You've each drawn patrol duty in the Lorespire Complex and have been assigned with the routine task of monitoring the various halls, countless chambers, and numerous meeting halls that fill its campus. Your assigned route takes you past or through such well-known areas of the Lorespire Compled, including the First Seeker Ilyastre Memorial Museum, or the formal Skyreach Room gala hall.
|
A very muscular kasatha wearing a stylized lifter's unitard strolls up with a datapad in one hand and a video camera scanner in the other. The camera is pointed at himself as he narrates his actions, "Alright, Soltrites! It's your pal and mentor Meme and I'm back doing my Starfiner thing. This time I've been be assigned what the very important task of patrolling the Lorespire. You know I'll keep you informed as things come up. Lookie here! Looks like I've got a new patrol mate!"
He looks over at the ysoki, "Hey, mate. Nice beast you have there. Does it have a name? How about you? Say a few words for the watching worlds." He turns the camera on the ysoki and goads him on with a hand gesture.
|
A young Half Orc expectantly joins your ranks, looking nervous. She wears the most expertly hand made custom Prototype Armor you have likely seen. Replete with stylized orcish markings as well as highly customized features. Smiling she says This is like, the Starfinders or spazzfriggins deal, right? Yeah, I am like, with you guys... See? Rhubarb-e introduces herself to the yasakaja, probably tries to give it candy.
|
"Hey, mate. Nice beast you have there. Does it have a name? How about you? Say a few words for the watching worlds." He turns the camera on the ysoki and goads him on with a hand gesture.
"It doesn't." Gava approaches the camera reeeal close. "Hello, "mates". How would you like to see someone being shot on camera, live? Hmm?" he blows his cigar smoke at it.
"Ma'am, don't feed the beast. It will bite your hand off, and it'll ruin its stomach for days." he turns to admonish Rhubarbie.
|
As is her style, Rilynn arrives fashionably on time, and not one second early, to the gathering of peers. This despite the endless tedium of the pointless patrol duty. Sure, the Lorespire Complex was previously infiltrated by an assassin intent on killing Seeker Luwazi, but how often does that sort of thing actually happen? If Radaszam had not yet dramatically improved security protocols in the wake of that incident then shame on him.
Nevertheless, she had performed her duty, although her attention was divided between the uneventful and empty corridors and her cuticles, which, following two hours of prim and polish, looked spectacular. Her fingernails positively glowed.
"Oh hello, I'm Rilynn. Nice to meet all of you," she says, addressing the others, her antennae focusing on each of her fellow Starfinders in turn.
She mugs for Meme's camera, giving good chin and an effervescent smile. The incident on Eox with Zo! was still too fresh to give more than that, at least without a couple drinks first. Hmm, drinks...
|
|
A young human male in shimmering green iridshell with a reaction cannon held across his body in both hands approaches the group at a run. He slows down to a trot and finally a slow walk marked by heavy breathing, and a broad smile.
"Are you all the Lorespire Patrol? Sorry I'm late. I thought we were to meet at the Healing Arches and had to double-time it over here. Burn Kenyon."
He looks over the group, slings his rifle over his shoulder, and drifts over toward the half-orc. "That armor isn't standard issue, is it? So what's its story?" he asks with an eagerness characteristic the ardent hobbyist.
|
|
"Happy to meet you, Rilynn." Burn draws the sword and, holding the blade balanced on the blunt ricasso near the cross-guard and with his other hand supporting the tip, offers the hilt to her. "My sword's nothing special, but she's the best I could find on my pay. Good ratio of striking power to weight. Doesn't hit as hard as a doshko, but I can carry her and the cannon. You're right about that. " He looks at her pistol. " Nice solid choice of sidearm. I've got an older model that I recently bought. I'm trying to round out my firepower."
And on closer inspection the sword, while well maintained shows signs of wear. Similarly, his reaction cannon and arc pistol well maintained, but older. You may suspect that he's bought them all second hand. Although the iridishell bears a few scratches and scorch marks, it was clearly purchased new.
|
|
Burnham sheathes the sword and accepts the pistol. Carefully keeping it pointed down and away from anyone, he checks the safety, then frees the battery. He holds it up and flexes his wrist so that he can examine it from all angles.
"Very nice. The battery latch on this model has a redundant over-center lock. No chance of the battery springing loose if you drop it. Perfect." He hands the pistol back, then the battery.
As you make your rounds, you see a figure approaching you from a connecting corridor. It is Luwazi Elsebo.
"A pleasure to see you all." says the First Seeker as she greets you. "I want to congratulate each of you on your recent elevation to the Society ranks, though I suspect that patrol duty was not at the forefront of your list of anticipated assignments upon joining the Society. Nevertheless, I trust your patrol was uneventful?"
