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"Krara! Can you pull back and assist Rahdokama - I will lock the door there at your position to delay intruders!"
Should Krara move over to the other Vesk being assaulted, Requiem will close the door behind them and lock it before re-activating the cannons in Rahdokama's room and aiming at the original Jinsul 'Greenie'.
for
Rahdo swings out with his hammer and slams it into Burnt, but the blow is a bit shallow and barely leaves a mark. His second swing tosses up a cloud of papers and he swears he felt it connect heavily with one of the two jinsul but the fluttering order forms and invoices disguise which one it was.
Wraith gets the fidgety power balance levels right again, just enough to cause the barrier to surge, but not enough to cause it to fail.
Krara having dispatched the bad mouthing Azure, doubles back to help the captain and try keep him alive, sadly the facility is massive and it takes her some sprints to get there.
Requiem calls out notices and warnings to the vesk and others in the complex, closing the doors behind Krara as she goes, before targeting Greenie, and landing a nice hit against him.
The two jinsul look over at each other and then down at the vesk. With an expression that could best be described as an evil grin they lash out twice a piece, hoping to take the vesk down and finally get into the rest of the complex. They hit the vesk and hit him hard. Greenie, used at this point to the vesk's movements, slams into him twice, the second a particularly bad hit. Burnt with his less time with the vesk, misses at first but, as Rahdo is still reeling from Greenie's second hit, the next strike slices in deep.
Ziggy's turret enters it's short cooldown cycle again, and the popular chorus to the most recent Star Sugar Heartlove song filters down from the gunner's booth.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama 0/32 SP, 18/34 HP
Vexus 32/40 SP
Basalt
Wraith-19
Requiem
Krara
ZA HOOORDE -314
Greenie -6 or -16
Azure Out
Burnt -3 or -13
Ziggy
++++++++++++++++
Current map
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"Rahdokama! If you can pull back into the Power Core Krara is close to joining you." Requiem calls out through the comms, hoping to save the Vesk.
If Rahdokama can pull back, Requiem will close the door behind them to buy the two Vesk time to catch up, whilst aiming the laser at the Jinsul Rahdokama struck. If they are unable to pull back they will fire the laser at the Jinsul before moving out of the Security room and closer to the embattled Vesk.
for
First Seeker Elsebo pops up on your displays. "Starfinder hackers have recovered navigation routes for supply lines from a jinsul data center on Agillae-4. Using this information, we have identified vulnerable courier routes in the space surrounding Bastiar-6. The First Seekers need some skilled starship crews to choke the jinsuls’ resource pipelines."
The Starfinder fleet shifts overhead to close in on Callion-2 to scout as much as possible while the Jinsul fleet begins to close back in on Bastiar-6.
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Over the comms to Requiem, "PULL BACK? I DO NOT KNOW OF SUCH A THING!" Rahdo winces as his flesh is cut up, but quickly regains his composure when Krara rushes in. She looks back and smiles, "LOOK AWAY KRARA. TIS BUT A FLESH WOUND! HMPH!" He turns to his victims, "BURN BABY BURN!" As he explodes in a vibrant collection of green light.
-
Requiem calls for Rahdokama's retreat, before he takes a shot at Greenie again, and with the hit from Rahdo before, puts the jinsul down. It gives a small curse in Jinsul before curling up in to a ball.
Vexus gets a better grip on the boulder allowing him to leverage it better into the launcher. It flies high and lands with a crack, taking more than a few jinsul out with it.
Wraith tries to pulse the shield generators.
She finally seems to be getting the hang of it, sending another electric pulse across the crowded jinsul.
Krara, complaining about the efficient if impartical space design of the complex rushes into the aid of her vesk friend.
Basalt grasps the timing of the atmosphere generators and thinks he might be able to optimize it further, with maybe a few changes here and there. But before that he releases a cloud of freezing mist on the horde of jinsul climbing the tower.
Rahdokama disregards the calls for retreat and instead decides to explode on the jinsul near him, literally. Hot green light blasts out of every pore and from under every scale. Sadly the anti-fire suppression system seems to instantly take some of the oxygen out of the air preventing it from being an extremely deadly explosion. Even worse, the jinsul either due to the suppression system or natural reflexes, the jinsul avoids most of the damage, only taking slight burns from it.
