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Ferradei rapidly runs a systems check, trying to figure out what's wrong with the ship!
As the ship's engines shut down and the ship goes into a freefall the feeling of weightlessness overtakes her. She can't help but smile.
Ortannis...
She shakes her head and focuses on the engines. She had to get them started, or she'd be as dead as her friend.
Ferradei manually gets some of the thrusters activated, and helps decelerate the ship.
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You can ride the winds in the planet’s atmosphere, causing the ship to fall at a gentler angle.
Things continue to grow wrong, despite your best efforts! The ship’s computer issues the following message:
“Landing gear functioning at 50%. Collision imminent, brace for impact.”
First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo addresses the Society through communication devices across the Scoured Stars: “Starfinders, thanks to your efforts, we have gathered a large amount of data about the whereabouts of several groups of survivors from the first mission to the Scoured Stars. We have analyzed the data and now know enough to start locating and evacuating our friends and allies. We still need more intelligence on other groups of survivors, however, and we must continue to run reconnaissance missions at the same time.”
First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo pings each of your comm devices. ” Starfinders have recovered a signal beacon from a steamy swamp on Agillae-2. Our analysis of the data indicates there is a large group of survivors on another planet in the same system, and we will soon be ready to commence the evacuation mission.”
Your comm device tune erupts, breaking the silence once again in quick succession as the dreaded group chats will. ”The results of your explorations are coming in fast. Our agents explored a starship graveyard on Agillae-5, where they found many more of our comrades kept comatose in stasis chambers. Our scientists are studying the strange technology so we can decide how to safely release them.”
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You have done your best, but there is no stopping this ship from crashing into the graveyard! Thankfully, due to your skills and teamwork, the crash landing is more of a bumpy landing. You manage to keep the ship, and yourselves, from taking any serious damage. (Other than the paint job, and it wasn't so great to begin with.)
After ‘landing’ the ship, You enter the starship graveyard complex and discover that some of the starships have fused together to form interlinked complexes across the surface of the world. The entire area has low gravity.
Shortly after entering the strangely fused structure you spot a group of Starfinder survivors huddled together. The Starfinders stare at you for a moment and then attack, their mouths opened in silent screams but not producing any sounds.
Darqen
Regalion
Altorin
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Starfinders???
The Prof
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Ferradei narrows her eyes at the one-time Starfinders. They might as well be dead.
She hurries forward and casts out her arms, causing her gauntlet's sigils to glow with a blue light and a chill mist to seep from her palms. She stomps her foot and pushes her hands forward. There's a shimmering on the ground, and a slick sheet of ice forms under the feet of some of the Starfinders. It looks very slippery.
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Altorin can tell that these Starfinders are not under any magical effect or charm. However, Jaqweh can tell that there is something controlling these people. They are all human, that is undeniable. But their reflexes and responses are not normal, almost too smooth to be human. You can tell that they are unlikely to use the pistols strapped to their sides, preferring the knives and battle gloves in their hands.
First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo's voice rings out with more news of hope on each of your comm devices. ”Starfinders have penetrated the defenses of an ancient automated city on Callion-2. They discovered that a group of Starfinders visited the city a year ago, trying to find a way to help other Starfinders stuck on the desert planet of Callion-1. We’ll begin moving resources to Callion-1 immediately.”
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The two fallen starfinders crawl out of the mess and stand up, their faces slackjawed and silent, staring.
The third however, runs at Altorin with arms out, a dagger in hand!
Thankfully, the knife skitters off his armor!
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 1/5 SP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange
Blue
Pink
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Jaqweh yells at the starfinder with the pink Strawberry Machine Cake holographic sticker. The woman looks at you with nothing in her eyes, a silent scream in her mouth.
Regalion swings at the starfinder, taking the wind out of her. Darqen follows up with a tricky blow from his stun baton. The Starfinder falls to the ground, unconscious.
Ferradei misses the falling Starfinder, her poorly timed blow unnoticed.
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 1/5 SP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange
Pink 14 dmg
Blue
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The older starfinder cocks his head and stares at Altorin for a moment before running headlong at him. The starfinder swings with his baton!
The other starfinder takes advantage of Altorin being surrounded and tries to stab him in the back.
Neither enemy is skilled enough to get past Altorin's impressive defensive blocking!
