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Yuluzak claps his hands together. "Marvelous! Good luck to you, Starfinders. With your permission, I'll leave the channel open in case of emergencies - or if you decide to surrender!" Yuluzak's then turns his attention off-screen, and he begins to exhort his crew in Vesk.
Mel's initial scan is masterfully executed, revealing the following information:
Basic Info: Honorbound is a medium transport, speed 8, turn mode 2, crew of six.
Defenses: AC 14; TL 14 ; PCU 130
HP 70; Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Weapons:Coilgun on turret, flak thrower in foreward arc, gyrolaser in aft arc; port and starboard weapons unknown.
The Honorbound closes the distance, keeping one asteroid between your weapons and its forward shields.
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”I just said we shouldn’t hide behind them! Remember Mel? The magma explosions! “
"Try to keep us in front of them and out of range of that flak thrower. We've got the range on them with our coil guns," he answers Twila.
He turns to Yuluzak. "Please, leave the channel open. I always like the expression of despair that comes over my opponents' faces when they realize their inevitable defeat."
Laanok fires a bolt from the coilgun turret.
Laanok's shot blasts the asteroid into molten shrapnel, tearing into the Honorbound's starboard shields for damage. The attack couples well with Sturmvanger's threat, and a hush falls over the comm channel as the vesk crew begins to worry they bit off more than they could chew. The Honorbound tries to line up a shot, but Twila-4's positioning keeps the other asteroid between you and their direct fire weapons. "Very clever, Starfinders," Yuluzak says with a wink.
Round 2
Pegasus: Shields (FPSA) 10/10/10/10 -- Hull 55/55
Honorbound: Shields (FPSA) 10/10/0/10 -- Hull 63/70
The Honorbound kicks its lateral thrusters into gear, coordinating its forward momentum to slide past the two asteroids in front of it. Just before it collides with another asteroid, its counter-thrusters stabilize its motion, rotating the ship's forward arc towards your ship. All the while, its shields flicker as energy moves from the the other quadrants to fill the gap your asteroid blast created.
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Are they serious?! After what happened last time, Twila-4 assumed the Vesk would've chosen to stay away from the asteroids, but no. They've sidled right up to another one. Ohhhhkaaaaay. She slides the ship forward-port, planning to turn in place to line up another shot at the asteroid beside the Honorbound.
"Another straight--" She catches herself. How in all the worlds did she mess up such a simple move?! All anyone sees is a blank look on her face, but her frustration at herself is roiling inside. The Pegasus is a sitting turtleduck now!
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Weylin keeps doing what he's doing and sending power to the guns since the shields are fine. He notices a red light saying there's a glitch in the power diversion routing and he shouts to the ship not today missy not today as he bangs on the terminal with his wrench. Then he shout through the coms Sam get to one of the guns to help Laanok.
Action: Divert to weapons
Using-Percussive Maintenance
1's are 2's
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Since we already seem to have our opponent on the ropes, Sam-12 strikes while the have the dominant position. Best not to wait until they're trying to come from behind. He reaches for the controls to the forward laser cannon and fires at the Honorbound, doing his best to stick to the rules of engagement. In a life-or-death situation he usually wouldn't be so careful, but every time Sam-12 tries to tell Sturm the drawbacks of honorable combat he gets chastised for being weak-willed.
Laanok fires at the asteroid adjacent to the Honorbound.
Laanok's shot once again blasts the asteroid into a storm of debris, shredding the Honorbound's port shields before cutting through to the hull. The molten detritus appears to work its way into gaps in the hull where the sensors retract, causing them to spark and emit steam. To add insult to injury, Sam-12's shot with the forward laser cannon courses straight into their fowards shields.
The Honorbound returns fire from the two weapons atop its turret. One shot flies off into the void, but the other connects, eating away at your forward shield.
Round 3
Pegasus: Shields (FPSA) 2/10/10/10 -- Hull 55/55
Shields restored by 6
+2 AC and TL
Finally free of the asteroid field, the vesk ship spirals into evasive maneuvers while attempting to close the gap.
