For weeks, Absalom Station's news circuit has been dominated by a series of high-profile antiquities and art thefts perpetrated by a gang of violent Starfinders. An investigation by Radaszam, leader of the Acquisitives faction of the Starfinder Society, quickly determined these Starfinders were imposters. Determined to catch the audacious crooks and restore the good name of the Starfinder Society in one swoop, Radaszam has teamed up with AbadarCorp and Station Security to enact a sting operation, designed to publicly catch the true culprits red-handed. On Radaszam’s orders, a team of Starfinders are dispatched to find and infiltrate the gang of Starfinder imposters, uncover the mastermind behind their audacious plot, and bring them down—all while making a good impression on any media that arrive on the scene! The reputation of the Starfinder Society is in your hands!
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...boot sequence initiated....
Error P0427... Data corruption... Error P0880 ... System power low...
"Ahhh, she's awake"
"How long have I been offline?"
"We found you floating in our salvage claim. Hard to say. Months maybe?" As her eyesight came online she could see a Ysoki with goggles staring down at her.
"I need to get back to Absolom"
"Oh, we don't go to the station. We can take you as far as the Diaspora. But you were in our claim, technically you're ours."
"There's laws against that now, you know"
The Android Kat5e makes her way to answer the summon of Radaszam after finally making her way back to the station and updating her status to active duty. I sure hope this is a mission and not some kind of attendance counselling meeting.
She dumps herself in a seat to wait, and brushes the long hair on the top of her head down over her face to cover her glowing circuitry and tattoos. She is wearing a battered and patched leather jacket and heavy black boots over her lightweight armour.
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A smiling Tiefling, clad in black heavy armor, bearing the holy symbol of Besmara enters the place. At her side a simple laser pistol and no other weapons. But you see that she has a toolbag with different used bits and part of computers and other electronic devices.
Howdy! I'm Ysh'yall, but you can call me Ysh' if you want.
She sits lazily, puts her feet on the table and casually asks What's the mission?
Today, we start in the Lorespite complex, in a hemispherical staging room, with faux marble columns encircling a collection of wooden crates. Each crate is spray-painted with a stenciled label reading “First Seeker Ilyastre Memorial Museum.” Crumpled brown paper and foam packing peanuts surround a collection of antique-looking tools, ceremonial garb, and archaic technological devices, all in the process of being packed up for transport or storage by Radaszam, leader of the Acquisitives faction, and his team of scholars.
Radaszam handles an obsidian handaxe with a small label dangling from its pommel. “Looks genuine, right?” he asks, inspecting the axe under the bright artificial lights. “It’s a replica. Here’s hoping it’s real enough to fool a thief that thinks they know about what we do.”
Radaszam places the axe back into a box and steps aside, revealing a shirren in a sharp charcoal business suit. “Starfinders, some of you may know Philt, one of our contacts with AbadarCorp. He’s here to help us out with a growing problem.” The shirren nods as Radaszam continues. “A few weeks ago, the media started reporting on a string of supposed Starfinder operations throughout the Spike: stealing historical relics, attacking suspected gang members in the streets, even robbing local businesses and passersby. It didn’t take long for me to confirm that our agents weren’t pulling any of these stunts, which means we’ve got a band of phony Starfinders on the Station making us take the heat for their crimes.”
Philt’s telepathic baritone chimes in. “Surveillance technology suggests some of the perpetrators are lower-class citizens of the Station, not Starfinders themselves but outfitted in convincing Starfinder attire. The quality of their fakes rule out low-budget impersonators, and their consistency in hitting specific gangs in localized areas indicates a level of coordination. Radaszam suspects these bogus Starfinders are concealing the operations of a local gang, although we haven’t landed on which one it might be.”
Radaszam cracks his knuckles. “We could track down and stamp out whichever gang is doing this with ease, but we’ve learned that doing the right thing doesn’t always translate into people believing you did the right thing. We can’t just stop these fakers; we need to catch them red-handed in a way so dramatic that it changes the narrative. That’s why Station Security, Philt, and I are putting together our own phony artifact transport, tracked right into the arms of a sting operation staged in front of the waiting media. Your job is to infiltrate the gang, figure out their angle, identify their leader, and help them take the bait. If your new friends talk about a hit near the Plenara building, you’ll know that’s our trap. Simple enough?”
Philt replies, “There are dozens of criminal groups on Absalom Station who might be behind this. We know these imposters possess some knowledge of the Starfinder Society, but it’s pretty surface-level information. We have yet to determine why they’ve chosen you as cover for their misdeeds.
