"Hmmm duct tape and quick bond won't be all I need for a job like this boss" Cherry says as she looks it over and begins to record the machines with her tablet.
"Lots of math and smashing for parts.But still doable with enough time.You Joyride, how about some caffine and food brought here as I work! Also if you guys want to give me some tools I'll see what I can do!" She says excited even with a hint of concern.
From Vaëlorin, give me a Physical Sciences and a Computers roll.
From Cherry, give me an Engineering and a Computers roll.
Cherry excitedly gets to work loving to get in on the old tech and delve into its secrets.
+1 w/Multicomp
Beginning with theory, Vaëlorin exactly what means the device is using to create a pocket dimension with limited access tapping into the planet's own gravity, similar to the way a Drift engine uses gravitational forces to cause a Drift entry. It's a complex and alien science; nothing like this was ever successfully produced on any real scale in the Diasporum.
Given that information, Cherry's able to deduce, with a couple pointers from Burlap, what steps need to be taken in the system to cause a temporarily lag in the transfer, bringing the planet fully back to real space based on a signal from her rig. This shift will time-out after a limited time, leaving the colonists safely back within their bubble.
"So we should get schematics, as this is far more successful than other prototypes! Think about it, Phase Shifting!!! Space combat would be revolutionized with the Cyleerin, phase out of link, then phase back in and blast them in surprise!!!" Cherry says excitedly to Vaelorin.
"And we could get ourselves prestige amongst all our peers in the caravan!" Cherry then blinks and looks at the others.
'Oh, we can get back. And give our friends here better control of the phase and whatnot."
Vaëlorin straightens slowly from the ancient console, fingers still lightly resting on the dust-worn surface as if reluctant to break contact with the machinery that had finally yielded its secrets.
"Cherry is correct—this system is not merely functional, it is elegant," he says, voice low with a rare note of awe. "The device is borrowing the planet’s own gravitational geometry, shaping it the way a master sculptor coaxes form from marble. The Drift twists gravity to pierce the veil; this machine bends it sideways, folding us into a resonance pocket."
He gestures in a graceful arc, tracing an invisible waveform.
"Your adjustments, Cherry… they will work. A controlled desynchronization. A brief window where the pocket loosens its grip."
He glances toward the group, his expression composed but the eyes bright with intellectual fire.
"In that window, Juce can return to his Raptor. We can reach the Betty. Any colonists who wish to leave may walk beside us. Once we depart, the system recloses and their sanctuary remains intact."
A small, wry smile touches his lips.
"No apocalyptic insect stampede, no tragic last stands. Merely… careful timing and a very old machine doing what it was built to do."
Cherry’s talk of prestige and phase-shifting warfare pulls a soft chuckle from him.
"As for weaponizing this… Cherry, my friend, let us perhaps avoid becoming footnotes in some future treatise titled 'The Twenty-Seven Ways Technicians Broke the Universe.'"
He taps the console affectionately.
"But the theory? Worth studying. With the colonists' permission, and after we are safely home, I would very much like to document the device. Preferably without disassembling it while we are still inside it."
He folds his hands behind his back, tone turning pragmatic.
"For now, we should speak to their elders. A plan exists… but we will need their consent—and their timing—to make it real."
"Aww, come on Vael, you know we could revolutionize our existence! Not only in warfare but in travel and in defense of a planet like here!! SO many applications...and the systems and BUILDS!!! THE BUILDS VAEL, THE BUILD!!!" She says, grabbing the elf's clothes and picking him up a bit to stare passionately in his face, the sheer joy of building such devices stirring her engineer's soul to life!
Cherry has copied the schematics of the device into her custom rig. It will be incredibly difficult to replicate, but the Vesk mechanic welcomes a challenge.
Having convinced the Elders to allow this attempt, you find yourself now at The Betty in the Drift-adjacent dimension. The Jace radios back that he has arrived at The Raptor and is prepared to take off once the temporary phase-shift happens. You'll have about 5 minutes to reach the upper atmosphere before the bubble turns back on, and those inside it are once again safe in the bubble.
