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Felix patiently awaits someone willing to engage in diplomatic conversation, despite the unfriendly tone of their voice.
"If the individual we seek is indeed the 'tailfriend' they mention, I can't help but wonder how they became aware of our search. It appears that others have also arrived here with the same objective, possibly identifying themselves as Starfinders as well," Felix explains to their allies, sharing their interpretation of the situation.
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Loki does his best to introduce a bit of spin, whilst at the same time telling the truth (as much as any legal professional can be trusted to do so, at least).
"To put it another way, your 'tailfriend' is squatting on this planet, whilst on the run from some extremely nasty people that want to kill them.
Happily, we have been empowered to offer them asylum on Absalom Station, with the Starfinder Society. Think of it as being put into Witness Protection. Our intention is to use what they can tell us as leverage to help bring down the ones trying to kill them."
Baazo sounds unconvinced by Cettara's words You're just here to get her! Doomyburns will stop you from getting tailfriend!, but when Loki speaks up, the automatic gun seems to momentarily pause from charging up. With most of the noise cutting out, the intercom is easier to hear, and the high-pitched voice asks So... what is you game here?
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Loki shrugs.
"As I said. However, putting it succinctly:
Item 1. Ongie fled her hometown after standing up to the Mongers over the poor treatment of local miners.
Item 2. Faking her death managed to fool everyone for a fairly long time.
Item 3. The people who were after her back then are intending to set in plan something that will likely result in the deaths of countless millions. We seek to stop that, and Ongie's help may be vital to doing so, especially since the Organisation is still keen to kill her - they wouldn't want to, if she didn't know something vital.
Item 4. If we were able to track her down, I do not doubt that the Organisation was able to do so, as well. For her own safety, now that her cover is blown, it would be best if she had some more help of her own - help with a vested interest in keeping her alive.
Item 5. Feel free to come along with us. After all, Ongie is more likely to trust us, if someone that she already trusts is around."
Oh, in that case Baazo says, stops the intercom and peeks his head out of the small room in the middle of the area. Baazo is a friendly-looking skittermander, Tail-friend is really quick, but I'll bring you to her.
He gets out of the box, and starts walking to the edge of the room, into a corridor that ends in a sturdy steel door that has been polished to a reflective gleam. He starts chit-chatting So, you say tailfriend's cover is blown...
Blown.. the skittermander ponders for a moment...
“Oh!” shouts the skittermander, a look of understanding suddenly dawning on his face. “I know you’re not here to do the hurting, but my tail-friend doesn’t! We’d better hurry, or there’s going to be a big boomyburn!”
The door suddenly buckles and bends as a rumble followed by a loud explosion sounds on the other side. A flash of heat surges through the corridor, and a thick acrid smoke flows from the newly created bends in a door that once stood flush to its frame. Unceremoniously, the steel door falls forward, revealing a burned and ravaged room inside.
Loki seems to be a bit rattled by the blast, but Cettara has some good observations. The first thing that is quite clear, is that there is no body, so nobody was hurt in the blast.
Baazo is eager to join in the search Baazo can help! he says, as if that ever is in question with a skittermander, I know what the invention room looked like. Looksee! There are tail-friends notes!
Most of the notes on Ongie’s bulletin board have been burned away, but Cettara finds a singed paper that remains, which indicates a connection between the Mongers of Kortus IV and something that Ongie calls “the Order.” Ongie’s notes seem to use the two terms interchangeably, with the newest notations using “the Order” exclusively.
She also finds a desk drawer that holds some printouts of recent news from Braerton. There are lines drawn all over the place, and big red lettering that says 'DISASTER' and 'TERRIBLE'. There are numerous sketches and plans, which all seems to be plans for rescue of someone from a farm. 'Doesn't work' is scribbled in the margin, another one 'Doomed to fail', a third one 'Father wouldn't survive'.
The group further notices a cracked datapad filled with mostly corrupt data on it. It's not too hard to unlock a few files in a folder named 'Stooges'. The files contain details on three separate people: A human caled 'Jana Rin', who is supposed to be the sheriff of Braerton, with a note saying 'crack shot with dual pistols', a Kasatha called 'Zatteh', described as the strongest personality of the three and an adept technomander favourding electrical attack, and a vesk called 'Redozoko', described as 'probably as good with machines as myself'.
Tail-friend has super-secret passageway! Baazo adds, pointing to a hidden passage in the ground I'm not allowed to tell anyone!
And yet he did. You, go go! I stay here and erase all traces of tail-friend! Baazo the defender will become Baazo the eraser!
The trap door descends into a tunnel, which first descends 20 feet, then goes on for at least half a mile without any branches. It is narrow, and cold. During the last hundred feet, the tunnel gradually slopes upward before reaching its exit point at a cavern entrance.
Out in the distance, nearly invisible in the flurry of snow, there is a small humanoid figure bundled in warm winter clothing, making a frantic dash for... something out in the snow.
Quite quickly, the figure look backward then makes a cut, disappearing behind some rock.
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Felix is unbothered on what happened next, the explosion. After scanning documents and information on the bulletin board, and silently listening to the chatty mouth of Baazo, they finally follow the direction to the super-secret passageway.
When they see someone that looks to them escaping...
they help anyone who will lead the chase.