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"Twila-14! You will maneuver us to their port side immediately!" Sturmvanger declares, his voice thundering through the bridge.
"Stoneseeker, get energy back to our shields. Mel, get the front ones back up. Take energy from the starboard side. Laanok and Sam, keep firing. We'll have them begging for mercy in moments. If we can end this combat before our vessel is actually damaged I'll buy everyone a lemon tarte when we get back to Absalom Station."
The last is directed as much to the screen and the vesk on it as his crew.
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Twila-4 is still internally berating herself for screwing up her last move, but fortunately the Honorbound has placed itself in a vulnerable position that doesn't require any skilled moves. She swoops forward a smidgen, port, and starboard, before turning in place to face the weakened flank of the Vesk ship. The sparks and steam of its damage hull face the Pegasus.
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Sam-12 takes another shot with the laser cannon, targeting the weak spot as directed. But not because of the promise of lemon tarts. He hates lemon tarts, and Sturm knows it. He's never thought to ask before, but as his fingers punch in the firing sequence he wonders if it's just him, or all androids that can't stand lemon flavoring.
Weylin restores most of the forward shield's strength, though the Honorbound's evasive maneuvers prevent either Sam-12 or Laanok from landing another hit. Weylin's work is finished not a moment too soon, as the vesk ship manages to get another lucky hit with one of the turret-mounted laser cannons.
Round 4
Pegasus: Shields (FPSA) 5/10/10/10 -- Hull 55/55
Honorbound: Shields (FPSA) 6/3/10/6 -- Hull 56/70; sensors glitching; in addition to the information from the first scan, Mel learns that two unlinked light laser cannons are mounted on the ship's turret.
Looks like the Honorbound's pilot has found his groove. Starfinders move first this round.
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"Arg! An abysmal volley!" Sturmvanger declares, though both shots fired by the Pathfinders likely scratched the paint of the Honorbound.
"If you can't shoot better than that, you're going to die!" he tells Laanok, his draconic voice booming throughout the bridge. Again, it is unclear if Sturmvanger is threatening to kill him, himself or if he just foresees an early death as a natural consequence of being a bad shot.
Whatever the case, it's not particularly inspirational.
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Power sink. Great. Not sure of the nature of the power sink and exactly how it'll affect the next few moments of the battle, Twila-4 decides to rely on evasive maneuvers for the time being. She tries to calculate the speed and trajectory of the Honorbound and aims for a spot where an asteroid should shield them from any fire. Let's see if they meant it when they said "No shooting each other's the rear" or whatever. Anyone who spares a glance at her hands will notice her white knuckles as she grips the controls.
Twila-4 easily maneuvers the Pegasus away from the Honorbound's firing arcs, with plenty of asteroids blocking their targeting systems. Yuluzak laughs into the comm channel, "Running away, are you? I thought Starfinders were known for charging head-first into the unknown - though maybe all the ones with guts were lost in the Scoured Stars incident. No worries, we'll catch up, and we appreciate the chance to patch our shields." The vesk then barks some orders back, and your scanners detect the ship pivoting in your direction.
Round 5
Pegasus: Shields (FPSA) 5/10/10/10 -- Hull 55/55
Speed increased by 2
Targeting weapons
The Honorbound surges around the asteroids with a burst of extra energy diverted towards its engine.
Power core glitching.
Two more light laser cannon shots beam out of the Honorbound's turret, but neither connects with your ship. Both of your gunners hit the asteroids flanking the vesk ship, however, causing molten explosions to consume both lateral shields and burn through some of the hull. The decorative thrusters flicker and sputter, indicating some damage to their energy source.
Round 6
Pegasus: Shields (FPSA) 10/10/10/10 -- Hull 55/55
Power Core patched
Weapons targeted
+2 AC and TC
With a clear approach in sight, the Honorbound surges out of the asteroid field, banking at the end of its burst to aim its forward arc at you.
