Being fully attuned, Cycle-1 steps around the leaking oil, blows up, and ends the final gremlin.
Bubs, who has been looking through the blast doors into the cargo hold this whole time, looks at you with a strange combination of admiration, horror, and amazement.
He finally manages to blurt out "nobody, and I mean NOBODY, back at the home office is going to believe this. What the hell were those things? And Rex, you look sort of burned. Should I get some Bactine?"
The ship does manage to hold together until you return to dock. There, a representative of Periphery Stars is there to greet you with a reward for removing the gremlin infestation from their ship. Of course you are also asked to sign several documents absolving Periphery of any responsibility for this situation (if called, Chiskisk encourages you to just sign the documents, as does Bubs).
[ooc]For those of you keeping score, Bubs continues to have an extremely high outlook of all of you, and things are looking good early on. Part 2 of 4 will begin soon. I should have something up tomorrow for you to chew on over the weekend.
Bubs stops at a food vendor near the Periphery Stars dock you just emerged from. "You must let me provide some refreshments after that chaos on that old starship. I could go for something to eat as well, and I hear that these Dygu Wraps are what the locals eat."
Soon Bubs returns to your table with a tray full of wraps and beverages for everyone. "Honestly, I'm a little nervous and embarrassed about the next place I'd like to visit with all of you." Bubs turns a bit red and smiles sheepishly as he continues, "back home, I do a little musical theater in my spare time. Purely amateur, you understand, yet something I'm quite passionate about. My wife does it with me. You should have seen our dance number last Spring when we performed in 'Rainy Days and Desna'. Anyway, what I'm really hoping is that we might have a look inside the famous Hamisfore Theatorium. If there were a way to meet Mr. Hamisfore, that would be the highlight of this trip for me!"
Finding the Theatorium proves to be trivial, as it's a well known landmark on Absalom Station.
Once there, it's a little sticky to get an actual meeting with Mr. Hamisfore, but once it's understood that Bubs is a visiting dignitary, arrangements are made.
“Welcome, right this way,” the spry gnome ushers the group
through a set of doors and into a large round theatre with
plush seats. On the stage, a troupe of masked actors look up in
surprise as guests enter during their rehearsal. “Not now, you
lot,” Jebodah cries to the actors, waving his hands dismissively.
“Out! Out! I have something NEW here!”
As the actors file out the stage door, Jebodah moves to a large
booth containing a series of levers and dials. He waves into the
booth and begins to pull levers and flip switches. With a whir
of machinery the entire room begins to reconfigure itself. The
seats retract into slots in the floor, and the stage folds up and
slides into the wall. A series of stadium-like bleachers extrudes
from the corners, slowly building up seating for several hundred
people. The floor seems to grow a carpet of thick padding as the
room finishes its rearrangement into an arena-like space.
“Now,” he continues, addressing the dignitary. “Just what sort
of art did you wish to demonstrate? I assure you, if you impress
me, I can launch your career in show business!”
Bubs appears at first shy, but quickly warms up to the idea of stepping on stage. "Well, uhhh, Mr. Hamisfore, it would be an honor to step up on your stage, though I don't know that a career in show business is in my future. I could sing a little number from the last play I was in, I suppose."
Mr. Hamisfore arranges the stage, gets some music ready from a data stick that Bubs provides, and even gets a "test" audience into many of the seats in the theatorium. He suggests to the Starfinders that they join him in the audience.
• Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate to drum up support in the crowd.
• Culture, Life Science, Mysticism or Physical Science to bring
up a related fact of the performance.
• Perception, Profession, Sense Motive, or Sleight of Hand to
note point out something related to the performance or to
subtly assist it.
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Lola taps her foot to the music without realizing it, then casts a trained eye on the lighting and sound setups. Hm. Power feeds there and there, the wireless supplies are all low voltage, but the lighting and amplifiers are standard voltage at high current. Wait a minute--that's wired crossways, which means in about thirty seconds we're going to get some feedback here. Unless.... She taps the tech director on the shoulder and points up at the wiring problem. "Back down the gain on the third mike now!"
Rex watches the start of the performance, keeping an eye out for where he can subtly enhance things.
Though the audience still appears restless and unimpressed with Bubs, Mr. Hamisfore continues to be intrigued and at least mildly amused by Bubs' performance.
Lola, you get a smile and a friendly nod from the technical director as he reaches for the virtual slider potentiometer on his digital holographic display.
Pleased with his initial results Rex tries again to sneak in and boost the show a bit.
Though the attendees near Kaia seem to give Bubs due consideration after hearing from her, the rest of you have a harder time effectively assisting Bubs.