The jinsul hisses back in Jinsul, "You killed my friend! You will DIE scalie!" However the thing must be terrified of a vesk that can explode and survive unscathed, as he only gives a few weak slashes of his leg blades.
Ziggy's turret enters it's cool down phase again, the constant rat-tat-tat of the turret fire calming, and the sounds of a pop song plays through instead. "Nearly there! There's only few jinsul left outside!" A closer look and Ziggy proves right, the jinsul numbers has clearly been cut to nearly 1/4th the initial size.
As all of that is happening, Requiem hears a skittering sound coming from one of the tunnels in area H10, accompanied by someone repeating the word "Yellow, YELL-ow, yElLoW!" in as many condescending ways possible.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama 0/32 SP, 18/34 HP
Vexus 32/40 SP
Basalt
Wraith-19
Requiem
Krara 12/28 SP
ZA HOOORDE -439
Greenie Dead and burning
Azure Out
Burnt -7
Yellow
Ziggy
++++++++++++++++
Current map
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Happy that their laser system recorded one down intruder, Requiem brings up the schematics once more as the sensors record another invader. Of course it would be the tunnels... they sigh, not relishing informing Krara of the Jinsul after they had run so far.
Hoping to trap the Jinsul, they close another door leading to an airlock in the base, hopefully creating a cage of sorts. Then they fire the laser cannon and the newest intruder, knowing two Vesk are more than a match for a single Jinsul.
[b]"Krara, I apologise to inform you of another breach in the tunnels - I have however locked two doors in their path so it should take them some time."[/b
they say rather sheepishly over the comms.
for
Wraith gets the barrier to send out a Shockwave through the dwindling horde of jinsul outside the tower. She picks off a few more, leaving even less of them left.
Rahdo gets some payback for his terrible injuries and terrible explosion, slamming a hammer into Burnt's face. The jinsul doesn't look happy about it.
Requiem locks more doors and has to sadly inform Krara that more invaders are back in the tunnels. The vlaka also takes a shot but misjudges the sound cues and only leaves a burn mark on the cabinet.
Krars takes advantage of the missed laser blast and gets a shot in, causing Burnt to keel over dead.
Vexus done lifting rocks over and over, instead puts on a burst of speed and squeezes into the rock delivery system to engage the newest jinsul intruder.
Basalt tries to circumnavigate the control systems that seem to keep causing the system to freeze and restart every time he pushes the system too fast. Sadly the engineering of that takes more time than he thought due to some terribly formatted coding.
The new intruder catches hints of there being someone else in the room and moves forward some. It catches sight of Vexus and then in a confident, snarling voice spits, "Yellow!" at the android, clearly thinking that the word is some grave, grave insult. It backs up the insult with an shot from a tactical arc emitter in it's hands, but like the meaning of 'yellow' and it's brain, the shot bounces off.
Ziggy's turret enters it's cool down again and you can hear the shirren cheering. "We fended them off! Look at those scragglers run! Nicely done!" Taking a quick look outside proves his words right, the few remaining jinsul are fleeing the tower, the ranks and wills of the group clearly broken.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama 0/32 SP, 18/34 HP
Vexus 32/40 SP
Basalt
Wraith-19
Requiem
Krara 12/28 SP
ZA HOOORDE Fleeing
Greenie Dead and burning
Azure Out
Burnt Smushed
Yellow
Ziggy
++++++++++++++++
Current map
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Receiving the update from Ziggy, Requeim breathes a sigh of relief as the system updates them on the positioning of their allies. Realising their trap for the Jinsul is now a hindrance Requiem works to unlock the two doors they had previously locked.
"Doors are unlocked and you should be free to converge on Vexus' poition. Only one intruder remains." The Vlakan updates over the comms.
Requiem scrabble to unlock the doors he'd just locked, calling for everyone to move on the jinsul's location.
Vexus, already in he room, moves up ND takes a swing at the jinsul, but misses just barely.
Everyone else moves in closer, seeking to drive away the last jinsul invader.
The jinsul keeps hissing yellow at Vexus as it takes a few swings at the android.
It misses twice.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama 0/32 SP, 18/34 HP
Vexus 32/40 SP
Basalt
Wraith-19
Requiem
Krara 12/28 SP
ZA HOOORDE Fleeing
Greenie Dead and burning
Azure Out
Burnt Smushed
Yellow
Ziggy
++++++++++++++++
Current map
Requiem blasts the jinsul with the laser in the ceiling and hits, leaving a nasty laser burn on the spider-like creature.