Picture of Luwazi Elsabo is now on Slides.
Seeing that Gava is accompanied by his yasakaja, the human woman takes a cautious, yet respectful, step back. "The truth is, I am rather pleased to see you here. Although you have only recently been elevated to the Society's ranks, your skill and accomplishments have already been noted within these halls."
"I just happen to be on my way to one of the Lorespire's recreation suites." she offers. "I was hoping to play a match of harcoló."
"Since you are here," she proposed, "Perhaps you would like to join me?"
|
|
Meme is quick to direct his camera to the First Seeker. "It's been a while. I'm sure you remember me though, Meme Nom Mimsosil Homus Jul of Clan Soltri... It'll come back to you soon enough. Y'know, I haven't played a good game of harcoló in a while."
He turns his camera back on himself, and describes the sometimes violent game to his followers. "...And at that, I leave you for now. Don'tcha worry though. I'll make sure to get some sick vid of your boy scoring on the First Seeker. Until then, keep strong Soltrites and don't forget arm day." At this he flexes a pair of his arms for effect, shutting off the feed. He downloads it to his datapad before stowing the equipment.
|
|
"Madam Seeker, a pleasure as always," extends Rilynn to her faction leader.
Truth be told, her sister Chiaiese was the harcoló star in the family. Rilynn had dabbled in the sport, but more for the social aspects and less out of enjoyment of skill. Given the choice, she'd much prefer spelunking or rock climbing - athletic endeavors with some technical expertise that did not require emoting. Nevertheless, if the First Seeker asked her to play, she could not turn down the request.
"Whoa, the seeker herself! How is it going, ma'am?" Gava tips his hat to the starfinder leader.
"In need of some relaxation, I suppose." she says with a smile. The woman nods knowing. She nods to each of the Starfinder agents assembled, greeting each by name.
"Burn Kenyon, Exo-guardians, ma'am. What's harcoló?"
"If you haven't played it before, Burn, you're in for a treat!" Luwazi explains. "The sport originated on Castrovel. Teams consist of one to three players. Specialized hand pads are used to hurl the sphere into the scoring area of the opposing team. The crystal sphere is typically psychically resonant, allowing latent emotions to be funneled through it." The woman's explanation is slow and deliberate. As she speaks, she keeps her face to the camera, realizing that the kasatha's audience may, like Burn, not be familiar with the game.
The First Seeker then asks you to divide yourselves into teams as she leads you into a large circular room with glass half-spherical window that overlooks the grounds of the Lorespire Complex campus. Luwazi takes up position on the opposite side of a rectangular table with a single line of jagged violet crystals dividing the table into two distinct play areas.
TEAM ONE, MATCH ONE
As the first team takes its place to compete against Luwazi, a team unto herself, the First Seeker says, "I want to thank all of you for humoring me with this little game. I don’t get a chance to get as much recreation in as I probably should, what with the Society’s ongoing search for a new First Seeker. Also, I can’t keep just beating up on poor Radaszam.”
Luwazi says with a vibrant smile as she finishes her stretches and takes to the table.
|
|
Rilynn sighs quietly as she dons the gloves and takes a spot across the table from Luwazi. She tries to relax and get into the flow of it, but as surely as her sister would always beat her, she demonstrates little aptitude for the game. Once the trial is complete she dismisses it with a toss of her head, happy to not have chipped a nail.
Rilynn takes up a position alongside Gava and Rhubarbie.
“So, we have a group of first competitors then?" remarks Luwazi as she takes up a position opposite them as all reach for the hand pads.
Rilynn makes the initial push, which is handily countered by Luwazi. "Speaking of a group of 'firsts'," she continues, "The Forum has put together a list of initial candidates for First Seeker. Since you represent our new generation of agents, I was wondering if I could pass some of them by you."
As she speaks, she attempts to slow Gava's push, but is unsuccessful. Despite, the failed effort, her voice remains cheerful and pleasant. "I’m sure that each of you has the potential to one day take my position, but until that day comes, we’ve got some immediate candidates to discuss!"
muttering I would have brought work out clothes if I knew we were going for some sports this AM
"Life in the Society is often full of surprises,' Luwazi replies. "For instance, I was admittedly somewhat surprised to see that Calder Soren is among the candidates. I never thought that we’d see a morlamaw rise to the heights that Calder Soren has so quickly. It was only two years ago that we authorized our mission to the morlamaw home world, and now morlamaws have joined the Society in droves. Calder Soren wants to reestablish our presence in Near Space and in the Vast. He’s been pushing an initiative to construct a whole new series of lodges out beyond the Pact Worlds! Expansion could help us greatly, as long as his vision doesn’t neglect the work that needs to be done in the lodges that we already have."
