Zharis understands the words, but it is pointless to translate. She evaluates the height of the hallway, and if she can use a combination of her jump jets and her falcon boots to jump up and stand on the ceiling to get a shot in, she does. Otherwise she holds her attack until she has a clear shot that won't harm any of her friends.
Zharis gives Hazl Demjit's stuff if she wants it (d-suit III with advanced retractable spike [boot], heavy sap, runic gloves), and asks her if she is trained in small arms weapons. If she is, she gives her two of her own guns, with 6 extra batteries.
--Weapon Specialization: add HALF character level to damage for small arms.
--A penetrating weapon is designed to punch through large objects’ outer layers, making it easier to damage them. A penetrating weapon ignores an amount of hardness equal to the weapon’s level.
Weapon Fusion: Called [Can be teleported to its owner’s hand as a swift action, even if the weapon is in the possession of another creature. This ability has a maximum range of 100 feet, and effects that block teleportation prevent the return of a called weapon.]
Weapon Specialization: add HALF character level to damage for small arms.
Zharis is disappointed by the way things went. She was ready to sacrifice her own life for this mission if it was the only way to save their friends, but Hazl complicates things. Keeping her alive has just become her top priority, which is likely going to distract from getting things done. But okay... Hazl gets to choose for herself.
Okay, guys. My disguise is gone. What next? she asks the rest of her team. Central room, and see how far we can make it? She places herself at the rear of the party, sticking with Hazl.
I think you should go with Rikard. It was a miracle, you two being reunited like this, and I won't stand in the way of it. We'll be okay. We have lots of resources, and ...
Here she looks straight at the camera.
we have the faith of millions cheering us on. This is our work, and we will not fail.
Zharis thinks she might have to audio over the line to the camera in post production to make it more perfect, but overall she made her point. As long as all of her newer fans don't perish in the war... which they needed to ensure.
I'm for letting Hazl go... don't want to get in the way of a miraculous reunion like that, but before I speak up in character, what do the rest of you all think?
Okay, technically you are now free, but of course that depends on us all getting out of this place alive. Do you know anything about the layout of the station that might help us find the commander with the least loss of life possible?
Oh, wait.
Zharis dismisses her disguise, which probably wasn't going to last much longer anyway.
Now do you understand? We're trying to stop the attack. Have you heard anything at all that might help?
Zharis speaks low so that it doesn't carry to the next room.
We're trying to stop the invasion, but long explanations will have to wait. Can we just get to the dock before someone else comes in here and my disguise wears off? Please?
If she gets them to leave, then she's happy to explain everything, at the dock.
Zharis gathers up the freed prisoners that don't know they are free yet and hustles them off to the dock, afraid that something else will interfere in the rescue.
She makes sure to have her regular video drone precede her into the dock area and announces herself in her own voice so that she isn't attacked by her own allies, however.
Okay. Although he really wants this fixed, and you are better at it than I am. No need for us to both go. I am sure it's just the hesper getting out. I'll call if I need you.
She heads out. Whether he follows or not is up in the air, but she has to go, either way. Not sure if you meant a full-round action, but this is not that. Just my normal action, and using my movement to go.
Wow, you are good at that. Crap, that probably means either the hesper is out and they are shooting to kill, or the security robot is attacking the Hesper Eradication team... oh, no, what if the hesper is INSIDE the security robot? Arrgh, I need to go figure out what went wrong and fix this. What a day. ... You stay here and work on those repairs and I will take care of it.
Zharis hurries out the door.
Not my turn, just a clarification about what she is doing since we know what the mechanic reaction is.
Zharis hears the sounds of battle, and gets Xylian's message.
If she has already neutralized the notice of cells being opened/closed, and the mechanic doesn't react strongly, then she says "Uh-oh, sounds like the hesper is causing more trouble. Keep going, and I'll be back shortly." Then she heads towards the battle.
If there is still a notification that she needs to take care of, or if the mechanic gets worried/stressed, then she will stay temporarily to calm things down. After all, Xylian said he would take care of it.
She takes the woman in the cell and walks her out. After she's out where Xylian and the others are, she quietly tells them to hold this one and to get the other one out, then walk them out to the ship, and she'll make sure any alarm sent to the other room is dismissed. Leaving the woman with them, she goes back in and waits for the notification of the other cell opening. If the notification only goes there, she closes it with a computer notation (resetting locks to clear hesper), or she'll explain that in San's voice if it notifies anyone else and they query the station.
Okay, I should stay here to make sure the mechanic (and robot) don't freak out, but if you guys can get them back to the ship as fast as you can (let our ship friends explain it to them) and come back, it would be better if you're here when my disguise fails.
I think we should just put this one back in her cell.
Is there a control computer in here that allows the force field to open? I think we should break her and the person in the brig out and take them out to the ship, but quiet-like, so we don't have to kill the mechanic. So, we get them out, but pretend to be bad guys to the prisoners, until we get them back to the ship and let them go.