Vexus also slams into the jinsul with his gauntlets, breaking down the creature's armor and leaving it very nearly dead.
Krara, having sprinted around the complex so much already, huffs as she gets into the room and readies her weapon.
Basalt takes advantage of his solid dwarven frame by using the wall as a breaking point, hitting with a thud and nearly shaking the whole frame of the building.
Wraith sneaks in through the stone delivery chute and comes out the other side ready to handle the last jinsul.
Rahdo shouts after everyone and huffs after them, clearly regretting the donuts from breakfast.
The jinsul gives a look at everyone gathering in the room and gives a husky almost laughing, It then slashes out at Vexus twice.
Ziggy comes down on an elevator and gathers all of the remaining tower defenders around. "That was a potentially deadly fight there. We nearly lost some good Starfinders there, especially on the roof and antenna, but we persevered! Now take a moment to relax, and then people who are assigned here, get back to work this tower is an extremely important data hub we can't have you out for long. The rest of you, We're heading back to the shuttle. I just got word that Radaszam needs back up in the trenches of Bastiar-3. We're heading that way now, so rest up on the shuttle." He pauses and then looks over at Rahdokama. "Rahdo, you okay? Those are some really nasty cuts you have there. I want to make sure you're going to be okay."
Ziggy and you get into the shuttle and take off, headed for Basitar-3. It takes you hours to get to the planet give you some time to eat and nap, but not get a good sleep.
The shuttle lands in the deep forests and you file off onto a damp humid place smelling of rot. A closer look at the 'trees' of the forest proves they are instead giant fungi, actually it looks like almost all of the 'plants' here are fungi. Ziggy leads you to a staging area, where many starfinders are in various states of health, nurses, doctors and commanders rushing around to triage people. Ziggy turns to you and says, "Well this is really feeling like a war. Saddening to hear... But I'm going to have to lead my own strike team up around the back side, Radaszam requested you specifically, something about 'promised to put em on the front lines' or what not. Good luck and let's have some of my famous rust-busting Zaneth Stir-fry when you're done!"
Asking around, the commanders not too busy points you up the hill towards the sounds of gun fire and artillery shells. "Radas'll be up o'er dere. Best get moving."
Climbing the hill you ge against the flow of new wounded members. As you get close a fountain of debris sprays into the air from artillery impact, shaking the landscape already marred by impact craters and trenches. Radaszam, his back against a muddy wall, gives you a wide-eyed disbelieving look that your standing out in the open and urgently gestures you over to his cover. He scowls at the sound of another artillery shell with a scream of pain in tow. “Krara, here's the 'thick of it' you asked for. Glad to have some vesk here. The jinsul command center over that hill is clearly important, given how vigorously they’re defending it. Some other agents have dug trenches further ahead, but between having suffered numerous casualties and jinsul artillery fire it looks like we’re pinned down. It’s imperative that we gain control of that structure, so I’ll mobilize the rest of our troops here to draw their attention. Get to that fortress and capture it!” Radaszam rallies the other agents to distract the jinsul artillery, affording the you a chance to approach the fort.
BATTLEFIELD HUSTLE
.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama
Basalt
Krara
Nexus
Wraith-19
‘Requiem’
++++++++++++++++
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Taking the time to get a quick nap on the shuttle as the adrenaline of the defence flees them,a habit picked up in their first tour of the Scoured Stars, Requiem shudders awake as their acute senses pick up the activating of the landing thrusters. They bid Ziggy farewell and good luck, promising to meet them for stir fry after all this is done, hearing the Shirren's struggling breath.
Seeing injured, Requiem and their support - a Deaf Vlakan by the name of Harlequin seek to soothe their injuries.
They then keep their head down, moving cautiously in an attempt to avoid being spotted. Unfortunately their efforts are not good enough as they are fired upon by the Jinsul and only a glimpse of another time did they manage to drop and suffer only minor burns.
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Being dropped right at the front lines, Krara gives a deep nod of thanks to Radaszam for answering her earlier requests. Looking behind her at the other agents crouching in the trenches, she incites them:
Come on! We knew taking back this system wouldn't be as simple as jumping in! But those jinsul won't stop coming until WE make them stop! So swallow your doubts, slap a patch on those scratches, and let's show them what the full might of the Society can do!
