Following the instructions sent to your comms or datapads, you've made your way to a meeting room deep within the Lorespire Complex. This small room contains a simple set of extruded plastic tables and chairs, looking freshly manufactured. On the table sits a tray of assorted drinks, including filtered water and, surprisingly enough, a few bottles of Kristoff's Lager. A cluster of sleek black computer servers rests against the far wall, emblazoned in the center with the Starfinder Society emblem.
A small notecard on the table is printed with "Please be seated and relax until all are here."
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A tattered looking, gray-furred ysoki dressed in a tight, second skin skitters into the room on all fours, hopping up onto one of the plastic chairs. Glancing down at the note, she mutters, "Relax, huh? Okay, dair. Don'tz mindz if I duze!"
She grabs herself a bottle of lager, biting loose the cap with her prominent front teeth. Leaning back in the chair, she sighs comfortably and says, "I don't knowz why more uv deese breefin's don' have refresherments!"
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"Tocker?... you know...tocker." Mincey tries to explain. Sumbuddy dat tocks a lot? A tocker?"
Mincey stops and takes a swig of her drink as the android prays. In response to the android's question, she responds, "I shore hope not! Spent enuff time aboard sum undead ship... Endless Trinity or sumdin likez dat. Anywayz, as far as dis misheeon goze, allz Izis 'spectin' is ta gettz paid!"
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Hey, everybody, I'm here. Hey there, Tall Blue and Androidy, nice t'meet ya. The name's Naboh, just like it sounds, but not.
The brash young ysoki comes to Mincey.
Hey, cousin, how ya doin'? Say, you look like my relatives on Akiton. You related to the Burnshire clan? You're the spittin' image of my cousin Irving.
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"Name's Devi. When the fight starts, hide behind me. I'm doing this for a long time... and with pleasure." - she says greedily and smugly smiling.
With this words half-orc in a polished heavy armor* with a charming smile takes out the comm unit and makes a selfie on the background of the team, then plunges into the printing, slightly moving her lips. "Hmm, so how to write? For my fans, I'm with you again? Or maybe the beginning of a new chapter in my life? Oh, and not forget hashtags..."
___
*her armor looks like it was decorated in such a way that everyone understood the direct reference to the Knights of Golarion, but no one could be accused of copyright infringement (be it a steward's court or a court of honor).
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Hey, cousin, how ya doin'? Say, you look like my relatives on Akiton. You related to the Burnshire clan? You're the spittin' image of my cousin Irving.
"Oiving... oiving..." Mincey repeats, as if trying to recall the name. "Nope, sorry. Never hoid of 'im."
She takes another swig, "Jus' cause Ize grewd up on Akiton, don't mean I know zevry pup dat evah lived dair! Dough, dat nae Boinshire sounds familyer. Was he one of dem Boinshires dat got 'is head caught in da window while breakin' inta dat cheese factree?"
"Name's Devi. When the fight starts, hide behind me. I'm doing this for a long time... and with pleasure." - she says greedily and smugly smiling.
"When da fight starts, goil-frend, me my knivez'll be endin' it reelz quick!" Mincey throws back the container, finishing the last of her drink.
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A black and white-furred Ysoki walks in, accompanied by a small drone crawling along the floor on several legs.
"Am I late? The shaft tube from Botscrap had been conscripted for haulage so I had to go around and then walk up the auxiliary stairs which took a long time obviously then from there you have to take the tramway and they wanted to charge a fare for Spider-Pig here even though he's not a person and should be able to fit into the space allocated for me since all these other passengers are way bigger than me and why don't Ysoki get a discount anyway based on weight because we're small?"
He looks around the room.
"Oh, hi Mincey. What's new? I miss anything?"
Interrupting your discussion mere minutes after Skeek enters, the Starfinder Society emblem at the center of the server cluster shines and begins projecting a stream of holographic light. The light takes the form of a shimmering, green humanoid figure bereft of any definition, standing a few feet in front of the plastic tables.
“It seems that we await only one more agent, who will be along shortly. To most of you, greetings, I am Guidance. Though not all of you have yet completed your Commencement proceedings, our need for able bodied agents continues to be great. I have an assignment for all of you that requires capable skills and sound judgement. If you have need of a beacon to lead the way, look to Entropy-002 to serve as an example of correct Starfinder Agent decorum.”
"As for the assignment, please observe." The projection gestures a flickering hand to its side, and a stream of data fills the air to its side. The datastream describes in patchy detail the founding of an outpost on one of the myriad semi-hospitable planets in Near Space. “The Skyfire Legion recently discovered a dataset detailing the location of a lost outpost, one they founded and lost contact with over two hundred years ago. The Legion have come to us with this news in hopes of contracting the Starfinder Society to secure and explore the site. As they have promised the Society an equitable share of any information and resources discovered, your Venture Captains have agreed."
