"Comment: Maenala, cosmic supernova powers come from my devoation to Ibra. I can teach you the ways of Ibra some other time. For now, focus on the mission at hand."
Inside the port cargo hold is several storage rack holding spare food, water and replacement parts for the ship. In the corner is a shipping container approximately 8 feet square addressed to the Eoxian Embassy on Absolom Station.
The container is sealed and has no manifest detailing its contents.
"The Eoxian Embassy?" August says curiously. "Did you guys know this ship was carrying something from Eox?"
He concentrates on the room, scanning for magical auras.
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Ziggy trails along, taking particular note of the box in question when August points it out. The technomancer wanders over while the room is scanned and starts poking at the box experimentally. "In fact we did, our good new friend. Eox's embassy hired us to help with their mediation of the claim rights to this mess. And they volunteered for the task as it would give them the chance to claim their package."
He leans in closer and adjusts his goggles. "I'm almost tempted to pop it open out of curiousity."
The crew prepared and shared meals in this kitchen and eating area, though the quality of the preserved rations leaves something to be desired.
These four identical cabins served as shared living quarters for the Acreon’s crew. Each contains two simple bunks, a pair of lockers, a small sink, and the miners’ personal possessions.
The door to area 7B does not open when attempted. Almost as if it has been barricaded from the inside.
"Inquiry: Should I proceed with smashing down the door?"
"Breaking down the door might draw more of those aliens right to us," August cautions. "If we're looking for survivors, maybe just knock?"
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"Yeah, I think I've had more than enough of my share of angry alien beasts for one day," Maenala sighs, ensuring that her pistol is still where she'd left it. Yup, it is. She steps up to the door. "I doubt this will work, but hey, stranger things have happened today." She raps it on with her fist. Knock knock
G-607 waits silently staring at the door with intensity.
Meanala knocks on the door, noises come from behind the door. Sounds like something is speaking in a language you do not know. A second voice answers.
A cautious voice answers, "Uh....who's there?"
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Maenala grins as she concocts a quick plan. "Sir, we are the Pact Worlds' Official Cleanup Crew, the Space Sweepers! We detected a beacon radiating from this ship and a radio message indicating presence of xenos, and came to assist you at once! Please, sir, allow us in. Are you okay? Let us ensure your safe passage out of here! We expect no payment, as payment in smiles is payment in kind!"
... I am a buffoon.
Her eyes scan over to Zeigris, August, and 607, and she shrugs emphatically.
You hear the unknown creatures speaking to one another.
NO!...We are safe where we are.
G-607 is a little baffled by Maenala's response but makes a comment of his own.
His robotic voice rings through the door. "Comment: We are here to help those trapped inside who do not have hostile intentions. Do you have hostile intentions?"
More jabbering can be heard from inside.
"Who said we are trapped? We are protected"
"How much food do you have in there?" August asks practically.
Yet more jabbering can be heard.
"No....you have foods?"
At the mention of free food, a commotion can be heard as thing are pulled a way and unlatched and finally the door opens to reveal two little green humanoids.
"You said you had foods" One says holding his hands up, empty of weapon.
"You said get us to safety?" the other says begging with his hand clasped.
G-607 somewhat malfunctions, not sure what to make of the situation.
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"Well, this is fantastic! I haven't seen one of these little things on amiable terms in... well ever! Their ability to think a bit sideways always fascinated me." Despite his enthusiasm, Ziggy doesn't drop his weapon around the little space gremlins, but he does fish through his supplies to toss them one of his daily rations. "Just how did you manage to get on this nasty ship anyways?"
"Oh dat was easy. We hitched a ride on a ship that was passin through da area. We then got of da ship and flew through space to this one." The goblin smiles at himself proudly.
The other one pipes up."It was close though. We almost ran out of da air in our suits. But once we got here, we refilled the tanks. Then those beast showed up and got Ginwick, we ran in this room and barricaded and welded it shut."
[b]So can you help us off this cursed ship?[b]
"They're helping me off of the ship," August says genially to the goblins. "I'm sure these kind folk will help you, too. I'm also sure that there must be a galley on this ship. Hopefully, we've killed any aliens in the way."
"Comment: Only if you behave. I suggest you do." Internal Dialogue: Are we really doing this?
