I'm sorry, I don't think I was supposed to check your ship. Only Nebula Union vessels. This scanner detects conrasu wood. Someone's been smuggling it out on unsuspecting ships. I didn't mean to be a bother. I'm new here and don't want to get in trouble. You won't tell anyone, will you?" Before listening for an answer, he flees into the ship.
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Oooh Zoey reacts, with the interest her manager told her to show, and then shows the full extent of her knowledge of scanning technology by asking Does it bleep?
She stays silent for a moment, then says Heeey. Waidaminnit. We're unsuspecting, right? And you say people go on the ship and hide wood... Hey! she shouts as the elorain runs away Ya!
He could have at let us use his scanner to check if he hid something
The elorian disappears into the bowels of the ship before you can get an answer out of them. Including a name, which makes tattling much harder.
However, you do locate RKY7 in a small shrine to Eloritu, god of magic,
history, and secrets. Upon being discovered, he a"Are you surprised to find me in halls of faith? My people, the elorains, were clockwork constructs magically given life by Eloritu in ancient prehistory. My people believe that technology is important but is bounded by the limits of physics and reality, and that only magic can break these boundaries and reshape existence. Thus, magical experimentation and advancement, as well as the fusion of magic and technology to perform miraculous acts, are highly valued. Of course, such studies are incredibly expensive."
RKY7 listens to Thraega's pitch, but isn't sure smuggling is really what he had in mind.
RKY7 must have heard the messages earlier about Zoey's language, because he seems unimpressed with her pitch. Celly, however, has some ver intriguing ideas about magitech.
As the first step toward a partnership, RKY7 offers the Starfinders a piece of valuable scanning equipment at no cost, granting the PCs a +1 circumstance bonus to Computers checks while in the Drift lane.
The four councilors reconvene in the Unity Hall to vote again on whether to use Jatembe’s Jaunt. Sirrellim and Tkerik vote to blockade Jatembe’s Jaunt. Zallia and RKY7 vote to utilize Jatembe’s Jaunt.
You can attempt to change the vote of any councilor you influenced (i.e. all of them) with Diplomacy. Only one primary check may be made for each, though any number of characters can aid.
After speaking with the Starfinders, the council decides that the Nebula
Union will send more ships into Jatembe’s Jaunt and use the Banyan as a welcoming point and waystation for ships from other worlds. They ask you to bring news of their decision back to the Pact Worlds.
A few days after you re-enter Jatembe’s Jaunt for your trip back to Triaxus, you begin seeing Drifter ships, flying near your ship but not directly attacking, almost as if they were being escorted.
The Drifter ships move as you move, shadowing your every maneuver while slowly growing in number and narrowing the gap between you. As they grow closer, a voice hails on all frequencies in a soft but insistent growl. “Hope you don’t mind the company, darlings,” the voice says. “But it seems to me that you owe me a little something, and the time to collect has just come due.
“You and their Xibian friend Captain Jaws caused significant damage to Drifter ships in your earlier battle; since Captain Jaws is nowhere to be found, it’s up to you to make up for this destruction. I'm willing to accept you turning over your ship and all its goods to us, followed by working off the rest of your debt for 6 months. After that, you can join us or be dropped off on a planet of your choice.”
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Excuse me? Celestia responded. I should point out that you lot attacked us first and we defended ourselves. I would recommend, in the interests of peace, to simply stand down and let us go on our way. If you do attack then, well we'll be forced to defend ourselves ... again ... and you know how that went last time. Please, be reasonable and avoid any more destruction and loss of life.
Celestia is disinclined to acquiesce to their request.
“Avenge the losses of your Drifter brethren. This interloper ship is ours!”
For each of the challenges, you will have multiple checks to make. You can decide how to divide them up, but there is always a primary check that at least one character must succeed at to complete the challenge, and the total number of successes also matters (so decide whether to Aid carefully). You may substitute a relevant Profession for any skill check.
The Drifter ships zip ahead of the Legion and form a line across Jatembe’s Jaunt to halt the starship in its tracks. Captain Angelfang taunts you, confidently stating, “there’s a saying on my homeworld, dearies: one snowflake is a curiosity, but a thousand will bury you alive. Good luck digging your way out!”
Primary Check: Piloting to use their maneuvering to confuse the Drifter ships and open up a lane for forward momentum.
Other Checks: Gunnery to execute a series of attacks that prevent new ships from filling in the gap, Physical Science to calculate where the ships might move next, or Mysticism check to create an illusion to confuse the blockade.