If there is no way to disable the active field from here, Zharis gets on her comm unit and asks Xylian to do it by text.
In San's voice, Zharis says Finally. You all are the exterminators, right? There is a hesper in the system, and we need it cleaned out, now. ... Without disturbing the mechanic here, please. He's fixing some of the damage.
Clear. says Zharis (still with the voice of Sergeant San), as the lieutenant vanishes.
Hey corporal, what do you need help with?
Sorry for the delay... work is crazy. Just for the future, my bonus counts even for unfriendly: "Expert Negotiator (Ex) [You are highly skilled at convincing others and reaching amicable agreements. If a creature’s initial attitude toward you would be unfriendly, indifferent, or friendly, you instead treat its attitude as one category higher. When you fail a Diplomacy check to change the attitude of a hostile creature by 10 or less, you can attempt to change its attitude again...]"
It's too bad that this is the last chapter because I totally should have gotten a hat of disguise. That would be *perfect* for Zharis. I'm not sure why I am only thinking of it now. :) Such a missed opportunity.
In her disguised voice, Zharis responds in kind, making sure to not be too friendly, since apparently the Sergeant doesn't like this person much. Instead she is polite, but fairly neutral.
My feelings have not changed on the subject. However, there is a hesper loose on the station. Think I scared it into one of the systems in here, which may account for any glitchiness you have seen. We need to let the experts in here to take care of the problem.
They tell me the process takes 2-4 hours, which likely means 4-6. Why don't you take a break, and come back after we've got the system cleared out. It looks like your prisoner is secure, and perhaps she will get to meet a hesper while you are gone.
Bluff:1d20 + 21 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 21 + (6) + 2 = 38 Disguise is still at +38, but if I need to roll again, just let me know, or do it for me. Spell lasts 110 minutes, at which point my disguise only goes down by 10, but I won't look like Sergeant San, and you've already established that they are likely to recognize me.
Assuming that the double doors are the way to the interrogation area, Zharis goes and opens them, after telling everyone else to keep out of sight until she can assess the situation.
I'm the diplomat. We're actually here to try to stop Khaim, although... I'm disguised as one of his lieutenants right now, so that might seem hard to believe. Do you know anything about the layout of this base?"
"Well, let's help them. Least we can do, coming all this way." She glances at the hibernating robot and says "Anything we can do here other than the obvious?"
She hopes there is a way to disable the robot rather than fighting it, but for now, she looks through the doors to the left, to see if anyone else is there and if there is a way to talk to the prisoners without (yet) letting them out and triggering alarms.
My bonus with the disguise spell factored in is going to be +35 or better, so I think that is an automatic pass... but I can roll for you anyway, if you want.
Zharis tells everyone to seal their suits, wondering why an airlock is off the main entryway, but is willing to proceed, hoping this way is safer than killer robots.
She casts Disguise Self so that she looks like Demjit San, and then proceeds through the door.
My biometric implants say "If you have access to another creature’s biometric data, you can duplicate it automatically and open biometric locks keyed to them." Is that still true, or am I going to have to roll something to defeat this because it requires a retinal pattern rather than just dna? I know disguise wouldn't fool that, but the implants should/might? The automatic thing seems pretty clear, but I guess we could go cut her eye out if we have to.
As they come back in, Zharis decides to peek through the left door rather than returning right. She knows killer robots are ahead, and that's one option, but might as well see what's through door #1 before they take the killer robot option.
Placed myself right next to the door I want to look through.
Zharis opens up the last channel used and says in Demjit's voice
Sorry, belay that. I think it's just a hesper. Stay away from the training area while I try to talk it down. I've blocked the doors to the training area so no one runs into it accidentally over here, and will report back when I've learned more.
Disguise:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (19) + 27 = 46
(using "Trained Actor" (half bluff, so +5) and the bonus (+2) for my vocal modulator, because I think those both apply in this case. The Disguise bonuses don't seem very conducive to a vocal/biometric-only disguise, so it probably depends on whether you think that Biometric Implants and a Vocal Modulator count as alterations that count towards a disguise? If you don't, then trained actor might not apply, since it seems to be (wrongly?) based only on physical disguise. And it says disguises are general and that you can't disguise yourself as a specific person, but that is exactly what I am doing... so??
Zharis takes the comm unit and sees if it will work for her because she can duplicate Demjit San's biometric data. If so, perhaps she could duplicate her voice as well with her vocal modulator, and call off the emergency channeling the Star Wars "Situation Normal" attempt.
Zharis checks to see if Demjit is still alive. If she is just near death but not dead, she will cast stabilize with a spell gem, and gag and shackle her. If she is truly dead, then she shakes her head sadly.
Either way though, she loots the body of everything that they can use.
Zharis wants to swear, but remembers the camera just in time, and just shakes her head.
I hope you survive, Demjit. I would like you to be able to see outside of your little world here. Unfortunately, you've probably brought the entire base down on our heads, so I don't like your chances.
She turns to the door that Demjit came through, takes the end of the titanium cable from her bandolier, and starts wrapping it around the handles for the doors, so they are bound together and won't open.
