The Azlanti Star Empire is a vast union of diverse species, worlds, and star systems under the tyrannical dominion of humans who left Golarion for the stars long before the Gap. Under the leadership of Star Imperators Iorian and Yridela Ixomander, the Azlanti Star Empire seeks to bring all inhabited worlds under its hegemony, exploiting their knowledge, labor, and resources for the good of the empire. With a navy rivaling that of the Pact Worlds and the Veskarium combined, its ruthless legions of gem-augmented Aeon Guard pose a terrifying threat to the inhabitants of the galaxy. Most systems—including the Pact Worlds—have forbidden their citizens from entering Azlanti space, lest they draw the Imperators' covetous eyes.
Yet, a foe as powerful as the Azlanti Star Empire can’t be ignored, and numerous factions have dispatched agents into the Star Empire to operate in secret, acting as the eyes and ears of the Pact Worlds—a first line of defense against invasion.
When an undercover Starfinder broadcasts an emergency call for extraction from New Thespera, at the heart of the Azlanti Star Empire, Venture-Captain Naiaj dispatches a team of highly experienced Starfinders to answer the call. Infiltrate the Azlanti Star Empire, retrieve a Starfinder in peril, and escape with your lives—if you can!
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A tall, lanky figure in a trenchcoat and fedora staggers into the briefing room. All of this features are obscured until he reaches one of the open chairs. Then, with an exaggerated motion, he casts off his coat, revealing a green-furred skittermander on stilts, a backpack with an assortment of handguns dangling from the straps. He leans them against the wall. He rummages around in his sack for a moment, retrieving an antique quill and paper notebook (with some real estate brochures stuck haphazardly into it), then takes a seat.
"Name's... uh..." He pauses for a moment and scratches his beard. "Huh. Guess I'm the first one here for once."
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Kendra Quantum walks into the room like she owns the place. Assured, self-confident, making eye contact with everyone & letting them know that she's got their back. She's Lashuntan (of the Korasha variety) - tall, blue-green skin, a short swept-back mohawk, & bright green eyes. Currently decked out in a mountain eel CSDF bomber jacket (with her call sign - Quantum-K - above the left pocket). An energy pistol rides on her hip & you might catch a glimpse of a snap baton stashed in her boot.
"Hi there - I'm Kendra. Any clue what the op is today?"
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"Apologies." An android says as he enters the room. He's wearing heavy, jagged, and ominous-looking armor, a vibe not helped by an orb hovering by his shoulder shedding dim light over the suit that casts heavy shadows. But the armor itself has been carefully painted a brighter blue color, and the figure's expression is taking pains to appear friendly.
"Some Forum-related activity extended longer than I expected. I hope the mission has not begun without me." he looks around. "Whatever this mission actually is. The summons were vague. Surprisingly so, even to me in my position." the android adds with a frown.
Realizing his rudeness he extends a hand to Kendra. "'Orion'. It is very good to meet you. A quite 'spiffy' jacket I must say."
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Gears whine and a click as a grumpy looking dwarf in a custom modified suit of powered armor enters the room. Looking over the rest of the team he says, "What a bunch of sorry looking misfits. We are all definitely going to buy a farm on this mission. The chances of us coming back are practically zero I'd say. Hope you all have life insurance because we are all going to die."
he group has been invited by Venture Captain Naiaj to meet in the 'quiet room'
Quiet Rooms are being used for urgent and ultra-secretive missions.
A guard in sealed black armor stands in front of a nondescript door as it slides open.
“This way please,” he says dispassionately, pointing inside. The foyer has two countertops adorned with bins. “Please leave your comm units and other devices here. Use of scrying and communication magic is prohibited in this facility.”
You can go in the dispassionate guard says to each of the adventurers as they ditch their electronic equipment. Analog means are allowed, though you need permission from the VC should you want to record anything.