With that she rushes forwards herself, emboldened by the covering fire she knows is coming from behind her as Krara races to close the gap.
Tripping for a moment, she digs deep and surges forth again! Come on Krara. You're a champion! A Pact World Warrior! You've run better courses than this!
First Seeker Elsebo sounds a bit forlorn as she hangs her head low on the screen with an almost defeated look. "Bad news team. A jinsul captive revealed that we have a traitor in our midst! A double-agent has been feeding sensitive information to the jinsul data center on Agillae-4. We need Starfinders adept at hunting fugitives to track this turncoat down and stop them from leaking any other valuable data."
The Starfinder fleet heads to Bastair-6 to cut off the Jinsul ships and deliver crucial supplies. The Jinsul fleet retreats over to Agillae-4 to protect the mole.
Using the flood of crucial intelligence about the enemy, the Starfinder leadership strategically divides responsibilities to afford everyone some rest.
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Following the group, Rahdo will go with Krara to incite the men in the trenches. He is suprised at how well composed she is, and stands there admiring her posture and words. "COULD'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSEFL!" He smiles.
He follows her lead almost instinctively, running off after her.
As she is running he things "she is really good at thi..." as he trips the same time as she does. However, as the more agile vesk gracefully gets up and continues, Rahdo is stuck in the mud. He raises his head slams his fist into the ground. "HMPH! DAMN YOUR GOOD KRARA!"
Requiem patches up a few injuries and binds a few broken bones of the people still around the staging area. They pick up some guns and in gratitude try help your group up the hills, providing covering fire as you move up on the trenches. The vlaka then tries to sneak up the mountain, but he sadly can't see where the enemies might be and how exposed he really is, the first few shots set him sttaight and he is soon back under cover.
Krara, with some help from Rahdokama rallies even more support, inspiring the few people still cowering in the trenches into helping, though she's not entirely sure she was more inspirational or intimidating, but it definitely works as she is able to perform under the pressure and make the next trench with no difficulties.
The male vesk, trying to follow Krara's inspirational example, also rushes up but as the jinsul just saw that pattern of movements they are prepared and Rahdo catches some bullets, quite a few actually.
Vexus tries to take the same route as Requiem, but his advantage of being able to see where there is cover and what direction things are coming from means the android is able to avoid being spotted and shot at.
Basalt, despite not sprinting up the battlefield is able to be deft enough to avoid getting shot at. He lazily wanders up and over the trenches taking his time.
Wraith mentally bemoaning war, patches up a Starfinder or two before she tries to hop over the trenches herself. Sadly whether it's wishing for the AI Singularity too hard, mentally cursing war or just an accident, she ends up less stealthy than normal and in the line of fire taking a few heavy artillery shells on the way.
Up ahead you see a particularly vibrant patch of fungi that have a few downed Starfinders and jinsul in them that seem to not have any open wounds or blood around them.
After the patch of fungus is the walls of the fortress itself, the fastest way up would be to climb it but your sure there might be an easier way up if you take a moment to stop and look.
Finally there's a bare area of land right in front of the front entrance to the building. There's little you can do but rush across the gap taking whatever fire comes your way. A moment to calculate where and how the weapons fire would do a lot to make avoiding the worst of the weapons easier.
++++++++++++++++
Rahdokama 11/32 SP, 18/34 HP
Basalt
Krara 12/28 SP
Vexus 32/40 SP
Wraith-19 0/21 SP
‘Requiem’ 8/18 SP
++++++++++++++++
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Wincing as their allies are struck by Jinsul fire too, Requiem stops short as their nose detects a fungi patch ahead. "Hmm, let's see if we can't get round this little obstacle."
They then attempt to find them a path up the sheer cliff face. Again, they struggle to do so, the fire and fungi messing up their remaining senses, they struggle to climb but manage to push through to the top.
They then try once more attempt to avoid gunfire, but is riddled with bullets and laser fire.
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Vexus rolls his neck, stretches his arms, and gets into a sprinters pose before dashing into the thick of it.
Unable to figure out a way around, he plunges right through the fungi
He tries to find the easiest path to climb up, then gets to it, using his force soles as needed to prevent a fall.