I looked up Sunder and Disarm, and they all raise the AC by 8. Since we are already missing, I don't think Zharis will think it is reasonable to try to try to sever her belt, knock her comm unit away, or even just grab her hand, although storywise one of those is what she would have tried from the beginning. (Dumb rules, messing up the story.)
Zharis doesn't want to harm Demjit, but she also doesn't feel like she has any other real options, so she claws her again, trying to stop her the only way she seems to be open to.
Oh, Demjit, I'm trying to STOP a war, not start one with you. Do you actually believe in what they were doing on Kahlannal, and what they are spreading? The first person I met, on one of your ships... they burned him to ash with a slave collar. On Kahlannal, they were enslaving people, turning some of them into mindless zombies. Horrific medical experimentation on sentient beings, Demjit. They delivered a dead body to me and wired a whole stadium to blow up instead of being willing to negotiate. I'm just trying for peace here. I am not a terrorist. I'm an entertainer and a diplomat, as I said. And you don't look like a mass murderer to me, but that is what your people were doing over there, and I have no reason to think they will behave otherwise taking over other places. Don't defend their atrocities and force us to kill you. Stand down. Work with us here. Choose life. Help us end this war.
Not sure the rules in Starfinder... can I do a prepared attack only if she attacks first without giving up my action? If so, I make it dependent on that, but if not, Zharis will just attack in response to her reaching for her weapon. She wants to cut the belt with the comm unit on it, but she isn't being careful or pinpointing that as a combat maneuver... just storywise, that is what she is focused on, wanting to stop the communication more than she wants to stop the gun.
Also, just as a note... if I am in contact with her here in melee, then I am assuming I have access to her biometric material, so with my biometric implants, I'll be able to open any biometric locks keyed to her. Not that we know of any, but she did mention biometrics in the system that would recognize her along with facial scans, so that plus a disguise might possibly help in the future.
Zharis turns to make her way out of the room, and walks with her new friend to the medical bay.
I think I'll take it that far, with she and us on the other side of the door, and then wait to see whether she realizes anything once she sees all of us. I'm game to follow her to the robots even, but Zharis is going to watch her closely and decide based on her reactions.
Remember though, Zharis is the only one in the room, so she doesn't have a chance to call you out yet. I am going to try to talk her into coming with me so I am not surrounded by bad guys. Wish me luck. :)
Good to meet you Demjit, and hey, don't call them, okay? I have quite a large bodyguard contingent with me, and I don't want there to be any trouble. Yeah, that was me, although from the character's perspective she was a freedom fighter, not a terrorist. But either way, that video makes for LOTS of misunderstandings. Although, I am of course flattered that you recognized me in the role. Do you have time maybe just to walk me down to security if I can't get there without being shot? Is it far? And here, give me your address and I will send you some better videos where I play the good guy. That's a much better role. Have you ever heard of As the Black Hole Turns?
It's not likely, but IF Demjit says that she has heard of it, or even looks like she *maybe* has heard of it, Zharis will break into song and sing part of the opening ballad.
Err... I actually don't know whether they are or not. My agent said everything was arranged, but... he's not always thorough, and not used to this sort of situation. Is there a security station where I should check in so, um, I don't get shot? Embarrassing again, I know, but I'm used to people recognizing me, so I don't always think about having to ... prove it.
She sticks out her paw to shake hands.
I'm Zharis, by that way. Famous entertainer recently turned diplomat slash negotiator. Trying to stop a war. Nice to meet you.
No worries. I am going to try the Cultural Liaison challenge now, since she is talking rather than attacking and probably can't guarantee that will be the case later.
Zharis steps into the room, leaving the door open behind her, so her camera can get a shot, but also so that her friends can come to the rescue should she get herself into trouble here.
Hi, yes. Sorry to disturb you. There is no one manning the medical area out here and we just arrived. Do you have a map you could forward to me, or can you describe the general layout of the station perhaps, so I don't embarrass myself further by peeking in and disturbing people's training sessions?
Zharis laughs self-consciously, briefly glancing down as though she is embarrassed, but doesn't show any outward anxiety or fear.
Make a DC 33 Diplomacy or Intimidate check to gain temporary assistance from someone stationed aboard the Crucible.
Expert negotiator includes this text: "If a creature’s initial attitude toward you would be unfriendly, indifferent, or friendly, you instead treat its attitude as one category higher."
Oh, and she isn't trying to be deceptive, but I guess she is pretending not to be worried, so if you need a bluff check or an acting check, let me know.
Someone check the computer terminal. Maybe we can get a map of this place or something. Xylian? Amhesha?
I have a +16 (+1d6+2) for computers, but I think one or both of you is better unless I roll lucky, right? If it is me, I can level and get another 1, I think.
Zharis, who had been expecting a confrontation and was still deciding whether to bluff or battle, instead starts opening drawers, quietly, and taking anything that looked like healing supplies.
If there were other things, that was okay too, of course.