Inside the quiet room, the walls of this room are made of a slick, polished white ceramic like material. A large, framed photograph of a desert mesa adorns one wall. The doors leading from the foyer close, and pearl-colored light beams from the wall scan over everybody in the room while a low grumbling noise emanates from beneath the floor.
After a minute of this, the lights turn off and the noise stops. The doors opposite the foyer slide open, revealing a dark blue metal room. In the center stands a plain metal table with several chairs. On the opposite side of that table sits a pale female gnome with a stern look on her face; Venture-Captain Naiaj. That alone would be enough to confirm that, yes indeed, this will be a mission with little or no help and little or no chance of success. Another one.
“Please sit,” she says, motioning to the chairs in front of the table. “Time is precious, and we have far too little of it—perhaps none at all.”
There is a distinct feeling of disorientation on everyone as the meeting starts.
The room is heavily protected against scrying magic, which is what is causing the disorientation.
“I’ve called you today for a mission of dire importance. I apologize for all of this,” Naiaj says, gesturing to the room, requires multiple levels of secrecy, lest we risk open war.” The grimness of her tone makes it clear that this is not hyperbole.
“Years ago, we sent spy into Azlanti territory to keep tabs on what’s happening there—social movements, political propaganda, new technologies, archaeological discoveries. Not for anything sinister, but you know as well as I do that the Azlanti Star Empire is too dangerous to go unwatched.
“The agent we sent is exceptional, but during the Drift Crisis, we lost contact. By the time we reestablished comms, we’d missed his request for extraction. We don’t know exactly when it came through. The agent holds crucial information about an imminent threat from the Empire. Even if he didn’t, we take care of our own. If our agent is alive, we must do whatever we can to retrieve him. I maintain highest confidence in our spy, but we can’t rule out the worst.
“So I’m dispatching you to the Azlanti Star Empire to retrieve the undercover Starfinder, a man who goes by Felthaum Pixilu. If he’s alive, bring him back. If he’s not, see if you can retrieve his findings. But remember, utmost secrecy is vital, and we can’t rescue you if you’re caught. If the Azlanti learn that the Starfinders have infiltrated their Empire, it could spark open war between them and the Pact Worlds. As far as the rest of the Society is concerned, you’re not on this mission. It doesn’t exist.”
“Infiltrating Azlanti space is not a simple task. The Azlanti Star Empire loves its paperwork and bureaucracy, so you’ll need proper credentials and an Azlanti ship with proper registration. You’ll get that in Atuity, a city at the fringes of the Empire that’s far enough away from the central authority of the Star Imperator that it’s a bit more open and tolerant than the rest of Azlanti space. You’ll meet with your contact, a screedreep named Mohaul, on the outskirts of the city, in the Tangles Airport. Tell him you’re ‘looking for interesting fruit’ and he’ll know who you are. He’ll provide you with faked credentials and an Azlanti starship. From Atuity, you’ll travel into the heart of the Star Empire, New Thespera, where you’ll look for Felthaum in the city of Eronesse. He might already be dead. Either way, your secondary objective is to see if Felthaum made us any more friends behind enemy lines. He almost certainly had contacts there—see if you can find us a new ally. They might even help you locate our missing friend.
“It’s safer for everyone if I don’t give you Felthaum’s real name, but I’ll provide you with his last known place of residence, his place of employment, and the location of the extraction point. It’s not a lot, but it should be enough for agents of your skill.” Naiaj pauses, scanning the room with a cool expression on her face.
“I’m sure you have some questions.”
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Orion calmly agrees to Naiaj's request and leaves his comms outside. The gnome is a stern VC, but he's always found her professional and rarely makes requests without good reasons.
His calm vanishes as Naiaj outlines her mission brief. "Azlant." the solarian says to himself very quietly. "I've heard of their 'civilized' coating around their barbarism. But so far have been fortunate enough to not have the pleasure of meeting it face to face."
