Starfinder Cadets -- The Fourth Chapter (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

Coming soon to a galaxy near you: A First Level Starfinder Society Adventure!

To add this game to your Starfinder Campaigns, please post in this gameplay thread and then delete your post. This process is known as 'Dot and Delete' in the Play-By-Post community.

SFS Intro #2: For the Factions

You all have been traveling back and forth from the Lorespire Complex for several weeks of rigorous new agent training, but recently you got a *ping* on your comm units from Guidance.

Guidance is a networked entity comprised of the personalities of prominent former Starfinder Society members, including the majority of First Seekers. Besides the First Seeker and the Forum, Guidance is the third pillar of Starfinder Society leadership. Most relevant to you, you know that Guidance inducts all new Starfinders into the organization and gives them their commencement address.

Congratulations, new Starfinders. It's time we launch you into your first official training missions! Meet me at 0900 sharp. -- Guidance

Not wishing to be late, you've all arrived a bit early to your appointment, and see a pink-haired gnome setting up a tea stand across the hallway from the Lorespire Complex.

The pink-haired gnome waves. "Oh, hey! I don't recognize you. Are you the new graduates that Guidance has been expecting? My name's Charli, by the way. I'm a Starfinder myself. Welcome to Poshkettle Tea! May I offer you a free tea in celebration of your first missions today? I have a wide variety of flavors available."

Charli begins pouring tea into glasses. "All I ask is that you tell me a bit about yourselves, and where you are from. I'm originally from Castrovel, but have traveled all over with the society. I love meeting the new recruits!"

A lanky elf looks around, positive the gnome is talking to anyone but him. Upon realizing he is the intended target, Triage reluctantly takes a seat, but does nod respectively in thanks for the tea. He seems to be not quite an adult in terms of elf years, but he is getting close. "Yes, I do believe I am one of the new Graduates. Anxious to see what all this is about now that the hard part is done."

He sips the tea. "But excited. That's a certainty. I am actually from Castrovel too, born and raised in El, but I have spent the past dozen years or so on starships everywhere between here and the Veskarium."

"El? I still have an aunt there! I grew up in Nerundel, so we're practically neighbors!" Charli waves aside the distance of half a continent as if it were nothing. "I have several dozen Castrovellian teas, if you are feeling homesick. Would you be interested in 'Contemplation', 'Qabarat Cabaret' or 'Nerundel Nocturne?' I also have some more adventurous teas, too. Akiton Red - it's sort of warm and cinnamony, Bretheda Bubble and some truly excellent oolong I get in trade from one of the Triaxian dragoncorps... As well as a few blends that I am trying out to suit the culinary tastes of other species. Oh, and a chai-type brew made with nutmilk that hails from Vesk-3. Quite good, actually. They call it 'All Six' blend." She smiles at the elf, and says, "What should I call you?"

You didn't say, but do you go masked or maskless, Triage-347?

A dwarf pulls up to the designated meeting place atop a furred quadrupeds with four eyes, a fox-like tail, and enormous, insectile mandibles. He dismounts roughly and straightens out his rather retro-style clothing.

"Weel Ms. Poshkettle, aam Grognard Erraticus. Ah hail frae yesterday. err... bide. Which 'where' dae ye pure techt? Th' 'when' whaur ur th' 'where' when? Ah come frae th' Bandu Hills oan Golarian. Althoogh someain tauld me 'at aam frae Survivor's Salvation."

Wherever he comes from, it appears as though common is not the language of choice. His eyes go wide at the pouring of tea. "Ooh tea? Donkey an' ah will hae whatever Harsk usually drinks."

Triage-347 likely recognizes the creature as a Yasakaja, native to Castrovel.

The GM loves the dialect, but requests that you provide a plain speech translation spoiler so that the players can understand what you are trying to say.

Charli's eyes light up at the mention of Salvation's End. "I was one of the people on that mission who made first contact with your people!" She blinks at the mention of Harsk. "I'm sorry I don't know who 'Harsk' is," she shrugs apologetically. "Ever since we franchised Poshkettle Tea, it's become impossible for me to track all of our customers. How about a good sensible Bergamot blend? It was one that your Chieftain enjoyed, as I recall."

She bends over and offers her hand to the Yasakaja to sniff.