The First Seeker makes a surprise push of the crystal, which Rhubarb-e is unable to stop.
With the first match going to the First Seeker, the second team of three Starfinders take up their positions.
Burnham's initial push is impressive, particularly given his lack of familiarity with the game.
"I knew this would be a good sport for you, Burn." Luwazi notes. "Speaking of 'good sports', another one of the candiates, Avor Stelek, is an interesting man. He's known for being a doctor as much as he is a master of blades and dance. I’ve seen him working with agents like yourselves who have only just begun their careers in our Society. I appreciate his enthusiasm for recruitment and training. However, I’m worried that he isn’t willing to work with other organizations. Avor believes that factions like the Dataphiles and Wayfinders need to take even more of a backseat to the greater needs of the Society. That sort of refocusing on our core mission may be just what we need in the coming days, though."
"Just know, I'm not going to hold back!"
"I would expect no less!" Luwazi smirks enthusiastically, nodding towards the camera. "Your determination and mastery of media are similar to those of another one of the candidates. If ever we needed someone to help our reputation, now is the time and Tara Nova seems to fit that role quite well. She’s a strong proponent of the Society becoming more of a force in the media circuit. I know she still harbors a lot of resentment for what happened in the Scoured Stars, and she’s made it very clear that if any organization tries to attack us, she’d be willing to use overwhelming force to take them down. But will such aggressive tactics make us more enemies in the long run? That much is quite unclear."
Luwazi's uncertainty about the candidate appears to carry over in her form and, having fallen behind, she cedes the match to the second team.
"Diligence pays off." she notes. "Candidate Ehu Hadif Ko’ra Amares of Clan Tolar exemplifies diligence. He’s a kasatha who’s done a lot of work on bringing old Society lore back to the forefront. He was personally responsible for arranging an upcoming mission based on the findings of a recovered Starfinder starship called the Unbounded Wayfarer. Ehu’s recent interest lie in the library world of Athaeum and uncovering a mystery Starfinders found on an earlier mission. Focusing our efforts on a single world could be a welcome change of pace that allows us to dive deep into its history—that is, as long as the world interests enough of our agents.”
"Good match. And a well-deserved win." affirms Luwazi. "Thank you all again for playing. You may suit back up in your armor. You may need it."
"Please visit each of the candidates that I've mentioned and offer them assistance, however you can." explains the First Seeker. "Then, return here to the Lorespire Complex for an informal debriefing on each of the potential new First Seekers. I will do my best to answer any questions that you may have, but I want you to form your own opinions and conclusions."
"Pardon me if I'm forward, ma'am, but why aren't you continuing as First Seeker? You've done a good job in a tight spot."
"Thank you for the encouragement, Burn." Luwazi replies. "My only goal as First Seeker was to rebuild the Starfinder organization and rescue those we had lost among the Scoured Stars. Thanks to the efforts of many like-minded Starfinders, that goal has largely been accomplished. I can say that our organization is stronger than ever, boosted by powerful allies and friends. It is time for new visions and new goals. These will come with new leadership. am staying on as First Seeker for only a short while longer to ease the transition to a new First Seeker. I cannot wait to see where our remarkable society goes next."
"Thank you for the lesson on that old game First Seeker, you sure can move! Say, have you ever worked with Tara Nova. I have heard she commands respect"...
"As I am stepping down, it is neither my place to steer the society toward a particular direction nor to steer the vote toward a particular leader." Luwazi counsels. "Therefore, I must refrain from providing any additional information that could bias or otherwise sway your assessment."
By recalling earlier viewed data feeds or by asking around, the Starfinders may find they have some information regarding the candidate Tara Nova.
It does not take you too long to track down Tara Nova, who you find near the Lorespire Complex in a recreation hub called The Forever Times. Upon your arrival, you learn that she is currently in the middle of making a broadcast form one of the complex’s vidcasting stations. You permitted to enter the small rectangular room with minimal hassle from staff.
You see a human woman sitting atop a stack of pillows, speaking into a nearby drone about the Society’s recent successes in the Scoured Stars and how the growing anti-Society media campaign is entirely engineered by those scared that the Society can succeed when so many other organizations seem to be stagnating.
When the woman spots you, she quickly gives a nonverbal sign to her staff and brings her broadcast to end, taking a short moment before cutting the feed to remind her viewers, "Remember to pledge to my channel for more truth about the Starfinder Society.”
Once the feed shuts off, the woman on the pile of pillows stands up to the sounds of hydraulics in her armor moving.
