Star Trek: Valiant (Inactive)

Game Master tumbler

Thanks to Reeves for deliberately keeping everyone involved. You can communicate from Shuttle to ship. There is some interference, but things should be basically intelligible for communications.

Kreskin can locate the "ships," but with further analysis he can determine that they aren't so much ships as organisms. Some sort of ship sized plasma weapon wielding squid creatures.

You are only about a mile from the Redoubt, so you would conceivably walk it. For my money, Kreskin is being pretty hard on the Dr. given that she brought them down safely with no power.

You don’t get brownie points for mitigating the concequences of a mistake. She flew them directly into the line of fire. He’ll give her props for the landing when they’re all safe but right now her needs her to stop rushing headlong into danger.

Thoss nods curtly, "Yes, Sir." Glancing at the tactical display on his console he adds, "I have established contact with the shuttle Captain. There is some interference but communications have been established. They are surrounded by that plasma cloud which I believe is swarming with more of those creatures." He turns to Kerensky, "I believe our best chance here us to figure out how they communicate. We have seen they are clearly intelligent here."

Hearing that communications have been able to be established Garrett wonders if something can be done to get a transporters lock

can I jury rigging some way to beam them up?

So I’ve seen the creatures...can I tell how many? Where they are? Is there a free gap between us and the redoubt or will we run right under them? Do I need to spend momentum on those questions?

Lance continues to track the creatures. There are only two on your screens, but there could be more hiding in the storm. Their bioelectric signatures match the storm so closely that sensors can't discriminate between the signals. They are about 20 kilometers away, but their speed shows that they could close that distance quickly if they wanted to. At the moment, they don't seem interested in you. You are between them and the redoubt, which 1.7 kilometers from the crash site.

Yes to the Momentum spends

Garrett, what you most need is a transporter or beacon at the site of the transport, something like the enhancers that they use in TNG. Those don't exist yet, but they make something like them in Star Trek Beyond. I'm not sure what you could do from the ship, but I'm open to ideas. Usually if you can't use the transporters in TOS, there isn't much you can do about it.

"Thoss, is there a way to reconfigure the Universal Translator to the frequencies these beings are using?"

Techno-babble for the win!

Like squid, these space squid communicate through visual cues. It would require a Difficulty 3 Task to understand their communications.

"I don't think so Sir," Thoss responds as he brings up the visual recording of the creatures during their earlier encounter. "They appear to use purely visual stimuli to communicate among one another. I can try to configure the translator to reflect the patterns upon the hull of the ship, but in effect we would be speaking gibberish to them."

I don't think Thoss can make that Task here, but someone else might...

Thoss opens a comm channel to Kreskin, "Commander, Valiant here. We believe the plasma creatures communicate purely by visual means. See if you can get some pictures of them and send the data to the Valiant. We can use that data to extrapolate how they communicate further."

Normally I’d love that idea, but we’ll be running for our lives. I’ll see if the redoubt has video archives.

He passes out environment suits. One for him, one for the Doctor, one for a security ensign, one for a medical ensign.

We four will make the run to the redoubt. With luck they’ll have more environment suits so we can all get out safely.

When everyone is ready, Kreskin leads the small group out of the shuttle.

8 momentum for the suits, 2 for the questions. How much does that leave us?

"That might be how they physically communicate over a short distance but they have to have another means of communication over long distances..." He stops "If it's purely visual it's limited by the speed of light. When you are operating in space even over a small distance within a star system that becomes minutes quickly. If you are an intelligent species that's too big of an operational limitation to not find a work around for and develop weapons like they've got."

Kerensky starts using his limited experience on sensors to try to find something out of the ordinary. "Figuring out what their work around is is the challenge."

Reason+Science 10: 2d20 ⇒ (14, 13) = 27
Computer+Sensors 10: 1d20 ⇒ 5 One success

1. Any out of the ordinary radiation/patterns between the ship and the planet that could be a signal.

Doctor Bhalla slips into her suit, grabs a medical kid and tricorder, and prepares to head outside.

By my count that leaves you with 1 Momentum, 7 Threat.

There is no unexpected radiation or subspace activity between the squid creatures and the hive ship.

Kerensky, if I were you, I'd add a Momentum to that roll and try to kick off your Untapped Potential.

The other security ensign slides into the sensor station as Kreskin seals himself into the environment suit.

"I'll keep an eye on the hostiles and keep you apprised of their postion, sir."

The shuttle door opens as you make your way onto the hostile surface of the planet. Energy crackles in great sheets overhead. Your heads up displays indicate a the location of the redoubt in the distance.

Make a Fitness+? Difficulty 1 Task to make your way to the Redoubt. The ? is because I can imagine different Disciplines helping out. Maybe the doc shoots you up with Tri-ox, maybe you exhort each other to keep going and use Command. Security would be the default.

