"I am not finding anyplace to put in that keycode, Hadashin. Anyone want to come help me out?"
Dash rushes over to the location Driskinet is hanging out and attempts to search himself.
Dash's smaller stature allows him to inspect the console from some unintuitive angles, and he quickly locates a cleverly hidden keypad integrated into the floor. Entering the code, he finds a fusion seal, tucked in a gift bag along with some hard candies that crumble at the touch.
With the relic and two prisoners in hand, the contract-Starfinders exit the wreck of the Amber Reconnoiter, finding that the planar debris has cleared somewhat. They are able to return to their ship without difficulty, and the Pegasus-class vessel is clear and free of hazards in no time. Setting a course for home, the crew feels a sense of success.
After two weeks of travel to reach the Reconnoiter and most of a day reaching and delving the wreck, the contract-Starfinders return home in a short 24 hours. Upon landing at the Station, they are met at the docks by a small contingent of Stewards, who formally arrest the prisoners on charges of piracy. The crew then travels quickly to the Lorespire complex, where they are once again met by Venture-Captin Naiaj and the Triunite machine priest, MP-8, in the Starscape chamber. While MP-8 inspects the relic, Naiaj debriefs the crew, listening to their report.
MP-8 wheels up to the artifact and examines it, feeling around its sides. Its eye dims in concentration for a moment, and then its eye reactivates with an air of disappointment. "Strange. This artifact has been lost for so long, one would think its technologies would be rudimentary at best, but there seems to be some sort of advanced, multilayered encryption protecting whatever is inside. What could it be...?"
MP-8 backs away from the artifact. "This is beyond my capabilities to handle. I suppose we will have to table the analysis for the time being." It turns to Naiaj. "I trust that the church will be able to count on the Society on this matter again in the future? It is a bit disturbing to me that a Society vessel on the brink of death would be so cavalier as to simply vacuum up such an important relic without a thought."
Naiaj bristles but then closes her eyes and sighs. "I find it disturbing that you would disrespect the memory of the crew without a thought, given that without their sacrifice, we wouldn’t even have this relic in the first place." She reopens her eyes and bears a tight-lipped smile. "But I suppose that’s neither here nor there at this point. We have the relic now, and believe me, we are just as interested as you in this find, if not more so. I suppose we have no choice but to work together again. The Society will keep the relic safe in the meantime."
MP-8 nods. "Until we meet again." Without a hint of emotion, the SRO smoothly swivels on its treads and quietly drives out of the chamber, the door automatically closing behind it.
The venture-captain glares at MP-8's back until it leaves before turning to the contract-Starfinders. "The Society thanks you for your service. It's a risky job, being a Starfinder, and one of those risks is ending up MIA. Today, that list is just a little bit shorter, thanks to your actions. We will review your performance here to see whether the Society will have use of your talents in the future - if so, I look forward to working with you again."
