Rar'gul's swing bounces off of Hird's armor, though Beauregard's punch catches the director off guard. Hird is also visibly annoyed by T'sorkel's magic.
John is back to his old TRICKS as he inflicts a nasty wound on one of the "Steward" constables.
Hird responds to Beauregard, "Oh, this is all quite real. We don't deal in same realms as the grays you have encountered. Our plans are quite concrete. Sadly, you'll all be dead, as you are not part of those plans!"
He once again swings at Beauregard.
One of the constables attempts to strike Rar'gul.
The other continues to try to take John down.
1. T'sorkel
2. Enemy red--Shez (DEAD)
3. Enemy yellow--Shez's drone (out of action)
4. Rar'gul (-62)
5. Enemy green--Steward Technician (DEAD)
6. Beauregard (-24--includes inspiring boost)
7. John (-72)
8. Dr. Flint-Bridge (-7)
9. Jox Hird (-25, Get 'em!))
10. Steward Constable Red (-19)
11. Steward Constable Blue (-18, flat-footed)
T'sorkel comes up behind Lilly, trying to see what's happening in the other room better. They're hurt! I can help if... He clicks and whines. I can't get in there! I can't help them!
Lilly's words snap him out of his despair and he refocuses. Right! Something else then! He reaches into the Archive, searching through thousands of memories in the less than the blink of an eye. He finds some suitable for his use and then pushes them towards Director Hird's mind. Run!
Reaching out a hand, Rar'gul catches the steward's blade as it descends, deflecting some of the strike's damage.
"You'rrre rright about one thing," Rar'gul rumbles, turning his attention back to Hird. "We'rre not part of yourr plans. We werrre unexpeccted and unaccccounted forr. Which is why we'll be vicctorrrious!"
The trox lunges at Hird, attempting to grasp the director with both hands.
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John slips and the sword batters through his guard. A quick glance down reveals why; he's lost a lot of blood. Only adrenaline is keeping him on his feet.
He fakes a desperate lunge at the reptoid in front of him, well the lunge is fake, the desperation is quite real. The reptoid dodges easily with a half step back, but John drags the thrust downward into a slash at his foe's thigh.
If successful opponent flat-footed. If attack hits, opponent takes 3d8 extra damage, and flat-footed or off target until my next turn.
critical Bleed 1d3; Analog.operative)
All of the reptoids "stewards" are clearly back on their heels from the flurry of blows that all of you are inflicting on them.
They still have it within them to counter-attack, hoping to recapture the inititiative.
Hird continues to attack Beauregard. He's not used to being mouthed off to, so he attempts to take his anger out on the nuar.
The steward near John presses hit attack, hoping to take down the operative.
Finally, the other steward swings at Rar'gul.
Round 8, bold may go.
1. T'sorkel
2. Enemy red--Shez (DEAD)
3. Enemy yellow--Shez's drone (out of action)
4. Rar'gul (-68--includes mitigate)
5. Enemy green--Steward Technician (DEAD)
6. Beauregard (-40--includes inspiring boost)
7. John (-72)
8. Dr. Flint-Bridge (-7)
9. Jox Hird (-56, Get 'em!))
10. Steward Constable Red (-29, -1 to hit)
11. Steward Constable Blue (-27, flat-footed)
The energy shield along Rar'gul's forearm glows brighter as he redistributes the energy from the steward's strike.
The trox steals a quick glance around, searching for space for his companions to maneuver. "We need a bit morrre space to move arround, herre," he observes to his friends.
Turning slightly, he momentarily shifts his focus toward the troublesome Steward that had just attacked him. "Well, you have my attention," he rumbles, before striking out in a rapid double combo.
Rar'gul's first swing connects.
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Lilly smiles — perhaps a bit sadistically — as Rar’gul hits the fake Steward hard.
Pointing at her target (see above), Lilly yells. “It’s time to end this — and end you. Get them!”
Fresh pain floods through her shoulder as she squeezes the trigger. The dart skids along the wall and burrows into a hapless workstation chair.
Seeing the Steward wounded and barely able to stay in the fight, T'sorkel launches a psychic attack towards him, trying to tell him that he's doing the Reptoid a mercy with a painless death rather than being torn apart by the others.
T'sorkel's magic ends the reptoid, who grabs his head and collapses. Slowly, he transforms to his natural form.
