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"Oh indeed, Obozaya." Keskodai replies as quietly as he can make his telepathy. "Raia, we should probably low-ball it first, we don't know just how many 'donations' we're going to have to end up making yet."
"Out of curiosity, Warden, how much do such work details normally run? You make it sound like it's a privilege to be incarcerated here, as opposed to a facility run by a world's government."
"Varos yields its treasures grudgingly. Some details find nothing. Others yield minerals worth three or four or even five figures."
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Raia slowly becomes serious. Either she does not understand baratu social negotiations culture, or this one wastes time.
Respectful Warden. We are Starfinders and most ground missions easily can be taken under control. We are able to find a path to our target whatever it cost, esprcially if we talk about gathering data or saving our guild members. Livewire in particular is our target. We are ready to donate a thousand credits and I ffel this is enought to cover some connected expanses.
The tip of one of Warden's tentacles taps on its desk during much of Thundergun's speech, but stops at the mention of a thousand credits. Several tentacles writhe over each other in a circular motion.
"That is a very generous figure that shows your dedication to the goals of this facility. For such substantial patrons as yourselves, I can certainly arrange a meeting with the prisoner Livewire."
You produce the credstick. Warden processes the transaction and hands the credstick reluctantly back.
"We've become such good friends. I think it would be useful for you to bring this with you when you see Livewire. That's a minor breach of protocol, but a harmless one in the hands of such devoted patrons. May I respectfully suggest that you not mention your connection to the Starfinders to the prisoner? After all she is liable to harbor some resentment for the organization's role in her stay here."
Warden summons the same four barathu guards to shepherd you through the complex. At least they look the same. It is hard to tell with barathu.
Outside a heavy bulkhead door, your barathu guards combine to form one larger, menacing amalgam creature. The door opens. Whereas the stench within the Warden’s office was bad, the stink in this common area is almost unbearable. Several half-naked, sweat-drenched workers of various species crowd around here.
After several minutes traversing through this sweat-slicked region, the barathu guard amalgam stops at a table where a ysoki sits. The ratfolk constantly licks her paws uncomfortably while grooming her drenched and matted pelt. With the guard’s arrival, she looks up and acknowledges an unspoken communication between herself and the barathu collective. In an instant, the barathu collective splits into its separate entities and floats off in independent paths throughout the complex, leaving the PCs alone with the sweat-soaked ysoki who looks up with cautious interest amid a timid introduction, “Hiya, the name’s Livewire. What can we do for each other?”
Obozaya says nothing. She turns around to watch the party's backs. Her size, teeth and claws serve to keep curious inmates away.
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Raia is recognizable so she hide out all the usual stuff she wears and hide her face partially to become more misterious.
Also I'd like to know if we can mention your name and if you want any titles to be mentioned. Did you have any technical devices before end up here?
Raia is straight, cold and polite. But still a bit curious.
"Salvation's End? Dat was a bad scene. Why'd I want to talk 'bout it wichyou?"
The ysoki's head pops up. Her eyes narrow. A narrow pink finger traces her jaw.
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Raia thinks for a several seconds before answer
I think you are looking for freedom or at least advocacy. You are not in a position to ask anything likely. Moreover we can pay. Maybe you feel it fair to recieve some credits for some several answers?
Raia make a pause to give some space to think before continue:
So. If you feel it is fine for you, why don't you tell us what happened on Salvations End?
"Yes, and we want to know just how bad a scene it was. And from what the Warden's implied to us, your time is quite valuable...so we'd naturally be happy to...compensate you for it," Keskodai replies.
Raia thinks for a several seconds before answer
I think you are looking for freedom or at least advocacy. You are not in a position to ask anything likely. Moreover we can pay. Maybe you feel it fair to recieve some credits for some several answers?
The ysoki smiles. "I likes youse guys. You're straight shooters. You know how to scratch backs. I'll tell you right off, we're not allowed credits in here. You want to do somet'ing for me? Personal. Grooming. Products. " She lifts an arm, and runs her fingers haltingly through the matted fur. "Look at this. It's just not healthy. And the smell. Load me up with a supply of shampoos, deordorants, and perfumes and I'll tell you everything. And a tooth file. They're getting a little long.
"Meanwhile, I'll give you a little taste to establish my -- bona fides.
"I didn't want the Salvation's End job to begin with. Borgor the captain was a real a$+*+&%. Never a kind word, never a word at all, if a heavy hand upside your head would work instead. Wouldn't have taken the job if I didn't like Bago, the second mate. If we scored big, I was gonna separate him from Borgor and we were gonna go straight. Find a little freighter a planet hop freelance cargo. Something. I don't know.
