Unsure if she has a clear shot and being unable to both move and switch her weapons out and still get off a shot, Lauren decides to resort to magic again. She focuses her will on the universe and reaches into the source code, channeling motes of force and again casts magic missile
Realizing she forgot to share earlier findings with the group, she adds, "They is immune to effect of cold and resist small fires. They not like ocean water. Is like acid."
Knowing that his laser rifle will be able to do little against these creatures, Entiren decides to try and help out Jehir. Activating his comm unit as he moves, he says "Jehir, I am moving to assist you." He will then move through the other door, utilizing the full extent of his innate speed in order to get into position.
Lauren's missiles of magic streak straight toward Jehir, arcing around him at the last second to pummel the akata with mystical force. The creature takes a beating, but keeps its footing.
As Entiren runs around the power core, he gets a good look at the ship's main corrodor through the open hatch. The dim light shows the crumpled body of a small creature lying in the crossway.
Block 1: Aureum , Diedre, Jehir , Miraj
Block 2: Akatas
Block 3: Entiren, Lauren
"Well we're a little short on seawater right now," Diedre says as picks up her dropped sword and attempts to get the akata's attention by banging it on the deck.
Miraj moves forward and attempts another well-timed shot.
"Incoming," he signals as he is about to shoot.
Range = 30
Jehir looks to see if the creature notices Diedre's distraction, then swings again.
Diedre is able to grab the creature's attention for a few moments, which allows Jehir to skewer the beast on his doshko just as Entiren runs around the corner to assist. Miraj also takes a shot, but Jehir's shoulder is in the way and the disguised ryphorian errs on the side of caution.
Block 1: Aureum , Diedre, Entiren, Jehir , Lauren, Miraj
Block 2: ???
"Everyone is okay?" Lauren says, looking around the room. "Do we wants to retry rest for Aureum?"
While she waits for a response from the group, Lauren straps her laser rifle to her back, draws her pulsecaster pistol, and double checks the battery before making it ready.
With a bob of her bell she moves to the open double doorway and peers down the hall, seeing if she can see any other akatas coming.
She adds, "I can be sandbar from here and let Aureum rest in tide pool."
"Good idea, Lauren, thanks. Aureum needs a moment," Diedre says with a concerned eye towards the Lashunta.
"So you said this stuff is called noqual?" the half-elf says casually as she kicks some of the debris around with her foot. "Is it worth anything?"
She puts her hand up to her face and pressing through the enviro-field protecting her to rub at her temple.
"I can be sandbar from here and let Aureum rest in tide pool."
Lauren peeks down the hallway, but she doesn't see any akatas (or anything else, for that matter) charging towards the engineering bay. There is, however, a small environment suit lying in a crumpled pile perhaps 20 feet forward of her position. Lauren can't quite tell if the suit is occupied or not, but it certainly isn't moving.
"So you said this stuff is called noqual?" the half-elf says casually as she kicks some of the debris around with her foot. "Is it worth anything?"
As Diedre turns the metallic shard over in her hand, it reflects the light from Aureum's flashlight, shining alternatively a green refraction or a silver luster, based on the angle.
Miraj uses the break to replace the empty slots in his semi-auto clip and slaps it into place and puts the gun back in his armor sheath. If no more Arkatas seem interested in dinner, he says, "Did ve remember to close zee back door? With enemy ships attempting to interfere, perhaps ve should close und lock zat airlock."
If no one objects, he'll walk back to the airlock and close it and lock it, if it can be locked.
On his way back, if no one else did so earlier, he picks up any bits of noqual he can find and secures them in one of his pockets.
Lauren eyes the body, her curiosity almost overriding her good sense, but decides to leave it, for now. Better to hang back and give the injured time to recuperate than move forward to investigate and draw more of the ရေဘဝဲသည်ခြင်္သေ့ attentions.
Lauren attempts to recall the answer to Diedre's question.
While continuing to look down the corridor, Lauren addresses everyone over the comms. "Yes, Diedre. Is rare and expensive. Used to make armor and weapons. We should collect it."
