"The whale is flying behind the damaged vessel. I think we should try to fly in between to shield them from fire breaths."
"Observations of the vessel's damage indicate a high probability of destruction should it endure another direct hit." Puzzle pauses a heartbeat in thought before replying, "Your judgement is sound. Make it so, Vedrir."
Vedrir looks at the fire whale again trying to predict its movements
Helm continues
The damaged starship continues fleeing, while the whale begins to turn to attack you, trying to evade incoming attacks.
ACN-1 is up.
Vedrir predicts the movement of the fire whale and decides to slide the ship sideways
The ship begins to fly sideways surprising the whale by not being in front of it.
Helm
Your scans of the fleeing ship reveal some additional information.
-The ship registers as a medium transport with a maximum crew size of 8. If not damaged, it would have a speed of 8 and a maneuverability of average (turn 2).
-Scans indicate living creatures are aboard but the signatures are strange, suggesting magical interference.
-The ship's communication system appears to have been damaged by the whale's attacks.
Gunnery
The whale is unable to attack any targets with its mouth or fire breath. ACN-1 is up.
"Ok, ok, more guns! More guns!" Kit scrambles to connect two nearby wires, then throws a switch. He giggles a bit at the resulting sparks, but it has the desired effect, boosting the power of the guns.
That didn't need to be so dramatic, you know.
Confident, Nomyra aims for another attack, but this one goes wide again.
That didn't need to be so dramatic, you know.
"Shutit! I's working!"
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"Scanners indicate that the unknown vessel's communications system is damaged. ....It is of course possible they could still not want or are able to talk to us for any number of other reason, but currently we can't contact them due to this. Also I'm getting some magical interference but it does appear that there are several living creatures on board. So this is indeed a rescue operation.
"Commendable, Vedrir!" Puzzle shares their appreciation of the Kastha's piloting.
"The reported magical disturbance seems to be affecting our ship's targeting systems." Puzzle adjusts a few buttons and sliders on the control panel. "Try that now, Nomyra."
Next round
Engineering
The whale seems determined to catch your ship!
Helm
Your scans reveal the following about the whale:
HP: 26/40, AC/TL remain unchanged (14/13), and it seems its "propulsion" system has taken minor damage from your previous attacks.
The other starship continues to flee; ACN-1 is up in initiative.
"Too close! Must go faster!"
"Thanks, Captain!"
"Blast, it's still not working."
Vedrir is certain that he saw through the fire whale. He looked at it for the past couple of minutes and was able to see when it turns or shifts its body. But now it moves in a different manner, he is almost certain that it prepares for doing some version of U-turn but soon his eyes got big as he didn't see that coming. Seeing that he was outsmarted by a space whale Vedrir uses the extra power and flies away from the fire whale.
"I was unable to fully compensate for the magical disturbance. I will continue adjusting the system," Puzzle explains. "In the meantime, I have heard that many beings often find music can help them 'enter the zone'. Perhaps this will help." A swipe of the control panel later, the latest Castrovelian NRG club mix is pumping through the gunnery station speakers.
Gunnery last/this round
The whale flyswims to face you and attacks the ACN-1 with its fiery breath.
Engineering this/next round
Helm this/next round
The ship continues flying away off screen. The whale seems to have been distracted and is after you now!
ACN-1 is up!
You'd better do something about those shields.
"Ok, ok, I know! Working on it!"
Sparks continue to fly as Kit scrambles over a bulkhead, stringing a wire across the chamber to connect with another. "There! Now shuddup!"
"oooooh, that fiery breath came awfully close to getting through our shields. Thanks for patching them up again Kit"
The whale swimflies forward and positions itself directly in front of the ACN-1, its mouth opening for an attack!
This time kasatha was a bit better in discovering the intent of the fire whale and slide sidewise to avoid the jaws of the space beast
Gunnery
The fire whale cannot attack. ACN-1 can!
"Come on, blasted machine."
After several more combat rounds of indeterminate length, the ACN-1 and her crew finally defeated the fire whale. As the last shot from the ACN-1's coilgun connects with the whale, the augmentations in its head disintegrate into a cloud of molecular dust. Moments later, the fleeing starship's engine flare out a final time, leaving it silent and adrift. All seems still, when as the camera fades to black and we return to our heroes' viewpoints within the ACN-1.
Moments after the fire whale's demise, you receive an incoming hail from Far Portal Station. Assuming you answer, a female kasatha in a lab coat addresses you.
"Hello crew of the ACN-1!" She exclaims, before pausing a second and continuing with a more even tone. "My name is Jori Kimosan Kofa of Clan Embross of the House of Hadulan, and I am the Stationmaster of Far Portal Station. Let me begin by saying it is an honor to meet you. Your actions today in defense of Far Portal Station and our mission are most appreciated."
She pauses again before continuing. "That ship is the first thing ever to pass through the Far Portal from the Plane of Fire. It is of immense scientific value, and thanks to your actions it is still mostly in one piece. The scientists here are eager to begin learning more about this ship, but unlike yourselves, none of us would be very good in a fight with anything dangerous still on that ship. I must ask you to board the ship and find a way to bring it back to Far Portal Station with any survivng crew still on board. This station would be even further in your debt."
Vedrir looks with satisfaction on the fire whale death. His hands are shaking from the stress so he turns on the autopilot by saying:
"A.L.I.C.E. please take the steers as I need to calm down a bit."
He stands up and turns away from the pilot console trying to calm his breath.
When he hears what Jori is saying he thinks to himself:
"I should have thought that, behind great scientific work, a kasatha mind!"
Proud and silence Vedrir waits for Puzzle to response sharing with the Captain:
"If we want to go there, can we ask the Far Portal if their scanners indicate any dangerous radiation on that ship?"