"The otha two crew were Snips and Xalak-don. Snips was a cutthroat human b$*!!. Xalak-don was a big vesk, all brawn, little
brains. "
She nods at Obo. "Sorry. He was just dumb as a post. Snips had him convinced to try a mutiny after the job was done. Anyway, I dropped all four a dem on Salvation's End and took the Archer, that was our ship, the Archer into orbit. Never saw dem again."
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I'll make sure you receive all the parfumes. So you've made a tactical retreat because you wouldn't like to be involved in mercenary's deals. - Raia made big eyes for a second.
But what was the job? And more important: where you you left crew and the cargo?
RAia tries to remind how much time left after accident.
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"Where would we secure such products efficiently?" Keskodai wonders aloud. "Unless the warden runs a commissary or something, which it doesn't sound like they do if you're not allowed credits to spend at it, the only place we'd be able to buy them is offworld...and in the event that we do that the warden may just decide your time is so valuable that he can't afford to take you off your shift so we can get them to you, assuming they don't just check them at the door first."
"There's a commissary. Warden's not going to let some rules against cred sticks in the cells get in the way of making some cred. There's also a black market. Some of the guards don't feel like Warden gives them a fair cut."
...
But what was the job? And more important: where you you left crew and the cargo?
...
"Dere weren't eckzactly a job. People call Salvation’s End a ‘false moon,’ but that can’t be true. We were pretty sure that floating metal hulk is actually some kind of really old starship caught in the planet’s orbit. We figured we could get in and score some salvage for some quick credits.
“There’s a spire rising from da moon’s surface. Hard to miss. Stuff going on all over it. Crude painted symbols are all over. Bad art, 'cause inside is a hive of space goblins. Da goblins sneak out to rummage for scrap metal and other junk. We spotted dem on our first recon pass just before we got jumped by a few goblin junkers.
"After we wiped up da junkers, scanners got a strong signal from underneath da spire. Da sensors could barely penetrate the tower, but dae source of dat signal was just under the surface of Salvation’s End. I swear dere’s somet'ing down there!
“You gonna need to be careful. Dey say lots of ships disappeared while flying too close to Salvation’s End, and dere's wrecks on da surface to prove it. Lots of speculation 'bout it in the pilot's bars on nearby worlds. It's all empty talk, but I know what it is! Dere’s some kind of beaucoup tractor beam on dat moon.
"After I dropped da crew on da moon and waited in orbit, dat t'ing snagged me. It was strong enough to reel in the Archer, and I only got my whiskers out of there by crashing Archer into the damn thing with a delayed burn while I ejected in an escape pod!
" Got picked up by locals. Then da Starfinders grabbed me and dumped me here. Pretty harsh for a little harmless traspass. And dat's my sad story. ”
"I think dey were still alive when Archer crashed. I haven't heard a thing since. They're a tough bunch but how could they survive this long on a small airless moon that's infested with goblins?"
"Well, how did the *goblins* breathe?" Keskodai asks.
"Da goblins gotta have life support in der Spire, and maybe in tunnels under da moon two. But how's my crew supposed to get in dere wit'out da whole goblin horde rainin' on dere heads? I'm 'fraid dey're gone.
The ysoki demanor softens. She continues meekly, [b]"Looky. You been square wit' me 'bout our deal, dem soaps and stuff gonna make life betta. But you seem nice. Can I get a couple favors?
"First, dere was no time to get my tool belt outta da Archer before I bailed out. IF you find it, can you send it to my famibly?
"Second, jus' let me know what happened to Bago. If the old lunk’s still
alive, tell him I miss my ‘Hairless Monkey.’
"Third, if you find anyt'ing good after exploring dat damnable false moon, please put in a good word for me with da 'thorities. I’m not sure I can last here for my whole term.”
At that, Livewire sniffs; crocodile tears well within the corners of
her soft eyes.
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"Well, how did the *goblins* breathe?" Keskodai asks."Da goblins gotta have life support in der Spire, and maybe in tunnels under da moon two. But how's my crew supposed to get in dere wit'out da whole goblin horde rainin' on dere heads? I'm 'fraid dey're gone."
The ysoki demanor softens. She continues meekly, "Looky. You been square wit' me 'bout our deal, dem soaps and stuff gonna make life betta. But you seem nice. Can I get a couple favors?
"First, dere was no time to get my tool belt outta da Archer before I bailed out. IF you find it, can you send it to my famibly?
"Second, jus' let me know what happened to Bago. If the old lunk’s still
alive, tell him I miss my ‘Hairless Monkey.’"Third, if you find anyt'ing good after exploring dat damnable false moon, please put in a good word for me with da 'thorities. I’m not sure I can last here for my whole term.”
At that, Livewire sniffs; crocodile tears well within the corners of
her soft eyes.