Aureum relaxes slightly, leaning against the wall. ”I’ll be fine, just need a moment to catch my breath. Assuming we have a moment,” she says, looking around suspiciously with the flashlight.
"Good idea, Lauren, thanks. Aureum needs a moment,"
"As do I," says Jehir, as he patches his wounds through his armor.
The perfect stillness of the ghost ship remains unbroken as the Starfinders catch their breath, squinting to try and spy any danger barreling their way. For a few moments, however, all is still.
"So, should we make our way to the bridge first?" Diedre asks nervously. "It looks like the hall is clear to there. We should be able to pull up logs and turn enviro back on from there."
"Zat has zee sound of a plan," Miraj says, as he moves to a spot from where he can shine his spotlight down the hall toward the bridge and draws Alice so it is ready to fire in support of any who advance down the hall ahead of him.
"Yes. Is plan," Lauren chimes in, over the comms. The emptiness of the space around her is still unnerving, and she feels almost blindfolded as she peers down the hallway again.
Gripping her pulsecaster pistol in her leftward manipulatory tentacle, she causes her rightward manipulatory tentacle to begin secreting acid, just in case she is charged again from the blinding void.
With a few bounces to work up her nerve, she moves forward, saying, "I look body."
"All right, let's move out. Quietly."
Jehir steps forward warily out of the engine room and into the hall. He stands watch as Bubbles makes his examination.
With a few bounces to work up her nerve, she moves forward, saying, "I look body."
Lauren has never seen one of these creatures, but she immediately recognizes it from Pact Worlds media - this is a space goblin, and it is very dead. A thin layer of frost covers the face and space of the inside of the patchwork helmet, indications that the suit lost pressure rapidly. The goblin's missing leg and heavily chewed torso hint at how the pressure suit might have been breached.
Jehir steps forward warily out of the engine room and into the hall. He stands watch as Bubbles makes his examination.
As Jehir scans the intersection of the corridors, he doesn't spy any immediate attacks hurtling their way.
Lauren's comm unit flares back to life, "Is Hardscrabble mention goblin in crew of Acreon?"
She then points her pulsecaster up the hallway to the bow of the ship to cover whomever wishes to take point.
"A goblin?" Diedre replies. "I don't remember him mentioning anything about a goblin on the crew. He might not've thought it was worth mentioning."
Lauren's comm unit flares back to life, "Is Hardscrabble mention goblin in crew of Acreon?"
A quick check of the crew manifest provided by Ambassador Nor reveal the crew to consist entirely of humans.
"Pirates, no doubt. If ve encounter any alive, perhaps holed up in one of zee cargo areas or zee bridge, let's try to keep them alive. Ve need information about what happened."
Miraj stays to the rear. Whichever why Jehir leads, Miraj will remain in the intersection to watch for enemies approaching from a different direction.
Aureum stays toward the middle of the group as they make their way towards the bridge, sweeping the light over the walls and floor.
Entiren will likewise stay in the middle of the group, keeping an eye out for any more of the Akatas. He will keep his rifle raised and at the ready, even though he knows that it will likely do little against these creatures.
As the Starfinders creep forward, eyes trained in all directions, several of them spot a translucent blue limb caught in the beam of Aureum's flashlight. Baring its teeth, the creature silently lunges at the group!
Aureum , Jehir, Lauren
Akatas
Diedre, Entiren, Miraj
"More here!" Lauren blurts over the comms, a little too loudly and betraying her fear at yet more of the dangerous beasts. Reaching over Entiren's shoulder with her manipulatory tentacle and pulsecaster pistol, Lauren fires a shot at the lead akata.
Nonlethal Electricity Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4
"Here they come," Jehir calls out. He hurls his spear at the figure in the door.
As the light falls on the akata, Aureum quickly pulls the trigger on her pistol, firing off a shot at the closest creature before it has time to react.
Lauren and Aureum both land their electric shots as Jehir's spear skewers the beast, wounding it grievously. Shuddering under the residual shocks, it backs away, out of sight. Jehir and Entiren can see glimpses of additional akatas lurking further into the bridge.