[b[“Hey there! You must be the agents that Luwazi was going to send in to check on me. Yes, I know all about that. I’ve heard that she’s been sending agents to check in on all the potential First Seeker candidates; after all, I’m tuned in on all the big social media platforms."[/b] says the woman a with a knowing smile.
"It wasn’t hard to guess that she’d send Starfinders of your growing stardom to come check on me. My name’s Taralea Jamson, but everyone, and I mean everyone , calls me Tara Nova.”
Tara waves her hand over a table in the room’s center that quickly flashes with wire-frame light displaying the outline of a starship.
“This here is the wreck of the Implacable Reason, a Starfinder vessel that was chasing after a jinsul ship causing some problems out in the Vast. Our ship took out the jinsul vessel but crashed on the surface of a nearby moon soon after."
"Sounds like the surviving jinsuls managed to get a landing party down before their ship exploded and they’ve since seized the Implacable Reason’s wreck, using it as an impromptu base." she says sourly. “Given that the jinsuls are the scum of the galaxy, we can’t let this stand. I’d like you to head down to that wreck and clear out any of those damned leg-blade-for-days stragglers left inside. I’m even going to send you with two of my media drones so we can record your little cleanup mission and show the Pact Worlds that we’re not a group you wanna mess with!"
"Do you have any questions, before I arrange transport?"
|
|
Rilynn observes Tara Nova with admiration approaching worship. The young Damaya fails to catch herself tracing a finger lightly along the straining curve of her right antennae, and when Tara's gaze levels on her she feels flushed. After an awkward moment she inhales sharply, having caught her breath. She drinks in the view - that mane of crimson waves, the provocative sidecut, aggressive tats, bold blue eyes, flawless skin and perfect, gorgeous makeup.
She fights the urge - more than one - to penetrate Tara's personal space, to feel this woman's aura close up. Then she smiles at her silliness, chews her lip absently, and tries to shake off the spell.
Of course she knows everything publicly knowable about Tara Nova, and sends a quick telepathic message to the rest of the team, She's got history with the Jinsuls. It's personal.
Rilynn is still flustered like a fangirl, and at the moment she can only think of improper questions. She defers to the others, trusting their heads are not as clouded as hers.
Rilynn is still flustered like a fangirl, and at the moment she can only think of improper questions. She defers to the others, trusting their heads are not as clouded as hers.
A pair of flying drones enter the room and take up positions floating around you all. "This is Bitty and Itty." notes Tara Nova. [b]"They'll be with you for the remainder of the mission, recording your efforts and obtaining the footage I need to put on the infosphere."
A picture of Tara Nova is now available on Slides.
"Make sure they don't get involved in any combat." she cautions. With a glance at Rilynn, she adds, "And, as much as possible, make sure they get several shots of your good side."
"Hey Tara Nova. Just so I don't get in trouble like last time, can we clarify the exact nature of this message? I get carried away sometimes.... See? " Rhubarb-e asks a little excitedly.
"The goals of your mission are straightforward," Tara Nova replies, "Travel to the Starfinder starship wreck and clear out any remaining jinsuls."
Tara Nova arranges transport on a Society freighter called the Promise of the Future to the site of the crashed vessel. The remains of the ship lie upon the surface of a large moon in orbit of the planet Izal 4. The freighter makes the roughly 14-day journey through the Drift toward the moon. Once in orbit, you are able to take a smaller shuttle down to the moon’s surface.
After landing and spending about ten minutes traveling toward the wreck of the Implacable Reason, you find the ship mostly torn up in its fiery crash onto the lunar surface. However, its port side has survived with minimal damage.
You are able to move through the wreckage of the starship to reach the section of the starship that remains the most intact. The outer walls of the ship are starship bulkheads, while the interior walls are made out of starship interior compound. The ceilings in the area are 20 feet high. A sealed door remains between you and the interior of the starship.
The area can now be seen on Map.
|
|
In the interview, the big human is silent. On the voyage out he cares for his gear. He's looking forward to a straightforward mission.
"Fan out as much as possible. We don't want to all get caught in a single burst or trap. "
He looks worried when the team crowds into the small compartment in front of the door.
"Once the door opens, let me go first. I think I've got the best armor."
|
|
In the presence of such a prolific vidcaster such as Tara Nova, Meme is unusually silent. Simply nodding at her words and trying to observe her studio a bit.
Meme draws out both of his singing disks, holding them at the ready, with a third arm manning his own camera. He looks lovingly and jealously at Itty and Bitty before focusing on the door, ready to charge at whatever threat may show itself.
If my calculations are correct, this is a type-32 control mechanism.
Lexicor's calculations are, indeed, correct. The door opens with a whoosh.
The mounted ysoki spots no traps.