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Several technicians hustle between rows of starships in the Lorespire Complex’s hangar bay, making final modifications to the crafts as several begin powering up their engines. They diligently circumvent a group of Starfinders huddled around Venture-Captain Naiaj, a bleachling gnome who speaks with a quick and commanding voice.
“Time is of the essence, so I must be brief. Refugees from a lunar base in the Vast called Peak of Evening contacted us requesting information about a strange, crewless starship docking there. The ship’s description matches that of the King Xeros, an ether ship supposedly built by the Azlanti of lost Golarion, according to records preserved from old Pathfinder Chronicles we keep under lock and key. This ship might be our best chance to follow up on the work of ancient Pathfinders—possibly even the fate of Golarion—since the Gap, so the stakes are high.
“Note that I said ‘refugees’: we’re not the only ones interested in the King Xeros. The Azlanti Star Empire wants the ship too, and they got to Peak of Evening first. They violently annexed the station and have been doing godsknow-what with the King Xeros since then, most likely gearing it up for transport back to the Aeon Throne and the Azlanti Star Empire. If the King Xeros reaches the Azlanti’s home system of Aristia, our chance to learn from it will be gone forever. That’s why I’ve been fighting to get this emergency salvage mission sanctioned by the Forum, and I just received clearance this morning. We’re going to sting the Azlanti operation at Peak of Evening, liberate the King Xeros, and hopefully acquire some information the Society cares about deeply."
“I’m sure you know that the Star Empire is among the most well-equipped, well-organized, and ruthless organizations in the universe. The only way we pull this off is with teamwork, skill, and more than a little luck. That’s why I’ll be flying out with you and directing the mission from my personal starship. You’ve all been organized into teams to help this mission go smoothly: Scout Team will take a Pegasus and tackle recon and analysis, Shield Team will take a Drake and intercept hostile interference, and Strike Team—that would be you—will take whichever ship you think best to get you on the ground and keep us moving forward. Get whatever you need, then rendezvous by the Master of Stars; we’ll assume formation and launch into the Drift there. I’ll answer additional questions as we board. Let’s move out!”
A young human woman in fashionable space attire listens to the Venture Captain.
She scans your faces.
"Hello everybody! I assume it is time for introductions. I am Navasi! Well, I heard that it is custom in the Starfinder Society to present ones skill set so that the team knows which assets to utilize!" she says with some doubt in her voice.
But a millisecond later she is speaking with a certain air of confidence "Well, I have to admit that I gained a reputation in my former group as being a good fast-talker and face around. And ... well ... I cannot do much else!" she says grinning.
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After hearing the briefing she thinks.
"Seems like I will again be able to steal the affluent’s unearned wealth. This time from the Azlanti! Have you thought about giving to those in need?!" she asks the group beaming.
"So we will go to the lunar base in the Vast called Peak of Evening. Hopefully get the crewless starship docking there, the King Xeros which is an ether ship supposedly built by the Azlanti of lost Golarion, and prevent the Azlanti Star Empire from getting the ship first!? Wow! Just WOW!" she says shaking her head.
"So tell us more about these refugees, the Vast, Peak Evening, The Azlanti and anything else we might need to know please!" Navasi asks expectantly.
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Leaning against a cargo crate in the hangar bay, their eyes looking over the Starships longingly Draken eyes alight at the mention of a bizarre ship of never seen before origin and the mystery behind it. As the talk turns to infiltration and sabotage their face splits into a wide grin and a soft chuckle leaves their lips. Draken is slightly built Lashunta with perfectly styled blonde hair tied at the nape of their neck, leaving it free from their symmetrical features. They wear a long black coat lined in crimson over an armoured bodyglove, a pistol and knife strapped to their thighs their only obvious weaponry, the Coat and armour serving to hide any personal features, giving an androgynous appearance. Their emerald eyes survey their team and after Navasi takes the time to introduce themselves, Draken follows with a deep flourishing bow.
"Well met indeed - I am Draken, within the Society my talents lend to Piloting, Infiltration and sowing discord - a perfect opportunity indeed!" they speak softly,their good humour evident in their voice. "Which Starship do we wish? The Pegasus allows for stronger scans, though the Drake offers us increased firepower which will be irrefutable should we come to blows with the Azlanti's better equipped vessels."
