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You are summoned by Venture Captain Arvin for a briefing at the Lorespire complex.
While you are waiting to be allowed into the briefing room other members of your party slowly start to trickle into the waiting area as you assemble for what you can only assume will be your next mission.
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D'vost arrives first if anyone would be in the room he would see a medium height Shirren, wearing military trousers with side pockets. On his belt there is a knife, he wears a jacket with an anarchy symbol on one arm and few punk band emblems on the other.
As he enters the waiting room he lays down his backpack and huge laser cannon that has to weight a ton. After that, he reaches to the backpack retries a shell of some small animal and fills it with explosives and a substance that seems to be sticky. Very quickly D'vosts claws begin sticking to his clothing, explosive material, and the shell itself.
Every now and then he looks at the entrance to see if anyone would enter.
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A portly, graying ysoki clad in pristinely polished heavy armor clanks into the room. Spotting the shirren fiddling with some supplies, he approaches for a greeting, extending a paw.
"Hello there! I'm Baxter. We must be squadmates for this mission."
Noticing the shirren's sticky claws, Baxter retracts the offer of a pawshake and instead engages in a hearty wave.
"Erm... Well met!"
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D'vost get up a bit too quickly, and his creation falls on the ground with a noise of a gluey substance splashing under his feet. Leaving it where it landed he says:
"Oh yeah <clickclickclick>, don't bother about that <more clicking sounds>" If you haven't heard a lot of Shirren talking it is so much different to other races speaking. The voice is harsh and split with a clicking sounds that he makes.
D'vost continues: "I am building a grenade <click>, it can be of use for the mission... It is harmless for now."
"My name is D'vost, it is a pleasure to meet you Baxter." (there is a distinct click between D and vost)
D'vost looks at his claws and returns the wave. You notice that from the moment of entrance his antennas started to move.
He continues:
It is great to have a fellow Soldier in the party <clickclick>"
After saying that D'vost opens his mandible wide which could be taken as ... a Shirren smile? Either way, it can be considered creepy.
After that he turns to his unfinished grenade and hide the parts into his backpack.
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"Hello, folks."
A slight human male walks in with a wide grin, hand raised in greeting. He has a battered laser rifle slung across his back, and an array of tools stashed across his person in various pockets and belt containers.
"Names Pan, pleased to meet you all."
Seeing the Shirren, he nods. "Ah, custom explosives, my favorite. Why buy when you can improvise."
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Shirren waves at the Mechanic and says in his harsh voice:
"Nice to meet you Pan <click>, you can never have too many grenades."
After looking at Pan's and Baxter's armor: "We are armored well enough to do some proper fighting <click>, so I hope it will not be a diplomatic mission <click>"
After that, you can hear D'vost scratchy laughter.
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As the door to the meeting room opens you walk inside to see Venture-Captain Arvin standing before a hologram of a planet that appears to have been ravaged by some disaster; there is very little water and no obvious greenery.
“Greetings, Starfinders,” he says, without turning.
“You are looking at Elytrio, a newly charted planet in the Vast.
While you might dismiss it as a lifeless rock at first glance, it still has mysteries to plumb. The starship that discovered it was attacked by some kind of orbital defense system when it got too close; the vessel didn’t have the firepower to respond, so the crew made a prudent retreat. But we Starfinders don’t let these sorts of things go.”
He pauses before continuing.
“I’d like you to take a starship, travel to Elytrio, and discover all you can about it. If you find any inhabitants on the planet, do
everything in your power to make peaceful contact with them.
If the place is deserted, try to locate information about who might have built those defenses. Once you’ve got something interesting, report back to me here at the Lorespire Complex.
Any questions?”
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D'vost looks at the hologram and thinks about what he heard. After that asks in his Shirren harsh voice:
"What kind of orbital defense system was that? Is it something similar to known weapons? <click> A spaceship maybe?"
He tilts his head and keeps saying:
"Do we know anything about the atmosphere on this planet Elytrio? <clickclick> Is it safe, are there any substances that can be deadly in the air?"
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The door to Arvin's meeting room slides open with a unmistakable pneumatic hiss, and the silhouette of a dark-furred ysoki fills the threshold.
He sheepishly skulks in, taking a seat and nodding to the rest of the room. "Sorry, had a... delivery to make. I'm all ears. Well, what's left of 'em, anyways."
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D'vost looked at the newly entered Ysoki and then shifted towards his teammates: "Given how little information there is.<clickclick> I can't think of any questions?"
Shirren looks closer on the holographic projection of Elytrio, and try to deduct anything based on the presented visual. He looks for marks of big animals, severe weather conditions, moving terrain literally anything that his Survival skills might tell him.
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Studying the hologram and extrapolating some assumptions and zooming out a bit D'vost manages to find out that it is the fourth planet orbiting an unnamed sun. The planet used to have a thriving ecosystem, but something devastated the environment and left most of the planet a wasteland. It has two barren moons. It looks to have standard gravity.
But it's hard to tell anything more from just looking at a holographic projection. Scans from better scanning equipment will be required to get more information.