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"I will accept your surrender when you are ready to tender it, Yuluzak," Sturmvanger says into the screen. "We are at full shields and there is not even a scratch on our ship while yours is showing great signs of rapidly approaching the scrap heap. We all know how this will end."
"I'll let you think on that while we continue to beat up your vessel."
With their own vessel in good shape, Sturmvanger focuses on offense. He is much calmer and less intense.
"Weylin, boost the guns, if you please," he says, almost casually.
"Mel, I'd like a report of just how bad off the Honorbound is."
"Fine flying Twila. Double tartes for you for keeping our opponents from having a chance of firing all their weapons at us."
"Laanok, a dwarf mercenary once told me, 'when you have your boot on your opponent's throat, you don't pick up your foot, you press down. Press!
Perhaps he has gotten too calm...
"Shoot them again, Sam."
Yet again, Twila-4 maneuvers the Pegasus beyond the reach of the Honorbound's flak thrower and turns in place to line up some nice shots for Laanok and Sam-12. Aggression exposes you, fools, and makes it easy to destroy you. That's why I choose other paths to achieve my goals.
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Laanok and Sam-12 cut into the Honorbound's compromised starboard flank, shredding one of the ornamental thrusters. Mel brings up the scanners to assess the damage, but the screen is quickly diverted to Yuluzak, grinding his teeth. "Well fought, Starfinders. I thought we could out-gun you, but you're clearly quicker and among these asteroids, that puts us in a bad spot. We surrender, and please pass my compliments along to your pilot and gunners." He lets out a whistle while looking over his ship's damage report. "Inconvenient for us, but not irreparable. At least the lads and I had fun. It's been a while since we got to have ourselves an honorable match-up!
"We will withdraw a short distance to start our repairs. The beacon is yours."
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"We won! Well this honorable combat was actually fun, especially the part abou not using lethal force and stuffs... And to be fair your crew did well, we just had the luck on our side this time because of the asteroids and positioning and other technical details, well played!" Commented a relieved Mel upon hearing Yuluzak's surrender,she didn't expected to be part of starship combat and much less one like this with set rules and against an honorable crew of Vesk.
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While the Honorbound begins its repairs, you weave among the asteroids in search of the beacon. After about a half-hour of scanning you pinpoint it, and from there it is a simple matter to bring it aboard. Zigvigix's decoder quickly bypasses the beacon's encryption, revealing the following message:
ATTN: This message is confidential; if you are not the intended recipient, _ABSALOM STATION>>EXO-GUARDIANS_, please delete this message immediately.
MESSAGE: This is Remahd, captain of the Struggle’s Scholar. Most of my crew and I escaped Sangoro’s Bulwark with our lives, but upon entering the Drift, we collided with some extraplanar material. Soon after, we lost a crew member, as well as control of our primary engine. We have managed to patch our Drift functionality enough to drop out of this dangerous field and into normal space at the enclosed coordinates. Please send assistance as soon as is feasible. Without our engine, our power supply is diminishing rapidly. In the event you are unable to reach us in time, I have heavily encrypted vital information meant only for the current head of the Exo-Guardians and locked it in a hard drive on the ship’s bridge.
Shortly after you upload the coordinates to your ship's computer, you get one missive from Yuluzak. "Happy hunting, Starfinders. In the Veskarium, any participant in a duel can recognize a honorable combatant with tribute to pre-empt any lingering disputes after the outcome is determined. You were gracious in victory, so the crew of the Honorbound unanimously agreed to send you tribute, in the hopes that our next meeting puts us on the same side of any conflict. We will eject a cargo pod with your well-deserved prize. And if it please you, if nothing of value can be recovered from the beacon's source, drop us a line so we can claim any salvage."
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"Lemon tartes for everyone and two for Twila!" Sturmvanger declares when Yuluzak surrenders and he notes that their ship has been unharmed.
He salutes the Vesk captain and ducks his head on his long neck in a sign of respect.
"A well fought battle on both sides. It pleases me that we met this way and not as true enemies. I look forward to fighting beside you in the future."
He reviews the message with the rest of the Starfinders when it is taken off the beacon. As they are no longer in combat, he backs off from his erstwhile commander role.
