"Unlucky, that thing with the beacon." Harlan observes dryly "How about you get yourselves over this lava river and to our ship before another one decides to poke around."
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When you get back to the ship, it's apparent that the rest of the fleet has been busy and another large contingent of Starfinders has been rescued from a moon circling the gas giant Bastion-8.
Video is available from the rescue team. The camera bounces as the team walk-hops across the surface. Soon and imposing stone temple can be seen. Steep, steep stairs rise to an entrance flanked by two statues. Each statue depicts a six-legged and many-eyed insectile creature wearing robes over a suit of armor.
The walls of the chamber inside the doors are covered in bas-reliefs depicting the same kind of creatures as the statues in the entrance hall. The creatures are depicted as worshiping a faceless, formless god, killing their enemies with many kinds of weapons, and sacrificing their prisoners on an altar.
Many narrow corridors extend from the entrance hall. In the feed you can see the silhouettes of people huddling in the shadows. They avoid eye contact and don’t respond to the rescuer's questions. Above the entrances to the corridors, sigils of reddish metal have been embedded in the walls.
...
The chamber at the far end of the temple contains a large statue and an altar in front of it. The statue resembles those near the entrance, except it is much larger and has dozens of legs and even more eyes.
Soon after the rescuers arrive, a disembodied voice starts talking to them. It asks questions about the rescuers' motivation, gear and weapons and whether any are spellcasters. When the spokesman refuses to answer one of the voice’s questions, it says “Oh, you will answer my question!” and the spokesman does answer in the tense manner of someone acting under compulsion.
It's not a onesided conversation, the voice also answers questions eagerly. Among other things it tells the rescuers, “This is an old temple, dedicated to a slumbering god. You should feel privileged to have seen this place.” ... “I am the Voice of the slumbering god. He shall return soon.” ... “The slumbering god created the Godshield. He is formidable indeed.” ... “Yes, many of Starfinders are here. But you need not worry about them. They are mine now.”
One of the rescuers curses the Voice. Suddenly two demons appear, flanking the party and a frantic combat ensues. When the rescuers defeat the demons, the mysterious Voice emits a drawn-out shriek, and all goes silent.
Dozens of Starfinders have been imprisoned here for months. They tell interviewers that every few weeks, demons sacrificed a prisoner taken from amongst them on the altar. The Starfinders are deeply distraught by the horrors they’ve endured, but they are very thankful for rescue.
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A loud shriek of audio feedback erupts from all communication devices across the Starfinder Society fleet and deployed teams. The feedback precedes an alert of a new threat: dozens of unknown starships are entering the Scoured Stars through the Drift!
Data screens across the fleet begin displaying a live feed of a chitinous, six-legged creature with a large mouth full of sharp teeth. Rings of glowing, unblinking eyes cover the upper and lower sides of the creature’s body, looking in every direction at once. The creature’s three-clawed forelimbs hold what looks like an alien plasma cannon, while its second set of limbs terminate in cybernetic augmentations resembling long sabers. When the creature starts speaking, its words sound like a chaotic jumble of consonants, but soon the syllables turn into a sinister-sounding, digitalized voice speaking in the Common tongue: “We are jinsuls, and you are not welcome in our space. This is our ancestral home. You do not belong here. You will be removed.”
As soon as the ominous message ends, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo speaks to the Society through the comm system: “According to our sensors, these creatures—jinsuls—are entering the Scoured Stars through a location near Bastiar-7. I need a group of volunteers, our best starship crews, to scout the area and keep these aggressors occupied. Meanwhile, I want everyone else to continue evacuating the survivors. Time is a luxury we don’t have, so make haste and be ready to be extracted at a moment’s notice!”
"I'm your pilot! Put me in your best ship and I'll steer you right!" volunteers Zephyr.
Harlan watches the feed with interest, impressed by the theatrical attention to detail and the signs of powerful magics at play. The way the Starfinders cut down the demons and save the day earns a riotous applause "There ye go, just smash straight through 'em and make 'em go home cryin'. That's the right way about it!"