And then lets out a battle roar as he rushes head long into the hail of bullets
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Reaching an embankment, Krara frowns for a moment as there's an odd spread of bodies before her.
But seeing no clear reason, she rushes ahead heedlessly.
Feeling a bit ill by the time she approaches the fortress, the envoy notices a patch of terrain where the artillery barrages have roughened out the smooth barriers, allowing for an easier entrance. This way! she yells as she leads by example, though the ill feeling in her gut has already begun slowing her own reactions.
At the final stretch, she steels herself and then sprints all-out. It's now or never!
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Survival
Fortitude (i'm adding my +2 vs poison on the assumption that's ok, if not, i'm 2 less)
Acrobatics
Wraith staggers across the battlefield, choking on the toxic spores. She follows Krara into the sheltered draw and leaps, midway up, she engages the jump jets she had installed in her thighs and soars over the wall.
Weaving through the field of fire, she...
Reflex
...takes the full brunt of a volley from the merciless gun (unless someone else can lower that DC).
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Rahdo still nursing his wounds, checks the mushrooms.
He shouts after the group, "HEY GUYS! JUST DONT STAND ON THEM OKAY, THAT WAY THEY CANNOT RELEASE THEIR TOXINS!" Hopefully aiding his team to get through this obstacle.
He is glad Krara is focused and can find an easier path for everyone, and follows her.
He tries his best to bluff his way through the open fields. "HEY WURM FREAKS! OVER HERE!" He glows bright green to get their attention.
At this point, the green vesk is bleeding for all sorts of places. "...I think i need to find a medic...HMPH!"
At this stage, the Starfinder fleet gains the upper hand, forcing the jinsuls to retreat and circle their remaining forces around their defensive focus: Bastiar-5.
First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo communicates to the fleet. “Starfinders, the jinsuls are on the run and retreating to surround Bastiar-5. They have concentrated all their remaining forces around this planet, which is exuding a high level of mystical energy. We suspect that Dhurus is here, harnessing Kadrical’s energy for its as-yet-unknown endgame. We must descend on Bastiar-5 and stop whatever Dhurus is planning, but to do that we must first pierce through what’s left of that jinsul fleet. Starfinders, abandon your missions and prepare for our final offensive!”
The Starfinder fleet converges as it approaches Bastiar-5, forming an arrowhead pointed directly at the barren planet. Between the Starfinders and the planet gathers a swarm of waiting jinsul ships, from small tactical strikers to an ominously large capital dreadnought. Writhing shapes are visible along the jinsul command vessel’s prow, each impaled by a vicious, violet metal spike. Smaller jinsul ships move to take up supporting positions around the immense vessel.
First Seeker Jadnura broadcasts to the allied fleet. “Every minute that goes by, Dhurus grows stronger, and the jinsuls seem intent on slowing us down. Strap in for some intense combat, Starfinders. We should have enough strength left if we play it smart and—” He trails off as the colossal Master of Stars breaks from the Starfinder fleet to confront the jinsuls alone.
Fitch appears on the viewscreens. “That’ll take too long. I’ll take on the jinsul fleet on my own, and while they’re busy, you slip past with the smaller ships!” She types in several commands before adding, “Guess I’m glad I left the kids back on Absalom Station” and signing off.
Jadnura clasps one fist and nods appreciatively at her bold strategy before Luwazi Elsebo interrupts. “Jadnura, no. There are too many jinsuls, even for the Master of Stars!”
But Jadnura only shakes his head before responding solemnly, “Luwazi…the choice to depart the known, to witness the unknown, to risk everything so that others might persevere— you know as well as anyone that being a Starfinder is always about choices. And now that choice is ours.”
As you advance on the complex, things odd get silent. Everyone bursts through the front doors and finds an empty complex. From the back of the building you hear the sounds of some Ground to space shuttles taking off and get out back just in time to see the jinsul vessels break orbit.
Radaszam and a group of troopers break out of the fungi foliage nearby and the man gives you a direct look. "We forced a retreat, but sadly didn't get the commanders. Nevermind, we have bigger fish to fry. First Rahdo you look like s*$~ warmed over, I'm calling it. You guys should go get some shut eye and then report back at 0800. Good work, you are dismissed."
He sets you up on the Sunrise Maiden and gives you a set of coordinates to rendezvous at. You load up and set the autopilot getting a good nights rest.