Fitness+Security 10: 2d20 ⇒ (17, 5) = 22

Steeling herself for the journey, the doctor heads out toward the redoubt.
One success.

Lance takes the lead. A mile was a long way to go at full sprint, but they needed to move fast.
Fitness + security=: 2d20 ⇒ (16, 20) = 36

Damn it Jim I’m a scientist not an Olympiad

Keeping close on the heels of the commander, it looks to Malati that Kreskin is losing pace. "The matter would seem to be quite urgent, Commander. Perhaps, we should try and pick up our pace." she says coldly.

"For the sake of the mission." she adds.

I got a 20 on the “run from aliens” roll. Something tells me I didn’t just slowdown

No successes and a Complication? Let's have some fun.

AS they the foursome makes their way across the barren landscape, they can feel the ground tremble as if from a distant bombardment. Suddenly, weakened by the dilithium mining and shaken by the alien attacks, the ground opens beneath your feet. Dr. Bhalla and the two ensigns leap to safety on opposite sides of the crack, but Lance slides 50 feet into the broken earth, his suit wedging itself into the bottom of the newly formed crevasse.

Satisfied that she and the two ensigns are safe, Doctor Bhalla peers down into the crevice below. It is immediately clear that she will not be able to reach the superior officer from her current position.

Are you prepared to lead a reconnaissance and rescue team, Commander? Are you? The doctor ponders quietly, parroting the man's voice in her mind, as she looks intensely down at Kreskin. Or do I have to leave you behind?

Swallowing her spite, the doctor acknowledges that she has to stay focused on the problem at hand. She calls down into earth, "Are you okay, Commander? Any injuries or breaches to the suit?"

As she listens for the commander's response, she is already looking around for possible tools for extraction, though none seems to be handy.

Turning to the ensigns present, she notes, "Even if we could link together as some human chain, we wouldn't be long enough to reach the Commander from here."

Her hand subconsciously raises towards her chin, where it is met by the curved visor of her protective suit. "I suppose I could use my phaser to carve out a few hand-holds in the rock..." she considers aloud. "But, that would still require that our damsel in distress first be able to reach them."

She glances back down at Kreskin from the edge of the newly-opened fissure and shakes her head. "I'm afraid you're too big for me to carry out, Commander," she once again calls down into the pit."We'll help as best we can, but it looks like you're going to have to go at least part of the distance on your own. Do you think you're up for it?"

I...I'm wedged in. I don't know if I can get out without tearing my suit.

Lance grits his teeth and tries to carefully remove himself from where he's pinned in.

I have no idea what to roll here. He's being precise and careful, so I'm going with presence. Security?
TN 12: 2d20 ⇒ (3, 12) = 15

Is that enough to get free without breaching?

Lance's suit gives no indication of a breach or any other problems. He pulls himself from the bottom of the crevasse. He pulls himself slowly up the slanted ridge.

I'm going to impose a penalty from the Complication and say that the Task is Difficulty 3. You can overcome this with an aid from Bhalla or from spending Momentum, drawing Threat, etc. You two are going to have to get along to make this work.

I.am having fun playing the doctor's who, bit let me know if it is too much and interfering with game play.

Watching Kreskin pull himself up slowly feom the crevasse,Malati is impressed, though she tries not to show it. "Awaiting orders, Commander." she calls down

At a bit of a loss as to how the doctor could help. She isn't big enough to carry him and, as far as I can tell, Kreskin is still too deep for her to reach him.

I don't think that in the TOS era having two officers be at odds with each other a bit is out of line. Especially as this is a newly assembled crew and they are finding out how to work together. We aren't required to live under Roddenberry's mandate that there be no conflict among the crew. That is mostly true in TNG, but not so much in TOS or the movies related to it.

I think you could assist with a technology, or a human chain that you mentioned above. I'm sure you could rig something that would enhance the first officer's capabilities with your med kit.

Watching Kreskin begin to pull himself up, Doctor Bhalla quickly opens one of the medkits and removes a small vial that she then loads into a hypospray, which she tosses down to the Commander. "A stimulant." she explains. She then doeectsbyhe ensigns to help lower her part way into the crevice to help Kreskin up.

Fitness+Medicine (12): 1d20 ⇒ 20

That's not good.

”Before he died, the commander said how much he respected me”

after watching a ton of OG startrek I can lock on their communicators and attempt a beam on them

Given the dire circumstances and the number of 20's you have rolled to create Complications, I'f allow Garrett to save the day by using the commicators as a sort of prototypical pattern enhancers. Maybe you take over their transporters/tricorders to scan and send info to the ship that acts as transport enhancers and allows you to beam them out of danger. You can't really die in this game unless you want to. Everything else as far as complications just make things harder.

Garrett dashes down to the transporters getting an idea and calls the captain.

captain I may be able to get a lock on the communicators and beam the away team back to the ship. Orders?

