashunta, speaking audibly, "Greetingsh, vellow Shtarvindersh. My name ish Vchk." The last syllable, bereft of any vowels, sounds more like a creaking timber than any word in Common.
Switching back to his natural telepathy, Vchk adds, {"But there's no need to be formal. You may call me Vee, if you prefer."}
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A clear, energetic voice slowly works its way into audibility.
"...for now, but we'll be back shortly. Thanks for watching!"
Still in the middle of his sentence, a masked human male strides into the conference room, evidently quite young by his posture and what little can be seen of his complexion. His dark clothing is accented with glowing trim, and he wears sleek plates of tactical armor on top of his outfit. No weapons are visible anywhere on his person.
Once fully in the room, he waves at the assorted agents and addresses them cheerfully. "Hey, team! How's it hangin'?"
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The Ysoki in the back seems to have waited in the shadows.
He steps forward with a calm stance rarely seen when Ysokis are observed.
"Hmmmm ... excuse my silence dear gentleman and respected ladies . I am Darqen Taabestuun and very pleased to make your acquaintance. I just recently joined the Starfinder Society and was assigned as a hacker and engineer to this mission."
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"Necrovites? Kill them back to whence they came!" A blond, fair-skinned human crashes into the room, pistol drawn. When he sees no such creature, he stands down.
The man looks about once more, as if to check for other threats. He wears simple Armada armor and a thick bandage is wrapped around his head.
"Ah. Just some word-play I take it. I am the man with no name, but you may call me Zapp Brannigan! As a master negotiator and seasoned Starfinder, count yourselves lucky. It was about time they sent me on a second assignment."
Without waiting for someone to ask, Zapp presses on. "But a novice when sent along with many others to the Scoured Stars, I was one of the few to escape. Thanks to my bravery and intellect, of course. Unfortunately, I suffered a head injury shortly after and remember nothing of the incident." He indicates the bandage. "All the more reason one should never take off their shoes unaided! Kiff?"
A depressed-looking green alien shuffles in, then removes and replaces one of Zapp's shoes as if to demonstrate. He quickly shuffles out again with a sigh of exasperation.
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"Don't worry - I've got primo editing software on my pad. You can go down singing opera if you feel like it." The young man winks at the shirren and pats the compact computer packed snugly in a satchel at his side.
He greets each individual in turn, and then finally introduces himself: "I'm your ho - uh, I mean, you can call me Neon. I've been streaming for a couple years now, so feel free to check out my channel if you get some downtime." With a quick gesture, he sends a link out to the personal comm units of everyone in the room. "Shameless plug, I know, but having more subscribers helps out a lot."
Zapp's outburst causes him a significant amount of pause. Seems as though he's got no response for the man's shenanigans.
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"Hmmmm ... excuse my silence dear gentleman and respected ladies . I am Darqen Taabestuun and very pleased to make your acquaintance. I just recently joined the Starfinder Society and was assigned as a hacker and engineer to this mission."
{"Ah, a techhead! Excellent. Always good to have a specialist in the team. Looks like we have several 'shoot first, ask questions whenever' types - it'll be nice to have you on hand."}
"Ha! Tell that to the necrovite eating your brain."
Vchk nods solemnly. {"There are plenty of creatures just trying to get by. That's fair. But some..."} his arm reaches back just enough for his fingers to brush against the butt of his rifle; it seems almost unconscious. {"...some creatures are destruction incarnate."}
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Darqen slowly and methodically checks the mission assignment.
"Dear brother, you seem to be correct. Nonetheless I do not believe that such anger is justified. Please remain in this room and I will depart to arrive in time to my own mission briefing. Best of luck and do not die Harqen."
Slowly he moves to the door, then turns around and looks at all the people in the room.
"As already stated at the beginning. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
And with that last statement he leaves the room.
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"Oh man ... I told him twenty times to take off this silly mask and look at him! Walks into this room looking like a dog ..." Harqen fumes.
