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The children are clearly a bit frightened, especially with the robot carrying the assault hammer, but the calm words from Charli and Dart are enough to calm them down. The two hiding children are Kieu Lan and Kieu Si, the daughter and son of one of the ship engineers, Kieu Kein. In a rapid string of talking over each other, they reveal that they "were playing with a new alien friend who hatched from the glowy egg and who looks really funny but is super friendly but who started sucking on the wall and then the lights flickered and then we came in here and were afraid that people would come and hurt it so we put a fire extinguisher in the doorframe to keep people from going next door to hurt it and then all the lights went out so we were afraid we'd get in trouble for that so we just hid."
Charli and Dart can clearly see that there is, in fact, a fire extinguisher rigged up as a crude trap on the western set of doors. If the thermal trigger is not disabled with an Engineering check, it would go off in a 10x15 foot area (marked on the map). This wouldn't cause any harm, but could soak anyone in the area with freezing foam that would soak into the joints of your clothing and armor and make you shiver for an hour or so.
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Looking towards the door, Mikkazuki says “I should be able to take care of that. Has anyone ever heard of anything like this creature?”
She holsters her laser and moves to disable the device. Must be some very bright kids to have rigged this. Too bad I don’t have a bomb kit like some of those I trained with in the military. Something to think about once I get a paycheck or two!
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Kima will carefully move forward as to not scare the children not knowing their exposure rate but confident after seeing how they reacted to the others.
"Hello Kieu Lan and Kieu Si, my name is Kima. She smiles politely. "I bet it was exciting out here to find a new friend. I'm guessing on a ship it may be a rare thing to see something this exciting and your the first one's to know about them!"
"Could you tell me a bit about your new friend so we can handle the issues here without doing any harm to him?"
Not sure which it may be
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With Kaylee's assistance, Mikkazuki is able to disable the thermal trigger for the extinguisher and remove the potentially annoying trap.
The kids don't have much else to say, except, "well when it started sucking on the wall and the lights flickered it started to get kind of cold but we don't think that was its fault and these cookies are really good and anyway please don't hurt the alien it's our friend!"
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"If it's an alien friend, it must be almost as scared as you were. We'll try our best not to hurt it." Charli smiles. "They are good cookies, and even better dunked in the tea like this, see?"
Using the comm unit on her suit, Charli contacts Fitch. "Hello, Fitch! Sorry to bother you. But we've met Kieu Lan and Kieu Si... Yes, they're Kieu Kein's kids. Can you send someone to escort them out of the area? We've got a first contact siuation with a creature that was sucking energy out of one of the walls. I want to make sure they're safe before we go in and establish first contact."
She glances over at Mikka. "If you want BOB to lead here, I'm okay with that."
She thinks to Kima. Hey, can you hear me? Can you send this to everyone but the kids?. She waits for Kima's mental go ahead. Gang, let's take precautions but please, let's not shoot first. At least... not until we have a better idea if it's sentient and what it's intentions are?
"Shall we establish a marching order? BOB first? Then who? Dart?"
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Kima will take a moment and step back so she can see everyone in the party. It takes her a second, and the more people it seems she reaches out to she gently chews on her bottom lip for a moment.
She'll break things off blinking for a moment after so many different minds.
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The creature is evidently draining a whole level of a starstar’s power. At that scale, I doubt BOB would even qualify as a light snack. Yeah, that is an acceptable risk.
“Sure, BOB can lead. Do we want to look at the egg that the creature came out of first?”
Looking over at the two children, she then asks “Where did you find it again?”
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Charli leaps back when the lashunta named Ch'aya appears out of nowhere. "Wow! You're a stealthy one. I didn't even notice you were there!"
She grins and extends a hand to Ch'aya. "Welcome aboard!"
She turns to the two kids. "Will you be okay waiting out here while we go in and look for your friend?'
Charli sets her arc pistol to stun. "If we need to, I have non-lethal force that I can use too. I just hope we don't have to use it!"
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Fitch will take the report and immediately go into a tirade on engineer Kieu Kein, ordering him to go down and collect his kids immediately! She also authorizes you to proceed with first contact as her normal team is currently pulling double-duty in Zero-G welding radiation shielding onto parts of the hull and it will take some time to get them back aboard and down to E-Deck.
The children promise to go and wait by the elevator, and a DC 5 Sense Motive check is enough to tell that they know they've been caught and might be in trouble but won't go running off any more.
The current situation handled, you can now open the doors into the next area!
This area consists of two adjoining chambers. Four large containment capsules fill the fore room, three of which hold stasis-locked objects, including a tablet, a strange curved sword, and an odd spiral of bioluminescent coral. A crack leaks fluid from the fourth capsule , which displays a foot-wide breach near the bottom coming from the remains of an ovoid object that has cracked open. The aft room contains several desks, each hosting a deactivated computer terminal.
A chill hangs in the air in these chambers - you can see your breath as soon as the doors slide open. Somehow, the thermostat has been significantly altered, making the environment extremely cold. While not damaging, the temperature has caused ice to form along the floors. Moving more than 10 feet at a time in these rooms requires a successful DC 12 Acrobatics check, or else you will fall prone.