Orion looks to the venture-captain. "What can you tell us of Felthaum?" "And can this Mohaul be vouched for? Is his willingness to undermine the Empire out of noble sentiment or merely for credit?"
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Kōlēfō asks permission to take notes on paper.
"Ooh, trippy." The skittermander sits not-quite-still and listens to the briefing.
"What kind of spy family would we be if we left our own to whatever fate the Azlanti had for them?
"Anything special I need to know in order to blend in? It doesn't sound like the sort of place where we can expect to find a lot of tourists."
"Also, I should introduce my companion, Kvadroz. He is on detached duty with me for the duration of this mission. And is no fun at parties."
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"I may 'blend in', but my actions may need to be more limited." Orion says with a deep frown. The android turns to his colleagues. "The Azlanti do not recongize machine sentience of any sort. Whatever our cover is as a group, mine will be as one of your property."
The dark mote hovering by Orion glows into a more colorful red and quavers as the android tries to downplay his anger.
0-Rion is the first to bring the latest news on Atuity, which is quickly confirmed by Benoit.
Atuity is the lone city on the world Khetaria, itself the only planet in the Adladwe system. It’s at the edge of the Azlanti Star Empire. It’s said to be a bit more tolerant of foreigners than other places in Azlanti space.
During the Drift Crisis, a new Drift lane opened near Atuity and brought a vesk battlecruiser with it. The Vesk and the Azlanti on Atuity have an uneasy peace that could shatter at any moment.
Atuity is relatively lax in its interpretation of Azlanti edicts. There are rumors of an independence movement in the city. Even in the main part of the Empire, there is some disapproval of the Star Imperator’s rule and aggressive decisions.
Naiaj looks a bit non-plussed at Benoit I do recall you signing up as a volunteer to the Society, and you've been on many succesful missions. I can always arrange a transfer to the Liavara home patrol, if that is what you prefer.
Mohaul would be as much in danger as you are, and it's best to treat him with care and respect. Don't drag him into anything that he shouldn't be dragged into.
The less you know of Felthaum's identity at this point, the better. Mohaul will provide you with locations and identities, as well as the right credentials to bear arms.
Espionage gear is good. I encourage you to not treat this as a brute force mission, but certainly keep yourselves armed and prepared. You might want to look into whatever surveillance gear you have available as well.”
You’re also going to want to be mindful of the tensions between the Azlanti troops and the Vesk contingent that landed there during the Drift Crisis. The ruler of the planet does a good job keeping the peace, but the Azlanti that came rushing in as backup don’t have the same level heads, I hear.”
With the undercover mission comes an undercover ship - I've managed to get you a CompEnt Windfall. It's a fine ship, mostly automated, and officially not in our possession. On board you'll find the coordinates to the Adladwe system.
Travel aboard the ship is comfortable, owing to the luxurious interior of the ship. From space, Khetaria is a luscious, verdant green planet punctuated with pockets of cerulean. Locked above it in a geosynchronous dance are two warships, one a sleek, green battlecruiser and the other angular, red and bristling with weapons.
The green ship is Ascendant Paragon, an Azlanti Sovereign Vindicator battlecruiser. The other is the Red Clarion, a Veskarium Vindicus Tyrant battlecruiser that was deposited here during the Drift Crisis. It looks like both ships are in a tense standoff, and it's not even clear if they are noticing the Starfinder ship.
Though there is no hail to the CompEnt Windfall vessel, the tension in the sky can be felt, gun of both vessels trained on eachother and targets locked. All it takes is a little flash to light the barrel of gunpowder. Quantum is not providing it - the only barrel she does is a barrel roll, which is enough to slink past the two ships unseen.
Quantum K lands the vessel safely at the Tangles airport. The Tangles hosts a chaotic swirl of species, vegetation, and trade, especially in the Rows, a massive stretch of stands and vendors selling all manner of goods. Here, vesk, Aeon Guard, and a dozen other species all walk the same Empire streets without bloodshed or conflict— though the atmosphere remains tense with the ever-present shadow of the warships above.
