Cutting down at an awkward angle, Ranif trys to hit the bandit below with his Dragonglaive. Having nothing else to do at the moment, he will go on a full offensive, cutting multiple times at their opponent.
The Dragonkin's first strike gets jammed in the roof, but tearing it free creates a large gap through which he can strike true. His second stab swiftly ends the bandit.
The remaining bandit frantically attempts to claw his way through the heavy, shatter-proof window, openly whimpering and sobbing.
Block 1: Kragga, Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Bandit
Block 3: Cranston
Block 1: Kragga (prone), Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit (frightened, squeezing)
Block 3: Cranston
"I can't shoot him, it just feels wrong," Cranston says eyeing the terrified bandit.
Instead, he drops down into the moving carriage and attempts to stop and then reverse the direction of travel. Lucille follows along, hovering near the mechanic's shoulder.
"I can," Kragga says, firing her crossbolter.
...he drops down into the moving carriage and attempts to stop and then reverse the direction of travel.
The elevator comes to a gradual halt before reversing direction and heading upwards.
Kragga fires her crossbolter, but missing the sobbing bandit. An expensive CHNKK rings out as the arrow buries itself into the side of a metal and polymer shipping crate.
Ziyad successfully hits the bandit with a small crackle of electric power despite the interference of what remains of the elevator's roof.
Block 1: Kragga, Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit (-1, frightened, squeezing)
Block 3: Cranston
Block 1: Kragga (prone), Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit
Block 3: Cranston
Alflin follows Cranston down to the floor and points his pistol at the frightened bandit.
"Get rid of your weapon."
"Get rid of your weapon."
The stature and tenor of Alfin do not lend to his threat, and the bandit recovers his composure enough to grab for his weapon and level it at the halfing and the human.
Block 1: Kragga, Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit (-1, squeezing)
Block 3: Cranston
Block 1: Kragga (prone), Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit
Block 3: Cranston
Lucille emits a stream of beeps and raspberry noises.
"Yeah, I know. I should'a shot the bastard when I had a chance," Cranston responds.
"Well, I didn't want to hurt you while you were unarmed, but you have given up that privilige."
Doing the same as before just with a new target, Ranif will proceed to attack at him.
"Well, I didn't want to hurt you while you were unarmed, but you have given up that privilige."
Like a formian agriworker churning yaruk butter, Ranif plunges his dragonglaive through the elevator's roof repeatedly.
Ranif has plenty of power behind his attacks, but unfortunately he cannot see exactly where he's stabbing. The bandit, huddled between crates, is unscathed.
Looking down at his weapon, the bandit frantically discards the empty magazine and inserts another in its place. "You shobs! This was supposed to be my big break! I was gonna get off this dusty rock!"
With that, he pulls a grenade from his belt and chucks it between Alfin and Cranston.
The grenade explodes in a small hemisphere of superheated plasma, but Alfin and Cranston both get an arm in front of their face in time, and Lucille is quick enough to duck behind Cranston's shoulder, reducing the exposure.
Block 1: Kragga, Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit
Block 3: Cranston (-3, Lucille -3)
Block 1: Kragga (prone), Ziyad, Alfin (-3), Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit (-1, squeezing)
Block 3: Cranston
"Tear him up, Girl!" Cranston calls out as he pulls and fires his arc pistol.
Kragga reloads and takes better aim before firing again.
"Tear him up, Girl!"
The mechanic's arcing bolt goes wide and strikes the side of the elevator, but Lucille's aim is steadier, and her bullet grazes the bandit before embedding itself in the back wall.
Kragga reloads and takes better aim before firing again.
This time, Kragga's bolt finds its way home with a SHUNKKK, piercing clean through the bandit's shoulder. Under fire from multiple directions, he's looking beleaguered, angry, and desperate to kill something.
Block 1: Kragga, Ziyad, Alfin (-3), Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit (-11, squeezing)
Block 3: Cranston (-3, Lucille -3)
Block 1: Kragga (prone), Ziyad, Alfin, Ranif
Block 2: Human bandit
Block 3: Cranston
Alflin readily takes advantage of the blinding flash, using it to conceal his attack.
Seeing the effect that he is having upon the roof of the carriage, Ranif will cease his assault with his Dragonglaive for the time being, motivated by two reasons; first of all not wanting to overly damage the elevator, which is their ride back up. Second, since he does not know the roof's strength, not wanting to somehow fall through the roof.
