/dot in!
Venture-Captain Arvin has invited you to a brunch at Qafe Qabarat, a quaint Castrovelian fusion eatery on Absalom Station, to discuss your next assignment.
As a server removes empty plates from the table, Venture-Captain Arvin speaks. “I do admit this brunch was to assuage my guilt about the assignment I’m giving you today, as you won’t be getting the chance for any such dining for a while.” He takes out a datapad and swipes the screen, sending out a file that contains basic information and images of a star system in the Vast labelled Mentras System.
“We’ve had some forays into this system in the past, and the Society established a research outpost on one of the asteroids to survey the system more thoroughly. The agents inside the outpost have been working tirelessly for well over a year now, and they deserve a break. But since we can’t leave the outpost unoccupied, we’ll need a skeleton crew to take over while the primary crew is gone. This is your assignment. Travel to Outpost 634 to relieve the crew and then remain there while the crew returns to Absalom Station to relax and spend some time with their families. Given how time in the Drift is nebulous, you’ll be at the outpost for anywhere from five to nine weeks"
“I know it’s hardly the most interesting of missions; the most I expect you’ll have to do is make sure the equipment stays maintained. The crew will brief you on the details of what you’ll need to do during your stay once you get there, but I don’t believe it will be anything particularly technical. The outpost is relatively self-sustaining, and your ship is loaded with enough supplies for months. When you return, you can dine at any restaurant on the station, my treat.”
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"Get some ice for that ankle corporal."
J'Shun, joins the competition, but isn't exceptional at the game. However, he more than makes up for it by playing extremely hard, hustling and diving on the ground for loose balls.
J'Shun, attends a meeting of the Starfinder Navy promotion board to discuss the performance of his team on its last mission. He also types up an extensive after action report detailing every aspect of the mission before joining the team again at Qafe Qabarat.
"Think of it as your stint as a Base Commander, you'd be keen for that I am sure J'Shun"
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"So, a low-impact maintenance and guard duty, eh? That should be a nice change of pace. Maybe we can get some squad training in while we are there. I'll be honest, I think we made a hash of it the last mission. I know I, for one, has researched and trained a new maneuver without really thinking about how best it could be used in tight situations, and found myself out of position and unable to do much to support the team when I tried to use it. Perhaps we can work on that."
"Anything else we need to know about this outpost? Climate? Working equipment? An impending swarm invasion?"
Arvin laughs “Not that I’m aware. The crew sent regular reports to the Lorespire Complex, and none of them contained information about significant dangers. Their reports typically detailed mineral discoveries in the asteroid belt, along with interesting reports of ancient starship fragments adrift in local space. However, it can take weeks for their reports to reach us, so we can’t be notified of changes immediately.”
"They're a great group though, you'll meet them soon enough"
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Chorizal finishes his meal (he refuses to call it "brunch") and sits back from the table.
"Can't say I'm surprised. Venture Captains don't make it a habit of having casual meals with agents," Chorizal says with a grin.
"I figured you had another reason to get us all here."
He nods to what is becoming his go to crew as they gather and eat.
"Sounds like a nice, boring vacation. Better bring lots of booze. I don't want to end up like those vesk on the last mission who were just sitting around playing video games."
"Well Chorizal, you will have time to play some video games if you choose, but there will be enough to keep you vaguely busy keeping operations ticking over. No reason you can't take some booze for the personal time"
"Great Bodo, grab something off the menu, you'll be eating galley food soon enough"
"Questions?"
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"I won't let you down Venture Captain Arvin. As acting base commander I'll make sure the outpost continues running at maximum efficiency. With your permission, Starfinder Navy Special Operations Command has assigned me a liaison officer from the Pabaq Self Defense Force. Commander Mahpu is a specialist in biological and chemical weapons and is spending a year studying Starfinder combat tactics and procedures. This would be a good chance for him to observe an elite Starfinder special operations team in action. He will serve as my aide de camp during the mission."
"A good idea. You'd want to liaise with two of the station team in particular then - Dr. Sivine Renou, the team’s biologist, and Vos Avino Silel of Clan Umana, the team’s combat specialist. He's a Kasathan too"
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"Vos Avino Silel of Clan Umana, we have met before. Clan Umana is an honorable clan, known for producing skilled warriors. It will be good to see him again. Can you tell us more about Dr. Renou? Is she studying anything specific at Outpost 634? I would like personal dossiers on all the Starfinders stationed at Outpost 634 before we depart."
