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Hearing the others discuss war stories, Zso smiles and joins in, spinning a tale of their own to hopefully entertain their comrades and impress the Vesk Captain. ”I have fought many battles since joining the Starfinders and a few have stuck in my mind. I have brought the fight to the Jinsul on a few occasions and have duelled their ruling Officers several times. Their many legs make fencing a challenge but I am more than prepared for more.” As he finishes his story, Zso raises his glass in toast to their companions and finishes the drink. Once the stories are over and the meal finished, the Solarion retires for the evening.
Over the next day, Zso awakes and works up an appetite in the gym and practice cages. After breakfast, they go to check out the wreckage to see if it reveals anything that may be of use.
Interesting philosophy. I for myself follow none. Each deity are equal in my view and each represent a part of the universe. If I need hope, I could ask Desna, if I need strength I could call Damoritosh. Why letting only one god help us achieving great thing while there is so many?
"It's not that we let only one deity help us. It's that sometimes you have a special connection to one over another. My father was a priest of Hylax the Forever Queen. I was brought up in that tradition, but was never quite satisfied; a small quiet emptiness haunted me. Pharasmen came to help our colony when the Gray Shakes plague struck. Their kindness was an inspiration, and I found my destiny with the Lady of Graves. The magic I wield is her gift to the world through me. I assure you Hylax never inspired nor used me so.
Although unlikely to be of any help, Keskodai will follow the others to view the wreckage. After all, it might be considered a gravesite, or at least a grave marker of sorts.
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The hold doesn't hold the ship, just the more valuable bits that got salvaged from it... many of which show signs of battle damage.
The team pokes through the wreckage, but at first glance don't discover anything of note..
After a surprisingly short days but pleasant enough trip through the drift, a buzzer sounds, letting you know you are close to the wreckage site. There is quite a debris field around it.
"This will take some time to get through.." sighs the captain.
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M’Shak responds to Keskodai Interesting. Not being able to master the power given by a deity my views are certainly reduced in this topic. Thanks for enlightening me Keskodai.
Captain, I could help you navigate through it. By optimizing the computer for calculating the best route to take or helping your pilot through it. As a professional race pilot I’m use to these type of challenges.
Says M’shak
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Looking out at the debris, Goose recalls his misspent youth and how they used to pilot asteroid fields...for fun.
"I have a little trick I picked up. If you modulate your deflector shields, they can work to repulse small to mid-size debris. It won't let you blast through it recklessly, but we can certainly maximize our piloting to avoid a lot of extra maneuvering."
M’Shak responds to Keskodai Interesting. Not being able to master the power given by a deity my views are certainly reduced in this topic. Thanks for enlightening me Keskodai.
I wouldn't say 'enlighten'. The gods are ineffable. Because you lack a mastery or specific connection to a good, you see more clearly than
Suwalnazka or I do. Our experience will certainly skew our thinking; but I would not exchange it for anything.*** Salvage examination ***
*** Asteroids ***
Once you have the courses plotted, I could ask Pharasma's guidance before we choose one. It is a slow process, but mostly reliable. I can cast it again if there are places where we can slow or halt the ship.
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With the teams help you manage to get close to the wreckage. It is certainly an odd looking ship. "This is the one we got salvage from." agrees Yuluzak. "We just took the easy to gather stuff"
Speaking of easy to gather, after looking over her old files, M'Shak realises what seemed familiar about the wreckage. The damage was very similar to that inflicted by the jinsul.
Meanwhile, once you get onto the wrecked ship you access the damaged computer and the decryption codes provided by Iteration-177 work a treat.
You easily find out the ship "The Ardent Seeker" was a military scout vessel, returning from a routine patrol. The ships expected destination can also be easily retrieved.
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If this is a military vessel of the Kreiholm Freehold the destination coordinate could be one of the planet where they are stationed. It also could be a simple military outpost... but still a way to make contact. The chance are 50/50 between the two options.
But, it seems that the ship was attacked by Jinsuls. I fear that the Kreiholm Freehold is under attack or will be. I hope it's not too late.