The data provided by Naiaj says to look for a cluster of red stars inside a black circle signifying Mohaul’s stand. Even in the chaos, it’s easy enough to find. A, shaggy, screedreep with large green eyes mans the stand. Cloaked in drab green cloth, he says to all who pass by: “Mohaul has the finest food in the Tangles. Many you have tasted and loved, and many that you have never tasted before! All of Kehtaria’s wild tastes can be yours for a price!
Mohaul looks a bit cagey when Kolefo approaches him and says “Interesting fruit, you say? Are you sure you would not like this plain fruit, or perhaps a vegetable with a reliable taste instead?”
“Interesting fruit I have in abundance. Like, for instance, I have these wonderful, sweet tasting fruits that as far as I know have never been seen or tasted before. You seem like connoisseurs, so I know you’ll appreciate them.
Mohaul reaches under the stand and presents a set of bulbous yellow fruits with crusted, spiked shells.
“I would not open that fruit here if I were you,” he continues, “but accessing the fruit—and all it offers—is as simple as pressing firmly in a soft spot on the shell. You’ll find that everything, uh, clicks into place?”
Mohaul waits for a moment and then extends a hand. “You were told by our mutual friends that these are expensive fruits, no? I think we should hurry this transaction up so we can conclude our business and I can close the stand.
Mohaul hears Toivayan's mutters and says “I would go to dock G6-VTR. I think that there is a nice private place to enjoy fruit and find some, err, transportation, when you bore of Atuity’s entertainments.”
With a subtle move, the transaction is completed. Mohaul closes his stand, collapsing a few legs and storing it in a nearby locker reserved for the vendors. “Well friends, given your excellent tastes in fruit, I bid you farewell. Please see me again sometime!” He hoists his bag of fruits over his back and walks away.
Mohaul makes it about halfway across the street when he and several other vendors and bystanders suddenly find themselves in the middle of a shouting match between members of the Aeon Guard and a group of Veskarium soldiers. Both groups are heavily armed, though no one has drawn weapons—yet.
Cede vim Aeonis, ovi stratis the conversation starts, and what follows is an escalation of obscenities and profanities, including various references to Vesk and Human anatomy. There isn’t enough space for both groups of about a dozen people to pass, but both sides also refuse to budge.
Cede to the Aeon force, you egg-layers
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"Keeping our heads down is vital, but Kendra is right. We may be able to calm this without drawing blades or rifles." Orion whispers.
Stepping out towards the vesk party, the android speaks out in Vesk to one of the standoffish soldiers. "It's a hot and humid day here isn't it? Do you want to grab some shade and have a drink to cool down? How about Quvero? Many of the vesk I've served with seemed to love the enjoy it, I'm sure there's a vendor around who is carrying some."
In vino veritas et bene locutus. the Aeon guard commander speaks to Quantum K. The Vesk are no less receptive to an offer of drink Ха! Мы пристрелим блондинку в другой раз!
Stopping for a brief round of (separate) drinks, the tense situation has been resolved, which is only for the better for the merchants around here. Mohaul even comes out of hiding to thank the group You did well with those guards, that could have become very messy. I'd have to warn you, you've drawn quite a bit of attention to yourselves. You might want to hurry up, or the fruits might spoil...
At the dock, it doesn’t take long to examine the fruit and find a button embedded just under the its artificial shell. Pressing the button causes the fruit to click open, revealing in each fruit an Azlanti Star Empire ID card and Empire-coded credstick with about 1,500 credits on it. One of the fruits has a passcode with a label 'Forlorn Departure'
The Forlorn Departure is a Destined Traveler model, a simple merchant class ship with minimal weapon and defensive systems.
As the group moves around the dock, two Aeon Guards approach the ship, guns in hand. “Where do you think you’re going?” one asks rudely.