Diedre, Entiren, Miraj
Aureum , Jehir, Lauren
Akatas
Unable to see of their foes, Diedre moves up to get a better view, her sidearm held at the ready in shaky hands.
Lauren moves forward, taking cover in the hall and readies and action to shoot the first akata that comes out of the bridge.
Entiren will move 20 feet forward, ending just past Aureum and Lauren.
Miraj, Diedre, and Entiren all advance forward, closing in on the bridge, while Lauren ducks into cover, holding her firearm at the ready with a nervous tentacle.
Aureum , Jehir, Lauren
Akatas
Diedre, Entiren, Miraj
Sensing that the fight is moving to close quarters, Miraj stows Alice this round, so he can draw his sword cane before advancing into melee.
Jehir advances a few feet while taking one hand off the doshko. He pulls out the frag grenade he pulled off the Vesk at the Fusion Queen.
Seeing the Creature up ahead, and thinking that the other creature he injured is just to the left of the door, he lobs the grenade into the bridge.
"Fire in the hole!" he shouts.
The grenade bounces off the back of a chair and rolls to the south, disappearing from view. Then there is an explosion and the group can see debris flying past the doorway.
"Uh... I meant to do that."
Aureum moves forward with the others, her pistol at the ready, and stops just behind Lauren. She considers drawing her baton, but doesn't relish the idea of getting within biting distance of the creatures again.
Lauren and Aurem stop outside the bridge, waiting for the akatas to come to them. Meanwhile, Jehir pitches a grenade, but it takes a strange bounce and clatters out of view before detonating.
An akata with light shrapnel wounds comes bounding silently out of the bridge. Lauren takes the shot, but the static bolt goes wide, and the fearsome creature tears into Jehir's leg with its teeth, heedless of the supernatural armor wreathing the borai.
A second akata comes hurtling from the other side of the bridge, impacting into Entiren like a blue bullet and rending armor and fur alike. As the creature pierces his flesh, Entiren feels a sicking, weakening sensation that seems to spread across his body with every beat of his heart.
The third akata, bearing electric burns and a deep spear wound, lurks into the corridor as well - using its long claws to cling to the ceiling!
Diedre, Entiren , Miraj
Aureum , Jehir , Lauren
Akatas
Diedre attempts to distract the creature attacking Entiren by banging her sword on the decking.
Grunting in pain from the Akata's bite, Entiren is thrust back a step from the force of the impact. Shaking his head, he quickly drops his rifle as he moves back up right next to the creature. Rearing his head back, he brings it down onto the Akata in an attempt to impale the creature with his horns. He will then grab his starknife from his belt.
Jehir stabs at the Akata with his spear as it goes by.
Angry that she missed and wishing to avoid any further damage to her compatriots, Lauren falls back on spellcasting, using her last spell slot for the day. She focuses her will on the universe and reaches into the source code, channeling motes of force and again casts magic missile.
"Take that!" She yells at the void, her comm unit not even enabled.
Over comms, she adds to the group, "I only has one more trick in bell, today." Then prepares for the worst.
Miraj draws his sword cane, keeping the sheath in his other hand to provide light. He takes a deep breath and steps up, ready to fight the beasties up close and personal.
Aureum aims high, quickly firing off a shot at the Akata on the ceiling.
Jehir takes a quick stab at the ataka attacking Entiren, but the creature is too furious to get a clean hit on it. Diedre attempts to distract the same akata, but it hardly pays her any attention as Entiren lightly gores the beast with one of his arcing horns, feeling too ill to attack with any more aggression.
From a tucked-away spot in the transverse corridor, Lauren launches a furious barrage of force bolts, which unerringly find their way to their target, illuminated by the light streaming from Miraj's cane. Behind the group, Aureum takes aim and strikes the akata on the ceiling, which tumbles to the floor in a shuddering heap of electrical burns and puncture wonds.
Aureum , Jehir , Lauren
Akatas
Diedre, Entiren , Miraj