Iron Stars

Dax awakens in the barracks, the roar of one of the colony VTOL craft taking off nearby rousing him from sleep. Revelry is due to begin playing in a moment or two, judging by how light the sky already is

Dax lays back to mentally prepare for the day until the revelry plays.

The trumpet blast, obnoxious, and repeated, gets everyone out of bed a few moments later as you'd just started to maybe actually relax for a moment

Dax jumps up as he has many times before and stands at the ready (for morning inspection?)

(more or less yeah)

1:38 PM

Standing at the end of your bunks, the sergeant enters, along with a new presence, General Kellevan. Samuel Kellevan was once part of Helios One, the first, and last word, in UNW special operations, but years of war before the expedition here, and after, jaded him to desk duty. Despite some early protests, he seems to be bringing his field experience to good use. "As you were" his gravely voice says, filling the entire barracks easily

1:38 PM

"I've got something special for you lads today, was told this is one of the most disciplined squads in the whole of Kincaid's Shield"

Dax thinks this could either be really good... or...

1:56 PM

(waits in anticipation)

"Today, you're going to Egons, to oversee the seizure of a noble house, and their assets. They disobeyed UNW orders, and continued fighting against one another. Our military advisers have drafted writs of seizure, and its up to you to serve them. These nobles will probably not part with their baubles willingly, but I know this squad can get it done"

(I assume I'm just a random soldier and not someone important that needs to respond to that statement?)

(anyone)

"Should we be expect them to mount armed resistance against us, sir?"

"They may try to, especially once they see their belongings getting wheeled out into the front garden.:

2:31 PM

"you're permitted to defend yourselves if such a thing happens"

"Understood, sir. We are ready. When do we leave?"

“Couple hours. Grab your gear, get some chow and head out”

Dax will head off to the mess hall as soon as he's able. (Is there anything I need to do before I'm ready?)

(If you’re ready we can move along) A VTOL lands inside the base and the crew chief begins signaling the squad to board

Dax, fully geared, climbs aboard with the rest of his squad (about how many?)

(10 total. You and nine others in your bird. There’s friendly troops in the city already as well)

8:50 PM

Dax takes his seat and everyone begins clipping in. The door gunners step inside and lower their dark targeting visors. The craft takes off, heading for Egons. The green forest and plains pass below, for a few hours until finally the half ruined city appears ahead. A handful of the skyscrapers have been pockmarked by artillery fire and a handful of small flames still burn

Dax leans over to the nearest person and says "Maybe this guy ought to be thanking us for giving him a reason to leave this hell hole."

10:36 PM

(I wish discord notifications were coming through so I could've seen this earlier)

"Well, he's not leaving, but his stuff is" the support gunner jokes. There is some dark laughter in the hold as the VTOL gently banks around a shattered building.

8:18 AM

"We'll be setting down outside house Kowshik first, they suffered the most during this fight, they shouldn't give us any trouble" the sergeant calls into the hold. A follow on cargo craft begins its landing approach, covered by your door gunners from above, before your bird sets down too

Dax heads off the ship, combat rifle in hand. He forms up with the squad to head towards the nobles' house. There's a feeling of anticipation he can't help but feel every time he's out in the field.

the manor house is worn, and a few of the windows have been broken from fighting that got close to the grounds. A handful of homeguard warily keep an eye on your group as your vehicles land. From the house, a delegation emerges, the home steward and a trio of guards marching toward you angrily

(The Kowshik house? or the house we're supposed to be going to?)

9:53 AM

(I never got the name of the nobles' house we were going to)

(The Kowshik house is the nobles, thats where youre going and where you are now)

Dax stops walking and lets the delegation approach. "We are here for the seizure of assets belonging to the Kowshik house. You have been found in contempt of UNW orders to cease fighting and must relinquish the house to us now." (edited)

"And what happens if we say no?" the steward says, eyes sharp "This is private property bought with honest money"

"Then you'll be detained until we can finish our business here."

11:29 AM

"Either way, this is now UNW property. What happens next is up to you."

(notice/int)

(roll on roll20 a "notice" skill with the INT stat?)

11:32 AM

(new to roll20 stuff so i'm double checking)

(that's right)

11:35 AM

(if you click the pencil in the top right corner, it will collapse the boxes and make the skill checks easier to click on)

11:35 AM

(that throws new people sometimes)

(I got that, thanks.)

11:47 AM

(Do I post the result here?)

(yes please)

(In parenthesis?)

11:48 AM

(7)

(perfect) On the roof, dax notices a glint from behind the vertical shutters on the top balcony window

(Am I close enough to physically grab the steward?)

(yes you are)

Dax, without warning, grabs the steward as quickly as he can to pull him in front of himself as a meat shield. "Sniper!"

1

12:06 PM

( MarkdownContext { Depth = 1 } )

The shot goes off, striking the steward, round passing through his chest. You are splattered with gore, but otherwise unharmed.

12:14 PM

(initiative)

(Woo!)

(3)

12:25 PM

Dax drops the now expired body of the steward and runs towards cover to get his bearings.

(house militia has a 4) The militiamen lower their energy rifles, and begin peppering the aircraft with small arms fire, hoping to stop your escape. Alarm bells begin tolling, though it does not seem like any of the surrounding manors are going to be assisting their neighbors.

12:35 PM

A door gunner , facing the manor, is hit. "Dax!" the sergeant calls "Get on that thing and suppress the house!"

"Cover me!" Dax runs to the gun.

(Your move will get you there, still have your action)

(oh yeah combat lol)

1:04 PM

Dax is going to fire the gun at the window he first saw the sniper in. (Roll something?)

(you can suppress, which uses half the ammo in the gun, but hits every enemy you can see if theyre behind no or soft cover, or you can focus on one enemy)

(Suppress sounds good to me)

(lemme roll evasions for them)

1:29 PM

(3d6 for damage though, they'll either take half or none)

(is there a particular weapon I need to roll with? or just a straight 3d6?)

(its the heavy machine gun on the VTOL, damage is 3d6, you dont roll to hit when you suppress, i just have to see if they evade it)

1:37 PM

(which ill do in a minute)

(no rush, just curious since I'm still learning)

(all fail but one, so they'll take half of whatever the damage ends up being, the one who passed takes none)

(dumb question... i don't know what VTOL stands for and i've looked through the guide book about it. I did, however, find the heavy machine gun in the book. Do I need to add that to something on my character sheet to use it?)

vertical take off and landing, its like a helicopter and a plane had a baby

1:46 PM

(its d20+attack bonus+dex mod+shoot skill) (edited)

1:46 PM

(for to-hit rolls)

but since I suppressed i dont do that

1:46 PM

( )*

(in this case, its just damage, you can just roll a regular 3d6

(14)

1:48 PM

(i'm used to fantasy grounds where there is a to-hit button and also a damage button for each weapon. wasn't sure if there was something similar i needed to use on roll20)

1:48 PM

(all good though)

The ammunition belt stitches in and out of the gun like a lethal sewing machine, the sniper is atomized by the heavy weapons fire, his flimsy wooden hide not nearly enough to keep him safe or protected. Swiveling down, three of the house-guard on the front steps of the manor are sawn apart by the gun

1:52 PM

"Let's go! Move move!" the sergeat yells to everyone else

(still in combat? is it my turn?)

(their turn, have to roll for them in a minute, trying to get a couple more deals in before i go home for the day)

(

)

Small arms fire pops back at the VTOL, the pilot is struck by a shot as he struggles to unclasp his harness and take cover

7:02 PM

The squad rushes forward, into the manor house

7:02 PM

from a third floor balcony on the right side of the building, a window opens, and a man with a rocket tube appears

7:02 PM

(dax up)

Dax is going to take off after his squad and get as far away from the VTOL as possible. (Can I take a shot at the rocket man while I'm going or do I have to stop to fire?)

(Move and action are different parts of your turn. You can do both)

(I was more thinking there might be some detriment to shooting on the run)

(There isnt)

Dax takes a shot at the man on the balcony as he runs for the house after his squad.

(when youre ready, go ahead and make the attack roll)

(first time shooting this thing on roll20)

9:32 PM

(burst yes? no?)

(you can if you'd like, it makes it easier to hit but uses more ammo)

(i'll read about it)

(it adds a +2 to hit but uses 3 shots I believe)

9:33 PM

(the macro tracks ammo for you, so it won't let you shoot if youre empty)

(its asking about a modifier after burst?)

(so you dont need to worry about counting individual shots)

9:33 PM

(none after burst)

(i won't burst this tiem)

9:34 PM

(it should just be a d20+dex+attack bonus+shoot, right?)

9:35 PM

(the modifier its asking for is separate from that?)

(yeah so like if i award a bonus for something)

(right on, thanks)

(or if youre taking a penalty for some reason)

9:35 PM

(but either case, not right now)

(sorry for all the questions, i only have to be told once though and then i got it)

(questions are fine my dude, we were all new once)

9:36 PM

(i kinda threw you into the stew pot right away too)

(i thought combat was supposed to be rarer in this game lol)

9:37 PM

(suddenly I'm getting sniped and rocket launcher'd)

9:37 PM

(9 to hit, 2 damage)

9:37 PM

(or something, not sure how you format that generally)

(thats perfect)

9:40 PM

The rocket soldier is struck by the shot, dropping back into the structure. You can hear his cries of pain

9:40 PM

inside, your squad has dispatched three of the household guards, for a loss of one of your own. The noble family is on their knees in front of the grand staircase, hands behind their head, and the sergeant is bellowing for the rest of the house-guard to stand down

Dax walks in carefully, weapon ready, and eyes scouring the room for threats.

Three more houseguard creep to the top of the stairs, hands up, and weaponless

Dax makes his way up the steps to nudge the surrendered guards down to the rest of the squad, and begins to check the other rooms up here for more people.

You find your wounded rocket-man clutching a nasty shoulder wound, nasty enough to keep him from firing the rocket or anything else for that matter. There are a trio of other guards in the master suite throwing papers into a burn bag. they freeze as you enter the room, their own rifles in a neat stack by the door, conveniently behind you

Dax, having been practicing since that first fateful day, easily summons his mageblade in the form of a long halberd and drops into a ready stance with it. "I would stop what you're doing now, and join the rest of your friends downstairs if you value your lives."

They begin moving away from the bag, all but one

Dax focuses in on the one. "Think about what you're doing here. Is this (gestures at bag) really worth it? Step away from the bag."

9:42 AM

"Get out, now." Dax kicks the rifles away from the door. (So there's no funny business as they walk by if they leave)

9:44 AM

Dax's heart is racing.

Two of your squad mates hear the commotion and arrive to back you up as the guards begin drawing close to you, if any of them were harboring ill thoughts, its too late now

Dax grabs the bag. (Do I see anything else that looks to be of interest in this room?)

9:51 AM

(and a "burn bag" is just a bag they were using to collect things to burn? not something that incinerates the contents of the bag)

9:51 AM

(its space, who knows what's possible?)

(it actually does burnn the bag contents, its an item from the skyward steel book, theres a copy post in the rules channel if youd like one for yourself)

(so picking up the bag isn't really helpful then)

10:07 AM

Dax would like to do something useful. (lol)

(well, it is evidence)

(like search the room for the things they were burning or something)

(even if the stuff inside might not be 100% useful)

(I'll hang onto the bag then)

In the room, there are battle plans, and there is most notably, a location marked on a map, in the southern lands, where the house had secreted some assets, in the event of overrun or losing the civil war in the city. Some of the map has been burned, but was dropped by the surprised soldiers when you burst into the room

Dax will take the plans and map and head downstairs. "Sir, you probably want to see this."

The sergeant comes over, the rest of the prisoners guarded by your squad. "Where did you find this?"

"Those 3 (gestures) were burning documents upstairs, these plans were next."

"Good find soldier" Outside, Egons homeguard, Taros soldiers loyal to the new city leader, arrive to reinforce you, hearing that there was fighting on the premises (edited)

"There's a wounded guard upstairs who almost blew up our ride. What would you like me to do?"

"I'll handle that one. The homeguard is going to take the prisoners into custody, everyone else, you're free to take ONE thing, from the house , everything else goes into the lander"

(I'd like to search for something that catches my eye. How do you handle that?)

11:06 AM

(or do I need to have something in mind that I want?)

(if you have something specific you want, we can do that, if you just want something valuable i have an art/valuable object table and we can just roll a d100)

(let's roll a thing)

(want me to roll the d100 or you?)

I got it!

11:36 AM

(94)

Dax sees a tapestry pulled down, and behind it, some kind of safe set into the wall

11:39 AM

The lock looks more ornamental, but it seems the others have moved on, not wishing to spend the effort

11:39 AM

inside, there is a bejeweled golden egg, that is roughly the size of an Neo-American football,

(oh snap)

12:30 PM

(i don't have anything in my character's inventory on roll20 yet. add a stinkin huge golden egg to it?)

(yeah! you can get it appraised during downtime when you get back)

(Was this the only noble's house we were visiting on this mission? Dax is ready to head out)

The homeguard begins emptying the house with you, and taking prisoners. The noble family will be questioned, and if they were found guilty of giving orders to resist, will be tried further in UWN courts. There is one other house that you are scheduled to visit today, now a man down thanks to the gun battle

(Do we have someone else capable of flying the VTOL since the pilot was shot?)

1:10 PM

(well you said he was shot, did he die?)

(the copilot is going to continue by himself)

Dax climbs aboard, ready for the next leg of the mission, but emotionally drained from the deaths of squad members and stress of battle.

The VTOL begins making its way to the next home, when it suddenly banks northeast, heading toward the colony again. "New orders" the sergeant radios over the shared squad headset "Intelligence wants a look at that map Dax found. they dont want to risk anything happening to it"

1:24 PM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(that means I level up then?)

1:25 PM

(i haven't read through the level up section yet. I'll take a look)

(yeah you do)

(i just read that if you don't have at least lvl 0 in the attack skill you're using you need to take a -2 to hit)

1:34 PM

(i don't have level 0 shoot, but i shot my combat rifle in the last figh

1:35 PM

t)

(your hits would have gone through anyway, they weren't wearing armor, just ceremonial dress uniforms)

(is there anything automated in roll20 with levelling up? or is everything added manually?)

(Manual)

(Max Exp is automatic as are saves, everything else is manual.)

there's people in my channel!

(You Forgot the () )

(Slinks away)

"=O there's people in my channel!"

(just to double check my HP math real quick... currently have 9hp. I roll 2d6+(Con x 2)+(Warrior bonus x 2) to get my level 2 HP as long as it is higher than my current HP of 9) (edited)

2:07 PM

(Rolling a 3 and 4 gets me 7, add Con (2) and add warrior (4) for a total of 13HP at level 2)

2:12 PM

(and it looks like i get a new focus at level 2, woo!)

(Nailed it.)

^^

(the arcane foci are so cool I think I want another one)

(Codex is hands down the best supplement that's come out so far)

(I might find more utility in a traditional focus but I might not be able to help myself and get something more fun)

(alright my level up is done.)

2:50 PM

(new max HP, raised Notice from 0 to 1, raised Shoot from -1 to 0, and added a new focus)

2:50 PM

(Ready for the next scene, I assume)

The VTOL lands back outside the military barracks in Central, medical teams rushing out to both inter the dead, and take care of the injured pilot

3:05 PM

You come to find out that the Egons Homeguard had to storm the house you had been en route to visit second, and a particularly fierce skirmish broke out, though in the end, the nobles met the same fate

Dax will head out to go get some food and maybe stop by the gym just to lose himself for a little while. (Assuming there's no other orders currently)

(Not right now no. This is downtime)

(Dumb question: what all can I do during downtime? Do I just do whatever until the next mission? Do I join up with others soon or do I need more levels first? Are my powers being explored? Etc...)

(It’s whatever you wanna do. I figured it’s going to be super restricting for you to be bound to just army stuff. So whatever you want to jump into we can make a mission out of)

(Any recommendations for me? Can I visit the Psi academy to find out more about my powers maybe. It's a big wide world and I'm not sure where to start)

(You certainly can)

As soon as Dad is able, he makes his way to the Psi Academy to see if he can find out what's going on with these new powers.

6:06 PM

Dax* lol

A woman with long black hair sits behind the desk, working on a broken down handyman robot. She is humming a pleasant tune to herself

Dax walks up a bit unsure of himself. "Uh... hi. I'm not sure if I'm in the right place... I, uhh... have had some strange things happening recently..."

"Strange happenings? " she says questioningly, putting down her tools and cleaning herself up with a rag

7:23 AM

"I'm going to record this, if that's alright"

"Yeah, sure... Oh, sorry, how rude of me... I'm Dax Withers." Dax reaches to shake her hand

"Crane" she smiles

8:29 AM

"I'm the steward of the academy. Tell me about what you're experiencing, and then I'll get you in touch with our resident Meta-psion."

"Yeah, so... I guess this all started like a couple months ago. We were doing some fighting training and I was having a pretty off day. I got really fed up with it and felt a kind of mental... click? I don't know... Next thing I know and there's an exact replica of the staff I was using in my other hand. But, it was like... kinda purple-ish like it wasn't really there or something. I guess I can just uh..." Dax summons the mageblade in the form of that same staff. "I know it's not exactly like 'psychic' stuff but I thought you guys might know more about this than anyone else. I've been trying things... I can also..." Dax dismisses it and summons it again in the shape of a simple sword, then a spear. "It seems to kind of be whatever I want it to."

"Well, we've seen sometihng like this before. It might not be MES, but in either case, you'll be glad to know its not harmful to you"

9:37 AM

"Let me get Dr. Ahn for you" Crane leaves, and returns a few moments later with a Korean woman in plain grey scrubs. She has a friendly smile but sad eyes, and you feel the room get a bit colder at her presence

"Hi Doctor.... I'm Dax. You know more about this thing, then?"

The room begins warming back up. "Well, you'd be pleased to know its not MES. You're not psychic, but you seem to be able to manipulate a force called 'the weave'. It's like MES, but free from some of the risks"

Dax lets go of a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in relief. "I... that's really good to hear. So I won't be like a mind reader or anything like that. Do you know what else I might be capable of with some training?" (I added Supernal Mobility as my lvl 2 Focus pick by the way, lets me super jump and stuff)

"This energy, this manipulation of this new force, we're still learning a lot about it. We know you're not in danger of torching, so no brain damage, but as far as what else you can do" she breathes out heavily.

10:23 AM

"well, we're all going to learn together"

"You said this isn't the first time you've seen something like this... There's others like me? What can they do?"

"There was another that came through here, a Taros, for that matter , who also was able to manifest weapons and technology with her powers. "

10:27 AM

"And the result of my metapsionic scanning was the same, not MES, but there is an energy being used here"

"So.... what now? Do I need to train here or something now? I'm really interested to find out what this can do. Especially now that I know I'm not in danger for using it."

10:30 AM

"Or... do you guys need something from me? I'm not looking for handouts necessarily. I'm willing to work."

"You're certainly not required to stay here. We're not going to tie you up or throw you in a meditation cell or anything, but, if youre interested, we do have a handful of jobs that need some doing"

"Count me in. It's hard to practice this kind of stuff anywhere else. I would just get weird looks."

"Well, word is, the Piggen used to have some kind of a force like this as well. I saw there is an expedition to the moon planned to look into some ruins, how do you feel about heading off planet for a few days?"

"Never been to the moon... Sounds great to me. When do we depart?" (I don't need to do anything specific with my military stuff to leave? Or is that all just "handled" for the sake of brevity?)

(I was going to handle it in the background, like Crane says they're seconding you for something for a while. The academy is a respected institution, and theres a good amount of department cooperation)

(Sounds good to me)

11:05 AM

"I'll be ready to go whenever you guys are. Are there any good places to eat around here in the meantime?"

"There's a public cook house down the street that has a nice connection with some of the dank crew farmers. That might be a good place to get sometihng fresher than the usual ration packs"

Dax will head out for some grub and get ready for departure tonight. If there's any extra time he'd like to poke around and explore the academy. (Ready for mission, assuming there's other players involved)

(robert will be, i made a mission thread when you're good to go)

12:12 PM

(but theres time to explore)

(You could always check out ad Astra’s HQ

)

(What's my motivation for doing that?

)

(None...)

(Unless there's some sweet Ad Astra propaganda or murals somewhere or something would I even know about it?)

(There would be But it is mostly just brought to you by Ad Astra, Rebuilding the Stars.)

12:19 PM

(Railroads, postings about free rent in Prime and the like.)

Dax heads back to the academy and asks Crane, "Hey... would I be able to take a look around for a little bit? I'm curious about what you have going on around here." (Is there any kind of tour? Or just roam on my own until I find something really interesting?)

(There's not really a tour, I mean you being in the army you'd have been awake and doing stuff for a whle, so theres a disconneect between what your character knows and what you know)

12:36 PM

(oh you mean the academy, yes there is)

12:36 PM

"I can show you the public areas. There's a few things that are reserved, but yes, if you've got time"

"I would love that. This seems like a great place."

(under the UNW folder, theres a psi academy subfolder, theres an academy floorplan there as well)

12:37 PM

(just for reference)

(I see it now, thanks.)

"The only thing I can't really show you is the workshop downstairs. Most of our research has been shifted from the academy to Rebirth, since its more secure, but theres still a few things down there that shouldn't be tampered with. I think Renda might be in town later on if you want to talk to a telekinetic"

"Oh, I see. You guys must have some kind of training area, right? I'm sure you have need of space for people to do... uhh, I don't know... psychic things. Better yet, what's the coolest thing you can show me? This is all really interesting."

"Ah I've got just the thing, come with me: She brings you upstairs, to sometihng that looks like a large glass globe

12:53 PM

"Put your hand on the pedestal there, and think about one of the planets in this system"

Dax steps up and does as she said. He thinks of the closest planet to Gudrun. (Looks like Thorgerd?)

(it is) Thorgerd appears inside the globe, the twisting gas giant, made of its pale milky blue

"Wooooah.... can I like, zoom into it or something?" Dax attempts to mentally get closer to the planet.

You penetrate the cloud layer, before the reflection fades out. "It only shows what we have uncovered so far, using your thoughts to control the device. The probe we sent to try to touch the surface of it was crushed under the extreme pressure"

"Oh.... huh." Dax takes his hand off and steps back. "So, I don't have to have any special powers to control that thing. That is something. What's next?"

"Well, there are some meditation rooms, there is a gym for sparring or just plain exercise, and we do have a library with what we know about MES

"I think I'd prefer to use the gym here rather than the one on base, if you guys don't mind. I could do my fancy power stuff without bothering anyone."

1:26 PM

"What should I call it, by the way? 'Fancy power stuff' doesn't sound very.... official?"

"technology, or really anything we can;t readily understand has often been called magic"

"Magic... I could work with that. So I can 'work my magic' here in your gym? Can we stop by and take a look?"

"Of course you can"

3:02 PM

she brings you to the (i think, cant see it) second floor , where the large gym is located. There is a wrestling ring, weight machines, a sparring cage, and a handful of cardio exercises. One of the bikes has an oxygen tube, and electrode attachments for stress tests

(Basement level, but yeah.)

3:03 PM

(Is there anyone in the gym currently?)

3:04 PM

(there's also 'Rooftop outdoor space and training area' in this building)

(I think Doona when she was a PC had the idea of practicing EK and telekinesis up there so there's no walls to break)

3:10 PM

(or shoot lighting through)

(Oh I see.)

3:13 PM

"This looks great. I think I'll stay here for a bit and practice in peace while I have the chance. I really appreciate you showing me around and allowing me into your facility. I'm glad to know I'm not alone."

"You're not. More will come. I'm sure whatever release event happened to bring this power here, more and more people are going to start coming to terms with it and making the same choice you made'

"Thanks again, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again" Dax heads off to practice for a while.

3:36 PM

Dax spends some time just summoning and releasing his mageblade in various forms... he hasn't found a preferred form for it yet.

3:37 PM

In the middle of practicing various martial forms, he goes to make a leap forward and feels some of the arcane power leave his body as he feet leave the ground.

3:38 PM

Instead of a short jump, he somehow full on leaped with enough force to propel him up and forward about 10 meters. (Would he hit a wall or ceiling in here? lol)

(Probably yeah Hahaha)

5:18 PM

(Not enough to kill you but enough to make you want an ice pack for the morning)

(do I need to roll damage on myself?)

)not necessary(

"That's new..." Dax says as he's laying on his back to catch his breath.

(It won’t be enough to kill you and you’ll heal before you go so it’s just pointless editing stuff)

(fair)

5:21 PM

Once the dizzy feeling goes away, Dax climbs back to his feet. "Let's try that again..."

5:22 PM

Dax attempts to channel his energy into a jump again, but in a more controlled fashion now that he knows what to expect.

Dax continues practicing with his mageblade and now with his new arcane-powered mobility for a while until it's time to get ready for his moon expedition.

5:31 PM

(I'm just going to wait until that starts now)

(quick math question on my mageblade.) (I have Dex +1, Stab +1, lvl 2 warrior so attack bonus of +2... that means that my mageblade should be a +4 to hit weapon, right?)

8:34 AM

(The focus level 2 bonus allows me to add +1 to hit at every odd numbered level, including level 1, so I should be able to add that to make it +5 to hit?)

8:36 AM

(I assumed that on the character sheet, the 'AB' field in the 'Mageblade' weapon was for that. So I can add an extra attack bonus to just that weapon.) (edited)

8:36 AM

(Is that all correct?)

(ab is macro'd in automatically I'm pretty sure, the AB section on the weapon is for if that weapon specifically gives an additional bonus to ab)

(That's what I assumed. Just making sure that +5 to hit on it didn't sound crazy and I got my math straight)

Once Dax landed after his expedition to the moon, he said his farewell to Jenny and Robert and headed off to see about getting himself a grav bike

8:55 AM

(Also, I'd like to sell the bejewelled golden egg I found in the first mission?)

(sure! the egg is worth 20,000 normally, but if you'd like to make a trade/cha or trade/int check, we can say youre trying to find a better deal or a different buyer)

8:57 AM

<9> (my favorite number)

A man named The Baron offers to buy the egg for a sum of 28,000 credits

8:59 AM

He fancies himself a collector of the finer things in life, and such a bauble will be the crown jewel of his collection

(Woo! Where would I find someone selling grav bikes?) (edited)

Kelbore-Tec has designated one of their more chatty workers to sell motor and grav bikes in the marketplace full time. Jenny herself was using one purchased there just before the mission you'd last worked together on

Dax makes his way to the marketplace and checks out the collection of grav bikes available. "Hey there, I came into a bit of money recently and I'm looking to get myself a grav bike. What models do you have available right now? Any mods or anything?"

(Check the engines of Babylon for modding your gravbike.) (edited)

(noted)

"No mods off the lot, but there are enough handy people around the colony. "

(so there's just one model, not like a fancy one or anything)

(I was letitng people say they looked however they wanted, rather than inventing different models for everyones personal style)

(oh, ok. that's cool)

10:53 AM

"Well. These look great. My parents would have never let me have one of these. How much for it?"

11:00 AM

(for book purposes, this is a 'hovercycle?')

1

(yes it is) "For 5,000 credits any of these beautiful metal monsters on the lot can be yours"

"Sold! Where would you recommend I go for some basic mods? You know, something to give it a bit more power"

"There are some workshops around town. Kelbore-tec, our home factory here in Central, there is a man named Pops who has his own foundry nearby, and there are a handful of other skilled mechanics of repute (players_

"Sounds great, thanks." (mechanically, what do I need to get it modded? I'm not looking for anything crazy. I have enough credits for the mods. Hopefully I can get the milspec power system and engine boosters for a start)

(just the credits, double check the fitting entries, make sure they dont need pre-tech salvage or anythinglike that. If you dont have the fix skill required yet, theres a bunch of people around with 2-4)

(I have no fix skill. The pieces fit a small vehicle and the power system gives me enough power to run the engine boosters)

12:43 PM

(I didn't see material requirements? I didn't read very far into engines of Babylon though)

(if its not listed there arent any)

12:44 PM

(some of the stuff from the core book has other costs, so i just wanted to make you aware)

(Ok I'll double check)

12:53 PM

(Do I need to do all this mechanic finding and modding stuff in character, or can you just tell me what happens?)

12:53 PM

(I'm fine either way since this is downtime before the next mission)

(its not a requirement, if you bother to interact with the NPC's i do occasionally throw small bonuses in since youre spending the time)

1:30 PM

(but if youre eager to get going, just list out what you want, and pay for it)

(Thanks for the info, I'll keep that in mind.)

6:35 PM

Dax purchases the grav bike, and mods it with the power system (2k credits) and engine boosters. (10k credits)

(Hella rad)

Dax rides his grav bike out and around to get familiar with it until it's time to meet up for the splinter mission.

Returning from the splinter mission, Dax has some time to recover and relax

(Thanks)

8:56 AM

(I won't be very active most of the day since I'm in a training deal with Yamaha out of town)

(no worries! )

(I have the same question as Regulus. How do personal goals.)

1

Dax picks up his grav bike after landing and decides to go pay a visit to someone called "Pops" that he has heard mentioned a few times. Dax is hoping to find some better armor or, failing that, something interesting worth buying.

Pops is a man of medium height and a generous build, a small pudge protrudes behind a vulcanized smock. His hands are covered in some kind of grease at the moment as you drive up. He shouts in triumph as the magnetic coils on a weapon come alive

Walking up a bit nervously, Dax says "Are you, uh, Pops?"

1:12 PM

(I also added a few personal goals, no real long term goals yet though)

"I am! In the market for some gear? Seems the adventuring type gravitate to me"

1:16 PM

someone inside the factory cracks a joke about the gravitational pull of his stomach

"Haha... actually, yes. I have been finding myself in situations recently where I need to be up close and personal with, uh, hostile people. People who are trying to fill me with bullets and the like. Heard your name mentioned a few times by some other adventurous types and I was hoping you might have something that could help me out."

1:24 PM

"You see, I kind of have to get up close and personal to be really effective."

"So are you looking for something to ensure you close the distance? Or an overwhelming attack once you get there?"

"I was hoping you had some kind of armor that would keep me protected a bit better than the standard fare I find around. Or, if nothing else, something that maybe blends in more with regular clothes without compromising the protection."

1:29 PM

"I do decently well at closing the gaps, and I think my attacks are already pretty overwhelming, but my friends don't all agree on that."

(i think it might be easier to let mek now what youre looking for and i can let you know if he has it)

(My unfamiliarity with everything that's available in this game leaves me with a lot of questions. Seung mentioned he has an AC of 27... how though? Armor listed in the book doesn't go anywhere near that high.)

2:06 PM

(I'm looking to get the best armor available since I'm going to be in the middle of the action all the time. I saw the dermal implants cyberware but that doesn't give me more armor than I can just buy a suit of normally. Is there a way to get armor custom-made or is there special pretech stuff available somewhere?)

(he has storm armor, which is a relic, and then ironsided which is based off your character level.)

2:23 PM

(not storm armor, Titan boarding plate)

(oh snap)

2:28 PM

(Does that mean the Combat Field Uniform is the best thing available to me right now short of power armor?)

(yeah for the moment)

(Does Pops have any interesting things he likes to show people generally? Armor was my main thing, but barring that, Dax would still be happy to see any nifty gadget that could come in handy)

2:34 PM

(I guess that didn't have to be OOC)

Pops does have something one of his workers came up with, and you recognize the belt from the maze.

2:36 PM

"This pavis will auto-stabilize you if it detects your life-signs cease. It only works once before needing refurbishment, but it won;t encumber you more than a normal belt would"

"Ooooh yeah! Got to use one of those recently. That would definitely come in handy in the kind of trouble I keep finding myself in. How much for that?"

"2,000 for the unit itself, if it fires, its 1000 for a refurbishment after"

"Sold! Absolutely sold. What else?"

"So we have your longevity issue handled. And you said you've got some confidence in your weapons. I'm not sure what you normally carry, but I can modify weapons or armor as well"

"I'm not sure you could do much about my weapon... it's nothing psychic, but something... else... Easiest just to show you I suppose." Dax summons the mageblade to look like a spear and holds it out to show Pops. "Unless you got something that makes ME better, this weapon is what it is."

"Making YOU better. well, there's cyberware for that, but that's not my field. What about your armor?

2:49 PM

(modifying your CFU I mean)

"Right now I just have this standard issue combat field uniform. You mentioned modifications?"

2:51 PM

(Is the belt just called "pavis" or is there a full name for it for my sheet?) (edited)

(Its a modified version of the force pavis, giving you +1 AC, and the auto stabilization)

2:56 PM

(so you can add force pavis, if it doesnt macro your AC up, move it up one, you'll have ot leave a note for auto stabilize since that effect was a custom thing a player developed for it)

(Oh sweet! New stuff!)

(aside from that, there's a list of mods in the core book, and in darkness visible that can be fitted to armor)

(I'll take a look. Does the auto-stabilize mean I'm back up with 1HP?)

2:59 PM

(Or just not dead)

(just not bleeding out)

3:01 PM

(so no lazarus patch or med check needed, but someone still has to stick you with lift or other medicine)

(The only thing I'm interested in at this moment is the Customized (Fix - 1) mod which tailors the armor to the person to add +1 to AC)

4:06 PM

(cost says 1000 credits)

(He’s got the skills for it so yeah fire it up

Saying his thank yous and goodbyes to Pops, Dax decides to head back to the academy to exercise and train in the gym. Hopefully someone is there that can help him learn more techniques for his powers.

The force regarded as magic is a relatively new thing to Gudrun, and to humanity as a whole outside of a few worlds. Experts are something you will not find, and you realize it is up to you (You can learn new stuff through growing stronger still. This is a new thing to happen. You won’t find teachers since nobody know what’s going on either. Mord and yan May have a bit more Knowledge than others but they’d be the exception not the norm)

(I was meaning someone like mord or yan might have something to help me 'focus' it or something. Technically there's nothing in my mageblade focus that says I have to 'learn' how to use it ranged. It just made sense for me that Dax wouldn't know that yet since its all new.)

3:51 PM

(I figured it would be better if he learned it or discovered it with techniques he learned from another magic user)

3:52 PM

(That's why I made it a personal goal instead of saying 'yeah I can do this now')

(make sense, i get you now)

Dax parks his grav bike outside the academy and heads inside to see who's around right now.

Doona and crane are there, as well as the recovering psychics from Shariar. They're in medical, though two of the beds are now empty, sheets not replaced

"Hey guys. I was coming in to work out or train for a little bit. Have you seen any of the, uh... weavers around recently? I was hoping to talk to one while I'm here."

"Yan left for Vapormills this morning, but there are some notes he was working on before he left. There haven't been too many people coming forward yet"

"Vapormills, huh? Hmm... what for?"

"Setting up another branch of the academy there, presumably"

"Oh. So soon? Will that one be for weavers?"

"The Weave and MES share some things, especially in their practitioners. Academies will be shared, among both. This is a rare opportunity for partnership, and it seems we can learn a lot from one another"

10:49 PM

"There is a pragmatic reason to it, as well..." crane begins to say, before thinking better of it

"Oh.... well, thanks. Is there anything I can do for you right now? I'll be on the world for a while longer, and before I go I was hoping to make use of my new grav bike." Dax smirks. "I just got it modded and it's wicked fast. I'd gladly be an errand boy to get to ride it for official business."

"Actually, could you run to the hospital and collect some medication for our patients from Dr. Siegfried?

11:11 PM

"He;s a bioscopic himself, but the work leaves him quite drained. They're not critical. regular medication should do fine for those who have survived "

With a big, maybe slightly too enthusiastic grin, Dax says, "Sure! I know right where that is. Siegfried? Will he know what I'm talking about if I show up there asking for him?"

"He will, and he's hard to miss. He was about as big as that Oman fellow, though, hes done far better at not dying"

1

"Uh... I, sure." Dax seems confused.

11:20 PM

"Well. I'll get going and grab the meds! See ya!" Dax heads back out and hops on to his grav bike. I like this thing more every time I ride it he thinks as he revs up to take off towards the hospital.

11:21 PM

(Is this place in town I assume? So it's not a long ride)

(yeah its the colony hospital, pretty close)P

(FYI, I'm DM'ing our 5e group tonight and Regulus is in that. Starting at about 6pm your time)

(no worries. Getting everything set up today means this runs smoothly for all of us even from work tomorrow. Heavy lifting is done as far as I'm concerned)

(Does Dax have time to have Hailey do a mod on his rifle before this starts?)

(yeah, theres a couple days worth of spike jumps on the way there too, worst case scenario we say they're done en route)

(sweet, thanks)

3:20 PM

Parking his grav bike outside, Dax heads into the hospital to find the Doctor.

(I know this thread is pretty low priority, but was the little delivery deal supposed to be done before the alcibiades mission got into full swing?)

(it wasnt really going to effect a change as far as sometihng for the battle)

(sure, i figured. will we pick it up after all of this then?)

(yes!)

(Since the ground assault is still happening, I assume that our ship from the shipyard mission hasn't travelled back to Gudrun yet? Like we're locked in time with that mission)

(depending on how it ends, things might change

(Just getting impatient because Dax has been stuck doing nothing for a while lol)

(We can fast forward then)

9:49 AM

Dax returns, withdrawing with the other Ad-astra ships, to Gudrun

(Hope I'm not ruining your master plans)

(You just wouldn’t be there for a daring rescue ~~when~~ if we need one.)

(you're fine, your segment of the mission is over with, I'm not sure what updates will come once its over, but ill try to conclude whatever business youre on if theres something else that comes up)

(Dax won't be beaming in to save you, sorry.)

10:00 AM

(So we're picking up in the middle of my little courier errand for the academy?)

(yeah ) "Siegfried is hard to miss" Doona says "He was one of my first students. Sharp dresser. He's also quite...built"

"Got it! I'll be back soon." With that, Dax heads out and hops on his grav bike to head to the hospital, and parks it outside. He heads inside to find the doctor.

The hospital is busy, the ground floor is full of wounded in triage, many from the space battle. The survivors from the Cheshire and TFP 3 are here as well, given special reverence from the others in the ward.

10:26 AM

Siegfried is in the midst of them, described by Doona. He is an imposing figure, at odds with his gentle nature

Dax makes his way over to Siegfried while treading carefully to not bother anyone needing care. "Excuse me, Dr. Siegfried? I'm here from the Academy on behalf of Doona."

"Ah, she's always one step ahead of me. Thank you" He reaches out to take the bundle from you. "You're a student there?" he asks after a moment

(Unless I'm mistaken, wasn't this happening the other way around. I was picking up meds for the recovering psychics at the academy?)

(he's filling your bag)

12:17 PM

(phrasing, i know)

12:18 PM

He seems distracted again for a moment. He sniffs. "I was one of the first recovered. Me, Renda, Crane. Zaricon. You might have met that one, he's everywhere"

"I'm... not exactly a student, no. At least, no one there can teach me anything. For now, I'm just helping out where I can."

12:30 PM

"To be honest I haven't been around long, haven't met too many yet."

He nods to himself and puts bottles of pills into the musette bundle. "Well, this should be enough to get you going. Keep this stuff close. There's a lot of wounded returning home, people are desperate for the painkillers"

"They'll have a hard time getting it from me, don't worry."

12:34 PM

"Thanks again, and it was nice to meet you Doctor."

12:35 PM

Dax takes his leave and hops on his grav bike to return to the academy. Keeping a wary eye out all the while.

You get to a small junction near the academy, and notice two men looking at the building, one has a pair of binoculars up to his eyes

Dax, not known for his subtlety, drives his bike right up next to them and says, "Prospective students? It's CRAZY how many psychics we're finding these days!"

(Trying to gauge their intentions by their reactions)

The begin to flee, started by the sudden appearance and the question

"Hey! Hold on!" Dax jumps off the bike and teleports in front of the nearest one, summoning his mageblade as a staff to sweep the legs out from under him. "I was just saying hi!"

They skid to a halt, and begin trying to run the other direction The one hit with the staff is knocked onto his belly

Ignoring the guy who's running away, "Hey look, I'm just trying to talk, man. Running away is just like... a huge red flag. Of COURSE I'm going to chase you if you run. If you hadn't run you might have fooled me with something."

If he had any cares for his companion, they are nothing now, and the second figure continues running

"So, what's the deal? Why run? Sightseeing isn't a crime around here, last I checked."

(notice/int)

(4)

You don't see the knife blade slash up at you, and its luck alone it does not lodge in your neck, instead, turned aside by your clothing

"Whoa! Wrong move buddy!" Dax swings with his staff non-lethally at the man's head to knock him out.

2:41 PM

(Roll an attack?)

(You just do the thing, you've got him dead to rights)

(I do the thing)

There is a shark Conk as you knock him out

4

1

Dax hoists the man over his shoulders and makes his way up the academy steps and inside.

2:48 PM

"Hey! Found an unfriendly sightseer outside of the building." Dax gestures to the gashed clothing from the stab. "I figured he needed a place to cool off for a while."

Donna looks concerned. "Well, there's a meditation cell....I guess we can use that"

"That'll work, as long as it can be locked from the outside." (edited)

2:50 PM

"Before I forget, here's your stuff from Siegfried." And Dax pulls off his backpack to give to her.

2:51 PM

(Is Regulus here now?)

(I think so)

(yeah)

6:19 PM

she gratefully takes the satchel from you (3xp, 5000 credits)

"Well, Regulus, what do you suppose this guy is about? Caught him and a friend scoping out the academy in broad daylight, and they spooked as soon as I said hello. This one even tried to stab me."

"Hmm.. always running into trouble Mr. Withers... let's wake him up and see what he has to say. Dr. Ahn, could you fetch Crane for us please? We may need some assistance with our questions if he's unwilling."

"I'll set him up in the meditation chambers for now."

"You mentioned he had a friend, I assume they escaped?"

"Yeah, I only have one pair of legs, unfortunately. Couldn't get the other guy."

"Well perhaps he can enlighten us." Regulus binds him to a chair and slaps him awake.

