Also conducting a cursory search, Rastar finds (tucked behind the threshwolf cages) a personal travel bag, emptied of any identifying documents but containing a ship staff uniform. Underneath the uniform is a credstick with 50 credits, two mk 1 serums of healing, a medpatch, a wire garrote, and a stabilize spell ampoule.
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Vyvaine takes the Healing Serums that Rastar first handed her, and is about teh break the seal on the first one when she spots the others that Rastar dug out. Handing his serums back to him, she picks up the other two instead. "If someone is going to pay for my medical expenses, I'd prefer it be the bastard who released the wolves in the first place."
She grumbles as they seem less than effective on her, "Nvm, I guess I will use 1 of those then. Thank-you for being willing to share."
Feeling better from the serums and her nap, Vyviane stretches, fixes the holes in her dress, and nods at the rest of the group. "Should be good to soldier on!"
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Chorizal's eyes widen.
"I'll bet you're right! Whoever wore this disguise is probably trying to assassinate the Tassador, right now!" He declares.
He takes a moment to latch his dragonglaive onto a set of connectors designed just for the purpose on his static shock caster and then rushes back to the ballroom.
Following J'Shun back to the ballroom at great haste, you find the buffet and gathering area very much as you left it.
Several staff express their annoyance at Viv in no uncertain terms, the Hospitality manager appears to be completely incensed at the 'hired help' scuffing and damaging the multi-thousand credit ceiling that she is presently ruining by walking across.
Other than the staff, and the odd guest moving across the area on their way to the latrine (and rubbernecking the incident unfolding), there appears to be nothing happening.
***
Meanwhile, Rastar picks up general comms from the Security team.
"Control, Have those Starfinders cleared whatever those things were yet? What is going on? The catering staff want to know if they can come out of the kitchens yet."
"Patrol Team, we're waiting on a response - maintain staff and guest safety until the all-clear is given. Reserve, head to the auditorium, there's reports of some circus performer walking on a roof and causing damage - the Hospitality team are livid."
***
Grabbing the comm from Rastar, J'Shun gives a sitrep.
"Just about everyone is in the theatre".
You all dart through the double doors and into the theatre where a couple of hundred guests are being entertained by an over the top display of veskarium patriotism masquerading as a coreographed dance piece with at least a dozen brightly clad entertainers cavorting around to a heavy dance track full of imperial bombast, the crowd is loving it! Hard for you to make out much between blasts of heavy strobe lighting and laser arrays being scattered through smoke.
A couple of minutes of fruitlessly searching passes.
Rastar picks up more chatter on the security net.
"Control, can you tell those Starfinders to refrain from using poison gas in the ship in future? We found they left their gas canisters stashed in vicinity of the cages those things were in, that could be really hazardous to the housekeeping staff - the things are even marked hazchem. Steve from Guest Services picked it up and everything, he's off to the infirmary now just in case. There's some other junk here too, looks like some sort of glue tube? Is it harmless?"
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Chorizal gives a nod of acknowledgement to J'Shun's command. Not because J'Shun commanded it, but because it sounds like what they're about to do is boring and he's enjoying the show.
He also starts to move toward where he saw the loose wires. Now that they know there is trouble brewing, any odd thing that he's seen is striking his suspicion up.
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"J'Shun, just set your comm switch to a new channel and stay of of mine. I swear, it's like you don't even bother to read..." Rastar broke off as J'Shun went running off towards the kitchens.
Rastar looked around as he and Chorizal were left in the hallway. Surely there was a better way to do this? Maybe his pal in Security would let them use the vid systems?
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After checking out the loose wiring, Chorizal takes a few moments to watch the show. Then he gives a sigh.
"We should probably do a patrol. Just because there's no trouble here doesn't mean it's not starting somewhere else," he says to Rastar.
"Unless you don't want to...?"
If the Kasatha does want to, Chorizal heads for the back room then will move on to security.
Rastar and Chorizal head off on patrol via Jex in the guard room.
The group heads back to where the combat took place, and there is a two-man security detail standing around near the cages, and one of them is holding a tube of some sort of compound, looks like adhesive...
