Zallia responds to the final remark I hear there is still a lot of information to take in. I propose a recess to reflect on what we have just learned from these visitors. I invite you Zallia says, directly addressing the starfinders to explore our ship, which is our prideful symbol of harmonious cooperation. We will take our break as well, but feel free to share further thoughts as we do so.
XO Sirrelim
XO Zallia
XO Tkerik
XO RKY7
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Immediately after the Councilors depart the Unity Hall, Lasiel enters to collect papers, appearing much more unsteady on her paws than before. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know anyone was in here,” she says, words slurring together. “Sorry if I’m a little jittery right now—I love grabbing Mama Rae’s sugar snaps when I’m here with Tkerik, but sweets and baraggahs don’t really mix and I feel very bouncy right now. I’m gonna sit right there and relax. Too tense in here anyway, don’t you think?”
She drops her voice to a loud whisper. “And it’s not like we don’t all know why. Work around here long enough and you pick up a few secrets!”
Do you know Drifthop? The term is barely possible to make out under the slurred voice. It's a game. You saw how Tkerik and Sirrellim don't seem to get along too well? Tkerik is a fanatic player, but they always play the same strategy. Tkerik, the crafty one, figured this strategyout, and beat Sirrellim several times in a row. Lasiel sniggers a bit Tkerik got so upset, shouting 'cheater, 'cheater'. They haven't player with Sirrellim since, is what I heard...
Poor Lasiel is slurring more and more, and hopping around more and more.
Pffft Lasiel says that's much better. It's better if I don't finish these she says, as she hands Twila a large bucket that says 'Mama Rae's C6H12O6 Sugar Snaps' and 'FANTASTIC BABY' written in big bright lettering all around the bucket. The sugar content is high with this one.
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In the hallway just outside Unity Hall, Zallia can be found loitering around, wondering aloud if Captain Jaws would be having any more trouble with drifters. The other councilors are not here, but can probably be found scattered around the ship.
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Hey, It's Mama Rae. Mama Rae, eat or play. Does your horse neigh? Mama Rae! Don't go away! Come to Mama Rae! I can do this all day, Mama Rae!
There's still a long way to go before we reach consensus she says, it is often like this. She stares out of the window and says Captain Jaws is a good friend, he's watching over our interests while we debate. I could really use his help here, I have an upcoming speech to commemorate the life of my distant ancestor Quentya Heron, who helped to form the peace at the center of the Nebula Union before dying mysteriously 200 years ago.
She sends a copy of the speech to Cha'mon. It's... a speech. Perhaps one of the worst you've ever read.
K'ssatak-sul rewrites the speech to conform to the rule of three, the binding laws of clause placement and the malbolge conjunctive doctrine. There's proper use of spaces following interpunction, as decreed by the infernal conclave of Dis. It's a good thing for Zallia that she is outside of the jurisdiction of the infernal scriptwrights penal code, or she would have been banned to the seventh layer of Hell. One of the more unpleasant ones.
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As Astran moves around to try and located RKY7, he receives an automated notification on his comm unit.
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This is RZMR, your friendly onboard computer. This is a public service announcement: unauthorized personnel has boarded the Thunderbolt. I repeat: unauthorized personnel has boarded the Thunderbolt
The unauthorized personnel evaporation system is offline for maintenance, all unauthorized personnel evaporation has been suspended. Please mind the gap between the docking bay and the airlock.
"Evaporation? Desna weeps!" He detours to look to see if there's anything he can do about it.
By the time the team arrives back at the thunderbolt, the ship is empty (something that is confirmed by the onboard computer). Cha'mon notices there are several small items out of place, which have been moved and poorly replaced.
When the group exits the ship, an elorian approaches. They are carrying a scanning device of some sort, and is bearing a nametag that says 'KRT41', who asks with a flat voice Are you planning to depart now?
It wasn't me! KRT41 says in response.
KRT41 looks increasingly nervous, but is keeping a tight lid.
They show the scanner This scanner detects conrasu wood. We've recently had trouble with a smuggling ring that was stowing the wood on unsuspecting ships. Please don't tell anyone about my mistake...
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There is no comfort or warmth in the polished chrome of the surgical bots skeletal face, nor in the continually glowing red 'eyes' with which it surveys KRT41 - at the end of the day, even the kindest surgery involves cold steel meeting flesh.
Intimidate
"I see" the Doc offers "The common theme in this place seems to be an over-inflated sense of ability meeting with an abundance of incompetence. You realise though that we will now have to go over our ship to make sure you haven't pressed anything you weren't supposed to - intentional or otherwise"
Doc inspects the scanner.
I'm very sorry about the confusion, KRT41 responds to DocMedevac(tm), and to Hunterkiller 42-5, they say I don't know what to do about the problem, I'm just here to scan the ship... the right ships.
KRT41 will leave off to do just that, unless you stop them.
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Cha'mon notices there are several small items out of place, which have been moved and poorly replaced.
"Before you go: you moved things on our ship. Why bother, when you have a scanner? And if the smuggling ring is sneaking the conrasu wood onto unsuspecting ships, shouldn't all docking bays have security cameras and/or guards?" Twila-5 considers the possibility that KRT41 might *be* one of the smugglers, having just stashed some valuable merchandise on the Starfinders' ship. Of course, she's horrible at reading people, so she has no idea if that could be the case. She resolves to discuss with the group and check it once KRT41 is out of hearing range, just in case.