"We have a destination. Are we ready to go? Sounds like it could, potentially, be a rescue mission."
Then, Yuluzak opens a hailing frequency again. "It would be the height of rudeness to turn down a gift of such importance. We will take it, of course.
[b]"And, assuming we can remove any proprietary information the beacon is yours."
He is even more pleased when he opens up the cargo pod and finds what's inside.
He'll claim the armor, unless someone else wants it.
"Can anyone erase the message from the beacon so we can leave it behind for them? It has served its purpose for us."
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Wow. Tribute from the loser. Seems like it ought to be the other way around, if the intent is to prove "no hard feelings". It's a generous gift, and Twila-4 gives Yuluzak respectful bow of her head to acknowledge it. It tends to be easier to fool allies than enemies, if it comes to that.
"Ready to go when you are, Cap--Sturmvanger." She isn't sure how she feels about his ambivalent attitude towards being the Captain, but she isn't about to anger a teammate over something like that, especially on her first mission.
With your tribute from the Honorbound secured and coordinates of the Struggle's Scholar uploaded to your navigation system, you once again jump into the Drift. It's only a few hours before the proximity alarm goes off, and you drop out of the Drift a few hundred yards away from a heavily damaged kasathan transport ship. The vessel floats in empty space, dark but for a slowly flashing orange light at its aft. Just a few miles away from the ship, a massive storm dwarfs the vessel, blue and gray etheric clouds warping the field of stars behind the ship and flashing internally with jagged streaks of light. For all its violence, the vast storm is silent, and it looms larger with each passing second.
Because you brought a Pegasus, the advanced sensors give you some additional tools to scan the ship before you approach it.
Your science officer uses the scanners to create a holographic map of the ship's layout. She also identifies notable power spikes emanating from the rooms outlined in red. Power is diverted away from most of the other ship systems except for the basic life support functions and artificial gravity. An airlock on the aft side can be easily overridden from your ship, granting access.
When you space walk over to the airlock, you note loose netting that floats in the gravity-free chamber. A warning light above the interior door flashes every few seconds, periodically bathing the room in a dim orange glow. A small panel next to the door flashes orange in time with the warning light.
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The golemforged plating II is a distinct improvement over his ringwear and Sturmvanger stretches and twists in it as he gets ready to board the derelict ship.
He offers up the squad machine gun to Laanok. "You look like you know you're way around one of these," he says. "We'll probably have to turn this stuff over to the Society as 'evidence' when this mission is over, so we ought to enjoy it while we can."
When they get into the airlock, he waits for others with better skills to check both the chamber and the door for anything dangerous.
While that's happening, he frames out a plan. "Straight down the middle. We'll check the room on the left with power, then the one at the end and hit the one that's to our right at the moment on the way back. If we have time or if we haven't found what we're looking for in any of those three, we'll check the others. But, I don't know about the rest of you but I don't want to be here when that storm - whatever it is - hits."
He gives his doshko an experimental spin, examines it closely, and wipes a smudge from one of the blades by first licking his thumb then rubbing it across the spot.
Then, he slaps the haft in his palm, looks around and says "Ready?" once the checks have been completed and opens the door.
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Getting ready to start their actual mission the young technomancer makes sure to bring all her tools with her inside her industrial backpack, she's prepared to hack any computer or disarm any mechanical devise that may be malfunctioning, which is likely given the condition of the ship.
"Almost ready here... I agree with the plan, it makes a lot of sense, I however would like tell you all that we must proceed with caution and avoid wandering by ourselves, if something happens I can Super charge your weapons but only thrice so I'd appreciate if you stay close to me at all times." Said Mel as she finishes her preparations including her azimuth laser pistol just in case.
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”Ok, lets go in. I guess I can leave my plasma rifle on the ship. “
He sets his plasma rifle down and calls for his empathnid companion, which comes scurrying down the boarding platform.
” that is one nasty storm over there. Better make this quick. I don’t know what it is but I don’t think it’s good.“