He sputters as the slap connects, and his head lol lazily. The blow must have been severe (edited)

(I didn't hit him THAT hard.....)

1

"I guess you hit him harder than you thought." Regulus fetches some water, gives him a couple minutes, and throws it in his face.

That seems to snap him awake.

8:36 PM

(It was a shark conk remember? Lol)

2

Regulus gives the man an intimidating glare, "Mr. Withers here caught you and a friend casing the academy. What do you have to say for yourself Mr...?"

He spits. “I’m not telling you anything psi scum”

1

Regulus sighs and calmly wipes off the spit. "Ah.. I see how it is. Mr. Withers, I'm off to find Crane. See if you can persuade our friend here to talk. I really don't want to have to tear his mind into pieces to find what I want."

"Honestly, what was your plan, anyways? You're standing in public in broad daylight, for what? I'm no expert at espionage, but that's just idiocy."

“It’s not us you need to worry about” he says confidently

"If they're anything like you, I think we're fine."

“Maybe” he shrugs as much as he is able. “So now what?”

(Am I able to find Crane?)

She is deep in thought behind her desk in the front of the building

"Crane, I've a bit of work for you if you don't mind. We've caught an anti-psychic fellow spying on us who won't talk. I understand you'd eventually like to work with the police, correct? This would be good practice for you."

“I did work with them for a time. I’m familiar. It was just too much for me” she looks down at the desk again. “Right. I’ll call the authorities”

(Moving back to my thread for this so we dont overtake Dax's lol)

(Sorry I was busy)

10:14 PM

(You can hang out with me here if I'm involved)

(You keep questioning him, you got it!

I'll be back later)

"Now, you wait until we decide what to do with you. You could be here for a while."

"I hav enothing but time" he says with a confidence wholly undeserved

Regulus returns, "Any progress?"

"None to speak of. If there is any truth to what he is saying, we will need to ensure the defenses around here are adequate. What kind of security do you have around here?"

(there isnt anything aside from the people studying there, since theres no faction combat, you could use some fac creds to by the corporate security force asset)

8:51 AM

(this is what i was thinking of: Security Personnel: Standard civilian guards or policemen, usually equipped with nonlethal weaponry or personal sidearms.)

Regulus looks at their captive. "Let's not discuss defenses in front of him." Regulus gestures for Dax to follow him out.

(its force 1, so you can maintain it with your force 2 rating, and you can upgrade them later)

1

(I assumed we left him alone, I wouldn't be saying that in front of him)

1

"This is an academic institution. We're scholars, not fighters. We'll need to hire some outside security. I don't suppose there's any chance of finding the other spy?" Regulus sighs and rubs his face, "I was hoping for some quiet after Alcibiades."

"I could attempt to find him, I don't have much hope that I'd succeed."

9:04 AM

"If you'll excuse me..." Dax walks away.

Regulus nods to Dax as he walks away, by now used to his youthful impatience.

Dax leaves to find Seung in the academy.

(Dax is back in the channel where he belongs)

Dax hops on his grav bike and leave the task force compound to head back to the academy.

The academy is shuttered against public visitation right now, but you're permitted entry. Colonial police are everywhere

"Doona, it's crazy around here! Is there anything you need from me to help out? I was considering paying a visit to Vapormills to see Yan and the new branch, but I'm happy to do whatever needs done around here."

"All we can really do is sit and wait for whatever it is to come, and to happen" she sighs " More of this nonsense. I should have taken Irene's offer to join her at her diplomatic post on Aliah for a few weeks. "

"I'm sorry there isn't more I can do to help... I suppose I'll go see what Yan is up to." (Unless there's a mission hook I'm missing somewhere)

10:40 AM

(Personal goal is to go on a sweet grav bike mission. Is there someone I should check with to see if they need something done on Gudrun that I could feasibly do with a grav bike?)

(I’ve got some smaller jobs you can do if you like)

(I need a phat phat small job)

Egons Capital Manufactoria has some plans they'd like transported to Pops, and they'd like it done quietly.

In preparation for his delivery, Dax gets a few mods put on his grav bike for extended travel (Advanced sensors, 15k. Ablative skin 10k. Cargo space no cost)

12:21 PM

(That maxes out the mass and power of the hovercycle)

12:23 PM

Dax also picks up some supplies for himself, like a pressure tent and other necessary pieces for traveling.

(good choice)

Dax makes contact with the Egons Capital Manufactoria. This is Dax Withers. I am en route to Egons for parcel pickup. I guarantee both discretion and prompt delivery.

12:43 PM

And with that, Dax leaves central on his grav bike. (I have the speed upgraded to 3 with the engine boost, which also says 25% increase in overland travel, if that makes a difference.) (edited)

(fewer days to get there, each hex is 200 miles

12:55 PM

(loooong trip overland without the train, but it will accomplish one of your goals)

(And make Dax happy. He doesn't want to be a courier extraordinaire, but who doesn't want to ride a modded grav bike? You can be your own boss, just you and the open wilds)

(it'll be about a week of travel one way, if you want to expedite and take the train with bike in storage one way, we cand o that or, if you dont mind being tied up that long, we can do the whole trip)

(With all that's happening, it would probably be irresponsible to spend 2 weeks on a single trip. Train on the way there then.)

The train is a standard assortment of three engines, a battery car, several passenger cars, cargo cars, and capped off at the end by an engineering car. Many people and taros use it to travel back and forth, and it is faster and very restful. The train is nicer than some hotels

(How long of a ride is it? And is Dabloonscape up and running?) (edited)

(not yet, Mord is off doing specops stuff for a few weeks elsewhere but willbe working on it at some point i think)

(What am I supposed to do on my train ride without video games)

Settling into the train, out to as close to Egons as it can get, you notice @Rodger Landon (Corn) is also aboard, taking the train down to rebirth before it cuts west

"Ah Mr. Craig good to meet you again."

2:13 PM

Cornelius waves Dax over.

Dax sighs... "Looks like Hailey got to you too... Hi Cornelius."

"If the nickname bothers you that much, I'll use your name Dax. I think Hailey and Captain Fate are just trying to needle you out of your shell. At any rate are you going to Rebirth as well?"

"No, I'm headed to Egons actually. And the nickname is fine... it's fine."

Cornelius looks at Dax a bit doubtfully. "You shouldn't be afraid to ask for what you want sometimes. Oh are you going to help deal with the standoff there? I was just reading up on the CCE." (edited)

"Yeah, that's right. I just go where I'm needed, really."

"Well I'm hoping to find something out about what might really have happened to stack city. I don't doubt Cyrus' survival skills, but It's hard to imagine a whole colony killed by worms, but the buildings left intact. He did give me a lead on the people who seem to have interacted with them last. Hopefully I can find this House of Draconis. There was only a compad contact, and Cyrus' information they were in Rebirth. I was about to message them when I saw you, but I'll figure it out when I get there. It's good to talk to someone about this. I'm too exited to keep it to myself."

2:49 PM

Cornelius turns away and wipes his eyes sniffling a bit. "You've probably heard this before, but you are a good listener Mr. Dax, thank you for letting an old man vent. I do hope you can solve the problems in Egons without too much bloodshed. Though whatever happens I wish you luck."

Dax appears a bit uncomfortable, not very used to situations like this. "I hope your investigation goes well... I will be trying my best not to spill anyone's blood over those issues. We'll have to see."

3:09 PM

"Best of luck to you, I'm sure we'll meet again before long."

"I'm sure, I'll try not to bother you for the rest of our shared trip. I have an important message to send anyway."

Dax spends his time aboard the train messing with his mageblade powers. Trying different permutations and forms and exploring the boundaries of it. He also spends some time teleporting short distances across the car to learn some finesse with the new found skill.

3:31 PM

(All ready master Neko)

The train drops cornelius off in Rebirth, and prepares for its day long run west, getting you as close to the city as possible. It is night when you arrive at the outskirts of the city. Construction equipment is everywhere, patching the large breaches in the city wall, and the many many buildings in city center struck by shellfire during the civil war.

Dax can't help but stare at the city in wonder. The impressive destruction as well as the incredible logistics of rebuilding are a stark contrast. Dax gathers his things and gets ready to head off.

There are gate guards, two mechs among them, screening traffic heading in from the surrounding farmlands

(Does that mean they screen the train?)

(anyone who wants to come into the city.

4:21 PM

(theres not actually a train route going there, it would have dropped you off in the countryside nearby)

(I should read your messages better)

4:25 PM

Dax slows the grav bike down to a walking speed and approaches the gates.

"Hold there traveler!" one calls out, "Business in Egons?"

"Yes, sir. Although it should be quick."

"Very good. Can you state the nature of the business?" he asks, scanning another visitors ID with his compad and allowing them in

"I'm here on behalf of Whitaker Solutions. The Egons Capital Manufactoria has requested an in-person meeting with a representative of the company."

6:38 PM

(The best lies are rooted in truth! It's not even a lie... exactly.)

“Ah we owe much to them. The city master will be expecting you (the city is named for its ruling house)

(The Capital Manufactoria? I assumed the name of the company followed the city, not the other way around.)

(I k ow right. Had to keep it interesting somehow!)

(Gotcha)

6:43 PM

(So the city master is actually a part of the company?) (edited)

(Yeah he’s both the city master and it’s president. There are 12 noble families that all run factories. Constant shadow games among each other. We haven’t really dove into city micro politics too much so I didn’t make faction handouts. Just was a lot of admin for something we weren’t using)

(Sounds pretty cool though.)

6:59 PM

(Do I have an ID they need to scan?)

(No you’re good since you said that.)

7:16 PM

(Seung and marcion ended the war here. So you working for one of the two of them is good enough)

7:17 PM

You’re permitted entry along with your bike to the reconstructing streets. The factory district is a dense warren of silos, loading skirts, depots, and smithing plants where almost all metal products in Taros lands pass through at one time or anything

7:17 PM

Another*

(I should probably find somewhere to sleep since it's nighttime, yeah?) (edited)

7:32 PM

(Too late to conduct business)

(They’re open always but you can. You’re not on a time table)

Dax will find himself a decent place to stay for the night, and prepare to head to the Manufactoria tomorrow. Business is best handled during the day, nothing good ever happens at night.

There are a couple small bursts of gunfire in the street but you’re relieved to hear it’s just regular crime and not partisan fighting

Dax wakes up early and makes his way on grav bike towards the HQ. He's a bit nervous if he really is supposed to meet the city master.

You're sent for, at the inn, by a courier in the blue and silver of House Egons, letting you know Wyand Egons, the city master, is awaiting you. Two guards accompany him, more a status statement than protection

(I've got a mechanical question for you)

8:26 AM

(I went all in on the mageblade idea because I liked it from a character flavor perspective. Only after playing the game for a bit did I realize that the damage caps out early and anyone who picks up a taros rifle immediately does more damage than me)

8:26 AM

(Will there be a way to upgrade its damage in the future? Base damage is 1d10+1)

(alright, sorted, we can move along

)

(I feel rushed)

"Good morning, sir. I'm Dax Withers. Ready to run for you."

(Haha no worries we can hold)

(I was jk, usually I'm waiting to keep going :-P Now I'm too slow for Neko)

(It sounds like I already got there and am with Wyand Egons now, right? I introduced myself)

(No he was waiting for you. The runner was there to fetch you)

12:17 PM

(And was telling you who he’s there on behalf of)

(Oh he just like showed up where I was)

12:28 PM

(My introduction stands)

12:28 PM

"Good morning, sir. I'm Dax Withers. Ready to run for you."

12:28 PM

"Truth be told, I wasn't expecting you to show up here, though."

"I like to handle my business in person lately." he says. "I'm Wyand. I understand you're going to assist me with some business. You leaving te manor house with a parcel would draw undue attention, so here we are"

"That's completely understandable. If you want something done right, do it yourself. I assure you, I am more than capable of handling matters with delicacy and discretion."

He hands a large wax paper covered bundle, that looks to hold plans or documents of some kind. It all looks very technical.

2:35 PM

"This is a matter for your administration department. Please ensure it gets to them safely"

"Understood. Consider it done. You'll receive confirmation of successful delivery shortly."

(am I waiting on something in particular?)

(Me , lol)

7:43 PM

He nods and dismissed his men, following them down the stairs out of the inn. You hear the heavy door below closing

(not trying to rush you, just curious)

With nothing left to do, Dax heads out and loads up to leave. He takes off out of the city on the grav bike.

(You’re good. I’ve been kinda fading in and out all day)

8:05 PM

You’re waved out the main gate and off into the countryside. The land around Egons is a loose grassland. Most of the cropland has fall spouts forming already

Checking his coordinates on his compad, Dax heads off in the direction of Central.

It’s a six day trip ahead over grassland and Light forest. Thankfully you pass carinhold, Vapormills and Prime on the way home

(Did I make it back just like that? or you're just saying how long it is?)

(That’s how long it is)

(got it)

(Just laying out the route ahead)

On the way through Vapormills, Dax will stop by the new branch of the academy to check in. (Is Yan there?)

9:39 PM

(Assuming I get that far without incident...)

Yan is not at the academy but there are signs posted up all around it saying the Psi academy is coming soon. Yan is , however, still in the city

6:53 AM

(and yeah the land is pretty heavily patrolled up to around there, between vapormills and prime is wild country

Not seeing Yan conveniently around, Dax will take a quick look around the site before continuing on the way back to Central.

The site will need some renovations. Materials stacked outside show that the considerations are in the process of being made, conveniently. It is a limited site, and will always be a branch, but it will be an improvement for the academy to have a branch on the other side of the continent.

Pleased by the progress, Dax hops back on the bike and heads out across the countryside.

8:33 AM

So far, Dax has been in a very good mood as he enjoys the simple freedom of controlling a powerful vehicle across lands he's never been through.

The remainder of the day goes smoothly, and as the sun dips low behind the oncoming forest, you realize it is getting dark fairly rapidly.

Dax steers off to find a secluded spot nearby, not wanting to get camp set up in the dark.

(survive wis)

(ooo goodie, there's a new one)

9:08 AM

(10)

You select a campsite that is elevated and out of the way, while still allowing you a clear line of sight around you. The plains are quiet tonight, aside from a herd of lopes grazing. They seem unaware of you.

After deploying the pressure tent and eating a quick meal, Dax decides it would be best to get to sleep early so he can get moving early in the morning.

The night passes with no danger, and you awaken the next morning to a few lopes peacefully grazing not 5m from your pressure tent flap entrance

Double checking the contents of his bike to make sure the package is still in good condition, and also checking the bike itself for anything wrong, Dax will pack up and set off for another day of travel.

the bike looks to be fine, as do the plans. You are ready for a second day of travel. On the way, a few hours into the trip, You pass a train car off the track, flipped onto its side. It looks to be long abandoned.

Curiosity gets the best of him, and Dax decides a small diversion won't take too much time. He veers off to take a closer look at the train car.

The front wheels look to be warped, along with the assembly for it. There are a handful of broken boxes scattered around the outside, but they look to be either ruined or picked over, save one

Dax goes to take a look at the unspoiled box, checking for locks or possible traps.

(notice/wis)

(9)

There is a string attached to the lid of the box, almost imperceptible, that seems to run down the front and under the box

2:07 PM

(its attached to something underneath)

Dax lays down on his stomach to look underneath and see if he can see what it's attached to.

2:17 PM

(If he can't get anywhere to see the end, he'll gently cut the string without putting any extra tension on it)

underneath , poorly buried and partially exposed you see a handful of words R-16 Anti Tank This Side Up

3:06 PM

They are etched into a metal circle, with a pressure plate and trigger on the top

(Does it appear like the string pulls a detonation device when the lid opens?)

(yeah, exactly)

Dax gently cuts the string, being careful not to put any extra tension on the device as he does it

(you noticed it and played it smart, theres no reason to make you fail here just because a roll went badly)

6:13 PM

The wire snips, and the mine does not detonate

(I didn't die, always a plus) (unless you're Regulus and have a death wish) (edited)

6:17 PM

Dax will attempt to open the lid of the now (presumably) safe container and see what he can see.

The box is filled with bearer bonds, promising a sum of credits to whoever cashes them in. The certificates were originally for the bank of carinhold, but Are now valid at any UNW financial institution

(Is it like a huge amount? Or could I reasonably fit these in my cargo space and bag?)

9:26 PM

(Dax smells an early payday)

(They’re paper certificates in wax pressings so water won’t ruin them. You could easily fit them in your cargo space

Dax takes them and easily fits them in his cargo space.

9:34 PM

(He also has no idea if it would be suspicious to redeem these)

9:36 PM

With nothing else of interest, Dax hops back on to continue travelling

(Post for visibility)

(wouldnt be suspicious, its whoever is holding them)

8:08 AM

The grassland begins being interlaced with trees and the forest gets denser. You drive past a half eaten lope, mandable cuts all over its hide

Dax stops for no lope. He continues on into the forest.

Webs are strung between the high branches of a cluster of trees ahead, in your path.

(Larger than normal webs I'm assuming? Like Shelob's lair level of webs?)

(exactly)

Dax doesn't feel safe enough to stop and check out the area, so he will continue on through hoping that his speed will get him through without incident. He is keeping his eyes up and staying alert.

(pilot/dex)

(7)

A web is shot from a nearby tree at you, tangling the front of your bike. The engine screeches as it tries to compensate for the grav plate being covered, the front end noses down sharply, just a few centimeters off the ground

Dax pulls the brake hard and jumps off the bike, using the momentum to propel himself forward over the front of the bike. As he lands, the mageblade appears as a spear in his hand.

Two underhill warrior forms, crawl down from the trees, scything talons clacking together menacingly, 40m away

(I don't know much about these guys or how tough they are, but here goes lol)

9:06 AM

Dax sees how far off they are and runs back to the bike to grab his Taros Rifle and take a shot at the left one.

9:10 AM

(19/24)

Its not tougher than a micro-rail charge, and it howls as sticky green ichor covers nearby trees and its companion

9:15 AM

They both begin their advance, skittering to within 20m of you

(initiative?)

(we're in it already really)

9:15 AM

(they double moved to close distance)

(mmmmmk)

(all it would do at this point is give them an opportunity to swing at you before you can even the odds)

9:16 AM

(or you do whatever youre going to do first, which is happening now anyway)

Dax takes another shot at the left creature with the rifle before slinging the rifle over his back and pulling the mageblade out.

9:17 AM

(24/19)

9:18 AM

(let them come!)

1

(poke for visibilty)

10:23 AM

(ready to poke some bad guys)

(I'm waiting for my call with discover to end so i can get up and get my phone for roll20)

(=O you're working instead of playing magic space battles??)

(one of my clients was randomly like heres 8,000 go settle something for me, dont wanna let this go)

(You're all good. I should probably be finishing these proposals.......)

(19/6 17/2) The two talons slash downwards at you, their wicked edges making the air sing as they pass

(19 hits) As Dax deftly dodges out of the way of one of the talons, the second finds purchase even through his armor and leaves a gash on his torso. (edited)

10:35 AM

(First time Dax has ever taken damage actually

) (edited)

10:36 AM

(was that both of their attacks or is that a multi-attack from 1? my turn?) (edited)

(theres only one left alive, your shot killed the other one, survivor closed and scythed twice)

10:42 AM

(i was so distracted by the roll)

(and i keep pinging to bug you)

(pish posh)

Dax teleports directly behind the creature and takes a stab with his mageblade spear. (30/12)

10:44 AM

And teleports another 5m away from the creature.

(you didn't say it!)

(do what?)

(nothing personnel kid. LMAO)

(oh..... whoops)

10:48 AM

(then my hit does no damage)

10:49 AM

(no catchphrase = no damage)

1

(17/3, other is a clear miss) The beast charges forward, whipping around (of course it does damage)

10:49 AM

Its two claws swing crosswise, one embedding itself in the dirt

Dax is a fast boi and sees both attacks coming so he is easily able to roll out of the way of the claws. He rolls directly underneath the creature and stabs upwards before continuing to teleport out from underneath it. (24/15) "BINGO!!"

1

10:56 AM

Dax immediately decides that is a terrible catchphrase.

1

you teleport away from a tide of stinking guts and effluence. It skitters, pained, and falls over onto its side

(oooo effluence)

11:00 AM

Dax walks over and stabs the creature one more time, just to be sure it's down.

11:02 AM

Dax surveys his surroundings to make sure there's nothing else about to jump out and assault him.

THe area looks clear, the two dead warriors the only creatures of note around

With nothing else hindering him, Dax clears the webs off of the front of his bike and climbs on to continue his journey home.

(so this is night of day 3 now, 1 and 2 were traveling up through vapormills, ect)

11:20 AM

Night finds its way to you before long, about halfway into your journey. You feel very tired and a little sore from the downward swing

(Am I rolling to find a place to set up camp?)

11:24 AM

(You said I pass Carinhold and Vapormills on the way home. Did I get to Vapormills by the first night?)

11:27 AM

(in my brain I thought it was day 4, but if it was day 1 Vapormills and day 2 camping, then yeah you got it.)

(yeah day 1 was to vapormills, 2 was camping, this will be 3, ca,mping)

11:30 AM

(i have a few generators im using, part of why its taken me a hot minute in a few instances here. You might sail on home, you might have an encounter every day- but if ig gets burdensome obviously thsat'll get taken into account)

(I'm just along for the ride. I was hoping it would be more exciting than a travel montage without any incidents)

11:31 AM

(So far, so good.)

11:31 AM

(roll Survive/Wis for camp?)

(yes pls)

(8)

Dax finds a good spot for the night, likewise free of drainage issues and wildlife. There is a terrific heatstorm over the distant mountains during the night that is beautiful to observe from your safe distance

(Nothing happens overnight then?)

(just the storm)

Dax wakes up early, as usual, and eats a quick breakfast before hitting the dusty trail again.

The drive throughout the day is largely quiet. You're expecting to hit Prime tomorrow back on the beaten path and within the radius of regular patrol once again

(Survive/Wis set up camp again?)

(not tonight). A small fire draws your attention, at the edge of the forest when it begins growing into the evening hours

Dax attempts to get close enough to see who might be there without being noticed, leaving the bike behind if it will be too loud and draw attention.

Two human trappers sit by the fire, one of them working on butchering a lope, cooking some, and packing the rest in wrappings to keep it from spoiling before their return

Dax will go back and get his bike and walk it towards their camp, making an effort to make noise as he walks and calls out when he is within earshot. "Hello there! Friendly traveller here! Not out for trouble."

"You'd be a poor sneak to advance openly and declare yourself. Have a seat traveler"

"Ah, but how do you know I wasn't here already?" Dax chuckles.

"Well I'm just looking for a quiet place to spend the night. Company can be pleasant after a few days of isolation."

“Have a seat. Hungry?” One of them offers a lope leg

"Absolutely." Dax says as he takes a seat. "Rations really get boring really quickly. Anything with flavor sounds amazing right now." He graciously accepts the meat.

8:06 PM

"So... any interesting tales to share?"

“Been out here a few days looking for some hides to bring back. Damn quiet. We ran into a couple drones though”

8:08 PM

“Underhill drones”

"No kidding.... I did a bit worse than that yesterday. Ran into Underhill themselves. Two of them got the jump on me."

8:12 PM

(I know these guys are pretty serious business.... but Underhill makes me think of LotR every time.)

(Theyre shitty zerg and not so terrible tyranids)

(Frodo at the Prancing Pony in Bree gives Underhill as his name. I just see that scene every time)

(hahahaha) "There's more than a few of them out here. To be expected with numbers like that."

"I'm hoping for a quiet ride back tomorrow. We'll see."

8:57 PM

"Thank you all for the meal, it was fantastic. If you'll excuse me, I need to get an early start tomorrow. Good night!"

8:58 PM

And Dax begins preparing his tent near his travel bike to bed down for the evening.

THe trappers have just put out their fire when you wake in the morning. They must have just left, the grass is still disturbed where they'd been laying, but you see they left a bit of their hunt for you to take with you

"Wow, that sure is nice of them." Dax takes the food and loads up to leave. Checking his navigation, he heads out towards Prime.

You encounter the rising skyline of prime mid afternoon, within plenty of daylight hours left in the day. The city is under construction in several areas still, but the sounds of traffic and human life are plentiful.

(I never did anything military after my first mission here in Prime, would there be any loose ends associated with that?)

(not really , we can assume the paperwork to allow you to adventure was done in your downtime, unless you'd like to do the military stuff more)

(Nah I'm partying with Whitaker now)

As you enter the city, you notice a piggen temple predominantly at the end of one of the city blocks, along with a number of them on the sidewalks

Dax is always up for experiencing new things, as he appreciates his new freedom from the structured military life. With time to kill and his curiosity piqued, he heads to the Piggen temple to see what that's all about.

The temple is a sandstone building, cool inside but comfortable. There is a carving, 10 feet tall of the same stone, of a large, sitting erect pot bellied pig. It's tusks are long and intricately carved. In one hand it bears a sword, perfectly vertical, in the other, a bundle of tied grain is clutched to its chest

Dax quietly meanders through, taking it all in.

There is a deep sense of peace within the space, only two congregants, one human, one piggen, are inside

(Do piggen speak any English?)

(They do speak english yes)

If it looks like he won't be disrupting any of them, he'll go speak to one of the two. "Hi there... I was passing through the city and this place kinda... stuck out to me, in a way. I'm not very familiar with Piggen culture though. Just thought I would pay a quick visit." (edited)

“Welcome to the temple of Brundil” the piggen says. “You are welcome to stay for as long as you wish

"Thank you, that's very generous. Anything special I should know about this place? It's very.... calming here."

"Brundil is the Piggen god of harvest and health. This temple is a place of refuge and of sustenance, if you are hungry or in need, there is a community pantry around the back. "

"Oh, I see. You are very kind, thank you. I'll leave you to it." Dax wanders around a bit more and enjoys the serenity before heading back out to find accommodations for the night in Prime.

There are several habitation blocks and resting houses in town, you get the sense people have just begun moving in, and are able to find a room in a hotel for the evening

In the morning, before leaving Prime, Dax tries to find a place to cash in the bearer bonds he found so he doesn't have to carry them any further than he has to.

(Can that be accomplished here in Prime?)

Prime has a few small counting houses- far from the scale of a proper bank, they none-the-less help count, tabulate, and process the trade transactions Ad-Astra is involved with.

11:09 AM

One is not far down the street from your inn

Dax heads there first thing in the morning with his sealed bonds to process the transaction.

Inside the counting house, four clerks are busy looking over trade reports and clicking away on adding machines, but there is not a line at any of their booths

Approaching one, Dax says, "Good morning, I'm here to redeem some bearer bonds." He hands them over.

One of the clerks looks over, and rises, heading to the front desk,and waves you over. "Ah let me take a look at them" He passes them through a reader, which verifies their legitimacy by the UNW central bank, based in Carinhold. "Very good, you'll have your deposit shortly." 250,000 credits stand ready to hit the account

1

(Does that mean I just add

now? Or am I waiting for a deposit to go through?)

(you can add)

1

"Thank you! Have a great day." Dax jumps back on his bike a quarter million credits richer, and departs Prime towards Central in the early morning sunlight.

1

The path to central is quicker, the land cleared for trail traffic, and more heavily patrolled, and you finally make it to Central, very late in the evening (3xp, 5000 credits)

Not willing to waste anymore time with a presumably precious package, Dax heads straight to Pops to make the delivery.

1:07 PM

(Personal goal completed)

( i think i remembered to XP it, if I didn't holla at yo dm)

(You did, yes. Thanks)

Pops is machining a piece of armor in one of the front work bays when you arrive, elbow to elbow with hiis lowest level of tech ratings

As he arrives, Dax says, "Hiya Pops, good to see you again. Looks like I'm playing mailman. Got something for you." And he pulls out the package to hand it over.

(Ding)

“Ah you’ve got the device. Thank you. Thank you” he comes and takes the bundle from you, giving it to two orderlies to presumably secret away

5:22 PM

“Did it give you much trouble?”

"Had some trouble, but I don't think the package was to blame. Don't even have a clue what it is."

"Probably best to keep it that way. If you don't know, nobody can get it from you, but if this works, you'll get one of the first units"

"Sounds good to me. I look forward to hearing from you then! Always love new toys. Until then, I'll see you around!" And Dax heads back to the TFP compound for some much needed downtime.

6:35 PM

(And some faction bonuses)

(yep, that would have finished the month, then unity council, so your few days of downtime in the new month catches us up to everyone handily, and you may take those bonuses)

(Mission thread is up)

As soon as he is able, Dax departs the Lone star

to head to the Academy.

8:28 PM

He arrives at the academy before the scheduled meeting to talk to Doona.

Doona is in her office, dabbing her face with a handkerchief. She does not say anything but smiles and gestures for you to shut the door

8:39 PM

There is an oak box, a medal case at one point, on her desk

Dax sits down quietly and waits patiently until she speaks first, sharing a moment of reverence for their fallen friend.

"This was supposed to come from him. I didn't have a speech prepared, but he would have given you this. Calidorious has one too. "

Confused a bit, Dax says, "Uh... I'm not sure I understand. What is it exactly?"

"It is a teleport crystal, to somewhere safe. Take it to your room, and focus. I.... I'm sorry. I'm too upset to say more"

"I understand, and I won't ask any more of you. You've been more than kind to me since I've been here. Did... did you hear about his... ummm. I don't actually know how to say this. Did you know he can manifest himself as a sort of... ghost? He spoke to us through it after he... you know..."

"It is extremely rare. Someone drawing on MES, or magic...they can imprint themselves within that background energy. His spirit lives on, maybe not as he once was, but your friend is in there"

9:11 PM

"Every time you draw on your powers, a bit of your friend will be channeled through you, helping you along"

6

"That's.... I...." Dax takes a deep breath. "Thank you, well said. I will see you around. And please let me know if I can help you. I'll be busy for a bit, could be going off world again soon. But, I will do whatever I can to help."

"I'll find you. I promise" she smiles as much as she can right now

Dax takes the odd trinket and travels on his grav bike back to the Whitaker Compound. Curiosity gets the best of him, and he does as Doona said. He sits on his bunk and stares into the crystal, beckoning the power he holds within himself to come forth... somehow.

You feel a warm wind on your face , and the peaceful chirping of birds

9:20 PM

you open your eyes, and are suddenly atop a mountain in the desert

9:21 PM

(refresh roll20, you should be able to see the handout under psi academy now)

(that was really hard to find lol.... there's 3 places for psi-academy... factions, endeavors, and UNW. I looked through most of the folders before finding it)

9:30 PM

(I guess if it was easy, it wouldn't be worth it)

(I'll find a better way to organize eventually)

(the picture link in that is broken for me)

(it is for me too and it used to not be

9:42 PM

(going to see if i still have the original)

Dax does a quick 360 looking for a portal or some other way that would explain how he got here before taking in the surroundings.

(What do I see?)

(The handout is wayyyy more descriptive. I’m not going to reproduce it here because it won’t be the same ) There is no portal but you stand before a large circular stone door. It is open right now and you hear the sounds of training inside. Calidorious and aiden are here, sparring

(That's the info I needed, thanks

)

(I wasn’t at my computer to copy paste and it’s been so long since I’ve used this place I didn’t want to chance it to memory)

(I was more just wondering where I popped up in here and where I could go.)

11:45 AM

Dax walks through the open door to find the source of the noise.

(We can move into cals thread.)

Dax leaves Cal to go wander around the temple. Poking his head into rooms to gather what their intended function was, and see if anything calls to him in particular. (edited)

You feel something pressing at the edge of your mind, calling you to the workshop, and below

Dax follows the feeling in his head towards wherever it may lead.

(Oh no it's Regulus!

)

1

A secret tunnel behind a tool rack Sil found when he first explored takes you down a hallway carved with stylized piggen murals, ending in a giant piggen head, mouth open. A giant orange, red, and yellow crystal resembling a flame makes the entire room warmly glow. In this chamber you feel raw power coursing through you with every step you take closer to the glowing crystal formation

2:04 PM

unbidden, your mageblade, in the shape of a longsword, manifests, and its blade begins to burn with ethereal fire.

"What the..." Dax takes a closer look at his sword and tests the fire to see if he feels heat coming off of it.

There is heat coming off the blade, it is warm (you dont have to grip it to feel it)

"Well... that is something."

4:44 PM

Dax takes a step closer to the piggen head and keeps an eye on his sword to see if it reacts.

The orange glow from within its 'throat' at the back of the cavern pulses in time with the ebb and flow of flames on your mageblade. The intensity brightens, almost blinding, before the room is plunged into darkness. Then, the glow rekindles, small sparks, before returning to its previous ruddy hue

4:48 PM

You feel warm inside, like you've taken a strong drink too many, but the warmth is comforting, not painful

"Huh...." Dax turns to leave and dismisses the mageblade.

4:59 PM

As he continues walking he summons it again in different forms to see how the flames affect it.

The spear had a head aflame around the point. The hammers killing head has a similar flame around id

6:00 PM

It

With nothing else piquing his interest, and some new found ability to play with, Dax heads back out towards the entrance in preparation to leave.

6:44 PM

(rub the magic crystal to go back?)

(Exactly. Takes you to the academy)

Dax rubs the crystal and finds himself back at the Academy. "Dangit! My bike is nowhere even close to here."

(Could have gone to the teleportation chamber and gone right to the bike

)

(Dax is dumb, he doesn't know that stuff)

7:52 PM

(Now he has to buy a new car instead)

7:52 PM

(More money than sense, this one)

(Is anyone here at the Academy when I arrived?)

(Nobody But crane right now)

Crane sits behind the desk, smoking a cigarette. You've never seen her smoke before. Her venus crow is doing the same, also pecking at one left on a stand for it. She is looking blankly at a datapad

"Oh, hi there Crane. Sorry, I didn't really expect to be dropping in so... suddenly."

"Not a problem" she says absent minded. She does not look up.

"Ok... um..." Dax just leaves.

9:35 AM

Outside the Academy, Dax pulls out his compad to send a message to Pops.

9:37 AM

Hey Pops,
I'm back on planet for a bit and was curious if you had anything new for me since my last delivery to you. Also, know any good places to get a Grav Explorer?
Dax

9:38 AM

While waiting for a response, Dax starts walking to find something to eat nearby. Checking out a desert temple also left him parched.

(Crane needs a ghost hug

)

Pops returns your message Vehicles never really were my specialty. I would talk to Martin over at Trivedi Tech, or Kelbore, the colonial fabricator. Either of them will do you right

(specifically asking if the "special something" was ready, he said he'd be working on it after I dropped off my mysterious package that I never learned the contents of)

(he shit the bed on his roll for it this month)

10:31 AM

(even a 4 in know cant save you from a 1 and a 2)

(oh i didn't realize he was so old incontinence was an issue)

10:32 AM

(my B, sorry I asked)

(haha no worries bud, but yeah thats why you havent heard anything yet)

(

)

10:33 AM

Thanks for the help, I'll give them a look.

While sitting down to eat at the nearby public cookhouse, Dax takes some time to look up the Trivedi Tech vehicles versus the Kelbore models, and makes his plans for what he wants to buy and fit it with.

10:57 AM

(IRL figuring that out, do I need to wait for it to be built/modded?)

(design it, its 100k of build progress per day, so even if you really trick it out, if it takes more than 3-4 days I'd be shocked)

1:17 PM

Dax finishes eating before heading out to Kelbore to get his custom Grav Explorer built and fitted.

Kelbore is finishing the adjustments on a colony mech when you arrive, watching with rapt attention as a glistening belt of machine gun rounds are taken up by autoloaders

2:04 PM

He notices you coming up the road to his factory, and the balding, skeletal thin man waves as you approach

"Hello there! Name's Dax. I was recommended to come see you for specialized vehicles. Hope you can help me."

"I certainly can. Did you have some plans for me? or at least some ideas about what you might want?"

"I did some quick back-of-the-napkin plans... looking for something suitable to all terrains, can accomodate several people for extended overland travel, auto pilot, and a bit of... protection. Nothing too over the top."

3:14 PM

Dax hands him a literal napkin with scribbles on it.

3:14 PM

(It looks surprisingly like a spreadsheet.....)

3:16 PM

"You see, my grav bike is great, but I accidentally left it across town and am a stranded pedestrian today. I figured I might like a new ride that had some style." (edited)

"I can get this done by this time tomorrow. How's that sound?"

"Perfect. How much do think that'll add up to?"

"A few of the fittings I've got laying around with no homes from some abandoned projects, I can do it for 100 even"

"I doubt I could find a better price anywhere else. Consider it a deal."

(And then Dax went on a mission.)

(works for me! explorer will be ready to go for it)

(Oh to bring it with me? I didn't think there would be a need for it. But if we need land transport I suppose it couldn't hurt)

(an armored box zombies cant easily get into is never a bad thing. If you want to RP with cyrus on the way we can hop into his channel)

(I wasn't on the Agaspur mission)

(with you now)

Dax exits the meeting, business for now concluded

(Yeah I was making my game plan for what to do next and yesterday was pretty busy. I'm designing my space ship and working out the details of the racing thing I want to host)

(No worries! just wanted to officially end the meeting for everyone who hadn't dispersed yet)

Dax leaves the meeting with a lot to think about. He heads out to find some food and go back to the Whitaker Compound for the remainder of the day, with errands to run in the following morning.

1:43 PM

In the morning, he heads out to Pops after a quick breakfast to see what new tech he might have.

Pops is excitedly cackling as a small gun platform fires a quick volley, breaking a dozen target plates within a few seconds of one another

"That looks new! And is all of that really coming from that little thing?"

"Sure is, she's a beaut. Was in that package you found"

"I carried THAT thing across the country? It's like a miniature floating turret kind of thing?"

"It was actually the plans to make this, and the tooling, but yes, and one of them is yours" You see a handful of others floating inside the workshop through its open door. "Not planning to spread these very far, but we're going to get them around the important government buildings. Last line of defense kind of thing"

"Oh! Cool! This is why I always come to you, Pops. Do I owe you anything?"

"The trouble and time was enough, I'll send the manual to your compad"

2:59 PM

(works how described in the message)

"Thanks again! I'm off to run some other errands, it was good to see you. Keep the cool stuff coming!"

Dax heads out to the Central Admin building on his grav bike, and parks outside before heading in.

Franz, named governor of Gudrun, is in admin now running the jewel of the crown in the UNW empire

"Hey, I'm Dax. Who would I talk to about buying some land for a... park of sorts?"

“That would be voryah. Did you have a settlement in mind for where this parcel would be located by?”

"Somewhere between here and Prime, probably. I'll need a pretty sizable chunk, though."

"Purpose for use?" the clerk asks, typing up the request form

"Racing track for a TV show."

7:16 AM

(Going to be flying across the country today, I'll be out of pocket for most of the morning)

(safe travels!) "Interesting, well, there's plenty of space out there, we can approved the use if you comply with the environmental regulations"

"Yeah, of course. A majority of the land will remain untouched, actually. The track will include several natural obstacles along the track, and the stands for a crowd will only be around start and finish line. For grav vehicles, they won't need more than a roughly cleared path."

(So I've just seen that you're planning a race and I must be a part of it)

"Alright, well, you're in good standing with the colony, and your financial check came back fine. Consider the permit granted"

(Am I paying for anything here?)

8:16 AM

(Please let me spend money lol)

(Speaking of spending money. My ship is designed and ready for submittal)

8:27 AM

(hot)

8:35 AM

(well you'll pay the cost of the construction materials, but I can't really assess it until we see a track plan)

8:36 AM

(need to know how much exact land it'll cover/whats involved in making it, this was getting permission to do the job)

(Ok, so the IC portion of this is done, I just need to finish my OOC plans?)

(correct)

(I'm just waiting to team up with Cayne, I don't have any other business in Central at the moment.)

(Sounds good)

7:53 PM

(He’s almost ready)

(Oh yeah, I meant to say that I'm hiring WS workers for the construction of the stadium and track before I leave for Agaspur so it'll be going this month. I'm IRL working on the map and handout for it)

(Awesome!)

She jogs over to the Spirit, eager to see who made it back, and indeed if all of you did

(She would’ve been with us)

2:09 PM

(Sorry)

(lol I wasn't completely serious.... but now's my chance)

"Good work out there everyone!" she says in the crew bay

Just act natural.... Dax approaches Alayna, "You know, between the two of you, I'm willing to bet you're the tougher of the siblings."

2:36 PM

"Definitely the smarter of the 2."

(ON GOD BRUH)

5

(Why are you watching my channel so closely?)

(

)

she blushes a little "He's definitely tougher, but thank you. We were all tough enough today. Well, most of us"

"Yeah... Um..." Her blushing is making Dax blush too. "So..." ABORT ABORT "You, uh, like to draw? I thought I overheard...." (edited)

3

"I do. Any chance I can get. This trip, as grisly as it is, I have a lot to put on paper now"

Where's Robert when you need him? "Haha, yeah... that's nice." Dax, realizing how dumb that sounds, looks over his shoulder. "I think I need to, uh... there's a..." He starts to back up. "Nice talking me, YOU! I mean you. I mean, nice talking with you... I gotta go." And Dax hurries away to run from the shame.

3:23 PM

As he rounds the corner, he mutters to himself, "Gah! You run headfirst into a horde of 40 zombies and you let a cute girl scare you?... Ugh..."

(This is gold)

4

She smiles, not hiding it, and begins drawing a picture of a man with a burning sword running into the night

5

(I think that’s scene for that)

(Yeah I was out playing golf, just got through)

(no rush, didnt want you waiting on me)

Dax bids farewell to Cayne when they land back on Gudrun, and tries futilely to ignore the existence of Alayna at his side as he goes. You're going to have to deal with this someday... Dax heads off in the direction of the Academy to check in with them, pondering all the while how to talk to Alayna again without sounding completely foolish. Better to just forget the whole conversation even happened. Just act like she's any other person and move on with your work with Cayne.

(Want to go on a mission with grupp?)