If they are ambushing scouts, the jinsul may be trying to strike quickly before word of their re-emergence has spread. Bluuuuu concurs with M'shak. I have heard considerable tales about their viciousness. You seem to have encountered them before M'shak and Bugface: is it true?
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Zso looks at the view screen as they stroke their clean shaven chin pondering the implications laid out before them. Hearing Bluuuu's query the Lashunta looks up at the Barathu and nods.
"Aye, the Jinsul are worthy of their fearsome reputation. Totally militaristic and attack without provocation." he states, "Well if we can help prevent another attack I suggest we follow the ship's intended location. If not we can at least learn more."
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Yes, the Jinsul are fearsome soldiers and lead by zealots commanders. They are quite a formidable military force, with a strong war-fleet able to conquer worlds and a technology as advanced as ours if better in certain way.
If the Kreiholm Freehold has made the Jinsuls their enemy, they are in grave danger.
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Suwalnazka happily talks with most of you about your religious philosophies. Prior to exiting the Drift near your destination he gives you all some small gifts.
The Honorbound exits the swirl of colors and half-formed images that is the Drift and emerges into open space above a blue-green planet. Numerous ships with designs completely unknown in the Pact Worlds form a protective grid around the world below. Around them, hundreds of sleek fighters wheel in tight formations. Three massive rhomboid battleships position their guns to lock on to their targets while smaller black-andpurple ships with triangular frames dart among them, firing mercilessly at their foes.
It’s initially difficult to tell which side has the upper hand, or even how many sides exist, in the chaotic battle. A Drift portal opens near Honorbound’s starboard side, and dozens more of the dark, triangular ships pour through, ignoring Honorbound in favor of other targets closer to the surface. These ships appear to be outnumbered but not outgunned as a flash of light signals a crippling explosion in the side of one of the battleships.
Captain Yuluzak’s attempts to hail nearby combatants meet with radio silence until a loud burst of static signals an incoming transmission. On the bridge, Captain Yuluzak flips a switch and a frantic message filters through the ship’s intercom. The brief message repeats twice in an unfamiliar language, before playing a third time in perfect Vesk: “Hospital bombed. Ground troops overwhelming our position. Request for immediate aid!”
“Starfinders!” Yuluzak barks, addressing his passengers. “I don’t know what this battle is about, but you want to meet this system’s inhabitants, yes? Someone down there speaks our language, and they need help. If the Veskarium has allies here, it’s our duty to intervene. Honor demands it.”
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As they emerge from the drift, Zso is busy filming themselves for the fans, leaning back in a chair in the Bridge of the Honorbound. The Starship battle ongoing outside of the Vesk ship cuts them off from a particularly dry anecdote from the set of the Thraxian Vendetta. Knowing little about the intricacies of the machines, but knowing War when he sees it Zso lets out a low whistle. He flips their device so that their followers can see the battle raging on and starts to comment on the ships. That is until the message comes through about a hospital being bombed.
”I’m ready to go!” he responds leaping out of his chair and checking his armour. ”You got a landing craft we can use?”
I concur. Hospital defense will have very positive diplomatic overtones and is morally correct. Our judgements will all be easier for this course of action.
Keskodai hurries back to his cabin to gather his combat gear.
The Starfinders' honor as well. Bluuuuu agrees with Yuluzak as he gathers his weapons and dons his Ringwear. Assaulting a place of healing - it defies all tenets of warfare.
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It seems the planetary defensive force is too busy with the (presumably jinsul) ships to bother you on your approach. Shaakar locks on the the message's origin - a hospital on the outskirts of a city - which also shows recent signs of bombing.
The air above the city is reasonably clear, although a few attackers are patrolling, they steer clear of the heavily armoured freighter. Yuluzak makes a landing a short walk from the hospital.
As they quickly disembark, Bluuuuu tries to float as quickly as possible to the hospital's central structure.
That damaged section - there may be injured survivors in the rubble. Perhaps we should hurry there.
Whether the rest of the group agrees with the suggestion or not, Bluuuuu will also adjust his comm as they move, scanning through multiple channels and attempting to transmit in vesk across each of them: 'Assistance has landed. We are attempting to give aid. Where are you?'
