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Dethara is a tall woman, unhealthily thin with pale flesh spider-webbed with old scars, healing wounds, and fading bruises. Her hands are calloused, and her grating black hair's a wild mess, held back by tangled strand of vibrant purple flowers. She wears threadbare, ill-fitting black pants, and a white shirt that stained in many places. Both clearly belonged to someone else before her. She wears a tattered backpack, and bears a standard issue laser pistol on her hip -- clearly given to her for signing up with the Starfinder Society. There's a few vials peeking out of her pockets, and a well-used knife in a holster her thigh. Despite living a life of obvious poverty and violence, she bears a wide, almost manic smile on her face, and her dark eyes glitter with excitement.
As she takes in her fellow Starfinders with a mad smile, Dethara suddenly bursts out in laughter.
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In walks a tall and relatively handsome blond man, dressed in a red Armada uniform of some sort. He bears a laser gun on his belt, a bandage around the head, an advanced-looking comm unit, and a bumbling air. Several paces behind him walks a green alien with a bulbous head, sweating profusely. The former man surveys the assembled team. This leads to a quick glance at Dethara, then a faster step back.
"Fashionably late, as always," he booms, looking in the opposite direction. He talks as if Common isn't his first language. "Hello, Starfinders. I, of course, am the legendary Zapp Brannigan. Some refer to me as the Man with No Name. Venture-Captain Arvin has seen fit to send me away on another mission. (He's a bit socially awkward, I think; doesn't want to be around me for too long.) Rest assured, we will go together into greatness!"
"...Which reminds me. Kif? I won't be needing you to stay here and relay information while we're on site." At this, Kif's eyes bulge in bewilderment, plus a fair helping of joy. "No, instead you'll have the honor of accompanying us there!" Kif's eyes blow up again, with the opposite emotions, then his head sags. "Of course, Sir."
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A second green-skinned man enters, this one a half-orc. Standing 6'8" and with a stout build, he seems large even for a half-orc. His tusks are prominent enough it seems would seem they would interfere with his speech though they don't. He almost looks like a knight from antiquity in his glowing white breastplate and carrying a strange old fashioned sword. The scabbard for his weapon is green and covered with gilded vines and leaves. Sticking out of the end of the scabbard is an ancient looking handle and pommel in the shape of a tree. The crossguard makes up the branches of the tree but look a bit like deer antlers.
"Prince Dalinar Theodrin at your service. Did I miss a joke?"
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Removing his hat, the pale-skinned orc in the duster jacket nods. The smell of death is thick in this room, he contemplates as he considers Dethara and Zapp.
"Man with No Name, eh?" he responds when Zapp speaks. "Don't sound like such a bad thing to me." The man's hand seems to subconsciously reach to cover a collection of scars on his arm as he speaks. "Although I could swear that you look familiar..."
His postulations are cut short by Dalinar's arrival. "No jokes here, Your Highness." he mutters as the other half-orc arrives. "It seems that the lady here, is just rather... enthusiastic... about the upcoming mission."
'As for names..." he continues. "Well, some call me 'Harrowed Jack'. I suppose that's as good a name as any." As he speaks up, it is evident that the man is not wearing any armor or other protection underneath his jacket, only ordinary street clothes. Save for a laser pistol holstered in his belt, the man appears to be unarmed.
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"No jokes here, Your Highness."
Dalinar winces a bit. "None of that Highness business is necessary. It's a worthless title anyway, old habits just die hard."
Dalinar returns Dethara's sniff. He had always found his people's nose to be a little better than the humans and didn't find it all that disturbing. Strange certainly but as they say, when on Absalom...
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Jack finds himself returning Dethara's gaze. He eventually looks away, but not without some effort. He finds himself a bit alarmed at the fact, particularly as he had spent a considerable amount of time training himself to often avoid making eye contact. Those kinds of mistakes can get you killed, he ponders, amusedly. I, in particular, should know.
"None of that Highness business is necessary. It's a worthless title anyway, old habits just die hard."
The pale-skinned half-orc is also surprised by the reaction of the prince, though having raised his guard in light of his unexpected behavior toward the mystic, he is cautious not to show it. When prince finishes his remark, Jack just quietly adds, "If at all."
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The android was here since a long time but he stayed quiet. The color of his constructsmaterial remains gloomy. His stealthy drone is lurking in the dark corner of the room. That’s the reason why nobody noticed them until now. In fact, he heard the names of his futur companions. A legendary guy, a prince, what great teammates to travel with, even if he doesn’t know what for Zapp Brannigan is mentionned as legendary.
He cautiously says with a robotic voice « Hi » after a while, when the people begin to discuss. « Glad to meet you. My name’s Mec-01. »
When Dethara shakes his hand he tries to follow the movement, not to break down.
Further in the conversation it seems that the titles are not so important. That's fine. He hasn't got any.
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"If you don't mind me asking, how is it that you're known as The Man With No Name if you have one?"