“We believe the fake Starfinders are using Danglespore Grove as a meeting place. It’s a public garden on Level 24 of the Spike that’s considered neutral territory—that is to say, no gang counts it as part of their holdings.”
Radaszam nods, adding, “You should be able to pick up their trail from there.”
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Embri hellknight armiger in dark heavy armor emits a low muffled breathing . A murky dot of absolute darkness, like a small black hole, rotates near its left shoulder, endlessly absorbing light. Its mask is hiding the whole face and covered with infernal runes, and there is something frightening and inept in its very manner of movement.
Finally, a case worthy of me. My name is K'ssatak-Sul. I am the Hellknight and I act according to the precepts of Measure and Chain. I exist to bring law and order and here I am.
It mints these words like a hammer on an anvil. Voice sounds a bit strange, as if the organs under the mask are not intended for a common language. There is no emotion in the way it speaks - it just gives you information without bragging or threatening.
It looks at Ysh'yaal and her Besmara symbol and just as dispassionately remarks, no lawlessness in my shift. Then K'ssatak-Sul nods to those with whom he has already traveled, trying to avoid equally joy or any negativity in his manners towards them.
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"Dang..." says Liftt as Kssatak waddles into the room.
"Gonna be easy trying to infiltrate a gang with a Hellknight..."
Another shirren works her way into the room. This one is female and casts an exasperated glance at Liftt. "You're not free of me yet. Where you go. I go."
"ahh. ahh. ohh.. okay.." says the slightly deflated Liftt.
"Hi, ahh,... everyone this is Jancrest.."
She directs a pointed stare at him as if he is forgetting to mention something of significance. But with a resolute look to his face, he remains silent.
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Danglespore grove is of the 24th level of the spike Radaszam responds, and its not know as a particularly lawless area, but gangs are know to use it as a meeting area. Neutral turf of sorts.
Danglespore Grove is a ramshackle public garden for non-photosynthetic plants located on Level 24 of the Spike. The garden’s community leader, an ysoki named Elroot, has spent years making the place a safe zone from gang violence. As a result, gang members sometimes use it as a neutral zone for communicating and trading.
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Jancrast mentions "Danglespore Grove is a ramshackle public garden for non-photosynthetic plants located on Level 24 of the Spike. The garden’s community leader, an ysoki named Elroot, has spent years making the place a safe zone from gang violence. As a result, gang members sometimes use it as a neutral zone for communicating and trading.
Lifft also knows that some of the locals who live near Danglespore Grove have mentioned recruitment efforts by the Starfinder Society. These efforts don’t align with any Society initiative, but some people have apparently expressed interest in the Society’s mission. The Starfinder recruiter is a lashunta woman who’s been seen sporadically and is hard to impress.
Ysh'yaal plugs her library chip into her datapad, and comes up with another piece of interesting info:
Some of the supposed Starfinders’ victims have been members of the Level 21 Crew and the Six Tip Gang, ruling those groups out as conspirators.
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The group moves down to Level 24 of the Spike, where Danglespore Grove is clearly marked as a public garden. The garden’s three-story quad is distinctly urban despite its function, with plastic buckets acting as makeshift planters for various species of non-photosynthetic plants and fungi, and the railings and walkways slick with intermittent sprinkler spray from an exposed irrigation system. Several handmade metal devices spaced among the tangle of vines and creepers house benign chemical reactions that produce a hot sticky mist, creating a greenhouse effect despite having no visible sunlight.
There's a female ysoki on crutches making her rounds to the many planters in the garden, meticulously testing the soil with colored paper strips and trimming excess growth with her custom microlab, which is built into the arm crutches she uses to walk.
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Jancrast, rather than Liftt approaches Dssatak-Sul. "In order to root our the source of the lawlessness, it will be necessary to not publicly lynch the first malefactors we find." she starts.
"But rather gain their trust and follow them to the true source of the Chaos. Kind of like a sting operation... You may need to keep your affiliation with the Helllknights suppressed at least initially."
Liftt takes a seat in the gardens a minute or two ahead of where he thinks the elderly ysoki might end up. Jancrast offers him a smile and sits down next to him, they engage in small<<talk>> for a while until the old lady arrives at a planter near them.
"T' thhose are ingenious devices you have there." says Liftt. Janbcrast gives him a sigh and leans forward to whisper "Just the sort of thing a Starfinder might invent. We heard they were recruiting here. Are you part of the test?"