(Yeah that would be fine. I was hoping to go back to Agaspur to help finish the job, but Cayne will probably be a bit on Gudrun)

8:00 AM

(Also waiting for my ship to be done to go back with it)

8:02 AM

(I think it was around 3 weeks build time)

(yeah its 100k per day, i believe thats what we had determined for remaining time)

(Where are we in the month? Has it been 3 weeks so my ship is built?)

(your ship is done, its close enough without splitting hairs)

1

Dax leaves the academy, hopping on his grav bike, and heads back to the TFP/WS compound. (Has it been officially rebranded yet?) He spends the majority of the day in the workshop repairing Dora after her adventures on Agaspur. (If I understand it correctly, it'll take me about 7 hours at 3HP/hr)

8:39 AM

(The only place I see about repairing vehicles is Engines of Babylon and it says 1+Fix skill/hour if you're in a fully equipped workshop)

(not sure about official rename, it never really came up yet, but not hard to assume, correct on repair speed)

8:42 AM

(either way by time you get where you're going she'll be back to full steam)

Dax wakes up the next morning in the compound and makes plans for a heavy duty vehicle to help him on Agaspur, now that the anti-air has been dealt with.

10:05 AM

(Sorry this is so ridiculous)

(it's drop artillery, thats an awesome configuration)

2

10:12 AM

(You've got 10 face left, having spent 20 of your total of 30 on this vehicle)

(I wasn't aware that was an actual resource)

10:13 AM

(3 days to build at 285k credits)

After looking over the plans, he realizes it has one glaring weakness. Any enemy aircraft would be able to wreck havoc on the tank with no ability to return fire. Dax spends a while designing a second vehicle to accompany the tank and shore up its weaknesses.

11:02 AM

The fabricator also accepts this offer, and the permit is given to build it

"Sweet! That settles that. Ready to storm the castle, or whatever that means." I probably need to find a pilot and a couple gunners unless I plan to run all of these vehicles myself....

11:13 AM

Dax sets off towards the administration building of the Whitaker compound to see if there is a list of able-bodied candidates up for the task.

Heading to the WS compound, several recruits lounge here, a handful even the ruddy complexion of Agaspur

To no one in particular, "Good morning! I need some people to help me blow some stuff up on Agaspur. Looking for pilots and gunners."

(Was it a place that has like a teller/receptionist of some sort? Or is this just a random building?)

(its a compound, so there would be a barracks)

1:30 PM

A handful of people are stirring, coming closer to hear more about the exact job

(Gotcha, I thought I went to an admin/paperwork type building)

"Some of you might have heard about what's happening on Agaspur right now, and our efforts to liberate the innocent civilians there from a cruel governor who is using some sort of zombie plague as a weapon for his own ends. Cayne and his wolves are leading the charge, and I am getting my own crew together to aid him." Dax pauses a moment, gauging reactions to what he has said so far. "I don't have room for many on my team. My own ship holds 6, and I'm counted among those. I need 2 of those slots filled by some decent pilots to handle some specialized artillery vehicles for the assault on the capital. That leaves 2 for gunnery, and one on reload duty."

"What is the take on the job? financially speaking?"

"I'm offering 4,000 a month per person to crew my ship, Fate, and keep her running shiny. All meals are included with that. The money's good, but more than that, I need people who are at my side that I can trust. I need you to help me win Agaspur, but I intend to keep you on if I can."

4,000 credits is more than anything they'd see planetside, and then some, you very quickly have your volunteers, 2 pilots, 2 gunners, and a piggen, who has been here for quite some time, looking for reload duty, too young to retire from active duty, but too old for intense front line service

"What are your names, all? We're going to be spending some time together and I'm hoping it can be enjoyable for all of us. We have duties, but anybody will tell you I like to goof off as much as the next guy when I can."

1:53 PM

(I probably just asked for a bunch of busy work from Neko lol)

Tengu- Piggen reloader Vorianu- female human, gunner Mirr- human male- gunner Peace- Female human pilot Kells- male taros pilot

(You've got a piggen!

)

(Ya buddy)

Nekosmash 4/15/2019 1:55 PM

(A piggen named after a mythical Japanese creature or an avian race from Guild Wars 2)

(i went with the former)

(1,400 hours into GW2, that's where I went first)

5

"Tengu, eh? It's not too often I see a Piggen away from the desert. I've only known one other who calls himself a 'Shaman' named Grupp."

"We;ve been here for some time, my friends and I"

2:44 PM

"There were ten of us who fought with Vincheris. THe task force offered sanctuary

(Should I know who Vincheris is? a handout on roll20 or something?)

(he is, he's the piggen leader who fought stonetusk for leadership in the Karultai, lost, and then started a rebel movement in the desert)

2:51 PM

(basically he was the traditionalist, warring against the modernizing stonetusk)

(and now the traditionalist wants to go to space. whee!)

(well, they lost, stonetusk threw any known rebels out, to face life in the desert, so these 10 went south instead, throwing themselves on human mercy)

(good for me.

)

3

"Well, I'd say 'You're safe with me,' but I actually can't guarantee that. I've found myself in some tough spots recently. I will do my best though, that I can guarantee."

(Revised vehicle plans, I'm so sorry Neko)

5:04 PM

5:05 PM

(Oh my god.

5:31 PM

(Hahahaha. Alright. Well played )

(He's raiding the WS pretech stores lol)

(I was happy before, but now this is the only VTOL I ever need to own)

6:00 PM

(I'm just waiting for Seung to realize what I've done)

(Whenever you're ready, there's some dialogue above all the vehicle nonsense)

"Everyone knows theres some danger, thats what Whitaker Solutions is all about"

"Fair enough. Well, welcome to the team. I don't have any fancy jackets or a cool name for us yet. I need to get a job done, and I know that I can't do it alone." "Come with me! I'll show you to the ship. I'm having the assault vehicles custom built as we speak, they'll be ready in a few days when Cayne is able to join us."

8:41 PM

Dax heads out to get a shuttle to the Trivedi station with his new team after giving them a bit of time to gather necessities.

The sight they are greeted with as they approach the appropriate dock, is Fate. Named in honor of the psychic Regulus Fate.

9:19 PM

The ship gets some awed expressions and general appreciation from her new crew

"She's rated for amphibious expeditions should the need arise to get wet. She'll hold her own against some threats, has drop pods in the case of a speedy escape. Teleport pads, for ship-to-ship or ship-to-surface transport. Lastly, she has plenty of space for the vehicles we use to traverse the planets surface." (edited)

9:23 PM

"And she is yours as much as she is mine. I mean that. Take pride in it."

“Can we go aboard?” Peace asks

"Absolutely! This is my first time seeing it too!" Dax climbs aboard almost running on with excitement.

9:40 PM

Like an over-enthusiastic tour guide, Dax says, "Of course, she has an armory and ship's locker so we are well stocked in case of any altercations or ground missions we have to take care of on foot. Oh! And...." and continues much that way throughout his shiny new ship.

Everyone is eager to make it their home, they can see the love and care that has gone into it

(How old are the 2 women on the crew? Dax needs to know how awkward to feel)

(Peace is about 40, probably looks closer to 50 with the hard Rawhani life she;s had. Vorianu is about your age, and def beautiful to you to make you feel like a dweeb.

3

(Perfect, I love it)

"Alright. Let's bring her down to the surface to make loading easier. We need to stock up for some zombie hunting and government overthrowing!" Dax takes the helm on the inaugural flight of Fate and guides her out of the dock slowly, enjoying the feeling of independence having a ship brings. Now, the skies are his. Before heading down to the planet, Dax takes the ship out and gives it a proper flight test in the vast openness of space. He wants to get familiar with the controls, even if he won't be the one flying it primarily. Eventually, Dax takes the ship down to the planet and lands at the Whitaker compound to begin preparations for the Agaspur campaign ahead. (edited)

(so we have 5 days before everything in total is done, i left the question in caynes thread too, if we want to skip ahead we can)

(I'm happy to move into Caynes thread now and skip to the good stuff)

Once Dax makes the hop back to his own ship, he goes to the common area to talk to his crew. To no one in particular, Dax says, "Well? How did that go for you guys? It seemed pretty smooth from my end. You said that there were some craft scrambled from other cities but that was the last I heard of it."

"They never made it up to us in time, they scrambled though. When the governor was killed they all just dropped out of the air"

"I'm both glad and sad about that," Dax says with a slight smile. "They didn't stand a chance against you guys and you could've used the practice. They don't even know how out-gunned they were."

9:20 AM

Dax kicks back onto the back legs of the chair he's sitting in. "I've been thinking of buying a nice place and setting up a place for you guys to stay during our downtime on planet. You're more than welcome to stay with the ship, but I can understand it is nice have your own home. Somewhere to stretch your legs and all that. Ships feel smaller the longer you spend on them."

9:22 AM

"I just bought a bit of land before leaving on this crazy adventure. I'm organizing a grav bike race of sorts on it, but it's plenty of space to set up shop for us."

"I'd always dreamed of being a homeowner" PEace says

Dax smiles at that. "I'm not partial to military bases. They lack the... charm of a home. We'll make room for Fate, set up a workshop there to keep everything up and running for our vehicles, and then there's the upkeep of the racing track to consider. And of course, you're still receiving ship's pay even if we're not on the ship. Speaking of.... I believe the month rolled over while we were out killing zombies. Time to get you guys paid!"

(so is this going to work like a sanctum? )

9:40 AM

(sort of a compound for you and your closest friends? sort of sounds how its going)

(if there's already rules in place for this sort of thing, then yeah.)

(I think it makes the most sense for what you're depicting, and there's even a 'room' that allows landing of a couple corvettes)

(Dax bought a bunch of land for a race track. Might as well make my base of operations there with room for taking care of my own vehicles and what not)

(it's near the back of codex of the black sun)

9:41 AM

(but its got actual rules for everything you're trying to make your home into)

(That works perfect, I'll take a look)

9:42 AM

(As for henchies.... I don't have any stats written for them or anything, and I'm not sure how or when they level up)

(by campaign, so completing Agaspur, they're lvl 2)

(is there a place in the book that would tell me what their stats are in terms of skills?)

Everyone is eager to get home, after a grueling campaign on Agaspur. The world is free, but everyone is very, very tired.

Dax brings Fate in for a landing in the Whitaker Solutions compound himself, giving Kells a break. After landing, Dax turns to them and says, "Alright guys. Home."

HEYA DAX, REMEMBER HOW WE KILLED THAT BIG SHADOW GUY TOGETHER REAL GOOD? LET'S DO THAT AGAIN BUT WITH FEWER SHADOWS! I'LL MEET YOU AT YOUR SHIP!

"For our next task... I don't know yet, but let's keep everything ready to go. It will probably be something that isn't quite as.... intense."

1:20 PM

With the message pinging right as he says that, Dax asks, "Well, maybe we just do that?"

Grupp pops up, almost as if he were already waiting, "Hey there!"

"Oh."

1:22 PM

"Hi there Grupp... this is my ship, the Fate, and this is my crew."

1:23 PM

"Umm.... as you can see... we just landed."

1:23 PM

"What did you have in mind?"

"Hey guys! Ready to take off again? Wasim is melting and we will be too if we don't get there soon!"

1:24 PM

(Shameless art plug again)

"HA! Just kidding about the melting part. Look!" Black chitinous armor grows on Grupp's skin. "Keeps you safe even better than a vac suit!"

"I saw the news on the trip back here, why exactly are you wanting to go back to Wasim?" (edited)

"If you saw the news, you should know! A mysterious mountain stronghold? How could we resist!"

"I skimmed it...."

"Man, you guys look a bit beat up, where've you been? No worries, I can heal and make all y'all feel well rested on the trip!"

"Um... Agaspur. There were zombies, and now there's not."

1:31 PM

Looking a bit annoyed, "How's this. Let me resupply and get some matters settled first, and I'll be able to take us to Wasim."

"Oh... sure, whatever you need!"

Dax stops Mirr and the beautiful Vorianu (gunners) on their way off the ship and asks them, "Hey... So Wasim is basically an abandoned and dying world. We didn't encounter anything hostile there last time except the environment. I would ask one of you to stay behind so I have room to take Grupp with me. You're free to work out who goes and stays among yourselves." Dax says, clearing his throat and trying not to look directly at Vorianu. Come on you wuss, it's just a girl. (edited)

"Oh hey, I just got a message about a thingy. Wanna do that before we lift off? I've only heard about Cyrus from Mord but he sounds like a good guy!"

"Yeah, sure. He's pretty high up there from what I've heard. Some kind of great general or something."

2:09 PM

Turning to his crew that's hurrying to make preparations to leave, "Change of plans, we're going to a brief meeting before we head out. You guys don't have to kill yourselves to get this done fast. You have some time."

they seem relieved for a bit of a break

2:44 PM

Tengu is not sure how useful he will be if there's no fighting or cause to use the artillery, and volunteers to remain behind.

2:44 PM

He will travel home to Delphos to visit family

(Stuck with the hot girl on board, and my best piggen friend is leaving. oh goody lol)

After the meeting, Dax and Grupp have a lovely dinner of pork and beans before heading back to the ship Fate.

Addressing the crew, "Are we ready to go?"

Grupp gives a loud belch, "Ready when you are!"

(We goin)

The route is planned and you head to wasim, spending a few days in spike

9:11 PM

(Downtime projects?)

(Just some talkin)

At some point during the journey, while Vorianu is off doing something else out of earshot, Dax will come talk to Grupp.

9:37 PM

"Do you know much about girls, Grupp?... I seem to have no issues braving any number of deathly situations, but I can't even maintain a normal conversation with a girl." (edited)

(gonna get some wack Piggen culture advice. Can't wait to see Dax perform the mating dance of the Piggen)

(Can't be any worse than what he's been doing so far)

(your words

)

"Well girls are just the same as you and me Dax! Slightly different equipment I suppose, but they can pull a plow or kill a beast just like us eh? Your human ladies don't even have a fine curvy pair of tusks to distract you, you all basically look the same. I'm not sure what your problem is." Grupp shrugs sympathetically.

2

4

(That's... good advice)

"..... that's one way to put it, I guess. So you're saying I should have girls plow my fields?"

(Gotta sow your seeds first)

"Girls, guys, anyone can plow a field, that's my point! They're not a different species! Not that that would be a problem either of course, I've met some lovely human ladies and I've some piggen girls back home I could introduce you to if you're interested!"

Dax flushes at the thought. "Um... well. Thanks, Grupp. You're a great piggen, but that won't be necessary. I'll figure this stuff out someday." Vorianu walks into the common area from where ever she was and Dax shuffles quickly to try to look like he's just casually sitting with Grupp. Which, of course, he was already doing. Moving just made it look worse. Come on, man! You're so jumpy! "Anyways.... so... good talk!"

"Hey, where are you going? If you're having so much trouble with ladies you could always try... aaand he's gone." Grupp sighs and shakes his head.

(I'm content to leave it there until we see if she reacts lol)

(NO ERP)

2

3

2

"Good talk" she smiles "Good to be on the road again too. I hate sitting in one place for too long"

"Seems like you picked the right ship then eh? Ha! Dax is an odd fellow but he sure likes to go where the fighting's thickest!"

(We can probably skip to Wasim unless Dax has more to talk about lol)

(The scouting report is correct now, aside from Mile's most recent discovery)

(We just assume the rest of the trip is normal Dax behavior) (Unrelated question... how tall are Alayna and Vorianu? Little 5'6" Dax needs something else to feel insecure about lol)

"Let's set down by that armed bunker thing first, we can maybe go check out the city or smaller settlements after!"

(I swapped out the vehicles when we were home, just by the way. I brought Dora instead of an orbital artillery grav tank)

8:42 AM

(Also, Fate has the amphibious fitting so we could take the ship underwater if we need to) (edited)

Grupp puts his hand on Dax's shoulder and the same black chitin skin spreads over his body. "Now we won't need vac suits! You ready?"

(Actually, heck. I brought all 3 vehicles since I have room for it.)

8:44 AM

"Woah! This is.... well I should've figured you could do something like this."

8:45 AM

Dax stretches a little to test the changes. "Yeah, we're ready."

The mountainside door is still open and there is a greasy black smear on the ground where one of the winches taken from a cargo lighter have burned away. The cargo lighter is still here, along with the atomized burn char where Miles was vaporized by the point defense system covering the door

1

(And this is on the nw chunk?)

(indeed )

"Looks like we probably shouldn't try to force our way in like he did... oh wait, you're Dax so actually that's probably fine."

"Sure, but I'm not invincible. I don't just run into lasers generally. It's how I've lived as long as I have."

8:51 AM

(How long was the trip here? Dax is still recovering HP from Agaspur)

(I have heals, I would have topped you off on the trip)

(What a piggen pal)

"Well let's take a look!" Grupp walks up to the door and looks inside without entering.

(Can we see the point defense system? Or we just know of it based on the previous experience?)

(I still have my electric sensing eyes on

)

8:56 AM

(And we know someone died and we see charred remains so I figure it wouldn't be hard to figure out)

(In the sense that I need to see it to destroy it)

(

What can we see Neko?)

(Are you using your senses? also, there would be sparks coming out of it every few seconds, he did damage it)

(Yeah thousand senses is up)

a heavily damaged ball turret, with some kind of pulse laser weapon is mounted in the ceiling , its armored housing is dented and burned by weapons fire

For good measure, Dax launches his mageblade into the poor thing to put it out of its misery. (Do I need to roll an attack on it?)

(your +19 means you're hitting without a crit fail)

10:47 AM

The turret blows out, showering sparks and flame into the corridor, and you hear the power humming away (edited)

(And my minimum damage is 12)

10:49 AM

(Warrior AB is crazy though)

10:50 AM

"Do you see any more of those from here, Grupp?"

"Maybe further inside. I'd bet there are other defenses though. Let's head in!"

Dax lights his torch and leads the way in.

(Not immediately relevant, but here's my plans for my home by the race track)

11:29 AM

11:33 AM

(I gave Peace a level in Heal and figured the med bay would be useful for any crashes on the race track lol)

The point defense does not fire. The sole gun in this hallway has been knocked out.

8:09 PM

There is a hatch Grupp can see at the end of the long hallway, the door not as reinforced

"Looks clear!" Grupp heads down the hallway to the hatch with Dax, "After you!"

Dax tries the door to see if it's unlocked. Failing that, he slices down at whatever latching mechanism he sees

The door falls inward, cut free

9:30 PM

It collapsed kicking up dust and the smell of rot fills your senses. It’s worse then aggaspur. There is a branching hallway to the left and right , the left ending in a circular room the contents of which it is too dark to see, the right is a tunnel heading down, deeper into the mountain

(When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail)

9:35 PM

"Man... this sure would be smelly if I needed to breathe right now. Good thing that's taken care of. Lets hit this left room real quick Grupp." (edited)

"I mean, you don't have to breathe to live but you gotta take in air to talk right? Woo boy that's nasty. Reminds me of my great aunt Dora." Grupp follows Dax to the left room.

1

"Was that your same aunt that loved to travel? I heard she was quite the explorer."

"That's the one! A bit cracked in the head if you ask me, but she traveled the whole desert in her day! She died a while back, asked to be buried with nothin but her boots!"

1

The left room is indeed a circle. A pit has been dug partway into the floor and you see some corpses at the bottom of it. There are slagged control computers in this room, the rubber and thin wiring melted away by the continued heat

Grupp heads over to the control computers to see if there's any way to get them working.

There is simply too much damage to restart them but they could be removed

"We're not too far away from the ship if you want to take these back before continuing down. If you think they could be useful at all, that is."

"If we can get anything out of them it'll be worth it, seems like these aliens had some pretty advanced tech before it all melted." Grupp hefts the computers back to the ship.

Once that's done and they're all stowed, we start down the other path into the mountain, mageblade lighting the way.

The doors at the bottom of the path below never sealed. Two more bodies are laying in front of it with long stave like objects wrapped in their grips. The end comes to a gently curved blade with blood channel carved into the side

Dax scrunches his nose for a moment, "Do these seem odd to you? If they were such an advanced people, why would they have these weapons? Maybe it was ceremonial or something."

"Good question.." Grupp casts void flow scan to check for magic before picking one of them up to inspect it.

It is not magical but very technological

(Neat)

6:44 PM

(I'm busy for the next bit)

(No rush bud)

(Got a 16 hour work day today. Whee!)

"Huh, these things are surprisingly high tech!" (Can I tell much about them now or needs a more thorough look later?)

(Better look later. Only so much you can do without instruments)

1

"I'll need to look at these later in the workshop, but they look promising!" Grupp grabs both and sends them to his pocket.

"Well, lets head on in then." And Dax heads through the door.

Grupp follows Dax.

Initiative

3

(7)

(Bots got a 3)

(Roll20 app isn't letting me on from my phone. Can you roll with a +2 for me?)

(5 for Dax, I'm at +2 too)

(Grupp, dax, Bots) As you enter the room, five glowing green visors power up, and energy begins to crackle as weapon arms cycle live. The protectors of this vault facility begin to come online as their sensors detect intrusion

(Should have held on to one of those glaives lol) Grupp casts accelerando on Dax.

Dax jumps into melee with as many as possible

9:48 PM

9:51 PM

(Wow those rolls sucked)

(The usual savage fray AoE Shock if applicable)

(You’re good. I’m just off to bed in a minute. Will be back to regular schedule tomorrow

Two of the bots are hit, the damage is light, their heavy armor plates ablating some of it. They’re slightly taller than you with a squared chest section that almost looks like abdominal muscles, until the wheatcutter belts fire

7:25 AM

(Evasion for both of you)

(Success)

(3v4 failure)

1

7:46 AM

(15% chance to fail MarkdownContext { Depth = 1 } )

(6 damage, 3 on pass. Back to grupp)

Grupp stretches out, shadows gathering in his hand before a burst of psychic energy blasts the bot Dax attacked. (Vacant Ambush: 17 damage)

4:16 PM

(Not sure how psychic damage works with armor, I think it's not affected by it?)

(Armor still applies. Magic is not a heavy weapon either)

1

4:17 PM

(Mord and I had to look this up when they did their ground mission during the Alcibiades raid)

4:17 PM

The bot falls forward crumpling

The remaining three close in around dax, energized claws cracking

4:30 PM

(Dax Up)

Dax activates the Neural overload wiring and makes his first two strikes towards the next bot, looking for a weak point in its armor as he ducks in to it. (21/17, 10 AoE shock vs 17) (38/23, shock) The last strike is towards a new target, spreading the damage out among the bots. (31/14, shock) (1v5 failure

physical save for wiring) Dax feels a hot spot in the back of his neck as the neural overload malfunctions and disables itself until it can cool down.

The first bot you lay into falls leaving just two remaining both of whom are damaged

9:20 PM

Their lighting wreathed claws come to life

9:23 PM

(20/22) the disruption field slams into you as one set of claws makes contact, sending a concussive shockwave through your body. The other bot misses

9:23 PM

(Grupp)

Grupp grabs his shear rifle and fires at a bot. (19/11)

Dax hits more things with a magic sword and activates his energy buckler after taking that last hit (AC 21 against melee now) (33/22) (25/17)

The remaining bots fall to pieces under your combined assault, metal plating and components littering the floor

Grupp goes over and inspects the remains of the bots.

The bots are squatter and sturdier than the lithe, fragile alien bodies you've seen thus far. THey've been reduced to scrap, but look to have been fashioned as guardians for this place and whatever might be interred within.

Rubbing his neck, Dax says, "Well they weren't too bad... but I can't do that trick again for a while... the thing overheated. Which, I guess isn't surprising considering the circumstances."

"Ha! You don't need tricks like that when you have me! Let's find out what all this is guarding eh?"

"Yeah, lets keep at it... that robots grasp was... shocking." Dax heads further in with Grupp.

The parts are knocked to the sides of the compartments, and a heavy vault door is through the small antechamber they were guarding. You feel a deep thrum of active power beyond the door

(Would this be out of the scope of breaching charge? 'The caster can punch holes in anything short of military fortifications to a depth equal to one meter per two caster levels, rounded up and a diameter of up to three meters')

(Yes, definitely, I'm getting the puzzle together)

8:46 AM

(Because I have to make my own now)

The door before you is a large, heavily reinforced door three times your height. eleven lampstands, iron poles with long unpowered glow globe like objects at their tops line the walkway. The numbers -0-9 in the alien language are carved into the walls, though the number 0 repeats, twice in total. An inscription is carved into the center of the door on a polished steel plate Salvation was found by many, though many more were left behind. Save yourself, follow the ark, your path has been lit through the stars

(We'll see how this goes, I had to punt)

"Oh.... shoot. I was never any good at things like this. The whole inscription is just telling us what happened here and to get off the planet.... umm...." Dax goes to take a closer look at the walls and door to see if he notices anything else that could be a part of this.

(notice/wis)

(Same as Cyrus.... 6)

9:17 AM

(I blame him)

"Hey, you're great for things like this! We have some lamps to light and you've got a giant lighter!" (I assume the lamps are lined up with numbers yeah?)

9:20 AM

Grupp pulls out his dataslab and looks at the star chart. "Hmm, would they have started with Wasim or the first star after?"

(That's right Grupp)

(Could we assume they followed the same spike rout as us to Halia?)

(It was confirmed by billy that they did)

Grupp shrugs, "Try lighting one of the zeros, see what happens."

Dax does not spot anything that is not already apparent in the room

9:27 AM

(to answer that check finally)

Dax does as he's told.

There is a click behind the door, and the lock moves to unlock a 1/4 of the way

"Wow already a fourth of the way there, great job Dax keep at it!"

9:31 AM

"Assuming we only need three more numbers then let's light two next!"

another of the locking bars behind the doors disengages as the lamp flares to life (each of them takes a type A cell to light)

(

I have 4 on me)

9:34 AM

Grupp places his last two batteries in the other 0 and the 3.

The central locking wheel opens, and the doors part, to a command center. Computers purr and click, kept cool with the dregs of a complicated power system. A central holographic table comes to life as you approach

"Alright, great job Dax, we did it!" Grupp enters and looks at the holographic table.

(I'm gone for 10 minutes and Grupp solves everything) (edited)

(You're good at killing though

good job staying in character)

The table is encoded with endless layers of the jagged and irregular alien language. A starmap appears, but the orientation is...wrong...compared to your own understanding of how the stars are arranged

"We did it? I didn't get a lick of that!"

"Woah this is weird! We'll need to get a copy of what's written to Billy, I think he was working on the language." Grupp checks his dataslab and compares the maps.

The maps do not agree at all

9:49 AM

no matter which way you orient them

(Like same stars in different positions or different stars altogether?)

(Totally different, like an L cluster)

Grupp downloads the strange starmap to his dataslab and copies some of the encoded language to help with Billy's translation. (edited)

10:00 AM

"See anything else interesting in here Dax?"

10:01 AM

(Anything else in the room besides the hologram?)

There is a sealed room, off to the left, that emanates an arctic like cold from a few small breaches in its weathersealing

"It's all very interesting...." (edited)

"I guess that room over there is why this hasn't all melted yet. Doesn't look like it'll last much longer though. Mind opening it for me? Maybe we can copy some of that tech to cool off Tsatsos a bit ha!"

Dax tries the opening the door non-destructively first. Otherwise,

.

Dax is forced to use his mageblade as a torch, something becoming all too familiar. The doors blast open, as the seal is breached, and the cool air billows out. Dozens of small, cryogenically frozen metal tubes are inside, each roughly the size of a type A cell.

10:32 AM

you count 48 in total, after a few minutes spent inventorying

Grupp pulls out one of the tubes and inspects it.

There is a hiss as the cooling chemical cocktail is cut off. It is a stainless surgical steel, and it is impossible to see what is within. It is locked, down the middle, by what looks to be some kind of genetic lock.

"Do you have anything on your ship that could keep these frozen? I'm not sure what's in them but they're frozen for a reason..."

10:45 AM

(What condition are the corpses where we found the glaives in?)

(they'd probably just fall to tatters if they were disturbed)

10:46 AM

(not to be gross but think of it like when you go to pull meat with a bone in it out of a crock pot)

(Yummy

)

"I just have the usual on my ship.... a couple freezers for food storage and the like."

(Would that work for these? Or is there a way to move the whole thing onto the ship and have the ship power it?)

(its the whole room so with what is on hand now, without a very significant time investment, you can't take the whole apparatus with you. As far as if his freezer will work, I think that's better left an actual story decision._

"Your freezer may be our only option, let's see if there's a way to open these first." Grupp takes the tube back to where the corpses are and gently touches the lock to the alien's hand. (edited)

the arm pulls away cleanly as you exert even a small amount of pressure, the flesh toward the base of it sloughing off with a wet slop. The device purrs for a long moment, before opening reluctantly

11:36 AM

inside, more chemical fog emerges, along with what looks to be a flash-frozen embryo, at the bottom of the now breached containment device. Warnings from a small diagnostic machine inside, known to be warnings due to the angry red color, begin appearing as contaminants invade from the surrounding air

Grupp stares at the embryo, "Dax.. Dax! We have to get these to Halia! Have Peace send a message to someone with a cryo freezer, your freezer will have to do till we can transfer them."

11:39 AM

He closes the tube to prevent further contaminants, knowing it's probably too late this one.

(Are you hoping to get them back to Gudrun in my ship? Or meet someone on the way?)

(Meet them halfway, or they could come all the way here first if the cryo freezer here would last that long)

11:46 AM

(Neko, does the system seem to be losing power or anything after Dax opened it?)

(After watching Solo last night, this is all vaguely familiar.... time to make the Kessel run in 12 parsecs)

(it was already losing power, you guys got to it within its last few days of service life, likely. )

"We'll have to meet them halfway and hope that's enough."

11:56 AM

"Let's get them to your ship quickly, I don't think there's anything left for us here."

Grupp casts Truth of Flesh and Bone on the pod he has, hoping to find out how long the embryos would last out of cryo. (Not sure if this would do much)

You target a visible subject for a deep analysis of their physical structure and health. You immediately identify any injuries, diseases, toxins, or implants they may possess, and can grant a +2 bonus to any Heal checks related to treating their health problems, either to yourself or to a cooperating physician. If they have been enchanted by a spell or have received mundane or magical physical alteration, you perceive it and the target’s original form unless it is somehow concealed by some special effect, in which case an opposed Wis/Know Magic skill check is usually required against some appropriate opposing skill.

(I'm getting paid to play in a golf tournament, and that's starting up here pretty quick. Dax will do the things Grupp recommends) (edited)

3

2

(no worries bud, enjoy your round!)

12:31 PM

Outside of a specially created womb, they will last between four and six hours, depending on other factors, as well

12:31 PM

(if temperature control/ cryo is off) (edited)

(So we have plenty of time to get them to the ship but don't know how effective the freezer will be?) Grupp and Dax carry all of the tubes back to the ship and quickly put them in the freezer, turning it as cold as it can go. "Let's get out of here, Peace did you send the message?"

(That is right Grupp, exactly what's going on right now)

2:12 PM

"The message has been sent but we don't have FTL comms this far out. We might be waiting a while for a reply"

"Well let's get moving and see if someone's waiting when we get there eh?"

(where specifically did you want them to meet you)

(Elkano if possible, I don't know how fast the comms are)

2:18 PM

(If the message just moves as fast as us then we'd just meet on Gudrun to transfer them)

(Anything within spike 3 range of Gudrun is covered within the FTL array that the UNW stole from the Remnant. Cyrus actually has some stuff in process to try to make more)

(So for this by the time we're close enough to do that we might as well just meet on Gudrun)

(You'd be meeting close enough to their space where I think them making preparations to receive special cargo might be more effective, but I don't get to decide that)

( Neko play the game for us pls)

8:02 PM

"Alright, let's just get home fast." Dax makes the necessary preparations to spike towards Gudrun in all haste.

The nav computer might be able to do it faster, but the route is dangerous

8:05 PM

(pilot/int for an attempt, if you want to tryt)

(Last time I tried to pilot... I'll leave that to you Dax lol)

(Does it matter if it's me or one of my pilots?)

8:10 PM

(We all have pilot 1 but the pilots are more intelligent than Dax... no surprise)

(9 for Peace)

8:27 PM

(8 if Dax)

(Peace makes it)

8:58 PM

An emergency jump is plotted and she assured you she can do it. “The currents are stable but don’t expect this to be a regular thing” she says as she pulls the translation lever

"Hopefully someone will be waiting for us so we can transfer the embryos quickly. How much faster is this?"

“It’ll shave a day off our travel time”

"Let's hope that's enough then eh? Wouldn't help our relations with these folk if we delivered a bunch of dead embryos to them ha!"

9:21 PM

(For downtime, Grupp will examine the glaives more thoroughly)

The glaives when powered up have a disruption field around them similar to a slyth disruption blade. Aboard the ship with the sensitive equipment it’s difficult to test properly

(

I'm good skipping ahead if Dax is)

(Neat. Yeah let's get to it)

Arrangements have been made as far as the orders came in, and Valeria stands ready to receive you on the deck of Trivedi Cloud. Though Rebirth is not a primarily psychic based research station, the underground section of the cryogenics facility there is still functional (repaired by a much younger and far less experienced Charles Trivedi) , and it seems the best place to bring such sensitive cargo

Dax gets the crew to pitch in in moving all of the cargo quickly to the cryogenics chambers. To Valeria, "Hi! We have to move fast! We took these from a crumbling facility on Wasim and they might not have any time left; we came as quickly as we could." (edited)

(So we're taking them to Rebirth? Or Valeria is?)

(Val is taking custody of them, but you can go with her if you want, otherwise you can just get a report lateR)

(Yeah I think I'll go with her)

10:26 AM

"Thanks for helping out Dax, I couldn't have done it without you! I'm gonna head on with these folks to Rebirth but I'm sure I'll see you again soon!"

(we can jump into your thread unless he wants to go too)

(Get off my lawn, I got stuff to do)

10:30 AM

"Yeah, no problem! It's always an adventure with you. Let me know what happens with these, I'm pretty curious honestly."

(6xp, 10,000 credits both)

"I'll let you know if I need more fiery swords!" Grupp looks around before whispering to Dax, "There's something weird going on in Delphos. Hopefully nothing you need to worry about, but depending on what I find out I may need some help." He steps back and waves, smiling. "See ya around!"

Without a word, Dax nods his understanding before heading back to Fate.

The crew is glad to be home, the trip was draining on them and the planet was a singularly unpleasant place to be.

(I'll jump back in when I'm done playing spreadsheet simulator 3000 with this shipyard)

(I actually don't have any plans for Dax this month. I don't really have anything that I need to get done before Crusea)

7:18 PM

(I'm open to any convenient hooks you might have laying around)

(Is all of Gudrun explored? The northeast land runs into the edge of the map)

(the sea on the left is what borders it, not a flat planet)

7:48 PM

(southlands, far western desert, far northern desert, ice caps in general, anywhere without clusters of icons really.)

(the smart missile is AC 11 under the new system, its 20 - old ac)

11:20 AM

(lower used to be better, because you'd add less to the d20 to hit)

1

Regulus/Grupp 5/2/2019 11:21 AM

(I'll just switch that smart missile out too. I don't anticipate it being used much if the VTOL does its job.)

(Just letting you know what the equivalent is now, still really good, and on other vehicles, you hit at a 10+ anyway if they're not in auto hit range)

11:44 AM

(Pretty forgiving weapon system)

(It's more about avoiding ECM problems than anything else)

(I changed out the tank's smart missiles like I said, and also fixed the fitting description for the Point Defense Laser on the VTOL, so I'll repost the corrected versions)

8:55 AM

Regulus/Grupp 5/3/2019 8:56 AM

On the way back to Gudrun, Dax doesn't do much besides sleep and rest as much as possible.

At one point, while in a sleepy haze, he comes to a decision. Against his better judgement, and emboldened by the thought of his recent near-death experiences, Dax finds Vorianu on the ship. You got this, just say it. "Vorianu, I've gotten some perspective recently. I nearly died a dozen times back there and somehow we all pulled through as a team and saved the day. Saved the whole dad-gum planet actually. Probably more than that, really. Whatever." Dax pauses to catch his breath, swallow once and visibly relax his shoulders before continuing. "I came to the realization that I like you. Well, I mean... I already liked you. I came to the realization that I liked you but you didn't know it and I could've died on Acastus without you ever knowing, and I'd be a big dummy. Anyways.... Oh, and I mean like you like you. I think you're beautiful and it's probably weird because I'm like technically your boss, sort of, but I figured you ought to know. I just keep acting all weird and there just isn't time for that business any more. A girl is just a girl, anyways." Dax's face flushes for a moment, realizing what he just said. "I mean, you're not just a girl! I mean that you're a girl and I shouldn't be scared of you because I do stuff that's a lot scarier than talking to you. I mean...." Dax stops and looks defeated. "I don't actually know what I'm trying to say. Sorry.... I really am no good at this."

1

She smiles, saying nothing but kissing your cheek. She rests a hand on your shoulder for a few seconds after, appraising you with kind eyes before passing by, heading for the cockpit

1

Dax stands unmoving for a long moment, a flurry of emotions bubbling under the surface. He lets out a long sigh before announcing, "I'm going back to sleep now, I'm clearly not well enough to be up yet!"

2:11 PM

(Ready to cut back to the planet unless you have something else for me)

(Not right now)

2:30 PM

Dax returns after a few days in spike space, physically restored but not mentally recovered

Upon landing, Dax stops Vorianu on the way off the ship. "Hey... are we good? I was pretty out of it on the trip back. I... I hope I didn't ruin anything. You're a great help to this team we're building."

“you didn’t ruin a thing” she says, gently squeezing your arm

Dax forces himself not to freak out. "Do you want to go get some food? I heard girls like that sort of thing these days. Should be better than what we can find space-side."

4:38 PM

"I've got a few errands to get to, but nothing that can't wait for a decent meal first."

She makes a show of thinking for a moment. "Food sounds great. Where to?"

(Dax probably knows a good place, but I sure don't. Somewhere that's not too fancy, even Baron's is good if he has any food there.)

(Baron has food)

5:38 PM

Cyrus, and cole are in the bar when you arrive though all wrapped up in a deep conversation with the baron

(Stalker)

2

Dax orders two of the Baron's Big Bad Bacon and Brandy combos and finds a seat for himself and the lovely lady.

6:35 PM

"So... what's your story? You seem to have quite a bit of experience shooting things for someone so young."

“Ah that. Well...” she puts her arms behind her head and leans back a bit. “It’s nothing tragic. My father was a Hunter. Enjoyed getting into the wild and harvesting as he called it. Really makes you mindful of things. A lot of us don’t eat meat but it’s just how things developed. No real reason behind it either way”

8:15 PM

“But I used to go with him a lot. Especially as I got older”

8:16 PM

“One day he taught me how to shoot. We spent a whole weekend setting up cans and knocking them down again, and I just never looked back”

"Wow... is he still around? Your dad?"

“He is. We talk when in on planet but it’s tough. I don’t think he knows what to say to me anymore”

"I know the feeling...." Dax eats in silence for a bit. "I need to go by the academy after this. You don't have to come, but you're welcome to tag along." And he finishes his last few bites.

(I'm gonna move myself along to the Academy to finish up a thing before Crusea.)

Dax makes his way up the Academy steps (with or without Vorianu) and in the front doors, looking for one of the metapsions.

Sitting in Crane's usual spot is a mismatched scrap-built VI bot, that currently seems to be reading a very old book, occasionally scribbling notes in the margins.

Approaching a bit hesitantly, "Uh... Hi. Is Doona around?"

The bot looks up, its face not really capable of expression. You hear a distorted but familiar voice, "Ah... Mr. Withers. It is good to see you again. I am afraid Dr. Ahn is currently off planet. Is there something I could help you with?"

"Regulus? It's you?.... I thought you were just like, a ghost! How did you... so, you're not dead?"

The glowing blue-white form of Regulus flows out of the bot, a faintly glowing tether leading into the bot's core. "My body is still dead of course, the young piggen shaman helped build me a new one. So... I am neither dead nor alive I suppose. This allows me to run the academy and assist in verious relevant business."

"You're telling me you're back from the dead to push papers? Honestly, I'm not surprised."

"I am currently writing papers, not pushing them. Would you like to read it? It is a treatise on the efficacy of metadimensional molding of the mind. I assume you know what happened to your friend after wearing the helmet of Umbra Mortalis? That is what gave me the idea."

Dax lets out a long exasperated sigh with a slight smile on his face. "I'm glad you're back, Reggie."

10:58 PM

"As boring as ever."

11:01 PM

"The actual reason I'm here was to seek the help of a metapsion. Something.... changed recently. On Acastus. I don't know what exactly... something with my teleports."

Reg's incorporeal form glows brighter for a second as his metapsi abilities activate, "Hmm... can you describe the changes?"

"They, uh... feel different?"

11:23 PM

"I was pretty much stuck to a certain way I could do it... and they only went so far, you know? Now I can feel it's... different."

11:23 PM

"That's not very helpful... but that's why I was hoping you could poke my brain or whatever you do."

"So increased range is the main difference outside of... feel? I think I know what has happened, I will have to update my treatise to reflect this for replication purposes."

11:28 PM

"I assume the Still Lady attacked you in some way. She attempted to change you physically, though the attack was mental and your body resisted." (edited)

11:33 PM

Regulus slips back into the bot, which places a hand on your shoulder. "Would you mind if I tried something? Your teleportation was always fueled by the metadimension, but previously you controlled it through the weave. Her attack opened your mind to finer control through psionics, not too dissimilar to Grupp's change via helmet. It's an imperfect connection right now but I think I could stabilize it."

"Huh.... if I pretend really hard I might actually understand that."

11:37 PM

"Whatever you like, I suppose. I trust you."

A wash of meta and biopsionic power flows through you in a soothing wave, healing an ache you weren't even aware of. Your spatial awareness of the world around you grows and you can intuitively sense places you've been within a significant range.

