Early the next morning
Among several other figures on the chalet’s front lawn, a besuited human woman with crimson skin and blue hair lacquered into an impressive bouffant style stands apart. She turns her expertly contoured face toward a floating camera drone and speaks in a resonant voice. “This is news streamer Lyta Lantrell bringing you nonstop coverage of the crisis on Jedarat. This remote planet is the planned site of an AbadarCorp sponsored luxury community and resort. Over the past week, construction ceased due to unusual blizzards ravaging the planet. Though they have now stopped, the clear skies have revealed a massive structure that wasn’t there before near an active dig site.” The woman presses a button on her comm unit. “Let’s go now to a live feed of this tower from our observer shuttle so you can get an idea of its—”
An ear-splitting roar pierces the freezing air. Overhead, a pair of silver ships slice through the clouds and swoop dangerously close to the chalet. Lyta turns to face the source of the noise. A deafening boom echoes through the air as another vessel near the tower explodes. Flames bloom in the gray sky, and debris rains down over the valley. Lyta gasps and grabs her comm unit.
“Kel, what was that? Kel, do you copy?” Only a burst of static answers her.
"Time to get the Maiden in the air, I think," Booker announces to the others. He shouts over to Nott as he heads for the hangar. "No time to negotiate a contract, but you're hiring us again." His tone brooks no argument.
|
Woah, woah, woah, woah. No contract? I know, greater good and all that. Dunk gestures over to the tower and the rain of debris. But, the lady did say they had all this in hand. They might not need us. Now, I'm totally open to assisting AbadarCorp in investigating this new anomaly if they in fact do request our services. They must have contracts readily available for emergency situations like this.
Dunk looks over to Nott. Am I right?
Nott looks back at Dunklezahn, agog and silent. She's clearly in shock.
An explosion rocks the air above as a sivv ship destroys a weather collecting drone.
"Let's go!" Booker roars back at Dunklezahn. "We can work out the details later!"
Booker's sharp tone snaps her out of it. "WAIT! Please, le me attach one of my remote camera drones to your ship."
"Dunk, I wouldn't worry. This company is loaded. Did you see the new cape they got me. It's pretty epic. I may save this one for just my encores and get another one for the initial part of the show."
Gig hurries on board the Maiden and prepares to fire the guns as needed.
Booker's sharp tone snaps her out of it. "WAIT! Please, le me attach one of my remote camera drones to your ship."
Booker continues the conversation via comm. "Uh... why?"
"Deal!" She tosses the camera to Gig. "Just stick it on It'll do the rest!"
The party hustles to the Sunrise Maiden. It's been a while since she was used as more than a transport and dining hall. It's time to put her through her paces.
Almost immediately, the drones come on view. There are two of them, flying in formation. They change course to face you, ignoring the small robot workers in the sky.
Lyta's camera actually already patched itself in. The invasion is annoying, but it does make the science officer's job easier.
This is an atmospheric combat on a specific world. There are options available....
You can spend 1 Resolve Point to fire one of your starship’s weapons at the snowpack atop nearby mountains. Choose one enemy starship within short range in that weapon’s arc and make an attack roll, causing an avalanche. If the attack is successful, the target starship takes 6d4 damage in a random arc (determined by the GM) and takes a –2 penalty to the target’s attack rolls and Computers checks made to scan or target systems until the end of the next helm phase. The target starship can attempt a Piloting check with a –4 penalty (DC = result of your attack roll) to halve the damage and negate the penalty.
You can spend 1 Resolve Point and attempt a Piloting check (DC = 20 + 1-1/2 × your starship’s tier) to rapidly lose altitude and enter the protective cover of the mountains. You nosedive into a narrow canyon and move your starship up to half its speed along the length of the chasm. If you succeed at the Piloting check, the canyon’s steep sides provide enough cover that enemy starships outside the canyon cannot directly target your ship this round, though you can still fire at them with a –4 penalty to the attacks. If you fail this check, you fail to maneuver your starship into the canyon. If you fail this check by 5 or more, you fail to maneuver your starship into the canyon and your ship takes 5d6 damage to a random arc as it skids along the canyon’s side. An enemy starship pilot that chooses their pilot action after you can attempt this same stunt to follow you into the canyon; if they succeed, they can target your ship this round, but you take no penalty to fire at them.
Sunrise Maiden:
Initiative: Go
Booker: Helm Phase
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Hack-it: TB
Dunklezahn: TBD
0
Fine
60
BLACK
0
Fine
60
Booker flips switches like a madman and pulls the Maiden into a steep climb the instant the engines are hot.
Then he cracks his knuckles.