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 1/5 SP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange
Pink 0 HP, Unconscious
Blue
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Ferradei’s ice bolt strikes home, the frost covering the Starfinder’s armor. Darqen’s aim isn’t as good as his computer prowess, and he would have missed the Starfinder if it wasn’t for Jaqweh’s helpful tips! Altorin follows up with a spinning move he saw in the movies. His first hit misses by a mile, but the back end of his staff hits the Starfinder right in the head!
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 1/5 SP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange 3 dmg
Pink 14 dmg,
Blue 12 dmg,
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The prof deals the order starfinder an excellent blow but she stays standing! Both strike back at Altorin!
His massive attack left him open, and both deliver savage strikes, sending him to the ground! They turn towards the rest of you with open mouths, eyes empty.
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 0/5 SP 0HP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange 3 dmg
Pink 0 hp,
Blue 20 dmg,
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Prof sends two missiles at the older starfinder and one at the younger. The first starfinder goes down under the fusillade and begins bleeding out. Regalion steps up and deals a severe blow to the final Starfinder, dropping her as well.
COMBAT OVER
Checking over the three fallen starfinders, you feel like you could stabilize them enough to prevent their deaths.
While examining the bodies, you notice that all three had augmentations installed. They appear to be misfiring, much like a cybernetic zombie. Like they are infected with some form of nanite code. The virus that affected your ship on descent seems to be very similar to the nanite code affecting the Starfinder agents.
Darqen 14/14 SP
Regalion
Altorin 1/5 SP
The Prof
Ferradei
Jaqweh
Orange 16 dmg
Pink 0 HP,
Blue 27 dmg,
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After dealing with the mind controlled Starfinders, the group continues searching the starship graveyard and makes a terrifying discovery: dozens of Starfinders are currently comatose and held in secure stasis chambers.
After reporting your find, you call back to HQ. Quickly, a R-TEP transport ship comes to ferry you away.
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The Prof fusses over the bodies for a few moments. "Hmmm, most interesing...perhaps even unsettling...or, maybe a little disturbing! All three of these poor people had augmentations installed, which appear to be misfiring somehow. Much like a cybenetic zombie, someone might even say. It is as if...well, like they are infected with some form of nanite code. It's a little bit like...well, actually almost identical to the virus that affected our ship on descent!"
He then looks back to the group, a look of concern on his face. "Don't move them! It might kill them, or leave them permanently damaged!"
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Ferradei checks on the unconscious starfinders but is unable to stabilize them
When they discover the Starfinders in statis tubes she walks by them in shock. "This is..." Her voice trails off to silence. After hearing The Prof's explanation she asks, "What is required, then? Do we leave them for the other Starfinders to recover?"
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A look of shock is the last thing to come across Altorins face before going down and the first look on his face after gasping back to consciousness.
"What? They took me down. I am...I'm sorry. Thank you for getting me up." he sputters out while getting to his feet then waving a hand over his wounds to finish closing them up.
Back at base he will take time to meditate over his mistake leading to falling in combat to gain SP back.
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The society support unit begins rescuing the unconscious starfinders, and you head back out. Having located several groups of survivors from the previous expedition, the Starfinder fleet starts rescue missions while continuing reconnaissance missions to locate other groups. Once back on the ship, you are sent to meet Radaszam for details on one of those rescue missions.
Radaszam, leader of the Acquisitives faction, briefs the group. “Recon teams who visited an ancient city gained information on Starfinders who may be stuck on the desert planet Callion-1. We sent a ship closer to the planet to scan it and turns out, the intel was good; there are Starfinders down there. It’s a tidally locked world where one side is a frigid tundra and the other a blazing hot wasteland. If that doesn’t sound bad enough, our weather scans show there’s a gigantic magnetic storm raging in the part of the planet where our friends are. Flying vehicles won’t be safe to fly anywhere near the storm, which is why you’ll be using two all-terrain vehicles to reach them!”
The vehicle carries enough ammunition to reload each mounted weapon twice. You can also use their own weapons in any subtier, but you take the full penalty for attacking from a moving vehicle.
Huge land vehicle (10 ft. wide, 20 ft. long, 7 ft. high)
Speed 10 ft., full 450 ft., 50 mph
EAC 13; KAC 16; Cover total cover
HP 90 (45); Hardness 8
Attack (Collision) 7d8 (DC 12)
Modifiers –4 Piloting, –3 attack (–6 at full speed)
Systems autopilot (Piloting +13), planetary comm unit; Passengers 7