As if for the first time he suddenly sees his team members "What are you looking at, hehhh?? Never seen siblings fighting? Paaahhh ..." he says and leans against the wall.
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Zapp finds himself a bit preoccupied with the link that has appeared on his comm; he ends up donating a few hundred credits of Armada funds to a streamer before it shuts itself off. And it wasn't even Neon! As such, he only just notices the brothers' quarrel.
"Ah, hello there," he says to the new ysoki. "I'm afraid there is little time for autographs; I'm due for a mission briefing. Talking of which, does anyone know what we're in for?"
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Neon makes a face at Zapp, the effect somewhat diminished since his mask obscures most of his expression. The ysoki's arguing pulls his attention back to the rest of the room, and he blinks a few times, the confrontation having made him feel pretty awkward.
"I wouldn't call you 'weirdos' as such, but yeah, we get it. I'm sure you'll do a great job here," he adds. "As for the assignment... well, I have no clue what we're in for."
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Sensing a bit of tension in the room, Vchk quietly strides over to an empty bit of floor. Looking for something to occupy himself, he starts to study the hologram of the Unbound Wayfarer in the center of the table.
Hmm, the Unbound Wayfarer. Looks to be part of the Starfinder fleet. Probably our ship for this assignment. I hope it has sound-dampening walls...
The holographic display of the Unbounded Wayfarer continues to bathe the conference table below with a bluish-tint.
A vessel, such as the Unbounded Wayfarer, would not have sound dampening qualities within its walls any different than that of most any other vessel.
The Unbounded Wayfarer was a Starfinder vessel. It departed Absalom station months before the Scoured Stars Incident on a mission to explore a series of uncharted planets in the Vast. Neither the ship nor any of the seven Starfinders among its crew have been heard from since. After the Scoured Stars Incident had occurred, the Society no longer had sufficient resources to devote to an adequate search and rescue operation to recover the lost vessel or its crew. Due also to the massive losses of Starfinder personnel during the Scoured Stars Incident, having more seasoned and veteran Starfinders, like the crew of the Unbounded Wayfarer, would be a great benefit to the Society.
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Zapp looks the hologram over with Harqen. "This ship left the station months ago, without a word back. It'd be nice to find the seven crew, we've been understaffed and -talented since the Scoured Stars incident," he reels off in agreement. "So we haven't been able to look for it. Maybe that's what's up!"
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He starts to explain ... again to nobody in particular ... what he knows of the Unbounded Wayfarer.
Listening to the ysoki rattle off information about the Unbound Wayfarer and its general construction, Vchk brushes one of his mandibles thoughtfully.
Zapp looks the hologram over with Harqen...
Listening to the brash human repeat Harqen's monolog nearly word for word, Vchk's antennas dip slightly in annoyance. Forever Queen, grant me patience and an open mind.
Determined to foster inter-group harmony, the shirren soldier interjects. {"It looks like we've been tapped for either a rescue or recovery mission. Hopefully the first, gods willing."}
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From outside the conference room, a loud crash can be heard. It is followed by a series of thuds, as a number of rather heavy objects hit the floor.
”Look…Kiff isn’t it?” , you hear the distinctive voice of Venture-Captain Arvin saying, ” I am sorry that I bumped into you, but I’m in a hurry and you really shouldn’t have been standing out here in the hallway with all of those.” The sound of a few more thuds can then be heard. “Regardless, while I am sure that you could well be a boon on any mission, you simply have not been cleared by the Starfinder Society to embark on this mission. I may be a Venture-Captain, but I don’t make the rules.”
”Now, I have a briefing to get to, but my assistant will be happy to help you pick up all of those shoes you dropped… And what were you doing with all those anyways?.”
