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Hearing Basalt's call Draken leaves their allies to take on the last Azlanti soldier as they dash to the Dwarf's side. Hands flying theyy try to make sense of the display and how they can avoid the oncoming explosion.
"Got yer back matey! I believe in you all, one Azlanti ain't gonna get us down!" they call over the comms, eyes alight with the thrill of the situation.
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He takes half damage from the mind thrust and still stands.
Guard 2 (Green) -28, improved get'em
Meanwhile Basalt and Draken, by reading the conflicting code between the cube and the mainframe and analyzing the rising power meters, they determine that Aldroxis’s effort to activate the Drift engine is causing the destructive feedback loop of planar energies, which risks obliterating the King Xeros in short order. Disengaging all Azlanti modifications would reset the system and avert the disaster, but the ship would then default back to its base programming: sailing back into the Ethereal Plane. Given the lack of time and resources, this is the only reasonable option for leaving the King Xeros intact.
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And that guard is completely annihilated. ((Combat over))
Meanwhile at the controls, it is discovered that the ship's transition to the etherial can be delayed enough for you to get off the ship or even to have a look around and get some loot off before it goes.
((Make a computers or mysticism check to see how well you do))
It is also possible to download the code in the computer core but that will take ten minutes and another successful computer's check.
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You're actually able to delay the transition to the Ethereal Plane by thirty minutes - so you have that time to explore the rest of the ship and collect what loot you can. It takes roughly ten minutes to loot a room and place the contents in your ship.
((I've exposed the entire map - how do you wish to proceed?))
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As Desha begins working her mystic arts on the hodge podge job forced upon the Xeros by the Azlanti, Draken aids by working along their computer program, trying to bring the Drift Engine offline before it tears them apart. With that completed, they begin work on the encrypted Data download.
”I’m sure Naiaj will want this, hell I want to know what they know. It will take about 10 minutes- might as well search the place whilst we wait?” they enquire as they work with a broad smile.
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((Tell me where you're going or move your token there and I'll do that))
Locations
Basalt
Desha - Bridge (10)
Draken - Bridge (10)
Krara
Merisiel
Aldroxis' cabin is just off the bridge (D8) and downstairs from the bridge is the main hold (D9), then the stasis hold (D10).
You still need to properly salvage stuff from the crew quarters (D5), the cargo hold (D4) and the armoury (D3)
The gear you recover from Aldroxis is: AG SpecOps armor, (deflective reinforcement, mk 1 electrostatic field, mk 1 thermal capacitor, purple sphere aeon stone, ruby sphere aeon stone, carbon staff, corona laser pistol with 1 battery (20 charges), incendiary grenades II (2)
From the guards are two sets of: AG trooper battle dress (scarlet prism aeon stone, mk 1 thermal capacitor), carbon steel curve blade, frag grenades II (2)
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Armoury: Moving all the equipment to the ship is too time consuming and bulky to be practical; Krara is better off just plundering the most valuable gear, in this case two suits of AG SpecOps armor and two AG accelerator rifles that remain attached to the racks. The equipment is locked into the racks, requiring you to spend 10 minutes and succeed at an Engineering check to acquire it.
Main Hold: This large, two-tiered room contains easily accessible crates filled with mechanical supplies such as spare parts and batteries, as well as a modern power core installed on the upper level. Here the wirings look almost organic, following vein-like crevasses in the crystalline floor before straightening into more conventional electrical patterns along the walls. Several heavy crates contain 30,000 UPBs, which Basalt can move to the escape pod by spending 10 minutes and succeeding at an Athletics check.
Failing at these checks will require an extra 10 minutes to be spent and another check made.
Meanwhile Draken as successfully downloaded the code and the mystical code is as valuable as eight 4th level spell gems. These gems cannot be fully identified until they’re brought back to the Lorespire Complex. Curiously, each spell gem derived from the cube manifests as a jet-black, egg-shaped item.
((One treasure pack received))
Locations
Basalt - Main Hold (10)
Desha - Bridge (10)
Draken - Bridge (10)
Krarav - Armoury (10)
Merisiel
Bridge treasure retrieved
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Cabin: These private chambers have been outfitted with Aldroxis’s personal furnishings and effects, including a memory foam mattress and three holographic pictures of himself with what appear to be his teenage son and daughter before picturesque landscapes from planets in the Aristia system. The opposite wall holds his framed diploma from a magitech institute on New Thespera, alongside a holograph photo of himself shaking hands with Zolan Ulivestra.