11:44 PM

"How does that feel?"

"Like I could teleport anywhere in the city... like... I just know where stuff is, in here!" Dax points to his head.

Regulus nods, "That is the psychic discipline of teleportation. Weaving generally has lesser control over a wider variety of subjects, but when it comes to specializing nothing beats psionics."

"So I'm a full-fledged psycho now? Huh... thought it would feel different."

11:54 PM

"OH! Hey!" Dax summons the fiery mageblade as the usual sword. "I learned a new thing since you saw me."

"Restricted psychic, not 'full fledged' as you say. It does not feel too different as I am also shielding you so you do not kill yourself or turn feral trying to use your abilities. I can maintain the shield until you learn how to control your ability without torching."

11:57 PM

"Ah yes, your blade was enhanced by the dormant powers of ancient piggen shaman. Very interesting."

"Torching... I guess that's all a part of the deal now. How do I get around the torching part? I don't want to rely on someone else's shield to keep me sane."

"I would say a week of training with Dr. Ahn, Miss Crane, or myself would suffice to keep you from self harm."

"Oh, well besides being boring, that doesn't sound too bad."

12:03 AM

"I don't have the time for it right now, unfortunately. I've got to get to some meeting that Cyrus is starting up. We're taking Crusea, so I hear."

Regulus sighs, an odd sound since the bot can't breath. "Just try not to get into too much trouble without further training. Watch out for nulmetanium, it will be much more potent against you now and would interrupt my shield. Be safe Mr. Withers, and keep the others safe too." He bows to you and goes back to his book, flipping to a fresh page and making notes on your new abilities.

"Of course, I'm always safe!" Having been to the war room before, Dax seeks it out within his new spatial awareness before focusing and apparating there to join the Crusea meeting.

Vorianu, not wanting to get into whatever private business you had going on inside, is waiting for you, slouched against one of the columns out front.

Pleasantly surprised at her appearance, Dax walks over. "Hey there! I didn't know you were tagging along."

"Wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Is the Fate going to Cruesa? "

"A big operation is starting up. We're taking a whole planet from the Remnant and I got sucked in again. I can't seem to help myself." Dax says with a slight grin. "As for your question, no. I don't think there will be need for it there. There's large transports and small transports and everything in between since this is such a large affair. There's no need to get our little ship involved in a massive system space battle either, as far as I'm concerned."

"I see. Well if we're not going with you..." She pulls in close to embrace you "At least come back.. We will figure out this whole tihng, then"

Dax stiffens at her embrace for a moment before forcing himself to relax. He puts his arms around her to return the gesture, allowing himself to just enjoy the closeness of another person. "I... yeah. We'll figure this out... Whatever this is." He steps away and holds her arms while he looks at her. The uneasiness he feels in her presence replaced by resolve for what he is about to embark on. "I will come back. Promise." He lets her go and turns to leave, but not before smirking at her. "Those Remnant guys don't stand a chance."

"Make sure you do" she says, watching you leave

Dax lands back on Gudrun, glad to be home. The first thing he does exiting the ship is send a message to his crew.

All,
I hope you've had a restful time in my absence. I have landed back on the planet and I'm hoping to stay grounded for a bit to recover. I'll give you more details when we meet back up. 
See you soon

(Yeah its been a good amount of time)

(figured I'd post again for reference)

Home is completed and everyone is getting settled in. The house still has the 'new paint' smell, faintly,. if your companions are to be believed

Dax enjoys a somewhat chilly grav bike ride from the station to his new home, excited to finally see it in person and have a place of his own. The house isn't especially fancy or beautiful in its design, but it is quite functional. Sharp square lines make up the boxy appearance of the house itself, which sits apart from the new gleaming metal garage and workshops for vehicle maintainence. There is a side of the home that is made up mostly of large windows where the common areas face the desert sunsets. The ship Fate sits in its landing bay, looking as majestic as he remembered, next to an unoccupied landing bay that could be the future home of another ship if the need arises. "Wow....." Dax says with a sigh. The grav bike stopped for the moment on the outskirts of the property to take in the whole scene. After a long moment, he kicks the bike into gear and idles his way into the garage to park. He meanders into the front of the house to find his crew, and more importantly, Vorianu.

You're mobbed at the doorway by everyone wanting to know how the mission went

"Woah! Woah, woah.... Can we get some food at least? I'll tell you aaalllll about it as soon as I get a bite to eat and a decent look around at our new home!" Dax pushes his way through the crowd and gives Vorianu's shoulder a quick squeeze with a knowing smile as he walks by. He heads to the kitchen and pulls the first thing edible he sees out of the cupboard, a box of Cheezy-Wam-Bams in this case. He leans against the counter as he opens the box and shoves a handful into this mouth. After the first bite, he says, "Alright. So we get there, right? And there's already like a huuuuge fleet of Remnant ships blocking our way to the planet. That doesn't stop us, we make it down to their stations in small strike teams and force our way through to the bridge to disable them. But this is where it gets tricky. They've got these elite soldiers and mobile turrets and all sorts of nonsense in our way. Cyrus blew our cover and ruined a perfectly good ambush, which ended up getting me nearly toasted in the process, but I managed to scrape through and my buddy Grupp was able to heal me back up before going in for the next phase. Which," Dax stops to take his first breath since starting to speak.

3:46 PM

"Which ended up being some freaky weird place called the TECT. Grupp gaves us these crazy exoskeletons and wings and things and we flew down into the gas layer. Oh yeah, the whole dang planet is just a big ball of gas, by the way. That Cornelius guy fell right into it from space and he was already unconscious before disappearing into it. Aaaaaanyways.... This TECT place didn't have much to stop us from getting in beyond a few turrets. What's really weird though is that they are storing humans in tanks in this place to power this giant telekinetic mining operation. And I mean like, a billion people. I'm not even exaggerating, there's like something like 350 million people in tanks here. And Grupp said their minds are already fried from merging into the facility. And get this! It's just for some spike drives and stuff! They kill a jillion and a half people just to speed up some mining on the planet. I didn't have much skin in the game with this Remnant business before, but now they're like really bad guys. It was all crazy." Dax takes another bite of his snack and starts back up before he's even done chewing. "Yeah, so... I am all good now, I only almost died like 3 times. How'd it go here?"

3:50 PM

(This is the official debrief I want to see on Colonial News Now)

(Ding?)

(Getting there. I literally just did the news)

9:07 PM

“Things are less crazy than that” peace says. “The track is proceeding as planned but the actual event agency is still waiting on the official rules. It sounds like there’s some interest among drivers”

"Oh... yeah that. I've been getting there. It's harder than I thought, honestly. Lots more paperwork than I was hoping. And it's been pretty difficult to work on recently, what with all the planet liberating I've been busy with. They'll have it soon."

“Interest is a good thing.” Tengu says from the doorway leading outside. He’s enjoying the desert view and living somewhat close to home

9:23 PM

“If it was a bad idea nobody would be sniffing around or asking about deadlines”

"I agree, that's a good point." Dax says, pondering. "Hey, would you consider bringing your family here? There's plenty of room for them. It's still in the desert too."

“‘Maybe. We are gone a lot and piggen culture is very herd oriented. I think they’d be lonely out here away from the neighbors”

"That's fair. Well if they want to visit sometime, it would be lovely to meet them. And feel free to borrow a vehicle to get home when you need to. I don't anticipate we'll be leaving here anytime soon. I need a break from all this heavy stuff."

9:31 PM

"So I got a rec room built with this place, but I haven't filled it with anything yet. Any requests? I heard about this Dabloonscape thing that could be fun to get set up here. Or any other hobbies you guys have, it's your home too."

“A wood shop might be nice. Though with a medical bot on standby”

"Sure! That kind of thing comes in handy. We can build it on to the workshop for sure. I haven't got that fully outfitted yet."

9:44 PM

"This leads me to my next thought... the future." Dax glances at Vorianu to see her reaction before continuing. "I feel like I've been working for someone else for the last several months. First it's Asgapur, then to Wasim, then to Asgapur, back to Wasim, Acastus was in there twice at some point, then over to the Creusa thing. All for other people! Now don't get me wrong, we did good work. All of us had a part to play in the successes we found on all of these campaigns, and the universe is, I hope, a better place for it. I just think maybe it's time for us to find something more... self-serving."

"What did you have in mind boss?" Vorianu asks, sparking a small cigar of her own, and kicking back in the doorframe to join Tengu

(Ew smoking gross.) "Well there's quite a bit of profit to be found out there if we know where to look. We certainly know how to take care of ourselves and have tools to do many things. I figure we could strike out towards a planet that has a decent population and sell our 'services' to those who can't do things on their own through conventional means." Dax pauses. "I don't mean to say we have to become smugglers of contraband or assassins or something. I'm just thinking there's a grey area we could tread and find profits. Shoot, we could even become influences for good if we root out some corruption or something!"

10:56 AM

"I don't have an exact plan yet. I'm just thinking out loud."

"You're talking about professional fixers, of a sort?"

"That is a great word for it! What do you guys think of doing something like that? You guys get your salary, but with this we can start splitting payloads too, assuming we find and complete such a thing."

Everyone seems on board with the idea in concept, but you get the sense some actual work is going to have to be presented for a real temperature check here

(Would a population center like Chloe be a good place to start? I can imagine there might be opportunities in the current instability there. I wouldn't necessarily want to find something on this planet under the nose of the UNW in case it's something more unsavory)

(There is a good start sure)

"Here's what I'm thinking. Chloe. It's got a sprawling urban center, lots of people, and best of all it is pretty unstable because of the Remnant surrender. Call me an opportunist, but that might be a great place to start looking. I'm sure there is plenty of people there who could use our 'expertise' in a time like this."

"Lets set that course then"

8:15 AM

everyone seems eager to get going and get into some actual work

"If you guys don't mind, I would like to have a few days of downtime here just to get settled. We can gather what we need for the trip ahead, but I'm in no hurry since we're on our own schedule now."

just knowing there is direction coming, and self gain, everyone is eager to squeeze in a few more days this side of civilization before blasting off to space

At some point over the next couple days, Dax finds Vorianu when she's on her own, perhaps in her room or when she's working on something in the workshop. Dax steps in and gives a simple, "Hey...." hoping she understands what he wants to talk about, and hoping she'll lead off because he's terrified of this kind of talk.

“Hey yourself” she waves you into the workshop and you sense she is at ease

With a bit of trepidation, Dax steps closer. This would be soooo much easier if she weren't so pretty... "Yeah... um. So we said we'd... how'd you put it... 'figure this out.' Well... I'm no good at this."

“I did say that. I like you Dax. Not just because you’re good with a sword or a hero to the government either. This line of work is tough. People die. We both almost have a few times now”

9:36 PM

“I don’t want to settle down. The family scene ain’t for me. I know that.”

Dax's heart jumps into his throat as he processes what she said. "I... uh," He stumbles over his words trying to find them. "I mean I'm glad to hear it. Not the dying part, of course, because that's not great, like, obviously... and I don't know yet about the settling down thing, cause that's... I don't know. I like you like me. That's what I'm trying to say. I think." Dax's head seems to clear, and he speaks with more confidence, for once. "Well... I don't know what the future holds for me, but I can guarantee there is going to be a definite lack of 'settling down' since I can't even seem to sit in my own house for more than a few days. Some deranged god somewhere is going to need killing for the sake of the good of all life and you just know that they're going to be calling me to do it. I like you, and I'd like you to stay with me for this next adventure we're about to embark on. I'll try to be less... you know, awkward." Dax looks to her, hopeful.

"Less awkward would be nice" she agrees

"You've faced things far scarier than me"

In spite of himself, Dax laughs. "Not by much! You're beautiful! Not to mention your shooting..." After a moment, he says, "Do you think the others would find it strange?"

"What, This?" she asks, an eyebrow arcing

"Yeah... this." He says, gesturing vaguely in between them.

I dont see why. This kind of thing tends to happen when people work closely together"

"You see, it sounds so reasonable when you put it like that... I guess you're right. In any case, I don't know that it would change anything even if it was weird to them. I would still like you. I guess that means it's up to us to figure out what's next for... us... is 'us' a thing now, then? Well I guess I haven't asked yet if you want to be an 'us.'" Dax stops for a second, realizing what he's about to say as the gravity of the situation threatens to make him lose his nerve. "Vorianu... do you want to be my girlfr-person? Or... something?" He turns bright red in the face.

"I will be your girlfriend person" she laughs, almost so hard that she struggles to breathe

3

Visibly relieved, Dax laughs along at his own absurdity. "Sooo... do we...? I'm new to this, obviously, but I think I want to hug you..."

"Whatever am I to do with you?" she asks out loud, rhetorical, you realize, before pulling you close

"You can do that, that seems to be working." Dax says as he returns the embrace.

10:51 AM

(Personal goal: ~~Touch a Girl~~) (12xp)

(This is beautiful to watch)

(this made me so squirmy and uncomfortable. Don't change a thing_

(Personal goal: ~~Make Neko squirmy and uncomfortable~~) (Minus 12xp)

After a long moment that didn't feel nearly long enough, Dax lets her go. "I guess it's about time to get to bed. We're setting out early tomorrow. I'll uh... well, good night." (edited)

"Goodnight, boyfriend" she laughs, and goes back to prepping her equipment for the trip

Dax makes his way back to his room slowly, absorbing all that happened. Not the smoothest way to do it, but... it is you after all...

12:46 PM

The next morning, Dax gets an early start to grab breakfast with the crew, their last meal at home before setting out for who knows how long. He gives Vorianu a (hopefully) charming smile as she makes her way into the kitchen. "All right guys, I think we're all set. Let's go make a name for ourselves."

12:47 PM

(Leaving the orbital artillery here, but taking Dora the grav explorer and the VTOL with me.)

(whats our route looking like>)

(Mariam, Sumati, Chloe)

Governor-Elect Shtiven is settling in on Sumati when you pass by, the shuttle briefly coming to dock at the station there before the final leg of the trip. An uneasy truce has fallen over the warring nations of the planet below

"One more hop... let's activate the sensor mask on our way in, just in case."

3:01 PM

(I also have the Q ship cladding so there are no visible weapons on the ship)

3:07 PM

(Also, during the trip Dax would try to work on his relationship with Vorianu. They probably held hands once)

3:08 PM

(It's a big step for him)

3

(I'll hold your hand Dax(

4

(Pretty sure it's called 'railroading' when the GM does it)

(Roll unarmed for hand holding)

The two platforms standing guard over Chloe are active but the weapons are not tracking. You’re not hailed on your way into the planet either

(Would I know which city would be a better place to land? Or is the only info about the planet the surface map and scouting report?)

(that's the only info. Cyrus spent maybe an hour there, but they had a task and werent really intel focused)

(Cool stuff

bout to find out)

(Hard to read on mobile, but I think I want to take it down towards Praxis Pranda)

Praxis Pranda was once the pharmacy capital of the Remnant, providing medical supplies and treating the most seriously injured of Remnant soldiery. As yet, UNW occupation forces have not yet arrived, but are expected within days. As you make your way into the system, you see a pair of yachts blasting off from the local ground-spaceport

To his crew, "Now I don't have a concrete plan yet, but I figured we could get down there and get acquainted with the city a bit. Rub elbows with locals, find some good spots to get a drink and whatnot. There might be some people spooked that the UNW will be here in a few days and they could be looking to move things off-world in a hurry. That's the kind of person who would be paying the most because they're desperate. We'll have to just wait and see."

8:51 PM

Fate flies into an open port at the hands of Kells.

You’re not greeted by port security or any kind of law enforcement at all. It doesn’t look like the normal ground technicians have shown up for work either.

(I'm imagining this is a pretty sizable city we landed in, but the starport itself is pretty empty.)

3:40 PM

(I wouldn't know how 'racist' these people are, would I? I have both a taros and a piggen here with me)

(You wouldn’t know about the alien thing , but you’re right about the first point)

"Hate to say it, but for this first outing I think some of you should stay with the ship until I get a feel for this place. No offense, but it needs to be you two staying here." Dax points to Kells and Tengu. "I don't know how friendly they are towards non-humans and I don't want to get kicked out my first day. We won't go too far, and I'll check in with you at times." Looking at Peace, the pilot, he says, "You're welcome to come or stay as you please. Having the two gunners at my back is sufficient, so I'll leave it up to you."

"I'll stay with them, just in case. If something happens to the ship its better for me to be here"

"Good plan. Let's roll out." Dax leaves the ship with Vorianu and Mirr and strikes out into the city, not headed anywhere in particular yet. "Keep an eye out for any funny business, but act casual. That's certainly a strong suit of mine." Dax says as he gives Vorianu a smirk.

8:51 PM

(Hoping to get a general idea of what the people here are like, mood, if we stick out, etc...)

(Gotcha. Okay wall of text incoming)

(My favorite)

The city itself is on edge. Public safety forces have abandoned their duties and soldiers from the garrison here have also mostly stopped reporting, choosing to stay home and protect their families instead- knowing a UNW occupation Force is surely coming. People in the street have noticed a starship landing (yours) and eye you with a mix of interest and fear

1:51 PM

The town itself is Orderly and for the moment public utilities and non safety public services seem to be working. Crowds cluster around grocery stores and pharmacies as families do what they can to stock up If violence breaks out. There is a mob or feeding frenzy mentality around these areas

As Dax makes his way down the street, taking in the sights, he says, "These people are acting like it's the end of the world or something. They're in no danger here except from their own lawlessness. In reality there shouldn't even be much change once the UNW gets here." Dax keeps walking, contemplating. "Shoot, if we had thought about it, we could've brought fresh food from home and sold it here to make a fortune!"

3:56 PM

"This is why I'm here. It's a learning experience. Gotta learn to think like a businessman. Let's go find some local food and sit down for a bit."

3:57 PM

(Any kind of restaurant that appears open with some amount of patronage. Unless restaurants are mobs as much as the markets are) (edited)

There is a cafe at the end of the road. Nobody is outside drinking anything right now but there are a few people inside looking at the dry goods the cafe sells to supplement their menu

Down the street a burglar alarm goes off as three youths throw a brick through a store window. A crowd of people storm it, and begin carrying off clothes and goods

Dax and friends make their way down towards the cafe. Seeing the looting, he says, "Normally I'm inclined to stop something like that... but I think that's not in our best interest. I can't do my thing without causing a scene, anyways."

9:55 PM

"I'm still after some food, but be ready to... deal with things."

“Wonder how much some of these places would pay for protection...” you hear faintly from one of your companions

"I mean, you're not wrong. These sorts of places probably would pay for protection. I'm not sure that's very lucrative. Going from galactic hero to rent-a-cop feels pretty... wrong."

10:00 PM

"I'm kind of hoping we find our way towards a worse part of town where some more, uh... interesting individuals might be. Doesn't have to be illegal, but I'm hoping it'll at least be fun. More than babysitting a storefront for a while."

The town itself has been pretty clean and in normal days well ordered. There isn’t the slum district you’d expect to see in most cities. (What kind of interesting individual im struggling a bit here)

(Oh, you know... like the kind of guy who invites you to a cave of wonders to find a magic lamp. Or another biohorror zombie god. I'll try to be more specific in what I'm after.)

You do notice a lack of lawless activity around town center, where whatever of the local garrison without personal property, or family to protect have continued reporting for work. Muffled pops, and cracks of gunfire, not constant or heavy, occasionally sound through the streets, likely warning shots for people getting too close to their walls

"Actually... new plan... I think we might have something to offer to the local politicians. Maybe we sell ourselves as, uh... 'security consultants' or something. I think I could probably keep just about anything safe, honestly."

4:07 PM

"Let's head towards city center."

Near city center the garrison and city hall are perched near one another. The area is sparsely populated right now. Three would be looters are in the process of being hung from a light pole. Two have already been hung and you see the third struggling as a man with two rifles on his back and a kukuri on his belt looks on , pleased

Dax walks towards the hangings and looks on as the deed is done with the third man. Arms crossed, saying nothing, making no effort to hide the fact that he's watching.

“Looters” he says, noticing your presence. “They tried stealing from the museum here. Gave them a chance to go home peacefully but that one” He points to the first body “faked a surrender and then stabbed me”

Dax nods in agreement. "Opportunists. I'd imagine you find yourselves short-handed recently."

“Very. We didn’t lose the rule of law when we lost the war, though scum like this thinks otherwise”

5:54 PM

“You’ve got an accent on you stranger. You native?”

He smirks. "Not from here, no. I'm an opportunist. Less scummy, though. I'm actually here because I figured things like this," Dax points at the bodies, "would happen. Figured there could be work here for someone like me. I stop bad things from happening."

“I see. Well I think I might be able to help you get some work then if you’re looking for it”

7:37 PM

“I’ve got a bit of a job tonight that’s more than I can do, I think”

"Count me interested... name's Dax, by the way. This here is Mirr and Vorianu; top gunners, those two."

8:11 PM

(Did my helpers level up again on Acastus? They got to level 2 for helping on Asgapur)

8:12 PM

(They weren't quite as involved on the Acastus deal aside from some VTOL guns every so often)

(And firing the artillery strike that took out 72% of a huge radius. And firing shots from Fate at the Still Lady. Maybe they were kind of helpful)

(They got halfway toward the new total needed for that mission. )

9:23 PM

“We’ll need the help. I’m Soloman. I don’t want to say much about the job without an agreement. You understand

(Level 2.5. Got it.) "I do. I would be more concerned if you simply accepted any old person off the street. Shall we sit down to talk somewhere?"

He nods and you head back toward the mostly empty cafe you’d passed a few streets back. The patrons and staff have cleared out

Sitting at a booth by the window, Dax says, "The city doesn't seem to be doing too badly here, all things considered. I expected more chaos to be honest."

“It’s only just beginning, really. We are having a tough time keeping things running. The people here heard about the harsh surrender terms on creusa. Military especially. Many have fled into the wilds. You’re going to have bandit problems for a very long time”

5:31 AM

“Surrender and die or fight and die isn’t much choice, is it?”

(Were those really the terms of the surrender? I must have missed that detail lol. That's pretty bad.)

(Not directly, but the choice was very stark for anyone who was not just a spear carrier)

"Definitely not. I'd go out with a bang were it me. Drag every one of those bastards down with me if I have to go." Dax clears his throat before continuing. "But that's not why we're here, is it? We are here to talk about what we can do. What do you have for me?"

"Well, It so happens this planet is home to a fair number of officer families, so effected by the harsh surrender terms. I've been contracted- well, me and my ship- with moving some of their precious family goods off world, to keep them safe until things return to normalcy. I've been given a warehouse on the edge of town to keep everything in. It's where my ship's hidden too. Problem is, I think I've been compromised. I was going to leave tonight, but if im loading, i wont have anyone keeping looters off my back"

(yeeeeeaaah now we're talkin

)

"I know they're coming, too. I caught two different groups looking at the place through binoculars. I don't think they realized the sun was reflecting off the lenses"

Dax smiles, a bit smug. "Sounds like a good time to me. How many do you have with you?"

"Just me. I've got an expert system aboard that handles most of the ship stuff for me, but it can't load the thing"

"I have a few more with me besides these two. A couple pilots and a professional 'loader,' if you will. Normally he's reloading the heavy weapons, but there's no reason he couldn't move boxes to speed it along." Dax pauses for a moment, thinking about how to say this next part. "Have you ever seen a piggen, Soloman?"

"Nay. Never been to your edge of things. Hoping to once this nonsense dies down"

"Just checking. I don't employ an entirely human crew and I don't want that to be an issue. It's why I haven't made my way to this planet before. That... and their stance on psychics." Dax eyes the man for a reaction.

'It's not their most attractive quality' he agrees

"Well, if you have no problems with my methods, I will be highly effective at keeping any trouble from reaching you. I even have air support available should the need arise. Although, I don't think a band of looters necessitates that sort of force."

'I'd like to keep it proportional, if we can. I don'r want to cause a massacre if we can avoid it"

"Understood. I will disable them where I can unless they leave me no choice." "You haven't asked yet for my price."

"I didn't think you'd be shy about telling me if you were interested"

10:02 AM

"So, what'll it take?"

"I'm not here for the cash, although that is a great perk. I'm after something... not quite so tangible. I'm here to make friends. Getting on the good side of people like the officers and politicians can be quite handy if I ever need a favor on this world. My price is that you let your employers know who made this whole operation possible and that they should know who to call on in the future if they need more 'sensitive' matters handled. I'm not trying to become a lord of anything myself; I only want to make an interesting living without having to call someone 'boss.' The connections I make determine who and what is open to me in the future, understand?"

10:23 AM

(Hopefully some portion of that makes sense)

"Yeah, you're like one of them artist types. Doing it for the exposure. Not gonna pay the bills on your air support though. cut you in for 30%, and if it goes well, ill tell everyone i know about your outfit"

"No complaints here. Let me know when and where to be. We are ready."

"Tonight, seven o clock" he sends a map for where the warehouse is marked

(Is the location within 10km of my ship?)

(yeah)

(Just considering the

hitting the fan sort of backup plan. I can teleport to a place I've been before with up to 3 allies)

10:47 AM

(Either do that to pull out really quickly, or have pilots on standby with the VTOL ready to swoop in to scare the looters off, if that's possible)

(It's a plan, certainly. I don't know with the information you have now , what the local hazards may be)

(Sure thing, just a heads up for you what my intentions would be if things start to go south)

Dax heads back to Fate to inform his crew of the task at hand. "I'd like you to come with me tonight, Tengu. Help load the cargo faster and get us out of danger faster. You two," gesturing to the pilots, "Keep the VTOL Blitzen on standby in case we need a hot extraction. I don't anticipate it getting too tough, but I want to be prepared. It's why we're all still alive now."

11:43 AM

(I'm ready to continue whenever you are, unless there's something else to be done ahead of time)

The day passes, and the mood in the city is still tense. more looting happens during the daylight hours, and you hear the reports of a couple heavy weapons mixed in there too.

When the time comes, Dax makes his way to the meeting place to meet Soloman.

(The new ship plans I put in for before leaving for Chloe)

(just make sure the needed pretech parts are subtracted from your faction totals) (edited)

(only earned 2, now they're gone)

(otherwise have shriven look it over andput it on the ship registry

1:24 PM

(but it looks good to my untrained eye)

(this version, for reference. No cost on the 3 integrated fittings)

1:26 PM

(Ready to forge ahead on the evening's festivities)

(send it on over and yes ill begin)

1:33 PM

The evening stretches on, and close to the appointed hour you assemble outside the warehouse Solomon designated. You can see in the developed hillside looking down on the complex, two pairs of binoculars looking down, the same lens flare giving away their position

"Wow, those guys are really something else," Dax says to Vorianu. Without pointing, he nods his head in the direction of the onlookers. "They're up the hill there. Not very sneaky at all. I'm thinking I may go pay them a visit before they try anything funny."

2:02 PM

(Is Solomon here yet?) (edited)

(he would be inside, this is just what you see walking up to the place)

(right on)

"Civilians. Probably think they're being all operator and shit" Voriyanu says

(Wow my girlfriend is a smoker with a potty mouth, thanks Neko

)

(you're welcome)

"Well let's at least go talk to Solomon before I jump on some poor kids' heads." Dax heads inside the warehouse.

Solomon is inside, looking over the stacked containers with a datapad, matching serial numbers

"Hey, Solomon. We've already got some nosy neighbors out there. If you aren't opposed to it, I'll hop up there and say hello. Maybe see if they're working with others and root those out too."

“You mind leaving your helpers down here if you’re going to be leaving us?”

5:28 PM

“This only works if I load up fast”

"Yeah no problem." "You three (2 gunners + 1 piggen) stay here and move things. I'm going to take a walk." Dax steps back outside and takes a look at the hill where the onlookers were. (Am I able to see a spot to teleport to on or near them?)

(They’re looking from second or third floor windows. You could see up to the buildings themselves but not inside them)

(Sounds like I can't just BAMF in behind them or something then)

7:16 PM

(Thinking)

Dax sizes up the building he sees them in before teleporting onto the roof directly above them.

8:01 PM

He pulls the portable window out of its case and unrolls it onto the roof surface to glean what the people inside are up to.

8:01 PM

(

)

8:02 PM

(1 Effort committed)

Someone inside is looking at the warehouse with binoculars. It looks like he has a logbook he is keeping notes in. A walkie talkie sits in the table next to him. It’s crackling faintly with static

(Is there a windowsill or some way for me to spiderman my way in through the window he's looking out?)

(Yeah there’s a windowsill

Dax drops down onto the ledge of the window directly in front of the man's binoculars. "Hey!" Dax teleports into the room behind him to grab the walkie talkie. "Whatcha looking at?"

He falls backwards onto his hands, startled, and trying to get into the corner of the room

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not going to bite you, man. I just want to talk about your friends." Dax gestures with the walkie.

"Wha---What do you want to know?" he whimpers

"Gosh, you are jumpy! Look. I just want to know how many of you are there, what you're planning, the usual stuff. I would rather you guys didn't try to get involved down there."

He whimpers

10:31 AM

and tries to get into the corner further

Dax makes a show of relaxing and putting himself at ease by leaning up against the wall. "Hey, I get it. You guys are afraid of what's coming with the UNW and all that business. The future is uncertain. Trying to secure some funds and all that. I understand, really. I do. I don't blame you guys for it." Dax pulls out a cred stick. "This has 10,000 credits on it." He tosses it to the guy. "Just take it and forget this job." "I don't want to hurt you. I just need some information."

"Al...alright. what do you want to know"

"Tell me how many people are in on this operation. I'm trying to stop it peacefully."

"40 of us, and the corngull brotherhood"

"That's a few more than I thought... No problem though. What's their plan? They just planning to rush down there guns blazing or what?"

"Pretty much it" he looks down at the ground, embarassed

"Sounds like I don't have much time. Where are they coming from?" Dax says as he walks towards the window to leave.

He points to a spread of buildings 500m to the east, overlooking the warehouse. The assault force must be in hiding, no one is outside

"Alright, thanks. Get yourself out of here and stay safe." Dax teleports directly down into the warehouse. "Alright guys, good news and bad news. I found out who's coming to raid us. Bad news.... it's like 40 guys and they're just going to rush us with guns blazing. Let's get this done fast." On comms back to his standby crew, "We're going to need a show of force up here, guys. Bring the VTOL out, but don't fire on anything just yet. I am still trying to resolve this peacefully."

2:00 PM

(1 Effort committed)

(Took the walkie with me too, fyi)

The VTOL lifts off and they expect to be here in a few minutes for some fly bys

"Alright, friends are incoming. I'm going to wait outside." Dax steps outside the warehouse doors and watches the buildings pointed out earlier for movement while he waits for the VTOL to show up.

2:52 PM

(Is there only one way out of this warehouse? Like I'm covering the main entrance?)

(Front door and a back door, both swing outward, big enough to allow his ship in and out with some clearance, so pretty big)

(So all I know of is the people pointed out to me, and hopefully the opposite side of the warehouse doesn't get besieged too)

3:00 PM

(So they have a way to escape with the ship)

(yea that sounds like an accurate description so far)

Dax checks the volume and signal of the walkie he took while he's waiting. (Do I see anything/anything been said on the radio?)

Nothing new is seen as the VTOL flies over. Damnit. They've got air. Miros, Klepnos, get the tubes

(Can it hover near the warehouse or is it just a fly-by?)

(It can do whatever you want it to do, but it had to fly here which is what it just did)

(Right on, thanks)

On comms, "Stay close for a minute, I'm going to try to talk them down. They know you're here. If talking doesn't work, drop low enough for me to port up to you and we'll go pay them a visit." Dax picks up the walkie and says to them, "Oh, you noticed my flyer, did you? Pretty, isn't she? Anyways, I would advise you to stand down, I really don't want to have to use it today. Oh yeah! By the way... I already know where you are. You aren't nearly as sneaky as you think. That's fine though, I'm just here to keep the peace."

The comms explode into a handful of people all trying to talk at once

5:37 PM

A rocket corkscrews out of the housing blocks, the shot poorly aimed. It’s fuse burns out and it detonates 10m below the VTOL, peppering it’s belly with superficial shrapnel scrapes

(Did the rocket come from the same area that I knew they were already?)

(yeah)

On comms, "Guess we got our answer! Gunners, outside!" Dax teleports up into the VTOL as it dips closer to the ground. The weapons open and return fire at the source of the rocket fire and the buildings the mob is in. (VTOL AV Laser 20/16) (VTOL Railgun 10/9) (Not sure if you use the same attack roll across multiple weapons when you have the targeting board fitting on a vehicle. If so, 20 for both to hit)

7:29 PM

"Take us close! I'm going to do something stupid!"

( I think it just lets the gunner fire all weapons if there are more guns than people shooting them)

(I didn't know if that consolidated it down to one attack roll or if they stayed separate)

7:33 PM

(Also I don't know if level 2 NPCs have any attack bonus)

7:33 PM

(I just shot with a +1 for that)

(They don’t yet)

The weapons fire peppers several of the buildings, and the looter with the smoking rocket tube on a nearby roof is cut to bloody ribbons. A horde of looters armed with all manner of haphazard weaponry begin heading for the warehouse

(So we started roughly 500m away, we're flying towards them, they're heading towards us. How many rounds do we have until I've closed the distance?)

7:18 AM

(If a train leaves Pittsburgh heading west at 75km/h and a train leaves Chicago heading east on the same track at 90km/h, when will they meet?)

(I'd say about two by vtol

"Hold your fire against them unless they fire another rocket our way. We aren't the aggressors in this fight. Get me close." Dax says as the VTOL speeds towards the mob. (edited)

The mob surges down the hill, most just focusing on running, but a few stop to fire shots at the warehouse exterior.

As the VTOL draws close to them, Dax summons the void barrier in between the group of looters and the warehouse building. (3m tall, up to 30m long, shaped at my discretion. Trying to cut them off and keep fire away from the building.) A faintly purple field of energy creates an almost opaque barrier across the entire street. The surface is nearly impossible to see through as it shimmers with a slight fire reminiscent of a clear alcohol flame.

The oncoming horde staggers as the flame wall erupts, driven back and scattering

(Flame is just flavor, no practical effects. Wanted to match my pretty sword)

The looting horde staggers away, and no further shots are sent skyward

10:39 AM

Solomon exits the warehouse through the front door, cyberclaws extended from housings on his power armor.

The VTOL drops towards the street and Dax hops out on the mob's side of the wall to give chase towards the closest fleeing looter. (Hoping to catch someone, not kill him, if possible)

A few have fallen in the grass, wounded by being trampled by the others retreating. Most have more than one broken bone

"Kells! Come give me a hand!" Dax goes to round up a few of the injured looters to bring back for questioning. He loads them into the VTOL before heading back down to the warehouse to meet Solomon.

Solomon has everything but a few smaller boxes loaded by time you get in there. Your crew is all sheeted in sweat and look utterly exhausted. If it did come down to a fight, the odds wouldn't have been favorable. "That was some deft work with the fire. I knew I made the right choice. Any stragglers out there?" he says, claws lengthening again from their blade housings

"They all spooked. Only one casuality that I am aware of. Some guy with a rocket launcher had to be offed before he destroyed my flyer. I managed to nab a few of the injured ones and they're tied off in there now. I hope to be able to find out who was behind this operation." (edited)

1:26 PM

"Looks like you guys did well here. Are you leaving now?"

(I would have dropped the wall once the coast was clear and we got back down to the warehouse)

"Will be in a moment. Probably for the best, before another wave comes in"

"You look like you can handle yourself pretty well with your fancy get-up there." Dax gestures to his armor and cyberclaws. "Maybe next time you can be the one looking out for me," he says with a grin. "Anyways... let's sort out contact/payment details and get you going." Dax pulls out his commpad.

"30%, comes to 1.2 million for your cut. Compad frequency provided here at the bottom"

"Excellent. I'll be staying on planet for a while, I think. I'm going to try to sort some of this stuff out. Ever heard of the Corngull Brotherhood?"

“A bit. Fancy themselves some kind of cartel. Mystical reputation and such”

"Huh... well, I'll see what I can get out of these guys I picked up. Be safe in your travels, and thanks again." Dax shakes his hand before turning to leave. "One point two mil.... that means 200 thousand a piece by my count. Someone double check my math though. Is that good with you guys?" He asks his crew.

Everyone is very happy with that amount

7:20 PM

“We should set aside a share each for ship upkeep. Not fair you’re the only one keeping us afloat boss”

"Uh.... if you take 12 and divide by 7 ways... carry the 4? No. You don't carry if you divide. Um... is that like... oh shoot I forgot how to do this. Lets just call it 200,000 a piece and I'll keep the ship floating. She doesn't need much with you guys looking after her."

Solomon advises you all to stand clear and begins powering up his craft to depart.

Dax heads back to the VTOL to his awaiting crew. "Take us up reeeeeally high. I want to have a talk with our new friends in privacy."

The VTOL moves away from the city and climbs to its service ceiling, adopting a steady cruising altitude

(Not that makes a mechanical difference, but mine has the space fitting so I could technically go all the way to orbit) Dax takes a seat across from the (unspecified number?) of goons, looking quite relaxed as the VTOL climbs. "So... Cornyfall Brethren, huh? What's up with that?"

(There are 4(

"Ain't know nufin about 'em" one of them says proudly

(Oh if we're going Okie... watch out

)

8:27 AM

Dax sighs. "That was just a joke. Making fun of their name and all. How about the Corngull Brotherhood? I have Intel that says they were a part of this operation. My goal is to find out how much they were involved."

"I know who ye mean. I ain't talkin" he spits on the deck of the VTOL, defiantly

A fiery luminescent dagger appears in Dax's hand and he brandishes it and waves it around to illustrate his next point. "Look, man. I didn't want to hurt anyone. That's why I left you and everyone else in your little 'crew' alive instead of tearing them to shreds. I very easily could have. But... I'm trying to make friends here." Dax sits back before continuing. "How much were they paying you, anyways? 5%?"

"8" he affirms, before realizing the slip. You don't need to be a psion to feel the wave of hate from his comrades, towards him now

Dax looks to his comrades with a shared glance before he busts out laughing. "8 percent? Really? Were it me, I wouldn't have rolled out of bed for less than 12..." Dax sighs as the laughter settles down. "I treat mine better than a pitiful 8 percent." He regains an air of seriousness. "What kind of loyalty do they expect to buy when they treat you like that? Do you have your own quarters, at least?"

"Just trying to earn some money, just in case....just in case things get bad"

"Yeah, I understand. Really, I do. I don't think you're bad people who just want to become thieves and murderers for the fun of it. It was driven by necessity." Dax makes a show of pondering for a moment. "Tell you what. I'll make you the same deal I made the kid you had on lookout. I'll give you some money and give you a chance to get away from this mess, and all I am asking for is some information about the powers running this operation. I think that's more than fair for everyone here."

They're all silent, paying attention and waiting for a question

"My main question is... what is the Corngull Brotherhood all about? Are they a small-time gang that does your run-of-the-mill petty thefts and smuggling and whatnot? Or is this some sort of planet-wide network of criminals?"

"Petty nonsense" one of them near the end of the row croaks

1:03 PM

"They're trying to intimidate us into protection fees"

1:04 PM

"Protecting us from the occupation, I mean"

"Let me get this straight... they're demanding money from you in return for 'protection' from the upcoming occupation?"

1:16 PM

"Or are you the ones running around demanding money from civilians to protect them?"

"Drafted when we couldn't pay"

1:18 PM

another croaks, in this light, you can see one of his eyes is fading purple-yellow

(Fading as in eyes changing colors? Or fading like he's about to die or something?)

(he had a black eye probably 3-4 days ago but its healing)

1

"Sounds like you have no love for them then. Will you tell me where to find the head of this group? I'm thinking I could pay them a visit, maybe have a little chat, see where the night takes us."

"Paper" one asks, reaching a weak hand out to you. Easier to show you"

Dax reaches underneath the seat he's sitting on into a compartment that holds various notebooks of ship logs and assorted paperwork. He thumbs through a few muttering to himself. "No, no... that looks kind of important." His eyebrows raise at the sight of something in one of the documents. Out loud he asks, "Hey! When's the last time we had the harmonic suppressor replaced? We lose that and we become a floating tin can until we run out of air! Geez..." After another moment and some quiet curses, Dax produces a pen and a clean-ish piece of paper for the man to draw on.

A complex map of the tunnels below the city, most of it part of the sewer system is being drawn, and on the opposite side, he has the streets running overhead laid out (so when held up to the light you can see both layers at once) The others offer helpful suggestions here and there, adding their own knowledge of the streets around the mercantile district \

"That is pretty impressive, honestly. And you have been supremely helpful. Last question, and I promise I'll figure the rest out on my own. Are there any big names I should know?"

"Flotsam and Jetsam. Twins. THey're the leaders. Ruthless, prefer to hit first and question later."

"Twins are always trouble."

2:35 PM

"Lets take her back down," Dax says to Kells. "Peace, would you come take a look at some of these wounds? I don't want to leave these guys in a rough way."

2:35 PM

To them, he asks, "How much money would it take for your troubles to just, go away?"

"200 is what they;re asking for the month"

2:41 PM

"It was pay, or help with this operation"

"200? You guys get 20,000. Each. That should be more than enough to solve your problems. Get free of these guys."

2:46 PM

"You know, things are going to be just fine under the UNW. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're just government. Your day to day lives won't have much to do with them. Just think about that."

2:47 PM

Dax has the VTOL land back by the ship Fate and has everyone disembark, once they've been looked over by Peace.

She does what she can to patch them or at least make them comfortable, spending a few hours on the work (edited)

(I got her a level in heal for this reason)

(Yeah, none of them were in danger of dying, but she's setting bones, patching cuts, ect with her medkit supplies)

3:04 PM

(shes not a bioscopic so it cant really move faster than that)

(Yeah, cool. Just an fyi more than anything.)

(3xp, and then the credits from this mission)

(Teleport 3! Wheeeeeeeee!)