Ongie cuts and turns, but Mizzrym manages to spot her tail every time she goes around a corner, and stays hot on her six. She is crafty, though, and rushes toward an observatory of kothamas, keeping a safe distance from the creatures
It's very crafty what Ongie is trying to do: She's trying to trick the group into getting too close to the kothamas, and be distracted by the calming aura of the creature to throw off the pursuit.
Still trailing Ongie closely, she now seems to head for a wide open space, but she's till zigzagging through it...
They're ice puddles! Loki quickly recognises this, and points out the unstable areas, allowing the group to follow the pattern that Ongie is walking. She is skipping left and right to avoid cracking through the thin ice that covers the puddles.
Following the same pattern allows the group to stay close. In a desperate attempt to shake off the group, Ongie crosses an inlet of the Ice Sea. She jumps from ice floe to ice floe to reach the other side.
Felicis catches up to Ongie, who looks alarmed at the android. Before she can say anything, a trio of figures, weapons raised, approaches from the northern hills. A tall vesk with rust-colored scales and a slender human with a pair of pistols flank a kasatha who flexes the fingers on each of her four arms in anticipation.
“All that running, and you don’t even realize there’s nowhere left for you to go,” the kasatha says tauntingly to Ongie. “We know all about your little starship, Ongie. I hate to spoil a good surprise, but Redozoko here blew it to pieces.”
The vesk grins and makes an explosion gesture, as the kasatha continues. “You have nowhere to go, and no way to fake your death this time, Ongie. But don’t worry—old man Roget will be joining you soon.” Ongie recoils in surprise, clearly shocked by the arrival of these new foes. Despite her fear, she stands tall and keeps her voice steady as she replies, her twitching tail the only outward sign of her panic. “Leave my father out of this, Zatteh. He’s nothing to you.”
In response, the kasatha laughs. “Oh, but Ongie, he’s everything to you.”
---
Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie
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Jana Rin
Zatteh
Redozoko
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More like acquaintances... Ongie says, distress clearly breaking through her voice as she ducks down into the snow. Loki's shot hits the Kasatha, who curses Ooh, you brought some friends, Ongie? It won't help you, they'll die alongside you.
Cettara call out Jana Rin, but just barely misses the gunslinger. Mizzrym fares a low better, and nicks the human with a laser.
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie
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Jana Rin (1)
Zatteh (10)
Redozoko
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Felicis shoots at Redozoko, but narrowly misses him. That the best you've got? Redozoko says.
Ongie, now down in the snow, fires a shot at Redozoko, and scores a hit!
Ah, you little rat! the Vesk shouts, You'll pay for this. What do you say, Jana, this white fur is hard to see in the snow. Why don't you shoot some hole in her, so we get some red?
Zatteh moves over to Jana, while the sheriff takes a shot at Ongie
Redozoko moves in, firing his laser blaster at Felix
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie (5)
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Jana Rin (1)
Zatteh (10)
Redozoko (4)
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Loki's shoot looks like it's gone nowhere for a moment, but then a hurt groan and the collapse of Zatteh reveals that Loki hit the enemy Kasatha in the chest!
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie (5)
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Jana Rin (1)
Zatteh (DOWN)
Redozoko (4)
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Mizzrym shoots the human, dealing a tiny wound, while Cettara hurts the Vesk more.
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie (5)
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Jana Rin (2)
Zatteh (DOWN)
Redozoko (7)
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Felicis lands another shot at Redozoko, who is starting to look severely bloodied. Ongie follows up with a shot of her own.
Her shot hits the Vesk, who collapses in with a curse that is swept away by the wind, while the snow below him colors red.
You'll pay for that! I'll keep you alive so your father can see you die! Jana says, then fires another shot at the ysoki
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie (11)
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Jana Rin (2)
Zatteh (DOWN)
Redozoko (DOWN)
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Mizzrym blasts Jana, and Cettara's blast echoes over the icy plain. The gunslinger is close to collapsing when she advances for a new shot. Clearly not willing to surrender, Iron-59 Felicis has no other option than to shoot, which takes down the last enemy
My ship... it's destroyed. Onge says with some desperation in her voice, while looking at her datapad, which indeed confirms no signal. That was my only way off the planet.
And who are you guys? she adds, not quite ready to trust the Starfinders yet
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I am Loki, an agent of the Starfinder Society, and sometime lawyer. Think of me and the group I am with as fixers. We have been retained to extract you from this place - there is reason to believe that the Mongers you fled from are related to the Organisation that the Society has been investigating - a group that we have reason to believe is setting in motion a long-term plan that will result in the deaths of countless millions.
We had hoped that, in exchange for putting you in what is effectively witness protection, you would share the information that you have. After all, when you are being pursed by one group, having another, diametrically opposed, group in your corner is sound business sense.
What do you say?
Ongie looks at the group that so effectively dispatched the Braertonians, and says with a voice that sound more like a reluctant surrender Sounds like I have no choice, and then she sighs, looking at her comm unit Can you get me off this world?
The trek back to Forget is uneventful, the Kothamas herd is calm and minding its own business. There's still the heavy snow and blizzard, but fortunately nobody to assail the group.
As the Thunderbolt lifts off, though, the scanner bleep up showing a vessel closing in fast. No, no, no!” Ongie exclaims, running for the engineering console. “I should’ve known they’d be waiting for us! The Order always knows! I hope you’re ready for a fight!
---(Round 1)--
Engineering
Helm: Beat 25 piloting or move first
Gunnery
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Mizzrym
Felix
Cettara
Loki
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Ongie
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