What I'm thinking here is that the crew on the surface needs to do some work to get their tricorders to communicate with the communicators, then the communicators send that info to the ship, giving the transporters enough info to get a lock. Lance and Malati need to make a Difficulty 2 Control+Engineering Task. The other can assist. On the ship, we need a Task to operate the Transporters Control + Engineering Task with a Difficulty of 2, assisted by the ship’s Sensors + Engineering; this Difficulty increases by +1 if the target is not on a transporter pad, and +1 if the destination is not a transporter pad, and may increase further based on interference or other conditions. The target cannot be transported to or from any location with more than 0 shields. This Task can also be performed from any transporter room, reducing the Difficulty by one.

Of course you can communicate with each other.

With the situation deteriorating, the doctor reaches for her communicator.

"Doctor Bhalla to Valiant." Malati says into the device. "Commander Kreskin has fallen into a crevice and is unreachable. Extent of his injuries, if any, are unknown. Requesting his immediate beam out."

Realizing that the transporter signal may not be strong enough to comply with her request, she surmises that she may be able to amply the biosignal of the Commander with her tricorder in order to enhance a transporter lock.

Control+Engineering (11): 2d20 ⇒ (7, 17) = 24

One success

waiting for the bridge to answer and for the directions to get him or them out of there

8 Momentum and 9 Threat. I'd recommend spending some Momentum to make this work.

Since Meetch is indisposed, I'm going to make some decisions for Lance.

Control+Engineering: 4d20 ⇒ (5, 16, 11, 4) = 36

Spending 3 Momentum for 2 Extra Dice.[/dice]

Lance removes his tri-corder from its belt mount.

"We are going to need to direct three tricorders at each target. Then we connect the tricorders to the improved communicators in our suit and broadcast their info to the ship. This should enhance our patterns and allow them to acquire a lock even through the interference."

He configures his tricorder while Malati cofigures hers and the other away team members do as well, scanning each member in turn.

[ooc]Yesult, go ahead and make the transporter Task check described above.

5 Momentum 9 Threat

control+engine 15: 3d20 ⇒ (13, 16, 14) = 43

reroll: 1d20 ⇒ 5

4 successes

Sorry, I got it into my head that I got knocked out when doc botched her assist roll...but I completely made that up, apparently. Lance would try the tricorder trick, so let’s leave that as is.

With an unexpected shimmer, the away team is returned to the Valiant one at at time. Lance returns first, environmental suit intact. Dr. Bhalia follows, and then one of the other officers. The final officer, unsurprisingly a security officer, fails in the transporter. The transporter fails to materialize the final away team member. Garrett is good, but he can't get all of the away team back onto the ship....

Lance seems almost frantic We...we have to go back for him. Beam me down if you have to. We can’t leave him there.

He looks to Bhalla, shame in his eyes. Ensign Rorke isn’t going to die because of my screwup. Send me back down.

commander it was the best I could do, I am sorry. I cannot get a lock with the transporter Garrett says quietly.

Using Direct
Then send me back down, damnit. We're not leaving them down there.
Command+Presence+determination: 2d20 ⇒ (8, 1) = 9
Veteran: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Yesult, that's three successes for you to use as long as you pull at least one success in your engineering roll to send Lance back down

commander I got a lock off your tricorders. Does the security officer have one? If he does not I cannot get you anywhere without communication or coordinates. What I just did has never to my knowledge even been done

Yes, Garrett acquired the lock by using tricorders on the surface to scan. Without a receiving platform on the surface, you won't be able to beam back down. Rorke will have to tough it out in his environment suit until other help can get there.

Lance knows that Garrett is right, but...

What about the shuttlecraft? Can you lock on the shuttlecraft? We didn't get far before I...I fell. I can get back to Rorke if you beam me to the shuttlecraft.

I will start trying to boost the array and get a signal off the shuttle and see what I can do Sir. The interference is why we used the shuttle in the first place.

Don't forget, if you can get just one success you can have the three I scored for you

shuttle lock 15: 2d20 ⇒ (13, 14) = 27

Five successes? Surely that's enough to get Lance back on the planet.

Lance has some extra environmental suits in his hands, ready for transport down.

Doctor...I was...too harsh to you regarding the crash. I'm sorry, and I need your help. This is a dangerous mission, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather have with me to rescue our remaining crew. Will you join me?

Bhalla held back a satisfied smirk. She relished the idea of making the old man squirm--of pointing out his failure had put lives in danger. But that was just it.

There were lives in danger. And the more time she spend indulging in her prettiness, the more those lives remained at risk.

The doctor nodded."I'm ready." she said. She followed her affirmation with the command. "Two for transport."

Garrett slides the controls of the transporter once again, using the shuttle's sensors to isolate the materialization area. Like two characters from an ancient video game, Kreskin and Bhalla reappear near their crashed shuttle, as though respawning.