"I'm Earl, he's Merl. We're supposed to help y'all get this cargo moving."
"Right thissa way."
Strek uncouples the hoverjack and gravnetting from their safety fasts and coordinates the loading (into one of the normal cargo holds, if possible, so as not to draw attention to their extra cargo holds).
"Say, what happens if some sorta Vesk customs ship wants to see what's inside? Are there any scanners that're safe to use?"
Akh side-eyes the crates then comes over and touches one with a claw lightly to 'hear' what might be inside. He circles around them and checks for any leaks, traps or undisclosed hazards.
He then heads over to the datapad and inspects what the group is signing exactly, to make sure everything is on the up and up.
Eventually he shrugs and circles round to float near his team. "Well, they're not full of cuddly sheep, but at least they haven't exploded yet."
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"Say, what happens if some sorta Vesk customs ship wants to see what's inside? Are there any scanners that're safe to use?"
We tell them we've been tasked with dumping a client's waste tanks and they reaaaally don't want to look inside after said client hosted a birthday party with gas station burritos. Besides, I'm betting we dump the boxes before any Vesk ships spot us.
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Kroyvutsa waves away the issue. "You've got all the paperwork you need right there. Enforcement won't tamper with the seals, to afraid to pay for the damages." From a cursory glance, the contract and packages look above board. Strek leads the loading of the crates into the conventional cargo hold. After an uneventful period, you say goodbye to the vesk captain and her three underlings.
A few days into the drift, the six of you sit in the galley once again. It's nice to not have a time crunch, a herd of roaming predators, or a gaggle of goblins messing with the auto-chef.
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Set a datapad with a chemanaylzer next to the crates with an extension cord to both. If the chemanalyzer detects something unknown or dangerous it beeps.
Try to tall person proof the ship, rubber flaps and nerf padding in the hallways.
de defrex the ship. Melissa has scent and rotting giant space honey badger guts in the air vents is just a oh hell no situation. *spritz spritz*
Akh makes sure the crates are well quarantined, just in case they erupt into a horde of vampiric space leeches or release a deadly neurotoxin that would negatively affect his more breathing-inclined allies. After he double checks that cargo bay is well closed, he returns back to stretch out in the common area.
"So, will it be the crates trying to kill us, the crate recipient trying to kill us, or the recipient using the crates to kill us?" He creaks and chews on a particularly waxy looking piece of giant gummy candy. "Either way, can't worry too much until it happens! Who wants to play a game of charades?"
Leave. The crates. Alone!
Jaraduk sniffs around in the air within the ship and snorts.
We smelled defrexen for so long that I can't tell if the ship smells less-enough like them or if I just can't tell the different anymore.
Hey, HEY! You know it's really hard to get defrex out of this hair. How about your fur?
He approaches Melissa to sniff.
Akh leans over "We DO have actual showers Melissa. I know the bucket is cozy, but a shower works quite well too."
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As you eat the mid-day meal, Melissa's chemanalyzer begins to beep. You head down into the hallways below, weapons at the ready. As you pile out of the cramped hoverlift you see a creature bouncing erratically off the ship walls! The red skinned reptile is about three feet long, including it's tail, with wings of a similar length. Thankfully, you were ready for it and weren't surprised!
Wait... didn't Akh lock the cargo hold doors?
This creature looks small and nimble enough, it may have fit through the vents!
You recognize this creature from your readings on asteroid life forms. Brutal and shrewd, Skreeling siblings hunt in packs, pooling their nascent fighting abilities, and they are much stronger when they work together.Although they lack telepathy and the physical characteristics that would allow them to speak, skreelings can emit shrill, distinctive battle cries, often to distract prey or frighten predators away from their lairs. Skreelings are typically found on rocky planetoids with thin atmospheres, and they almost always lair within 100 yards or so of a parent skreesire’s territory. Skreelings hatch from eggs their parent has laid in corpses, gathered brush, or nests of sand; they then work together to survive until they reach adulthood. Skreelings are omnivorous and even ingest ash, metal shavings, or wood when regular food is scarce.
Akh SP 27/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 0 Damage
Say hello to my little friends!
The nuar's outstretched arms now hold two of his debilitating grenades. He hopes to make the creature less mobile, rather than kill it.
Hey, we still have to deliver this thing once we get it back in the crate...
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Melissa looks at the message from the chem analyzer "CH₄N₂O.... DAMMIT GUESS that is NOT funny..."
She winces. "That is NOT what we were told we were carrying.
She ahehehems and tries to get its attention "HELLO! Sorry about the cage we uhm.. didn't know you were in there. You want to stop bouncing off the walls and have some glop? OR mac and cheese? "
Slide doughnut or whatever she hormphed into her cheekpouch on the way out over to it.
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Okay, talk to her first, and then we'll see what my little friends have to say... if anything...
He gestures vaguely at Melissa.
