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"As for the sentients within this presently-formed party," Sev ponders aloud. "I theorize that we are now subject to newly-formed connections of our own as the result of our shared experience."
The android assumes a more lecturing tone, "Despite, the seemingly otherwise universe law, which asserts that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, said law does not appear to comport with my observations of the interactions of sentients."
"A single soul is a tremendous manifestation of energy." Sev continues. "Based upon my observation data, it would appear that every interaction that one sentient being has with another results in an infusion of an energy from one sentient being to another."
"However, if this hypothesis is correct, then a single being would leave traces of soul energy on thousands, if not millions, of other individiuals within a single life-time. Yet, somehow, this continuous transfer of energy from a soul does not appear to diminish the amount of energy contained within it."
"To the contrary"[/b], the android notes, "interactions sentient beings, generally appear to result in a net increase in the energy contained within each soul. In other words, individual beings are enhanced, made more energetic, by their interaction with other sentient beings."
"Such observations would be anomolous absent some non-material explanation. Nevertheless, if accurate, they suggest that we have made one another... better."
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Ivok offers nothing but complete agreement with Neon.
He looks somewhat confused on Sev's tangent before starting to comprehend the topic of his discussion. "I am proud of that. I wouldn't have gotten very far here without your training and you putting your all in each fight. Missing any one of you, I'm not sure I would be as healthy as I am right now, and I know our success would be much weaker. I'm glad to be able to call you all my comrades."
A thought passes through his mind that makes his head twitch as though something had gotten caught in his fangs before another grin grows across his face.
"I have a grand idea, a bit bigger than I could probably organize alone. After everyone gets back how about we organize a big sporting event, or well, a party of some sort. Events, food, and such. Get a chance to introduce ourselves to our seniors and share stories without fighting for our lives. Even if my manager had the time, I doubt me and her could do get everyone together in such a short time. Even then there is the chance that the results will be much more dire and there will be no room for any celebration," Ivok stops for a moment to think of the death he has seen during this mission before placing to the side for another moment, "But if it can work, I would much more confident with your aid."
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“If you take that suggestion to Arvin, he will likely make it a priority. He has often thrown smaller celebrations when a mission was a success.”
“Once we hit drift, I think I’ll be heading to the showers, try to get some of that swamp water out of my fur. Once I’ve had a chance to clean up, I would love to celebrate with the rest of you.” His nose twitches as he sniffs. “I am sure some of you would prefer that order of events as well.”
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For me, I Will first go see my wife and children before we celebrate.
Sev cocks his head to one side in response to Antoine's statement, as if contemplating what such a connection to other beings must be like.
Hours later, as Sev looks out the viewing portals of the ship en route back to the Lorespire Complex on Absalom Station, he notes the extensive damage on many of the ships that had, just recently, suffered during the engagement with the jinsul fleet.
“This… Scoured Stars Incident… has resulted in significant losses of both material resources and life.” the android muses aloud. “Both during the initial foray into this region prior to my Commencement into the Society, as well as into the present. These events are what most sentients would, undoubtedly, describe as…tragic.”
A glint of light catches one of the android’s optic sensors. Upon quick inspection, the android realizes that it was the result of a reflection. A small droplet of moisture, most likely shed by the party as they returned from the expedition to Agillae-2 and missed by the automated cleaning drones that were now quite occupied working furiously in other, more damaged parts of the ship. The small droplet had caught the passing light of a navigation beacon affixed to one of the passing Starfinder vessels.
The android is beset with an image drawn from his data banks of his techno-frame having been largely submerged within the liquid along with the form of his ysoki comrade.
“I will not soon wipe from my databanks our excursion to the so-called ‘Planet of Dinosaurs’ and its ‘Many Isles of Poorly-Made Bridges’.” the android remarks, to no one in particular.
Still focusing on the droplet, the connections within Sev’s positronic brain begin to weave a new pattern. It was, in fact, the tragedies of the Scoured Stars Incident that brought this artificial lifeform to this present place in time, that precipitated the formation of the unique group with which I am presently travelling.
“The lives of beings that I had never met—some having been terminated even before my arrival within this system—have, nevertheless, had a significant impact on this being.” Sev says, giving voice to his observations. “The energy associated with their souls continues to have a measurable impact on objects within the universe even after that energy was declared to have been extinguished or otherwise passed on beyond this plane.”
Sev considers the other Starfinders that had accompanied him upon this latest mission. He did not know when—indeed, even if—he would have an opportunity to serve alongside any one of them again. Divisions among the governance of the Society—an outcome that Sev had concluded was now 97.8 percent probable in light of the return of Jadnura and Historia-6—would make undoubtedly render any such reunion less probable.
Yet, he ponders, the impact of those individuals has already been made manifest. Connections have been made that will continue to resonate regardless of the spans of time and space.