Laying the large weapon down on the center of the roof, where it will not fall off, he will draw out his pulsecaster rifle. Aiming through one of the holes in the roof he has made, he will fire at the Bandit.
Alflin readily takes advantage of the blinding flash, using it to conceal his attack.
The halfling's shot catches the bandit by surprise, striking him between two armor plates with a jolt of electricity. With a choking rattle, he slumps forward, dropping his weapon on the floor of the carriage.
The elevator gains speed and then levels off on its journey upwards, back towards the lighthouse. At its current speed, you should return in a few minutes.
Cranston holsters his pistol and after instructing Lucille to stand down, proceeds to gather up the bandits weapons and slide them all into a corner of the carriage. He then checks the bodies for any valuables.
Cranston holsters his pistol and after instructing Lucille to stand down, proceeds to gather up the bandits weapons and slide them all into a corner of the carriage. He then checks the bodies for any valuables.On the corpse of the human bandit, you find
- an assault hammer
- an autotarget rifle (w/ 20 rounds of longarm ammo)
- troop ceremonial plate armor
The second bandit (who never got off a shot) is smaller than his/her/its human companion, with lizard-like features and a reddish skin tone that matches the surrounding terrain. On this bandit, you find
- an azimuth laser pistol (with battery)
- second skin armor
- a survival knife
- a small computer () of curious design
As the elevator reaches its destination, the doors refuse to open (the control panel flashes "CRITICAL PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL" as you look around at the bullet holes and glaive-gashes in the carriage). Luckily, Captain Ross is on her comm unit, and quickly relocates Cattergorn to another, pressurized room before depressurizing the warehouse and allowing you to disembark.
As the crew enters the warehouse, they notice the two living bandits, still restrained, sulking in a corner while the room is repressurized.
"Looks like you succeeded," the captain quips, eying the pile of crates that was just hauled off the elevator and onto the warehouse floor, "but we're on the clock here, so there's no time to celebrate."
"Kragga! Help me carry Cattergorn to the med bay on the ship - he's fading in and out. You can debrief on the way."
"Mills!" Ross tosses the engineer a computer access card. "Cattergorn's 'guests' did a number on his drone. This should get you into the lighthouse computer system; find the drone protocol backups and send a copy to Clive."
"The rest of you - get this cargo on the ship, pronto. After that, search this place for anything worth walking away with - once the bandits realize their spoils have been intercepted, this place will get hit, and hit hard."
Alflin nods at the captain's orders and begins to search the area.
Kragga hefts Cattergorn under his shoulders, letting Captain Ross grab his legs.
Knowing that he is clearly physically the strongest member of the crew, Ranif will carry the majority of the cargo to the ship. Once he is done with this, he returns to the Lighthouse in order to search for anything that is left.
Using the access card, Cranston logs into the lighthouse's system and begins looking around for the drone protocol backups.
"No reason not to look around and see what else is in here," he says to himself.
If/when he finds the files, he stores a copy for himself as well as sending a copy to Clive.
"And no reason not to see if there's anything that might give Lucille a little boost."
"What do you think is in that thing, captain?"
"A bargaining chip!"
Before the conversation carries any farther, the captain walks out of the room, working with Kragga to carry Cattergorn to the ship's medbay.
Using the access card, Cranston logs into the lighthouse's system and begins looking around for the drone protocol backups.
Mills has little difficulty locating the drone backups. With a cursory glance, it appears that Cattergorn had spec'd his drone for ranged combat, armor, and cargo capacity.
When prompted, Clive copies the files to the ship's databanks. "Updating Thumper protocols... update complete."
In the rush to gather anything of value from the Lighthouse before departure, the crew grabs a variety of crates, boxes, and loose items. Perhaps you'll have time to look through your haul once the Inscrutable is off the ground...
Kragga stands watch over Cattergorn in the medbay, using her magic to scan him for anything her normal senses can't detect.
Finding nothing else of note, Mills directs Lucille back to the ship. He follows after taking a final glance around at the lighthouse.
Once aboard the Inscrutable he makes his way to engineering where he begins making repairs on the damaged drone.
Ranif will have looked over the junkracers that were outside the Lighthouse to see if they were worth bringing along. You never know when you might be in a situation where you need a vehicle.
As Alfin pilots the Inscrutable out of the Akitonian atmosphere and into low orbit, everyone settles in for the voyage.
Kragga's magical senses don't detect anything affecting the elderly mechanic that isn't obvious to a cursory medical inspection - he's pretty banged up, but it seems he will recover with proper care.