The hologram sweeps its hand and brings up a grainy image of a planet. "Your team will travel to the planet that holds this outpost, Colony-752. Once there, locate the 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.”
"Did da Skyfire Lejeein have any nosheein as to why day lost da locaysheein of dat outpost? An' wut sorta loot does ya expectz us ta find dair for salveeij"? Mincey asks.
The vaguely humanoid hologram turns to Rizzit and responds "It is unclear why the Legion lost contact with the outpost. According to their documentation, it was a tiny forward base, manned by fewer than forty individuals. Its purpose was..." Guidance halts for a brief moment to access data. "...an early-detection base for deep-space threats to the Pact Worlds. In the era it was founded, the Skyfire Legion established many such bases in their effort to provide a first line of defense."
Turning to Entropy-002, the hologram continues "With hundreds of similar tiny outposts, and with contentious upheavals within their organizational structure at the time, it seems the status of this colony was lost from their records. According to records, there were a few long-distance communications exchanged during the first few years of the outpost's existence. But since the outpost 'went dark' no reports or communications have been received in over two hundred years."
Nodding at Rizzit's question, Guidance continues "There may be many types of salvage available, from scanning equipment, to defense systems, to assorted weaponry. As much of this equipment is likely outdated, our greatest interest is in any data they may have gathered over the years the outpost was still in operation."
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Entropy uses her com-unit to take notes. Recording Historia-7's comments and adding her thoughts on the Skyfire Legion.
"The Skyfire Legion is an organization initially founded as a group of dragon-riders who defend Triaxus. Since their founding, they have expanded beyond their planet and now also provide some protection to the rest the Pact Worlds as well. Their role in the Pact Worlds has waxed and waned over the decades and centuries, as has their prestige."
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"I would like to join the question - how could they simply lose the colony and all the information about it? And why now found?"
She wrinkles her nose a little, thinking hard.
"And... hmm... The first couple of years reports have been received... Do they contain information on any potential hazards? Not what destroyed the colony itself, of course. Simply surveillances - dangerous animals, the possible signs of local civilization, weather threats, some previous cataclysms on this planet and so on. They were supposed to do some research, right?"
The hologram freezes for a moment, though the voice continues "The Legion has not seen fit to describe how they found the dataset, and while their information has been reliable in the past, it is not impossible that this data was planted. Please exercise caution in your exploration."
To Devi, Guidance responds "Unclear. Of late, the Skyfire Legion has had a swell of public funding that has enabled it to expand its reach. It may be that they now had the resources to recover this data when they did not before. As for Colony-752, we have copies of the initial data returned by the outpost."
Guidance's voice changes to a more masculine tone as it continues "Colony-752 is a low gravity world, approximately 1/3 Pact Standard, covered in a thick atmosphere rich in volatile gases. The temperature on-world is on the low end of the Pact-Worlds-Habitability Scale; expect temperatures between -40 and -10 F. . Environment logs suggest most of the surface is cold and dry, though powerful ice storms regularly sweep across the planet. Despite the harsh conditions, the logs indicate a wide variety of local life forms, including a single intelligent species. Unfortunately, no detailed information on any of these aliens is available."
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"Zarintech did have the Diplomat™ series of exhaust processors with noise reduction and they weren't that bad as long as you weren't running a chromium-lined valve system because the converter would strip the chromium particles and they'd gum up the pressure filter. You'd need a..."
"But that's not what we were talking about. Right. I dunno... strangers usually don't seem too interested in what I got to say."
"Do we got time to pick up supplies before we jet?"
Upon Entropy-002s question on transportation, Guidance responds with "For this assignment, you have been authorized use of a Drake or a Pegasus starship. Both starship frame have strengths and weaknesses that may prove relevant to this mission. 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."
Once you make your decision, Guidance seems to nod with satisfaction. "You appear to be prepared. Safe travels, and may you complete this mission swiftly."
A shirren suddenly enters the room with a smile on his face!
He looks intensely proud and is wearing aesthetic gear and a collection of trophies. He has a mustache which lends him an air of gravitas.
"Oh dear, I am late again! So sorry dear team! My pharasman superiors try to teach me but sometimes ... oh well ... so ... hmmm ... the spirits always say that you need your counterparts' soul and history! So here I am!" she says a litte shyly.
[b]"Well, I am a team player and sometimes a social butterfly who loves meeting new people! Once a crewmate called me “the galaxy’s friendliest death priest,” and I wear the badge with pride." he says giggling.
"You know, I am very fond of option bars and other artificial means of stimulating my choice centers, but I am always careful not to let myself overindulge …. usually." he says again smiling.