The creature you are looking for is nowhere in sight, but there is a section of wall that looks like it was chewed completely through!
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Looking around, Mikkazuki and BOB slowly head towards the stasis chambers.
“I’m betting this is where the creature came from.” gesturing as she slowly moves over towards the stasis chamber with the breach. “I’m going to check if there are any records we can access about what they think they had here.”
As she draws even with the hole, she peers into it.
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Dart nimbly moves though the room to investigate the hole and the broken cylinder. He activates his IR sensors of his suit.
"Let me get in and take a look"
Although tall and with extra arms, Dart has no problem dodging the exposed wires and getting behind the wall.
From inside the wall. "Not seeing where it went"
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With Kaylee guiding them, Charli, Dart, Kima, and Mikkazuki are able to move through the rooms until they see a purple alien creature that is mostly an oversized mouth sucking on the power output of a computer monitor!
The creature looks weak enough that a single blast from a weapon could kill it, but if you wanted to lure it away from vital systems in a more peaceful manner, there are other ways...
- Engineering
- Life Science
- Medicine
- One PC may willingly sacrifice a battery to offer to the alien
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Charli smiles at the weak creature, kneeling down. "Hey, it's okay. We won't hurt you."
It's not the words, it's the tone, and who knows? Maybe it's got empathic talents. It befriended the children, after all..
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With Mikkazuki, Charli, and Ch'aya in the lead, aided by Kima, Kaylee, and Dart's best efforts, the creature calms and leaves behind the power couplings it was suckling on - as it does, full power is restored to E-Deck!
Just then, Fitch's first contact team arrives, and they give you a hearty round of thanks for your expert handling of the situation as they take over and tell you to report to Fitch on the bridge of the ship.
Fitch gives your party a credstick with 400 credits on it. The Wayfinders’ leader thanks you for your diligence, but is quick to get back to work on repairing the ship, and tells you that your shuttle back to Absalom Station is ready for you in shuttle bay two.
As you arrive in the shuttle bay, you are met by Kieu Kein, who wanted to thank you in person for rescuing his children, and he gives you a mk 1 ring of resistance...before Fitch comes over the comm yelling at him for not being at his post. He smiles apologetically, then leaves you to it.
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After docking and disembarking, you make your way to the Downlow district. Garbage litters the ground around the district’s largest art park—a cement lot filled with undulating metal sculptures and covered in graffiti of grotesquely adorable creatures. Thesounds of music and chatter drift over from the nearby clubs, chronically interrupted by the roar of the local gangsters’ engines. A is sitting on one of the park benches, eating a simple meal of cold grub-noodles and rice candy. Their antennae perk up at the tremor of approaching footsteps. “Welcome, new Starfinders! And congratulations!” the shirren’s voice telepathically projects. “My speech-name is Zigvigix, but feel free to call me Ziggy, if that would be easier for you. Have some rice candy to celebrate your graduation! Today is *your* big day!
“When you are ready, I have two assignments I could use assistance with. The first is to help me secure a new headquarters on Absalom Station. I’ve been in talks with our station’s protectors, the Stewards, and they were kind enough to give us ownership of a warehouse here in Downlow for that purpose! The current owners no longer want it because a vicious alien took it over and kills anyone who goes inside. Once the alien is gone and the warehouse cargo has been returned to its owners, we can start installing desks and computers, so please go in and incinerate the creature!"
“My second assignment...” Zigvigix twitches their tooth barbs for a moment and then holds out a credstick. “Please buy the brand-new Strawberry Machine Cake album, 'Star Sugar Heartlove!!!', which is out today, and give it to Historia-7 when you see her. She is the head of the Dataphiles, so you should meet her today! I wish to do it myself, but I..." Zigvigix looks down at their augmentations for a moment, "I have trouble standing for long periods of time. Thank you very much!”
Unless you have questions for Zigvigix, the address of the warehouse and several local music shops pop up on your personal comm units!
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Drat takes the proffered candy and smiles after taking a bite. "This is fantastic!. I must know where to get more." He turns to Charli, "Is this the band you mentioned earlier. I heard about their album to day. It sounds very exciting."
Dart turns back to Zigvigix. "Get a copy of the album and clear the warehouse for cause. Kadin Kaylin will approve!"
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"Mmmm! This is SO good. Thank you, Ziggy!" Charli pulls out her tea supplies. He's a Shirren. Better give him a choice! "Would you like tea, Ziggy? I think that a mint tea would go deliciously with this candy, but I can make you a fruity Brethedan Bubble tea instead."
Using her Starfinder Insignia as a datapad, she pulls up the address of the warehouse. "Do you have blueprints for the Warehouse? A general layout of what to expect?"
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Ziggy happily accepts the tea, which does in fact go quite well with their grub noodles and the rice candy!