Surprisingly, none of the colonists choose to accompany you back to the fleet. They seem to have adjusted to their life here; they are happy to give you a log of their time on the planet, however, as a historical record for the Diasporum Fleet to remember the colony.
Burlap climbs into the turret and heats it up. If he has a chance to bring real destruction on some of those bugs or any sort of nest they make, he figures it would be a service to all sentient races.
Taking to the air, Joyride takes them over the forest, following Jace and the Raptor into the upper atmosphere. Burlap is disappointed to find no easy target of insectoids as The Betty leaves.
Having been warned about the Cyleerin threat, and given information on how to control the warp device, the Eidolon 3 colonists are in good position to defend themselves should Cyleerin scout ships take an interest.
Calculating the Drift path back to the Fleet, Jace and the crew of The Betty head back, having completed the mission and gotten some valuable scientific information, as well.
END ADVENTURE
Adventure 4: KNIVES IN THE VOID
The slow pulse of thrusters and the low chatter of fleet comm traffic fill the bridge of The Black Betty as she glides back toward her berthing vessel. Around her, the renegade Diasporum fleet stretches into the void—patched freighters, converted haulers, and a handful of scarred warships all limping along toward the planet Golarion, only the vaguest of legends to guide them. It isn’t pretty, but it’s familiar. It almost feels routine.
Status lights blink green across everyone's consoles. The stars wheel slowly as the Betty approaches. Then, without warning, the alarms scream.
Again? things Alzura incredulously. This is the third Cyleerin ambush in as many weeks, though the number of fighters involved is much larger this time.
Contacts blossom across the sensors—fast, erratic, and closing at attack speed. A heartbeat later, your viewscreen fills with streaks of ion fire as several dozen sleek, jagged fighters tear out of the dark. Cyleerin. Their hulls glow with cruel bioluminescent veins as they dive straight into the heart of the fleet, and chaos erupts.
Ships scatter, some trying to form defensive lines, others breaking in blind panic. Explosions ripple through the void as random vessels are attacked, their drives and weapon pods punched apart in bursts of light. Fleet-wide distress calls overlap into a wall of noise. And then, right off your starboard side, the sanitation vessel—an ungainly workhorse everyone jokingly calls the “garbage scow”—takes a direct hit. For a split second, its shields flare bright blue; then they fail. The ship ruptures in a violent bloom of fire and debris, its hull tearing open as waste containers, twisted plating, and shattered lifeboats tumble into space. The transmission cuts off mid-scream. Where the vessel had been moments before, there is only a spreading cloud of wreckage.
The bridge of The Betty goes dead silent. The threat display is lighting up with incoming vectors. The Cyleerin fighters are fanning out, some already turning toward you. The fleet's Raptor patrol is just beginning to respond.
Whatever chances this was going to be a quiet return to berth are over.
Roll for initiative.
Burlap is already sprinting toward the ladder to the turret. "Let's get after them!"
"They're everywhere! Orders, Captain!"
Combat Map at top of page updated.
Betty has initiative (I rolled off-line). Act first, or force them to act first?
'I hate being surrounded. I swear if they damage this ship I will have to destory them!!!" She says as she growls quickly grabbing her gear.
Alzura grumbles, somewhat hungover, irritated by the cylereen's poor timing as usual. "Let them come to us." She yawns. Like a mighty, lazy cat, they will let their prey come to them and if not, go back to sleep.
The Cyleerin fighters continue their strafing run on the agricultural vessel next to The Betty. Explosions plume as vented atmosphere ignites.
Two more appear in the near distance as the others move past. Vaelorin detects the one closest to straight ahead is changing its targeting computers to aim at The Betty, though the other is still targeting the agri-ship.
Burlap is already spooling up the cannons when he hears the captain’s announcement over the comms. ”Let them come?! And if they don’t, then what? Just let them chew through the fleet? Joyride, get after them!”
Burlap trains both guns on the furthest target off their nose and fires.