Guess? moves for a clear shot, drawing his weapon and fires at the creature!
Guess?, who has been uncharacteristically quiet for the past week, then picks this moment to pipe up, "Let's smack that thing like a bat outta hell! But not too hard... it's still our payday! I'm also kinda worried there might be more than one of those..."
"Oh dear. Well, knocking out is something we've done before. At least it's not an exploding lizard." Akh floats in while pulling out his trusty taclash.
He lands behind the lizard and attempts to incapacitate it.
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The group fires on the aberration, who trembles in place before recovering. It turns in place, going to bite Akh's ankle!
Akh SP 18/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 23 Damage
Jaraduk throws the web grenade just to the point that the 10' radius mires the creature and not Akh himself.
Seeing the bat-like animal bite at Akh, Guess? yells, "Hey! That's assault and BAT-tery!!" then fires nonlethally!!
or below is flat-footed
flat-footed to all and -2 to saves if Stunt and Strike succeeded
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Jaraduk's grenade bogs the animal down so that Melissa and Guess? can knock it unconscious!
Akh SP 27/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 36 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS
26 damage
You stand next to the unconscious reptile, unsure of where it came from or what it was.
"I suggest one of us heads up to the bridge and check the cargo bay camera feeds to see if there's anything fishy..." Guess? glances at Melissa, "...to see if there is anything ysoki-y going on in there.
"The rest of us grab this bat-thing and wait outside the cargo bay doors to hear if it is clear in there or not before we head in. Whaddaya think?
"I don't mind going up to the bridge unless someone else wants to."
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Akh picks up the unconscious red reptile and places it in his maw for storage. He tries to do so very gingerly to avoid hurting it further. He nods to Guess?'s plan "Yesh. Maybe it wash the only one that eshcaped? Too much to ask for? We should prepare ourshelves for all the boxshesh being open and a whole flood of theeshe things coming out."
"Just like that time with the hyper intelligent plumns!"
Jaraduk grimaces as the body goes into Akh's mouth.
Eww... Anyway, we uh, need to get that body back into the crate and make it look like it was never opened. Do we have one of those shrink-wrap machines that makes products look unopened? Yeah, I guess we'd better check the rest of the crates...
Jaraduk, still holding one of his sticky bomb grenades, draws another web grenade.
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"What it's comfy in there. Either that or you can't feel it once you go into shock. Akh you practicing to be a ysoki?"
To guesse's suggestion
"Oh HEEEEL no. That thing didn't open the door it climbed through the vent. We have monsters crawling through the air vents and you want the pretty, bubbly heroine to go off ALONE? Haven't you seen ANY horror vids.. EVER? "
"I have.. or well. had.. a datapad pointed at the crates. If i can't pull up an image pop the doors. and take a look, TOGETHER. "
Skyping datapad one to datapad two? Is possible
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As Guess? is about to head to the bridge to look at the cams, when Melissa's datapad begins emitting a very specific sound. She connects the two pads together, pulling up the second datapad's video feed. The picture shows the large crate and six smaller crates where you piled them together early. Unfortunately, three of the smaller crates have been ripped apart from the inside - the lead lined wood spread across the floor. Two more of the reptiles are crawling over the crates, biting and clawing in an attempt to get the remainder open. The microphone picks up a sharp screeching call from the pair as they work.
As you watch, the pair rip open one of the other small boxes and a third reptile flies out! The trio turns their attention to the two remaining small boxes and the large box. Del looks around in concern. "We need to do something quickly!" The sarcesian squeezes past you down the hallway. Looking for everyone's nod of readiness, she opens the door to the cargo hold before diving out of the way!
Akh x2 SP 27/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek x2 SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk x2 SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? x2 SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 36 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS, EATEN BY A DRAGON
Purple Animal 0 Damage
Green Animal 0 Damage
Yellow Animal 0 Damage
Guess? moves in and says, "Heya, get bat-k into those boxes!" then fires on purple!
or below is flat-footed
flat-footed to all and -2 to saves if Stunt and Strike succeeded
or below is flat-footed
flat-footed to all and -2 to saves if Stunt and Strike succeeded
"...at least the plums were delicious after we dealt with them."
From behind the cover of some crates, Strek directs GUMBI to track the one Melissa is pointing out, then overcharges a shot at it!
Set lasers to stun... and webs to sticky!
Jarduk rushes into the room, attempting to politely push past Del's large frame. He arrives in the middle of the room, plants his feet, and throws the next web grenade in between the creatures.
While they are dealing with that he plays the dangerous waiting game with his stickybomb grenade and holds it to the last moment...
also lobbing it to the middle creature.
"Are we sure we should be fighting them? Maybe their mother is in the last crate and they'll calm down if they reunite? Either that or they'll fuse together into a nightmarish amalgam taken straight out of some lizard-ish hellscape."