((Culture check please))
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Desha realises that images from within the Aristia system are quite rare among non-Azlanti. Flipping through the other images contained in the holographic photo albums for 10 minutes reveals a handful of pictures with backgrounds of major Imperial landmarks, which Pact Worlds technicians can use to aid their surveillance of the Star Empire. When you return with the albums, Pact authorities reward them with a suit of white carbon skin armor complete with a black force field upgrade.
((Cabin Treasure gained))
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Pocketing the Egg-like Gemstones they had jut created, Draken stretches. "Welp, got something useful from the code- will have to wait to see how useful though." they report to their team as they make their way to the Stasis Chamber. "Will see what they have in Stasis, and if it ain't bonded to the ground - we'll have it - I love being a Starfinder!"
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Merisiel - please make a perception check in the crew quarters.
Stasis Hold (Draken): This section of the ship is tightly packed with thousands of crystal cocoons containing varieties of blurred shapes. Careful examination reveals that the shapes are creatures, seemingly held in stasis. The millennia have hardened the crystals, rendering them all but immune to physical or energy damage at this time.
((Mysticism check if you want to get one out))
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Desha hears Draken call over the comms and clicks back to them, "Yup, be there in a minute. I'm just perusing Aldroxis's holo album here. There's some interesting stuff in here!"
After collecting the albums and returning them to the ship, Desha reports to the stasis hold and begins investigating the pods.
The pods confound her senses, though, so she calls over her comms, "Merisiel, dear, you seemed to know a few things about the mystical realm. If you're not otherwise occupied, could you come check out the stasis hold with me?"
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With Krara's help her and Basalt shift all the UPBs. In the crew quarters, Merisiel finds a well-hidden mk 2 null-space chamber containing an elite deckhand drone.
Locations
Basalt - Main Hold (20)
Desha - Cabin (20)
Draken - Stasis Hold (20)
Krara - Main Hold (20)
Merisiel - Stasis Hold (20)
Bridge treasure retrieved
Armoury treasure retrieved
Cabin treasure retrieved
Main Hold Treasure retrieved
Crew Quarters treasure retrieved
There are only ten minutes left as those with Mysticism congregate in the stasis chamber. Desha has already failed the mysticism check but Merisiel and any others can reattempt the check to remove a cocoon.
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Even with help from Merisiel, Desha is unable to pry a cocoon loose and, with the timer counting down, they are forced to return to the ship empty handed.
Once everyone is aboard, Navasi disengaged the docking clamps and pilots the Drake away from the King Xeros. As she does, it sheds several more of its external Azlanti modifications and then floats slowly forward, fading into nothingness as it passes into the Ethereal Plane. Venture-Captain Naiaj returns to the PCs’ comms with word that they have shaken the last of the vanguard, and she orders the entire Starfinder operation to enter the Drift and return home before the Azlanti can regroup.
Back at home she expresses disappointment that her team was unable to secure the King Xeros for the Society to study, but she’s vocally grateful that the PCs kept the Azlanti from claiming the ether ship either. She’s also heartened by any treasures the PCs recovered from the King Xeros, be they equipment or intelligence the Society can use to better oppose the Star Empire, remnants of the ether
ship the Society can use to analyze it via conjecture, or just valuable resources to help the Society financially.
Adventure over.
You succeeded at your primary mission and earn one fame and one reputation. You also expediently completed your work in the construction bay and winning the starship combat, you succeed at your secondary success condition and earn an additional 1 Fame and 1 Reputation for any factions associated with your current faction boon.
You gain the the Brakim Admittance boon.
Furthermore, any PC who already has all three Chronicle sheets from the Against the Aeon Throne Adventure Path gains further recognition as a perpetual thorn in the Azlanti Star Empire’s side. Such PCs earn an additional 2 Reputation for any factions associated with any faction they possess a faction boon for. PCs who already have two Against the Aeon Throne Chronicle sheets but earn the Chronicle sheet for Starfinder Adventure Path #9: The Rune Drive Gambit after completing this scenario receive these extra rewards on their Chronicle sheet for that adventure instead.
Thank you for playing - day job rolls please.
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The ship slipped away this time, Krara grudgingly admits. But at least the greens won't get anything out of it either. And maybe they'll think twice about intruding so close to our space the next time.
The vesk looks at the other Starfinders. Well, at least we saved some of those brakim-types that we could and showed some fancy flying out there. Our paths ever cross again, be thrilled to get sent out there once more with any of you!