Keskodai raises an antenna much in the way a human would an eyebrow. It seemed that Livewire was one of those "six-of-one-half-dozen-of-the-other" types in terms of morality...It wasn't really his place to judge anyway. Only Pharasma could do that.
"Certainly. And if you're right and they didn't make it, I'll personally make sure your crewmates receive a proper service to send them to Pharasma. Do you have an address or contact information for your family so we can make sure they get the tool belt?"
Assuming Livewire provides such, he holds up Chk Chk's jar.
"Chk Chk says 'goodbye.'" he explains, before wrapping up any loose ends with the staff and returning to the Pegasus.
Livewire happily gives Keskodai her family's address.
The party returns to the airlock where you recover their gear. Warden even comes down to see you off. "Thank you for your contributions. If we can help you in the future, please do not hesitate to inform us so."
Back inside the deliciously cool Pegasus, Obo comments, "I like it hot, but that was too much."
You quickly get clearance for launch and are spaceborne once more. You're barely three planetary diameters from Bretheda when Luwazi Elsebo opens communications. After you brief her the First Seeker congratulates you on the intelligence you've gathered before transferring the Drift coordinates for Salvation's End and authorizing you to enter the Drift and travel there.
The Drift is the extraplanar void of shifting kaleidoscopic colors that allows for faster-than-light travel throughout the known galaxy. Your journey is an uneventful, twenty-three days of boredom that pass before you drop out of the Drift and back into real space. Such a long trip indicates that this solar system must lie in a region of the galaxy with very few Drift beacons.
Despite that you're very close to your destination. You have visual contact with Salvation's End. In the distance, a great metallic structure breaks the bleak monotony of space. Massive in size, the grandeur of this planetoid is hard to take in all at once. Before the scale of the moon sets in, a shrill song pierces through the ship’s communications system.
Jam your sensors, you be blind,
All our targets we will find.
Sitting duck depleted shield,
You go BOOM in our starfield!
As the first notes of the song shriek out, a duo of vessels blink on
the sensor screens, followed swiftly by a warning alarm klaxon.
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"On that, Obozaya, Chk Chk agrees with you," Keskodai replies. "At least Fullbright has a dry heat."
Once they exit the Drift and see Salvation's End for the first time, Keskodai gives an awed chirp before the clearly goblin-composed song blasts from the console he's seated at.
"Hold tight, Chk Chk...it's battle time!"
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Before depart, Raia is not talkative and careful with barathu. Anyway she gives them a list with Livewire needs and credits to cover parfume expanses.
--
As the Drake appears from drift, the technomancers joins Iseph in the pilot room to watch stars and the Salvation's end.
Impressive. And scary a bit. - Raia comments.
When danger appears, Raia rushes to ships power core, but also ready to fill up sciense officer position. After time in a drift she surely familiar with the starship systems and know how to work with it.
Raia moves her anteenas hearing goblin songs.
- Obozya, Iseph, use duonode computer to be sure your actions are efficient! I can scan one of the ships, if we get closer...
Hearing the command TK423 does a hard burn to get closer to the other ships.
The two goblins split, trying to force the Pegasus to fly between them.
Keskodai divines much about the cobbled together rat-traps that challenge you.
Iseph sideslips to the right isolate one of the goblin craft. Hoping to punch a hole through the goblin shields, Obo cuts loose with both the forward gun and the turret at short range, but she waits an instant too long and the forward laser hits only empty space.
Her target responds in kind with a snap shot of its shot-gun like flak thrower. It doesn't even ruffle your shields.
Far away, the other goblin doesn't even try a shot.
...
Status:
Yellow F 0, P 5 S 5 A 5 Damage 3 (forward shield is down)
Blue F 5, P 5 S 5 A 5 Damage 0
Pegasus Shields full Damage 0
The closer goblin begins a tight turn, seeking your aft arc. The other goblin is more leisurely.
Tk423 pushes on the stick, sliding and rocking the ship to avoid enemy fire. He plots a course to bring the bow around to face the yellow goblin ship.
Jinking madly, Iseph circles the Pegasus back toward the closer goblin.
The other goblin turns and speeds directly toward you, guns blazing. The nearer ship's turret pivots to face you and also opens up. A hail of small projectiles fills your forward screens.
And miraculously, they all miss.
... [/dice]
...
...
Obozaya's shots also all miss. The vesk curses in her own language.
To throw confusion to the goblins. TK423 spins the ship around to get behind the (blue) goblin.
The blue goblin proves to be more slippery then Iseph thought and it rolls into a tight turn that puts it on the Pegasus' port flank. The yellow zips ahead and also executes a tight turn that puts it just behind the blue. Through blind luck or good coordination the goblins have maneuvered into a excellent position to concentrate their fire.