"But you should know that my greatest pride, is my child Chk Chk ... he is still in his larval stage. Like many shirren parents, I carry Chk Chk around in a heavily fortified cradle-jar designed to let him learn about the world from relative safety. While Chk Chk isn’t old enough to truly speak, I always hold conversations with him and Chk Chk even taps on the glass to answer. But don't worry - you won't hear anything as we do that telepathically."
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"Diplomacy?" Devi evilly grins. "Diplomacy is the jungle of Castrovel, burning with napalm strikes on rebel bases." Her eyes glow with anger and she looks askance. "Diplomacy is a lightning-felled head when a runaway bandit only drew his weapon somewhere on Akiton." Devi gets up and her voice sounds unnaturally loud. "Diplomacy is a righteous rage that hits everyone who stands in our way during a future crusade against cultists hiding on Aucturn!" In her hand materializes not quite tangible old-fashioned bastard sword, as if woven from the darkness of space and absorbing the light around. "This. Is. MY. Kind. Of. Diplomacy!!!"
For a second she freezes, as if assessing the impression produced.. and then with a laugh hides a sword (it's just fading away).
"I was kidding!" Devi smiles sweetly, her white teeth and a neat pair of fangs clearly demonstrates that she is watching both herself and the impression she can produce. "I just wanted you to understand that I fought a lot for the money, mostly at one station near the Sun. In order to be popular, I practiced certain skills. And, alas, the skill of friendly chatter in the list of what the audience wants to see from the gladiator was not included." She smiles again, spreading her arms and showing that it was just acting.
"About my role on the ship... I think the captain will be the right choice! Just put me in a chair, get in touch with the enemy captain's bridge, and believe me, I can make an impression on the enemy scum!"
"Oh I would gladly take the role of a gunner on a starship! Chk Chk will be able to see my mustache flying during battle! I would nonetheless rather fly in the Pegasus due to better maneuverability." Keskodai says with a positive smile.
Your team leaves the Lorespire Complex, heads to the Society-reserved section of the star dock, and boards your designated Drake-model starship. With Guidance clearing everything with station security beforehand, you're out of the Station and into open space in no time.
As Colony-753 lies in Near Space, Naboh locks in the co-ordinates and engages the Drift drive. Once in the iridescent kaleidoscopic landscape of the Drift, there's nothing to it but to get cozy and wait. days later, the Drake emerges into conventional space, Colony-753 within less than a day of sub-Drift flight.
Your long range scanners reveal a bluish white world covered in turbulent clouds, and while nothing much can be discerned from this distance, at the least the planet is in its expected co-ordinates.
As Naboh cruises closer to the planet, Mincey spots something *strange* on the scanners. Something exiting the shadow of the planet, and heading straight for the Drake! Something... BIG.
Whatever it is, it has the speed advantage over the Drake and quickly approaches it. As soon as she can, Mincey brings up a visual on the starship-sized creature. Its staggeringly enormous jaws open wide... revealing double rows of teeth sparking with energy.
To facilitate that, I'll be rolling the piloting checks for 'initiative' each round for both parties. Once those are done, each player should declare their crew action (order doesn't matter: helm, engineering and gunnery phases can be done simultaneously) and I'll try to decode them in a way that makes sense. After 24 hours are up, I'll resolve the actions that both sides have taken + provide 'initiative' piloting rolls for the next round. As in normal combat, I'll skip anyone who doesn't post within 24 hours of the round starting, unless they've specifically given me botting instructions.
When you move the Drake across the map, please copy the GREEN arrows provided on the map to show the path of the starship's movement for that round.
Hero of the Stars (Starship Boon) - This boon activates anytime your starship is reduced to 0 or fewer Hull Points. Your starship immediately regains a number of Hull Points equal to its tier x 5.
Round 1 Initiative:
The Besmaran Whelp has won initiative, so the Drake must move first. Please remember to indicate your ship's path with the green arrows.
Note that you can sub someone in to temporarily take Mincey's role (as Science Officer) for the round if you want to be able to roll Life Science once in combat. Making this Life Science check doesn't take any additional actions otherwise (you can still take a Science Officer action as normal for the round). If you beat the DC by 5, you can ask for information about an additional category: Offenses, Defenses, Special Abilities.
If you have questions about Starship combat and what actions you can take, check the 3rd party Starfinder SRD. Also keep in mind that the DCs for many actions have been adjusted in the official Starfinder FAQ.
"Oh of course! Your suggestion to take the science position is great ... I would have chosen this position just as gladly as the gunner position! Oh all these choices! Chk Chk ... watch and learn!"
"Ohhhh ... switching again! But I did not choose that. Oh but I can choose who to support all day long in the chair! Oh choices, choices! Chk Chk ... we move now!" he says and takes the Captain's seat.