3:24 PM

Once theyre back on board Fate with the VTOL stowed and the goons gone, Dax sits with his crew in the common area to talk about what's next. "Once again, you guys have outdone yourselves. We didn't have to go on a murderous rampage to get a job done, and I think we actually did some good out there."

3:24 PM

(Oh yeah, are my dudes up to level 3 now?)

(ye)

(Siiiiiiick

)

"Do you guys think it would be a good idea to move Fate somewhere else since we may have just angered the local gang? I know we don't exactly blend in and we didn't sneak into town in our shiny spaceship." (edited)

“Let’s get it into orbit maybe and see if we can track any movement down there”

"That's a good start. Lets do it." Dax makes the preparations to get into orbit and takes off when everyone is ready.

5:51 PM

(Is there something you'd like me to do specifically for this?)

(Well what’s the plan. Just going to drop back in there and go into the sewers or are you waiting for something

(Idk my crew mate suggested we go into orbit lol. I'll come up with something.)

“Lot of activity down there in the government district” A map of planet is displayed and you can see the scanner traffic and comms calls

"Isn't that typical? Isn't a government usually busy? I don't know what I'm looking at here, somebody who understands this nonsense will have to tell me."

6:55 PM

"Either way, I think we'd be safer going back to the surface in the Blitzen rather than taking the whole ship down. It's less conspicuous and the parking rates are way cheaper"

“Gunfire” vorianu says, listening through headphones. “Mortar attack on the census dome. Firebomb attack in progress on the central bank. Gunmen storming the natural history museum....”

7:13 PM

“Dear god its a mess down there”

Dax sighs and his hands go up to his head to rub his temples while he ponders. "We're going to have to be bloody heroes again. Load the VTOL, we're going in hot. We're going to help the government stay afloat so the UNW actually has something to come occupy."

“Alright. What should we handle first?”

"We're gonna start with the biggest guns and work our way down. Heavy weapons aren't just the work of small looters. Let's figure out when we get down there." Dax and crew load into the VTOL and drop into orbit headed towards the mortar attacks.

The site of the attacks is a compound of residential towers. The green space between them is a flat parkland where three tubes have been set up

(How close are they to each other and how many people are there around it? I'm about to freakin blow it all up)

10:19 AM

(If I could hit 2 of them with a 20m diameter circle, that would be sweet)

(That would encompass all 3)

(

)

The VTOL Blitzen comes screaming in from the skies towards the courtyard and pulls up for a flyby. Dax's face furrows in concentration as he looks out at the scene before him. "Let's try something new...." Out of seemingly nowhere, a fiery mageblade sword appears in midair above the mortar tubes, then another, and another. They multiply in number until a swarm of flaming darts are poised above the attackers. Dax smiles and whispers, "gotcha!" The entire collection of arcane weaponry drops and speeds at once onto the center mortar tube and spreads out 10 meters in every direction. The area it hits is decimated and torn to shreds as the blades rip through everything in their path. (Ten Thousand Bullets) (49 damage to everything in the radius) (Surge physical save with penalty equal to spell level, 13-5 vs 5, success, no strain taken)

2

11:44 AM

Everything in the courtyard is dead and the grass is even churned by the spell. The would be street roughs here simply vanish

(Rekt)

"Holy... wow! That worked! Alright, that's one down! Let's get to the firebombers next." The VTOL pulls up and heads towards the central bank.

The firebombing rabble is very close to the building, trying to hurl their projectiles at the inside , through broken windows. You can see about a half dozen dead civic defense officers, bludgeoned with makeshift weapons

The Blitzen swoops into range to line up suppressive fire with its railgun, and the AV laser fires indiscriminately into the crowd to scatter them and scare them off. (Railgun 16 damage) (AV laser 17/16)

The rabble flees as several of them fall dead , the air attack more than they were ready for

"That'll have to do for now! Reload on the way to the next spot. Did you say it was the museum? Get back on the scanners and tell me where it's the worst off currently." (Program/int?)

(Yes please)

(9)

“Northeast corridors. Looters are trashing anything they can’t drag away”

"Sounds like a target. Get us there."

As the VTOL passes by overhead, you see dozens of people rushing out of the museum, carrying off whatever they think looks valuable. Most are not even taking relics, but things more related to the actual tourism and infrastructure of the building (like cafeteria stuff, food, ect)

(But no one is currently shooting anyone here?)

(currently, no)

Dax lets out a long sigh. "Honestly, it looks like they're just grabbing stuff. This is less important than active shooters. Ummm...." He thinks for a moment. "I have an idea. Let's get to the government district. I want to see if I can talk to someone who's 'in charge' around here. As much as someone can be in charge in this mess...." The VTOL pulls up and turns to make for the government center. (edited)

“Roof or courtyard? Both look Open right now”

(Any guards or anything out front?)

(No place looks pretty empty)

"Let's set down in the courtyard and take a look around. Keep the engines running." Dax hops out and makes his way towards the building, keeping an eye out for trouble. (edited)

The door has been blown off its hinges previously and you can see energy burns around the frame. Any bodies have been taken away

Dax walks in to the building with Vorianu and Mirr at his back. "Hello?!" He calls out. Dax teleports further into the building. "Anyone here? I need to talk to someone around here!" Dax continues teleporting through and calling out to see if he can find someone in here.

8:45 PM

(Effortless Apportation, 0 strain on all personal teleports up to my full range)

On the third floor you teleport into a hallway and there is a barricades office complex at the end of it. Gunports have been carved into the walls and you see several bodies in the hallway , all shot

(Bodies of looters/brigands?)

(Yeah, the office occupants have recovered their own if there were any)

Dax walks towards the barricade slowly. "Hello? Anyone here?"

“That’s close enough. Don’t make us shoot. Turn around and leave and you’ll be spared!” A voice says through the PA system above you

Dax stops walking. Hands are still at his side, not surrendering. "Hey! I'm here to help! I literally just stopped the attacks on the bank and census dome. I'm trying to get in touch with whoever's in charge around here."

“Mayors inside. That was you? Wow man you work fast”

"Can we talk? Something needs to happen with this situation out here." Dax resumes walking towards the barricade.

You hear a pair of heavy bolts being thrown and the door opens on motorized tracks. It is dark beyond

Dax walks in giving the impression he's perfectly at ease.

Three admin clerks, wearing patchwork armor, and hefting weapons they know little of how to use are waiting on the other side.

4:48 PM

"Close enough there friend" you hear the mechanical door shutting behind you

"I believe introductions are in order. My name is Dax. You'd probably say I was an elite strike team operative, but I consider myself to be more of a problem solver. You guys have a pretty big problem at the moment, in my professional opinion."

"We have no money, if that's what you're here to get from us"

"Money? I've got plenty. Least of my concerns, honestly. I was just trying to find some interesting work around here, maybe make a name for myself or something. I happened to notice people blowing things up they have no right to blow up. That doesn't sit right with me usually, the disregard for other's lives. So.... I blew them up. Pretty simple, really."

"so what are you, exactly, then. A mercenary?"

"Kinda? I don't know, man... but right now I'm feeling like a knight in shining armor. Can you guys get a broadcast out from here? We need to deter the violence by showing everyone what happened to the last instigators. We can show some shots of what happened to the fire bombers and the mortar crew and whatnot. We can warn them that the next people to organize an attack will get pounced on by me. And I will pounce."

"We can get a short broadcast out, but we'll need to work fast. Power has been unreliable with all the violence"

"That'll have to do. My backup plan was flying over the city yelling at people over the speakers. This is way better."

"Probably not the best use of your time. We can get enough power to give you two minutes. Think that's enough time?"

"Should be. I'm not very long-winded. Where to?"

8:22 AM

Dax radios back to his crew downstairs. "I found people bunkered down in here. Keep a lookout out there; I'm going to be a few more minutes in here making a wideband broadcast to the city. Hopefully that will help."

Youre taken to a back room where some broadcasting equipment has already been set up, it is part of the room, not something set up in haste after

Dax takes a moment to find a mirror to look at himself and fix his hair up as best he can. Probably time for a haircut... he thinks as he tries to spike it straight up. Maybe I'll get frosted tips this time around; those look awesome. He looks himself over, then decides he ought to look less... rugged. He spends a moment changing the appearance of his armor with the polymorphic blending and turns it into a button-up shirt with a simple grey jacket on top. That'll work. Dax hands over the cam footage of the decimated areas he left in his wake with the instructions to make sure those show up in the broadcast too. When he's ready, he gives a thumbs-up to begin the transmission. Here goes nothing.....

"Citizens of Praxis Pranda, I know that many of you would believe that these are troubled and uncertain times you are living in. I know that you believe the evil United Nation of Worlds is coming down upon your planet to wipe out your way of life. I know that belief inspires some of you to take up violent crimes against your neighbors and fellow citizens." Dax pauses for effect. "That is unacceptable." Cue scenes of utter dax-struction. "These are just a few images of what has happened to those fools who decided to take up weapons against their fellow man. This sort of disregard for life will be met with an equal disregard for your own lives. You will be dealt with swiftly and brutally. That is my guarantee." Dax takes a quick breath. "For the rest of you, life will resume as normally as possible for you as long as you resume your normal lives. We will get through it together. Stay strong." Dax gives the signal to cut the broadcast.

The broadcast ends. "With ten seconds to spare. Well done. How did, how did you manage all that" one of the staffers says, pointing to the scenes of carnage

10:24 AM

(Dax-truction, if you will)

(Oh yes, I will

)

10:25 AM

"You probably don't want the all of the details. I'm sure you can see it is very effective, however."

10:26 AM

"What sort of defensive forces do you guys have left? I can gather and bolster them to hold places they couldn't hold on their own."

"Civic defense scattered and disbanded once the surrender terms from Cruesa were transmitted here. There's a lot of fear they're just going to be rounded up and shot like dogs. I'm certainly fearing that for myself"

10:29 AM

You see the staffer speaking to you has faded military tattoos on his arms. There is scraping around them, as he's tried to remove them with a razor as much as he can without ruining his effectiveness

10:30 AM

"You realize, if that happens here, this planet isn't just going to take it. We'll drown you in our own dead if that's what it takes"

"I heard the news... the surrender terms, that is." Dax thinks a moment and sighs in resignation. "I don't have a clean solution here. Personally, I don't believe the UNW is going to come in and round everyone up to shoot them. That doesn't match up with what I know about them, Remnant propoganda aside. What I think doesn't matter though if the public perception is what you said." He scratches his chin for another moment. "What do you think it would take to convince the public otherwise? What would it take to convince you that you wouldn't be rounded up and shot?"

'for me, I don't think I'd ever believe it. i'd always be waiting for the other shoe to drop"

"That's.... discouraging." Dax slumps a bit. "Well, I guess there's nothing to do then, in that case. I've committed to policing against the worst of the violence for a few days. Maybe I can root out the Corngull Brotherhood or something and make the streets a bit safer until the occupation force arrives. After that... I guess I leave. I'm just one guy, after all."

"One guy is making a difference. You've saved countless lives tonight. Even if they only get one more day, or one more week, its more than they would have had. Surely they deserve that"

"I appreciate that. I will continue to do what I can, while I can." ".... On an unrelated note, how do you feel about psychics?"

"I never met one, I dunno" he says

Dax gives a cheeky grin. "Nice to meet you." Dax disappears a moment later as he teleports back down to the Blitzen and his waiting crew.

(Not sure what the general populations' thoughts are about psychics here, but I figure they aren't too friendly since they lived so long under the psychic haters. Hopefully I can start to turn that mindset in this city, if nothing else.)

(That makes perfect sense to me)

1:11 PM

(Take a re-roll token that was badass, also 3xp, 5000 credits)

1

1:11 PM

"Looks like things are calm down there for now. No one is risking going outside with gangs being taken out all over the city" (edited)

"Great. Let's hope it stays that way. I need a meal and a night's sleep or I'm going to be worthless soon. Let's get back up to Fate." (edited)

With that, the VTOL returns to orbit to dock inside the hull of Fate. Dax finds a meal, gives Vorianu a hug, and heads to his bunk to rest up for the long days ahead of him. (And recharge one-a-day spells...)

2:28 PM

Before falling asleep, Dax calls up to the bridge. "I almost forgot to mention. Keep on the scanners and wake me if there's trouble. I mean to make good on my promise. Otherwise, good night."

You're not disturbed during the night, and awaken rested the following day. The planet is quiet and the attacks have stopped

Dax saunters in to the bridge, still stretching after waking up. "What do you say we take the whole ship down today? I don't know about landing it in the middle of the city, but landing on the planet would make it more accessible for us in general. We can always ride in Blitzen the rest of the way into town. Let's go hunt a gang down today."

"We should hide it if we do that. I'm sure there are locals who'd do anything to get a ship and escape"

"That's a good idea. Lets see if we can find a remote spot. Maybe some cliffs or deep woods somewhere. "

“Got some woods. Looks like a fair amount. Landing by the same place?”

"That looks fine. Let's lock her up tight once we land. Unless... one of you wants to babysit the ship. I need the gunners with me at least."

“I should probably pilot. Just in case we get found. Don’t want to come back to an ocuupped ship

5:36 PM

(Occupied)

"Alright then. Let's move then!" (Is the map that was drawn for me enough to be able to tell how to get to the Corngull Bros?)

(Yeah, or at least a decent area of probability)

(I'd like to head towards a spot that has me underground the least, if the base is actually underground)

(gotcha) "Alright well, if we're going for staying above ground as long as possible, i think we need to drive into market square, and go underground there. THat's about as close as we're going to get'

"That works. Vorianu can come with me. We'll leave the rest of you up here on patrol duty. Just maintain a course around the city and keep the peace, if you would." (That means 1 pilot back at the ship, 1 pilot, gunner, and loader on VTOL, and 1 gunner GF with me on the ground)

9:49 AM

(I've never asked about what gear my guys have. Is it conceivable I would have had time back home to mod a couple shear rifles for my 2 gunners to use? We took a few days break before leaving for here.) (edited)

9:49 AM

(My maintenance score should be plenty high enough since I don't use fancy equipment myself)

(Yeah either home or in transit there would have been enough time

(and shear rifles don't need face to buy, right?)

(No, it took a research project to get them already)

10:40 AM

(that was already a tough requirement)

Dax and Vorianu get dropped off right outside the market square and make their way in towards the underground entrance. (Is this like a storm drain sort of thing? a metal lid in the middle of the street? a creaky basement door off to the side?)

(Metal culvert in the streeT)

Not knowing any better, Dax struts over to it and opens it to head down.

The culvert slide aside easily enough, revealing a ladder going 10m down underground, into what looks to be a partially illuminated maintenance gallery

"Me first," Dax says to Vorianu as he teleports down to the floor below.

The bottom of the ladder is a large cement gallery, with a passage leading forward. Strange horned skull glyphs have been smeared on the wall

"Kinda creepy... but otherwise fine," Dax calls up. "Come on down." (Just one way forward? Like the ladder is a dead end of a tunnel?)

(There's a grate behind you so its open for liquid but not for you to pass easily)

Once Vorianu is down with me, we head further in together.

The tunnel ahead is filled with crude graffiti of beastmen like figures committing acts of violence. A wooden door is closed ahead, thick planked and banded with metal

Dax will try to open the door normally. Failling that, he will use the mageblade to slide it between the jamb and the door to cut off the locking mechanism holding it shut.

(If you want to try to pick the lock we can do a sneak/dex, or we can cut. Either option is valid, only difference is noise)

(Not trying to like kick the door down or anything, but Dax also isn't a super sneaky boy. Just trying to cut the lock to open it up.)

(right, just was saying the cutting is probably going to make more noise)

(Gotta do it the Dax way)

The mageblade neatly cuts the lock off, and the metal ring clangs against the floor. The door opens inward

9:00 AM

Three gangers sit at a table playing cards, one looks up at the door, and the cigar tumbles from his mouth

Dax, standing there with the mageblade lowered at his side, pipes up and says, "Hi!.... Uh.... Deal me in?"

Strangely, they don't move for sidearms, cudgels, or any of the other myriad weapons on their belts. "Come in, let's have a talk. Do you mind shutting the door behind you? it gets a bit drafty in here"

9:04 AM

Each of them is wearing a crimson suit, with the same beast headed sigil on the breast pocket.

The mageblade is dismissed as Dax motions for Vorianu to come through before shutting the door. "I guess I could introduce myself. I'm Dax."

"Welcome, we are the Brothers Corngull. Please, have a seat. May we offer you and your companion some refreshment?

9:18 AM

he tuts as he picks his cigar back up off the table, clipping the end and relighting it

"Um.... sure, I guess." Dax pulls a seat over for himself and the lady. "I gotta say this seems a bit weird. You guys saw the broadcast, right?"

"We did. We figured if enough noise was made you'd find us eventually. You're a man who can get things done, so says your message"

"I'm just trying to stop the unnecessary killings here, man. People don't deserve to live in a state of fear. If you're behind the civilan attacks, we've got problems, you and I."

"Ah yes, those unfortunates up top. Did you know those men and women were all violent offenders? The Remnant opened the prisons, you see, before they went to ground. Wanted to give the occupation force a hard time"

12:08 PM

"They promised Amnesty to any who commit crimes against offworlders. We knew Solomon could handle himself, we thought we'd stage some....outbursts, and thin the herd a bit for you"

Dax feels a punch in his gut, realizing he's been strung along this whole time. His brow furrows in confusion. "So... suppose that's true... where are the actual peaceful civilians?"

"In hiding where they can. In their homes, or in the countryside. Most don't have the fieldcraft to make it out there for long, and should be returning home soon"

Dax sighs heavily. "The way forward has always seemed pretty clear to me.... but now... now what?"

12:40 PM

(also....

9.5/10 did not see this coming)

(Thank you) “this is an opportunity for us to become legitimate. The hand at the crank changes. For many of the people here it will feel like no change at all. For us. This whole demonstration was an opportunity to show the UNW what valuable partners we can be”

12:42 PM

“For a modest fee and amnesty from past crimes we can make your transition to power here very smooth”

(So they are assuming I'm UNW? I have made sure not to mention that to anyone on this planet thus far. I was hoping I was just being seen as an independent outside group.)

(If not at least someone who knows how to get in contact with them. They’d have likely heard reports about the fire and people just randomly exploding)

12:45 PM

(And made some educated guesses from there)

(Fair enough.)

(Even with the official government toppled anyone who can do that shit would still be in hiding. There’s enough hardliners around to make problems for you)

"So let me get this straight... your plan is to make more problems on the surface in the hopes of showing how valuable you are to the UNW? Who are you guys?" (edited)

"Our plan is two sides of the same coin. We either make those problems go away, or if our offer is rejected, we make them worse"

"Ok... but.... Ok, but.... Like, I'm not even the right guy to be talking to. I'm not the UNW government. I can't pretend to cut a deal here. You probably already know that. So... what do you actually want from me?"

"You may not be able to cut a deal, but you probably know someone who can. If you can facilitate this for us, we'd be happy to compensate you, well."

1:22 PM

"Banquo, give the man a doggie bag would you?" From the shadows, a servant appears, with a small box. Inside are a few crystal bottles of liquor, a box of fine cigars, and a package of playing cards with the Corngull brotherhood sigil on the back.

Dax looks through the gift and chuckles. "That. Is. Something." He regains his composure before continuing. "I may know someone, yes. But you understand what I want here, don't you? I want the violence over with. I want violent criminals back behind bars or dead, either works. I want the good people here to be able to come back to their homes and begin to rebuild their lives here in safety. How are you going to ensure that happens?"

"We can identity locations and hideouts of criminal groups. We can assist you with our web of contacts to root out Remnant partisans. We can ensure YOU, get the information first, and are seen as a hero for what you can offer by taking the initiative. All we ask, is that when the time comes for the transfer of power, we are remembered"

"It sounds like I don't have anything to lose here. I would agree to that, with one change... I'm not trying to become a celebrity for my own sake. Instead of naming me a hero, make sure the people here know it was psychics who helped restore their home. We can't afford to have the population here harboring grudges against a whole society for no reason other than 'the Remnant government hated them.' I want to change the perception into something positive, you understand?"

“We can spread your message. Your terms are acceptable”

"I'm not best friends with the president or anything like that. But... I can send a message to her office. I do have some sway there. I've killed some evil demon gods a time or two. It'll be a few days before we hear a response." Dax finishes the rest of his drink in one gulp and shudders at the taste. "For now, I want to make sure the city is under control. Which is, I believe, where you guys come in." Dax stands and pulls out his commpad to exchange info with them. "What's the plan?"

“We have as you can see, duped the gang leaders into believing us patrons. If we can collect them in one place can you deliver a strike”

"Severing the head will stop the problem? What's going to stop the others in the gang from stepping up to fill the void?"

“That’s where you’re going to have to trust us”

5:45 PM

“We would be of little benefit to ourselves if we stop all the problems beforehand”

"Alright. Give me the when and where, and get yourselves clear of the blast zone. You've seen what happens. You need anything else from me?"

“That’s all unless you fancy a quick habd0

5:56 PM

*hand

Dax smirks, "I'm no good at it, but sure."

He proceeds to play cards for a bit, probably losing a bit of cash.

You lost just 100 credits before bowing out. “Train station. Northern clay pits. I’ll have them meet there for a false meeting”

7:35 PM

“Stations been out of use since the disaster. Leveling it won’t hurt the civic infrastructure”

"I'm trusting you here. I'm not checking targets before I blow it sky high. They won't even see me coming."

“Trust is earned. Not given”

"Very true words. I hope this is the start of a mutually beneficial relationship. Time will tell." With a nod, Dax bids them farewell. He turns to Vorianu and extends a hand. "Ready?" When she takes his hand they teleport out of the den and back to the ship's cargo hold. (1 Effort)

7:49 PM

On comms to his VTOL crew, "We're out of there and safe back at the ship. Keep doing what you're doing, we're going to explore something real quick."

Dax pulls the cover off of Dora the grav explorer and a cloud of dust comes with it. "I guess it's been a while since I've pulled this girl out." To Vorianu, he says, "are you ready for a totally romantic scouting trip? I want to check out the location before the meeting happens." (edited)

She nods and hops inside the explorer, getting the power changed over from ship side to internal

Dax grabs some demo charges, takes Dora out and heads towards the coordinates given to him by the Corngull Brothers. On the way he strikes up conversation with his lovely lady friend. "So I think we actually have a shot at doing something good here. I was pretty aimless when we first arrived on the planet, to be honest."

“It’s a whole different line of work for you. For us. That’s expected I’d say”

9:32 PM

“You don’t just start doing things and become good at them right away” (unless you’re irl Dax )

2

"I guess so. I'm just glad there's a good reason for us to be doing what we're doing now. If this works, we could be leaving this place better than we found it."

9:49 PM

"I guess I need to do what I said I'd do and send a message back home. Let the UNW what we're up to."

“I think they’ll be pleased someone took the initiative”

"I mean, I thought getting away from the UNW might mean I could do something for myself for once, not the UNW. But... here we are. Always the heroes," Dax says with a grin. "Thank you for sticking with me through this. I don't always know what I'm doing, and it means a lot to me that you follow anyways."

“Nobody knows what they’re doing. Adulthood is just flailing around until something positive sticks”

(Neko with the life lessons up in here)

Approaching the train station you see the building as described with the rail yard around it. The trains are gone now, scrapped or moved elsewhere to be of more use and due to the expansive tracks there are no houses close enough to be collateral damage

"Definitely deserted, just like they said. I won't feel bad about blowing this up one bit. Lets find some good spots to hide some demo charges in case my magic trick doesn't finish the job."

(do you want her to pull the explorer right up or are you going on foot)

(We can park and have a lovely stroll)

9:05 AM

Dax grabs a handful of demo charges on his way out and begins to look around for hidey holes to stick them in. (In trash containers, under random debris, etc...)

(sneak/wis)

(4)

You're at a bit of a loss inside once you realize the station had been gutted as well, before its dereliction, but you find a few places to stash some charges.

9:22 AM

Hopefully no one notices.

"I feel really confident about the job I did there. We should be all set!"

9:26 AM

(Would there be a place that's reasonably out of sight that I could teleport to that would let me get the drop on them?)

(THere's ruins around the place, but theyre a pretty good distance away, so if you need to see to get in here, that would be difficult

(I don't know why my brain didn't put 2 and 2 together that we are INSIDE the train station. Makes way more sense)

9:30 AM

(As to your other point, I don't alway have to see where I'm teleporting if I have been there before. Which is why I'm making a point to be here in person so I can get back to it. My range is 1000km now.)

9:32 AM

(So I'm imagining this is a completely open space inside then, with no other rooms or other things that would block a sight line)

(gotcha, i knew after a while that requirement dropped off i just forgot when)

9:32 AM

(and yeah thats exactly it)

(need to see it with unaided sight to teleport somewhere new, or just know where it is if I've been there before. Can't teleport onto moving objects like other ships or something though because it has to be a fixed point in space)

9:35 AM

(are there any holes in the roof?)

(just one, where a skylight used to be)

(Good enough for me

)

9:45 AM

Dax stands in the middle of the station stumped for a moment, scratching his chin. He looks up for the first time and notices the light pouring in through the opening above him. "Perfect!"

9:45 AM

Dax teleports onto the roof to see what kind of vantage point he has now.

9:46 AM

He takes a few test steps on it to see how noisy it is to walk on.

The roof creaks a bit under a full boot step, but stepping lightly, only someone looking hard would see the tiles and corrugated roof pieces bend

Feeling about as prepared as he possibly could, Dax teleports back down to Vorianu. "I think that's about all I can do until it's go time. I'll fill you in on my plan on the way back."

11:01 AM

Once they're back in Dora, Dax steers her back towards the ship. "We've got plenty of firepower for something like this. The only issue I see is being able to keep the element of surprise and how quickly we can blow everything up. So here's what I'm thinking. We'll bring Dora and the Blitzen but keep them out a ways, and on opposite sides of the station. When I teleport in and do my thing, that will be the signal to move in fast and pinch them between our two vehicles. We don't know how many stragglers there will be but I want them all taken out. Every last one."

"ALright, lets get into hiding then, and keep the assets hidden"

2:48 PM

"We might be camping out for a bit"

(I wasn't given a specific timeframe for when this was taking place to my knowledge)

To his patrolling VTOL crew, he says, "Alright guys. Meet me at my position as soon as you can and we'll go over the game plan."

(this evening, so likely after dark)

While he is waiting, Dax sends a message to the UNW president's office.

To whom this may concern,

I have been working on the former-Remnant planet of Chloe to help keep the peace until the occupation force arrives. I have made some disturbing discoveries in my time here. The Remnant opened all of their prisons and let all of their violent offenders free to terrorize the populace. They promised amnesty to anyone who commited crimes against off-worlders. The scene here has been dismal, to say the least. Multiple instances of heavy weapons being used on civilian centers among other things. 

In any case, I have teamed up with an underground group here on Chloe to lure out the gang leaders and other major players involved in orchestrating these attacks and we're going to be removing them from the equation. This group is known as the Corngull Brotherhood and all they are asking for in exchange is to be recognized as a part of the group that was influential in restoring Chloe from chaos, and their crimes pardoned. If this operation goes well, they certainly will have earned that, in my opinion.

Respectfully,

-Dax Withers-
-Hero of the Remnant War
-Liberator of Acastus
-Hand of Fate

(edited)

(It would take I think 2-3 days to reach UNW space before it speeds up to instant if I recall the map correctly)

5:10 PM

You send the message knowing it will be at least a bit of time before a reply comes

(You're right. Just had to get that moving)

(Forgot to roll whenever I picked up my portable window to see if it breaks)

5:58 PM

(Rolled a d8 = 8) (edited)

(Anything else you want to do in the between time?)

(Me + girlfriend by ourselves in the grav explorer... free time.... nah. Not doing anything)

7:22 PM

(Just having the other people meet up so I can tell them the plan and get in position) (edited)

The team arrived either in person or via com link to hear the plan

(So Vorianu is in Dora by herself as gunner with the ghost driver to drive for her. There's a pilot + gunner + loader in VTOL, last pilot is still back at the ship. Dax is going to hide on the roof of the station out of sight)

(At the risk of repeating myself, I'm basically sticking to what I told Vorianu earlier. Pincer maneuver with the 2 vehicles with my explosions being the signal to go.)

(Yeah we know it ooc but you said you were waiting for them

9:02 PM

(So I wasn’t sure

(I reread your message and realized I wasn't clear) (edited)

9:03 PM

(I'd basically be saying the same thing again to the other people, so I'm good to have them move into position and we'll go for it)

As the evening grows longer, you see small groups doing what they can to approach the building , taking great pains to look around and make sure they are approaching stealthily. They do not realize they've been spotted by you.

2

Dax is waiting on his perch on the roof, watching them arrive. He is waiting until it seems like everyone who should be there is there. (Are they all gathering pretty close to each other so I can blow them up in one fell swoop?)

(Inside is probably pretty busy yeah, they'd be close together but not so packed people are shoulder to shoulder)

When it seems everyone is in attendance, Dax tries to pick out the location of the leaders. On comms, "I think the party is starting here.... standby for my go."

They are scattered throughout the building, inside gaggles of their own bodymen and other retainers. Everyone mills around a bit, waiting to see what is going to happen or for someone to take change of this meeting

Dax pulls out the detonator for the demo charges he planted and says on comms, "Here goes nothing!" He concentrates on a point in the building around the highest concentration of people he sees and the mageblades start appearing in the air above them. Moments later, the cloud of fiery arcane swords speed towards the ground and completely shred everything in its path. (47 damage in a 20m diameter. 10m out in every direction from the point I chose)

9:22 AM

As soon as that starts happening, Dax teleports away from the building to the ground about 50m away and detonates the charges.

Between the mageblade storm, the demolition charges, and the falling building, there are no survivors. The rubble shifts as pieces of it break and settle, but there is no activity, or even cries of pain from inside the building

(And no one was posted outside that I see?)

(They'd have been close enough to the building to get torn apart by the spell, explosion shockwave, or giant ass pieces of rubble going outward from the blast itself, so everyone withing a good at least 30m has been mulched)

Both vehicles arrive from opposite directions within the next minute to quiet surroundings and Dax just standing there with his mageblade in hand. "Damn," he says to no one.

(If you want the ship to scan just to be sure we can do a program/int)

(Pilot bro on VTOL rolled a natural 5) (edited)

(no worries) THe scans show no life in the rubble pile.

Dax sends a few pictures of the dax-struction to his contact with the Corngull Brotherhood. "The deed is done. No survivors."

Very good. We hope this will cement the trust between us

How do I know that this scheme worked?

You'll have to trust us

12:12 PM

(I'm not sure what they could show you right away to prove the gang's wont return either. It just happened)

(Yeah that's fair. I don't know what I'm asking for either lol.)

12:17 PM

Turning to his crew, Dax says, "All we can do is all we can do. Let's bring Fate into the starport in the city and stay there. Hopefully we can relax a bit now with the worst of it dealt with. Let's call it a night, guys. I'll be right back to get you."

12:20 PM

Dax teleports himself into the hold of Fate and finds Peace. "Alrighty, I think we've done all we can do for now. Let's go pick up the crew and get back to town." He proceeds to take the ship up himself and fly to the spot he just came from, admiring the destruction of the razed train station as he sets it down. The team loads everything into the hold before travelling back to the starport, where Fate parks and the crew sleeps until morning. (edited)

(If nothing crazy happens while I'm doing that stuff, I can move on to what I do the next day)

(Yeah nobody is going to bother you, eveything around here is dead or gone to ground)

Dax sleeps in a bit too long and wakes to find his crew already done with breakfast before he's even dressed. "Hey guys..." He says as he grabs some leftovers. "Must be pretty quiet out there, or you would've woken me up." He takes a few bites before continuing. "I think I want to go visit the mayor again today. After that... I guess we just sit on our hands until the occupation force arrives. I don't think there's going to be anyone causing trouble after the body count we've racked up." Once he's through with his food, he walks out to the edge of the ramp of the ship and thinks to himself for a long moment. Dax turns and comes back inside to find Vorianu. "I was going to just pop over to the mayor's office, but it's a nice enough day I think I fancy a walk. Want to join me?"

"Sure, lets go. We're actually walking though, right?"

"Uh...." Dax grins sheepishly. "Yeah... mostly." (Don't want to go on like a 10 mile walk, so I would just teleport us so there's like 30 minutes of walking left to the government building.)

(works for me)

2:42 PM

Youre teleport ed to a wide plaza with stone artwork set into the ground showing beautiful stellar and aquatic scenes

"Sorry, I just didn't want to take all day to get there... don't worry though, we've got quite a bit of walking left, actually." Dax looks down at the artwork beneath his feet. "I just wanted to take you to see the ocean," he says with a cheesy grin. "Girls love that kind of stuff, or so I'm told."

'I am a girl and I do love that stuff. I'm falling into the stereotype a bit"

"Yeah... you're very stereotypical..." Dax makes a show of rolling his eyes. "I'm surprised none of your guns are pink with fluffy grips..." He can't keep a straight face as he says it and laughs a bit. He takes her hand and begins walking at a leisurely place towards the mayor. (edited)

The@mayor has emerged from the fortified compound his office became as you approach. The signs of looters and gangs have fallen off and the streets are quiet

"Glad to see you out and about!" Dax says as he walks up, regretfully letting go of Vorianu's hand for the time being. "It must have quieted down here."

“It has. Thanks to you. You have anything to do with that blast last night?”

"If you're talking about the old train station, yes. We had a blast." (I'm so sorry) (edited)

"Quite a show. Well, whatever you did to accomplish that, it looks like the gang activity has largely leveled off"

"So I guess you guys are all set until the occup-- wait. Have you had any contact with the other cities on this planet? How are they holding up? I can't believe I forgot about other cities on this whole planet."

“The...display...here has brought quiet to them as well. Last we heard all was well

"So you're telling me I saved a whole stinkin' planet?" Dax smiles like a complete goof ball. "Can't say that everyday."

“Saved? Perhaps. What we can say today is that there will be something to occupy when your forces do arrive”

He deflates visibly. "I mean.... you're right... but they aren't my forces, to be clear. I'm doing my own thing."

9:28 PM

"Is there anything else I should do here? Otherwise I plan to relax for a couple days and keep an eye on radars for trouble makers."

“Should do? Nothing comes to mind. There doesn’t seem to be an impending crisis anymore. “

9:29 PM

(3xp and 5000 creds for that dope ass airstrike shit too)

(Read my mind, I was just starting to think it had been a while since there was some xp lol)

"In that case, I'll let you get to rebuilding a town. I'm going to kick around for a little while and make sure things don't go sideways before the forces get here. It's been fun, Mr. Mayor." Dax extends a hand to shake.

He shakes your hand gratefully. “Thank you for the save. I don’t think I’d be here talking to you without you”

"One request, before I go... I know the view on psychics around here is probably one of fear or mistrust. Speaking as one... We're just people, like everyone else. We have thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams, struggles and triumphs. Make sure the people here know that we aren't evil aliens, and we're here to help. Some of the best people I know are psychics. Anyways... thanks."

10:59 AM

Dax turns to Vorianu, "You want to walk back or are we taking the express lane?" Without giving her a chance to answer, he teleports the two of them back to Fate.

The fate is busy getting minor repairs and the usual wear and tear handled as you head back to her. Everyone is in high spirits

"I know this isn't an ideal vacation spot, but we're going to hang around for a few more days and make sure nothing bad happens before the actual peacekeeping force arrives. We'll be able to relax some, however. Just make a VTOL pass around the city once or twice a day and call it good. I really need to get better at cards so I don't embarrass myself again in front of fancy thugs."

1:52 PM

(Is the occupation force arriving at month turn?)

1:53 PM

(We've been saying "a few days" since I got here, so I'm just curious what the time frame actually is)

(It would be about month turn based on assembly of forces and spike distance)

(Would I receive a response to the message I sent to the president's office before then? I'm not sure how much longer the month is)

(It was sent yesterday in game time so about 2-3 more days for a reply

(Basically, I've accomplished what I wanted to do here and don't have a plan for the immediate future. So I'm good to fast forward a few game days to get a response. Otherwise I would just stick around until month turn if it isn't too far away from now)

You get a message back after two days of relative peace and quiet

If crime has not returned by time this message is appearing to you, you may grand amnesty to this brotherhood, and assure them that our arriving peacekeeping forces will make contact in a manner of their choosing. Thank you, for all you have done

- Kincaid

"Huh.... that was easy."

3:24 PM

"Be right back!!" Dax calls out from where he was lounging in the common area of the ship.

3:25 PM

He stands up and stretches for a moment before teleporting directly down into the room under the market where he met the Brotherhood previously.

a number of armed bodyguards reach for weapons at your unexpected arrival, before being told to stand down

"You guys always hang out down here?.... I didn't know if I'd find you here. Whatever. Doesn't matter. Anyways... guess what I got?" Dax pulls up the message from the president and hands over his compad. "From the madame Kincaid herself."

5:49 PM

"How's that for 'legitimacy?'"

"You've done well. The pact is sealed" they affirm

"Keep me in mind if you ever need any 'work' done. I'm a doer. Willing and able." Dax gets his compad back. "Occupation forces should be here by the end of the month, and then I'll be on to the next thing. Where ever that is." Dax gives a little wave and disappears.

7:01 PM

"Did anyone time that?" Dax hollers as he reappears in his ship. "I must have closed that deal in like, less than a minute! There and back!"

"forty-seven point eight seconds" Peace says "Very impressive"

Dax gives a mock bow. "Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all.... pretty much forever. You guys are kinda stuck with me." He adopts a serious tone. "There is one pressing order of business to attend to, one of utmost importance and secrecy." He looks around and steels himself for what he has to say next.

7:27 PM

"..... Dinner."

“Nothing but MRE’s for days. So what’s the plan anyway. Are we staying until occupation arrives?”

"Ugh... Well as long as that includes some instant yogurt, that'll be fine." Dax thinks for a moment as he starts moving towards the galley. "I guess we go. It seems like it's been quiet the last few days. I bet it's fine to leave now."

“The occupation force will be here at midday. I think a few hours without us won’t mean much changes on the ground for them”

He pulls up a sector map to look over. "So.... we're here... looks like there's 2 planets pretty much neighboring this one." Dax digs through a few files. "It seems like the UNW doesn't have any info on them either.... Who wants to go explore a new planet?"

1:46 PM

(Parnika and Musheera are the 2 planets)

"We're already out here, we may as well. Which of the two?"

"I'm a bit tired of the former Remnant stuff. Lets go to Musheera!"

(report coming)

5:24 PM

Atmosphere Corrosive Temperature Temperate Biosphere Immiscible Population Fewer than a million inhabitants Tech Level TL3 Fallen Hegemon At some point in the past, this world was a hegemonic power over some or all of the sector, thanks to superior tech, expert diplomacy, the weakness of their neighbors, or inherited Mandate legitimacy. Some kind of crash or revolt broke their power, however, and now the world is littered with the wreckage of former glory. Alien Ruins The world has significant alien ruins present. The locals may or may not permit others to investigate the ruins, and may make it difficult to remove any objects of value without substantial payment. Any surviving ruins with worthwhile salvage almost certainly have some defense or hazard to explain their unplundered state.

5:24 PM

a small blurb appears on sensor nets once the Fate, arrives in system, two days later. The planet appears inhabited, but sparsely, and there are a few focal areas of activity.

(Playing D&D for a bit)

(No rush)

(I would assume this is info pulled from the sensors on board and we'll have to come in closer to get anything else?)

(Correct. I don’t have a surface map drawn but I’ll describe things if that’s what you end up doing

(Definitely want to take a closer look if there's alien goodies

)

10:10 PM

"Alrighty guys. Let's take her down nice and quiet-like. Sensor mask, Q-ship cladding, the whole nine-meters." Dax studies the planet surface for a moment from the bridge, looking out at the planet and view screens alike. "See anything particularly shiny down there? That's where we want to go. If there's intelligent life, I want to know about them."

(lets get a program/int, adding a +3 for your crews +1 modifier, and the +2 for survey scanners)

(11)

Slyth ruins cover the planet's surface. The detritus of a ruined planet-wide industrial complex lies everywhere, endless hundreds of kilometers of destroyed factories, ships deliberately crashed into the planet, lakes, nay , oceans, of industrial chemical runoff, and harsh background radiation from breached containment on untold thousands of reactors.

9:27 AM

Treasures and troubles uncounted lie below.

9:27 AM

(I heard ya'll wanted some megadungerons!)

(

freakin' A dude)

"The factory cover is pretty dense. Anything that might be alive down there is getting swallowed in all the energy readings"

(Does corrosive mean that it's damaging to the ship?)

"It really is crazy out there.... I'm not sure how anything could live down there in all of this. Maybe they have bunkers somewhere beneath the surface."

(The wrecks on the ground look okay aside from the actual being rammed from orbit and falling into the ground damage)

12:40 PM

(So you can tell that metal at least seems to be okay)

"Maybe. Could be any number of things going on down there. Hard to tell"

"I'd like to cover as much ground as possible before picking a spot to land. Bring her in low and let's cruise a bit. Maybe there's a small spot that doesn't have deathly levels of radiation."

(Would it help for me to try to narrow it down some more? Or do you just need some time to generate planet stuff?)

(The land is an endless rad ruined area. You can walk around for a few hours with vac suits but the whole place is pretty trashed. I can just randomly generate a landing zone if you like

(Gotcha. Will plan accordingly.)

7:35 PM

"You know who would like this place? Grupp. He'd probably grow 17 eyestalks and turn his skin into diamond plates before leaping out of the ship to dive into the wreckage."

7:36 PM

"Dora the grav explorer would probably do well if we want to just pick a spot for a closer look. It's all starting to look the same from up here. Maybe we'll strike some kind of pretech jackpot!" (edited)

“Trying to map this is making my head spin” Tengu says. The 3d model wipes and repeats mapping twice as you look on

"Going to have to do this the old fashioned way then. With our own eyes and a compass. Do those still work here?"