"Nothing has ever come through this Portal before? Well, this will be an adventure!"
"A commendable performance
everyone," Puzzle congratulates the crew over the intercom upon vanquishing the space whale. "And Kit, schedule a diagnostic of the targeting systems at the earliest opportunity," they add.
Standing to receive the incoming missive, Puzzle returns a greeting. "Hello Jori Kimosan Kofa of Clan Embross of the House of Hadulan, and Stationmaster of Far Portal Station. I am Puzzle, captain of ACN-1. Your gratitude is appropriate."
Listening to the subsequent request, Puzzle says, "Given our proximity to the unknown vessel and our intervention in the favour, it is only logical that we are the ones investigate."
"Indeed, Nomyra." Turning to Vedrir, the android nods. "An apt suggestion. Stationmaster, can you perform scans of the uknown vessel from the station and forward the data to the ACN-1 for cross-reference woth our own findings."
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"Right away Vedrir, controls are now on automatic. Just sit back and relax." on cue the seat reclines in it's comfort mode.
"Do you want me to play some music to help you unwind a bit more after that stressful battle with that horrible Fire breathing creature?"
Music starts to play over the ships comms before you can respond
A.L.I.C.E's music softens to play in the background as Jori's voice again comes over the comms. "ACN-1, Far Portal Station detects no radiation emanating from the ship. We'll continue to monitor as you procede," Jori says.
With your combat with the whale having concluded, you have a few moments to investigate the ship more closely. Even battered and blackened by the assault, the ship still appears as a work of art. Curves and spines of gleaming brass combine with dark plating to give the ship a feel that's half architectual and half insectile. Opaque, oblong domes are set in the top of the ship like eyes. Along the bow, you notice a few words written.
Writing in Ignan
As Wyrd focuses on the magical energy surrounding the ship, he notices the energy appears to be of the same type that emanates from the Far Portal, suggesting the ship's drift engines were damaged or offline when the ship made the transit from the Plane of Fire. Almost all ships with functioning drift engines also can employ magical shielding to protect the ship during interplanar travel; such magical shielding would have prevented the Far Portal's residual magical energy from affecting the ship.
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"Computers fine. Thatuz user error!"
That wasn't very tactful, you know.
"Oh. I mean, yes ok, will check. Amsure was a glitch!"
"Wow. I've never seen anything like that on Castrovel."
After calming his nerves kasatha joins his fellow crew at inspecting the ship.
"Should I begin docking?"
As Vedrir's seat returns to it's upright position the music stop playing "Returning controls to your station Vedrir"
Puzzle watches the unknown vessels intently as Vedrir brings the ACN-1 closer. "An unusual design," the android observes. "Can anyone decipher the script on the ship's bow? It does not match any of languages I am familiar with."
"A.L.I.C.E., please continue attempts to contact the other ship. Inform them of the fire whale's destruction and express our intent to lend them further aid. Loop broadcast transmission at 30 second intervals."
"Your wish is my command Captain. Establishing sub routines to loop a broadcast transtiming every 30 seconds"
Vedrir takes begins to dock from the starboard side, adjusting throttle accordingly
The ship is relatively easy to board. Vedrir brings the ACN-1 alongside the mysterious ship with skill and connects to the starboard airlock. The overhead light panels in the airlock flicker, with the indicators on the control panel glowing a steady red.
As you step into the airlock, Puzzle, Wyrd, and Kit all notice pieces of dark red onyx on the otherwise clean floor. Puzzle notices the largest piece, which resembles the end of a bare foot, as though it had been chipped off of a small statue. These might fetch a few credits.
From the airlock, to the north you can see a room made of alloys that look like polished brass or steel (mostly brass), with accents of dark basalt or white granite. Glowing ceiling panels and sconces holding holographic flames light the ship, though these lights periodically flicker. The room appears to be a sort of cargo bay, with sturdy doors made out of something like steel.
After a few moments engineering entry into the ship, the party is able to step inside the cargo bay.
You notice a few details immediately upon entering the ship. The ship is filled with breathable atmosphere and looks like it was designed for Medium-sized creatures. The artifical gravity appears to still be functioning, giving the ship normal gravity. This bay has thick eye-rings and ratchet straps designed to secure cargo to the walls. A suit of cargo lifter powered armor is plugged into a charging station on the north wall. Otherwise, the bay appears empty.
You all hear a loud banging coming from further within the ship to the north.
Puzzle slowly walks across the room, examining the surfaces of the room, and the strangeness of the designs, before coming to a stop before the armour charging station. They stand a moment, bead skightly cocked, quietly inspecting the suit of power armour.
Nomyra joins Puzzle.
"That's some nice armor, there. It's amazing the ways that technology like that can expand what our physical forms are capable of."
"New? Noones use this cargo hold. No scratches, see?"
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"Alice, keep watch of ACN while we are away. And keep a comm link open to us so well be in constant communication with each other" Wyrd mentions as he activates his environmental protections of his armor before departing with the rest of the party into the other ship.
As he notices the piece of dark red onyx on the otherwise clean floor he picks it up and examines it
"Any one have any idea what these might be doing here?"
"And even though this part of the ship has breathable air it might be a good precaution to turn on your environmental protections anyway. We don't know if some poisoned engine fluid has leaked into other parts of the ship, if something broke and is leaking radiation - magical or otherwise through the next corridor or any number of other possible horrible scenario's that could have occurred"
Wyrd mentions as you can almost see the air shimmer around his feet as some of the nervousness he is feeling is starting to leak out of his body in a ....wyrd way. It's not effecting this reality..yet, but who knows what could happen if something stressful would trigger his innate abilities.
"Kit, is there an internal com system we can access from here? The crew might now be able to respond to us by ship to ship comms, but maybe we can talk to them directly from here?"