Zoey blasts the Shobad as well!
The ysoki continue opening fire - one firing at Alton from behind a table, while one fires at Alth from behind the bar.
Attack
Damage
Attack
Damage
One shot striking him!
Attack
Damage
Attack
Damage
Both shots missing!
The shobad fires mystcial energy at 6ix...!
Mind Thrust - DC 14 Will or damage.
The Shobad then collapses!
|
Seeing blood fall from Altharikon's wounds, Id crouches and positions himself next to his injured comrade, reaching out to his mind telepathically. I can heal your injuries once this skirmish is resolved, but please keep out of harm's way until then!
The shirren takes a shot at the closer ysoki as if to accent his point, calling out in Common "Your large ally has fallen. Abandon this needless conflict before someone else gets hurt!"
Altharikon takes a shot but misses.
Alton starts blazing away, also to little effect.
Id manages a slight wound on the enemy after taking some patient aim!
6ix manages to come from an unexpected angle and get a shot on the ysoki!
Zoey eggs on her companions then manages to get a shot on the ysoki, and it falls to the floor, overcome by the multiple hits!
The last ysoki behind the bar decides that this has not gone entirely to plan and legs it back out the rear exit, fleeing out of view.
Alton rushes to the doorway, the taiko has simply hoofed it into the ether. A lot of the locals are standing around outside, they seem rather agitated.
Outside you can hear the odd object thrown at the building, but none of the (hostile) locals fancy their chances at trying to do anything to a band of heavily armed 'mercenaries'.
You depart out to a secluded spot in the red hills and find a spot to take a breather...
|
Oh, that nasty woman. So unfriendly... Zoey tries her best to act cute, but then realizes she is still holding a gun, making the effort less convincing. She puts it away, turns to 6ix and says Thanks for saving me, sixie, and blows a kiss.
When she sees the crowd outside, she mutters I don't think they're hee for a fansigning, are they?
Step on the gas and ride away
Drive any road you want to take
I'll be your guide
I will be right beside you
|
"I will render aid when doing so does not endanger me more than the chance of saving others." He says it genially, though perhaps it isn't quite the reaction one might expect. Sixie? Have I done enough to merit an affectionate moniker? Have I not picked up on some subtle human ritual or custom that has bound me to this one?
"I doubt that they are here for us in the way you interpret. I think they take our intervention negatively as the truth will negatively impact their accounts."
|
|
Once the party has a chance to relax, Alton doubles over, bracing himself with his hands on his knees. He looks up at his compatriots and smiles.
"Well now... that... that really went south quick, didn't it?"
"... I think they take our intervention negatively as the truth will negatively impact their accounts."
Alton dusts off his knees, and checks the battery pack of his laspistol. "Our man Talbot has cheated and defrauded half of this backwater planet, and without them even knowing it." Alton holsters his weapon, and adjusts his shirt collar. "... I mean, I'm half jealous of his stupid plan. Up until the point where the locals turn against him and tear him limb from limb."
After making good your escape, and taking time for a breather, you continue on your journey.You eventually note that there are several mines in the area, but in particular you note one a mine built into a red rock hillside. A string of mining lights provide some dim light in the darkness near the mouth of the mine, and none of the lights on the other sites appear active - clearly, this is the place.
|
|
Once away from the town, Althar takes a moment to catch his breath and compose himself, then examine his wounds. Drawing a syringe from his pack, he pulls off the cap with his teeth, then hand the needle into his upper arm.
Sighing in relief. Altharikon peers at the horizon and points. "Looks like the place. What's the plan?"
A sloping ramp descends to the west, made of hard-packed red dirt that shows signs of heavy vehicle traffic. The ramp opens into a large square chamber with rough walls. A metal track runs along the ground from a passage in the west wall and then turns north, ascending a five-foot ramp and then running along the north wall until the track terminates. A pair of metal lockers stand in the southeast corner, and a heap of ore is piled to the southwest.
The construction appears uniform, the ceiling is 10' high, and side supports brace the passageways. There are still mining lights in operation providing dim light.
6ix can tell that the tracks here are for automated mine carts. Mine carts enter this chamber and roll along the ramp. Once stopped, the carts are then uncoupled to tip over and pour their cargo into the bed of a vehicle that would back up to the tracks.
The pair of lockers appear...locked.
The android also identifies the ore to the southwest as unrefined thasteron.
6ix gets into the lockers and finds they contain a basic medkit and an engineering specialty tool kit. A quick pat down of a tattered mining suit reveals an old credstick with 300 remaining credits.
The party moves in...
|
|
Alton approaches 6ix and claps him on the shoulder. "Excellent work, 6ix."
He then pulls his laspistol free from the maglock holster on his thigh, and checks the battery. Hmm, three quarters left. Still good if we have to shoot our way out this mine.
He turns to the party, then shrugs his shoulders. "Shall we?"
You move up to the passageway and note that north seems to run deeper into the mines. They seem to be full of thick, trackless dust and failing lights that imply no one has been down these passages in over a year.
To the south there seem to be some more rooms and a junction.
Alton sticks his head around the corner...
6ix pushes out into the chamber and can see it is a workshop.
A passageway from the west leads into this rectangular chamber with rough-hewn walls.
A metal mine-cart track runs parallel to the passage and enters the room before ending abruptly. A mine cart in an obvious state of disrepair lies adjacent to the tracks.
Tools cover a table against the east wall, while a pair of metal lockers stands in the southwest corner. Investigating the lockers finds they contain mining uniforms and binders of material safety data sheets for explosives.
|
|
Seeing that the area is secure, Alton follows 6ix eastward into the workshop. He rummages through the various tools on the bench, then shines a flashlight into one of the lockers, seeing the uniforms and documents.
”So hear me out… we strap into these uni’s, grab a toolbox or two, and an armful of these papers? We head down into the mine as safety inspectors, or a demo crew, or something.” Alton rummages through, taking note of how many uniforms they are, and what body types they’d fit.
”I mean, anyone of us who can’t fit into one of these’ll have to stay back a bit, but I think this at least gives us a chance to catch Talbot or any associates he might have with him off guard.” he grabs a hard hat, and doffs it with a grin. ”We’d just need to come up with a signal.” he adjusts the brim. ”In my experience though, the signal’s usually the first gunshot or crack of a laser.”
You can take 20 on this check (recall knowledge) if you have a means of researching, such as access to an information network or downloaded data set; this typically takes 2 minutes.
|
|
Id keeps his eyes peeled for adversaries while looking around. More information is always good, but unless we know these miners include shirrens and lashuntas I think we'd have a hard time selling the idea that we're staff. These people know their own, and are probably on high alert after that scuffle in Digger's Dive. It might give us a jump start on Talbot, but I don't know if we can hold the deception for long.
|
|
Alton, having already taken off his vest, struggles to keep his balance on one foot while putting on a pair of coveralls. "Okay, how's about 6ix, Zoey and I, we pose as miners or engineers. Then Alth and Id, you two keep back within earshot?" he starts putting his stringing his boots back up, and looks up at the crew.
"We come across anyone, I'll do my best to keep them distracted by parroting some technical jargon I've gleaned from this manual. That should at least give you guys enough time to get in position." he takes his laspistol, and places it folded within a binder, which he clutches to his chest. With a hard hat and a set of safety specs to finish the look, he clears his throat and adjusts his voice slightly.
"Now listen here, this shaft hasn't cleared for sub-surface surveys! What do you think is going on here? This doesn't look like an ASHA-compliant site! Have you filled out the necessary filework for an 11.2b?"
Alton begins the first part of his ruse...