When you inquire about the warehouse, Zigvigix explains, "I believe the creature is a feather stalker, a predator far more unpleasant than its name implies. As far as the Stewards have been able to piece together, a two-bit crime lord illegally imported the creature, and the beast promptly ate him...so I suppose that makes him a two-*bite* crime lord now, right?"
After a brief pause as a trash-tumbleweed rolls by the park, Zigvigix provides holorecordings of the incident taken off the station’s security cameras from earlier today, which also includes the layout of the warehouse (map updated to show the warehouse layout), even though Ziggy doesn't know anything about its contents.
Barring any more questions for Ziggy, will you go to the Warehouse or Record Store first? :)
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Mikkazuki chuckles at the two-bite joke. “Maybe we will be lucky and the crime lord will give it indigestion.”
She is totally focused on the recording though, watching it intently for any clues that may help her in the coming battle.
“Only the one entrance. We probably want to control the elevated walkway around the perimeter. BOB can act as bait walking down the center.” Looking to the rest of the group, she asks “Anyone know if these creatures are especially bright? Is it likely to just jump the first thing it sees, and do we need to put something on BOB so it will attack?”
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"Um... Ziggy? You know, you're such a big fan of Strawberry Machine Cake, we should be getting you a copy of the album too.. That way, you and Historia can sing tunes together, which will cheer her up even more!" Then she smiles. "You're a very thoughtful friend, you know."
Charli stares at the screen. "Hey, Ch'aya!" She tugs on the pretty Lashunta's cloak. "Take a look at this! That's a feather stalker, isn't it?" She cocks her head. "I never thought I'd see one in person!" To the rest of the group she says, "They're large aberrations closely descended from crinoids. They're great climbers, so we'll have to look for it on catwalks and ceilings. See that feathery "head" appendage? It only looks like a feather but is actually as hard as ivory. They can bite with it, or "shoot" a feathery/bone harpoon."
She glances up at Mikka. "They're not especially bright, no. But they are adaptable and can come from all sorts of different worlds. This one looks to be one of the sub-species resistant to fire, so I hope some of you have something other than a laser."
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Just my luck! Resistant to fire. Guess I chose poorly what weapons to keep.
Mikkazuki gives out a disgusted grunt when told the creature is fire resistant. “Sorry, I only have minimal weapons.”
“Guess I will have to get up close and personal with it if I’m to fight it. I hope they aren’t immune to claws or knives?” she says, extending her claws.
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Dart smiles broadly. "Sounds like one of the beasts we would sometimes get in the pits. I recall those birds being very ornery. Though it is kind of hazy. I haven't fought one since I Put down the drink and took up the sword." Dart performs a simple reverent gesture.
"But now is time to show it what I have become. For the glory of The Drinkless God, and our blessed companions!"
Dart seems to be swept up in for the upcoming contest. Almost forgetting the actual tasks at hand. "We shall have that warehouse cleared for you, good Master Ziggy."
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Ziggy kind of shuffles their feet a bit at Charli's words. "Well, Historia-7 has seemed down after losing her mentor in the Scoured Stars. I'm hoping the sugar-pop music can cheer her up!"
Zigvigix adds that the band’s music always makes them feel better. They go on to gush about favorite songs, expressing regret they cannot hear the newest releases, as the shirren finds it incredibly difficult to stand in the long lines...
"...the credstick only has enough for one copy of the album. The Exo-Guardians budget is really thin, so those are the only funds I have available for something like this."
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Once you inform the local district law enforcement that you are ready, station security allows you through the force barrier set up around the perimeter of the warehouse.
The doors to the warehouse were forced open and no longer lock. The warehouse ceiling is 30 feet high, and a catwalk runs 15 feet above the floor. The crates and vehicle are approximately 5 feet tall, while the cylindrical containers and the crate-filled scaffolding are 10 feet tall. Climbing the crates and scaffolding requires a successful DC 10 Athletics check. A pit in the warehouse floor is 10 feet deep. The scattered junk in the center of the floor creates an area of difficult terrain. The lights on the catwalk are not bright enough to illuminate the area, leaving the warehouse in dim light.
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BOB finds a Medpatch in one of the barrels, and Dart finds a Flare. As you move forward, only Dart is able to notice the creature's current location...as emerges from the dark hole in the floor, firing a spiked feather appendage as combat begins!
(B,D,K)
(B,K)
In the surprise round, the Feather Stalker fires a spike at Dart!
vs KAC -2 (flat-footed)
Dart may act in the surprise round!
Then the stalker follows up with a ranged attack on Kaylee!
vs KAC -2 (flat-footed)
Round 1!
Dart (7 damage)
Ch'aya
Kaylee (5 damage pending Dart's surprise round action)
Charli
Kima
Mikkazuki
Round 2!
Feather Stalker
and then the whole party is up in Round 1!
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Surprise Round:
Dart takes on a radiant glow and makes a quick snapshot with his pistol as the creature appears. "And so it begins!"
Full Round:
Dart leaps deftly from the crate and closes the distance to the stalker while dancing off the crate tops.
He swings with his red and golden tankard. "Kadin Kaylin grant me righteousness."
BOB moves up to the beast and swings with the assault hammer.