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A middle aged human woman with short dark hair streaked with a few strands of silver steps out from the crowd of technicians scurrying to and fro, "I suppose that depends on what kind of pilot you consider yourself to be, Draken. Do you fly aggressive, or evasive? Either way, I will be glad to join in this mission."
The woman stops next to Draken and turns on her heel to face Naiaj in a fashion that conveys military training. She wears a long dark trenchcoat over her armor, which Draken might recognize as being lashunta in design, and she carries a hard-sided weapons case at her side.
Looking to Navasi now, the woman seems to size the envoy up for a moment before silently nodding, "I take it you'll be our captain then? Very good." She turns to the venture-captain and gives a salute, "Magic Officer Desha Doash, reporting for duty."
With introductions out of the way, Desha has a few questions for the VC as well...
"Are we planning to make this both a rescue and recovery mission, Venture-captain? Or do the refugees plan to remain at Peak of Evening once we've dealt with the Azlanti and recovered the ship? What are they refugees from? And if we somehow encounter more resistance than we are able to overcome, is there particular information aboard the King Xeros that we could recover to benefit the Society's researchers?"
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The Azlanti aren't exactly a 'come in peace' type. a gravelly voice echoes around the room as a vesk enters. Expect we'll need that firepower the Drake'll give us.
Stepping forward, you see that the tall female vesk is decked out in armor painted a bright red hue, though she has modifed it to remove as many covering plates as possible to expose her forearms and abs.
Krara N'Krom. Three-time AEVG belt holder. And delighted to be recognized as a Strike team. She grins to the other asembled Starfinders. And Navasi makes a good point Naiaj: what sort of colony was the 'Peak of Evening'? What layout are we heading into?
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Golarion! Why are we still here The Pegasus is the faster ship right Still these Starships are all weird to me. Merisiel as in Merisiel DSG. The two caked in Mud are my Cameraelf Sariel and my publicist Miranda She wave at two people in the background trying to head for the door muttering Azlanti Star empire not for me I prefered the yetis One is wearing a T shirt which says Merisiel Desperately Seeking Golarion and the tag line a pathfinder seeking answers in the starfinder society
I don't properly understand these starships but I do like the point the laser at big gribbly on the screen game
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Naiaj replies Well what we can expect from the Azlanti is Violence with a capital 'V'. The Azlanti people are known for their overwhelming arrogance and hostility to outsiders. They maintain advanced technology and a starship fleet rivaling that of the entire Pact, including the Veskarium. If you see someone in Aeon Guard armor, show them no mercy and expect to receive none. You’ll know them when you see them: the armor completely covers their faces except for the aeon stone set in the center of the head.
The refugees I spoke of are actually fleeing the Azlanti invasion of the moon which they have annexed, which is why we're going in hot.
Please make Culture checks to Recall Knowledge about the Azlanti Star Empire. A PC with one or more Chronicle sheets from the Against the Aeon Throne Adventure Path can make this check untrained with a +5 bonus per Chronicle sheet.
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Hmph! Krara snorts. The vesk's voice sounds even louder than you would expect from a being of her size. I just came from the frontlines of a fight against an actual godling . As mighty as this empire claims to be, I'm sure its not as bad as that. After all, they've been too cowardly so far to even approach the borders of the Veskarium! she adds while staring at the bleachling at the mere implication these Azlanti might be their technological peers.
”Violence?! Hmm ... I hope you’re doing the fighting because I’m better at talking! VC, anything else you want us to know about the moon or the ship?!“
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Draken smiles at Desha as they eye the fashion choices of their Magic Officer. "Well, as Merisiel says, the Pegasus holds the advantage speed and manoeuvrability, yet The Drake's overwhelming force may be the difference maker in a battle against this Aeon Guard if they are half as fearsome as their reputations suggest. Don't worry, all ships purr under my expert ministrations!" the Lashunta throws a wink to the gathered group.
They stay quiet whilst Naiaj explains their position with the enemy and nods, their smile melting into a look of serious determination. "You got it, hide when necessary - take out when not. If we manage to get hold of some of their armour, I'll be able to modify it for us no problem."
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Desha has done some reading on the Azlanti recently as well. Knowing that they are a very militaristic culture, she ventures another question for Naiaj.