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The Doc switches tone rapidly as it animatedly replies to Cha'mon with a chipper and friendly tone "Clients with fully paid up health insurance policies get the best customer care!" - the machine almost seems conmforting! The overly cute and unobtrusive DocJr bot following also gives friendly wave.
Doc spends a bit of time checking through the ship to ensure nothing is of concern, whilst KRT41 might not have done anything, nothing says they were the only one aboard - and with a broader political debate going on at the station there is every chance some sabotage may be afoot.
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I had to move some thing to get a thorough scan KRT41 explains it's a handheld scanner, it's not very powerful. I'm really sorry for the invovenience.
DocMedevac(tm) performs a run-through of the ship, and doesn't find anything concerning.
In the meantime, K'ssatak-Sul, displaying the famous Hellknight patience (which is to say, non at all), goes ahead to find RKY7. He finds them in a small shrine to Eloritu, god of magic, history, and secrets on the starboard bow. The creature of technological descent looks up and asks Are you surprised to find me in a place of worship? They then explain My people, the elorains, were clockwork constructs magically given life by Eloritu in ancient prehistory. My people believe that technology is important, but it is bounded by the limits of physics and reality, and only magic can break these boundaries and reshape existence. We highly value magical experimentation and advancement, as well as the fusion of magic and technology to perform miraculous acts.
Such studies, RKY7 adds, are very expensive, and I am practical person, which is why I tend to value profit a bit more than magic. Somebody must be the one to ensure my people can maintain their way of life in a commerce-driven universe
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Twila-5 catches up to K'ssatak-Sul just in time to hear his extremely detailed list of infractions. Wow. If only he'd use those powers for good. She muses wryly. Personally, she thinks there was no harm done, so she's not interested in punitive justice.
"I think what K'ssatak-Sul is say, at least part of it, anyway, is that enhancing employee training would prevent this sort of thing in the first place." She pauses a moment before continuing. "It looks like no harm was done, and they did apologize profusely, so that should be taken into account when choosing how best to respond."
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I appreciate your directness an honesty RKY7 responds to K'ssatak-Sul. To twila they say that is a very good suggestion. I apologise that the inadequate training of our employees has caused inconvenience.
Allow me to help you by donating this piece of advanced scanning equipment, it will no doubt help you while in Jatembe's Jaunt
XO Sirrelim
XO Zallia
XO Tkerik
XX RKY7
Sirrellim can be found in their on-board quarters. The quarters hold several water-filled pillars similar to the one in the Unity Hall. As the group enters, Sirrellim starts speaking Grblrb, glurb. Glmbrrl glb. then transfer to another pillar nearby I'm sorry about that they say there is some kind of technical issue with that speaker system. It's a pity, I like that one, it's got a nice oomph to it's sounds. You don't happen to know anything about fixing stuff, do you?
Ah, it's such a pity. The council see me as a coward, but I genuinely think caution is advised. Our ship have been attacked so many time, you can't simply write this off as a simple space danger, there is something systematic going on.
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Lawlessness has no system. But the system defeats lawlessness. The more links in the chain, the more powerful the system. Together we are the force that will stop the lawlessness in the galaxy. You will not be able to hide from the universe in your cozy world, since the universe has come to your world. It remains only to decide whether you are with Order or with Chaos. And receive a reward commensurate with your choice. K'ssatak-Sul speaks dispassionately but convincingly.
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HunterKiller 42-5 swiftly fixed the speaker system, which makes one wonder why his own voice sounds so metallic. Sirellim looks very impressed
I would be safe knowing there is no threat that would jump at us from the other side of the drift lane. Teamwork as allies, yes, that may help. It is something that should be considered. I see how we could benefit from your skills, and you no doubt could see some use in ours, no? Sirellim touches a button, and a drawer opens Take this device, it's an experimental maintenance tool. It should help you while in Jatembe's Jaunt.
XX Sirrelim
XX Zallia
XO Tkerik
XX RKY7
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Seeing the much improved speech, Zallia gives the group a copy of Plane Woven, an exciting anthology of essays on the planes by scholars from universities on Uzodia.
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Tkerik is on the weapons deck. Rayguns... particle guns... Missile launcher... they check off items one by one The best defense is a good offense Tkerik remarks as they see the group. You were right on time for the debates in Unity Hall. I appreciate that. Can you appreciate the loadout of this ship? The other councillors see me as aggressive, but all this hardware serves is a solid defense. We need to defend the Nebula Union from those with the wrong intentions!
The three-handed barragh has dice in each hand Do you play? they ask, Drifthop, I mean. Oh, you might not even be familiar with the rules... let me show you.
You roll a die in each of your hands they explain, holding out all three of their hands Oh, I see. If you have two hands, you just hold two dice in one hand and lookign at Astran if you have four, just leave one empty
You roll the dice secretly - only you can look at them
So we first reveal the first die altogether... one... two... reveal!
See, I have a six. Next, you can choose 'Drift' or 'Hop'. If you choose 'hop', you reroll your next die they say, pointing with the now-empty hand to the second one. If you choose 'drift', you keep it as it is. I'll choose hop
We reveal the next hand... one... two... reveal!
Now I have a three. That's not bad. For the last die, we do the same thing. This time I choose 'drift', so I don't reroll.
One... two... reveal!
I have a four this time, together that makes 13. Do you think you can beat me?
Oh, very good the baraggah says as Astran rolls a 13. When Cha'mon manages to roll a 17, they seem even more impressed. DocMedevac(tm) even seems to be able to win without cheating, rolling a 14.