"T' thhose are ingenious devices you have there." says Liftt. Janbcrast gives him a sigh and leans forward to whisper "Just the sort of thing a Starfinder might invent. We heard they were recruiting here. Are you part of the test?"
The old ysoki looks like she could use some help with the garden. She doesn't seem to appreciate the direct question, though, and just frowns and shakes her head, mumbling something under her breath ...kids these days...
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Kat leans against a railing nearby the other starfinders and takes in the scene. She regards the hellknight with some interest. This guy is intense.... I like him. she finally decides. She also watches Liftt's CAAMC with amusement.
She looks down at her old battered leather jacket, her battle scarred armour and her numerous visible tattoos. Well, at least I pass as a gang member...
"We're trying to change... please, can you help us?"
The elderly ysoki is about to whack Lifft over the head with a crutch, but when Ysh'yaal mentions help, and when Lifft positions himself quite eloquently, she seems to mellow up.
Yeees she says with croaking voice these crates need to be moved, pointing to some nasty heavy crates with the kind of soft smile that only opportunistic elderly ysoki can summon. When the crates are moved she says There's a lashunta lady with big pauses of course, old people are that slow who comes here and not in any hurry every fifthday oh, c'mon, get a move on already and seventhday.
She stops for a moment, wondering if she should point out that today is indeed a seventhday, but then just settles on she should be here any moment now...
That seems to be all there air she wants to spend for now, only adding Tifori, what kind of name is that anyway? Kids these days...
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Two hours - with the slowness of the elderly ysoki a reasonable timespan for 'any moment now' - later a lashunta woman does indeed arrive. She's wearing a pristine white flight jacket, with a green hoodie, and takes a casual walk around the garden before settling on a bench with a beverage
from Black Hole Coffee (tm) (antimatter roast, from the smell of it)
After few moment Tifori gets up, and concentrates briefly, then answers Ysh'yaal I'm always looking for people with the right talent. What do you have to show for yourself?
To Cha'mon she says great cups too, nothing ever leaks out
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I have many talents. You'd better not question them.
There is something gloomy in the indifference of his words.
Perhaps she's remembering the old saying that there are three types of killers. For the first, murder is an event, it is difficult for them to force themselves to commit it. The latter enjoy killing and kill easily, but still it means something to them, even if it is something pleasant. And the third type is those for whom it does not mean anything at all, for them to kill another is like making a sandwich for breakfast. They are the most dangerous type because this act on their part cannot be predicted. Just a spontaneous action that will be forgotten in a minute.
Bad thoughts and bad forebodings...
Tifori, who so far has had a fairly cool and distant demeanour, flinches slightly when K'ssatak-Sul makes his presence known, and taps a finger on a laser gun, making a hollow sound Easy, easy. I'm not here to anger you. I see you have skills she adds, also nodding at Liftt's skills but joining the Starfinder Society also requires dedication. If you think you have what it takes, then I have a first mission for you. A 'commencement' so to say.
There's a vidscreen repair shop two blocks away, called 'JaViRe's', which I'm told is short for 'Jadalix' Vidscreen Repair Shop'. When you go there you'll find that Jadalix isn't particularly... keen on the Starfinder Society. He has anti-posters all over his shop. I want you to convince Jadalix to take down these slanderous posters and get him to... cooperate with us in all future endeavours. There's something about the way she said 'cooperate' that makes your hair rise. Exactly how you convince him is up to you. I'm sure you have the right result-driven creativity.
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JaviRe's storefront features a few quite harsh propaganda posters. One of them is an original recruitment poster over which the word 'No' has been painted. There's also a lifesize cardboard cutout of the iconic Pact World Warriors team with stickered-on slanderous allusions to the character of each participant, none of which particularly flattering.
The phrasing is in such strong language that even recording them on your comm unit already triggers the infosphere's censoring filters, replacing all strong words with pictures of puppies.
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Liftt looks worriedly at the posters and then at Jancrast.
"Don't give me that look." she says. "You're the starfinder not me."
With a sigh Liftt heads through the door, while Jancrast takes out a tablet to take notes.
"ahh, ahh. hh. hello?" he stammers.
Pointing to the posters he asks. "D' did you make them yourself? Are you not a fan of the Starfinders?"
Not a fan, Jadalix responds, and neither should you be! Haven't you seen the news? The Data Scourge, that was them! And what happened on Pact World Warriors, who could ever forget that! That Zoey Strawberry is a total puppies!