“Perhaps, through the Starfinder Society has obtained something that this artificially constructed unit had believed impossible to obtain,” Sev concludes. “a family.”
Under the supervision of First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo, the Starfinder fleet’s best starship crews have overcome the first wave of incoming jinsul starships! The Capital Ship Down condition is now in effect.
Alongside the recently returned First Seeker Jadnura, the crews of Starfinder carriers have repelled most of the jinsul boarding parties! The Champion Defeated condition is now in effect.
Thanks to selfless sacrifices and tactical victories, the Starfinder fleet manages to evacuate most of the transport ships back to the carriers, bringing nearly all the surviving Starfinders to safety. One by one in a rapid succession, the enormous ships dive into the Drift. The carriers converge at their rendezvous point, still at full battle readiness. But no jinsul craft follow; the pursuit is over.
Nominated First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo addresses the fleet through the ships’ comm units. “Starfinders, today we did something no one would have thought possible a year ago. We were able to rescue many of our comrades and two members of the Society’s former leadership, and what we now know about the Scoured Stars system may at least bring some closure to the loved ones of those who were beyond our help. Despite our victory today, we must remain vigilant, because a new threat has revealed itself. We know little of these jinsuls, but we all witnessed that their armada is massive, and they may have hundreds of thousands of soldiers eager for battle. It is clear they are an enemy we cannot ignore. Today, we must head back home to recuperate, but tomorrow, we must prepare.”
The Society endures, but a new threat to the galaxy is rising.
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At this point with the credits rolling I would like to invite you to a GM Hmm tradition. I would love everyone to share a vignette — a closing credits easter egg — that reflects upon your character.
ON EASTER EGGS
King of Anything wrote a lovely treatise in one of my game discussions on PbP Easter Eggs. I am quoting it here:
<Philosophical Exploration of the Easter Egg>
The closing credits are a great place to sum up your adventure and how your character has grown throughout. You've been playing for awhile now, so take some time to look back through the adventure and think about what moments stood out as meaningful, or could be explored a little more.
Your Easter Egg can be presented as a vignette centering around your character, or as a report or letter to your superiors/family, or as a quick scene between NPCs reacting in your character's absence. There are many possibilities!
Some good questions to ask yourself and/or answer in an Easter Egg:
1. How did my character introduce themselves? Are they the same character now?
2. What relationships did my character form in this adventure? How will they end? (Or will they continue??)
3. What did my character learn about themselves or the world?
4. What does my character do between adventures?
5. Is there a closing musical number?
I have loved this group, and would love to see what you do next!
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Ivok is working at his console as he reviews Arvin's response to the request for a cross generation celebration Starfinder event. He gives another sly grin as he goes back to looking through services to help make the event a spectacular one. After debating for a moment he activates a comm and puts a call into his manager. He is apologetic and pleading his town. He knows he isn't owed this kindness. "Kala, I hate to put more strain on you, but I'm getting worn out looking for caterers for the party. Who was that group that catered for the marathon a few months back?"
"I am unable to recall off hand. I'll scan through invoices and forward their contact information." Her response is slow but calculated as she takes a moment before responding. Her town lightens a bit as she adds, "I'm glad that you seem to be doing better after this last mission. Have you put any thought into producing more content yet? I have been putting together information on a few of the sponsors that Neon pointed out to you. There are a number that could very slot into some of the topics you have had in your queue."
The vesk laughs away his apprehension as he focuses on the question. He doesn't need give much thought as he responds, "Give me a few more weeks. Once I have a solid training regime with the new Starfinder recruits I'll be pumped to get back and working in front of the camera again."
They say their goodbyes and Ivok returns to the console and clears away the excess information before coming to a recording he had made for leaving for the Scoured Stars. His mood darkens as he looks at the file a long moment before instructing the computer to being playing the file.
Ivok's face appears center screen as he gives a quick and solemn salute to the camera. "<Vesk>Honor to you my commander.</Vesk>"
He loosens he demeanor slightly, but still he still is nothing but serious as he gives a well practiced speech. "I cannot tell you how lucky I have been to so many different planets and meet so many people on my missions with the Society. My chance meeting Strawberry Machine Cake as well as my time with Zo! have done wonders for my personal career. I have had more people asking for personal training in the last few months than I have gotten the last few years! More important than that, I have gotten to see so many different cultures that have helped me push my knowledge and skills that have allowed me to help so many more achieve their true potential!"
The recollections swell within him and he can't help but bring a grin to his face as he thinks about them. The moment soon passes and he pulls back to return to a more stoic look for the camera.
"I have known that the Starfinder Society is not a single voice and its goals have changed over the years ranging from good and ill. and when I joined the Society, I was confident that working with the organization would let me help the wasting muscle that the Society was after the Scoured Stars Incident and doing so, aid those in the Pact Worlds and the Veskarium to find the strength to fight back whenever the next grave threat comes from the darkness to challenge us."