A few cleaners likewise point to a another serving trolley nearby, and point to a few cylinders - looks like poison gas.
"This is what we found"
Helix easily identifies it as an adhesive exclusively used to rig explosives.
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Vyviane, unsure of what is happening and how best to help, actually seems to be happy that J'Shun can be a headstrong and bossy man for once. She follows him to the gas canisters and takes one good look at them.
She feels she might not quite recognize them and instead looks for something that might explain what the are written on them.
It dawns on Vyv that you are standing near the core room of the ship, and that would likely be a great place to plant an explosive if you wanted to cripple a ship. The wolves weren't meant to draw you away, they were there to cut off anyone from moving past - and now a substantial amount of time has passed.
***
Meanwhile, in the security room
Chorizal has managed to get a few delicious meat skewers from the refreshed buffet table and enjoying them in the Security room as part of the patrol. As Chorizal looks at the footage he notices the area he knows the wolves were in shows an empty hall. Now that he's looking, the kitchens are also showing as empty, as is a nearby loading bay. It's all on a loop!
The two Starfinders spear out from the security room, beginning the five minutes of racing through the ship.
***
Meanwhile, in the hall...
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"Pincher movement Lieutenant Isafira, move into position outside the southern entrance to the core room, but don't enter yet. Tell me what you can observe and report back to me. I'll scout out the northern entrance."
He unsheathes Tears of the Sun again to go with his shield and semi-auto pistol.
J'Shun, then moves quietly toward the northern entrance and takes a quick look around.
J'Shun moves around to the side door which looks like it should open, but for some reason it is not operating, the automatic system seems to try then stop and reset.
***
Vyv makes it down to the southern hall.
The hallway outside the core room is well-lit and canvased by clusters of security cameras. The breakproof glass doors and windows to the room show twin power core housing surrounded by computers and warnings printed in several different languages. There is a card reader to the left of the doors, which currently sparks and emits quiet buzzing noises. The edges of the door appear to have been recently soldered shut, preventing easy access.
As you look through the windows into the chamber you can see that several explosives have been hooked up to the cores’ outer casing and attached to the computer systems in the room. 3:19...3:18...3:17...
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J'Shun, desperately looks for another way in and if that way in is trapped.
Over comms, "Captain Chorizal, there is a bomb attached to the power core of the ship. Coordinated an immediate evacuation of all passengers. We have 3:00 minutes to get all everyone off the ship."
"Dr. Helix, Lieutenant Isafira, we need to find a way into the core room [b]
It appears that whilst the main doors are welded, the job is patchy, you might be able to brute force them (Athletics) or work a way to crack the welding (Engineering).
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Vyviane's snow white skin balances a shade whiter as she realizes what exactly is happening in the Core room. She digs into her pack and immediately pulls out an engineer's kit and sets up the blow torch with post haste.
"J'SHUN! If this doesn't cut through in 10 seconds, you MUST break this door down imeddiately! I need all the time I can get to disable the bomb."
Vyv gets the torch going, but is momentarily suprised when a surge of electricity arcs off the door - seems the damaged reader has electrifid the door!
Damage
..The door then gives way!
Now inside the room proper you can see that there are multiple devices glued into place. The still drying glue suggests that these were placed shortly before the wolves were released. You can see that there's not a lot of time left, and there are five sets of explosives to work through - and the timer has run right down...
Attempt 1
Helix
J'Shun
Vyv
J'Shun starts heaving at the explosives...
Attempt 1
Helix
J'Shun - athletics
Vyv
Vyv is also taking a rather physical approach, but with some very gentle hands.
Attempt 1
Helix
J'Shun - athletics
Vyv - SoH
Helix has a few miskeys that rattle him, but then has a momentary breakthrough and begins crunching code that seems to be working!
Vyv likewise unhooks a few detonators.
J'Shun seems to have little luck.
2:09...2:08...2:07...
Attempt 2
Helix
J'Shun
Vyv
The sweat pouring from J'Shun makes his palms slick and he can't get a decent grip.
The pressure rattles Helix badly.
Vyv disarms one more package.
1:15...1.14...1.13...
Attempt 3
Helix
J'Shun
Vyv