Val'nor searches the body in the south.
After searching the officer, Lasereater will sit on the corpse and pop out a small me he squirreled away from the kitchen.
You take a breather, regaining some stamina while you search the bodies and nearby rooms.
On Olaraja, you find a static arc pistol and tactical dueling sword. He wears casual stationwear armor of Azlanti style. He also carried 2 batteries
The troopers carry the Azlanti ceremonial plate armor, a standard taclash, tactical semi-auto pistol and survival knives.
Among the drone wreckage, you salvage stickybomb grenades and battery intact.
***
After resting, you resume your search and clear. You find the rest of the garrison is empty of Azlanti threats.
The central, circular room is apparently the command center. The chamber is dim, with only a few spotlights illuminating the computer equipment that rings this room on wide, sweeping panels of metal and plastic. The illuminated screens of the computer systems include a station that is clearly designed for weapons control. Delicate racks hanging from the ceiling contain communications equipment. A projector in the center of the room, hanging from the ceiling, displays a holographic image of Nakondis. The door in the western wall is labeled with green letters, as is the door in the eastern wall.
Other rooms off the mess hall and barracks include a lavatory, rec room and storage closet.
South from the command center, you find the brig . The narrow hall is separated from a large prison cell by floor-to-ceiling bars of translucent metal. Occasional crackles of electricity dance along the bars. There is no door to the cell, and the bars are each only a few inches apart. The cell has several fold-down benches, a simple toilet, and a water spigot over a drain. The air has a heavy, charged feeling and smells of ozone.
Eight people are crammed into this prison cell, some sitting dejectedly on the benches while others sit on the floor. You identify a male korasha lashunta, six humans and a shirren among them. The shirren is not Meico.
As you enter, the lashunta stands and walks towards the electrified bars but stands well clear. He is older, scarred, with an air of authority. You may recognize him from data files on Nakondis colony: Madelon Kesi, the colony administrator. "You aren't Azlanti! Who are you?"
Lasereater looks at the arc pistol. "Me take sparky gun."
He looks around a but in confusion, "Dis bear-icks only has fives baddies? Where others?"
Later when they run into the others, he sticks his head close to the bars, maybe too close, and asks "Where Meico? No care about you longshankses."
Blax-9 smiles and attempts to translate for Lasereater. "What my friend means to say is that though we seek Meico, we will also help all of you escape. How do we open the cell? And do any of you know where Meico is?"
Val'nor takes the tactical semi-auto pistol and one of the survival knives.
Then he goes back to the bodies of the guards and looks for a key or a code that might open the gate. 5 bodies
unless he can take 20?
Madelon gives Lasereater a frown but does not appear upset by his rudeness. He returns Blax-9's smile and nods. "Starfinders, then? You must be Sarigar's men. Meico was taken, along with our scientist, Cedona. I can tell you a lot more, but this isn't the place -- or time. Get us outta here and I'll happily tell all when we're safe."
Val'nor does not find any keys or codes on the dead Azlanti.
Madelon points towards the door to the east. "Olaraja would use a switch or terminal in that office to power down the bars and open the cell. Hopefully you can find it."
The door opens to a tidy office with a wide desk made of pearlescent material that’s polished to a reflective sheen. A computer sits upon the desk, but it is otherwise bare. A curtained alcove stands in the northwest.
Blax-9 searches the area and then whips aside the alcove curtain.
Bast will look around for the control and then use computer or engineering to open the cells if he can.
Perception -
Computers or Engineering -
Also what is on the table of guns?
"Longshanks say 'was taken' ... no say whose did taking? Speaks more nowz."
Lasereater is fixated on figuring out where Meico is ... for now.
Blax-9 finds nothing dangerous in the room, and the curtained alcove is a small latrine.
Bast finds the office computer is on and still logged in to Olaraja's account. Unfortunately, the text is entirely in Azlanti. With a little work, and calling on his rudimentary understanding of the language, he finds the brig controls. A few moments later, the electricity is turned off and cell door unlocked.
Bast realizes that the computer has a lot of other information, but translating it will take some time.
While the others check the office, Lasereater continues his interrogation. "The Azlanti commander, an Aeon Guard lieutenant named Sharu. She took them and left aboard their ship, the Barazad, just over a week ago."
"Dey say where dey take Borrow-sad to?" Lasereater asks pointedly before he yells over his shoulder at the party.
"Ay-on Loo-tent name Sharoo, take Meico on Borrow-sad. You half-shanks wit whizzy gonking skillz figger out where her take ship?"
Val'nor joins Bast, and looks at him in wonder... "how did you figure that out?
He will then try to download as much data as he can from the Azlanti computers.
"I can tell you where they went," Madelon answers for Lasereater. He opens the brig and ushers his people out towards the exit. "First, I have to get my people to safety. Is this garrison clear?"
Blax-9 shrugs, "Clear for now, but the rest of the garrison will be back soon. We'll escort you out."
He leads the way out of the garrison.