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Fashionably late, a light furred Ysoki strolls into the room confidently, a large plasma crossbow strapped to his back.
"Looks like we're having a rat party. If I heart right from outside, we've got an unknown planet with unknown planetary defenses and an unknown atmosphere with unknowns in, like, every other box. This should be good. Last mission I went on we had to schmooze some poor shmuck into giving up some of his information. This mission seems a bit more straightforward. I like it!
The name's Nole Musk. I'm a seller of TESLAs, or 'Tess's Electrical Skybound Legal Automobile'! My sister, Tess, makes 'em! She and I, along with a few other associates, run a company called Space Rats. It's a pleasure to sell, umm, do busin...no, still not right...WORK with ya. There we go. That's the phrase.
I personally have no questions other than whether we get to pick the spaceship and if we can choose the one with the biggest guns?"
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Gently, as if from far away, but gradually increasing in mental volume, everyone in the room "hears" the mental projection in their heads: ...sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry...
As the voice approaches what one might consider "normal" volume outload, the doors slide open again, and a faint glow shines through preceding the entrant. The mental chatter ceases as a lithe Lashunta woman scampers in, her simple white dress not just flowing around her, but glowing around her, almost like an aura.
Her expression is equal parts apology and excitement as she crosses to the group. While she seems genuinely sorry for her tardiness, it also seems her enthusiasm is threatening to overwhelm her apology as she gushes.
"So sorry for the delay; are we going somewhere exciting? So pleased to meet you all! Do we need a ride somewhere? Is it dangerous?" Her words alternate between spoken and projected, like someone speaking broken Common mixed with their native tongue.
She eventually has to pause for breath, at which point she seems to realize what she's done, and clamps a hand over her mouth. "SO sorry. That was terribly rude, wasn't it? I promise to rein it in a bit."
After a beat, she declares, "I'm Yvaine," into the silence and positively beams a smile at the group. You swear she glows just a little brighter at that.
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Shirren laughs at a rat joke, his laughter is rough and sounds like someone could be choking. He shifts toward Yvaine and responds with a telepathic message: "Don't you worry for being late, you still made it before the ship departed."
After that, he speaks in his clicking voice:
"I am glad <click> that you made it here Nole Mask and Yvaine.<click> My name is D'vost and it will be an exciting mission.". While he speaks his antennas are moving recording movement of Ysoks and Lashunta within the room.
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The venture-captain then says:
"I trusts you as Starfinders to make your own decisions when out in the field" before he dismisses you to purchase any last minute supplies you think you might need.
"A starship of your choosing, will be programmed with the proper coordinates and awaiting in Docking Bay 27 when you are ready to leave.
There's either the faster, move maneuverable Pegasus or the more armored and carrying heavier weapons Drake available at the moment.
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Rez looks around at the other ysoki in the room, then stuffs the rest of his ration into his cheek pouch for later.
After all, growing up with nearly forty siblings through at least eight litters ingrains a famine mentality in you when it comes to your possessions, quite literally so when it's food we're talking about.
He brushes off his hand, then raises it, hoping everyone in the room sees it. "I'm all for putting up a fight, but you have to know when to book it - my vote is for the Pegasus. It might not be as sturdy as the Drake, but it's faster, handles way better, and it still packs a punch with the coilgun turret."
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"Greetings, Nole and Yvaine. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Baxter says with a bow.
"The Pegasus seems like a worthy vessel. A nimble ship could be a good option to face these unknown defenses. I am not too worried about the lesser firepower—we are trying to engage in peaceful contact, after all!"
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After you leave the briefing area to start your shopping trip a small robotic drone intercepts you.
The drone projects a holoscreen with the image of a confused looking ysoki child, whose head is quickly pushed out of the screen by an older ysoki woman.
“Fitch from the Wayfinders here. Sorry about Kirkath popping on the screen; kids always like the holoprojectors. Anyways, long and short, I hear you’ve been assigned to explore Elytrio. First contact is important.
Need to make a good impression. Wayfinders specialize in this sort of thing, so I wanted to offer some help! The drone has a translation module strapped on its back. It’s not as reliable as some magical solutions you might have, but if you’re in a pinch for communicating, it might help!”
The woman turns her head to something off screen
"..don't put that in your mouth Kirath!, Fitch out"
The holoscreen projection turns of as the drone continues to hover in front of you.
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As promised, the back of the drone has a Tetrad certified translator
TETRAD CERTIFIED TRANSLATOR
TECHNOLOGICAL ITEM PRICE 500 BULK L
This elaborate datapad has several additional audio receptors
to capture nearby sounds. If you don’t share a language with
creatures you encounter, you can activate this device to
collect basic linguistic information. The device requires 10
minutes of observed conversation to gain enough information
to operate. The device then acts as a rudimentary translator.
It does not allow you to converse with creatures with
whom you don’t share a language, but it can relate very
basic information. Examples of statements the device could
interpret would be: “come with us,” “lower your weapons,” or
“leave immediately.” The device cannot parse proper names,
including personal designations or the names of items and
places. Some extraordinary complex or obscure languages
might not translate clearly with this device.