"This is stupid. Helping these jamokes without pay? Dunk, I'm with you on this. They either agree to whatever terms we want later after this, or I'm not lifting a finger. AbadarCorp is loaded because they are smart negotiators."
With Booker barking at the others to get on the Maiden, Hack-It shakes his head but gets aboard. he immediately sits down in from of a communications terminal, and sends out a call to Nott. "She better answer, because this is not the time to ignore me."
"We're gonna be tradin' fire in a moment. You really sittin' this out?" Booker growls at Hack-It. He punches the comm to switch over to the more reliable ysoki. "Gig, gimme a scan, wouldja?"
”Coming up, Booker.”
Gig reluctantly gives up his gunnery seat to do a scan with the system computers.
Gig is impressed by the sensitivity and clarity of the readings on his screen.
"Relax, Booker. I'm not going sit idle if we're in real danger. But you could do the smart thing and not fly us toward it. I didn't save the universe with this crew just so I could throw my life away sticking my nose in someone else's business. That's why we get paid. Then it becomes our business."
Gig scores an extensive scan. Between his skill, the camera, and the ultra djezet sensors, he gets a detailed read out
Basic Information: Drone, no life aboard. Medium explorer Speed 12; Maneuverability average
Defenses: AC 29; TL 28 HP 75; Shields heavy 240 (forward 60, port 60, starboard 60, aft 60), Power Core Nova Ultra (300 PCU);
Weapons
Attack (Forward) persistent particle beam (10d6)
Attack (Starboard) particle beam (8d6)
Attack (Port) particle beam (8d6)
Attack (Turret) heavy nuclear missile launcher (10d8)
Enemy Engineering:
The sivv drones immediately take evasive action as they scan the maiden:
Enemy Helm
Success
Success
Starfinder Helm Phase Up!
Floating: +4, +4
------------------------------------
[color=red]RED[/color]
0
Fine
60
BLACK
0
Fine
60
"If we did it your way, we'd still be sittin' 'round a table when the bombs started fallin'," Booker growls back to Hack-It, but he is quickly distracted by the scan readout and a need for speed. The ship's new horacalcum thrusters thunder in the snowy skies, jetting the Maiden faster than she has ever gone before.
Booker works in some evasive maneuvers as he gets behind one of the drones. SUCCESS
Gun Disposition
Linked Turret: Linked Particle Beams (16d6, long range, Black in range)
Starboard: X-Laser Cannon (8d6 line, long range, Black in range)
Heavy Turret: Heavy Laser Net (5d6 point, short range, Black in range)
Sunrise Maiden Status
Shields: F 120/120, P 120/120, S 240/240, A 120/120
Hull: 85/85
Systems: Normal
Both drones open fire on the Sunrise Maiden
for
for
Both ships hit clean! The particle beam from the far ship makes a surprising hit. The closer drone opted for a direct fire weapon. Apparently it's programming prefers the safe hit to the risky missile.
Starfinder Gunnery up! Enemy AC/TL is 31/30
Janzi gives a look to Hack-It that would turn him to stone if he were a gorgon.
In a trice he's jumped into the gunnery seat and tries to figure out what he's doing with it.
Starship combat! he says to Munro's camera. How exciting! What in the frack...
The enemy's guns put a sizeable dent in the Maiden's lopsided starboard shields.
Sunrise Maiden Status
Shields: F 120/120, P 120/120, S 182/240, A 120/120 (T 542/600)
Hull: 85/85
Systems: Normal
Hack-it's call is picked up almost instantly, "Who the hell? Wait? What are you doing, shouldn't you be fighting? Her voice is excited though, and Hack-it picks up a whisper.
"Holy S#&+! Start recording, we have bridge audio!"
Janzi misses his shot, but Dunklezahn's x-laser cannon blast nearly rips through the drone's shields!
Floating: +4, +4
------------------------------------[color=red]RED[/color]
0
Fine
60
BLACK
0
Fine
60
Sunrise Maiden:
Initiative: Go
Booker: Helm Phase
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Hack-it: TB
Dunklezahn: TBD
Booker is in his element, and does what he does best.
"The read-out's good, Gig," Booker says quietly, concentrating on his task. "We might want you back in the gunner's chair..."
"Piss off," Hack-It says to Lyta, hanging up.
He swivels to a gunnery console, shouting at Booker, "We didn't all agree to shoot at these arsholes, so you steering us into this fight is not cool."
To Gig he says, "We're going to need to get that reporter's bug off the Maiden. You know, once we're out of this unpaid dogfight."
"I can drop you off if you'd rather watch," Booker returns in sardonic reply.
"This isn't your ship either, Booker. That's not a call you get to make," Hack-It replies, for the first time ever not claiming the ship is his alone.