"Good, let's go," Madelon nods. He ushers his people towards the exit, having them follow Blax-9 towards the exit. You encounter no trouble on the way out. As soon as you are clear of the garrison, the colonists quickly disperse into the fog. Once they are safely gone, Madelon waves you towards his module on the west end of the colony.
Madelon’s private residence consists of two connected prefabricated modules, rather than just one, although there is a separate entrance to each module. One of the entrances is painted with an elaborate cityscape in gold above the words “All Are Welcome Before the Master of the First Vault” while the other has a small sign reading “Private Business.” The building is well maintained.
Madelon walks up and types a code into the keypad by the door, opening it. The interior is in disarray and has plainly been thoroughly searched. Madelon sighs and tries to sort some of the scattered records. He finds a chair and gestures for you to make yourselves comfortable. "Thank you for the rescue. The Azlanti were ruthless... I fully expect we were to be executed when they were finished with us."
"You seem to be no-nonsense types, so I'll cut to the chase. Your friend, Meico and our scientist, Cedona, were taken away when Sharu left in their ship. I don't speak their language, but I understood enough that she was very interested in seeing firsthand the ancient starship. I can almost guarantee that's where she went, and took our people with her."
"Me knows nonsense, yes." Lasereater leaps into a chair and begins to bounce up and down in it.
"Times to splore ankshent ships?"
As they walk to the guys shop, can Val'nor scan through the datapad and see if any of the data he downloaded is in any of the languages he knows (Common, Shirren, Vesk, Ysoki)
When they arrive, Val'nor asks "What did Meekko and Sarigar find on that ship?"
"After they arrived, Meico and Sarigar searched the ancient Azlanti ship along with a few of our colonists, notably Cedona. They found most of the ship and its contents were damaged or corroded past recovery, but the ship's drive was mostly intact. Meico called it a rune drive, some kind of pre-Drift star travel technology. Sharu was very interested in it when they interrogated us."
Blax-9 nods at Madelon. "We'll get 'em back. But first we need a medic. You got any healing?"
"Lets get you back to safety, we can go after our people once you are safe"
Madelon nods to Blax-9, "I am a priest of Abadar, but after our time in jail, I'm exhausted. But I will gladly provide healing after some rest." To Bast, he adds, "We'll be safe enough here, but let's check in with Aibretta and see how the others are doing."
You find Aibretta and Jellik back at her shop. She and the other colonists recently returned from their planned distraction. Seeing Madelon alive and healthy, she smiles and embraces the administrator with a strong handshake. Aibretta explains that their mission was successful -- the Azlanti troops were lured into the jungle; some were picked off and the others left to wander, lost. Nakondis Colony, for the moment, is safe.
Sarigar remains unconscious but stable.
After checking on the rest of the colonists and making preparations for repairs and defense, Madelon meets with you again in the evening. "On behalf of everyone here, I thank you for your timely arrival. I am certain that the Azlanti were ready to execute us and wipe the colony from the map." He pauses, shaking his head at the grim thought. "We want to reward you. I have this," he holds out a cred stick. "Four thousand credits, collected from a grateful colony. And Aibretta has offered to upgrade your space craft, using parts on hand here at Nakondis."
Val'nor works with a translation program to slowly work through the downloaded files. You learn the following:
• The identity of the officer logged on to the computer was Master-at-Arms Olaraja, who is a member of the Imperial Fleet. He was currently working on a temporary basis for Lieutenant Sharu, a member of the Aeon Guard.
• The Azlanti have come to the planet because a crashed probe relayed the location of ancient aeon stone technology. An Azlanti named Zolan Ulivestra ordered Olaraja’s vessel, the Barazad, to investigate. The reports refer to Zolan Ulivestra in many places as a sardat.
• The Barazad is an Imperial Fleet vessel that happened to be transporting Lieutenant Sharu and the Azlanti troopers under her watch. The Barazad is currently off mapping the rest of the system and will return for resupply.
• The Azlanti were surprised to find a small Pact Worlds colony already on Nakondis. Lieutenant Sharu commandeered the expedition and she and her cadets successfully subdued the colony and established a presence in Madelon’s Landing.
• Sardat Zolan Ulivestra believes the strange readings are from a lost starship called the Royal Venture. The personal vessel of a pre-Gap Azlanti noble, the Royal Venture carried an experimental technomagical device called a rune drive that would allow interstellar flight without use of the Drift. Scans conducted after the victory over Madelon’s Landing revealed these theories were correct.
• Investigation uncovered that a shirren Starfinder and android colonist had already entered the Royal Venture crash site and stolen the rune drive. The Shirren, android, and the rune drive were picked up by a fast courier vessel called the Silver Needle and returned to the Azlanti Star Empire only a short time ago. Lieutenant Sharu arranged for this transfer, but the destination isn’t listed on this computer.