And to make matters worse, they're complete racketeers! They've been bullying me, and other shop owners in the area, the puppies! Nice shop, they say, would be a pity if something would happen to it, they say.
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Kat spots the Pact World Warriors poster before entering the store. Before entering the uses her hand to brush the long hair of her Mohawk down and over part of her face again. So much for undercover
And to make matters worse, they're complete racketeers! They've been bullying me, and other shop owners in the area, the puppies! Nice shop, they say, would be a pity if something would happen to it, they say.
"Do you think it's wise to broadcast these posters when they are threatening you, don't you think that might make you more of a target? Place you in danger?
Well, the one that caused it was a Starfinder, no? Jadalix retorts, But yeah, maybe you're right about them being victims as well. But they're still crooks! I don't like it that they threaten me!
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Jancrast nods. "Everything we have seen about Starfinders so far has been good. Maybe... well.. maybe those people claiming to be Starfinders... arn't?"
"Like... did they show you proper id, or did they just swan up and all 'I'm a Starfinder, so you can polish my boots.'"
The lovely(for a shiren) Jancrast gives the real Starfinders a bit of Hard Look (tm) when she says this, as if perhaps, just perhaps, sometimes Starfinders do act that way.
Well, I never say no to help Jadalix says.
Jadalix seems unconvinced by all the talk Just words, what do I have to show for it?
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...booting diplomatic subroutines...
...loading failed, error P0984...
...would you like to send a service request? Y/N... You have selected No....
...behavioural subroutines error, emotional regulation offline....
If Kat was capable of breathing, she would let out a sigh. She's not moving boxes for this guy. Anger bubbles up inside of her that she can't contain.
"Are we asking you for money?"
She will move over to the cardboard cutout of the Pact World Warriors team and drag it over to the counter, knocking aside a post it note reading "Programmed to kill" off of her likeness. No doubt the shouts of the store owners protests echo along with the sound of the display screeching along the floor.
"What you have to show for it is slander against my character. I know exactly what happened on that show, do you? Or did you just browse the infoshpere for your misinformation? If you knew your head from your seat you'd know that you were surrounded by highly decorated individuals fighting for your freedom of expression to display your trash posters. Maybe a group investigating exactly what is happening to yourself and others might come in asking these same questions, instead of low level thuggery like extortion."
She whips her credstick out. "How much have they drained you for. I will happily pay for your silence and to take down these ridiculous posters, with the promise that soon this will no longer be a concern for you."
"Take down the posters"
She waves the credstick at Jadalix, fully aware that her tactic may not exactly be improving the store owner's perception of the starfinder society, but also not being fully capable of caring.
W.w...what? You're threatening me to take money? Heh? Jadalix looks very confused, and a little upset...
Okay then Jadalix says I guess that makes sense. I suppose you're not so bad after all...
He starts taking down the posters (and actually has the nerve to ask Kat5e to sign the PWW cardboard).
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Tifori seems satisfied with the result Good. I knew you had potential. Training starts tomorrow morning in the Sparks. Don't be late, or you'll have a nasty few weeks ahead of you.
At the appointed time and place, Tifori picks the PCs up at the rally point, driving a boxy, windowless hover truck emblazoned with a crooked Starfinder logo. She drives the van on winded, multi-level routes, clearly intending to obfuscate her true destination.
Hours later, the group arrives at a lodging complex surrounding one of Absalom Station’s power cells, a device that coordinates and transmits electricity from the distant Starstone Reactor to the districts along the Spike. The Starfinder sigil covers the complex’s front doors, but the architecture is plain and the site poorly maintained.
[b]Welcome to boot camp Tifori says with a grin.
Tifori leads the group inside, to a cheerful Shirren called Zizenzi. Welcome to prep camp. All recruits are expected to remain in prep camp until graduation. The first rule about prep camp... Zizenzi goes on, explaining that 'graduation' is about a month from now.
He shows around the group These are your bunks, keep them nice and tidy. These two, introducing them to a phantomite and a feychild gnome are Alyolan and Vilthrattle.
Remeber our basic rules: no theft or violence against other Starfinders, no sharing prep camp activities with the outside. Report all suspicious actions to Tifori or Nostog.
There's a specialized signal jammer limits connection to the outside world. We're here to foster team connections during training, after all.
There's a power cell over there. Touch it and you will have a bad time. Only Tifori and Nostog are allowed in the officer quarters without invitation. Also, it a room is locked rooms, it means you're not allowed in.
Alright, I've got a list of chores here, and I need each of you to pick one. I only need one volunteer per task.