Agreed. We may find people in need faster in the damaged area.
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This area bears little resemblance to the functional hospital ward that stood here only an hour ago. Fires smolder throughout the heaps of twisted metal and chunks of building material. Tangled wires spark and writhe like snakes amid the rubble. The acrid smell of burning plastic fills the air as plumes of inky black smoke curl up toward the exposed sky.
On the transmission there is on reply.
Sho notices that there are quite a few hazards in the area. Various electrical wires still buzz and crackle with power, while the bombing has left a lot of the rubble in a precarious position, that could fall on an unlucky or unskilled person traversing it.
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Launching themselves from the Ramp of the star vessel, Zso closes their eyes momentarily to form their connection to the forces of the universe and suddenly a blade forms in their hand from the mote of light that had once been harmlessly floating around their head. Looking around, they spot nothing directly assaulting them and so moves to the head of their group. As the others discuss the Lashunta nods their head determinedly.
”Good thinking,” he saya as they keep their eyes peeled for Jinsul threat. ”If you can disable those issues I can easily lift rubble to free those trapped inside should it be the case.”
Keskodai looks at the wreckage. These obstacles will be difficult for me to traverse.
Then we will try to clear the way my friend. Bluuuuu communicates to Shohiraj as he tries to help Zso with the rubble.
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Goose will activate his Mk2 Force Soles so that he can walk slightly above the difficult terrain, making sure to adjust his height just above the debris.
He pulls out his semi-automatic pistol in one hand and his laser in another. You never know which will come in handy at the right moment.
Goose scans the area for threats and anything else, putting his operative skills to the test.
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There is no sign of people still trapped in the collapsed part of the hospital. Although there is access to the rest of the hospital through the rubble.
The southern wing (the big with the red overlay on the map) is now just one level high, one level of rubble. The layout on the map shows what you think the initial layout may have been - based on the walls still standing.
The rubble will provide cover from the jinsul patrols in the area.
If there do not seem to be any people trapped in this section, Agent’s thanks Bluuuuu says perhaps then another avenue may be best to get our whole squad through?. The barathu rotates towards the skinny Shohiraj at this last point.
Keskodai watches the others negotiate the rubble. Maybe I should meet you at the other door.
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Glad there were no innocents trapped in the rubble, Zso looks to the group, noting how some nimbly manage the rubble whilst others simply float across. Seeing Keskodai hesitate they shrug. "I don't have fancy tech but I can control gravity around me to float. I could carry you across if you like?" he asks the Shirren, mentally dismissing his bonded weapon.
If the Shirren accepts, Zso cradles Keskodai and then pushes off from the ground, effortlessly clearing the rubble and landing softly on the other side. If not, they volunteer to go through the other door with the Shirren to keep them safe, once more connecting to their inner self in order to form the blade from light.
Gracious of you to offer me the choice. I accept, Keskodai accepts Zso's offer gratefully.
Upon landing the shirren cocks its head. Interesting. No tech involved, and skillfully done.
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The team flies, levitates, jumps, and finesses its way across the rubble and into what was apparently until recently an office.
The orderly office workstation that occupies the northern half of this room stands in stark contrast to the wreckage to the south, where the partially collapsed ceiling crumbles to meet a mountain of smoking debris outside.
There is still one intact door leading out.
Seeing no obvious alternative, you head through it and end up at an intersection. Impressive looking double doors stand before you, while a more normal door stands to your right.
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Goose will take the lead with M'shak and look for anything that might trip them up or alert the jinsul of their presence.
The ysoki recommends moving out and around the perimeter.
"I suggest we work our way around and then in so we aren't caught in a pincer between opposing forces." he offers before opening the doors.
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No traps are found. You try the side door and come into what appears to be some type of auditorium, looking down on an operating theatre.
various equipment stations around the room as medical in nature and specifically intended for complex surgeries but intrinsically different from Pact Worlds technology.
Two other sets of doors lead out, one large double doors, and a smaller side door.