Then she glances out at the other dwarf, Gold Gus, standing in line. "Were you also from Salvation's End, or do you hail from elsewhere in the Pact Worlds?"

Triage is currently donning their mask. The bottom is shifted up ever slightly as he brings the mug to his lips. The mask itself resembles that of a Plague Doctor from a bygone era. However, instead of the classic beak of a raven, the face is based on an Emperor Bird and has a white, stone-like sheen.

"Hmm?" The dwarf perked up, having waited patiently in line observing his reflection in a coin, using it to tidy up his brown beard a bit. "Oh, I'm definitely not a native from Golarion if that's what you're asking." Gus responded, standing more upright to try for a good impression. Readying the coin, he flipped it into the air. "Naw, I'm a scrapper from Akiton. Born & raised in Khefak Depot." His form of common was a more modern rural accent, something you might hear around the mining & salvage communities. As he explained his history, the coin dissolves into a...sentient gold smoke?...that rushes to his dispenser belt as it falls, before taking the shape of the coin again. "Yeah~...scrapping was easier about 30 years ago, but nothing lasts forever. And now a days, a patrol shift just doesn't pay enough. So I hit up some old Abadar connections and they said the Starfinders do good work. So here I am~!" he waved nonchalantly. Nodding to the other newbies, he greets them with a brief "Mornin', gents." as he turns to scan the gnomes tea selection.

Taking a glass that now looks almost childlike in his Veskian hands he says "Thank you Charli. It is unusual for me to receive a warm welcome, so I am grateful." he takes a sip.

"Name's Nuva'gek, but can call me Gek." You can tell from the way he speaks to Charli that there is an immediate sense of respect given to the gnome after mentioning that she is also a Starfinder.

"I am obviously of the Vesk, but was abandoned on Vesk-7 as a youngling because of my colour. I took to the stars to find a new life when I was able to and spent some time with some merc' crews before looking to become a Starfinder. And here I am." He finishes the rest of the tea in 1 swift motion and returns the glass to Charli.

Nuva'gek looks around the room at the others and nods acknowledgement to them all. "Is this the lot of us?" he says to noone in particular.

“I do believe it is.” Says the elf. He looks up towards the towering Vesk. “Triage. I actually served on the Merciless Blade during the Swarm Campaign. It was an honor to fight alongside such powerful warriors, and I look foreword to doing so again.” He too finishes his cup and carefully places it back down.

"I suspect there will be a couple more cadets arriving here. Guidance likes to send out full crews for the training missions," Charli says.

"It is nice to meet you, Gek. As for your color, I advise that you own it. Wear blue accents on your armor. Dress to show it off. Make your calling card, and show pride in it. There are some great mod shops in the Freemarkets or option bars in the Spike where you could pick up scale polish and make them really shine."

Gus turns to inspect the vesk, eyes panning up & down as he sizes him up. "Honestly, I like the color. Think I read in some brainy psych article somewhere that blue tends to make folks feel calm. So you're like a big beacon of chill energy!" he muses. "Charli's right, no reason not to strut your scales~"

He then looks to the elf, finding himself puzzled by the mask. "Pardon if this sounds rude, but what's with the mask?"

Triage takes a moment to truly take in the dwarf in front of him as a single aeon stone lazily encircles his head. "You must not have met many elves then. It is a... cultural thing. When in the presence of others, we tend to cover our faces. Keep our true selves hidden to all but those we trust."

He looks over his armour "I suppose you are right, I have always tried to hide my colour, but now that I am here I may as well own it. Plus this armour is looking a little rough, I will check out those recommendations when I can."

He looks up at Charli and Gus "Thanks Charli and you too dwarf, I didn't catch your name though."

"Right, call me Gus. Or Gold Gus." He clarifies, offering his hand for a handshake. "Whichever really."

"Ach! if 'at waur th' case ye coods glue a mask tae mah coopon. in fact... wa e'en bortha havin' a coopon 'en?"

He waits a moment and notes the blank stare on his compatriot's face, along with the trademark look of someone trying to translate in real-time. Finally he looks over at Gold and repeats himself in Dwarven.

(From Dwarvish) "You ken the old tongue Gus? Tell 'er I said If that were the case you could glue a mask to my face."