"I don't have to take this!" Zapp huffs indignantly, swelling slightly like a frog. "The specifics of my title are likely lost to time. I went to the Scoured Stars with many others, and came back unscathed! But a traumatic head injury shortly afterwards cleared my memory of the details, among other things. Just another reason one shouldn't put on their shoes unaided." Behind him, Kif sighs, signaling who usually helps the Nameless Man with his shoes.
"Were you also in Reality Televids?"
"No, I'm a real-life action hero," he replies as if it were obvious. "Though I wouldn't mind an invitation to that Live Exploration Extreme! show. And you shouldn't say such things about your titles, they sound very interesting."
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Dethara laughs aloud at the word 'hero.'
"Hero? Ha! Yeah, and Santa Bones exists too." she shakes her head at the absurdity of believing in fairy tales.
After a moment, the words 'Live Exploration Extreme!' settle around her. She narrows her eyes and frowns. "Be careful what you wish for," she says in a calm and quiet voice. Slowly, the grin spreads back across her face.
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Oh, after the titles, some of them were real-life action hero. They should be great people here. Mec-01 was proud to be part of them, even if it was only for this mission, his first one by the way.
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As Zapp explains his moniker, Dalinar cocks an eyebrow and looks at him as though he's come to a conclusion about the man's mental state. "Don't presume you can give me orders," Dalinar states when Zapp mentions titles, though he says it with a smile, "it'll start us off on the wrong foot." After speaking Dalinar realizes Zapp was probably talking to Dethara and not about him mentioning his princehood. He decides not to backtrack however, that would only bring more attention to his flub.
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Waiting in front of the door to your briefing room it finally slides open with a hiss and you all enter the room, eager to start with your assignment.
“Greetings, I am Guidance. I have a new assignment for you. Please observe.”
The projection gestures a flicking hand to its side, and a stream of data detailing an outpost made of interconnected circular chambers scrolls beside it.
“One of the Pact Worlds’ most prestigious organizations recently discovered a dataset detailing the location of an outpost abandoned over two hundred years ago. The organization has requested that the Starfinder Society dispatch a team of agents to secure the site, along with any remaining equipment or data. Your team will travel to this outpost and retrieve as much information about it as possible. You should also salvage any relevant equipment, which the Society will take as part of its payment. If you have questions, now is the time to present them.”
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"Both are excellent questions. To answer them:
"The organization it belongs to is Veylen Enterprises: which is a sizable corporation that came into prominence during the post-Drift colonization rush.
Originally a tool and equipment manufacturer, Veylen Enterprises became famous for making inexpensive modular building designs, which are still used today by many colonists. This outpost was a sample showpiece for prospective colonists to view.”
"Colony-753 is very close to a standard planet. Gravity is 1* the norm. It's rotation is close to standard time (hours/days line up with the galactic calendar) Gravity is low. Atmosphere is standard and breathable by most species.
Beyond the environment of the planet, it is unknown what threats may exist at the outpost. You should prepare for many possibilities, such as pirates, large predators, hostile native cultures, or supernatural events.”
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"Why it was abandoned?. “The exact reason remains unknown—and part of the reason you’re all needed to investigate the site. Records indicate the outpost confirmed its arrival and establishment with the hiring organization, but since then there have been limited communications. No reports or responses have been received in over two hundred years.”
“It is a prefabricated modular outpost made by Veylen Enterprises. These outpost models used to be quite common. However, the presence of
unfamiliar modifications is very possible. So grab anything you consider to be of any value to the Starfinder Society”
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“For this assignment, you have been authorized use of a Drake or a Pegasus starship. Both starship frames can complete this assignment. Please consider the following advantages when making your decision: Drake frames have greater firepower, whereas Pegasus starships are equipped with advanced science labs and sensors. As always, to optimize the chances of completing the assignment, it is recommended that each Starfinder team choose a ship that covers any area of weakness. However, the final decision is based on your personal preference. Safe travels.”
For reference
Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 12; TL 12
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Forward) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Port) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Starboard) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Turret) coilgun (4d4)
Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters
(good), mk 1 duonode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses;
Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods, science lab,
tech workshop
Modifiers +1 to any two checks per round, +2
Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 4–7
Medium transport
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 1
AC 12; TL 12
HP 70; DT —; CT 14
Shields light 50 (forward 15, port 10, starboard 10, aft 15)
Attack (Forward) coilgun (4d4)
Attack (Aft) gyrolaser (1d8)
Attack (Turret) high explosive missile launcher (4d8)
Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems budget medium-range sensors, crew quarters
(good), mk 1 trinode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses;
Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods
Modifiers +1 to any three checks per round;
Complement 4–7
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Well, I could pilot pilot it. I know how to handle with it, you know. Says the android without emotion.
But as I never traveled with any starship during a mission, I follow the experienced ones. He would have shrunk if he could.
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After you board the Pegasus and set out for Colony-753 you have several days to familiarize yourselves with your transport as it takes days travelling to get there.
Shortly after you arrive in system, your ship’s sensors pick up an unusual object coming directly toward you!