"The team is made up of experts in their respective fields who have contributed much to the Society. Dr. Ordez, a geologist, is formally in charge of the outpost. Dr. Thrai is an archeologist who specializes in spacecraft development. Dr. Renou is a biologist studying any microbial samples or other lifeforms discovered in the system."
"The researchers are supported by an engineer named Bhennie Melford and a combat specialist named Vos Avino. In addition, there are two representatives from allied organizations currently observing the outpost. Resurgent Technologies sent Mr. Sonder, and Havar Maddu is representing the Xenowardens to guarantee the Society’s presence isn’t causing significant disruptions to the local ecosystem.”
"They will be pretty excited to get back for some leave, but they will be there when you arrive to ensure there is a proper handover. There's no tactical necessity to be in a hurry, so they will just have to cool their jets long enough to make sure things get done properly"
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"Before we leave on our mission Venture-Captain may I ask permission to hold a brief ceremony?"
J'Shun removes a small box from the pocket of his Starfinder Space Navy uniform and stands at attention before Bodo and says.
"THE FIRST SEEKER OF THE STARFINDER SOCIETY EHU HADIF, HAS PLACED SPECIAL TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN THE DISCIPLINE, INTEGRITY, AND ABILITIES OF PRIVATE FIRST CLASS BODO MARS. IN VIEW OF THESE SPECIAL QUALITIES AND HIS DEMONSTRATED POTENTIAL TO SERVE IN THE HIGHER GRADE, PRIVATE FIRST CLASS BODO MARS IS PROMOTED TO THE PERMANENT GRADE OF CORPORAL, STARFINDER SPACE NAVY, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY."
He then pins the new rank chevrons on Bodo's uniform, steps back and gives Bodo a crisp salute before saying, "Congratulations, Corporal Mars."
He then removes another box from his pocket and stands at attention before Chorizal.
"FOR VALOR IN CONNECTION WITH STARFINDER SPACE NAVY OPERATIONS ON THE PLANET OF ZRULIK-3. CAPTAIN CHORIZAL DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF IN HEAVY COMBAT AGAINST A HIGHLY TRAINED AND DANGEROUS OPPOSITION FORCE. WITH NO REGARD FOR HIS SAFETY HE ENGAGED IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT AGAINST MULTIPLE ENEMIES IN ORDER TO SAVE THE LIVES OF THE REST OF HIS SQUAD. CAPTAIN CHORIZAL'S PERSONAL BRAVERY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY WERE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE STARFINDER SPACE NAVY AND REFLECT GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF. I HEREBY AWARD HIM WITH THIS BRONZE STAR FOR VALOR IN COMBAT."
J'Shun pins the award on the vesk's chest, steps back and gives him smart salute.
"It is an honor for me to serve with you Captain."
Earlier
"A ceremony? Of course. You aren't on a matter of urgency so there is certainly time to undertake such things" Arvin adds encouragingly.
***
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Chorizal has no idea how official any of this is. As far as he knows, Vyviane is right and any hierarchy between Venture-Captain/Officer and Starfinder agent is nonexistent.
Nonetheless, when he puffs his chest out as J'Shun is speaking about the award, it is clearly not done ironically.
"Was nothing. Just doing my job," he mumbles, examining the star after it's pinned on.
He then salutes, the gesture mostly out of the Vesk training manual, but clearly done by someone who has never actually been trained to do it.
Truth be told, he's spent more time in Veskarium since becoming a starfinder than he did growing up.
"It's been an honor and pleasure serving with you," he says, shaking Kay's hand when his turn comes.
"With all of you, actually, he says, turning to the rest of the group."
The viewscreen shows a small building constructed of prefab structures built into the pockmarked surface of a large asteroid on the edge of the belt. The comms light up, and a recorded message plays: “You are approaching Starfinder Society Outpost 634—” that voice cuts off as another interrupts: “Please give us a ping, by Yaraesa, we are so bored.”