"Magnetism is good, getting a read on true north. "

"Just take it down where it's suitable. Lets load Dora and go for a spin." Dax helps his crew get a few vac suits loaded and prepares for departure onto the surface.

(6d6 when you get time, lets generate an Lz!)

(Number of demigods Dax has to kill. Got it)

7:35 AM

(Not sure if you need total or dice values so: 5, 5, 5, 6, 5, 1 for 27)

(trhank you, youre a gem. wall of text incoming)

(My fav :+1: )

The ship comes down at a cross junction, in a ruined factory district. The buildings, what little of them freestand on their own, are rubble and beam choke spills across the roads. Everything has a fine grey-black grit settled on it by decades, if not centuries of neglect. A factory 100m away has been decimated by an alien, weirdly elongated shuttlecraft plunging through its left wall, and out the right. It had evidently exploded on impact and burned for quite some time. Everything here is slyth in origin. Flocks of eyebots, each one of them pitted and scarred by the endless acid rain, patrol above, 200m up, like birds

7:54 AM

(Thats north) To the west- a row of squat buildings, original purpose unknown, lies intact but buried in its own rubble from nearby buildings tumbling down. To the east, the wreckage of a cruiser class vessel bleeds heat, and light, from broken skin out into the world. To the south- an empty field with choked, rad scarred vegetation ends at the ruins of some kind of food processing plan, algal blooms from ruptured storage silos mutated by years of exposure.

Dax pilots Dora out of the hold of the ship and heads north to take a closer look at the alien spacecraft.

9:42 AM

(For reference)

(ferda) The craft is immense compared to the small grav explorer, and breached in dozens of places. Radiation levels rise outside the explorer, and the air scrubbers work overtime to filter out the dangerous particulates.

9:51 AM

If there were any crew at the time of the crash, their bodies were either not ejected, or have since rotted away

(I can't keep up with the slang you kids are using nowadays)

10:51 AM

(It also sounds like it won't be possible to get closer to this thing without growing more arms than Grupp by the radiation)

(your vac suits can protect you for a short exploration if youre efficient about your time)

"As neat as that looks, maybe we should save our vac suits for something that looks more promising. There's working bots out there, so something must still be working. Lets keep moving."

(Is there a way to investigate this factory further from Dora? Is it still standing somewhat?)

(sure is)

12:09 PM

The factory has two of its four walls still standing, the one facing you, and the leftmost face of the building. The back and right crumbled as a spaceship fueled fire ripped through the building

"You know what doesn't make sense to me?" Dax says as he takes in the carnage. "What were all of these things producing for? If the whole planet is a factory, then the only people here would've been like factory workers. But a planet producing this much stuff must have been just a resource hub for a large population somewhere close by.... I don't know. Just thinking out loud."

12:18 PM

"Are you sure you didn't see anything that looked more.... city...ish?"

"This all looks Slyth to me" PEace says "I dont think I can tell what's a factory and what isn't most of the time"

"Fair enough. It's all so.... alien."

1:40 PM

"You guys see anything interesting in here?"

(Notice/wis, at a +2 for them checking stuff out too)

(11)

"Why not start with the shuttle itself, its the whole reason for the mess at least over here"

"Let's do it then." Dax and Vorianu both suit up to take a closer look. "Just need to be quick about it with the environment around here." When they are both ready, Dax teleports them to outside of Dora to avoid having to open the explorer.

7:51 PM

the ship's port wing is shorn off at the root, and the engines have spilled out of their compartments, likely in the factory, or in the rubble field after it somewhere. The reactor is a dying, caged star, on the last of its life. If there were bodies inside, they've likewise rotted away or been carried off by whatever life may remain on this world

"This thing looks nuts! Gives me some ideas for my next spaceship... err, I mean... my 3rd spaceship. I think I have a problem. I need more spaceships."

8:33 PM

Dax says as he walks as close as he can to get a look at the tech of the core.

The core itself looks similar to the fusion reactors in use by the UNW now but smaller, and based on the radiation it’s giving off, more powerful

(Hot

)

“Bet it’s water powered. Like the black box reactors central uses”

"I wonder.... do you think there's any way to get it back with us? Or at least... the schematics or something? I'm not techy enough to know nearly as much as I should. And maybe there's another one of these in better condition somewhere else on the planet. I don't know... help?"

(How much cargo space does the Fate have?)

(30 tons after vehicles)

7:58 AM

(Let's just strap it to the roof so we don't die of radiation poisoning)

(the most intact portion of the wreckage would fit)

8:05 AM

(filling the Fate to capacity)

(Lets do that and maybe make a trip home to come back to the planet with help if that works for you)

(That works perfect for me)

8:08 AM

(what lab do you want the RP from it to go to?)

(Does Whitaker Solutions have one? I'm not up on the latest lab happenings)

(No its all been going to the main colony)

(Let's give the RP to the Engineers. They have a lot cooking right now)

1

(Will do, adding +300)

Dax calls back to the ship. "Hey, fly on over to where we are.... found a souvenir I want to take home. We're going to have to come back with friends if everything here is this interesting."

8:58 AM

Dax helps get the hull loaded into the hold of Fate and begins the journey back to Gudrun.

As soon as they're in orbit, Dax sends a message to his favorite piggen. @Regulus/Grupp

Grupp,

Hey there, buddy! I hope you've had a relaxing time at home, because I've got an opportunity for you. I found a planet called Musheera that you'd really like. It's covered in all sorts of Slyth ruins and wrecked spaceships and great stuff. I'm on my way back home with a hull from one of their ships!

attachment_01
<totally_cool_broken_slyth_ship.jpg>

Anyways, I want to come back here with a bit more cargo space and see what else I can find. I thought you'd enjoy checking it out with me.

See you soon!

Your pal Dax
-Hero of the Remnant War
-Liberator of Acastus
-Hand of Fate

3

(Looks like I would need to rutter a new course between Musheera and Sumati to make getting home faster in the future) (edited)

9:49 AM

(Spike to Sumati, then Mariam and home)

(You're a hero)

2

DAX HERO AND DOER OF THINGS,
OBVIOUSLY I'M GONNA COME. I'LL BRING THE JAVELINA FOR SOME EXTRA CARGO SPACE.
GRUPP
SHAMAN OF THE PIGGEN
VICE PRESIDENT OF ARCANOTECH
HERO OF THE REMNANT WAR
I'VE GOT MORE ARMS THAN YOU'VE GOT TITLES

3

Arriving home, wreck of the shuttle in tow, and delivered to the RBOE for study, Dax and Grupp meet on the orbital platform (or whereever) to discuss the alien junkyard world he found.

(So that trip would be 13 days? 7 for the new route and 3 days each for the other 2 legs?) (edited)

(If you're ruttering that on the way back to Musheera, yes)

After nearly two months away from home. Dax finishes his deliveries, takes a few days off at his desert home, and has Grupp meet him there when he is ready to depart. (My home has two landing bays for ships, so Fate and Javelina can both leave from here)

"Heya Dax! Fancy new digs here eh? I dig it."

2

Dax laughs at the predictably bad pun, "Heya yourself there, Grupp. Ready to explore another ruined and incredibly dangerous planet with a ton of old alien tech?"

"Oh for sure! Found my sweet glaive last time, I've been upgrading it since then too! Heard you did some good on Chloe though, that sounded fun."

"Yeah, it ended up being more than I bargained for over there, but it's better now. Joined a gang, blew up a train station, got the keys to the city, you know... the whole bit."

"Just your average day in the life of Dax the hero. So what's this planet like?"

"It's basically like if you were an alien snake person that decided to turn an entire planet into a factory but then also crashed a million massive spaceships into it from orbit to cause everything to explode and leak radioactive chemicals everywhere. So... really cool."

12:31 PM

"I think I'm going to leave Dora behind this time, and I'm not talking about your great-aunt. We should be good with my VTOL for getting around the planet."

(Ghiest has spoken at length about the extreme measures they needed to go through to stop the virus that was killing their species, purge fleets and extreme acts like that were pretty common .Probably something your characters would know better than you ooc)

12:42 PM

(after all this time and horrific radiation, there's no risk of contamination in people, and I'm fairly sure Val proved it wasn't capable of traveling to other humanoids anyway but I just wanted to clarify. Your problem there is the myriad other environmental hazards in its place)

(Thanks for that. No virus, just a ton of hot chemical soup. Got it

) (edited)

1:14 PM

"Well if you're ready, let's hit the dusty trail. (

) I ruttered a new spike route on the way back here so we can get back there faster. Musheera, here we come!"

1:18 PM

(55 tons of cargo space this time, since I removed a vehicle)

Passing through Sumati you see a flock of spike probes being loosed into the void, replete with mapping software.

2:13 PM

The world below seems to be finally feeling the first tendrils of peace, save under the tutelage of Governor Shriven.

When we arrive to the system of Musheera, Dax prepares to drop the VTOL into orbit. To Grupp, "So... uh... I'm almost afraid to ask. What are you going to do to make us ready for the environment down there? I know you've got some kind of stuff you do... and can you include her," gesturing to Vorianu, "in that as well?"

(you're going to get so many spider mandibles)

(secretly hoping for it

)

(Hot)

"Well, radioactivity and all that funness isn't too hard to deal with." Grupp touches Dax and his skin turns slightly translucent and gelatinous, a thin layer of secreted mucus coating his body. "There ya go! Easy peasy. You want some mucus too Vorianu? A nice slimey coat'll fix you up nice and good. It may be a little messy, but if some comes off you can always secrete more!"

1

(Grupp never disappoints)

3:15 PM

(That's just 1 change per person right? and you can support 10?)

(I can support 14 now I think. Level+cast magic. But my own changes cost double cause my unique focus)

1

3:21 PM

(And Javelina has 400 tons of cargo space.)

1

(Because you couldn't afford fittings when you bought the ship

) (edited)

"So... you and Vorianu eh? I see you took my advice, ha! Soon you'll be plowing fields and growing piglets of your own! Let me know if you need a couple extra hands at the plow, I know someone who can hook you up."

1

"Uh..." Dax looks over at her to see how she's taking it. "Yeah, we're a thing... I uh, don't think piglets are a part of the equation yet. So...."

5:36 PM

Looking over at her, he asks, "How do I look? I imagine this is what being a frog feels like."

“I feel like the fly noticed by the spider” she says, quoting something or other, you’re sure

"Girls are so confusing..." Dax says, resigned.

"I feel like the piggen who wants to explore dangerous planets! Anyone else?"

"Well. If we're ready, let's get right to it. To the Blitzen!"

7:15 PM

(I don't know if you want us to drop in at the same spot or go somewhere new. If we can even find the sane place again if maps are that wacky here)

(I want to do whatever you want to do. But you can find the same spot again if that makes a difference)

7:16 PM

(Latitude and longitude plotting works so I’d assume you dropped a point there on your map. But as far as a discernible city plan or some kind of bigger organization to the mess below there isn’t any

Dax hops into the pilot seat and drops the VTOL out of the orbiting ship and makes for the same landing zone he started with last time.

7:17 PM

(And we'll just scroll up for the description. No need to retype anything)

"This place is awesome, I bet Billy'd like it here. Let's go find some goodies!"

"I went north to that factory there last time. And.... that's about it. Found a ship and decided to come back later. Which way now?"

"Well the farmer in me wants to check out those fields and silos. The techy wants to see the ship wrecks. Common sense says those buildings over there are most intact so what's in them might be in better shape. All directions look interesting, that's for sure."

"Intact buildings it is, then. You want to do that flying trick of yours or stick to the vehicle?"

"Your vehicle has more guns than I do, might as well have it nearby."

"Works for me." Dax pilots the VTOL at a slow cruising speed over the ruins westward towards the squat buildings.

A large emissions stack so big the fate could fly down it if it was intact has fallen across these buildings. Reinforced as they are they were able to withstand the falling metal and masonry shower, but they remain somewhat buried. There are five buildings here

(As we get closer do they kind of look like some sort of housing?)

(No they look like what I was describing. There’s too much rubble to get a solid look

(I should read Neko's posts sometimes)

8:54 PM

(Can I see if there is a gap through the rubble into one of these buildings? Notice/wis maybe?)

(They’re pretty well buried almost to the roofs)

"Well I can blast a hole through, but with all these rocks I don't wanna cause a cave in or something. Cutting a hole in the roof might be better."

"You've got a point there. Let's try the cutting option." Dax has the VTOL hover close enough for the group to hop down onto a rooftop before engaging the ghost driver to hold it in place.

Powerful engines blow small rocks and a fine shower of dust around you as the VTOL keeps station above. The group (whoever is going down, just let me know) begins making soft landings on the roof , lowered by rope

(It's actually just the 3 of us down here. Grupp, Vorianu and myself. The other crew stayed with Fate so Grupp didn't have to change so many people.)

8:11 AM

"Do you have anything to help cut this in your bag of tricks there? I've got this old thing," Dax says as he summons the mageblade.

'I've got my glaive or hole-making magic. It's probably pretty tough to have stayed intact."

"Let's try hole making magic first and go from there."

(Hole making magic, aka dax dirty talk)

1

8:57 AM

(I've failed all of you., I'll be in the parking lot with my Katana(

Grupp casts Breaching Charge on the roof of the building.

(It doesn't blast back out at you does it? or in? It's basically just portable hole?)

(Yeah just disintegrates the material)

The roof section dissolves under your touch, and the dirty light from above illuminates boxes, crates, and two segmented construction walkers within

9:04 AM

(they're suit sized)

9:04 AM

(but very up-scaled for a human)

"Oh cool! Let's see what all this is about." Dax drops down into the building to take a closer look at the walkers.

The construction walker has four powerful arms, like the slyth themselves, with gimbals where they'd insert said limbs to allow arm locomotion. A throttle control would have been controlled by movement of the tail, and it's waist gimbal moves as the pilot twists and turns

"Those are pretty neat, I bet I could control one of those if we want."

"That could potentially be really useful. You could move heavier things and make it easier to get around. Who knew having 4 arms could actually come in handy?"

10:09 AM

(That is, if they are able to be powered up and operable)

Grupp goes and checks the boxes, "What do you mean, having four arms is always handy!"

(they look operable, but unpowered)

10:11 AM

(Not to say you can't rig something up)

"I meant no offense. Only that it doesn't seem like you can do anything with four arms that I can't do with two of my own... You know, unless you are good at juggling or something like that."

(Anything in the boxes?) "I can do all sorts of fun things! Like.. hold four things at once! Or arm wrestle four people at once! Maybe I need to pick up juggling though, ha!"

The crates themselves are large, twice the size of you, and are fastened shut with an ornate mechanical lock

11:27 AM

(it looks like some kind of mini-flywheel)

"Hold that thought, I'm going to grab something." Dax teleports back up into the VTOL and grabs some spare power cells before teleporting back down into the room. "Think we could rig the bots with these cells? You're the engineer around here."

"Yeah I can try that. Bet I could bash open these crates with one of those, I'm not much for picking locks, ha!"

"I've always been more of a 'forced entry' type person, you know?"

11:31 AM

(Based on the size, I probably would have grabbed type B cells, if that matters)

(Yeah type B is vehicles generally, so you've got six hours of mech power for 1, with a Fix/int check)

(10)

1

It takes roughly an hour to get the power system hooked up, by virtue of no instructions and somewhat unfamiliar machinery, but there is a tensing of fiber-bundle muscle as the mech comes to life

11:49 AM

(Not sure how long the alternations made keep you protected, but its been about 1:10:00 since mission start between the landing, looking around inside, and working on this)

(As long as he wants to maintain it, then it will fade over 10 hours)

11:59 AM

(Grupp is so OP)

(There’s a tk thing like this too. Thanks) The mechs power system repair isn’t elegant but it will work for now.

Grupp form shifts as he grows and elongates into a slyth before climbing into the alien mech. "Alrighty, this should be fun!"

In the form of a pig snake the mechs controls seem much more intuitive (Did Grupp ever pick up Pilot at all?)

(I can only increase my mass by 50%, but I assume slyth aren't that much bigger. And no, still no pilot lol.)

(If that's a problem you can turn me into one

I have pilot 1)

12:43 PM

(Unless your focus prevents that)

(I can turn you into a literal snake, or change you into a different bipedal form not a slyth I dont think lol. I think that'd be outside the realm of the spells, the one I use can only target me)

(So the mech is an open cage with the four arms and the tail of the slyth would go through a hatch to curl around the waist gimbal so it can move as you move and twist. You can drive it without pilot but it there’s more checks involved where someone with even 0 would skip them)

(But my dex isn't -1 anymore so at least I can't roll a 0

)

12:51 PM

Grupp the pigsnake tests out the controls a bit before maneuvering it over to the crate, trying to crack it open without damaging what's inside.

(Pilot/dex!)

(4

)

The crate crumples in the exaggeratedly powerful grip, folding like an accordion

1:12 PM

random scraps of machinery, unidentifiable without their whole, rain down from the wreckage

"Nailed it!"

"Um..... great... work?"

1:13 PM

"Maybe I'll see if I can just cut into the next one?"

"If you insist, I think I'm getting the hang of this, ha!"

Dax summons the mageblade and tries to open the lock on the next crate, preferably without breaking the whole box and its contents.

The blade sings as it cuts the air, cleaving a neat molten line down the locking mechanism. The crate seems to sigh a bit as the pressure holding it closed is released

"I suppose that's a bit easier..."

"It's still pretty big, though. You can help with the contents.... whatever they may be. What do you see in there?"

Some strange, individually packaged pump like devices, though the alien writing on the boxes is of no help

"I guess we can't expect every box we open to be filled with rare alien treasures. This is a factory planet, after all. Can you think of any uses for these?"

"Hard to tell without knowing the language. We'll take em with us, someone who can read slyth can figure that out."

(If they aren't too big/heavy I'll grab a few and put them in the VTOL)

6:03 PM

(Since we don't have the ships down here yet.)

(You can grab a few for the vtol )

(I begin to ritual cast Identify on the objects)

6:55 PM

Dax ports a couple of the boxes up into the VTOL and comes back down to open more crates. Slicing locks open whenever the situation calls for it.

(You’d be able to get 10 in the vtol)

7:24 PM

It all appears to be random pieces of machinery but there does seem to be a “flow” to it

7:24 PM

(Like it all goes to something or goes together but the big picture isn’t clear)

(Let's get as many different pieces as we can)

"Vorianu, wanna go unload the VTOL while we go check the next spot?"

(Could the ghost driver get itself up to the ship by itself?)

7:39 PM

(Considering Vorianu has no pilot skill whatsoever, it's either send this up or bring the ships down.)

(Yeah for a routine cargo run it’ll work)

"Alright, well there are three more buildings here to check out, and we'll want to take the mechs up too. There should be room for those on the Javelina." (50 tons each still like normal mechs?) (edited)

(Yeah)

Once the VTOL has a load of the parts we've found, Dax sends it back up with instructions to the crew to unload and send it back.

8:36 PM

"Yeah lets not spend too much time in one spot. I'm sure there's interesting stuff to be found everywhere."

Looking around at the endless junk heaps, broken megastructures, and uncountable shipwrecks, it becomes apparent that you could spend years here and still not see everything

(So just have Grupp "retire" here. Aka haul loads of Slyth tech back to Gudrun over and over for the foreseeable future.)

9:29 PM

"Maybe we go check the farming looking stuff next? It looks like we could pick over this place for a long time and not come back with the tiniest bit that's here. If we get a variety of stuff it might give us a bigger picture of this place."

"Sounds good to me, let's get these mechs out first. Want me to drive this one over to the farm in case we need some more expert crushing?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Keep up the, uh, good work with those."

Grupp calls the Javelina down and loads the other mech in before heading towards the fields in his mech.

(If you want to do that. I figured this planet is a handy dungeon planet for me with all the ruins and wrecks. )

(I wouldn't mind running into a dungeon here...

)

The farming dome is surrounded by an ocean of radiation dried plants, fried to the point they've become black, and dissolve when distrubed. The agricultural center, one of likely dozens or even hundreds, on planet is ahead, the side of its dome cracked open at the base, the ruins of half of some kind of tracked vehicle protruding from it

"I'd like to get a sample of one of these plants, I'm not sure if it'd be useful at all in their condition though, even if we could collect one intact." Grupp goes over to check out the vehicle in the dome.

Dax heads over with him in the VTOL. "Would it make any difference to dig down and try to pull out roots or seeds? I'm not the farmer here; I don't know how this stuff works."

"It could help, I'm just not sure there's anything left with all the radiation. Worth trying though!"

The crawler was smashed in almost 1/3 of its length in front , and the dome has been shattered by the impact

9:22 AM

The ceraplast shards cover the ground though time had blunted their edges

9:22 AM

Inside you can barely make out large hydroponic trays in the sooty gloom

"Well, let's get inside and see if there's anything worth salvaging from this place." Dax parks the VTOL and heads into the dome with a mageblade torch out for light.

Grupp follows behind.

(notice/wis)

11:31 AM

(each_

(6)

(9)

Dax hears a whine as the automated turret in the ceiling cycles up, its auto-targeting system coming to life

12:15 PM

(initiative, turret won't get the surprise round)

(4)

(8)

(Dax, Turret, Grupp) The turret swivels to face you, the wicked laser quad mount mounted on a roof gimbal, 30m in the air, at the top of the dome ceiling

The torch Dax was carrying lifts out of his hand and thrusts straight towards the turret as he wills it to attack. (33/21)

(I assume the mech doesn't have any of its own weapons?)

(your fists would be improvised attacks at 2d8 each, since it's a light mech, and you'd get 4 of them, but they have no AP value- not that it's needed here)

1:12 PM

there is a shower of flaming sparks and metal debris as the mageblade strikes home, hitting the quad mount squarely- its threat detection software moves to track Dax

1:13 PM

(11 to hit, big miss)

(I assume my wings wouldn't be able to lift it and it can't reach the top of the dome itself right? Does exiting it count as my move?)

1:17 PM

Grupp hops out of the mech, taking aim with his rifle. (Clicked the wrong weapon, 15/13 with the shear rifle)

(exiting it is move, and wings is correct, the suit is at least a few tons of weight)

The shear rifle field cracks some superficial plating, and it falls away, but does not seem to impede the gun's operation

1:36 PM

Dax)

Dax throws another blade at the turret. (23/14)

It falls from the ceiling to smash on the ground, spraying pieces out everywhere

3:21 PM

dim flames cause the grey gloom inside the dome to flicker and fade

(Are things catching fire?)

(No)

1

"Maybe I'll stay out of the mech till we need it.. I'm more useful outside." Grupp casts and holds accelerando using arcane cyst before looking around the dome.

"That works for me. I know we just got shot at, but I actually think that's a good sign. At least something is still working around here. Let's see what we can see."

The interior of the dome has dozens of destroyed and rotted grow trays. The light arrays are broken and pulled down, glass powdered underfoot A tram at the far left of the room looks to go underground on a long rail. There is a small open topped engine car followed by a dozen empty minecarts

(Frick yeah lets get an underground dungeon up in here)

7:36 PM

"Alright so this all looks kind of boring and dead. But that!" Dax points at the path underground, "looks way more fun. Haven't you ever wanted to explore a cave system on a toxic wasteland planet?"

"I suppose I have, ha! Should be interesting!"

Dax lights his mageblade torch and heads over to look at the engine car.

The engine car is quiet and powered down but it looks like a type a cell might fit. Maybe two.

"You bring any spare batteries? Looks like double-A in here."

"Yeah I've got 4 on me." Grupp gets a couple batteries out and tosses them to Dax.

(Fix int)

(7)

(Dax tosses them right back)

The vehicle shudders and it’s headlights turn on illuminating a track heading down underground

8:30 PM

It lifts gently on its mag rails

Dax gives an over the top bow to Vorianu. "Your luxury carriage is ready, m'lady. Please allow me to help you climb aboard."

"Are ya gonna help me up too milord? It seems I've misplaced my legs." Overgrown flying pigsnake Grupp reverts back to his 'normal' state. "Ah, here they are!"

(You're ridiculous. Don't ever change.)

Vorianu allows herself to be helped into. One of the cars. The engine looks to be powering up but needs a driver

"Think you can chauffeur us down a ways, Grupp? It shouldn't be too hard to pilot, it's on tracks! What could go wrong?"

"You'd be surprised. I once blew up a ship just by touching it, ha!" Grupp attempts to figure out how to drive the engine.

There is a control column for the throttle and another to control how high off the magnetic rails the train rises. There are a few gauges that can’t be read

Grupp shrugs and pushes the throttle forward slowly, "All aboard! Next stop: danger!"

The train makes a pleasant toot-toot as it descends down the rain into the underground part of the facility

1

(Been working all day. Continuing to work until at least midnight. Bleh.)

(No worries buddy)

(Just got home! Time for space game!...

)

2:04 AM

(I'd imagine we can't see much if the only light source we have is my magic stick. Unless... the train has some sort of headlight?)

(The train has headlights)

The walls are machined smooth and made from stone, not replaced by metal but for a small reinforcement under the rails. The train travels for about a kilometer in this gloom before the passage opens up. Ahead there is a station where employees can board another tram heading deeper within the facility. At the station, dozens of boxes and crates are stacked up. The bodies down here are slyth and there is enough of them remaining to make some identifications

"Looks like there might be some more goodies here. I'm surprised these bodies are in this good of condition, but at least we can assume nothing's going to eat us right?"

"Yeah, let's make a stop at the station and get a feel for the place. It may be possible these bodies haven't been here for as long as the rest of the destruction."

The train comes to a halt, rail squeaking a bit as the brakes are applied. It sets down gently on the mag line

Grupp steps up to one of the bodies, casting Truth of Flesh and Bone to see if he can tell cause and time of death.

They suffocated. The time would be 300 years ago. An explosion above sucked the air out of this complex and flash fried the lungs of any breathing at the time

"There was some sort of explosion on the surface that killed everything in here. About 300 years ago. Maybe the ship crashing into the dome, or something bigger. Anything in those crates?"

The crates themselves have more strange machinery in them though are not as hard to open. Without slyth language or a working knowledge of their engineering it’s unclear what this might be

"I'm not sure we need to pull out every odd bit of machinery we come across, if I'm being honest." Dax says as he pokes through the crates. "There's no telling what's actually important."

"Yeah, you should really work on your slyth, that'd be really helpful to know any time we're delving ancient ruins. I'm much too busy of course, but it seems like you've got lots of spare time."

( F )

(What am I supposed to say to that)

9:51 PM

(Stupid pig)

9:54 PM

"Yeah. Maybe the lady and I will make it a couples' project and learn it together. That is probably more exciting than liberating planets or whatever."

"I mean, people get bored spending a lot of time in spike. Liberating a planet takes you like a couple hours then you're off to the next with a few days to study in between. Wouldn't hurt you to pop open a book, I bet Regulus would even teach you to read, ha!" Grupp goes to check if the other tram is operational.

The power system on this one is intact and it looks operable

Dax gives a frustrated glare at the back of Grupp's head as he walks away. Grumbling, he says to himself, "I'm not that dense. Don't need any stinkin' stuffy professor....." (edited)

9:08 AM

Speaking up, he says, "What did you find? Are we going on another ride?"

"Looks like it. This one should take us further down!"

"Lead the way, master conductor." Dax climbs aboard the next tram.

"Chugga chugga choo choo!"

3

This track is straight, not changing in elevation- and heads forward at a rapid speed to an armored bunker district. The forecourt down here is littered with more slyth bodies, and you can see the walls and back cave wall covered in bullet impacts. Some sort of mass attack on the complex must have failed here.

10:06 AM

There are two bunkers at the far end of the cavern created from the rock face itself, with a broken gate between them

"This looks fun! Maybe something for you to blow up!" Grupp heads over to the broken gate.

It was made of metal at one point. At least one breaching team got close enough to plant a charge, it looks warped and like it was running molten at one point,b ut air cooled back into something like a brittle solid

"I guess there's nothing to do but try to poke it," Dax says as the mageblade appears and he attempts to force it on the door to see if it melts or gives underneath his pressure.

It does melt very easily, and you emerge on the other side of the gateway to a powered down but modern looking scientific facility. (do either of you have a bioscanner?)

(Grupp the bio-freak probably has some neat trick)

(No bioscanner, just metatool/toolkit/dataslab. Truth of Flesh and Bone works similarly though if the target is organic)

(not quite a target but ill give it to you) Grupp senses some kind of viral agent, dead now, was once in the air here.

"Huh, weird. Let's take around, seems there's traces of a dead virus here. Maybe the one that wiped them out. This is probably either where they worked on a cure, or where the virus originated. Either way we should be careful, don't wanna start an epidemic, ha!"

"Uh....... is it safe? I'm not sure I... It's not like I'm scared or anything... but, you know. I would hate for anything to happen to Vorianu here."

11:00 AM

Dax looks down and realizes his body is still covered in snot. "Well, hopefully the goo keeps it out...." He follows Grupp inside the lab.

Ther eis a long hallway with doors to the right and left, two on each side. It looks to end in a dead end

11:27 AM

(ill find a map)

1

(Where are we entering?)

(Western side, that outside trapezoid like area)

Dax heads in to try the first door on the left.

Grupp follows Dax.

The stairwell has been collapsed in upon, on the left, but the office next to it is intact despite a broken door. Scientific equipment has been smashed by close range gunfire and it looks as though the rear corner of the office- where file storage systems once stood, were attempted to be burned

"I wonder who they were fighting." Grupp goes over to the file storage systems to check if anything is left.

(You’d know they were fighting themselves. Plague was a weapon. Engineered by one side of civil war and it jumped )

5:17 PM

(Theres some history stuff about it)

(Cool, gotcha)

There’s one storage deck in the back somewhat shielded from the fire by the intervening presence of the others

"Hey, did you see this over here? Looks like something that isn't completely destroyed." Dax goes to look at the intact storage unit to see what it contains.

The unit looks like it holds several computer drives worth of information. Fire has destroyed the bottom half dozen, but the other six look intact enough to be connected to something

"Hard drives or computer stuff or something.... you have anything to connect to these here? Or should we wait until we can look at them later?"

"I've got a dataslab, but if we need a shunt to bypass security we'll need to save them for later." Grupp tries to access the files on his dataslab.

Indeed, there is encryption on the drive

(Shunts are consumables right? I can mimic tl4 tech with bodily panoply, but I'd assume not consumables)

(not consumables no and the way I've read them, yes)

11:14 AM

(you basically expend them to get a crack at decoding it)

(Yeah that's what I thought) "We'll need to take it back to crack it. I really need to stock up next time eh?"

"Guess so... let's keep moving, then. Everything else looks pretty thrashed in here." Dax goes to the room adjoining this one.

Nekosmash 6/18/2019 11:33 AM

The next room looks to be an armory space that has been looted during the fighting, the victors trading a conquerors thoroughness in the previous room, for a pirate's prudence here.

1:17 PM

One of the wall racks, however, looks to still be sealed

"Hey, cool!" Dax says, surveying the room. "There might be some actually good stuff in here." He heads to the sealed cabinet to see if it opens.

It has a gap in the middle where the doors part, and is sealed by an undamaged keypad on the right side, though it is more akin to a wall mounted keyboard, than a simple number pad

"You want to try to open this nicely?... I'm more inclined to... you know, break it. I'm good at that."

"Sure thing boss man."

1:43 PM

(Program/int 10)

The room is bathed in red as the emergency sirens come on, reacting to the breach attempt. Outside, back in the ruined data room, something hits the floor with an impact that shakes the building

(I'm ok with this development. Let's kill some stuff)

2:45 PM

"Did you just hit the awesome button?? This is way cool!"

2:45 PM

Dax lights up the mageblade and heads back to the doorway, braced for action.

Grupp follows, windcutter glaive appearing in his hands. "Sounds big, this should be fun, ha!"

A ball like object with a quadbarrel cannon, similar to the turret earlier, though now with chin, forehead, and side shields around the gun gimbal scuttles around the room on four claw like legs

3:14 PM

it is 5m tall, and its cannons click as solid shell belts are loaded

3:14 PM

(initiative)

(4)

(8)

(Dax, bot , grupp)

"Hold on to your tusks!" Dax teleports the two of them (1 Effort) behind the creature and kicks the Neural Overload into action before he jumps at one of the nearest legs with a slash of the mageblade. (19/20) (First turn) With a spin and a flourish, Dax ducks in closer to the body before stabbing again. (21/18) (Second turn at end of initiative order)

7:42 AM

(Does Vorianu have her own initiative?)

(she goes when you do)

Vorianu rushes out of the room to the doorway before burst firing her shear rifle at the robot. (22/6) (16 + 2 Shoot + 1 AB + 2 Burst +1 Wep Mod) (Double 1's on damage + 2 Burst +2 Wep Mod)

(Won't do that breakdown every time, but that's where the numbers come from for the future. The rifle has Autotargeting (+1 Hit), Boosted (+2 Dmg), and Extended mag (10 doubled to 20 mag size))

(gotcha, works for me bud tank you)

9:44 AM

The mageblade and first shot from the shear rifle hit the bot square on the armoed dome and legs, causing some damage but not enough to topple it. The quad cannon fires at Dax

9:45 AM

(12, miss, grupp time)

9:45 AM

(then the last mageblade)

Grupp activates the arcane cyst, casting accelerando on Dax before swinging his glaive, the blow glancing off the armor. (4 shock damage)

3

The second mageblade attack by magic dax cuts through some cabling, and the bot starts to wobble

10:58 AM

(dax)

(Physical save 9v5 for Neural Overload) Feeling the surge of energy from Grupp, Dax stands his ground and becomes a flurry of strikes with renewed alacrity. (19/16) (20/17) (First turn) (29/16) (Second turn) Vorianu takes another burst shot with the shear rifle. (11/6) (The odds of rolling double 1's on 2d8 twice in a row is crazy... but it happened)

11:14 AM

(1 in 4096, for those curious. 0.0244140625%)

The bot comes apart in a tumble of sundered machinery, and you hear a hiss as the armory case back in the other room opens.

"Hey, at least you let me get one shot in that time, ha! Let's go see what sweet loot we found!"

(Riggidy rekt)

12:34 PM

Dax jumps back out of the way of failing flailing limbs before the bot comes to rest. "Yeah, you can't say I never did nothing for ya! Although maybe you should try to actually hit him next time."

12:35 PM

(Accelerando is heavy focus?)

(Heavy focus and only lasts 10 rounds)

Dax teleports back into the room to go see what the cabinet contained. (edited)

The cabinet has several long disruption blades in it, 10 in total, and balanced for slyth hands, utilizing their heavier musculature, and two arms per side, to balance it correctly.

(We don't really have disruption blade tech researched, do we?)

(No, it would be so rare as to be a relic even if you did)

"These look like they need two arms per side to use properly... think I could grow twenty and use all at the same time? Ha!"

"I have no doubt that you would if you could...."

"Well these look pretty sweet, so I think we definitely keep 'em." Dax spends a minute taking a few at a time and teleporting them back out to load on the VTOL. "Where to, now? There's more rooms in this facility."

Grupp takes one of the blades for himself, "Yeah let's go check more stuff out, maybe we'll find more things to kill!" Before heading out he stores yet another accelerando in an arcane cyst.

(we have been in the westernmost rooms on the top, first and second room, so far)

"Shall we continue clockwise? Next room on the left?"

"Sure thing. Probably going to find more really cool stuff that's been lost for centuries. Man, people are going to love us."

Passing through the armory the next room is filled with bodies that have been down here for a very long time. The organic material is gone and there is little bone

(Nothing of interest beyond the bodies?)

(not with just looking at them)

Dax carefully steps into the room and picks his way around the bodies, looking for a clue as to what the room was used for.

Broken articles of furnature are mixed in with the bodies, most shot to nearly unrecognizable pieces from the violence of whatever happened here. Those fallen, have done so within reach of weapons, though they are rusted and worn by time

(Forgot to roll my save for Neural Overload. Surprise surprise, it's a 4v5 failure. 2 Strain taken for the 2 times I used it, and it's burned out for an hour) (edited)

"Doesn't seem like much of use here. A pity no more of the slyth survived, they seem to have been very good at killing each other. Almost to rival humans eh? Ha!"

(So, do we bang now?)

(I thought we already did, did I waste my accelerando?)

2

(No, you didn't lmao)

10:41 AM

(this room is bones and trash, let me know where youre going next)

(To the Bone Zone pls)

10:42 AM

"I can't even disagree. People love their killing.... Anyways. On to the next thing! This room is trash!" (edited)

10:43 AM

Dax continues on to the room adjacent to the current one.

The next room has a locking wheel that seem to prevent entry, the mechanism is siezed shut, but the hatch looks heavy duty

Dax tries his weight against the wheel a few times. "This thing is NOT moving. Do you have anything to grease the joints or something? Or does this look locked to you?"

"That mech could open it for sure I could try to loosen it a bit then try my own strength against it, maybe with your help we can do it."

2:38 PM

(Could I do a fix/int with my toolkit to try and loosen it for an exert/str?)

(Sure)

(7)

(Aren't you supposed to be good at that?) (edited)

(I mean, only +2)

5:35 PM

(You have fix-1 you could help for another +2 lol)

(I do have that)

5:36 PM

"Hey put that thing over there instead. I'm good at fixing stuff."

Grupp grumbles, "On a non-slyth door it goes here. If it were a magically sealed door I could open it no problem."

(So that's a 9 for fix/int)

The wheel is loosened but still sits heavily in the lock

"Were you going to try to move this with the mech? Or should I have a go?"

"I'd have to go grab it, I left it behind when we got on the train. Let's see if together we can get it to budge."

(Exert/str at +2_

(Strong boi

)

9:40 PM

(16)

2

9:42 PM

(Don't mess with Dax)

9:44 PM

(That door just got.... Dax-stroyed) (edited)

The flywheel turns and the hatch de pressurizes withs hiss of venting gas. The inside of this room looks to have been a hermetically sealed medbay. Two bodies lie on gurneys nearly pristine due to the sealing of the room. They look mummified rather than rotted. Exotic medical equipment lines wall mounted cabinets and shelves

"I bet this equipment is super valuable to someone eh? Probably should grab that." Grupp goes and checks out the bodies.

(The equipment is probably pretty large like I imagine modern medical equipment on carts with big mounts and such) (edited)

(yeah but upscaled)

8:59 AM

(probably comically big for a person)

(I want a giant otoscope hammer. Anything interesting we can tell from the bodies?)

The bodies here look to be trauma patients, like this was an active medbay during the fighting. (there is a giant hammer like that)

"Looks like this was an active medbay during the fighting, the bodies look to be trauma patients."

"Looks too big to haul anything off, though. Not without help, at least...." Seeing Grupp eyeing the giant hammer amongst the tools, "You're not actually considering taking that thing, are you? It's huge! And what are you going to do with it?"

"I mean, obviously my weapons are better, that just looks fun!"

Dax shrugs in defeat. "Whatever you want, I guess. There's probably better stuff further in." Dax tries to get his compad out without getting slime all over it, and fails miserably. It is coated in SPF 9,000+ radiation-protectant as he spends a few minutes taking pictures of the space. "Maybe this will means something to somebody smarter than me. They can come get it themselves. Let's go."

(initiative)

2

(7)

(5)

11:20 AM

(It's actually better in this order)

11:21 AM

(How long has it been since our last fight? Less than an hour?)

(yeah like half an hour at the most. Grupp, murderbot swarm, dax)

11:29 AM

As the hatch to the next room opens a furry of laserbolt fire drives you into cover. A swarm of eyebots rages and buzzes, trapped inside the space ahead for decades, if not longer

(So like the swarm as one target or lots of single targets?)

(swarm is one target)

Grupp rushes in, glaive whirling around him. (14/15, 4 shock if missed)

(4 shock) The rampaging eyebot swarm fires its microlasers at Grupp as he rushes in

(Miss) the lasers are unable to come close, or even do anything but burn air as Grupp closes

2:50 PM

(Dax)

(Thanks for the Arcane Cyst Accelerando Grupp

) (edited)

(I've only got so many lvl 4 spells lol)

(

)

3:05 PM

"Hey! Me first!" Dax teleports in ahead of Grupp and slashes up through the swarm with the mageblade. (25/16) (You said it's a single target, so I would assume my AoE Shock doesn't apply even though it's a swarm. Otherwise, that's 12 Shock vs AC 17)

(It applies to the statline, but its representing the whole swarm of bots)

3:10 PM

(the shock would be swatting a few of them even on a miss, its just so dense

"Hey, you don't always get to go first!" Grupp spins the glaive around, hitting as many as he can. (24/18)

(I am still not sure from your answer whether the AoE shock from my Savage Fray focus would affect the swarm at all? I understand how you have 1 stat block to represent the whole swarm made up of many smaller bots because D&D does it the same.)

(Yeah it’s the dnd way for this

5:14 PM

(Rather than track dozens of mook bots individually)

5:14 PM

(Really just to speed up a moderate encounter)

Several of the boys fly away from the formation to shatter on walls and floors. One cracks against the ceiling raining components down on all of you

(Is it their turn? Or are they scattering now?)

(It’ll be their turn when I’m not in the grocery store haha)

6:14 PM

(26/15 dax. Grupp missed)

6:14 PM

The eyebot swarm compensates and dials in the range, a flurry of lasers cutting into you

6:14 PM

(Dax)

"No, but I do have to be the most stylish!" Dax disappears from sight for a moment as he teleports straight up into the heart of the swarm and spins, blade extended, as he falls back to the ground. (29/18) Vorianu finally catches up and makes her way into the doorway, shear rifle burst firing at the bots. (22/15)

Vorianu sees your cool move and her heart skips a beat before she fires, ending the remaining few bots constituting the swarm

(Lol)

The last of the bots tumbles to the floor, broken.

