"Well, we're looking for that EMP key. If it's anywhere, I'm guessing it's smack in the middle of the pile of junk."
Zetara leaves her rock and starts combing through junk looking for the EMP key, starting with what is left of the golem.
Gath says solemnly, "Not sure we won as much as it lost, Sen. I thought it was a big bad villian, but a just crumpled from a few hits and some magic. Maybe it was just always scared."
Gath begins somewhat cluelessly looking for the EMP.
The plasma charger circuit needed by Murkk is indeed found within the wreckage of the golem.
You now have all of the parts needed to create this EMP key--that is, IF Murkk's contraption will really work!
Janebok nods to Uchurtai when he finds the charger circuit. "Very good. Now I ssstill have my doubtsss about Murkk'sss idea.... Shall we return?"
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Gath says solemnly, "Not sure we won as much as it lost, Sen. I thought it was a big bad villian, but a just crumpled from a few hits and some magic. Maybe it was just always scared."
Gath begins somewhat cluelessly looking for the EMP.
[dice= Perception] 1d20+7
"I mean, it's not like it was a robot, Big Guy. It didn't have a brain or anything," Sen says with a shrug. "We should see if that vesk cove is nearby...maybe he got lucky and he's just been unconscious or playing dead this whole time..."
Her tone gets more serious as she concludes. It's very clear she doubts what she's suggesting will be the case.
Oh yeah, I wonder if that guy holed up in one of the wrecks. Shall we check around before we leave?
"I'll check over here," Locket calls, heading toward the central area.
Zetara starts poking around, looking to see if anyone is in the wrecks and anywhere else it looks like you could stash something valuable.
"Oh yeah! Zetherled. We were going to look for him."
Gath begins to actively move, push aside or look under any refuse big enough to hide a vesk.
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There is no sign of poor Zethelred. The vesk may be gone forever, having suffered any one of several possible accidents or otherwise violent deaths in this part of the desert.
You aren't totally empty-handed though. Zetara finds a hidden compartment among the crashed shuttle that holds five fragmentation grenades mk. 2.
"Don't be diappointed. Maybe we can use them in the next fight, Sen. I just wish we had found Zethelred. He sounded like a good vesk. Maybe we could have recruited him to join Murrk and Qesh's team."
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Janebok eyes Senkuviene for a long moment then nods slowly. "Yesss, many vesssk would consssider that warlike and worthy. But a few of usss realize that we would do bessst to cooperate with others."
Wonder what happened to him though. I mean, even if he wasn't a good person, he was a sentient entity, not of the swarm. Hope he's not trapped somewhere.
In any case, look, I found some frag grenades, but I don't really know grenades. Anyone else want them... someone who knows how to use them properly and won't get us all blown to bits?
"I've never used grenades but I don't think it's very hard. You throw them and they explode." Gath adds this very helpfully.
Zetara nods and smiles, and doesn't give the grenades to Gath.
Janebok completely misses why Zetara is being polite about Gath's insane understanding of grenades. She shakes her head and says "Extremely incorrect. You mussst activate the detonator, which usually is located near one end and has an appearanccce such as this." She points to the detonator on one of their grenades. "Once you have activated the detonator, it will wait to detect the accccceleration of throwing and impact then detonate. I recommend taking cover after throwing, whenever possssible."
”Grenades? I’ve used ‘em plenty. Great for taking down hovertrucks.”
Zetara gives the grenades to Janebok and Uchurtai.
"Never used 'em," Locket says, giving the grenades a cursory look.
"Seems weird, though," he murmurs. "Venturing out without his armour or weapons." The pahtra sniffs. "Doesn't sound like Zethelred expected trouble."
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Janebok nods to the Pahtra's observation. "Very peculiar... I would not mind taking more time to invessstigate onccce we have secured the primary objective."
Locket nods his agreement. "To walk, each step must come after the last," he says, as though reciting a quote.
UPON YOUR RETURN to Murrk and Qesch's camp, the two are happy to see you. Qesch appears to be downright surprised you are there. He turns to Murrk and says "looks like I owe you ten credits."
Murrk, for her part, leaps up and hugs Gath (she only reaches your knee). Looking up, she says "what you bring me?"
As you present the items to the space goblin and the ikeshti, Qesch grabs Murkk by the shoulders and says, “Do you know what this means? We might be able to finally bring peace to our people!” His excited shaking of
Murkk causes her large, bulbous head to waggle forward and
back. She responds with a high-pitched giggle, then breaks away to grab the components to integrate them into the device. Qesch tells the player
characters, “This might take some time,” and suggests you get some rest.
...
Murrk, for her part, leaps up and hugs Gath (she only reaches your knee). Looking up, she says "what you bring me?"
...
Gath laughs and lifts the goblin, handing her up from lower to upper arms so that their faces are level. She can see the strand of drool forced out of his mouth by the laugh. "My friends found that thing you wanted, but I brought nothing. We killed the golem."
Qesch and Murrk reply to Sen. Murrk says, "It done tomorrow. You rest now. I put this together." Qesch adds that "Murrk knows what she's doing. Once she gets going on something, it's as good as done."
Qesch makes a cauldron full of a spicy soup, and produces some packets of R2E shelf stable bread with packets of jelly, cheese sauce, or peanut butter. He also digs up a few bottles of decent Akitonian ale in self-cooling bottles. "Murrk and I will come with you all in the morning. Murrk will want to operate her EMP key to get into the wrecked ship we're looking for."