There are sounds of a scuffle, and then the original voice continues. “Please be aware that, according to Pact Worlds law, the Starfinder Society has first exploration rights to the Mentras System, as well as claims to any discoveries of note. Feel free to open a communication line if you have questions or require aid.”
After a few moments, the message begins to repeat. Suddenly, your ship’s computers blare a warning as they detect a surface-to-air weapon powering up at the outpost and locking onto the ship.
You all scramble for your stations!
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"Get on the horn and tell them we are friendlies!"
Rastar slapped at a communications panel. "Outpost 634 we are friendlies. We are fellow Starfinders on a relief mission. DO NOT FIRE! I repeat DO NOT FIRE, or so help me I will come down there, tear your arms off, and beat you to death with the wet ends! "
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From his position sitting in the captain's chair J'Shun yells, "Helm, evasive maneuvers! Private Rastar, establish communications with the base and explain to them we are Starfinders." He stands up abruptly and smoothes out the folds in his Starfinder Space Navy dress uniform that he had cleaned and ironed so meticulously in anticipation of the change of command ceremony to be held when the squad arrived at Outpost 634.
Commander Mahpu, an ohsaru male dressed in a formal Pabaq Self Defense Force uniform, eyes the forward view screen and says to J'Shun. "Space Admiral, is this standard procedure whenever a Starfinder vessel approaches an allied base?"
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After insisting on taking the pilot's chair for their approach on the station, Chorizal is flying a precise pattern.
"That's a weird message. By Damoritosh's wicked teeth!" he then exclaims as he realizes they're being attacked.
He throws the ship into an evasive maneuver.
It's not overly inspired, but is a competent maneuver.
Chorizal gets the ship down between bursts of incoming fire and does so without any damage to the ship, landing just outside the squat base as the docking bay has not opened. You spend a few minutes trying to hail the base to no avail before realising you will need to suit up, walk over, and manually open the docking bay.
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J'Shun, begins to unbutton his uniform jacket.
"Suit up, full combat gear, weapons inspection in 5 minutes. We're going in hot. Something is amiss. I don't want us caught with our pants down. Private Rastar, continuing hailing the base. Inform them we are coming in whether they like it or not."
"We ride headfirst into the face danger once again Starfinders! To the ship's armory. THIS I COMMAND!"
Commander Mahpu, mumbles, "I was told this was going to be a milk run." He looks a bit shocked that he now finds himself in the middle of a full fledged combat mission.
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At the brunch table, a halfling with big bushy brown hair, and some delightfully retro gold hoop earrings lounges in one of the chairs nearby, she gives Venture-Captain Alvin a knowing nod and a smile in greeting, and only introduces herself as 'Vanessa Sommersalt of the Absalom Sommersalts, third daughter of the owner of the Sommersalt Foodstuffs Conglomerate.'
She listens to the briefing half heartedly and barely says anything, seemingly bored by the whole experience. She flips her red scarf around her neck and hands a package to Rastar with a husky, "Make sure that this gets to Dr. Thrai. I owe her a favor." before she wanders away from the table.
She shows up again at loading bay to say goodbye, before she inexplicably walks onboard the ship and slides into the captain's chair, taking off the brown wig and shaking out Vyviane's short black-haired bob with the red streak. "Hello, boys! Good to see you again! Sorry, Vanessa is a persona I have with the Sommersalt Conglomerate's blessing, she leaves herself vulnerable and an easy target in case someone ever decides to target the real Sommersalt family. Now, this sounds like a nice relaxing mission doesn't it?"
Vyviane comes back from the gallery, where Kelvad is grazing on some grass the halfling brought for the medical expert. In her hands is an expertly stacked sandwich in the right and a sealed container of coffee in the left. She stops and looks over at J'Shun raising an eyebrow at him being in her seat. "Thank-you for keeping the seat warm, but I'll be taking it back now." Before he can start uttering more than a few syllables in protest, she sighs and interjects, "We've been over this, as an admiral, not that I recognize you as one, you don't have your own ship, you can commandeer it in certain circumstances but for the most part, it's in my purview, thank-you. Do I need to pull up the document from the Starfinder Space Navy again?"
She's forged a document saying she has immanent right to Captain a ship, no matter what rank she has achieved, and that details the only times she may be overruled on a ship.
She gives the obstinate man a look and a cough.
