The Scoured Stars. The star system where a huge chunk of the Starfinder Society vanished behind the Godwall, an impenetrable barrier that keeps rescue or escape from them.
But today that changes. Today, you free your comrades. Today, you change the future.
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The space-jockey strides in with a confident swagger and her steely eyes scan the room, appraising the place and assessing potential threats.
A pair of semiautomatics, holstered one on each hip, feature mother of pearl grips inlaid with a pair of dice showing the 'one' pip, and the handle of a combat knife protrudes from the shoulder straps on her functional looking tacti-cool backpack. Her graphite coloured bodysuit appears to be carbon skin with depictions of vipers on it in darker tones. She adjusts the sling of her scoped rifle and looks around for a seat.
"Is this the place?"
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Already sitting in the room is an unassuming slightly Tien featured male android, who looks up from his datasate. He's dressed in a nice pair of slacks and button down shirt, with the only unusual item on him--a laser pistol on his hip. A large box and duffel bag sits next to him.
"Yes my dear, I do believe this is the place. Dr. William Kuong, at your service."
He stands up and bows slightly.
" I wonder what unholy terror mission is happening that they need to send their resident trained expert in xenobiology out for."
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"It looks like we're tasked to explore and identify some unknown species. I've read about a world where professors are named after certain species of flora. And then these professors would ask some random youth to identify different species of monsters for them like it's just some kind of errand! Oh, but where are my manners. The name's Mobius. Mobius Caslan. I decided to pursue the study of life during my time at the academy." He extends his hands to Dr Kuong and Viper.
He then points to a rather curious-looking contraption on his head. "And this is Modular Interface Conducting Hyperintelligence. You can call her M.I.C.H. We argue a lot," he chuckles.
First Seeker Elsebo Luwazi clears her throat and makes an announcement to all of the gathered Starfinders as they slowly trickle in. “Starfinders, we stand at the precipice of momentous history, and I want to thank you all for making it possible for us to be here today. The Starfinder Society has spent the last year recovering from the Scoured Stars incident, our greatest defeat in recent history. We are finally ready to return to the Scoured Stars, find out what happened to our missing colleagues and friends, and rescue any survivors we can find. Report to your stations and lend your assistance to our fleet by performing the final preparatory tasks. More instructions will come shortly.”
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Dr. Kuong sighs, "My dear...it seems WE are the logistic guys you are mentioning...apparently the Starfinders are still having issues finding support personnel...so they recruit their active agents and teaching faculty to do these roles."
Leaning down and patting the duffel and case, "At least I made sure to bring my combat outfit along with my rifle this time..."
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Viper shakes Mobius's hand with a firm and welcoming grip "Another scientist into alien life forms eh? I'm seeing a pattern here. Not sure what it means"
"Seriously? Unemployment at record levels over in The Spike, and the Society can't free up a few credits to source a few fetch and carry people and the odd baggage handler? I just fly the odd freighters, I don't normally load 'em too"
"Oh well Doc, Mobius, looks like we've got a job to do"
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Dr. Kuong shakes Mobius's hand also. "Mobius, glad to meet your acquaintance. Glad that another scientist is here to help cataloging new creatures. I have noticed that I seem to be sent on missions where....infestation seems to happen. I hope you can assist any removal of parasites from any of our infected allies? Additionally, I have a friend here in the Lorespire that loves for me to find new and more unusual creatures for them to dissect....so do you think you can help me bring back a corpse or two--or if we are lucky, a live specimen? Why, I am certain my friend would be much appreciative."
"Viper, I am absolutely certain that they picked you to fly any freighters we might need to be piloted, or even something more sleek. I myself can do decent with being a science officer or engineer...my 2nd degree is in robotics, so I know my way around an engineering bay."
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A passing ysoki Venture Captain overhears your grousing about prepatory staff and barks a laugh. "Man's right, you ARE the staff. Even with our recruiting efforts after the Scoured Stars we're not staffed near enough to spare anyone for pure preparation work. All hands on deck, pull your weight, et cetera, et cetera. Pretend I just gave you an inspiring speech. It'll make my review go smoother." He moves on before you can catch his name.
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Striding confidently from the Shuttle Bay, Dakka ties a purple ribbon around her curly hair, pulling it away from her face. A grey graphite Bodysuit is covered from the waist down by a pair of black coveralls tied off at the waist. She wears a Giant Laser weapon on her back, with a scattergun in a holster on her hip. A few grenades hang off her backpack, which seems to be stuffed with Ammunition.
"Sorry I'm late. Just got back off of Mission. Have you all ever ridden a Feathered Renkroda? It's pretty awesome!"
Hearing Luwasi Elsebo's voice over the Loudspeaker, Dakka grins, Pointed tusks peeking out from her smile "That's a gal that knows how to get to work! So, what can we do to make the most of things?"