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John glances back to confirm what his ears have told him. He'd like to retreat into the newly safe area and drink his serum, but his hands are full of weapons and stepping back would leave Rar'gul subject to attack from behind. He uses his initial impulse though to take a step back, feigning the desired retreat before lunging forward again with a thrust at the guard's throat.
If successful opponent flat-footed. If attack hits, opponent takes 3d8 extra damage, and flat-footed or off target until my next turn.
... critical Bleed 1d3; Analog.operative)
John successfully hits his mark--the throat of the reptoid steward. His sword ends him.
Beauregard continues to land punishing blows on Hird, who only laughs. For a moment, he holds up his forearm, and many of you see a clue to whatever it was he activated at the beginning of your fight: there is a digital readout. There are numbers, and they are counting DOWN.
Suddenly, your comms light up. It's Breez in the hangar. Over the sound of gunfire and fighting, you hear her say "the Stewards have gotten onto the other ship...I think it was Narla, and Pike was with her! Their weapons are powering up!"
With that, there is loud blast coming from the hangar. Your comms are silent.
Hird is gleeful. He attacks again, this time with renewed gusto.
1. T'sorkel
2. Enemy red--Shez (DEAD)
3. Enemy yellow--Shez's drone (out of action)
4. Rar'gul (-68--includes mitigate)
5. Enemy green--Steward Technician (DEAD)
6. Beauregard (-59--includes inspiring boost)
7. John (-72)
8. Dr. Flint-Bridge (-7)
9. Jox Hird (-71, Get 'em!)
10. Steward Constable Red (DEAD)
11. Steward Constable Blue (DEAD)
"Brrreez! Brrreez!" Rar'gul calls over comms. When no reply comes from the hangar, he turns to Hird, a dark expression on his face.
"Whateverrrr yourr plans arre, you won't be arround to see them cccrrumble," Rar'gul rumbles in a low voice. "I'm going to enjoy wiping that smirkk from yourr face."
Reaching a broad hand toward the director, he attempts to wrap his fingers around the man's head, redirecting the stored energy from within to his foe's skull.
Rar'gul fondles Hird's delicious skull in his massive hand for a moment, then squeezes. The results aren't pretty. There is a cracking, crunching sound, then Hird collapses. In place of Hird's face, the features of a lizard slowly appear as the last bit of life leaves the "Steward" director.
Across the complex, there is the unmistakable sound of starship thrusters powering up, then getting quieter as the ship leaves the hangar.
T'sorkel runs past the dead Hird-reptoid towards John. Are you ok? Doc, we might need your help! As the Shirren looks over the man's wounds, his mind remembers what John was like uninjured. When T'sorkel touches him, the psychic memory of that previous John is thrust upon the man.
It's incredibly painful as the John's mind tries to process the feelings of his current injuries and the mnemonic of an uninjured self. He nearly passes out as his mind, fueled by the Shirren's power, literally tries to reshape his body's reality. When he regains his focus, his wounds are gone, and he can't remember if they were ever there. Maybe it was just all his imagination? Or was that another time when he got hurt? God, he's hungry...
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John looks around, mildly confused. If he's not injured, why does he ache so? He thinks he remembers being hurt, or possibly that the reptoid impostors all missed him. Have I been captured and manipulated by greys again?
He looks at T'sorkel. "Thanks?"
Beau and Lilly draw his attention. He walks gingerly, almost tiptoe, over to them and bends down to examine the late Hird. "What is it?"
Dr. Flint-Bridge and John look over the armor that the now deceased Hird was wearing. The armor upgrade that Hird activated seems strange--you've never seen anything like it. At one point, it hits both of you at the same time: the digital display counting down, the way this upgrade is wired, and Jox Hird's arrogant attitude right up until his death indicate one thing. This is a self-destruct mechanism for Tyralkis base.
You have two hours until things go to hell in a most explosive way.
Your immediate problem is that your way out of here (the ship that Breez and Co. were commandeering) is now most likely a smoldering wreck in the hangar bay. The other ship apparently left immediately upon blowing up Breez's ship.
You'll need to find to traverse the hostile terrain of this moon, and you'll need to do it quickly.
Rar'gul lowers his hand to his side, blood and grey matter slowly dripping to pool on the floor beside his foot. His face is still grim, his breathing rapid from the exertion of the fight.