Peanut Butter and Cheese Sauce... YUM! says Zetara, and then looks around wondering why no one ever gets android jokes. She does eat some food to maintain her organic parts, but just drinks water.
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Sen joins in the meal and spends part of the evening trying to do tricks on her zoomboard after having one of the ales. This being her first alcoholic beverage ever, it doesn't take long before she's face-planting, getting back up, dusting herself off, hopping on her zoomboard, and face-planting again. She eventually gives up when she starts getting sleepy, and she's not hurt except for a bit of road-rash from Akiton's soil...
Feeling much better than after their previous encounter with the golem, Locket grabs a couple of servings of soup and bread.
"Best get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a big day," Locket agrees.
The next morning you awake to a cheerful Murrk. "I did it! The key is ready! Qesch is making coffee. He's got more R2E bread if you want some. As soon as you get yourselves together, we can leave."
Soon, you find yourselves setting off through the desert. Cresting a sand dune, this comes into view:
The wreckage of a massive starship looms beyond an empty battlefield. The ground, though dry, still sports blood stains, and the occasional bleached bone pokes from the silt. Small piles of useless machinery scraps dot the area. A low thrum emanates from the starship, and a spark of errant electricity occasionally flies from the hull. One of the vessel’s airlocks, still intact, lies nearly flush with the ground.
Murrk takes in a deep breath. "This...is the Midzone. And that is the ship we're looking for!"
Murkk rushes to the airlock entrance while bearing the EMP key aloft. Qesch tells you “She should have the key set up in no
time.” He invites you all to watch Murrk work.
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After nibbling on some breakfast, Sen hops on her zoomboard as the group gets moving. As the Midzone comes into view, she lets out a small, hissing whistle.
"What can I say but 'Yikes?' These all from the crash or have people been scrappin' here all this time? Y'know, in both senses of the word?"
Regardless of the answer, she watches Murkk work, sneaking a glance at Qesch occasionally.
Even someone like her, more in tune with machines than people, can see his nervousness.
"Either somethin' happened here that triple-digits spooked you or we should lock and load," she says.
Zetara doesn't notice anything untoward, but when Sen mentions that something is wrong, Zetara makes sure to have her gun out and ready.
Qesch says, “This place makes me nervous. Both our
peoples have bled for this stupid patch of ground, and I
keep expecting—oh!” He lets out an expletive and then gestures toward the eastern end of the Midzone. A large
group of ikeshtis clambers over piles of debris, led by a
single hulking female. A moment later, Qesch swivels his
head in the other direction before pointing to a small army
of space goblins, at its head a goblin clad in a cobbled together
suit of powered armor. “No, no, no! They’ll ruin
everything! You have to keep them occupied,” he pleads,
“maybe talk to Asashla and Bomguzzle—so Murkk can
finish setting up the device!”
Zetara wishes for a moment that she had the power of invisibility so that she could just run into the area of one of the groups and shoot at the other... keeping them busy with killing each other, so they wouldn't bother to harm them.
Unfortunately that didn't seem to be an option. ... And she supposed that she should work toward a peaceful outcome, if that was possible at this point.
Resigned to trying, she made sure her face was configured to smile, and then walked forward.
Welcome friends. What can I do for all of you? It's nice to see everyone in one place. I was thinking we should organize a feast... maybe for tonight? You all have been so helpful, it would be compliments of us, of course.
Turning to see what has drawn Qesch's attention, Locket grunts when he spies the two approaching groups.
Leaving the talking to the others, he calmly strides forward, to stand casually at Zetara's side.
"That's it, nice and easy," he murmurs in approval to the android, his bright eyes on their unexpected visitors. "Like we've done this a million times before."
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Janebok leans on her staff in the uncomfortable gravity, pondering what she knows about these two groups that might help forestall immediate and unproductive violence.
Asashla continues to approach as Zetara makes the friendly dinner invitation. "A feast? I'm not in much of a mood for feasting right now. What is it exactly that you are doing here?" Looking toward Bomgozzle, she adds "Don't let that smoke-belching, ugly little axe-face anywhere near here. In fact, if he comes any closer, there's going to be trouble for everyone!"
As this Asashla comes closer to you, you see that she is some TWELVE FEET TALL! She is imposing, to say the least.
higher faculties.
Turning to the south, Bomgozzle the space goblin marches forward in some sort of odd suit of armor. This is a clanking contraption of junk that looks like it might fall apart at any second. Valves on its back
randomly belch smoke and fire as a rattling motor moves pistons and servos. Bomguzzle has to occasionally shout over this din. "No feasting today. Today Bomgozzle gonna tear apart some Ikeshti, and maybe you'ze all too! You're in the way!"
Beyond Bomgozzle, attempting to stay out of the way, are three familiar space goblins. All of them appear to be freshly scrubbed. They cheer Bomgozzle as he approaches Asashla and all of you.
Locket watches closely as the two gang leaders approach, issuing their threats.
"They're both talking big, putting on a show for their lackeys," Locket murmurs over the comms. "To back down now will be admitting weakness. It could be hard to talk them down."
Gath looks at the two approaching leaders. "I'll talk to the big one. Sen, you and the goblins like gadgets. Try to talk to Bumguzzle."
The shobhad shuffles forward quickly to intercept the ikeshti. "Hi! I'm Gath. You must be Asashla. Can we talk? Why are you so determined to fight? Maybe we can work something out."
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Janebok whispers "Asssashla is developing into a bessstial stage that Ikeshti can reach. She ssstill retains sssome mental faculties. Unfortunately, both ssspecies are territorial over thisss area, as is their racial inclination."