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A nervous and flustered android enters awkwardly noticing all of you as she looks up from her comms unit “oh...well...there are a lot of folks here. Perhaps I have found the correct location. It’s quite stressful to be pulled away from my work, but it sounds like there are some important matters we must attend to on behalf of the society. “
She flashes a polite smile trying to appear appropriately sociable and says “Hello all! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am OAS-1 a mathematics professor from Aballon. My skills are quite well suited for the more intellectual adventures, but with a little programming I am now helpful in a variety of circumstances. Plus if you need assistance with a hack I am your android.”
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Saying quietly to himself, "Interesting, three people with advanced degrees. This either is not a normal mission where the Society requires a lot of muscle to beat up the baddies, or else this is an all hands on deck mission where the powers that be are tossing everything into the black hole to attempt to plug it. Most intriguing."
"Greetings you two. I am Dr. William Kuong, and I thought I was going to be here to keep you all alive and be here for studying new creatures...but now I think I might just be here to fulfill the role of 'extra hands' as it sounds like this might be a major problem...."
Suddenly, every screen aboard the Starfinder fleet switches to show nominated First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo standing next to a golden obelisk about two feet in height. Behind her, a large observatory window showcases the Godshield, a shimmering force field surrounding the Scoured Stars system. Luwazi Elsebo slowly lifts her eyes from the artifact and addresses the Society.
“Starfinders, this is the Tear, an ancient artifact some of our most skilled agents recovered during a recent mission. The Tear is our key back to the Scoured Stars—our key to liberating those who were lost a year ago. We are ready, so let’s not waste any more time.”
Luwazi Elsebo speaks a few words in an alien language and the artifact start humming softly. She then traces her finger along the artifact’s surface, and a set of glowing runes appear around the obelisk. The golden field surrounding the Scoured Stars starts twisting upon itself, and massive gashes appear as the force field starts tearing itself apart. As the final shreds of the shimmering field evaporate, Elsebo speaks: “It is time. Good luck, Starfinders. Fleet—activate Drift engines! Go!”
One by one, the ships of the fleet pierce the veil between the Material Plane and others, splashing through space like it was water, and then vanish into the swirling depths of the Drift.
*****
Whisked away through the Drift, the Starfinder Society fleet spreads across the three solar systems that form the Scoured Stars. The ships begin scanning the planets, asteroids, and other objects orbiting the three distinct stars. The fleet’s long-range sensors soon start picking up communication signals, energy signatures, and signs of life. After a quick analysis, the Society has identified a few locations where information on the lost Starfinders is most likely to be found. After nearly a year of waiting, the search for survivors can begin!
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Joven Kevallah, enters and swipes away his datapad. "Sorry for running late you guys. I been meetings all day. The whole society is a buzz, it's really exciting!"
He stops and looks around. "Sorry, I'm Joven Kevallah. I'm sure some of you have probably heard my name by now. Those that haven't, well make sure you put a check next to my name when you see it on the ballot for First Seeker when Luwazi steps down... <smirk> Nice to meet you all. We'll have time for more pleasantries soon. <he looks at his datapad again> It looks like Luwazi it about to make an announcement. It's a good one!"
He thens watching the announcement, but you can tell he already knew what was happening
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After seeing that the ship is jumping out of the real wold and into the Drift, Dr. Kuong excuses himself so he can change into his combat outfit. He quickly changes and comes back into the main copartment to assembile his rifle. After that he checks his combat medical kit and oth4er sundry items on his persona.
" Hmm....interesting. I think I would prefer the City of Ancients...that sounds intriguing."
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Joven is looking over the initial scan of the Scoured Stars system, when he clears his throat and speaks up... just a message comes in from the fleet... "It looks like we have a lot of ground to cover here. <message notification beep> Here's a message from the fleet. We've been assigned these 5 planets to look into."
He swipes his datapad, and the 5 planets along with their designation, and long range imagery populate the view screen.
Agillae-2 and 5
Bastiar-4 and 7
and
Callion-2
"They look all pretty similar from our brief scans, and the fleet doesn't have any details, so... My vote it start at the top and lets hammer these out. Anyone object to plotting a course to Agillae-2?"
The imposing vesk Radaszam, leader of the Acquisitives, stands near a large screen that displays a tidally locked planet labeled as Callion-2. “Starfinders,” he greets, in his pleasantly low voice, “I’m sure you’ll find this mission interesting. Our sensors have detected numerous communication signals broadcast from Callion-2. Because one side of the planet is always facing the sun, only a narrow habitable zone exists, but here’s the interesting part: the entire habitable area is covered in one big, technologically advanced megacity. Finding survivors, or at least useful information in the city, seems likely. I’ll upload mission data on your ship’s computer. Good luck and come back safely!”