There is a brief pause, and then Venture-Captain Arvin can be heard, uttering, as if in horror, ”Oh… No!” the officer continues. ” If you’re here… then that means that… he’s here, doesn’t it?” A sound, like someone rapidly pacing can be heard. “I told Elvasted that the mission was urgent and to get me the field agents that were in closest proximity, but surely, he didn’t bring in him and if Elvasted did, why wouldn’t he tell me that he did? This is so not what I need right now.” The pacing stops. There is a lengthy, audible sigh, then the Venture-Captain’s voice continues in a somewhat defeated tone, ”Very well. We are pressed for time, so I guess I had better prepare myself.”
A lashunta man, looking tall and confident, enters the room. It is Venture-Captain Arvin. He gestures to several functional chairs, inviting you to sit.
“Thank you for arriving so quickly.” says the officer, as he looks over the assembled Starfinders. They may not have much experience yet, but they are fine team of agents… he thinks, Well, most of them. Venture-Captain Arvin locks eyes on the facial features of the human envoy. There he is… I suppose that he is still referring to himself as the so-called, ‘man with no name’. Doesn’t he realize that we know his name?!? Why, it’s printed right there within the …
”As I mentioned in my comm message,” Venture-Captain Arvin continues aloud, “we have an urgent opportunity to recover some critical information.” The Venture-Captain now spies for the first time the bandage on the field agent’s head. And why in the universe does he still have that bandage on his head? Arvin begins to wonder.
Despite his confusion, Arvin manages to continue speaking in his usual, matter-of-fact manner. “Several months ago, a crew of Starfinders took a ship called the Unbounded Wayfarer into the Vast to explore a series of uncharted planets. They never returned. “ Reciting his briefing almost by rote, the Venture-Captain’s mind continues to wander, Hold on… if his head was actually injured during the Scoured Stars Incident, then would have been quite a months ago! Surely, he wouldn’t need to still keep it bandaged. There are plenty of skilled healers in the Pact Worlds, within just the Society even! Why I could simply heal him with a… the lashunta mystic begins to extend his hand in the direction of the human envoy, before thinking better of it. He then, instead, points it at the holographic image of the ship hovering over the conference table, momentarily losing his formal tone, “The ship, looks…well… like this.”he manages to say. "It is a very nice hologram of the Unbound Wayfarer, isn't it?"
Regaining his normal, more stoic demeanor, Arvin continues, ”Earlier today, a vesk pawnbroker in the Downlow neighborhood contacted us, offering to sell us several Starfinder insignias. These insignias belonged to the lost crew of the Unbounded Wayfarer, and that immediately caught the Society’s attention. The pawnbroker—named Julzakama—doesn’t realize the true value of the insignias. We negotiated a purchase price in exchange for the insignias and information about the seller. We hope this seller can lead us to the Unbounded Wayfarer and its crew.”
“We’ve remotely transferred the requested credits to Julzakama. Now, we need you to collect the insignias and all the information you can from the vesk regarding whoever sold him the insignias, and then track down that seller. Learn where to find the Unbounded Wayfarer and its crew. I’m worried that the seller might not be on the station for long, so act quickly.”
Getting a sense that the man sporting the bandage may launch into a lengthy soliloquy or worse, Arvin quickly blurts out, ”If you have any questions, please make them fast.”
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Normally rater oblivious, Zapp hears the commotion, as it will give him cause to berate his 'partner.' "Kiff! Keep it down, this is not ours. So stop breaking things! And if you dropped those linens...well they'd better be clean when I get back, or I'll devise some over-the-top punishment!"
The man turns back to the others and whispers, "The Honorable VC sounds annoyed that one of us is here. Perhaps one of you isn't yet cleared for active duty?"
"Vesk. Warlike brutes, but they do it well. Still, for a better blend of such arts and a...finesse, there are better."
Zapp checks his pistol for emphasis, not noticing any looks of terror he elicits when he touches it. "Worry not Captain Arvin, we will secure the insignias or die trying."
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Blinking in surprise, Neon turns toward the racket echoing through the hall, electing not to comment on the Venture-Captain's mortification at dealing with a certain someone... not that Neon would ever be one to judge.