But when the rest of the team sets upon the lizards, Akh follows right in to help. He strikes out with his taclash, delivering incapacitating blows to the nearest of the lizards.
With the creatures hopefully somewhat subdued, Jaraduk tries to focus on their behavior and see what might have them upset.
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Maybe their mother is in the last crate and they'll calm down if they reunite? Either that or they'll fuse together into a nightmarish amalgam taken straight out of some lizard-ish hellscape."
"You guys had PLUMS attack you, so which way do you think that's going to go? We'll make em a bigger cage or cover the vents and make em free range after we knock em out. And stop the amalgam "
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Melissa and Guess? lay into the first creature, their energy blasts knocking it off balance.
Jaraduk's twin grenade volleys nearly immobilize the three lizards, trapping them in the gunk. Thanks to the help from his friends, Strek's wild shot clips the weakened creature. Akh jumps in afterwards, knocking it unconscious with two lashes to the head. While Jaraduk doesn't recognize the creatures, he can tell from their behaviors that they are frightened and threatened. In an unfamiliar setting and with nowhere to go, they are intent on fighting everything they find.
One of the creatures struggles on foot towards Akh. It uses it's wings to crawl through the webbing to bite Akh's ankles. Though it does manage to dent his armor, the creature earns a slap of the android's lash for his efforts. The second creature jumps into the air towards Jaraduk, flying over the rough ground with sticky wings and screeching as it goes. Unable to fly well, it crashes into the nuar without harming him. Melissa's wild moss roughly translates the screech as "MOTHER" and "KILL".
You recognize this creature from your readings on asteroid life forms. Brutal and shrewd, Skreeling siblings hunt in packs, pooling their nascent fighting abilities, and they are much stronger when they work together. Although they lack telepathy and the physical characteristics that would allow them to speak, skreelings can emit shrill, distinctive battle cries, often to distract prey or frighten predators away from their lairs. Skreelings are typically found on rocky planetoids with thin atmospheres, and they almost always lair within 100 yards or so of a parent skreesire’s territory. Skreelings hatch from eggs their parent has laid in corpses, gathered brush, or nests of sand; they then work together to survive until they reach adulthood. Skreelings are omnivorous and even ingest ash, metal shavings, or wood when regular food is scarce. They are usually found close to their nests, where their far more dangerous mother awaits.
Akh SP 16/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del x2 SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 36 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS, EATEN BY A DRAGON
Purple Animal 37 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS
Green Animal 0 Damage, ENTANGLED (3 more rounds)
Yellow Animal 0 Damage, ENTANGLED (3 more rounds)
Guess? repositions to get a clear, unobstructed shot on yellow, yells, "You bats accusing Akh of an impossible act? Whatever it is, I'm sure he can wing it!!" then fires at yellow!
or below is flat-footed
flat-footed to all and -2 to saves if Stunt and Strike succeeded
*grumbles* "There might be more hiding in our vents. They probly think Melissa's nest is comfy."
Strek repositions around the cargo hold, dials down his weapon to "Reheat", and tries to subdue the green-scaled one...
They don't know where they are. They will simply fight anything. We must render them incapacitated for their own safety.
With one of them in front of him he draws his doshko.
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Akh takes a quick swing as the lizard rushes him, letting the taclash work its "magic" on the lizards. "I don't think I killed their mother, but you never know." He delivers two more follow-up swings at the same lizard.
Del hurries into the room and fires her pulse caster pistol at the yellow little bat thing
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Melissa's shot goes wild as her thoughts go toward what Akh did to the creatures' mother. Strek and Jaraduk follow suit, their fearsome blows missing by a hair. Guess? is used to such thoughts, and his shot finds the chest of a rampaging lizard. Del follows up with her shocking attacks, both energy cells popping over the mini-dragon's scales. Akh solos the other creature, his whip wrapping around it in a flashing sphere. The beast runs away from the silver dragon, instead choosing to gang up on Jaraduk. Though both lizards throw themselves at the nuar, their fearsome attacks just bounce off his thick armor.
Akh SP 19/27 HP 25/25 RP 3/3
Strek SP 20/20 HP 24/24 RP 3/3
Jaraduk SP 21/21, HP 27/27, RP 4/4
Melissa SP 19/19 HP 21/21 | RP 4/4
Del x2 SP: 15/15, HP: 19/19, RP: 5/5
Guess? SP 18/18 HP 17/17 | RP 5/5
Red Animal 36 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS, EATEN BY A DRAGON
Purple Animal 37 Damage, UNCONSCIOUS
Green Animal 14 Damage, ENTANGLED (2 more rounds)
Yellow Animal 13 Damage, ENTANGLED (2 more rounds)
Akh whips his taclash this way and that, trying to keep the lizardy things from reaching Jaraduk. The weapon's whip-length whirs through the air with a rather alarming lack of control before Akh manages a single accurate swing. "Jaraduk, duck!"