Dax hits the ground in the classic superhero 3-point landing pose with sword out to one side before dismissing it after a moment's silence. As he stands up, he slips on a loose bot part and barely manages to catch himself before crashing like a dweeb.

8:42 PM

"Nailed it."

Grupp just shakes his head and walks over to the room they came out of. "Whatever shall we do with him Vorianu?"

"Ballet lessons. Give him some balance. Some poise"

"Oh, come on! That was cool though!"

9:03 PM

"..... Alright... back to business." Dax looks around the room the bots were in for hidden goodies.

There is a door heading backoutside to the main lateral hallway. this room was filled with tools and there are broken or simply not assembled robotics parts everywhere. There are dozens more eyebots not put together, or stripped for parts by the rest of the swarm to keep the least damaged of them going

"Nothing here looks particularly interesting or advanced. Could take some stuff for spare parts if we have extra room I guess, we'll see."

Dax shrugs and follows Grupp to the next area.

There is no additional room to move into on this side without heading back into the central hallway

9:38 PM

Something rattles the ground and crunches debris outside as it rolls by past the door

"Sounds like another rolly boi. We haven't killed enough bots yet have we?"

"Dibs!" Dax is immediately back out in the central hallway with his sword ready.

9:40 PM

(Yeah, sorry. I got a little lost where we were in the complex)

“I think the place is slowly becoming aware of us” you hear vorianu say as you charge out into the hallway. A bot with a tracked base is heading the opposite way down the hall away from you. It’s waist is thick and mounted on powerful servos. It has shoulder mounted cannons and it’s arms each end in some kind of projector like weapon but for flame or something worse you cannot tell

(Didn't notice us?)

(Did not notice you)

Grupp follows Dax out and whispers, "I know you're not one for stealth or subtlety, but how about we attack that thing before it notices us?" (edited)

It continues rolling. Beeping merrily to itself.

"Aww, look how happy it is. It's kinda cute, can we keep it?"

"Cutest murderbot I've ever seen."

9:38 AM

"I'm not one for stealth, but I can still appreciate the effectiveness of a good surprise attack. Ready?"

Grupp casts accelerando on Dax before readying to attack.

(However you guys want to order your surprise round is fine. We can do initiative after)

1

With the jolt of speed hitting his system, Dax teleports into range with the bot before lashing out twice. (18/19) (32/20) (edited)

Grupp speeds in, hovering just over the ground, all four arms held at an angle behind him for maximum speed. He swings two rapid strikes at the bot, but both glance off its armor. (8 total shock damage, both missed)

(However you want to get there, I assumed it was out of single turn move range)

(I have 30m movement speed. And naruto arms basically doubles that right?)

(Yeah pretty much. I'll let you do you and leave Vorianu at range)

Vorianu shoots as soon as the action starts. (20/14)

“Ouch! Ouch! There is no need for violence sirs!” The bot says as you begin assailing it

10:33 AM

“Oh. And lady sirs!” It spins on its waist joint to face all of you

"Grupp! I told you it was nice!"

“Are you mad at me?” The robot asks, noting it’s damaged circuits and plates

"No! No... but, you see... everything else inside here so far has been trying to kill us, so... we assumed...."

“I understand Sirs. And lady sir. My name is Administrato and this is my research facility.”

"Hey there Administrato! I'm Grupp, sorry for attacking you!"

10:51 AM

"Need some help fixing that up?"

"We're both pretty handy tinkerers, it's the least we can do."

“I would be most appreciate good sirs and lady sir. It’s been many years since I have seen a human

(11 to fix with Dax's help)

Dax begins to look around for any parts he may use to help Grupp with.

(Bunch of parts in that room we just saw)

12:41 PM

"Humans have been down here? We've only seen slyth bodies here so far."

“A decade ago. They said they were from the black sun organization”

"How long has it been since the Slyth were here? Looks abandoned for centuries..." (edited)

“Centuries!” The robot agrees pleasantly

"Black Sun? Before they were beat I guess. It's a nice place you've got here, what exactly do you do?"

"I drive around the facility and keep things clean! and keep them from getting out!"

3:14 PM

The bot seems very excited to be telling you all of this information

"Well that sounds like a very important job! Gotta warn you, there's a bit of a mess to clean back there. Some eyebots accidentally spilled, ha! So where are you keeping them? So we know where not to let them out of course."

"The swarms are malfunctioning. No one has been around to fix them in a long time. I cannot keep track of them, there are too many and they are all annoying"

"Well, my friend and I here are only amateur fixers, but we happen to be expert breakers. We could try to fix some and break what we can't, ha! That something you'd be interested in?"

"They won't hurt anything unless approached. Is the surface still a mess?"

"Definitely, yes. Very much."

4:36 PM

"Can you leave this facility?"

"Pretty messy. We've got room for you in our ships if you want to leave. We've even got a live slyth back at home!"

“You have an administrator at home! I must report my findings at once! If you’ll be so kind as to take me kind Sirs and lady Sirs!” (edited)

"Gladly kind robot sir! Is there anything here you want to take with you to help report? Or anything useful you can think of for us to bring along?"

“I would grab all the weapons you can from the storage room you broke into! You’re not stealing anymore because you’re my friends now!”

3

"We were never stealing! We were already friends, we just didn't know it yet!"

1

"Well, with your help we can find the rest of whatever is useful down here and take it back with us to be put to good use! Have anymore spots that aren't completely ruined down here?"

“Oh yes but it’s very dangerous for humans! The other group went down there and never came out! They must be taking a really long nap”

(Oh really

)

8:13 PM

"As you can see, we aren't any regular humans. We're slimy humans! We'll be fine!"

"I'm not even human to begin with!"

“Okay. Well. You asked for it” Administrato heads down the hall (toward that diamondish shape room on the far right)

8:28 PM

“They went inside the vault and shut themselves in”

8:28 PM

The door ahead of you is heavy and at least ten meters thick. A small console Sits next to it.

"Ooh a vault sounds good. How many went inside?"

“Five. And a horse”

"And you can get us in here?"

"We forgot our horse! Vorianu how would you feel about having four legs?"

(This really is turning into a sitcom)

“I don’t want four legs” she says. “Please don’t give me four legs”

9:48 PM

The robot moves over to the console and a small data probe extends. “Something dangerous will emerge”

9:48 PM

“I hope you’re not planning on dying today”

"Not today! But we've got some friends up top who can still take you back in case we're brutally slaughtered. I feel like we're not totally prepared since someone doesn't want to be a horse, but I suppose we're ready to go. You hurt at all Dax? Need some topping off?"

(I'm down 15.... so like 70 health left)

9:59 PM

"Just stay close.... if this goes sideways I'm going to port us all back out of here"

The probe clicks and spins as he opens the vault door. “Surprise!” He shouts cheerfully before moving away from the console. There is a deep rumble and some of the debris in the underground research park shifts

10:29 PM

(Think Harry Potter basilisk sized) a large slyth head and the beginnings of a body begin jutting our from the vault. It’s body is metal and machine rather than flesh and bone

(How many more gods need killing?)

10:37 PM

(Is it too late to say we would have chilled out for a few minutes before starting this fight so my cyberware can recharge? It burned out 2 fights ago and needed an hour to cool) (edited)

(Yeah that’s fine)

"You have exactly 6 seconds to convince me you're friendly or I'm going to chop that ugly snake head right off your body!"

(Initiative)

9:34 AM

“That is the vault monster!” Administrato says helpfully. “He was a failure of the slyth mind - robotic body merge project. And he is very cranky!”

(4)

(5)

(3)

11:38 AM

(Grupp first)

Grupp casts accelerando on Dax (on turn action through arcane cyst) before swinging at the giant snake guy. (19/14)

The blade cuts into the first two layers of armor plating and bites deep (Dax Up)

"WOOOO!!!!" Dax yells in excitement as the rush of speed kicks in again, becoming familiar to him. He is immediately in the midst of the snake creature hacking at it to attempt to sever its head. (23/21) (27/24) (1st turn) (36 crit/21 -> 42) (2nd turn at end of initiative) Vorianu backs up to keep her distance while burst firing the shear rifle. (max damage roll on a crit fail.....) (8/17)

The beast roars as cables spark and armor plate flies free to clatter across the ground

7:19 PM

Lashing cables sparking with electricity lash out at dax and Grupp

7:21 PM

(If a 17 hits neither one of you then it’s back to Grupp. I can’t get any good numbers on these d20s lately)

Grupp swings his glaive in a feint while lashing out with a psychic attack. (Vacant Ambush 23 damage)

(5v5 physical success last round, 1 strain)

8:04 PM

(Gonna be a bit busy, posting now) Trying to get a better angle on the creature, Dax teleports up into the air and to the other side of it, slicing twice on his way down, and once again when he lands. (33/17) (20/19) (First Turn) (22/17) (Second Turn) (14/9) (Vorianu Shear Rifle) (16v5 Physical Save Success, 1 strain) (edited)

(Yeah you guys have dnd tonigjt I think I remember)

(Next week actually, got rescheduled

)

“I am rooting for you!” Administrato Says, Empty flame cannons pumping the air. The snake lashes out with its massive bulk, hoping to crush Dax as he comes to land after the teleport (26/20)

Narrowly escaping the bulk of the snake's mass, Dax manages to avoid being crushed but jagged metal plating still rends a nasty tear across Dax's ribs. (edited)

(Grupp Up)

(Up Grupp Up, Hup on Pup)

8:26 PM

(We Dr. Seuss up in here y'all)

Seeing the snake distracted with Dax, Grupp strikes from behind, lunging for a gap in its armor. (24/19)

(How do you do so much damage?)

8:49 PM

(I mean I did 87 damage in the first round, but how do you do that much? Lol)

(It's a fancy weapon upgraded to an artifact and upgraded to arcanotech. Hopefully further upgraded with slyth tech soon)

(

fair.)

The bot turns on its side, (using snap fire) and dozens of metal spines from scales around its neck fire in all directions

(Evasion?)

(20/20 on Grupp, Dax missed)

(Nvm lol)

(no, i just needed to roll, i took the -4 to his to hit, so he got +7 instead of +11)

(AC is 21 right now)

(So nothing

9:36 AM

(Dax is next since I snap fired and ruined everything

2

Dax hits more things really quickly. (26/17) (18/14) (1st turn) (22/19)(2nd turn) (14v5 success) (15/8) (vorianu)

The beasts head is lopped from its mechanical neck. Joints hiss and click as they try to grab musculature that is no longer there. The immense body crashes to the floor

"Five guys and a horse couldn't beat this guy? He hardly even hit us!"

10:45 AM

Grupp reaches out for Dax, healing him (14).

"I wouldn't even put this guy in the top 5 deadliest monsters I've slain!"

10:53 AM

(Sorry Neko lol)

10:53 AM

(I do over 50 damage every round when I'm with Grupp)

10:54 AM

"Thanks for that, Grupp. He still managed to give me a paper cut with all of that thrashing." (edited)

10:57 AM

"Hey, Adminifriendo! Is there anything worthwhile we should grab from inside this big snake robot guy room?" (edited)

"I would suggest his brain!" it says helpfully, rumbling over to your position

Grupp looks inside the vault, "His brain is in here? Or take it from his head?"

"From the head" the bot says, his tone changing just a small amount, to indicate he might think youre a simpleton.

(Anything inside the vault room or just the big snake?)

(THe snake was the treasure)

12:23 PM

(well the information within)

"Alright then. Let's get this big snake head back to our ships! You ready to go Administrato?"

(I imagine it's too big to take entirely, we should probably get the brain here)

(You could take the entire head, but not the entire thing, most of the vault is taken up with the coiled up body and the dead adventurers before you)

(The whole head then! Found a new mantle piece)

"I'm ready to go if you think we have found all that we can find in this particular place. Didn't expect to come home with a new friend!"

"We've got lots of goodies to take home! We can always come back too, kill a few more big snake guys."

(I'll let you get back to Deckard... you've only been off him for 2 weeks.....)

(I'll let you get wrapped up here and try to finish EK lol)

1

(I think unless there is something super exciting happening on our way back up to the ships, we're going to load up and spike home.)

The entire head is loaded aboard, along with Administrato who promises he can fix the head to make it a nice trophy, free from all chompy bits!

2:11 PM

(3xp, 10,000 credits)

During the 2nd day of travel back to Gudrun, Dax teleports himself aboard the Javelina with Vorianu in tow. "Say... uh, Grupp? Would you mind getting rid of all this goopy stuff we're covered in? We tried to hug yesterday and things just, uh.... got weird, you know? Things were sticking that really shouldn't have been, and it was a big slimy mess all over the place...." Dax's face flushes under the slimy sheen of radioactive repellent mucus. (edited)

"Oh, if you're sure!" There slimy slug skin reverts back to boring human skin, though it'll probably take some scrubbing to get the rest of the mucus off. "Just let me know if you ever need to be slimy again sometime!"

(extra 3 xp for a total of six, i shortchanged you)

4

(More elite roleplay incoming in a little bit)

"Gee, uh... thanks. I think we're good for a while..... so... bye now!" And Dax is back aboard Fate with his crew, homeward bound. He begins calling up some boring administrative nonsense to work through during the journey. The amount of stupid paperwork for a simple stinkin' race in the desert is ridiculous! I just want to go fast!

9:37 PM

The next day, while looking for any excuse not to work on his race's paperwork... He goes to find Vorianu. "Hey... um... whatcha doin?"

"Just tinkering with my rifle a bit. Felt like even with such a big target I couldn't get a hit"

"Yeah... I know what you mean. You did fine though!...." Dax shuffles a bit and waits a moment before continuing. "So.... I'm sorry I'm not very good at this stuff yet... Being a boyfriend, I mean. You still make me really nervous, you know. I just... I just feel like I should be doing more for us or something! I can't even work up the courage to kiss you!" He immediately looks embarrassed about his outburst. "Umm..."

She says nothing, but puts one hand on each cheek, and pulls your faces together. It is the best feeling you have ever felt

3

1

(Did I win the space game?)

(Yes you did)

When the moment and smooching has passed, Dax pulls away to look at her. ".... So that's what people go on about..." in spite of the flood of new emotions, he chuckles. "We should do that again some time." He sighs a long happy sigh. "Want to meet a Slyth? A living one? We're going to have to take our robot friend to Rebirth when we get back. Which... looks like it should be pretty soon, we're almost back."

"Almost is right" she says, looking out the window. "So its going to Rebirth? then?"

"Let's park at the old homestead and bring Grupp along. I'm sure he'd love to come with us." (Gonna load up the VTOL and head that way)

The javelina follows you to your homestead, parking in the spot saved for your next ship

Disembarking from the ship, Dax asks Grupp, "Are you ready to deliver our robot friend to our other 4-armed friend? I don't think Administrato would let us wait another minute with his excitement!"

"Sure! I haven't actually met Ghiest, this should be interesting. We need to deliver the snake head to Val too."

(Proceed to figure out all the logistics of moving things to where they need to go and embarking for Rebirth)

Everything loaded, with the phrase "It'll probably be okay" repeated a few dozen times beforehand, the vehicles leave Dax's desert home, bound for the lab with their supplies and deliveries

"I guess you haven't been to Rebirth before or else you could have just teleported us there. Assuming you could take this jolly ball of scrap with us," Grupp gestures towards Administrato.

"I will have you know I am made from very fine alloys!" the bot says helpfully

"No, he didn't mean... you know what, never mind."

3:05 PM

"I haven't been there before, no... and we have quite a bit of stuff to haul. So.... this is how we get there. Oh, look! We're getting close."

The VTOL levels off and comes in for a landing in the courtyard of the rebirth lab, tracked by anti air guns as it does

As soon as it touches down, Dax hops out and begins to unload the various odds and ends they grabbed on Musheera. "Alright there Administrato, lets go meet your new friends!"

He rolls out of the ship with the rest of you following behind

12:03 PM

Val and two security troopers behind dark faceplates leave the building, coming to meet you

"You must be Val! I don't think we've ever met... aren't you the one who...?" Dax teleports a few feet closer and teleports back to his spot the next instant.

"Heya Val, good to see you again! Looking less pirate-y I see!"

"I;m feeling far less nautical lately!" she says cheerfully. "And it's nice to meet you Dax"

"Is Ghiest around? This jolly ball of fine alloys is a slyth bot. We also brought lots of other goodies for you to research. Like a giant snake head!"

"And Slyth mechs!"

12:57 PM

"And farming parts?"

12:57 PM

"Or... something. It's hard to tell."

"We only found one slyth mech and uhh, eight disrupter blades."

"Only" she smiles., a laugh in her voice

1:18 PM

"Gheist is inside, buit Jexad has departed,f or the same world"

Dax gives Grupp the stink eye. "Now Grupp... honestly, what are you going to do with the Slyth mechs? That's mechSSS with a 'S' on the end because there is definitely more than one."

"I've no claim to any of your salvage , but i can promise to look at whatever you bring me"

"First things first, then! Let's get Administrato inside. He's been rambling on about meeting 'an administrator' or something."

Grupp mumbles something about his pilot skills being just fine and follows Dax inside.

Inside, Administrato rolls directly over to Gheist. Administrator!" he calls out "I am required to inform you that my installation has been reduced to 0% efficiency! " (edited)

2:10 PM

Gheist freezes for a moment, before laughing mirthfully. "I see you made a friend"

"Yes, he's rather enthusiastic. I'm Grupp, this is Dax. Anything else in your report Administrato?"

"All the other Administrators are dead! Itis most terrible! the planet is in ruins, most projects have been buried, and the defense fleet is gone. Your friends have killed one of the failed experiments there!"

"Yeah, we brought that back. It's kinda gross. Figured we would drop it off here for you guys to poke at or whatever."

“Of we will poke at him. Do not worry there” Val says slyly.

5:43 PM

“Thank you both for bringing this in. All of it”

"Of course! Feel free to go back there yourself. There's all sorts of cool old dead stuff. Administrato was a big help, and I'm sure you can find out all sorts of things from him."

6:18 PM

"You ready to go Grupp? I have a proposition for you on the way back. How do you feel about being on TV?"

"TV? What would I be doing there, showing people proper plowing technique?"

"We could do some of that... but actually, the entertainment industry is starting to take off here. And honestly, we've had some offers because you're so... entertaining. You know?"

(Oh he wants to show off his plowing technique )

"I don't know how entertaining it will be, but I'm sure the up and coming farming community would appreciate it! I'm game!"

Dax says his goodbyes to the Rebirth crew and loads back into the VTOL with his piggen pal and girlfriend. He makes the journey back to his desert home prepared to start a new and hopefully more peaceful chapter of his life. A life of high speed race management and personality TV shows.

7:01 PM

(Dax Withers, signing off.)

9

5

(The new ship, for reference)

Dax Withers 8/22/2019 1:52 PM

(Holy smokes this thread is back)

9:22 PM

(After 4 months)

(Or you could get some Skolli action)

(Either one!)

(I think both characters have some stuff to easily jump into)

(Yeah I'll get to it today. I've been absent from discord this weekend.)

(All good. Just wanted it to not be me haha)

Dax wearily pilots the Trailblazer back to her parking space in the starship port of his desert home after the trial-by-fire maiden voyage. "Well that was fun... but it sure is good to be home." He sighs as the ship comes to rest and stretches his limbs. "We need to figure out what we're doing next... but first, I need a hot shower and a real meal. Space food kinda stinks." Once Dax has made it inside, eaten, and scrubbed the adventure out of his hair, he sits down on a couch in one of the glass-walled common areas overlooking the Gudrun desert. "Now! I plan to sit here for at least a few days before we go anywhere, but it's a good time to figure out where anywhere will be," he says, addressing the crew. "There is probably something to do on Chloe since we've been gone from there for a few months. The ex-Rems could use a little more Dax in their life, I'm sure. It might be a good spot to start building our own business ventures too, since nobody else UNW seems to want anything to do with them." "That's just one idea. What else do we have?"

“Any of those far west remnant worlds would be good candidates. Too far from the UNW proper to have regular contact, and no we have the added difficulty of isolated regimes possibly rising up amid the political chaos”

"Well I haven't met anyone yet that didn't like us. Other than all the ones who tried to kill me, but those guys are way dead now. I'm sure we can find some way to help out there. We'll start with Chloe since we already have a foothold to jump off from. Or teleport off from, either way. All in favor?"

Your last trip to chloe was strange but somehow fruitful, and the crew is eager to get back, hopefully to build on your former success there. “What do you think about those red robe guys there?” Tengu asks as they begin backing supplies. “Wouldn’t surprise me if we get back there and they’re the ones in charge now

(Red robe guys? I remember the corngull brotherhood, is that them?) (edited)

5:07 PM

(Were red sangha guys sent to Chloe?)

(The corngull brotherhood is who he means )

"Well I think that depends on the quality of their character. We had a deal, me and them. They weren't asking to run the whole show when the UNW occupation forces arrived, just to get some recognition. If they got what they wanted and were honest with me then they probably left it at that. I wouldn't be surprised to find out they are greasing a lot of cogs in the background, of course. Seems to be their nature, I think." After a moment of thought, he continues. "I don't know, though. I guess that's why we have to go find out. News reports don't really tell the whole story."

“They do not” he agrees and goes back to loading supplies. Your few days stay at home vacation is punctuated with a handful of hours of work per day as the ship is prepared for its journey.

WIth nothing else to stop him, Dax boards the Trailblazer and steers her towards Chloe. "We'll try to treat you a bit better this time," he says while patting a console onboard, "less things shooting at you, hopefully." (Spiking to Chloe by way of: Gudrun to Tsatsos. NEW Tsatsos to Parnika Parnika to Chloe) (Along for the ride is my VTOL and Oribtal Artillery Grav Tank... just in case.)

11:39 AM

(I don't see anything on roll20 about Parnika, so I hope I don't explode on arrival

)

(checking now to see if i had anything set up but hidden)

The planet below is a sun baked savannah world that you can see was once the remnant bread basket. One among a few. Towering agricultural complexes make the rolling grasslands bloom lushly in contained circles acres wide , and herds of animals scatter at sudden noise. From orbit you can see large thunderstorms over its western ocean

6:16 AM

There is only one city on planet which looks to coincidently have the planets only spaceport , now in something as close to disuse as it can be

"Huh..." Dax says looking on in interest. "I guess it's gotta come from somewhere. Maybe we'll check in here after Chloe, yeah?" He begins preparation for the final spike jump.

Nekosmash 11/6/2019 1:58 PM

Chloe seems to be at some@measure of peace when you enter the system. The orbital defenses are silent and unmanned, one of them seems to be escaping orbit heading out to deep space , within the next few months if not corrected. On the planet below things are at some@measure of peace though the civilian bands are full of conflicting information about the availability of services

"Alrighty. We're off to a good start; nothing is shooting at us. Let's make sure it stays that way on our trip down." Dax attempts to gets clearance to land in the city he did so much in previously- Praxis Pranda.

The ground control passes you clearance fo land and a very amateur sounding air traffic controller does her best to guide you down. There are a few mistakes made but you end up in the crumbling spaceport safely. Two decaying shuttles, clearly scrapped and scavenged for parts, lie rotting on the tarmac

"Oh boy.... this is.... something. I guess we head to the capitol building, then. See how the rebuilding is going. Vorianu?" He gestures for her to take his arm and he teleports them both up to the front steps of the mayor's building.

There are six militia looking men and women standing on the stairs leading up to the building, two of them have short pattern carbines with undermounted shotguns, the rest have longer laser locks, of clear NMC origin.

8:10 PM

They startle as you suddenly materialize

"Today is just full of surprises, isn't it?" He says both to himself and the militiamen. "When did the Collective get here?"

“Just issued the arms. They didn’t stay on planet” the corporal of the small fire team says. “I remember you from a few months ago. Suppose I should consider us Lucky you decided to actually use the door.

"Just because you can be anywhere doesn't mean you should be. I like to think I have manners from time to time." He scratches at week-old stubble on his chin. "Interesting that the Collective came by... Say, is the mayor still around? Like, the same guy? I'm just dropping in, happened to be in the system, saying hi... all that."

“He is. Upstairs top floor penthouse. I’ll let him know you’re on the way up. He should be the one to tell you about the collective and what’s been going on here “

"I guess we'll take the stairs then. It's probably less surprising." Dax takes Vorianu's hand in his and walks in to make his way up to the mayor.

The sliding security door has a crew served weapon dug into the floor outside it, but rises as you approach. You recognize the security team from when the complex was under assault last time. They likewise have new moon cooperative issue weapons, held at rest

“Ah. Welcome back. Downstairs just said that you’d be on your way up. Here to see the governor elect?”

"Yeah, we go way back, me and him. Him and me. He and I. Yes. I'm here to see him. What's his name?"

“Governor interim election Hodel is waiting inside for you. Please check any weapons you may be carrying here , please”

"Sure thing." Dax nods at Vorianu to check her sidearm before proceeding in to meet his highness.

The governor is perched behind a laminate desk , looking over forms in the dim yellow light of his office. The bulb is flickering and it is already a bit of an irritant on your eyes. He looks up first with surprise and then with happiness as he makes your familiar face. “Welcome back to chloe. I see the time spent away has been put to good use”

"It has, thank you. Got a whole brand thing going for me now. I see that you're still alive and, well... here, and that's probably the highest compliment possible in a situation like yours. It can't be easy, what you're managing right now." He steps in closer to take a seat. "I'm on planet to see how things are going here since the war ended and we dealt with all the fallout and whatnot. I saw that the New Moon fellows paid a visit, too. Good guys, those Collective people."

“Of a sort. They made a visit and traded some sundries with us. I’m sure you saw the guards and their weapons. Little bit better shape than what we were left with. We have had our share of banditry and public services have been difficult to distribute without a working government beyond this city. I can already see the stirrings of small nations forming rather than a unified worldgov”

5:43 AM

“That May be what your people intended though, I realize. Ensuring the remnant can never rise again since we squabble amongst ourselves here”

"Well... shoot. I don't know about this big politics stuff. Or the little politics, for that matter. I used to solve all my problems by swinging a big stick, but I can't seem to make things work like that anymore." He lets out a long breath as he sits back to think a moment. "Umm... well. First off, do you have any problems that can be solved by sudden overwhelming destructive force? I'm really good at that. Otherwise... I'll have to think about it a while."

“Nothing major. As I said, bandits, but they’re not an army and don’t travel in big packs. They’re remnant army deserters mostly. Not that there’s mich need for an army now

(Do I have any idea what the UNW occupation force has accomplished here since I left?)

(Just keeping order in the cities. The countryside is another matter entirely, and they’ve let self defense militias occupy their own government centers which you can assume was a local compromise)

(Cool, thanks)

"See, I would disagree with that. No offense," he adds quickly. "There is still a need for an army... but not for old Remnants to fight the UNW. Fleshshapers are knocking on our doorsteps, and they could show up here before you know it. They already have shown up on several of our planets." Dax stands up and starts to pace as he gets worked up. "So like, I don't really care about this politics stuff. It gets in the way of getting stuff done, and I am a doer, myself. What really needs to be done is a fighting force needs to be raised and unified in case our northern neighbors decide to make an unfriendly appearance in your system. Whether that means you need to gather the individual states under one banner or just let small nations do their own thing, I don't care. What do the people here want? They're the ones that it affects, anyways." He is gesticulating animatedly with each new point. "Would they rather invest in one central government? Or just be allowed to govern themselves in smaller pieces? I don't know!" Dax looks up at Hodel, as if realizing he's still there. "I'm... sorry... about that. I... I, uh, don't mean to impose, or tell you what you should be doing. I was actually showing up here to see how I could help. I'm not the boss here, after all. You are. Sorry."

"We havent been able to reach them, nor any of the other cities. It's hard to convince someone to think about the type of law they'd rather be ruled under when there is food shortages, unreliable power for most of the day, and water that needs to be boiled before you can drink it. The roads are still dangerous too. I know I mentioned the bandits"

"You have, a few times now." Dax sighs. "Well I'm certainly not wealthy enough to solve half of those problems with my wallet. I... I don't know what I can do, honestly. I can stop bandits a few times in a few places... but I can't be everywhere. Can't chop it off at the head like I did last time, either; it's not organized enough for that. Bandits are just desperate people driven to extreme measures to take care of themselves most times." He continues pacing. "So forget the government thing, for now. What can I do that will most benefit you? I have a starship, multiple specialized aircraft, and, well, myself. I can't be everywhere at once, as I said, but I can be a lot of places really quickly."

"trade. We need off-world support. If we have services and money flowing in again, as you said, these desperate people won't be so desperate. It's just beyond the scope of what we can do ourselves. It's all I can do just to keep this city running"

"I can move 8400 tons of goods here a month, and I will, if that's what you need. But... I need to purchase enough goods here to fill my hold on the way out, too. Can you accommodate that? I could even set up a production center here to help that along." "As for the others, maybe I could see about getting some public utilities specialists sent out from the UNW worlds to get you back on your feet here."

“There are so many favorites and dormant industrial complexes here, scattered among the cities. Offshore opportunities are abundant as well. We simply never had the time or manpower. I can’t promise immediate goods or that you can fill your hold within the first trade, but if Wither Corp spends the time and credits I could guarantee a return”

"I will help however I can. We don't need another revolt here; those get messy." (So is this opening this world up for far trades? At least for me? And I spent my faction turn building a minor production center here, not sure what it produces yet though.) "What has the Corngull Brotherhood been up to recently? Any clues?" (edited)

(Right now just for you. I’ll pm you some choices)

(Woo!)

“Well, we do know and maybe this is where you can be of some service, though I need to tell you the job is delicate. They’ve been busy, and have a survey map of the planet that the remnant values highly.

3:56 PM

“It shows where all the resource deposits on the planet are located. The remnant planned to develop this world into another industrial complex world. I’d hate to see it become that way but we know in their hands the report and it’s information is as good as sold

"Huh.... ok. Well I guess it's time to pay them a visit, then. They've probably missed me. Thanks for the tip." Dax stops his pacing. "Got anything else for me? Or is it time for me to get out and do what I do?"

“Discretion. We don’t know where all their agents are. If you make a mess try to keep it a small one. I’ve got two squads of police on standby if you bite off more than you can handle “

He lets out a snort of laughter despite himself. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I will be fine, I am nothing if not subtle. Thanks again." Dax nods to Vorianu to make his leave.

Heading outside the militia does not move from their positions. She’s remained quiet this entire time, content to see how things unfold before making her own thoughts known. “You think we might have a price on us for interfering with the brotherhood? They’re clever”

"Why though? My dealings with them were pretty honest and peaceful. They know better than to cross me. The crew would call us if they spotted any trouble, I'm sure."

She shrugs "Remembering too many bad movies from before the disaster maybe. I think you're right. Just being overly cautious. I just found their whole way of doing business very unsettling"

He shrugs back. "I didn't think they were that bad. They held up their end, so who cares, right?" Dax sighs while he thinks. "I guess we just head back to their little hidey-hole and see what's changed. Ready?" He extends a hand to her before teleporting them both to the manhole cover where it all began.

The manhole cover has been cleaned and polished recently but otherwise doesn’t show signs of being open or forced. You hear water steadily dripping down below and the gentle flow of the current. There is a short section of actual sewer before their hideout door

Dax does exactly as he's done before and lets himself in by opening the door with no warning. "Hello! It's me!"

Number of weapons are raised, and then lowered, as they see who it is. “Come. Sit down. You’re back on chloe after so long” one of the elders says, sitting in the main room. He is smoking an exotic pipe and is flanked by bodyguards

"Yeah, you know. Just in the neighborhood and whatnot." Dax walks in further to take a seat. "How are things in your world?"

“They’re coming along. The cooperative was here , and we had a very productive meeting with them. We will not bore you with the details” one of them says

"That's good for me, I'm not really a 'details' guy. I guess I'll just get right to the reason I'm here, then." Dax sits up straighter in his seat before continuing. "Heard you guys have a pretty handy map

of the planet's

resources

that I was hoping to use. I'm trying to start up a business

here to help get the economy

going in the right direction

again. Know anything about that?"

(Is this a slide show?)

(It's homage to the late Provost Desmond O'Shea)

2

“We had a copy of the planetary survey once. We secured it from the governors archives for safe keeping - they were quite lazily guarded you see. The new moon cooperative paid handsomely for the data, and the funds have been used for some of our own expenses as well as to help invest in surrounding neighborhoods”

"I'm glad for you getting some help. Those New Moon fellows seem really decent, from my experiences with them. What would it take to get my hands on a copy of that?"

“Passage off world. We have been enjoying chloe but this world has declined and we lack the political amusements we once enjoyed. We desire a new challenge and a new planet to test ourselves against”

"Is that all? That's easy! I could probably... well, actually. No it isn't. Never mind that. The whole UNW is in an emergency status right now. Shapers are inbound to two worlds as we speak. I'm going to have to get off world myself as soon we're done, basically. The galaxy needs its hero again." Dax sighs. "I'm definitely good for the deal you're offering, but that might be a bit complicated since I can't personally move a ton of people at one time. Any other people-movers are going to be on call for evacs and supply runs and who knows what else. How many are you? And where do you want to go? If it's politics you're after, the central UNW worlds are full of all that boring stuff."

You sense their hunger at the idea of working at one of the UNW worlds, as the politics of a fledgling new government with many worlds fills their mind. “Any of the central UNW worlds you say? Miriam, terezinho? ,Gudrun itself perhaps?

"Uuuummmm... Hm. I guess that's not actually up to me... and I probably shouldn't be guaranteeing it will happen... Umm..." Dax makes a strange grimace. "Well that's awkward. Maybe we'll just, you know, circle back to that one after I've talked to some people about you first." (How many are in the brotherhood? That question got missed)

(they never told you, on purpose, but the way theyve spoken about themselves, its a small group of core members that picks up disposable henchmen)

(Oh I see. Cool

)

“That’s the best we can hope for. I tell you what. We will give you the planet overview but not the specific locations of the deposits. Payment in full upon delivery”

"Fair enough for me. I have a heavy freighter that will be making a shipment here within a few weeks. It can carry about 40 people total, so roughly 30 seats for you and whoever you have coming if that will be enough. If it's not, I'm going to need you to be a bit more specific so I can help you. I can send word as soon as I have it about where you might be able to go in the UNW. Does that work?"

"It does, and here, is your data" You see that the planet boasts rare ingots, very fertile farmland, astromech tools stored to last for decades, and exotic timbers, known as such since they originate from Earth itself

(Good old Earth wood) "Well, if that's all... I have some galaxy-ending space horrors to ward off, again...." He stands and stretches a bit in preparation to leave. "In all seriousness, thank you for your continued business and support. I'll get this planet moving in the right direction again one way or another." Dax nods to Vorianu before disappearing out of the hideout straight back to the Trailblazer to make for home and where ever the UNW needs him now.

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(Woot! Maybe I can get my Expertise out of the negatives now

)

Back at the ranch, Dax gathers the crew for a planning meeting. "Alright guys, now that the fleshshaper stuff is behind us for the moment... we've gotta decide what to do about the Corngull Brotherhood. The more I think about it, the less I know what to do with them. I can't exactly walk into the president's office and say, 'Hey, I know a group of morally grey political influencers that are looking for a home in the UNW with a good government to meddle with. Where would you like me to send them?' That wouldn't go over so well, if I had to guess. Any thoughts?"

“I think you should do exactly that” voryanu says , from the corner of the room. “Maybe clean it up a bit but I don’t think this is something we can do on our own. Even if we get her sanction to move them somewhere else, like opening up dialogue with another polity over them, we could do that. I think either way this all starts with kincaid”

"I... uh, appreciate? Your input. But... really? I hardly even know these people! And I'm supposed to sell their case to the president?... Or!... Or... Hear me out. Or... Or they go to Greystar. Think about it. Just... just, think about it. Greystar is just getting started and they've got to be just ripe for the political picking! Or... something." Dax hops down off the kitchen counter and starts pacing as he thinks. "We could just be like, 'Here's some expert political advisors as our gift to YOU! Thanks for aaalllll your help with the flesh goonies!' or something along those lines. Right?"

“That....that could work.” She agrees. “Do we have a contact there? Or a way to get in touch with their council?”

"I mean, me personally... no, not really, no." He continues his pacing. "But you know who does love me? The Acastusans. Acastusites? Acastanetians? Acastonians? Acastans? Whatever, doesn't matter. Anyways, I'm practically a folk hero there. Did you know I have A SONG? That Chris Fury guy basically worships the 'Saviors of Acastus' for dealing with their whole storm-cloud-cult-goddess problem. Well... Since we left, Greystar has stepped in there and that means I can probably find enough people to give me the credibility to get in with Greystar. What do you think?"

“I think you’ve done all the thinking for us. Yes. Let’s ask around out there. See what we can turn up and if they might be able to find a place to go”

(I didn't actually anticipate the Liberator of Acastus title would come in handy, but here we are.)

"Let's get to it then! We all know the drill. Load the things, ready the stuff, and prep the ship!" Dax spends a day or two readying the ship and all of the usual parts and pieces before making the spike jump to Acastus. (New spike-5 route from Halia to Acastus)

(It’ll be 7 days For the new Rutter on top of what it takes already, if you had any downtime activity you want to do)

(Just excruciatingly detailed RP of Dax smooching his GF for a week straight.)

1

(Otherwise, no.)

(all good, i wasnt sure with traveling if you wanted to keep this rolling or not)

3:47 PM

The remains of a large space battle, with a battle moon, and a spreading debris field engulfs acastus local space. The piloting station is covered in alerts and navigational hazard warnings as soon as the spike drive spools down from the long trip . A corvette in Greystar colors begins doing its best to navigate the battleground, to inspect the new arrival. The comms terminal flashes as the scan and radio hail are attempted.

3:47 PM

"Captain, do you want that sent to your command chair?"

"Don't call it that! Makes it sound like I'm commanding something... Yeah, patch it through. Looks like they made it easy for us to find them."

The light on your chair beeps a few times as you sit down, the hail repeated. So far the greystar ship is behaving normally in its system defense duties

Dax answers the call in his usual fashion. This is Dax Withers of the United Nation of Worlds and the ship Trailblazer. We are on route to Acastus for business.

“Can you elaborate on business?” The ship asks , it’s approach vector changing from intercept to escort

"A proposition of sorts for the leaders of Greystar. I also have friends to visit on the surface while I'm here." "You remember me, right? Dax Withers? The Dax Withers of Still Lady fame?"

1

“Very good. You may bypass customs and make a direct surface landing if your ship is capable. I will call ahead to the airport”

"Thank you. Appreciate it." Dax maintains course with the escort to make his landing planetside.

You set down in the ruins of the airport that you had raided just a year ago, almost. The control tower is still beheaded but the wrecks of the burned atmofighters have been cleared. The walls remain standing , though the breach has been excavated and turned into proper access road with gate

4:19 PM

Acastus defense force reserve troopers guard the access road and points along the walls

"It's so strange being back here... like thinking back to what's changed in a year... And I was the ones making those holes," he says, pointing. "You see the spot where the barracks used to be? I blew the whole barracks." Dax deboards the Trailblazer and takes stock of the area before deciding to get the VTOL out of the loading bay. (Is there anyone approaching to meet with me already?)

3

Two staff cars race out from a nearby building as your ship settles into its landing gears. They’re driven by reserve force troopers and their passenger compartments are empty. The lead car has some sort of junior officer in the front passenger seat

Dax waits for them to come to a halt before hailing the officer. "And I guess you guys are the welcoming party? Is there somewhere I'm expected to be?"

“Just to bring you to where you’d like to go sir. Is this an official UNW visit? We have to at least check in on any ships coming down here. It means they’ve bypassed customs”

"Official UNW business? Goodness I hope not. No this is just Dax Withers of Wither Corp doing... business stuff. I've got a proposition for Greystar that they may be interested in; hoping they'll help me with a small problem. So... can you take me and her to the Greystar? I don't have an appointment or anything, though."

“Director Kensh will hear your proposition. After that we will discuss it. Please climb aboard and you’ll be brought to him” The drive through the city is quiet with most folk either working or sheltering in place. Hostilities to the southwest have ended but the country is still on edge as the shaper moon fragment continues to burn. Skirmishes and a robust quarantine team keep watch on the site and surrounding woods until the taint is removed

"Ooooo I've heard things about that guy. Seems to be a sore spot for some people. I don't care though. I'm kind of a 'live and let live' kinda guy, you know?" Later in the drive, he says, "So I just show up and talk to the Director like it's that easy? I figured I'd be on the planet for at least a few days before I found anyone official to talk to me. Maybe being famous has its perks."

"Youre a local legend." he looks down at his compad "that meeting may need to be moved back a day or so. Anything you wish to see in the meantime?"

(I did my best to poke around roll20 for any points of interest on the planet but I found none. OOC I don't have any ideas for anything to see in particular. If you have something interesting, I can do that.)

(I was going to make some sites of interest based on what you were tihnking of looking into, but i can make some up without that if you like)

(Lets go for some local cuisine. It's got to be better than spaceship food.)

"See? No, not really. Unless it's seeing some hot food that didn't come from a ship's galley. What's good around here?"

“The Myclenium is our best restaurant in the area. Fresh stalks, meat, famous acastan chocolate. And the best coffee you’ve ever had. It’s the pride and joy of the whole city”

"Not sure what stalks are, but the rest sounds like a perfect spot for some relaxing. I think a proper date is in order here!" He says to Vorianu. "It's been a little while now..." "Thanks for the suggestion, I look forward to it."

(Did you wanna rp that out Or talk to Kensh after?)

8:00 PM

(I’m good either way)

(I'm good to head to Kensh. I figured you were killing time for the other meeting to get through. Just tell me my GF loved the restaurant and I'm the best space BF evar.)