Gradually his breathing slows and his face softens. He looks tired. And sad. The energy shield along his forearm dissipates and he turns to look at his friends.
"Everyone okay?" he asks.
"We'll have time to mourrn afterr we're away from herrre," he says softly. We need to kkeep moving."
To emphasise his point, the trox reaches down and wipes the gore from his hand on Hird's clothing before continuing, "The plan was to ccause a distrraccction while Brreez and the others slipped into the hangarr, then makke our way to the Contrrol Rroom to open the escape rroute beforre joining them aboarrd the Perrryton."
"Frrom what we cccan tell, two of those might not be options any morre. The Control Rroom still might be the best place to find out morre about this place, what happened in the hangar and get the hell out of herre."
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... and he turns to look at his friends.
"Everyone okay?" he asks.
"We'll have time to mourrn afterr we're away from herrre," he says softly. We need to kkeep moving."
"It seems I be unharmed, but --" John's voice drifts off. He looks again at Hird's wrist device, glances at Doc Flint-Bridge for a last confirmation of the diagnosis before announcing, "There be about two hours before the base goes to meet ever-lasting glory and we get an audience with Pharasma."
To emphasise his point, the trox reaches down and wipes the gore from his hand on Hird's clothing before continuing, "The plan was to ccause a distrraccction while Brreez and the others slipped into the hangarr, then makke our way to the Contrrol Rroom to open the escape rroute beforre joining them aboarrd the Perrryton.""Frrom what we cccan tell, two of those might not be options any morre. The Control Rroom still might be the best place to find out morre about this place, what happened in the hangar and get the hell out of herre."
[b]"It be through that door, if I read the schematic right.
Rar'gul nods. "Even more imporrtant we kkeep moving, then. Let's go."
Waiting for his companions to finish any preparations they need, the trox pops open the nearby door indicated by John.
He peeks in through the door, looking for trouble.
If the coast is clear, he re-emerges, rumbling, "Not much room in therrre. I might wait out herre and watch our backkks."
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”There be about two hours before the base goes to meet ever-lasting glory and we get an audience with Pharasma.”
“John’s correct about the time and the building exploding.” And they can insert their own deities into the Pharasma slot, but I’m not going there.
“The control room seems our next best stop. After that, I’ll go back to the medical bay and see what healing goodies I can find there, then maybe do a quick search in this area before leaving.. There has to be some ground transportation here somewhere. But even with our time limit, I think we should spend a few minutes catching our breath. Right now, we’re in no condition to face anything or anyone we might find — or that might find us. There’s no point in running off t’uh safety only t’uh die on thuh trip.”
Her thoughts return to the base and the surrounding moon.
Where are we going to find safety? C’mon, think Lillithbryne! What do you know about this place?
She reaches back to her days of traveling in the family ship and the stories she heard of life on obscure Pact Worlds planets and moons.
Tyrkalis… well, assuming we’re actually on Tyrkalis… but that makes the most sense given what we saw as we came here and with the maps that John found on Pike’s computer. There are mining camps… some prison camps… other small plants and processing facilities... we could find somewhere to meet…
“Meet? Who would we meet?” Lilly says out loud.
Something tugs at the corner of her mind. The memory of a pond floats through her mind for no apparent reason. She knows the place — she played there as a child during a brief planet-side stint. It was alive with fish jumping to catch insects, and crayfish and turtles that wandered and hid near the shoreline. It’s where she fell in love with studying life itself. Sometimes she’d catch a turtle and…
Her eyes grow wide. “TURTLE! TURTLE!” she yells, and then turns to the group. “THE TURTLE PLACE!!”
She waves her hands with excitement, squinches her face in concentration, and then words start spilling out.
“The map that John found on Orvir’s computer. It showed a place called Turtle — um, Terrapin — Terrapin Station. It was labeled ‘emergency meeting point’. Remember? I’ll bet that’s where they’re headed or where they already are. Regardless, it sounds like a place we can get answers. We just have to get there.”
“What do alla’ya think?”
Lilly’s spirits rise, and so does her anger at thought of losing Breez.
I hope you made it, hon… and if you didn’t, I’ll make them pay. And hurt.
T'sorkel stares at Lilly as she starts yelling about turtles, thinking that all of this might have finally been too much for her. Once she starts explaining however, the Shirren clicks with excitement. That's right! Terrapin Station! We should make our way there and see if there is any emergency transport. He closes the seals on his armor preemptively.