When it comes to the call for starship combat, he listens to Never and Zephyr both before saying "You lose your enthusiasm for smackin' skulls together Never? Let's see if we can see these suckers up close."
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A vanguard of jinsul attack ships exit the Drift and enter into orbit around Bastiar-7. The ships begin spreading out across the system, seeking to establish a foothold from which they can launch further attacks against the Starfinder expedition. There are too many jinsul ships to stop them all, but a quick sortie can throw the enemy into disarray before they’ve fully established their presence.
The jinsul ships are pyramidal with strange tentacle-like appendages. They look odd but the design is familiar to three of the team members from the mission to Icefront nee' Izalraan.
As more and more jinsul ships enter the Scoured Stars, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo addresses the Starfinder fleet via all communication devices: “Starfinders, we have already rescued many of our ,but we can’t afford to stay here any longer. While our carriers prepare to transition into the Drift, we must ensure that all our transports get back to the carriers. I need all our best starship crews to fight the jinsul ships and buy our fleet some time. The rest of you should help organize a defense of our transports and carriers against jinsul boarding parties. Do not lose heart, Starfinders—there is hope for us if we all work together to get through this!”
"Jinsul boarding parties?" Harlan smacks his pudgy fists together "Bring them on."
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Zephyr plots a corkscrewing approach to your mothership that simultaneously avoids incoming jinsul boarding craft and provides a second angle from your ship's scanners. Once the additional scanner data is transmitted to the mothership, technicians begin plotting the terminal approaches of the boarding craft.
As you line up for your final approach, a jinsul craft loops over the mothership and locks its course parallel to yours. Large flexible tentacles lock onto your ship. Banging and hissing can be heard through the hull of the upper deck..
Some of your survivors, have seen this movie before and they lead their fellows to the lower deck.
”Let’s lock one of the doors aft of the bridge and use the other one to form a choke point in the hallway,” suggests Zephyr, looking for anything he could quickly use to form a low barricade from which to shoot behind.
”Also, I can surprise them once with a quick maneuver that might knock them to the ground, so hold onto something if the captain gives the word,” he adds.
Harlan steps into position to look down the southern hall "You'll get no complaints from me if ye want to funnel them in one way. I'll be ready to burn 'em up." He spends a few moments casting fluid morphism on himself to enhance his intimidating aura.
Zephyr spends his first round on the starship controls shutting and locking down the port door, b then his second round he drags over whatever he can find to make a low barricade on the starboard door. Kneeling behind his makeshift barricade, he prepares his artillery laser to fire upon the boarders. (If he can tell instead that the enemy is boarding on the port side, reverse that).
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Two extra loud bangs and the air pressure drops, then stabilizes. Interior cameras show a pair of moose-sized insectile creatures like the statues at the alien temple enter the engine room through a breach in the hull. Another pair enters the starboard cargo bay.
The first pair examines the engine room, then opens the door and starts forward along the port corridor. They stop to examine the lift to the other deck. The second pair enters the engine room , then the starboard corridor.
Harlan grins as he sees shapes approaching down the corridor. Nothing better than a long straight line with no cover for picking people off.
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Navasi strolls across the bridge deck and takes up position behind Never. It doesn't take her long to sum up the boarders' intent.
"Get'em." She fires her pistol and hits the one on the right. (blue, and +1 to hit against it)
Jinsul, blue : 7 damage
Jinsul, yellow :
Jinsul, red :
Jinsul, green :
Never:
... C; critical
staggered [DC 16]) or
Feeling motivated to take out this Blue alien, Zephyr lights it up with two shots from his artillery laser!
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Your opponents are chitinous, six-legged creatures with a large mouth full of sharp teeth. They are encased in chitinous looking armor. Rings of glowing, unblinking eyes cover the upper and lower sides of the creature’s body, looking in every direction at once. The creature’s three-clawed forelimbs hold what looks like an alien plasma cannon, while its second set of limbs terminate in cybernetic augmentations resembling long sabers.
Maybe Navasi's shot alerted them; maybe they would have spotted you anyway. In either case the alien pair begins advancing down the corridor.
Zephyr's two shots lance through blue's armor, but the alien keeps on coming, dragging one of its sword-arms slightly.