"Just offerin'," Booker says cheerfully.
”Did you hear that, Hack? Booker wants me back in the gunner’s chair! That ship is going to be in trouble the moment I get there.”
"You know you don't have to do it, right?" Hack-It says to Gig, shaking his head. "Anyway, the worst thing you can do is miss, so just leave the big guns to Dunk and I."
Hack-it hangs up on Lyta, but immediately a hail comes into the ship.... and doesn't seem to turn off. It's Lyta.
The drones try to work together, but something goes wrong with hte far drone as it washes out it's vector a bit.
FAIL
SUCCESS
CRIT FAIL
FAIL
Starfinder Helm and Gunnery open!
Booker sees Lyta's ping on his screen and frowns in annoyance. He switches to personal comm. "Get rid of her, will you?" he mutters to no one in particular.
But then he sees the two sivv ships lining up and grins. "Everybody hold on t'something. This'll toss the lunch a bit!"
SUCCESS
Booker puts the Maiden through a dance she has never managed before. The ship does a hard flip to reverse direction and thunders back towards the two enemy ships. As she moves, Booker reverses the thrusters on the starboard side, sending the Maiden into a slide, with the bow hooking 'round just as they near the sivv drones. At just the right moment, Booker flips the starboard thrusters back around, pulling the ship into a forward pattern with the starboard X-Laser Cannon pointed perfectly at both drones.
"Thatta girl!"
Gun Disposition
Starboard: X-Laser Cannon (8d6 line, long range, both in range)
Linked Turret: Linked Particle Beams (16d6, long range, both in range)
Heavy Turret: Heavy Laser Net (5d6 point, short range, both in range)
Sunrise Maiden Status
Shields: F 120, P 120, S 182, A 120 (T: 542/600)
Hull: 85/85
Systems: Normal
Hack-It takes control of the laser cannon, grins, and redirects some of the ship's processing power to the weapon. "Hold tight, you little barstards."
Gig jumps into the cockpit of the Linked turret and immediately fires and then aims the Linked Particle Beams at Black.
"Woohoo! Let's see what kind of power this has! Wait. What the hell just happened?!"
Booker opts for a bold maneuver, seeing an opportunity in the tight formation.
Hack-it puffs up his cheek pouches, then lets out the breath as he squeezes the trigger. The lasers weaken one drone's port shields, but rip into the aft arc of the other!
Gig and Dunklezahn both fire wide!
Floating: +4, +4
------------------------------------
[color=red]RED[/color]
0
Fine
60
BLACK
35/75 (Tactics shift at 60/75)
Fine
60
The two drones open fire!
But their ancient targeting computers are fickle.
Sunrise Maiden:
Initiative: Go
Booker: Helm Phase
Gig: TBD
Janzi: TBD
Hack-it: TB
Dunklezahn: TBD
Booker quickly reads each drone's heading and sees them splitting off. He decides to make a break for the clouds. The Maiden careens upwards into the sunlight above the canopy... but the enemy drones are still easy reads for the radar.
SUCCESS
Gun Disposition
Linked Turret: Linked Particle Beams (16d6, long range, both in range)
Starboard: X-Laser Cannon (8d6 line, long range, Black in range)
Port: Light Laser Cannon (2d4, short range, Red in 2nd range increment)
Sunrise Maiden Status
Shields: F 120, P 120, S 182, A 120 (T: 542/600)
Hull: 85/85
Systems: Normal
Hoping that nobody saw his last shot, Gig calls out, "I think I'm going to fire this Linked Particle Beam now."
Gun Disposition
Linked Turret: Linked Particle Beams (16d6, long range, both in range)
Starboard: X-Laser Cannon (8d6 line, long range, Black in range)
Port: Light Laser Cannon (2d4, short range, Red in 2nd range increment)
Sunrise Maiden Status
Shields: F 120, P 120, S 182, A 120 (T: 542/600)
Hull: 85/85
Systems: Normal
Mk5 Trinode Bonuses: +5 +5 +5
Janzi hums a merry tune to himself subconsciously reading the rhythm of the battle.
Hack-It fires the remaining gun, hoping to finish off a drone.
Janzi gets little more information. The drones also have a laser cannon on the aft, and nothing in cargo or added on.
Dunklezahn's shot is unexpected. It rocks the starboard arc of the the drone!
Gig's killer shot is just a bit off as the drone flies past the beam. Hack-it's severely weakens the starboard shields though.
Floating: +4, +4
------------------------------------
[color=red]RED[/color]
0
Fine (-2 attack and locking)
BLACK
35/75 (Tactics shift at 60/75)
Fine