The grad student looks down at some of the fallen reptoids. I'm still not sure what to make of all this. Did we wander into the middle of a reptoid-gray conflict? It seems now that this is why the grays were researching shapeshifters.
As Rar'gul, Beauregard, and John collect themselves following the battle with Hird, you all can't help but note that his monitor continues to tick down. Turning toward the east, you see the door to the control room that was to be your main objective. Now it seems like it matters less. With any luck, the room may still point your toward your ultimate escape from this compromised outpost.
Just down the hall, T'sorkel and Dr. Flint-Bridge also spy a couple of doors. According to the plans that have been provided to you, the door to the west may lead to some sort of warehouse. The door to the east may lead to some sort of garage.
As much as T'sorkel wants to open the door to the garage, he stops himself. Should we check the control center, or just try to find a way out of here?! Where was the Turtle Station again?
"Best to have as much intel as we ccan beforre strrikking out," Rar'gul replies to T'sorkel.
Striding back to the Control Room doorway, he bobs his head through. "Find anything interesting, John?" he rumbles.
The control room door slides open. There is nobody in the room--it appears that any technician assigned to this room may have sallied forth to repel all of you with their director, Hird.
A broad desk forms a semicircle around the southeastern
corner, allowing someone sitting there to see through the
transparent wall to the west. A pair of terminals are set into
this desk, and two chairs sit behind it.
John, as you begin looking into the terminals, you dicover a few important things: first, an alarm alerting base personnel via personal comms can be shut down or initiated here. Second, this computer has
base schematics and is hardwired to a control module for the
hangar doors and garage doors, which can
be activated by anyone who useseither terminal.
Third, this computer has another terminal in Inspector Hird’s office and so that terminal (and ostensibly anything connected
to it) can be hacked from here.
Fourth, a anyone who peruses the
system finds the controls and recordings for the surveillance
equipment in the unsecure area. There are several recordings of all of you.
While using this computer, the you identify a
communication control module that is protected by a firewall
and attached to a planet-wide comm unit.
base is under a signal-directing dome of sorts, routing all
communications inside Tyrkalis through these terminals. In
turn, all communication for Tyrkalis Base from or intended to
reach off Varos route through a comm station with callsign
“Terrapin.” This station captures all comms in the area for miles
around, and it can jam signals or home in on them. The “Stewards” must hope to capture most communications in the area. Terrapin Station is
also marked as an emergency fallback point for the Stewards,
and survey data shows its location.
Among the regular comms data behind the firewall, you find the Stewards recently detected someone monitoring
their narrow-beam broadcasts to Terrapin Station. A location for whoever is monitoring this is noted.
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Lilly slides into a control room seat and pulls her legs up to her chest, burying her face in her knees for a moment.
She looks up at the group. “I know thuh damn timer is ticking, but I’m in no condition tuh keep going now. Give me 10 minutes to catch my breath and restock muh supplies, and I’ll be ready to do miracles again.”
Her laugh only sounds a tiny bit forced, but there’s hope in it along with pain.
She downs a Mk I serum of healing, then goes to work with her micro lab.
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John nods at Dr. Flint-bridge's return and absently acquiesces to the booster. He shakes his head when it clears suddenly. He had no idea how tired and foggy he'd actually been.
"There be a lot going on here. There be files on all of us. I'll wipe them all unless anyone wants the reptoids to have a record. Then there be controls for the base, including the doors. There be a connection to Hird's computer. Might be worth a look. And there be some kind of communications module behind a firewall. Let's start with that and then have a look into Hird's virtual sanctum."
"What do you make of this Doc?" After sliding slightly to the side to give the halfling an easier view of the screen, the Abadaran operative begins to type and wind his way through the system security.
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Lilly brings her finds back to the control room, looking a little like a mobile medical supply closet.
“I ransacked the med center and put together a pretty fancy med kit for us. Found a bunch of sedatives and some other stuff, too. T’was a good shopping trip.”
”What do you make of this Doc?”After sliding slightly to the side to give the halfling an easier view of the screen, the Abadaran operative begins to type and wind his way through the system security.
Lilly pages through what John found on the computer system. She cracks her knuckles and pulls the keyboard closer.
“It’s a biometric lock of some kind… I can’t get anywhere with it. Ah guess my fingers aren’t scaly enough.”