A Tetrad certified translator has 10 capacity and 1/hour usage.
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As you make your way to Docking bay 27 you see that there are 2 ships waiting there. One of them, a sleek red one has it's door open and you enter it and see that it's indeed programmed with the coordinates of your destination.
You take of and spend the next several days getting to know each other and the ships controls better.
It takes days to make the journey through the Drift to Elytrio.
The trip is mostly uneventful, though you pass a ysoki salvage barge named Clutter Collector. The ship’s captain, a female ysoki named Winks opens a communication link to talk to your starship, more out of boredom than anything else. She thanks you for any conversation you engage in before having to end the link an hour later as her ship moves out of range. After re-entering normal space, your vessel is less than a few hours’ travel from your destination
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As you approach Elytrio, your comms suddenly squawk to life, filled with a crackling robotic voice in an alien language. The tone of the message is strident
as a warning.
The language is unknown and doesn't show up in any of the language databases you have access to.
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Shirren sits at the gunner spot toning down some heavy music and he speaks through the comm unit:
"I think we should send them a message explaining what is our business here. <click> We can send it in all known languages, maybe they know one."
D'vost looks outside watching Elytrio:
"I don't see any way to approach Elytrio without us being noticed so I vote for going forward."
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Rez glances at the main viewscreen, trying to discern if anything's even out there. "That broadcast, it being cast from the planet, or are we getting pinged from something in orbit?" He looks over to the helm, and continues. "Can we scan for anything in the area? PDNs, drones, interceptors, even broadcast satellites?"
He scratches his chin, then makes a helpless gesture. "The other option is just to make full burn and make planetfall, but we don't know where to touch down. I think a scan's our best option."
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"I can try, but I only speak common and Ysoki. This is definitely neither human nor rat. Let me see what I can do."
The ysoki then grabs the responder mic and speaks back, "This is Nole Musk of the Starfinders. We are here on reconnaissance. We mean no harm." He repeats the same in Ysoki, and asks everybody onboard to repeat the same phrase in their respective languages. This, likely, will do nothing.
As the messages begin relaying, the Ysoki prepares to scan the planet. I assume this is a computers check?
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There is just to same response over and over at your attempts to communicate with what's sending out the alien message and after a few seconds you come to the realization that's it's some sort of recording that's on a loop and just repeats itself.
As Nole starts to scan all sorts of alarms start to blare out of your various computer systems and red light start to blink rapidly
A hemispheric vessel—an orbital drone platform—comes into view from behind one of the planet’s moons.
It approaches your starship, and while it has no visible weapons, it does emit a ring of red light from the edges of its flat bottom hull.
Nole's screen reports back that;
The platform is part of an automated system and is completely unoccupied.
Shortly afterward, apertures open on the platform’s bottom hull as the vessel enters a combat posture.
You guys are prepared for is to come and see the space platform drift closer
init
You guys to move and take your other space combat actions
Enemy ship already moved (it started 15 hexes away from you and moved 6 closer) - I'll post in all the other actions it takes while compiling your actions into one post
Elytrio and its moons are far enough away that their gravity won’t affect the combat.
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If we follow the flow as outlined in the rules book with first the engineering phase, then the move phase, then gunnery phase etc with the captain jumping in when ever he wants it could -depending on posting rates - takes days to get through a single round of space combat.
To speed this up I'll be using the general adopted PbP rules for this;
Everyone posts their action when they have time to post and we'll figure out where/when/how to fit that action into the round. For example someone fires a gun in an arc that's after movement isn't in the direction of the enemy ship. If there's an unmanned gun pointed in the right direction we'll just assume you used that one instead
Due to the nature of pbp this makes assists sometime work strangely since you might know that your assist will make the difference/won't matter at all since you might roll it after the player making the roll. But it is what it is.
If you have any questions feel free to ask
But basically; Ignore posting order, write what you plan to do when you have time to make a post. Hide your actual rolls behind a spoiler tag if you don't want to influence what other players (like the captain's choice on whom to assist) will do
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Rez ensures he's strapped into his chair, then slides a sliding button on his console straight to max. "Diverting power to main recce and scanning equipment – let's see what we're up against!"
Then he mutters under his breath."If it's unmanned, that means there's no guilt in blowing it to scrap, right?"
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D'vost as he was already on the seat aiming the turret gun, he turned on comm unit saying: "I see him nice and clear<click> It is within the range. As we picked a ship with fewer guns it might take a while <click> so prepare for combat."
After that, Shirren changes the music to something even more prominent rhythm. D'vost takes his time aiming and finally fires coil gun at the enemy ship.
Phase: Gunner
Role: Gunner
Action: Shoot
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Looking over to the comms panel, Rez' hair stands on his end when he realizes his mistake. He swipes the power slider back down to normal levels, then unshackles himself from his chair. Before Pan begins his initial maneuvers, Rez heads over to the comms panel, and attempts a scan of the enemy vessel before running back to his engineering seat.