He fishes around in his pack for a pouch full of what looks like oatmeal and feeds a pinch to his pet. "Hungry lassie? Hae a snack."

Gus snickers, shaking his head ashamed he laughed at all, yet unable to deny his grin. He translates, "He said under those rules, you might as well glue the mask to his face." Wiping his hand across his face, he centers himself again. "Is that why you're speaking Dwarvish to the not-dwarves? Cause I'm nowhere near as old school."

Grognard looks incredulously at Gus. "Aam 'spikin bludy common! ah dunnae kinn whit yoo're problem understandin' me is!"

He pauses and repeats himself in dwarvish this time. (Translated from dwarvish) "I said I'm speaking the queen's common! I don't know what everyone's problem understanding me is. Are you the only sane one here Gus? Well, you me and Donkey."

"I understand you too," Charli says in Dwarvish, "but you have a bit of a thick accent when you speak common, Grognard." Turning back to the two dwarves, Charli notes in dwarvish again, "By the way, respect for diverse customs is part of being a Starfinder. Let the young elf be."

Charli smiles encouragingly up at Triage, speaking common once more. "Why did you choose that bird to be the face you show the world? What about the mask speaks to you?"

The dwarf cocks his head at his other kinsman, taken aback by the difference in speaking patterns and their intelligibility. With a shrug, he responds in dwarvish, "I guess I am, whatever that says about me."

Taking a more casual stance with hands behind his head, Gus inquires to the gnome, "So, Charli, I'm guessing you'll be showing us the ropes on our first mission?"

"Alas, no." Charli sighs. "I came out this morning to meet some of the new recruits. I love getting the opportunity to do that when my schedule permits, but Guidance and the Faction Leaders are going to be giving you the opportunity to show what you can do on your own. All I can do is offer you advice. The old Pathfinder Society had a saying, 'Explore, Cooperate, Report!'"

Charli grins and she goes into each concept in more detail. "Explore. Go off and see new places, meet new people, and be daring. Cooperate. Have each other's backs. We're not solo explorers like Rasheen the treasure hunter, we're teams. Report. Come back with the data you've found. Survive, and expand the Society's knowledge."

She begins packing up her tea stand, but first pours a couple Bretheda Bubble teas into two travel cups. She hands them to the strong looking vesk. "These are for any teammates who might arrive at the last possible minute. Good luck on your missions! You'll do great!"

He takes the tea from Charli and bows his head slightly "Thank you, I will pass them on when and if they arrive."

Looking cautiously at the creature with Grognard "What is that you have with you?"

"Old sayin'? yoo're sayin' they dornt use that sayin' anymair? Whit kinda ramshackle operation has thes turned intae?!"

He shakes his head and pats Donkey's head and gives her a scratch behind the ear.

"Back in th' auld day we used tae gie aw elves a guid natured ribbin' ye ken? An' we expected it in return! Ah hink th' new term is 'best frenemies' reit?"

He sighs then rolls his eyes back into his head. Telepathically he projects his message, hoping magic removes an accent.

"Back in the old day we used to give elves a good nature's ribbing you ken? And we expected it in return! I think the new term is 'best frenemies' right?"

Somehow with telepathy the accent is removed... but the grumpiness is not.

"This lassie's a Yasakaja. A beaut from Castrovel." He seems to think that should perfectly explain why the beast is with the party, then fishes in his pack for some equipment. He pulls out a riding harness and fits it back over her back. He hangs a pair of large lights from her back, then clicks a button to test them. He tugs the left rein and the left light begins to blink... then the right rein and the right begins to blink. He pulls both reins and both lights turn solid red. "Perfect!"

"My apologies for languishing about and ignoring my call to get here at a prompt time to make certain to give a proper greeting." Speaking is a copaxi, an humanoid alien composed of several coral-like polyps that have joined together. Despite the appearance they are able to vocalize themselves clearly.

"I'm Naitier and come from the planet a fair distance away within the vast named Tabrid Minor. I don't believe I can give any concise summary of the world, however my own living situation there was poor, both in my standard of living and the chances for my personal growth. I consider myself very lucky to find myself passage here." Natier's coloration across their hands and head varies between a dark blue and a violet. The polyps composing their body form a pair of long branching horns that start to curve backward at their tips.