• The shirren shared some information about the rune drive with other colonists but questioning has revealed that none of them entered the Royal Venture and none have anything more than passing knowledge about the rune drive. Lieutenant Sharu wants these colonists killed; Master-at-Arms Olaraja was putting this off to arrange for public executions in order to keep the rest of the settlement in line, using the Starfinder captain to start.
• Lieutenant Sharu took a group of troopers in training for the Aeon Guard with her to the Royal Venture’s crash site to see whether she can recover any additional information. Olaraja was not sure when to expect Lieutenant Saru to return.
Val'nor tells everyone what he finds and also "So this Drive is already gone. We'll need to go to this ship after we rest to get Meico back. But then what? If the colonists stay, won't the azlants come back to kill them?"
First part
Second part
Val'nor has previously read a bit about these two branches of the Azlanti Star Empire's military.
Blax-9 smiles wearily at Madeline. ”Alright then, we rest and heal up in the morning.”
He turns to the others. ”Val’nor is right, we gotta find this ship. Let’s head out at first light.”
- Shields: Basic 40 to Light 60 (costs 3 BP) or Light 80 (costs 6 BP)
- Weapons: Upgrade one or more light laser to a coilgun (costs 3BP each)
- Upgrade thrusters (don't know what we currently have
- Upgrade sensors to advanced medium range (costs 3 BP/doubles bonus
- Upgrade armor maybe
- Upgrade defensive systems maybe
- Need to check Power Core to ensure we have enough to fund upgrades
LORESEEKER (TIER 2)
Starfinder Society Pegasus (Starfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide)
Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 13; TL 13
HP 39; DT —; CT 11
Current Hull: 39
Shields Basic 40; forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10
Current Shields = Basic 40, 10 Forward, 10 Port, 10 Starboard, 10 Aft
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 (10 hexes), crew quarters (good), mk 1 duonode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods, science lab, tech workshop
Modifiers +2 Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 4–7
Val'nor "Umm, please let us take the hovertrikes!!!
-----------------------
Lasereater is selling a gun and his second skin and buying graphite carbon skin armor. He picked up the arc pistol from the Lt and is using it as well
Val'nor looks for replacement ammo, and then replace the healing serums m1 that he used. Need to replace 2. If that's available.
"We takes the floaty bikes. Halfshanks tries not to fall off."
Lasereater collects his broken reaction cannon along with other gear and loads up a hovertrike for the journey.
I will grab a few more serums as well and top off on ammo and I am good to go
After a night's rest, you spend an hour or so gathering supplies and preparing the hovertrikes. Madelon gives you the navigational coordinates to the Royal Venture crash site, and chants a blessing from Abadar to heal up any remaining wounds from yesterday's battles.
The trek to the crash site is just over 12 miles from the colony, but given the mist-shrouded jungle and dense flora, the actual distance traveled is almost double that. You reach your destination in 4 hours.
A large starship that appears to have crashed many, many years ago in this clearing now resembles an overgrown hill. Only a few crumpled exhaust ports and a rear stabilizing fin jut from the ground, indicating that the bulk of the vessel must now be underground. The visible portions of the ship are all heavily weathered and corroded, except for a hatch between the exhaust ports and the fin. The hatch is currently open, and the inside of the hatch gleams with the shine of polished metal; clearly, the interior of the ship is in better shape than its weathered and overgrown exterior.
As you near, you see an Azlanti trooper lying sprawled on the ground in a pool of her own blood just outside the entry hatch, next to a partially dug hole.
"Ooooh, oooh baddies around! Mebbe snarly snaky diggy-in-ground baddies!"]
Lasereater draws his reaction cannon and advances with the party, nearly jumping with excitement.
Val'nor un-slings his rifle and watches the hatch and the trooper, and says.
"I'll cover you guys."
Blax-9 spits in the direction of the Azlanti body, "One less for us to kill."
He leads the way into the ship with his weapon ready.
As Blax-9 leads the group towards the entry hatch, a long shadow slithers out from under the damaged fins. The creature is a six-foot-long blue worm, shimmering with slimy excretions. It wide maw is filled with thousands of tiny needle teeth.
The worm hangs from the fin and spits, covering the area around you with sticky webbing, sparking electricity.
<- Damn
Val'nor sees the creature as it drops from the fin and quickly fires, but overaims in his haste.
Lasereater and Blax-9 avoid most of the shocking spittle, but Bast isn't paying attention and takes the full brunt. He gibbers and twitches as the electric shocks send his body into spasms.
Val'nor attempts another shot at the...Thing
Val'nor resets his aim and fires, hitting the creature in the center of mass. It makes a high-pitched wheezing noise, writhing in pain. It drops down and then burrows into the ground, leaving behind a collapsed hole.
Lasereater runs to the open hatch and hops up on it tonget away from the earthen ground that the worm is digging around in. He swings his reaction cannon around and yanks and kicks it a few times until he gets into to sputter to life for a bit.
Val'nor feels exposed standing on the same ground the thing just burrowed into. So he starts running for the hatch. He'll slings the rifle and draw his Pistol as he goes.