Given Radaszam's information, you land the shuttle in the midst of the great city. During your time within the megacity, you can hear strange alien music (akin to distorted modern elevator music) playing in the background through loudspeakers integrated into the city’s buildings and infrastructure. There are five locations within easy (10 minute) walking distance. They are:
1. Factory - The factory district is full of activity: industrial robots building and repairing other robots.
2. Library - With the exception of the ever-present alien music, this enormous building remains completely silent.
3. Military Base - You can spot dangerous looking robots patrolling.
4. Shopping Mall - In the shopping mall, the weird elevator music is louder than elsewhere.
5. Residential Area - You see robots doing menial tasks such as repair and cleaning.
Which area would you like to check out first?
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Dr. Kuong looks at the information on his dataslate.
"Hmmm.....the Factory, Military Base and the Residential Area seem to have robots moving around...though the Military Base and Factory probably have security types. Survivors might be those, but possibly not, as the robots might have dealt with them. The Library, Shopping Mall and Residential Areas are the more likely where survivors would have went into. Of those, I would prefer to look at the Library to see if we can find any data terminals that will give us more information on this megacity."
LIBRARY
With the exception of the ever-present alien music, this enormous building remains completely silent. Digital and physical records from the planet’s past fill shelves and data archives stretching for the equivalent of city blocks.
Your research shows this civilization was quite advanced both culturally and technologically. Further investigation reveals a log entry about visitors whose description suggests the visitors were Starfinders, but the entry doesn’t reveal what happened to them.
As you research, you spot an androgynous humanoid watching you from several shelves away. When you pursue it, it seems to vanish!
Feeling that the library has yielded all you can glean from it, you head to the Residential area! You explore it thoroughly, seeing robots making small repairs or cleaning. However, when you approach one of them, they flee before you can get close. You determine that the city was abandoned long ago—likely millennia ago—and the original inhabitants left the machines to take care of the city.
Likewise, the shopping mall yields the same result. However, at each place, you catch glimpses of the same androgynous figure watching from afar.
It's not until you approach the military base that things change. Suddenly you find yourselves surrounded by hunter-killer robots. Their charged weapons aim at you as the androgynous figure walks slowly toward you. Up close the figure is generic in every way - average height, weight, form indistinct to gender. It stops and blinks at you, then speaks in a form of Common untouched by accent or familiarity.
"Who... are... you? Why are you here? What is your purpose on this planet?" It speaks slowly at first, as if dusting off a rusty ability.
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Joven takes a single half step forward, and begins to speak...
"My name is Joven Kevallah, I am a Human from a place far from here called Absalom. We are 'Starfinders', these are my friends, my companions... "
He then points at each of the rest of the party, gives their name/race/etc. Adding that they are all peaceful explorers and asks for forgiveness if they have tresspassed where they do not belong.
"We are here looking for our lost companions. They would be dressed similar to us, and probably had this symbol on them or with them..."
<he activates his subdermal starfinder insignia implant on his palm>
"As I mentioned we mean you and everyone on this planet no harm. Do you have any kind of leadership heirarchy? A government? Maybe a council or a King or Queen? Or do do these <he motions to the "killer-robots"> answer to you.. By the way, do you have a name or designation? How can we address you properly?"
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Dr. Kuong allows our politician to do most of the talking points, and decides to assist him by showing that they all are here to help only.
"Joven spoke true. While we have weapons on our persons it is only to defend ourselves. Our group is here to find those companions, and also to meet new people and civilizations. I myself am an accomplished doctor, a healer of my people, so if you need help--or know others who do--please tell me. If you know more on the location of our friends, or any other information about them that would be much appreciated."
to assist only.
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OAS-1 cautiously steps up next to Joven and waves with hesitation.
"I also echo Joven's point and we mean you no harm. My name is OAS-1 and, as Dr. Kuong mentioned, also happy to help and offer my various skills in any way you require assistance. In exchange, any clues or insight you have about our companions would be welcomed."
to to see what OAS-1 knows about the killer robot tech
TEST
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The androgynous humanoid considers. Finally it spreads its hands in a gesture of acceptance.
"I am called A-1. I am an AI left behind by the inhabitants of this planet to act as caretaker. I know very little about them, or where they went, or why they left. I know that a group of 'Starfinders' visited about a year ago, but they provoked the hunter-killer drones. They were killed by them. Cleaner droids searched the remains and discovered only that their data pads contained information about a group of Starfinders trapped on the desert planet Callion-1." A-1 looks apologetic. "My computers have detected weak signals coming from that planet within the last 24 hours. Perhaps more of your comrades still live there?"
"All triggers are automatic. Any lifeform not indigenous to this planet. I did not have time to evaluate those lifeforms before the H-Ks acted. They must have triggered defense protocols." A-1 supplies. It sounds regretful, but obviously is acting according to its programming.