The Drifters scatter, creating a clear path forward. In addition, a few of the ships crash into each other.
The ship’s readings go haywire, making it seem as if the pirate ships are doing impossible maneuvers around the Legion. Captain Angelfang taunts, “Round and round and round we go, where we stop, my dears, you’ll never know.”
Primary check: Computers to scan effectively despite the interference and sensor ghosts.
Other checks: Gunnery to shoot at the ships to determine which ones are real, Piloting to outrun the fake ships, or Engineering to identify the real starships.
Zoey eventually curses at the computer enough for it to do what she wants it to do, but Threaga's shot doesn't hit any ships, real or imaginary.
Ainsley, Celly and Frinke are up!
((Don't forget those bonuses we got))
Celestia makes up for lack of precision with sheer blanket ruination, but despite missing with every shot, she causes one real ship to drift into Thraega's firing lane.
Ainsley flies the ship through the opening provided by the gunners.
A stealth mine erupts underneath the ship, emitting radiation that begins interfering with ship systems. Captain Angelfang laughs, taunting “Oh, I’m sorry, did you hit a little bump in the road there, my lovelies? I’ll share a little secret with you—it isn’t the only one.”
Primary Check: Engineering to repair the damage to the ship.
Other Checks: Life Science to ensure life support and radiation shielding remains operational, Computers to scan for the mines, Piloting to avoid the mines, or gunnery to shoot the mines.
Zoey fixed the life support system while Frinke blasts some mines and Ainsley flies past the others.
Captain Angelfang decides to take the fight directly to the Starfinders. It aims a beam at the starship which begins rapidly draining power from the ship. “Get ready to be dead in the water, darlings. And a ship that doesn’t move is just so easy to board!”
Primary Check: Computers to disrupt the power draining beam.
Other Checks: Engineering to restart affected systems, Piloting to avoid any additional beams, Mysticism to counter the beam’s magical properties, or Gunnery to fire at the enemy ship.
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Zoey frantically types away on the computer console
/root/users/littleblondpunk>/root/ship/shields/pulseshield.sh
Loading...
\|/-\|/-\|/-Pulsing shields 20GW... modulating... shields pulsed... locks reset
/root/users/littleblondpunk>wavplayer ~/rocketgirl.wav
Playing. Press 'l' for lyrics
The shields pulse with a bright greenish glow, and bright and sparkling music starts playing over the onboard speakers...
♫ Na-na-na-na-na I'm a rocket girl
Na-na-na-na-na I'm a rocket girl
Thumping sound of DISCO
as we enter the stage
Hear the Oh-Yeah, more-yeah
Excuse me, shall we dance?
Drag along your best friend
Nod along as they say
This is my favourite song!
Kasatha clapping their hands!
Dee-dee Dee-Jay, let's play
let's play this song out LOUD
Let's make the crowd go cha-cha
I need a SUPER-CHARGER
The Haan is getting larger
The android going jar-jar
Shirren stomping all their feet
Everybody rise up!♫
Zoey's song, plus finally figuring out the doodad that RKY7 gave her, are enough to redirect the beam to secondary systems, meaning the Legion suffers only a brief flash of lights. Ainsley deftly guides the ship between Drifter attacks, while Celly and Thraega reverse the polarity on the magical harmonics.
The beam backfires on Captain Angelfang’s ship and disables it. Seeing this, most of the remaining pirates flee to fight another day.
After her final stand against the Starfinders, Captain Angelfang claims that she “is bored of playing with my food” and signals the remaining Drifters to leave the area, firing one last barrage at the Legion as they speed off through Jatembe’s Jaunt.
The Starfinders report back to Fitch, who is very pleased with the results. The Wayfinders now know enough about the councilors to begin making an effort to begin trade and cultural negotiations through Jatembe’s Jaunt, helped by understanding what each of the councilors want and need from the rest of the universe.
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Back on the station, Celestia goes to the Starlight Club, where she works, changes into her two piece dance outfit which is mostly translucent but opaque in places it needs to be.
She then enters the water filled display tank, seals herself inside, and starts blocking out a new dance based on moves that she had seen Sirrellim do. It turns into something that looks melancholy.
She also asks Holtzmann to tap into AbadarCorp's inventory system just to reassure herself that the barcode refers to the dress and not Zoey herself. She also seeks out Momo to see if she also has a barcode.