His eyes scan over the two dwarves and he shakes his head ever slightly. A soft, lighthearted chuckle can be heard. “I guess dwarves never truly do change. And welcome to the team Naitier, it is a pleasure.

He then turns his attention to Charli. “It’s quite the story. Perhaps I can visit your shop when next I am able, and I promise you the tale of a lifetime.

"I look forward to hearing all your stories!" Charli says. She blips to Triage a piece of data. "This is a holographic business card that my marketing department came up with for Poshkettle Tea. You can use it to contact me later, though it might send you the occasional Poshkettle Tea advertisement.* Sorry about that!"

Then she turns to Naitier. "So nice to meet a recruit from your world! I wasn't on the mission to Tabrid Minor, but my protege, Trusty was. He found it a fascinating place."

_____
* Dun dun dun!

Striding into the room at precisely the time indicated they should arrive is a well-dressed Ikeshti man. He is wearing a nicely tailored suit, a pistol in a holster, and has a small rucksack which seems to be filled with tools. Only the slight shimmer on his skin and clothing reveals that he is wearing armour - a Second Skin.

"Ah, you must be Charli Poshkettle, of Poshkettle Tea. Pleasure to meet you. You're a bit of a star around the Lorespire Complex, so I'm glad to put a face to the name." Yarsox bows graciously to Charli. "I am Yarsox. Greetings, fellow Starfinders." Yarsox then proceeds to bow to each of the other Starfinders present.

Charli bows back, unsurprised to be recognized*. "You're welcome, Yarsox! It is an honor to meet you as well. I brought teas for everyone -- my treat -- and Nuva'gek is holding the teas for you and Naitier!"

Tea stand packed, Charli says her goodbyes to everyone. "You must tell me how your first missions went!"

___
* Thanks to an appearance on one of Zo!'s shows several years back, she actually is a Pact Worlds Celebrity, recognizable with a DC 10 Culture Check.

It's nearly 0900, and your appointment with Guidance awaits!

As the small group of Starfinders find seats in the meeting room of the Lorespire Complex, a projection of a lashunta woman appears.

There are pictures of Guidance on Slides 5 & 6

“Welcome, Starfinders, and congratulations on your recent graduation. I am Guidance, and I work in an advisory role to the Society. We have onboarded many new members recently, and I am aware that this accelerated agent training program was no easy feat, but you have all succeeded with aplomb. The First Seeker is currently off station on an important mission but congratulates you on a job well done.

“We have a small tradition for new agents as you decide which of the Society's factions to join. I know some of you may have been on a few missions already, but I would ask your indulgence anyway. Each faction has their own specific goals, all of which further the aims of the Starfinder Society as a whole. Please visit each of the four major faction leaders and ask them for an assignment. This should give you a feel for how each faction operates as well as provide some real mission experience. Each mission might take only a few hours or up to several weeks, so you have plenty of time to complete these.”

Guidance pauses, as if realizing that you might need more information on the major factions.

"The major factions are the Acquisitives, Dataphiles, Exo-Guardians and the Wayfinders. You will find a brief summary of each has been beamed to your comm units." Guidance waits until each of your units ping. "I am planning on sending you on what may be the longest mission first. I've heard that Fitch of the Wayfinders is looking for a group to do a survey mission."

There are summaries of the four biggest factions on Slides 7 & 8, and pictures of all four faction leaders on Slide 9.

Guidance pauses. "Do you have any questions you wish to ask me first?"

Looking around to his party, Gus figures he might as well go first. He raises his hand and snaps his fingers before the words come to him. "Yeah, are the faction leaders just around the building and we just go to them?"

Guidance looks amused. "Fitch technically has an office in the Lorespire Complex, but she can usually be found in Wayfinder Headquarters aboard the Master of Stars, the Society's finest starship, which orbits Absalom Station in the Armada when not on missions. You can take a Starfinder Society shuttle out to the Master of Stars to meet with Fitch. One leaves in less than 2 hours." Guidance puts up a holographic schedule on the wall. "Before you go, I suggest that you pack for several weeks travel out in the Vast."

Then Guidance points to Gus's comm unit. "You will find a listing of the other offices in the data I sent you."