He pauses for a few moments, trying to find the right words to say as attempts to navigate the common tongue. "Recent ... events have made me realize that the Society is, at the core, a self-serving enterprise before any other actions." He looks fiercely at the camera, his muscles priming for a fight, before adding, "Any action taken to aid others will first need to answer how much it will cost the Society and the Starfinders. I know that the answers are not simple or safe and that if the Society did not consider these matters it might vanish faster than untested muscle."
He calms himself once more as he tries to force the emotion back for his conclusion, "I draw that line at a far different place than the current leadership and a number of my fellows. Hopefully with what we will soon find within the Scoured Stars system, the Society will be in a much stronger place than it was just a year ago and no longer in the same desperate need that required so many new recruits. As such, rather than bring disorder and strife to my missions, I have decided that I will be resigning my membership of the Starfinders. I realize that I still may be requested to be debriefed on recent missions and-"
"Computer, pause playback.
Showing a similar temperament to the recording Ivok glares at his frozen image, judging and measuring his own monologue. After a long moment, he breaks the silence, speaking to the screen. "Is this what you will tell the next client who is struggling? Give up? As soon as you get a hard problem you want to settle for the easy solution. That would make you no better than him."
The trainer is insulted by he past self and he rises from the chair and postures himself aggressively, unconsciously threatening his own recording.
"Sev said we are part of his family and running away no would be just abandoning them. You are stronger than that! If the Society has problems, then bare your fangs and put your muscles to good use fixing them."
Ivok gives his paused recording a chance to respond before breaking from his aggressive trainer mindset. "Computer, delete the recording."
The screen goes black as the vesk gets back to focusing on his work, the Society, and his friends.
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On the set, there two people. A female gnome with a tuxedo and on the right a human with a mustache.
” Today,” says the newscaster. ” The Starfinder Society show us the result of their rescue mission in the Vast. To tell us more about this we invited in the set, Antoine Désilet photojournalist of the Homework and specialist of the society. Antoine, Bonsoir.
”Bonsoir.” Replies Antoine.
-” Antoine, the end of the Scoured stars incident is bittersweet isn’t?”
-” Yes, Tatra. Today, the First Seeker Elsabo and the newly rescued First Seeker Jadnura were doing a press conference about this. They were able with a lot of effort to rescue the Starfinders prisoner from the “God Shield” Sadly, when they arrived a lot have been already killed by the native environment and by a surprised fleet. Jadnura added that even if the lost ones knew the risk, she takes all the responsibility from this event and she will atone from her action.”
-''Let’s talk about this new enemy fleet. The Jinsuls. Who are they and what do they want?”
-” There not much information at this moment. They are six-legged and many-eyed insectile creatures wearing robes over a suit of armor. They can use weapons like us, and they seem to fellow the “god” that created the “God shield”. According to a source, he is sleeping now but he is waking up. The society suggested that the Jinsuls could be the results of mutation caused by an artifact, but there no proof on this. The Society was able to shoot down the capital ship of the fleet because of a defect in the aft arc and the courage of a “icon” Crew.”
-That some Luck. Will the Pact Worlds do something about this species?
- No. When I called at the Plenara, they explain that even if their citizens who are in danger, the Pact is defensive in his nature and that the stewards do not have the mandate or the personnel to go into the Vast. Unless the Jinsuls attack the Pact worlds themselves, the society can only count on them if they meet them in the Vast.”
-” But Antoine, if I remember, you were with the Starfinder Society during this rescue. You were even part of the “Icon” Crew that shot down the capital ship.”
The mustache human is startled by the question.
… I was… aboard of this ship if this is what you mean.
The gnome pauses for a moment to let the human time to continue… but he doesn’t say anything else.
-” What did your camera catches during this mission? what event touches you the most?”
-” … I need to insist about something. This mission was not like the others. This was not an adventure. This was a rescue mission. Sure, there were a lot of thing that mission that came as regular Starfinder things Giant worm, Dinosaurs, Ruins. But, Tatra. They use us as But I just report the news. I don’t create it or analyze it.”
-” Thanks Antoine. All the detail of the mission and aftermath would be in the Homework of tomorrow right?”
-” Yes with pictures.”
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The small gnome, exhausted from repelling boarding parties, looks up as she sees another crew coming forward. "Antoine! Neon! We did it! We did it! So good to see you again!" She enthusiastically leaps into hugging Antoine's knees, and then buries her face in Neon's fur. "I can't wait to hear all of your stories!" As she looks up to see the gentle looking vesk, the stylish lashunta, and the two androids, she waves. "Hello, I'm Charli. Would any of you care for a cup of Poshkettle Tea?"