SP: 24 / 24
HP: 23 / 23
RP: 5 / 5
Bullets Total Rounds (75): xxx
Clips (3):
Rounds (12 rnds/clip):
Batteries Total Charges (98):
Pistol Batts (2):
> Charges (20 chg/batt):
Rifle Batts (1):
> Charges (40 chg/batt): xx
Sniper Batts (1):
> Charges (10 chg/batt):
Effects:
condition – effect – Rnd x of y
herry assumes her station, tools ready and gear neatly packed away.
"I am ready and at my station!" Cherry says as she begins to type away, checking the incoming information for all engineering monitors and sensors.
Both of Burlap's shots strike home, causing obvious damage to the hull of the approaching fighter.
Captain, LT is right... permission to engage and defend that vessel, Sir!
"Very well. Move to run interference or something."
"Recommend sending a message to the fleet, Captian!" Cherry says as she begins to work at the console!
The ship zips out from her current line of travel and zips downward, ducking under the approaching enemy vessel before arching sideways toward the damaged vessel next to you.
The Cyleerin fighter manages to fire a torpedo at The Betty as she swoops past.
The torpedo explodes harmlessly off your rear starboard, though close enough the shock wave causes some shaking.
Round 2
Betty Initiative:
Cyleerin Fighters:
Despite his clear piloting superiority, The oncoming Cyleerin vessels get "the drop" on The Betty. Fortunately only two seem interested in her, as the rest move on through the fleet.
At this point, Vaelorin is hearing comm chatter on the Fleet's military channel. Diasporum Raptors are on their way.
The fighter you damaged is looping back for you, but won't be able to fire this turn. The other, an incoming (just forward and starboard), fires its lasers as it approaches. The updated Map is after their actions.
Betty's action.
"Do a... loop! Bring us around behind them, get 'em in sight of our main guns!" Alzura orders the pilort.
Burlap waits until Joyride has an enemy in front of their nose before firing both weapons.
A loop... really..?
Woohoo! Even I thought that was crazy. Fire at will!
Burlap's shots appear to go wide, but the particle beam manages to graze the oncoming fighter's hull, dropping it's forward shields and etching a line into its hull.
At that instant, Joyride flies just under the oncoming fighter and does a tight loop about, angling the thrusters with a precision the best AI would be envious of.
Whoa... we're good. Light'em up LT, everyone gets a... kiss. Or kiss'em twice. You do you!
Joyride is in full effect.
Cherry begins to work her magic, scaled digits working the display to increase shield strength.
"Reinforcing the shields"
"Fire quantum torpedoes!"
”Pick a target, Joy, and let’s put him down. Just keep our nose at him.”
"Fire quantum torpedoes!"
The order was total nonsense but it was, nevertheless, quite encouraging. He takes a bead on the fighter at the business end of both guns and fires. ”Torpedoes away!” The coilgun definitely impacts the small vessel.
The particle beam misses its mark, but the coilgun's sights are dead on. The Cyleerin fighter explodes in a fireball.
The first one you hit loops back around and fires as it approaches you.
As the vessels continue through the fleet, the Raptors finally start to arrive. In the comm, you hear Juce Digly's familiar voice as his Raptor flies through the wreckage of another Cyleerin vessel.
"Black Betty, thanks for handling the opening volley for us. Wyvern Squadron can take it from here."
Cherry will spin up her tabs ready for possible power needs.
Burlap switches to the ship’s private comms channel. ”Did he ask us to stand down? What kind of sky-boy crap is that?! Let’s bag a few more. Nobody backseats Betty!”
He hears LT, looks at the Captain over his shoulder.
Roger that, Wyvern Leader... but, would you mind if we stayed a bit longer?
We'll stay out of your way. Just want to pay our debts.
"Absolutely, Betty! I welcome the assist; switch to military channel 327."
Cyleerin:
Raptors:
"Forward Shields were hit, I can try and compensate?" She says as she continues looking at the systems and power fluctuations.
Please do, Cherry... Joyride maneuvers to give LT the best shot at a damaged Cyleerin fighter.
All yours, LT! Light'im up!