Slides 7 & 8

Clasping hands together in contemplation Naitier eventually nods with understanding after Gus asked a similar thought that was passing through their mind.

They consider the subject rocking their head back and forth before they ask Guidance, "will all of our missions to be different locations within the vast, or does that depend on the needs of the varying faction leaders?"

Grognard grumbles as he looks at the summaries. "Only one has got th' reit insignia..."

He gives a quick read up on her public dossier and nods.

"Sae... Fitch ye say? A granny nae less? Soonds loch someain wi' their feet firmly planted."

He pauses and groans as he realizes that translation services are active.

"Fer Torag's sake I ain't speakin' bloody Aklo! Ah said she's th' only one wi' the right insignia. And she's a granny... so someone wi' their feet firmly planted! Loookin' forward ta meetin 'er."

"Excellent question, Naitier!" Guidance answers. "All of your missions should be a little different, depending on the specific needs of various faction leaders."

"One minute. Accessing translation protocols." Guidance turns to Grognard, and says in a thick dwarven accent, "Fitch isnae a lalatinkiepie yit, but she be quite th' mammy. Ah hink ye will enjoy workin' wi' 'er. Ah'm glad ye loch 'er iconography."

Translation: "Fitch is not a grandmother yet, but she is quite the mother. I think you will enjoy working with her. I'm glad you appreciate her iconography."

Guidance blinks and asks Gus, "Did I do that correctly?"

Distracted from looking at his datapad correspondence, the dwarf's eyes dart between the holographic lashunta and the other dwarf, feeling put on the spot. "Um, I guess? I-I'll be honest, I have a hard time understanding his common too. His dwarvish is easier to get though, which is weird. Maybe some of them word crunchers could get an idea of where that dialect comes from, but I'm just a child of Angradd & Akiton." he admitted. He swivels to Grognard and muttered in dwarvish, "No offense or nothin'."

Guidance dismisses you and sends you all back to your quarters to pack.

For fun, please tell me three random things that your character packs for the trip.

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

The shuttle ride is lovely, with a fabulous view of the outside of Absalom Station. Ships from dozens of different systems and all over the Pact Worlds float here. Approaching the Master of Stars, the huge vessel dwarfs practically everything else in the Armada.

When the shuttle docks on the Master of Stars, staff stationed to the ship quickly crowd around to receive their packages and other mail from home. Meanwhile, a trio of tiny ysoki run up to Donkey, surround the creature and start asking questions.

"Oh what kind of animal is she?"
"Can we pet her?"
"Does she eat broccoli?" The tiny ysoki who asks this pulls a limp and mushy vegetable out of his pocket that has clearly been there for a while.

"There you are!" An exasperated looking female kasatha in a crop top scoops up the trio. "I'm sorry, they keep getting away!" The three ysokis kick and struggle a bit, but allow the kasatha to take them away.

As the kasatha walks away, you can hear her grumble, "When I said I wanted my teaching credential, this is not what I had in mind..."

Once she's out of sight, a slightly older ysoki child pops his head out from behind a pillar. "Infants," he shakes his head, at their sad incompetence. "No concept of how to hide. Are you the new Starfinders who are supposed to see Mom?"

Gek looks down at the ysoki and taking in the creatures small stature, a slight smile creases the corner of his mouth. "If by Mom you mean Fitch, then yes. I believe we are those you mentioned. Are you here to take us to her?"

He scans the crowds and the hustle and bustle of the dock and feeling a little overwhelmed by all the people in the vicinity.

Aside from his usual combat belongings Gek has also bought along the following as he is quite superstitious:
- a small star carved from the wood of a tree on Vesk-7
- his Starstone Compass that has V7 etched on the back that he never flys without
- a small round coin like object kept in the breast pocket of his clothes under his armour

"My name's Kirkath," the ysoki boy says. "Yep, my mom's Fitch, and I'm here to take you to her."

Kirkath looks up at Nuva'gek. "I love vesk. They're so cool. If you see someone annoying, you can think, 'I can totally claw his face tomorrow' and that lets you remain calm. But when an ysoki gets mad, sometimes they have just sit there and simmer, and you know they're planning revenge. I think that's why we're the scariest Pact World race. Don't you agree?"