Once Arvin is in the room and begins the briefing, Neon watches his hamster wheel start spinning in overdrive, noting how the V-C's gaze keeps returning to Zapp. Insofar as his expression can be seen, he appears quite amused.
Unfortunately, all of his brainpower is currently routed to the "Don't Make Any Snarky Comments" processor, preventing him from arriving at any conclusions about the vesk in general or this specific dealer.
"No questions here, boss."
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Okay, a vesk pawnbroker. I've met a lot of different Vesk, but they typically play by the rules. Just gotta know what the rules are.
"If you have any questions, please make them fast."
Sensing the urgency in the venture-captain's voice, Vchk responds, {"Sounds fairly straightforward to me, sir. We'll keep you informed of our progress."}
I hope someone else knows where this "Downlow" neighborhood is...
Seeing that other members of the team are attempting to get questions in around the bandaged man's monolog, Vchk sighs internally before leaning across the table. {"Ah. Zapp, was it? I have a question you could help with. Would you join me? Out in the hallway? A ways down from the door."} With that, Vchk gets up, quietly grabs his equipment and leaves the conference room.
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"I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a bully-"
"Fine, then I can," comes Kiff's voice from the hallway. Before Zapp can respond, the sound of his feet sprinting away and to the nearest laundromat can be heard.
"-But I've been known as a man of aggressive persuasion," he goes on, blissfully ignorant. "I'll just point myself to the talking and contribute."
Hearing a strange voice in his head, he nods and walks into the hallway. "Something I can help out with?"
Venture-Captain Arvin seems quite pleased with Vchk's quick thinking and distraction.
And I can be that bully.
Once Vchk and Zapp have left the room, the Venture-Captain, now appearing to be gaining confidence in the success of the mission says, "I am counting on it, Ozei. That is precisely why I had specifically asked to have you assigned to this particular mission."
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The venture Captain hears one loud and boisterous question come from the door. One question from a nasally and grating voice. One simple word but it is like nails on a chalk board. Rather a fork scratching against a ceramic plate.
"Wat?"
Everyone looks back to see one of the most grossly overweight bleachling gnomes that anyone has probably seen. She is well into her adulthood, barely over two feet tall but weighs well over 100 pounds as every ounce seems to be molded into an electric wheelchair. She holds a cupped hand to her ear in confusion as the jowls on her face quiver. Each layer cover in sweat and days old dust and lint. In her other hand she holds a small staff.
Seeing that noone wants to answer her she pokes Zapp in the hip with her staff. "Wat did he say? Jewel's coming to the Downlow?" Her free hand controls a small directional control as the Hoverround runs through the room and right over Ozei's foot. She pays it little mind and doesn't even seem to really notice as her pale skin and white, wispy hair flit in the breeze from her moving chair. Her oxygen tanks rattles around loosely in the back carrier as it is barely secured.
The venture Captain hears one loud and boisterous question come from the door. One question from a nasally and grating voice. One simple word but it is like nails on a chalk board. Rather a fork scratching against a ceramic plate.
"Wat?"
And... the Venture-Captain's confidence suddenly, once again, appears to have been drained.
"No one ever wants to do things the easy way, even though it costs a lot less."
Mustering the strength to once again speak, Arvin looks firmly at Neon Punk. "I certainly don't expect things to go the easy way on this mission." The lashunta glances over in the direction of the bandaged human and the gnome.
He looks over Neon Punk to make sure that he is not being recorded. Once satisfied, Arvin leans in closely to Neon Punk and concentrates.The Venture-Captain breaks telepathic communication for a moment, as if to shield a thought, then resumes, {And should you capture incriminating footage of fellow Starfinders that might be helpful in getting them...} The lashunta mystic again breaks off communication, seeming to struggle for the right word, before settling upon, {...re-assigned...} He gives Neon Punk a wink. {I would not be displeased.}
The Venture-Captain gives Neon Punk a wink.