Ranif will have looked over the junkracers that were outside the Lighthouse to see if they were worth bringing along.
The junkracers are in rough condition, but serviceable. There's enough room in the cargo bay to store two of them ().
At the Captain's order, Alfin directs Clive to initiate the jump to Drift. With a whirring spool of light, the Inscrutable drops out of the Material Plane and into the colored haze of the Drift.
"Drift jump successful, Captain. We will arrive at our next destination in..." "...72 hours. All systems are nominal."
In the rush to gather anything of value from the Lighthouse before departure, the crew grabs a variety of crates, boxes, and loose items. Perhaps you'll have time to look through your haul once the Inscrutable is off the ground...Looking through the items grabbed from the Lighthouse, it's apparent that much of it is junk - broken equipment, spare parts for unknown items, old magazines, etc. However, as the crew sorts it, the pile of useful items grows:
- Flashlights (4)
- Fire extinguisher
- Titanium cable line (50 ft.)
- Beacon
- Basic medkits (2)
- Detonators (5)
- Holoskin
- Grappler
- Venomous fusion seal (3rd level)
*ping*
"Good morning, crew. Be advised, we are eight hours from Drift exit. Be advised, eight hours from Drift exit."
An hour before Drift exit, Captain Ross gathers the crew together in the galley.
"Alright, listen up, everyone. I've been pretty tight-lipped about the intent of our endeavour, and not without reason; however, you've all proven the capacity to take orders, act prudently, and handle yourselves in a fight, so I figure now is the time to bring you into the inner circle, as it were.
"On Akiton, we gathered some very valuable and rare mining equipment - various starmetal-based tools and solvents - used primarily for the extraction and processing of certain exotic materials. If everything goes well, in less than four hours' time we will hand them over to the Android Abolitionist Front at a covert location in the Diaspora.
"Now, if you feel less than comfortable dealing with a quasi-terrorist group, join the club. We're not in this for fun or profit, though - the AAF has found some sort of artifact hidden in the asteroids, something of a terribly unholy nature. Certain power players have a vested interest in securing such artifacts - for the protection of civilization - but can't be seen dealing with the AAF publicly.
"That's where we come in. We make this deal, secure the artifact, and transport it to Absalom Station, where we hand it over to some people in big shiny power armor for safekeeping."
Captain Ross leans back on the galley counter, sipping some coffee. "Or at least, that's the plan. Any questions?"
"Who else knows about this artifact?"
"Hopefully, no one," the captain says with a wry grin, "but news like this tends to travel like a skip on the Astral Plane. I'm concerned that we'll have all sorts of wonks, weirdos, and various ne'er-do-wells hounding us from here to Absalom. Some people can just sense these things."
"Who are these power players?"
"There's more than one interested party here, and they value my discretion."
When you first left Absalom station several days ago, Ranif discovered a box of holy fusion seals in the supplies, which some of you have applied to your weapons. The changes were gradual, but by now any affected weapons are resplendent in ivory and gold with Iomedae's holy symbol - a sword over a sunburst - displayed in a prominent position.
Kragga shrugs. "No questions here. Sounds pretty straightforward. We make the trade, go back to Absalom, and get paid."
Cranston nods.
"As long as there's none of them fuzzballs involved, I've got no issues."
Taking the final bite his bowl of spiced oatmeal, Ranif will wash it down with a glass of water. Putting the dishes into the proper receptacle, he will turn back to the Captain. "Personally, I have nothing in particular against this assignment. It is just something to pay the bills. Besides," saying this part with a distinct grimace, "I have shortly work for someone worse before today.
My only question about this, is do we know just what this artifact is? Or are you able to tell us?"
Alflin nods. "Makes sense. I've worked some with the AAF before, they're good people."
"My only question about this, is do we know just what this artifact is? Or are you able to tell us?"
"Unfortunately, no - but I've been assured that it's not subtle, if that gives you any assurance."
With a plane-transiting shudder, the Inscrutable drops from the Drift into the asteroid field of the Diaspora. Barren fragments of rock float silently in the thin light of the sun, filling the viewscreens in all directions. Aside for the creaking of the ship as the thrusters spool up, all is silent.
"Alright, everyone!" barks the captain as she takes her seat in the bridge, "Just because we're expected guests doesn't mean they won't shoot first and ask questions later. Keep your eyes peeled and be ready for trouble.
"Science officer, keep our transponder up and keep your eyes glued to those scanners. We don't need any surprises."