Kirkath tours you around the docks, the commissary, the work shops and the gunnery decks en route to Fitch's office, always asking lots of questions.

"How did you wind up with a yasakaja? I didn't think many dwarves made it to Castrovel."

"So... is it true that ikeshti squirt blood out of their eyes? That's AWESOME!" Then he asks, "Can you show me? I know where the target range is! We can measure how far it squirts!"

"If you're a colony creature, do you have a lot of voices in your head?"

"Why do they call you Gold Gus? Did you ever find any gold?"

"Triage-347? That sounds like the name of an android doctor. Were you raised by androids? Do you have 346 siblings? Somedays, it feels like I have 346 siblings..."

Sense Motive #1: 1d20 - 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) - 1 + (3) = 9
Sense Motive #2: 1d20 - 1 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) - 1 + (5) = 9

Yarsox smiles at the curious little creature and nods. "Yes, though you should be careful about asking people about their physiology, as there are those who might take offense. Tact is a good skill to learn. But if you really want to see it, I can do that for you." Yarsox says with a smile, following along with Kirkath.

Yarsox has packed:

Disembarking, Gus tips his hat back so his eyes can get a more open view of the ship. He whistles, trying to stifle his awe, having never been on any similar city ships, let alone any of the dwarven citadels. When the ysoki kids gather and get roped up by their chaperone, a grin crosses his face as he remembers a snippet of life in the frontier outpost he called home.

As the ysoki escorts them around, he can't resist taking a gander at him and his curious nature.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

When a question comes to him, he divulged as they walked, "Actually yes, though you might call it more of a fool's gold. Wasn't worth any creds, but I found a use for it. People make a nickname for you if'n you stop a couple of bandits with golden guns. I liked the way it sounded." Gus's fingers fidgeted with the coins on his belt, slipping them out & back in the dispenser as he responded.

If he had time to panic shop before setting out, he'd probably get a consumer backpack and a few snacks. He wasn't expecting to be away from the Pact Worlds for so long. He would also bring a drive to listen to some tunes from his favorite Maro artist Pretty Lights. Oh, and he can't forget a spare hat in case something happens!

Gold Gus -- Don't worry about food (unless it's a fun food) for this particular mission. Fitch won't send you out unstocked. However, rations are a good idea in general in case you find yourself in an emergency survival scenario.

There is a quartermaster in the Lorespire you can purchase basic supplies from!

SM #1: Sense Motive #1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
SM #2: Sense Motive #1: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Triage stops walking and looks down at the small Ysoki in front of him. He stares at him from behind the mask for a long, uncomfortable moment of silence before simply saying, "No." He then continues walking with the others, taking in the scenery of the ship around him as if that interaction did not just occur.

As a side note, you can not see his eyes from outside the mask. The marble-like sheen even extends over where the eyes should be. It appears very much statue-esque.

In his pack, besides his necessary medical supplies, Triage-347 carries the following:
-A piece of bark from an ancient family tree in El.
-A well-worn hand-written letter from someone important to him that he met in the Veskarium. Wink Wink
-An exact replica of his mask, just in case something were to happen to the current one.
-Also... At least 27 hair ties that always seem to disappear right when he needs them.

Sense Motive #1: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (9) + 0 = 9

"Clawing someone's face off outside of honourable combat is not wise little one. That is how you end up making enemies." he answers Kirkath.

Gek lets out a brief chuckle "What you lack in stature you sure make up for in heart and curiosity little Kirkath. I admire that. How far off is Fitch?"

Sense Motive #2: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (13) + 0 = 13

Grognard packs a set of turn signals designed to hang off of a riding harness, an airhorn, and a pouch full of haggis.

"Oh what kind of animal is she?"

"Can we pet her?"
"Does she eat broccoli?" The tiny ysoki who asks this pulls a limp and mushy vegetable out of his pocket that has clearly been there for a while.

"She's a yasakaja. ye can pit 'er, but guid hin' ye speart first. toochin' 'er withit askin' will lose ye a limb. she'll eat anythin' if ye add meat."

Grognard mistakes their excitement for Donkey for an actual understanding of what he's saying and doesn't bother to reiterate.

Sense Motive 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

"How did you wind up with a yasakaja? I didn't think many dwarves made it to Castrovel."