Seeing that his foes are possibly less inclined to immediately close the distance, Harlan settles for a more measured opening volley. He casts and delivers a trio of magic missiles at the less injured Jinsul in view.
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The jinsul's speed is surprisingly fast. They're on you before you can fire another volley. They rear up to strike with their leg-blades, but your armor just deflects their blows. Behind them the second pair raise their plasma cannons and fire, but both aim high. The plasma beams corruscate off the ceiling and bulkhead.
... S; critical bleed 1d8)
... S; critical bleed 1d8)
... E & F; critical burn
1d4)
...
Switching to heavy swings of his powered armor, Zephyr punches twice at blue (or if it is down, he switches to the yellow one in front of him).
Harlan sizes up the cluster of jinsuls and readies a more potent bit of magic. He sends a tiny battery flipping through the air and into their midst which then erupts into an explosive blast!
He draws a small vial of toxin from his jacket pocket while the flames are still clearing.
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Harlan's battery explodes in a flash of light and thunder-like crash. For an instant the yellow jinsul is a black shadow against the flare. In the next instant its thrown over the barricade to crumple against Zephyr's chest. It slides down leaving a green slime trail down the android's breastplate.
Red and green both take the full brunt of the blast. Their lower armor is in tatters and green goo oozes to the floor around their legs, but they continue to fight.
The one on your left raises it rifle and fires in rapid succession at Zephyr. The other cuts loose on Harlan, then closes to melee range with Zephyr. Zephyr takes a grazing shot.
Safe behind Never and Zephyr, Navasi coolly aims at red and fires. "Kill the close one."
... E & F; critical burn
1d4
... E & F; critical burn
1d4
... E & F; critical burn
1d4
... C; critical
staggered [DC 16]) or
”Understood,” replies Zephyr, standing firm against the onslaught. He pounds his powered armor fists into the red jinsul!
Seeing there's only one foe left, Harlan keeps the vial of toxin in reserve and instead sends a barrage of magic missiles at the jinsul.
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Harlan pelts the jinsul with another brace of magic missiles. Navasi waits for it.
The jinsul doesn't come forward to meekly accept its fate. Instead it fires a last shot at Zephyr from its plasma cannon and reverses direction. Plasma bursts against the doorframe beside the android.
The jinsuls claws click on the deck as it backs rapidly down the corridor and through the doors into engineering. The door translates shut behind it.
... E & F; critical burn 1d4
"How'd they like that?" Harlan guffaws. "You want to follow and finish them off, or let them come to us again?"
Zeohyr double moves quickly towards the engine room, going through the door into the room and looking for the foe.
"It sounded like there were two breeches. We need to stop them at the point of entry so they can't disable our ship," says Zephyr.
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Navasi looks at Harlan. "All the ship's systems run through engineering. We better get down there." Then she dashes after the others.
The jinsul was pointing its rifle at the bulkhead door controls, when the door opens to admit Never and Zephyr. Flash of super-heated gas, sparks fly, and ozone riffs into your nostrils.
The jinsul steps back carefully and unloads the cannon on the closest Starfinder. It must be quite unnerved because it misses at point blank range.
... E & F; critical burn 1d4
Harlan follows, swaggering without much urgency. He's not one to be on the front line, and he's confident the other two can deal with a single jinsul.
Zephyr replies to the Jinsul with two shots from his own laser!
And Harlan steps close enough to get a view of it before sending a pair of magic missiles its way.
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Never's whip finds a critical chink in the jinsul's armor. Spasming muscles reflexively trigger the plasma cannon, which blasts a section of control panel. Green goo spurts out in a stream reminiscent of an early Zo! comedy sketch show, and the jinsul collapses.
Navasi arrives just a second too late to help.
An alert goes off on the bridge.
Harlan heads for the damaged control panel. Navasi moves to help him. Zephyr and Never dash to the bridge.
Harlan's easily able to re-route power around the damage to redundant systems. Zephyr and Never discover the alert is nothing immediately threatening. Your mothership has been boarded by jinsuls. The alert is an emergency recall of all small ship crews to help defend the mothership.