As the destination planet appears on the starship’s main viewscreen, alarms suddenly blare. A slender form emerges from the distant void, slithering from out of the planet’s shadow.
It moves directly toward your starship, as if drawn to it.
Science officer can attempt a Life Science Check
For the most part, Besmaran whelps have a long wormlike body, two appendages, and a narrowed tail, and they typically feed on energy—their favorite meal being the power cores of starships.
Otherwise, they vary wildly in appearance.
This one has an pulsating energy surrounding it's mouth, it also seems to have a thick scaly hide and seems to be moving fast through space
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Dethara is absurdly chipper on the trip, seemingly amused by even the simplest of events and conveniences. As they approach the planet she hurries to the computer console and begins begins clicking away.
Suddenly she lets out a mad laugh. "Aha! A Besmaran whelp! They're a creature of legend! They feed on energy and love the power cores of ships! Looks like he also has a thick scaly hide and energy pulsing around its mouth!"
She bounces in place and claps her hands. "I'd prepare for baaaaaaaattlllllllllle...." she remarks in a singsong voice.
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The Besmaran whelp moves closer towards you in a straight line
Order
Engineering
depending on your ranks in the Engineering skill. These
actions can be taken only during the engineering phase.
Unless otherwise noted, each action can be performed only once
per round, no matter how many engineers are on a starship.
Divert (Engineering Phase)
You can divert auxiliary power into one of your starship’s
systems, giving it a boost. This requires a successful Engineering
check (DC = 10 + 2 × your starship’s tier), and the results depend
on where you decide to send this extra power. If you send it to
the engines, your starship’s speed increases by 2 this round. If
you send it to the science equipment, all science officers receive
a +2 bonus to their crew actions this round. If you send it to
the starship’s weapons, treat each damage die that rolls a 1 this
round as having rolled a 2 instead. If you send it to the shields,
restore an amount of Shield Points equal to 5% of the PCU rating
of the starship’s power core (see page 296), up to the shields’
maximum value. Evenly distribute the restored Shield Points
to all four quadrants (putting any excess Shield Points in the
forward quadrant).
Hold It Together (Engineering Phase)
You can hold one system together by constantly patching and
modifying it. If you succeed at an Engineering check (DC = 15 +
2 × your starship’s tier), you can select one system; that system
is treated as if its critical damage condition were two steps less
severe for the rest of the round (wrecked becomes glitching, and
a malfunctioning or glitching system functions as if it had taken
no critical damage). This check isn’t modified by penalties from
critical damage to the power core.
Patch (Engineering Phase)
You can patch a system to reduce the effects of a critical damage
condition. The number of actions and the DC of the Engineering
check required to patch a system depend on how badly the
system is damaged, as indicated on the table on page 324.
Multiple engineers can pool their actions in a single round to
effect repairs more quickly, but each engineer must succeed
at her Engineering check to contribute her action to the patch.
Pilot (also moving your ship) + Science officer
Gunnery
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Suddenly she lets out a mad laugh. "Aha! A Besmaran whelp! They're a creature of legend! They feed on energy and love the power cores of ships! Looks like he also has a thick scaly hide and energy pulsing around its mouth!"
"Doesn't sound like we should let it get in a kiss, especially since its our first date." says "Jack" with a quip atypical for his usual demeanor. He turns the coilgun towards the whelp and lights it up.
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It is likely an excruciating 12 days aboard the ship, though Zapp is only awake for a total of . One must thank the gods for his long naps and other irregular sleeping habits.
Upon blearily noticing the massive space-whale, he springs into action. He flips on his advanced comm unit, and with Kif's help, routs some useful information to Dethara's console. "This should help scan it," his voice comes over the speaker. "And once we hit that bullseye..."
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So it was this, a starship's travel? To be attacked in the space without having discuss anything? It could be shocking for a non human being as Mec-01.
Well, I take the lead on the Engineering task.
Then he takes place at the desk and and clicks on the buttons, trying to send the energy into the shields.
Engineering:
Because he's thinking that it's better not be touched. Not touched, not killed.
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Mec-01 powers up the shields and realizes...they are already at full strength and decides to boost weapons instead
Zap flips on his advanced comm unit, and with Kif's help, routs some useful information to Dethara's console
Dethara uses the additional information to great effect and reports back:
BESMARAN WHELP TIER 1
N Medium starship aberration
Speed 12; Maneuverability good (+1 Piloting, turn 2)
AC 14; TL 11
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
It has no shields
Attack (Forward) energy drain bite +3 (special) - being bitten by this would cause an effect similar to a being hit by an EMP weapon, causing one random system to glitch, damage 4d4
Jack turns the coilgun towards the whelp and lights it up, the coil gun biting directly into the creature's though hide chewing away at it's flesh
Dalinar studies the controls for his guns for a moment. He seems to figure them out and launches some lasers at the Whelp
Qip walks over to a computer and initiates another scan
and adds the additions information:
Attack (Port) claws +3 (3d4)