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Maenala speaks telepathically. Um, are we going to really help GOBLINS, guys?
She paces the length of the corridor as she considers the request. There's no way a couple of space goblins could prove to be as dangerous as the akatas the group had already fought. Still, she sizes them up, her voice filled with authority. "If we help you off of here, where will you go? And who's Ginwick?
"Where ever your going we guess." The goblin shrugs, "We can help. We good tinkers."
The other pipes up, "Ginwick was the goblin that got got by the weird alien things."
The door to the room is closed. August notices a motion sensor just inside of the door way, that looks like it is wired to something inside the door.
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"Well they appear to be delightful, I vote we keep them. A little food and water and they might make interesting pets!" As the group continues on and August locates the trap, assuming he points it out, Zeigris will gentle try and slip past the mystic to get a better look at the sensor. "Interesting, interesting. Let's see how it works, shall we? If I happen to explode or hit by significant amounts of electricity please put me back together."
Zeigris will then pull out his trap kit and begin fiddling with the door.
Zeigris makes short work of the sensor, disabling it before opening the door. Heading into the room reveals the trap that was laid. A single laser rifle had been fixed to fire at the first person to enter the room.
Inside the room, you fine 1 bulk worth of Noqual, disruptive fusion seal 5th level, two mk 1 serums of healing and three medpatches.
"Comment: Good work."
G-607 checks around a bit before he is ready for the next room.
August searches the room that the goblins had barricaded themselves in before continuing onward with the others.
"You're good thinkers? That will be helpful," he says. "Did you manage to salvage anything useful before the aliens chased you in here?"
The group finally makes it to the Starboard Cargo Hold, the door opens easily enough. This large room contains a small science lab, compact mining equipment, and collected rock samples from the Acreon’s prospecting mission. But that is not the only thing the agents find in there.....two more akata's.
The akata charges the agents as soon as the door opens. But G manages to hold up agent the charge.
Maenala is up
The other akata rushes up as well and almost end up in the bulk head.
G, August and Zeigris are up.
"Tactics: Bottleneck being maintained."
G-607 attacks with his solar weapon.
"Hold on, G-607," August says as he concentrates on the closest akata's mind, trying to interrupt its synaptic function.
Red=15HP
G manages to land a single solid blow.
Zeigris manages to catch both of the Akata's in the emitter.
The akata then gives a howl of pain as August delivers a mind spike. It then collapses.
Maenala,you up.
Maenala sends a bullet through the hip of the creature.
Snarling in pain, it tries to get to Maenala, but the android is in its way. Its jaws snap shut on air.
Everyone is up....
With the risk slightly diminished, August fires his pulsecaster pistol past Zeigris at the remaining akata.
G-607 continues to attack.
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A shot of August's electric pistol sparks by Zeigris's head and some of his white hair starts to smoke faintly. He wrinkles his nose. "Does anyone else smell burning? I didn't think fire could harm these!" If the creature still stands following the latest barrage then he will fire off another blast of arcing fire.
Another strike from G knocks back the beast. Zeigris then finishes it off with another blast from his Arc Emitter.
More shards of Noqual is found, as well the two cocoons of the Akata. .
A flame pistol is also found under a work bench. The tank currently has 8 petrol remaining.
A wide transparent aluminum window stretches across the forward wall of this control room; twinkling lights in the distance are all that can be seen of Absalom Station and the ships of the Armada surrounding it.
On the bridge, like every other part of the ship, the strange beast are laying in wait for their next victims.
The red one takes off like a shot and and confronts the android. But is overzealous and misses the target.
Maenala and Zeigris is up
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Zeigris yelps in surprise at the Akata suddenly in his face, which is a bit unnecessary considering how many of the things the party has seen at this point. He 'carefully' shoves his way past August and Maenala so he's not quite so close before turning about and pointing his hand at the creature. "Do watch your heads, my dear friends!"
His right eye lights up with a green energy that traces circuitry down his arm until it explodes from his palm as a pair of energy blasts that collide with the red akata.
"I said it was infested..."
Red: 10hp
Maenala misses with her laser rifle...almost destroying a console.
Zeigris fires off a couple misses that collide in to red.
Yellow and Blue both move to engage G, surrounding him in a cyclone of teeth. Yellow misses, but blue manages to get through.
G and August are up
"Tactics: Position being maintained."