"Do we know anything about the Azlanti forces that have annexed the base? Do we know who commands them, for example? My skills tend to be helpful for tracking individual targets."
As Draken reassures Desha of their ability to pilot anything that flies, she smiles, "Glad to hear you're happy to drive, not matter what the vessel. I've flown with some people recently who were a bit more picky, though I can't complain about their piloting, and certainly couldn't match it! Long as you can get us to the lunar surface, I'm sure we'll do fine."
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Merisiel respond to Nalaj You said come urgently so we came straight from the yeti party. These two thought the game was to jump into the ditch not over it. I could find hide nor hair of Ezren on ian St Kellen or whatever he calls himself these days to cast his cleaning cantrip on them. She then looks over at Draken Wait you were listening to me about the sstarship? She seems genuinely flummoxed someone would take her view into consideration I prefer going with what the pilot feels most comfortable with. Really.
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As the Starfinder force emerges from the Drift, Scout Team races ahead toward a metallic black station built into the surface of a pale pink moon. The other teams orbit the distant periphery until Scout Team’s leader, Amster, speaks over the comms: “We have dense concentrations of Azlanti structures and activity up ahead. I’m getting some heavy energy output from the main construction bay, but it looks like they’ve stationed lots of guards around some kind of greenhouse at the eastern border, even installed new artificial atmosphere throughout the area. Orders, Captain?”
Venture-Captain Naiaj’s voice responds. “Clearly the Azlanti care most about those two locations. I assume they’ve used the construction bay to work on the King Xeros, but I don’t know why the plants seem so important. Regardless, once their surface fighters and defensive cannons are running we’ll be on the clock, so we’ll probably be able to hit only one. Scout Team will screen for bogies while Shield Team and I run antiair interference. Strike Team, you’re the ones on the ground, so you choose our location and we’ll cover you. Once Scout Team draws the fire, strike with a quick strafing run to take out the Azlanti garrison, then land and find whatever info you can about our target. Look alive, folks!”
(So which do you go for? Construction Bay or Greenhouse?)
”Well, I love plants! The Greenhouse is the only start to imagine!“ she says a little dramatically.
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hmm I know roughly what gear to find in an engineering bay but do we have enough people who know their plants to know what plants are dangerous in the greenhouse. I do know something about dangerous plants but I'm no Druid and we really need someone who can see Ah that's why this is guarded rather than it all looks green to me
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The nerd might Krara gestures to a dwarf sitting inconspicuously in the corner of their ship. Even as the figure tries to speak up You know I'm Kharl, not just a 'nerd', and I- her booming voice interrupts him again
But if we need to stop them taking the Xeros away, they can't do that if its stuck in drydock. Plants aren't going to let them escape with the prize: engines and starships can.
Faction: SS: Jadnura Champion
Social: Live Air Celebrity!
Ally: Elite Hireling (Kharl, Dwarf with +12 Life Science, Mysticism, and Phys Science)
Starship: Solar Powered Weapon System if Pegasus, Heavy SOlar Cannon upgrade if Drake
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Leaning back in the pilot chair of the Drake, the Lashunta nods at their allies' assessments of the situation. Stroking their chin they hum as they sort through their own thought processes on the matter. "Yes - the plants are odd, but if we only get one chance, I want to get a look at the Xeros whilst it's still in the docks, might be able to remove the key crew needed to launch it." they shrug. "I too vote for the construction bay. If we're ready. let's get out!"
Grabbing their coat from the back of the chair - they check their guns to make sure they are charged before throwing the coat over and activating their suit's protective systems. "Just in case the Azlanti have the dock open to space or anything - as we know they go out in full armour."
They then settle back into the chair - ready for the strafing run to begin.
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((So it looks like it's the Drake and the construction bay))
Now you've made your decision, your allies exchange fire with the anti-aircraft weapons, while you fly in, inside your Drake class ship and strafe the construction bay.
((The PCs must then strafe their chosen location by each attempting a single tier-appropriate starship combat check according to their role: the engineer should boost power to weapons, the science officer must target their chosen location, the pilot must perform a flyby stunt maneuver, and gunners must fire weapons against the structure))
((FYI: You're flying a Tier 6 Drake and the game is low tier))
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Fingers dancing across the Pilot screens display, Draken coaxes more out of the Drake than is usual for the bulky Warship. The Drake comes alive, following in the Scout team as they trade fire with the Azlanti's defenses, Draken smoothly sails through, a look of controlled poise never leaving their face.