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Seeing a few audience members sniggering at Bubs performance, Kaia. moves down the seats nearer to them. "How about I volunteer you for the next performance and then heckle you all the way through it, just so you can see how you like it? Don't know if you'll have a good time, but I'm sure I will."
She gestures up at Bubs on stage. "This man is a genius. The nuances of his performance, the emotion behind every lyric. Isn't it such an honour to be part of this audience?"
"Ya can really hear da influence o' traditional shipyard shanties in his voice," offers Rex to the nearby audience members.
Following Bubs' extended song and dance routine on the Hamisfore Theatorium stage, you all meet him backstage.
"I noticed all of you helping me out a little, and I sure appreciate it. As I told you on the way here, I'm strictly amateur, but it's an unbelievable thrill to step onto this stage. It sure looked like I made ol' Jebodah smile once or twice!"
Bubs reaches into a Hamisfore Theatorium gift shop bag and pulls out tiny miniature models of the theatorium for each of you. "I got some for my wife and kids too. Which reminds me, I have some shopping that you can help me with. . . ."
"Alright gang, I really HATE to ask Starfinders to be my souvenir shopping partners, but who knows? This could be fun! Listen, I have a list of items that I would like to bring home for my wife, my son Bubs Jr., and my little daughter Gilda. I'm also hoping to bring back some treats for everyone back at the office. Here's a list of everything I need."
Bubs comes over to quietly talk to Kaia. "I am so impressed by those rings, and my Baboo back on Picos 4 would love something like them. Could we go to this exact merchant where you found them? I know she would love these."
You have a list of items ranging from Castrovelian chocolates for the office, to a genuine brutaris discus for Bubs Jr., to various fashionable items of clothing for little Gilda.
Rex hasn't been on station long, but he will try and recall if he knows a shopping district which will meet Bubs' needs.
You have sourced the goods, and most or all can be found at a popular (often crowded) shopping area on Absalom.
You find yourselves in the very crowded shopping galleria on Absalom Station. Bubs has already found most of his items, and you are each holding one of his packages in one of your arms .
Just a second too late, Rex notices a small ysoki nonchalantly walk near your group (the rest of the group is too enamored by the consumer heaven here at the galleria). He produces something out of a pocket, and rolls it toward you. With a "tink" sound it contacts the floor, rolls near you, and explodes!
At nearly the same time, just as the crowds are beginning to scream and disperse around you, other ysoki attack Gletch and Mich with taclashes.
Order:
1. Yellow
2. Blue
3. Lola
4. Rex
5. Green
6. Gletch
7. Mich
8. Kaia
The ysoki near Mich continues his taclash attack.
The ysoki who tossed the grenade moves in and attempts to disarm Gletch.
Rex will draw his pulsecaster and step back from the rats.
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Kaia tells Bubs that the market where she found her jewellery seemed temporary, just a small pop-up stall that she happened to find during a walk through town. She assures him that if there's jewellery of a similar style and quality to be found in the shopping galleria, she'll find it for him.
Kaia doesn't initially see the Ysoki who threw the grenade, but she spots the grenade in time to avoid the blast.
One of the ysoki near Gletch snaps his taclash and attempts to disarm Gletch!
And hits! Gletch, the package you are carrying falls to the floor near you!
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Having six arms, Mich is not encumbered by the package. Nevertheless, he’s not happy to be robbed, especially robbed from something that he doesn’t own.
He easily avoid the blast and is ready to protect the package from the thieves!
Mich quickly moves next to the Ysoki’s pair while calling his weapon of light before striking the one on his right
bad Ysoki!
Then, using his ancestral quickness he takes the package his friend lose.
Mich, as you move, one of the ysoki's gets off a quick attack .
Meanwhile, the young ysoki thief that was hit clutches his wound and looks horrified at the wound Mich caused.
"Lola! Careful! Crowded shopping place no spot for grenades," yells Rex.
One of the ysoki bandits shudders as LolaRuby's grenade goes off near him. Screams echo through the shopping area as any shoppers left run terrified from the explosions.
He still manages to collect himself, take a step, and try one more time to score a package. This time he whips toward Rex.
The injured ysoki takes a step back, drawing a pistol as he does. Though he is terrified of how this has developed, he still takes aim and fires at Mich.
Rex holds on tightly to his parcel, while taking a shot at one of the bandits.
E, non-lethal
Mortally wounded, the ysoki Mich attacked falls to the floor.
Rex misses badly, accidentally shooting toward the ceiling, causing a shower of sparks to fall in the area.