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Chorizal looks a little too smug about landing the ship without taking any hits.
"Oh good, you all think it's strange, too," he says. "I thought maybe I was the only one."
He quickly suits up and his doshko is conspicuously absent. Just as conspicuously present is a much longer weapon with a more traditional axe head connected to some very non-traditional tech.
He hands his new dragonglaive over for inspection with a flourish that very nearly gives Vyviane a haircut and Rastar a reason to get a bionic hand in the tight quarters of the ship.
There is a gloating smile on his face as he takes it back and heads for the door into the facility.
Just before they open it, he activates his forcefield.
You trek over to the base.
A humming, bright blue force field seals in the outpost’s artificial atmosphere while allowing creatures and objects to pass through harmlessly. Inside, the walls are rough, natural rock while the floors are smooth-cut stone. Much of the structure is built directly into the asteroid, with technological additions where necessary.
Two rails traversing back and forth from the starship landing site serve as docking stations for transport platforms. One such platform sits powered down at the end of the eastern tracks. The southern wall houses two computer workstations, and a large metal door to the west leads further into the outpost.
The air inside the force field is breathable but stale. The outpost’s power is still functioning, and this room is brightly lit.
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"That's Space Admiral J'Shun Kay, first son of Clan Summersword, House Davion, line of Atsu, born in fire! Private Third Class Rastar."
J'Shun, looks over the document Viviane gave to him with a perplexed look on his face.
"When we get back to base I'll have to run this by fleet command, but it certainly looks official. Nonetheless, I am still the ranking flag officer on this ship whether I am sitting in the captain's chair or not."
As the squad begins its infiltration of the base. J'Shun, takes up a position behind Chorizal and Rastar, allowing them to scout ahead of him so he can evaluate the tactical situation. He taps a sigil of the sun on the traditional suit of Kasathan Hidden Soldier armor he is wearing for this mission and it activates the armor's environmental protections.
He points his longsword at the computer workstation and says, "Corporal Isafira, access that computer terminal and retrieve any information you can." Then he points his semi auto pistol at the control panel for the door and says, "Corporal Mars, run a bypass on that door."
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Vyviane, having finally figured out a way to finally, finally, get J'Shun to work with her, gives an eye-roll in salute to the orders, but does head for the computer terminal. "Hrmm. Private Kay, would it be easier for you to start thinking of me as a private sector contractor instead of a direct part of your chain of command? I'm well past the prime age for the military. I'm nearing 50 years and retired from my previous profession already. Mostly, would it kill you to ask me to do things?"
She then boots up the computer terminal and very carefully tries to hack her way in.
The computers are password-protected but prove fairly easy to hack.
With access to the computer you find you can move the transport back and forth along the tracks at about jogging speed, and turn the lights in the room on or off. You also find you can access automated logs that record all significant passages through the force field, which reveal that no one has left or entered the outpost in over four weeks. This log’s last recorded movement shows a large group of creatures entering, followed by a small number leaving a few hours later—though the logs don’t track specific numbers
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"Does a group of creatures that large seem like an invasion force to anyone else? And a smaller group suggest one side of the other retreating? Or am I just being paranoid?" Chorizal asks when he learns of the activity through the forcefield.
It is difficult for the Vesk to focus on anything but his new axe...
Nothing is in the logs about what it was going in or out, other than that there were a lot, then a smaller number leaving.
No one notices anything of import.
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She looks over at 'Corporal' Bodo and then gives a small shrug when he doesn't seem to respond to the 'command' from the 'Space Admiral,' she pauses. I have to do everything here, don't I? She looks at the admiral, smiling to herself and then snaps to attention. Using her best Drill-Sargent-voice "PRIVATE KAY! ATTENTION! I need your assistance with these doors! My hands need to be free to work on this door. Now hold these tools and follow me!" She hands the kasathan a small kit of supplies and then moves over to the control panel, giving J'Shun a look that just begs the man to deny her authority as soon as he doesn't jump to the task.
The panel does not seem to want to participate...perhaps it is faulty?
As Vyv turns around to collect the dumped items, she notices a bit of unusual damage. She notices signs of gunfire on the western side of the rover and on the easternmost wall of the room.
You recognize from the blast pattern that the blasts came from a sonic weapon.