From the Comm unit at their waist comes a sudden burst of powerful Bass rhythms and the keening of holo-synths, the band Abysshead starts roaring from Draken's machine which nearly causes a distraction.
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Your strafing run is highly successful with nearly everyone succeeding in their objectives. No return fire hits you and Krara's return fire obliterates the building.
After the run, you land the Drake and disembark to look for clues. What you see is the following:
Strips of blasted slag and warped steel dangle from what remains of this starship-construction facility’s roof. A slurry of oil, coolant, and engine fuel pools in the grooves left by starship weapon impacts, the surrounding debris illuminated by flickering emergency lights and scattered fires. The ground vibrates from the recoil of antiaircraft cannon fire and nearby explosions, the sounds muffled by the hiss of leaking atmosupport pipework, which sprays roiling white mist throughout the site.
You approach from the northeast corner of the map, easily spotting several flexible brakims ducking for cover among the damaged starships and watching you in awe. The small structures in the map’s center represent the remains of the engineering offices, while the perimeter structures represent remnants of destroyed starships. Other map details depict chunks of debris or blasted corpses of Aeon Guards caught in the strafing run. Most objects and barriers throughout the site provide cover.
A squad of four Azlanti Aeon Guards survived the barrage, beginning the encounter scattered along the western border of the map. They press northeast as a group to reestablish control over the dock, using whatever cover they can get.
(Slide Two set up for combat)
Initiatives:
Aeon Guard - Red
Aeon Guard - Green
Aeon Guard - Blue
Aeon Guard - Yellow
Draken
Basalt
Desha
Krara
Merisiel
Navasi
Both sides are aware of each other.
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Rushing in to the wrecked dockyards, pistol ready Draken strains to hear the pounding feet of the oncoming Azlanti guard. Stopping at the edge of a pool of sludge - not wanting to think about what it had once been, Draken raises their pistol.
for
for
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Draken can see Red and hits him, rendering him flatfooted and scorched.
Aeon Guard(Blue) moves up to support his comrades
Round 1
Aeon Guard(Red) - -27 + -8 get'emed(+2) and flatfoot
Desha Doash
Aeon Guard(Yellow)
Draken
Aeon Guard(Blue)
Navasi - attacked
Krara
Basalt Stonepeak
Merisiel DSG
Aeon Guard(Green)
Navasi walks forward and shoots with her anarchic frostbite-class zero pistol at the soldier in red.
”Target that guy!“
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One could almost feel sorry for the poor sap as he is flatfooted, fried, get'emed, frozen, burnt and frozen again before he even has a chance to get a shot off. But then one remembers he's an Aeon Guard and the phrase "Do unto them before they do it to you" applies.
If there is a fourth guard, you haven't seen him yet but there are two guards behind the one that fell.
Round 2
Desha Doash
Aeon Guard(Yellow)
Draken
Aeon Guard(Blue)
Navasi
Krara
Basalt Stonepeak
Merisiel DSG
Aeon Guard(Green)
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Desha moves around the corner of the building and up the stairs into the wrecked structure. From her new vantage point, she has a good view of the corner and hopes to provide another angle of attack against the Azlanti as they move up to engage with the strike team. She prepares a spell to distract the Aeon guards as they come into view.
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Yellow moves up a bit to get a better shot and is immediately harrased by Desha's Wisp Ally. He does, however, take a shot at Draken using an AG assault rifle. Any cover does not appear to be a problem. ((Sniper's aim))
Round 2
Desha Doash
Aeon Guard(Yellow)
Draken
Aeon Guard(Blue)
Navasi
Krara
Basalt Stonepeak
Merisiel DSG
Aeon Guard(Green)
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Cursing as the Guard's shot scorches across their new armour, Draken rolls dashes round the strange puddle, sticking to the edges to keep - whatever it is - from spoiling their expensive knee length boots. Faking out the guard again, they take a shot whilst they are distracted by the Wisp Ally.
"Heyy Greenie! Dodge this!" they laugh, unsure how to taunt in Azlanti so going for something universal.
for