"Ah travel a lot. it's th' quest fur lift! when th' grin shakes ye press upwards. thaur arenae mony dwarves left ay th' olden ways, sae Ah fin' myself at haem wi' th' beasts, some sometimes a body finds themselves at haem wi' me."

Sense Motive 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

"Sae uh... anythin' else ye want tae ken ur can we gonnae-no walkin' in circles?"

As they prepare their trip, Naitier checks to make sure they have a datapad loaded with a number of a number of fictional murder mystery vids from various series, mostly from True Investigations of the Drift. Packed into small bags they have placed a small piece of clockwork from ancient Akiton that has been rusted over to the point of immovability and an set of small perfume bottles with varying scents.

Once on the ship Naitier is taking off guard as the children approach and is still a bit off balance as they are taken away.

Sense Motive #1: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Naitier is a bit unsettled as Kirkath questions the group and especially when the question is directed toward them. Uncertain on how to act Naitier becomes a bit stiff as they respond, "it isn't... I- they don't say anything... I mean individually. Sometimes I imagine them as voices, but-" Naiter clearly struggles to find some elegant way to explain themselves as the eventually come to say, "it may be comparable to... you have different parts of your mind and each of these portions of me are a different part of mine. I'm like one large brain."

The point where he was satisfied with his answer was a few short moments before he began to doubt himself and stammered out an excuse to evade elaborating on his declaration.

Sense Motive #2: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Kirkath looks slightly guilty when Grognard asks him to stop walking around in circles, and finishes the loop in front of the door to Fitch's office, which is clearly labeled and roughly six meters from the shuttle bay. If there had not been so many people there picking up mail, you would have seen it yourselves. "Thanks for answering my questions, though! Someday I'll be the one going on one of these missions!"

To make it up to you, he hands you each a marble. "I made these myself in workshop. They look like little planets, see? Have a good mission!"

★ --- ★ --- ★ --- ★

Inside, Fitch carefully paints a small model of the Master of Stars. “Oh, hey, it's the newest recruits! Thanks for coming out here to the Armada! I love it here on the Master of Stars. I get itchy feet back on the station. I was just painting my model to be consistent with the latest updates on the ship's exterior, but that can wait for later.”

Fitch moves the model to a cabinet containing dozens of model starships: every model ever owned by the Starfinder Society as well as other styles from all over the galaxy. Her office walls are covered with blueprints of various starship models and many photos of young ysoki, including Kirkath.

“Anyway, I have excellent news! We've identified four new planetoids in the Vast that are part of a solar system we've never been to! That is, no one in the Pact Worlds has been there. Or at least, no one in the Pact Worlds has written about it. The star is named Estokine, and I'd like you to head out there and take some scans of each planetoid. Don't land your ship on any of the planets, since we want to analyze all the data and images before we decide whether to send a ground team. I'm assigning a Pegasus to you for the mission; you'll need its upgraded sensors."

CRASH!

There's a loud crashing sound from the next room, followed by an adult woman's shriek and little high-pitched giggles. Fitch sighs, gets up and knocks on the door. "Everything all right in there, Sashkri?"

The lashunta woman in the crop top looks out, dripping in paint. She has an exhausted look on her face, which Fitch takes in. "Ah," Fitch says, "I forgot to mention. We'll also be sending with you one of our teacher trainees who has done survey mission work before. Everyone, this is Sashkri."

Shastri's face lights up. "Adults? I'll be teaching adults?"

"It will be about two weeks in the Vast..." Fitch says.

"Two weeks! With adults!" There is a note of pure joy in Sashkri's voice.

"You better run and pack," Fitch says, gently, before glaring at the kids in the other room. "I will deal with all of you later. Start cleaning up. NOW." Fitch closes the door and says brightly, "Any questions?"

Sashkri (cleaned up) is the middle figure depicted on Slide 22.

Naitier is a bit awe-struck and impressed by Fitch's deamonear as they ask, "do you know if there are any non-Pact Worlds inhabitants in the Estokine system?"

“Yes.” Interjects Triage. “I was curious about the native inhabitants as well.” He then gestures up towards the portrait. “And if I may ask. Who is that Lashunta on the wall? It almost looks like…” He trails off, not finishing the sentence aloud.