1

You’re told several times you’re the best boyfriend ever on the way out of the restaurant. You head to the directors office here on the ground and it appears as though another meeting had just concluded when you enter. Attendants are picking up glasses and putting out new ones. Kensh has a small stain from salad dressing on his collar and is fussing with it. He looks up “Sit. Please. Director Kensh. Im not sure we had a chance to meet when I still was on the UNW side of the tracks”

2

Dax does the gentlemanly thing and allows Vorianu to sit first before shaking the director's hand and taking a seat himself. "Dax. Just Dax. And thanks for meeting with me. I understand you have quite a bit going on right now and can't stop what you're doing for every Harry Tom Dick that wants to drop by. So, I won't waste any time and get to the reason why I'm here." "You see, I have a unique problem that may end up being an opportunity for both of us if it shakes out just right. I have been working on an ex-Remnant planet called Chloe for some many months now. They're having a bit of a rough time, as you might imagine. You know, the whole 'war-torn world that's on the brink of collapse from the fallout of the UNW's galactic conquest' sort of deal. I'm sure you've seen that before. Aaaaannyways... there is a group on planet there that have acted as political advisors and influencers for a long, long ol' time that are a bit fed up with the whole 'no acting government to advise' kind of thing. You know, in addition to the 'no running water and electricity' kind of thing." "So, listen. These guys are out of a job, and could use a new home. And I just figured; why not Greystar? They're a blossoming group of loveable, morally-non-binary, totally-legitimate, uh... people! No offense. If any of that was offensive." (edited)

“Totally legitimate , morally non binary. They sound like they’d fit in. I’m going to bring it up to the emergency council meeting happening out in space right now. It’s a closed meeting , I believe part of it is so they have a chance to privately mourn some of the fallen, but I’ll ensure the issue makes it to the docket. I have something to ask of you in exchange, if you’ll consider it”

"Of course. That's why I'm here. Business. Let's hear it."

“I’ve asked your psychic headmaster about nulnetalum access and he advised me it’s only on terezinho and under the purview of Governor Seung Whitaker. I’d like access or at least a shipment of it, even if only a one time deal. The shapers and the infiltrating creature that may be one of them Is a concern to me and I’d like to ensure my agents have the psionic blocking tools to do so”

9:56 AM

“I’m willing to pay a high premium for as much of a shipment as you can get me”

"Everywhere I go, it seems like people just want me to move something from A to B! ... Sorry. Yeah, I have a pretty good deal with ol' Papa. I think I can work something out for you. Certainly going to be a cross-pollenating sort of trade month for me. Need to move things for an ex-Remnant planet, New Moon Collective, and now Greystar!" "Tell you what. I'll talk to the good Governor for you, and let you know what I can get moving this way. You bring up the political advisors with your people, and let me know how it goes. Either way, I think we'll be in touch."

(He can always use one of his ships too)

“That would be helpful. Anything you can do to pave the way. And we aren’t asking for continual shipments. Just enough to make some equipment to give us a fighting chance out here. We might not be able to count on help again, with all the ships that were lost”

"I'm spread too thin already to promise more than what I have, but I make good on what I can do. I'll get going and get to it as soon as I can, assuming you don't have anything else for me now."

Kensh has nothing further now, but an hour passes after the meeting and you get a message that Greystar would like to meet the brotherhood aboard their starhab for interviews. Their council is wary of the brotherhoods murky intentions but does see the need for skilled administrators who do not need to be trained

When Dax gets back to the Trailblazer, he sits down to fire off a message to the Corngull Brotherhood.

Corngull Bros,

I have met with Greystar, and they are willing to meet with you guys aboard their starhab. I don't understand why they didn't accept you immediately, given my great pitch to them, but it's better than nothing. So you'll just have to win them over yourself.

I can have transport arranged for you, unless you have your own ships to get off-world already.

Dax Withers
-Hand of Fate-
-Liberator of Acastus-
-Hero of the Remnant War-

Honored Dax Withers We have no issue with meeting them but we do require transport to do so. Please send Help with this at your earliest convenience. When we are aboard we will transmit you the map of resource locations on the surface of chloe as promised

(Not knowing how many there are is still bugging me lol) (edited)

(They’ll fit on the free merchant)

(You not supposed to tell me just because I whine about it! Gotta stick to your guns!

)

2

"Well that's that, for now," he says to those gathered. "We should get headed back home. I'll talk to Seung once we're airborne and see what I can figure out there." Dax begins firing up the engines to break atmo and get back to Gudrun.

(Assuming everything was fine with getting into space and heading home.) After the exchange with Seung, Dax sits down in the common area of the Trailblazer and lets out a long sigh. To no one in particular, he says, "Well... who was I kidding? I'm really not cut out for this business stuff. This is going to throw the whole thing off... Can't get the Nulmetal to Kensh so I can't get the Corngull bros to Greystar so I can't get the resource map so I can't get the stupid production center running... Ugh! Grupp was right, I should stick to hitting things!" He punctuates his sentence with another long sigh. Maybe I can salvage this with Kensh...

Director Kensh,

I have spoken to Governor Whitaker about getting a shipment of the... stuff we talked about. At this time, he is unwilling to part with any of it because it is so dangerous. He is very concerned about what Greystar's plans are for it. I know that in the UNW we have had our own disagreements over what to do with it because of the hazard it presents to the entire psychic population if it were to get into the wrong hands.

It isn't a total loss. He is willing to work with Greystar in developing uses for the material that we can share in the fight against the shapers. It just doesn't sound like I can get you a shipment of the raw material.

Sorry about all that. I hope you'll still consider bringing the advisors on board with you if I can get them to your starhab meeting.

Dax Withers
-Hand of Fate-
-Liberator of Acastus-
-Hero of the Remnant War-

The message is sent and will take several days round trip for a reply to come. In the meantime, a disturbing report has come in from chloe of a village that has been totally emptied out of inhabitants , its buildings largely intact but otherwise devoid of life. There is no sign as to where the people there have vanished to

(Shoot I forgot about the whole time for messages thing. Seung and I's correspondence is really slow then.)

(Well, you guys were traveling back about the same time so it would line up with arriving in UNW territory. Your message to Kensh would have gone off as you got to UNW space and at that point it’s got to cross the sector to get there and then cross it again back to you (edited)

(Fair)

2:19 PM

(Things get timey-wimey around here)

1

(True. I think it lines up anyhow though. You guys conducted your business within hours of each other on Acastus without realizing it)

Dax picks up the ships comm unit and makes an announcement to everyone aboard. "Alright everyone. Here's what I'm thinking. I think we should continue as if everything is going according to plan and pick up the Corngull bros from Chloe. They never said how many of them needed a ride, so let's just take both ships over there to make sure we have enough room. So, we'll make our pit stop on Gudrun to shuffle some ships around and then we'll take off for Chloe together. One of you pilots can draw straws to take them back to Acastus while the rest of us remain behind on Chloe to see to the whole 'vanishing village' problem. Ready... Break!" Dax slams the comm back on the receiver. (Fate holds 6 while Trailblazer holds 24 people.) (Ready to fast forward back to Gudrun and pick up the extra ship and all that stuff if you are. Acastus - Halia - Gudrun)

The trip back takes nine days and in that time you’re unable to find any other information on the disappearing village. The brotherhood is equally baffled and are likewise looking into the situation. The only clue their hired help was able to turn over so far is a set of burned grass imprints where it looks like some light spacecraft set down and lifted off again. They’re insisting you come to the scene yourself when you are able

Once back into the Gudrun system, Dax shuffles some crew around and takes off for Chloe with both of his frigate-class vessels.

Corngulls,

I am on my way with vessels to take you to meet Greystar and also so I can stick around on Chloe and solve some other problems.

See you soon.

-Dax

‘Splendid news. Thank you for delivering on your pledge to us. Then map, as you requested, will be sent on your arrival to this system

11:52 AM

(4d10 , just the values not the total, when you get time)

(And I had nothing else to do for downtime, so hopefully I arrive in the system forthwith.)

The world has the infrastructure for rare alloys, tools: medical equipment, drugs: raw materials, and common livestock, based on the report that comes back to you. Any of these holdings would need to be developed and there may yet be more undiscovered ; but the initial reports and the followup done by the brotherhood confirms the planet is the best candidate for those pursuits

(6xp, 10,000 credits for finishing the deal too

(Alright I know it's been a bit. I'm ready to jump into a missing village thing, assuming everything came back positive from the Corngull Brotherhood getting them off-world. And maybe Kensh messaged me back by now.)

(I gotta see something in the Greystar side but we can jump into the village my next break)

The corngull brotherhood is on their way to Acastus by time you make it back to chloe. The Trailblazer makes its flight toward the village in question, circling overhead and trying to piece scanning data together

7:11 PM

There doesn’t look to be signs of a fight here

(Small point of order that probably won't matter, but I let the Corngull Bros take Trailblazer while Dax and crew are using Fate here on Chloe with both the VTOL and Grav Tank onboard.)

(Good to know. )

"Alright guys, lets set down and take a closer look. Looks confusing from up here. Also, get the VTOL prepped so we have some transport on the surface." (Do I need to roll something to investigate around the village?)

(Thought we would examine a few sites as a narrative rather than roll but if you’re eager to be onto what’s next we can just do a know/wis)

(I can do that, but I'm not sure where to start based on the info I have so far. So I'll just set down and do a walkthrough.)

The village is a set of a dozen homes , a central barn and silo, a chapel , and a small communications shed. There is a stamped tarmac where three trucks and a tractor are parked and silent, likely used on the large farming fields around town.

8:48 AM

The homes are fairly close together with winding streets between them

The buildings themselves don’t show evidence of a firefight or bullets but there are long drag marks on a few of the door frames you pass and it seems like the wooden doors on each have been splintered and kicked in

(Reposting all my ships and vehicles here for reference with the new format just because)

8:59 PM

Fate Free Merchant (edited)

9:00 PM

Trailblazer Far Scout (edited)

9:00 PM

Donner Orbital Artillery Gravtank (edited)

9:00 PM

Blitzen VTOL Air Defenses

Dax Withers pinned a message to this channel. 4/3/2020 9:01 PM

Dax Withers pinned a message to this channel. 4/3/2020 9:02 PM

Dax Level 14 -> 15 HP 99 -> 109 Talk 0 -> 1 (2 SP) Trade 0 -> 1 (2 SP = 1 Lvl Up + 1 Banked) (Expertise raised by 2, completing a Wither Corp Wealth sub-goal)

(I'll update)

11:27 AM

(Done)

(Eisheru just reminded me, I get another mageblade bonus at odd levels. I'm going to choose another +2 to Shock AC.) Level 15: Mageblade Dmg: 1d10+1d6+12, 14 AoE Shock vs AC 21

4

(Dax is back baby)

7

(Start it up, daddy. I'm ready for my revenge arc.)

4

Dax Withers is sitting in his office after some time near the UNW core namely relaxing on Terezinho's sandy beaches now that the universe isnt in danger of becoming a flesh buffet for a cruel alien species. Report after report has come in, detailing raids by mysterious slavers, a group of alien raiders, and general unrest in Chloe's countryside.

The period after the end of the Shaper war has been one of monotony. What do you do with a war hero after he's done with warring? As Dax has found out first hand, you stick him in a stuffy office and give him mountains of paperwork. Good grief! Where's Reg when you need him? He'd just love this stuff! He's probably swimming in his own pool of paper and having the time of his life! Dax is barely treading water in his 3rd floor office in the capital city of Chloe, Praxis Pranda, when the reports roll in about the various attacks. "Ugh! This is ridiculous! Don't these raiders know how hard it is to run a whole planet?! If they did, they'd for sure leave me alone! How rude, honestly!...." A light knock comes at the door frame of his open office door, and his girlfriend Vorianu is standing quietly and casting a significant glance at him, expecting him to understand. Even a year later, the sight of her causes his heart to race and he feels weak for a moment before he can gather his senses. "OH!! I'm sorry, sorry! We were supposed to, oh, yeah, let's... I was going to meet you for, I'm sorry!" Dax hastily moves around his cluttered desk to get to her and an errant hip knocks out the cornerstone holding the whole tower of folders that were precariously balancing there. An avalanche of documents scatter and carpet the floor with more busywork. "Shoot! I'm gonna have to... never mind, sorry!" He crosses the room to her and wraps her in a quick hug before stepping back to look her in the eyes. Gah! She's too beautiful for her own good... "I just got some bad news. I don't know how bad yet, but it's as bad as a... well, it's bad. Can we walk and talk? We could do food, you still like that, right?" Dax takes her hand and begins to walk away from his office.

"i still like food" she laughs "That's never changed." She follows you out of the office to the stairs, despite the elevator working. "Cmon, good for the heart. Lets take the stairs. Tell me what's going on? Are you hurt?"

"Me? I'm fine, mostly. I'm not hurt, at least. No... I was just getting reports that we've been attacked by... well I don't know who. Some kind of off-worlders that slipped past our stations. They hit our shipyard pretty hard as well as the UNW admin building and garrison. Ooohhh this is bad. There was some heavy fighting, and we have a few of their bodies, but it's obvious we weren't ready for this. Let's grab some food and then we'll need to go check this out ourselves. Well, I need to check it out myself... you don't have to come unless you want to. Um... but, will you come with me? I'd like that."

"Chloe is my home now too, because its the one you made for us. I'll be there. Ill help you as much as I can, just like we always do Daxxy. I promise"

Dax's cheeks flush at being called 'Daxxy' but he tries to play it cool. "Thanks... that means a lot." He enjoys the rest of their walk down to the streets of Praxis Pranda and through the perpetually half-rebuilt city in silence. The sounds of construction and industry echo across scorched courtyards and ruinous buildings as new structures are erected to replace them. They find their favorite corner shop that has survived the regime change remarkably well and order the day's special. They carry the food to the same wide plaza they walked through so long ago with the same beautiful stellar and aquatic scenes still underfoot, a little worse for wear. After enjoying their meal and watching the comings and goings of average folks, they leave to get to work. With his hand in hers, they blink to the port where his VTOL is docked and hop aboard, calling for the rest of the crew to get out of their cushy offices and do some actual work. "It's been a while, but it's time to get the crew back together and make sure this bird still flies like she used to. Come on!" He says over comms. He begins some of the pre-flight checks himself while he waits.

The crew slowly arrives over the last half hour. Everyone is showing the signs of being a bit out of practice, but everyone answers the call and is ready to begin investigating what has happened to their new home. You get through most of the preflight checks before the pilot enters the cockpit to assist you

"We ought to start with the UNW buildings that got hit... And anyone left there might have some better intel for us. Let's roll out." He starts to leave the cockpit and stops at the door. "Er, I mean. By 'roll out' I meant 'let's fly out' since, you know, it's an aircraft. Um... Carry on, sorry."

The sliding crew bay doors slam shut, and the vehicle shakes a bit as the pilots begin lifting it offthe ground and into the air. You can see thin smoke trails on the horizon still as you approach the raid site, and caravans of refugees heading for the capital on the road- a sensible move given the danger of the Chloe frontier. wither corp security personnel are on scene, assisting local police and fire where needed already in advance of formal orders

Dax resists the urge to teleport straight down there and patiently waits for the VTOL to land. Disembarking, he heads for his own men straight away. "Who around here can tell me what's going on? It looks awful here!"

One of the squad leaders steps forward. He has the oak leaves of a major on his chest above the right chest plate. “Governor! Still securing the sight and doing cleanup. We have a mobile morgue set up, and are dealing with the wounded. We also have a few of their bodies interred here”

7:41 PM

“This is a mass cas incident and we had no plan for this, none at all”

Dax sighs in exasperation. "Don't I know it... Alright. Well do we have any clue what we're dealing with? We've got their bodies? Any clues where they came from? How about, just, let's go look. Take me where ever they are."

A large pressure pavilion has been set up to act as a mobile morgue and you're led inside. The bodies are under sheets to keep the from being seen by passerbys, and guards are stationed outside . they salute as you arrive and inside you see two doctors are scrubbing in, preparing to go over what the bodies might contain. Examples of their technology have been laid out on one of the tables - two blasters . belts of ammunition and tools, breathing equipment, and talasmans have been set aside in the condition they're in, and have not been cleaned.

"Do I need to put on the whole," he gestures to the outfit the doctors are wearing, "...or can I just take a peek? I won't touch anything if it makes any difference to you."

"You don't need the outfit, but you might want a filter, we don't know what kind of disease they mgiht be carrying

(Mask mandates in my own thread now, 2020 is nuts man) "Yeah, yeah, alright..." He grabs an air filter before stepping up close to allow them to show him the bodies. "What do we got?"

5

The body is about as tall as a human, though much wider, and protected around the chest by natural bone armor. Its feet are cloven, and its weapon arm is augmented to better carry the weight of the large blaster that it is no longer carrying. The other arm ends in something like a raptor clawed hand with a bone sheathe that extends over it like a glove to protect the knuckles

"Uuughh!" He says in disgust. "Haven't seen something this ugly since the Shaper battle moon. Do NOT let Grupp see that, or he'll for SURE demand to be one for the next show." He continues looking over it for a minute. "Does this match any information we have for known alien races? It doesn't look like anything I've seen before."

"Nothing known during the pre-scream years- at least not from any databanks we have access to. '

"But thats not to say the Mandate, or Tenebrian Empire later, or Black Sun had a comprehensive hold on things either. The blasters are particularly interesting."|

"Huh..." He studies them for another minute. "Yeah, the blasters are kind of weird." Dax steps back from the body to look at the blaster again. "They had them like built in to their arms? Are there any other mods they made on themselves?"

"They look integrated but its really cunning ergonomics instead. The arm and fingers act as the safety and trigger, and they'd need to push one or both studs inside the weapon to get it to arm and fire. We'd need to re-trigger it for human hands to give it a proper test- save getting a rectifier or bioscopic here to morph and do it themselves"

"This just screams 'Grupp' to me, don't you think?... He could probably be here in a week if I give him the call. How many of these blasters do we have? We can set one aside for Grupp to play with and work on the others."

"Three intact. One was damaged and we're going to take it apart to get some examples of what we can. Some of the refugees we spoke with had some tales to tell about these things. Apparently melted metal like butter"

Dax looks around at the surroundings and the people looking to him for answers. How... How do I deal with this? They want direction and I'm just shooting in the dark here... "Umm... Hmpf." His shoulders slump. "I... I don't know what to do, guys. I don't know who these creatures are, where they came from, why they picked HERE of all places to attack, and HOW do we get back at them? I don't even know how to stop it from happening again! If you have any ideas... I'm definitely not the smartest one here. I just show up and hit things. I want to hear your thoughts. Vorianu?" (edited)

"Maybe someone on Gudrun with some experience in Xenobiology? Dr. Azog maybe? Or wasn't this Kincaid's field back when she was a scientist and not an Ex-President? Might be a way to get one of them to hop on board and figure this out with us|

Dax flushes slightly at the mention of Kincaid, memories of being sat on by the woman brought to the front of his mind. "Oh, Kindcaid? Yeah, yeah..." He clears his throat loudly. "Yeah, let's call them both! The more the merrier, you know? I'm sure Kincaid would love to feel useful again!... In the meantime, is there a trail we can follow to figure out the 'how' of how the creatures even got here? If they spiked into our system you'd think we would have seen them... either that... or they live hidden somewhere planetside. I want to figure it out."

"There is a spike trail, heading south, back toward the void between our space, and protectorate space. Where they are now, who can say"

"Good grief. Just point me in a direction and give me something to hit!... Ugh. I wish it could be simple." Dax scrunches his face in frustration. With a sigh, "Alright. I guess we just need to contact people and see what they can do for us. Let's get all of them. Doctor Azog, Kincaid, Grupp, everybody. Shoot, let's call my mom while we're at it!" Dax heads back to the VTOL and begins drafting his messages.

Dr. Azog,

I'll cut right to it. Chloe was attacked by some weird alien things that have fancy blasters and strange biology and I was wondering if you wanted to take a look and see what you can tell about them. They don't match any alien things that I've seen before and they aren't returning any matches in our records. I'll make sure you're compensated more than fairly for your work, of course. Just let me know.

Thanks,

Dax Withers
CEO, Wither Corp
Governor, Chloe
-Hand of Fate-
-Liberator of Acastus-
-Hero of the Remnant War-

Kincaid,

Not sure what to call you since you're done being the president and everything. Anyways that's not why I am writing you. Somebody said you were pretty smart with aliens or science or something before you did your presidency. I was hoping you were still into that science stuff and you might be able to help me with an issue I'm having on Chloe. We were attacked by some weird aliens that have fancy 'egomaniac' blasters that fit their arms and hands really well and nobody seems to know anything about them. If you're able to help, I'd make sure you got paid well for your work. Shoot, I could even have Grupp give you a complimentary makeover if you want. Let me know.

Thanks,

Dax Withers
CEO, Wither Corp
Governor, Chloe
-Hand of Fate-
-Liberator of Acastus-
-Hero of the Remnant War-

8:53 AM

@Regulus/Grupp

Grupp,

I found some cool blasters that belonged to weird aliens that attacked Chloe. I know you want to visit.

See you soon,

Dax Withers
CEO, Wither Corp
Governor, Chloe
-Hand of Fate-
-Liberator of Acastus-
-Hero of the Remnant War-

P.S. 
- I promised Kincaid you'd give her a makeover when you saw her. Hope you don't mind.

HEYA DAX

YEP

BE THERE SOON,
GRUPP
SHAMAN OF THE PIGGEN
DID SOME OTHER COOL STUFF TOO
HEY I'M ALSO A HERO, WE LITERALLY DID THAT TOGETHER

P.S.
ALSO YEP

1

Azog and Kincaid will be flying out to assist , along with Grupp if he so chooses. It is easier to move the experts to you than for the entire apparatus to be moved out to them. In the meantime , perhaps some clues can be found in local space

Dax scratches the 4-day old stubble on his chin and sighs as he hits send on the last message. "Do you think we can sniff out a spike trail on these guys if we hurry and get up there?" He says to Kells, the Taros pilot that has stuck with him since the beginning. "I want to nail the guys that attacked my planet, and fast."

“We can get a direction at least, and coordinate with the UNW or the Void Wardens once we know it. Probably the wardens since the ghoul front is about to kick off

"Sounds like that's the next step to me. Lets gather our crew and get to the Trailblazer. How soon can we be ready to go?"

"Within the hour. We'll be free to move to space almsot as soon as we get aboard. We can try to raise anyone else we can once we get out there and know what we're dealing with, or at least the direction they went"

"That's great, let's get going." Dax makes good on his plan and gathers his remaining crew to meet at the starport. Aboard the Trailblazer, he gives the orders to take the ship up into orbit.

(program/int as we rise to space)

(If Dax does it = 3, if NPC crewman does it, still not great = 5)

2:51 PM

(1 and a 2

)

There is a small signal, left behind on a small asteroid at the edge of system space. It is faint, hardly perceptible on scanners

"Did you see that? The little... you know," he points at the screen cluelessly, "... the little. That! The... thing! What's that little thing? Do we need to get closer?"

"It's very small, whatever it is" Voriyanu says, looking intently at the screen. "We;re going to need to get a lot closer to it. We should open the armory, too, just in case"

"What armory? I AM the armory, baby!..... Sorry, yeah, that was weird. I won't do that." He clears his throat loudly. "Let's get closer! Take us over. And let's go grab your rifle, then."

The signal begins resolving, too small to still be seen from the ship, and it becomes clear someone is going to have to don a space suit and EVA down to the surface of the asteroid for a closer look. Mixed metal and organic material contacts return from the scanner, but the return is confused

(Would you advise bringing demo charges for this asteroid?

) "Alright guys, you know the drill. Nothing ever works the way it's supposed to so we've got to get down there and do this the all-natural way. And by 'we' I mean me and Vorianu. Keep the engines running and we should be back soon." Dax preps himself in the ship's locker for the space walk and heads to the airlock to await transfer. "Ready when you are! Drop us off at the curb."

1

(A grenade is probably enough)

11:56 AM

(Don't forget your tape though)

3

1

(Make sure you're right next to it when it goes off too)

3

1

12:22 PM

The ship levels out, and the both of you emerge onto the rocky surface, where the object of your scan quickly becomes visible. A large tree made of raid victims, metal poles, trophies, and Rasck Warshard fetishes has been left behind. A small compad is blinking at the base of the tree, showing a video message is waiting to be played

Seeing death in so many forms countless times before should have prepared him for this sight, but it didn't. Like a punch in the gut, Dax feels the wind knocked out of him in revulsion and profound sorrow. These are my people... People I should have protected... He swallows hard as a rage boils in him. "Gah!! Why can't I be better at this?! What did they do to deserve this?! Just... WHY?!" Afraid to step closer, but knowing he must, Dax closes the distance to the compad and tries to block out the visions of torment around him.

The sounds of earthen pigs squealing , sampled from audio the creatures got somehow, likely from raids, continues playing on a loop. Your porkish friends will be our next feast. Thank you for the entertainment

3:05 PM

The voice is harsh, barely in command of mandate English

3:05 PM

Struggling to produce sounds through a mouth of too many sharp teeth

Piggen.... piggen... Shalini? He thinks. "Shalini... That must be the next target! It's not too far... But why would they tell us? Maybe... Maybe it's already too late. They must know we can't stop them." Dax lets out a heavy sigh. Well I'll be damned if I'm going to let them do this to somewhere else. And I WILL get revenge for what they've done here. To MY people." Dax turns from the gory display, having seen enough, mind made up. "You know what I'm really good at? Well, the only thing I'm good at. Hitting stuff. They messed with the wrong planet, and they're going to find out the hard way. Let's go make those creeps pay in blood." Dax heads back to the ship and makes plans to recover the human bodies with the hopes that they can be laid to rest in their rightful place.

The ship can recover the bodies and the crew can do this without help if you have had your fill. Everyone feels that this is the right thing to do

Returning from the Yauvani campaign , the Rachk aliens who raided your world have also been dealt with by the Void Wardens. For now chloe seems safe from further trouble. The worlds around chloe however are ripe for discussions and exploration. Not knowing the neighborhood has proven dangerous so far and your crew especially seem to be pushing for just a bit more time in the field

(so the rachk technology is still hanging around. There's also problems on Yauvani that a sword would probably be able to fix if you've got no immediate quest ideas)

(It's not you baby, it's me.) Dax returns to orbit, disturbed and smoldering with anger at the raiders that invaded his home. He spends the next few days on Chloe in preparation for the extended chase to hunt down the Rachk and eliminate them for good. In the midst of his work, the summons for the Yauvani campaign finds him and he grudgingly decides to attack the immediate and apparent threat with the crews headed to take out the Ghoul King. Work work work... On the trip home from Yauvani, word reaches him that the Rachk fleet has been wiped from the galaxy by the Void Wardens' formidable navy. He simply sighs and rubs his temples in silence. I suppose I should feel happy... but I just feel... hollow. I would have loved to have chopped their heads off myself, but... justice still won the day. That will have to be enough. An idea strikes him. A way to help rebuild. He pulls up his scouting reports and surveys from Parnika, Chloe's stellar neighbor. It will take a lot of work, but it feels like the next right step.

4:55 PM

"Let's make preparations to head to Parnika once we get back home and sort out some things. We need to go make new friends. And hopefully, a good business relationship."

4:56 PM

(I figured if Kincaid, Dr Azog, and Grupp were coming to Chloe to check Rachk things out that they would probably be here by now and we can get into that before moving on to Parnika.)

(sure thing!)

5:01 PM

Former president Kindaid, DR. Azog, and Grupp have all been given a heroes welcome. Grupp especially has been enjoying the fanfare and the food, though misses having apprentices to boss around. They're adapting to life in the field clinic set up to study some of the recovered materials, though they've moved in to the nicer government administration building for nighttime retiring and lodging.

(If you’re looking for something to do, there is a still lady cult on Gudrun we can go after)

Dax makes contact with his honored guests and sets up a time to meet the following morning. After unwinding a bit himself for the evening, he retires early to get some good rest. At the field clinic, Dax arrives early with Vorianu to try to beat Grupp there but knows it's probably unlikely.

"DAX!" The magical teleporting swordsman gets a surprise hug from behind and is lifted off his feet by four beefy pink arms as he reaches the clinic. "Gotta warn you, I'm actually still on my way here, Reza wanted me to meet him on Aliah for some magical event thingy. But I'm here too as long as nothing hits me too hard! Ha!" He pats his amble belly, "Good thing a doppelganger still has taste buds eh? Ha!"

"Doppel- what? So you're not actually here? But you're still... I should be used to this by now, but you still manage to surprise me. Well whatever you are, I guess you can take a look at this with me when the others arrive. Some weird alien tech used by the Rachk guys that attacked here recently. The Wardens already took care of the threat, apparently, but we can still learn some stuff from what was left behind. Figured it would be right up your alley."

Dax holds out his arms in a "after you" gesture to lead Grupp into the clinic before following inside himself.

"Glad there's no threat, this thing's flimsier than my great aunt Dora's nightie! Anyhow let's see what we can learn eh? Ha!" Grupp leads the way inside.

Several tables have been laid out with a trio of Rachk bodies, a selection of long and short pattern weapons used by the alien raiders, and some fragments of the armored battle harnesses they wore

Stepping up to the tables, Dax scratches his chin and holds his mouth sideways. "... Uhhh... Yep. It's alien stuff, alright. Honestly, Grupp, I'm not really sure what about this stuff is special. Never really cared much for fancy weapons. That's why I was hoping..." He looks at Grupp in a 'help me' sort of way. "This is supposed to be your specialty, or something... Between you and the other two, I was hoping to figure that kind of stuff out. If you make a brilliant discovery, as far as I'm concerned, the thing is UNW property and they can do with it what they want." ".... And also I didn't actually tell Kincaid about the makeover."

"Alrighty Daxilicious. I'll take a looksie with the doc and Kincaid eh? Now, we both know you're pretty useless when it comes to this kinda stuff, you know, thinking, so how bout you go and find someone to stab while we work, eh? Ha! We should have something for you by the time you're back!"

"Well that's... but, I mean..." he sighs, "... you're not wrong..." Dax grumbles to himself quietly. "Yeah, fine. Maybe I'll go find the real Grupp and see if he actually wants me around."

The real Grupp, and the newly formed bounty office are both back on Gudrun. One of the names on the list , Saul Harcrow is especially notable.

"Saul.... what did you do?" Seeing his name for the first time in a great while brings back a flood of memories. Landing on Chloe for the first time and finding work with the curious man in power armor. Holding out the night together in a warehouse beset by thugs. A cargo ship leaving under the cover of darkness after a job well done. I guess I didn't know him as well as I thought... Dax decides he should look into the bounty himself. If for nothing else, it might give him a chance to bring Saul in to a fair trial rather than being carelessly killed by a more ruthless bounty hunter. For old times sake. He alerts his crew and loads up into the Trailblazer with his usual contingent of vehicles and gear to depart for Gudrun the very next day. Destination: UNW Bounty Office.

(8 days from here to Gudrun if you're doing anything for downtime, and I'll move the thread/tag you with Crows)

(I'll stick with the usual Dax 'do-nothing' downtime.)

(build a roboy)

(Continued from #deleted-channel ) (Without a second player to engage in conversation I'll just skip through the cafe stuff. Is there any reason I should visit the academy here? Anyone notable there?)

(Not at the moment since all the psychics of note are about to go after something you need to kill the still lady)

(You say that as if Kala-Dax-alak'Ala'Thor of the 10,000 edgelord tears, destroyer of furries, holder of 1,000 waifu chains isn't one of those "notable" psychics

)

1

7:13 PM

(Let's get out and get on over to Musheera then)

(I’ll total up down time when I get back to a computer on Monday)

9:18 AM

The trailblazer is permitted to leave Greystar space and you can see more of the main parts you might need to pull this off have mysteriously been filled into your cargo hold.

(Looks like 14 days of Dax 'do-nothing-downtime' Withers doing nothing in his downtime) Dax chuckles to himself as he walks through his hold on the way to the bridge. "I'm not sure why I ever doubted those guys. Can't believe what they managed to pull together here with so little warning. Step out for a coffee and come back to a ship full of hard-to-find components. Now I really owe them." Dax makes his way to the bridge and preps the Trailblazer to depart on a two week journey.

(Rcoe has a compound on musherra that would have a workshop capable of handling what you’re trying to do. We can land there)

Dax and crew translate back into real space for the final time of this long trip, this time over the ruined world of Musheera. Now a familiar sight for Dax, he opts to land at the Engineers' compound to use as his operating base. To his crew, he makes an announcement before the final entry into atmo. "We're coming up on the Engineers' base here. They'll be friendly and have excellent facilities to help us kit out a disposable ship. Before we get there, we'll need a sufficient cover story as to why we need this ship. It's to protect ourselves as much as it is to protect them. If they don't know anything about our mission, they won't be on the hook for us should something go wrong. My ideas for our cover are pretty bad so far, ranging from 'sentimental value' to 'just need a beater with no name on it.' You guys have any thoughts?"

"Something disposable to turn into a drone? Saw some report once about expert systems being fitted, turns a ship into a drone if controlled from another vessel. Latency is too high for combat but some kind of mining or, something, might be a good cover use"

"Oooohhh interesting. That made almost no sense to me... So it's probably a really great idea. Told you I'm not the brains here. Let's run with it." Dax requests permission to land and prepares himself to leave the ship.

RCOE has no one especially notable here right now but you can see the salvage operation in this place is busy with no signs of stopping. A solid 100m of wreckage has been cleared in all directions and piles of sorted scrap await transport back to the hungry forges of Tsatsos. Loadmasters and cargo skiffs travel all across the tarmac shadowed by workers and foremen. The yard office is close to where you set down, and a ring of defensive walls around the base is nearly done being constructed under the watchful eyes of RCOE security troopers.

"Oh, good grief Billy..." He says to no one in particular. That guy is everywhere... he'll have this whole planet turned into a spaceship, knowing him... Dax finds his way into the yard office to commission himself a ship. "Excuse me... Yeah, hi. I'm Dax Withers, of Chloe. And... well, friend of Billy's. I've got a bit of an odd request for you. You see, I'm trying to build a drone... but like, a really big drone... like, imagine a Free Merchant class... but it's a drone. Only, not exactly a drone. More like... a normal ship that has some advanced auto-pilot and stuff so it's kind of like a drone. You guys think you can work with me?"

"Yes! We can help you! So you're looking for some kind of disposable wreck or something to use as a test vehicle? is that what we're aiming for here?"

"Yeah, that's the basic idea. Going to need to have a spike drive since I can't tow this thing with my ship. Gotta be able to get it where it's going, you know? Doesn't need any flashy paint or anything. It's fine to be ugly as long as it works. I've brought a bunch of parts along with me that may help jumpstart the process. I guess the main thing I have to do is find a workable hull somewhere in the ruins to start from."

"Alright, well we noticed there's an old starport north of here that probably has enough slabs or ribs to get something together, you'll need your ship to pull it free and if you bring it back here we can help you get it sealed up and a drive strapped in it. She's gonna be a real patchjob, especially if you're just doing a test"

"Perfect, thank you. I'll head that way right now." Dax decides to use his VTOL to fly in to the starport and take a look around before he calls back to the ship for a pick up. He teleports himself into the cockpit of the VTOL and warms her up for a bit of scouting.

(taking anyone with you? or just Dax)

(I'll fly out on my own and let the crew get a hoisting rig together for the Trailblazer.)

(Did you need more info from me?)

(no this just never lit up)

9:40 AM

(for some reason)

9:41 AM

The starport is a ruin of a facility, as is the rest of the planet, and you can see dilapidated wrecks occupy the three hangars at the edge of the tarmac. The terminal is also lanced through by the ruins of some kind of orbital cargo barge, fallen from space to hit the building's domed roof like a spear, collapsing both and leaving just the iron ribs of ship and structure behind. Thick soot covers most of the site, no doubt from the reactor fires that followed the crash as the fissile material burned itself out

Dax flies the VTOL in a bit closer before engaging the ghost pilot to hover in place. It's just like going ship shopping!... In the radiated ruins of a dead civilization for a heap of junk to turn into a pirate ship... Dax dons his PPE and teleports down to get a closer look into the hangers, starting with the leftmost one.

The first hangar has no roof on it, most of it has collapsed inside the hangar itself and metal beams are everywhere. The thick entry doors are slightly open- and you can barely make out an angular jagged shape inside hidden under some sack cloth and shake that fell from the ceiling

Dax squeezes his way in through the doors and takes a closer look at the ship inside, pulling or cutting away parts of the cloth as necessary. What's behind door number one...

The ruined ship is a small glowbug ship- called that due to the highly radioactive reactor on board that commonly left a trail of pollution across the route they flew most recently. The ships are small, meant for just the single pilot and their small amounts of in system cargo.

Cute... but not big enough for the job unless I'm doing it by myself. And I'm not sure I want to mess with containing a core like that anyways. Sorry little guy, I gotta move on. Dax backs out and moves on to the next hanger.

The second hangar had a large piece of the fallen starship smash through its roof. It’s half pancakes a slab sided ground truck being kept inside the hangar and the sticky residue of dried oil clings to your boots

(Assuming the "large piece of fallen starship" is an unusable chunk from something cruiser/capital sized.) Dax sighs at the sight. Alright... another strike. And this stuff is nasty. Moving right along... He backs out and attempts to scrape his boots off on the way to the next building.

(Yes that’s right )

Dax approaches the next hanger to look for a way in.

The doors of this hangar are closed and it looks like the wreckage from above has mostly missed this one aside frmo a few small pieces that have fallen on the roof rather than through it. The glass windows on the sides of the structure are all broken, and you hear something like either birds, or rodents nesting inside, making a racket as they scurry through the walls and ceiling supports.

This looks promising... Maybe it's not all busted ruins after all. Dax goes around the building to look inside through a window and teleports himself inside the structure to take a closer look.

A battered courier with inbuilt fuel scoops and atmospheric configuration is parked inside this hangar. It’s going to need repairs, some of them costly, but the vessel is slyth in origin and wouldn’t have a drive signature registered in any database

"Finally!" Dax says out loud to no one. About time something started going right around here... Let's see if we can do something about this door. Dax goes to investigate the hanger doors to attempt to get this wreck out of here without ripping the building apart.

The doors have been fused and pushed in on themselves from the shockwave of debris hitting the ground and other hangars nearby. No amount of pushing o n them will open them, and the electronic controls are destroyed

Shoot... Of course it couldn't be easy. Dax teleports himself to the other side of the door, looks around at it some more, teleports inside, keeps looking, teleports out and kicks a few loose stones around. Hm. He summons the fiery mageblade and takes a few passing swipes at the door to test its resistance. I don't think I could cut this out on my own... But maybe I don't have to. He looks for joints where the doors meet the building to identify any weak spots and maybe cut those out to allow the door to be knocked down.

The joints where it meets the building are not as reinforced as the ones where the door actually shuts, especially since the impact has mixed everything up and thrown it around, The tracks are off kilter.

Always hit 'em in the weak spot... Dax hacks his way through to the critical points holding the door in place, hoping to give him a way to break it loose with a ship or something that could pull the door out.

You’re able to weaken the hinges enough that chains affixed between the door and your own ship should be able to yank the doors off- and then the process can be repeated with your find

Dax teleports into his waiting VTOL and comms over to his team. "Hope you guys got the lines ready because we've got some fishing to do. And she's a big one. Meet up on my position."

There is about half an hour for everything to be assembled, and for them to arrive at your position- ready for work and your orders. The plan is finally coming together.

"Alright, guys. There's a beautiful wreck behind door number 3 and all we have to do is get it out. I've already weakened where the door connects so let's just lift that out nice and gently!" Dax guides the efforts to secure the door to the rigging of the ship and gives the command for a firm 'tug.'

The metal chains go taunt, and rattle against one another. There is a sound of smashing metal as the doors are pulled out of their brackets to lie flat on the ground, sending a cloud of dust skyward

Dax lets out a loud "Wooooooo-eee!" as the doors come down in a crash, simultaneously relieved that it worked and thrilled at the big boom. "Alright! Time to hook up to that thing!" He points at the Slyth vessel. "We're going to need to be a bit more tender with this one though!" (Are there any particular challenges to getting this thing out with my current set up?)

3:36 PM

(I was about to say "I do the thing" but I wanted to check there wasn't something I was missing that would make it harder to accomplish)

(no you thought it through so in this case we can say you do the thing)

3:59 PM

There is a wrenching tug as the wreck is pulled free, scraping the bottom of its hull against the hangar floor a bit before its hauled into the pale sunlight of this world. Haze is already gathering in the air and an ion storm will likely be forming soon.

"Let's get this back before we're caught out in a storm. We can start working on this thing as soon as we're able and hopefully be off this rock with two ships very soon." Dax settles in for the short trip back to the Engineers' base.

The engineers are waiting as the wreck is lowered to the ground, and it seems to collapse a small amount as the weight is finally settling in on itself. The wreck can be made flyable again,but it will be rough work, especially in the sense it will need to remain hidden from scanning,

(How should I do this? Make a ship in the builder with a certain hull and the integrated fittings you mentioned?)

(I'm thinking that might be the best way to do it, since there's going to be some checks and whatnot, an actual stat block /hull type to base it off for the seek/hide is probably the easiest, fairest way to do it)

(Which hull should I use?)

(I would say free merchant or corvette , as they’re the same size profile for hiding )

(this is great, all assumptions are correct)

(Need to replace the screenshot since I forgot to switch polities)

2:17 PM

(Corrected Polity) (For your consideration. I chose the Corvette [assumed it was a Mk. 1] hull simply for the extra crew size. I zero'd out the cost, power, and mass of the integrated fittings [Fuel Scoops and Atmospheric Configuration] and then also zero'd out the cost of the hull for a resulting total of 7 days build time for the fittings. If that isn't how you imagined it should work then I'll revise.) (edited)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 3/15/2021 2:18 PM

(And the expanded view for fitting descriptions. All stealth baby)

RCOE Engineers are eager to help with the project, alongside your crew if you'll let them. The wreck can be fitted out into a passable stealth ship within a week, and from this ghost vessel, you should be able to complete your bounty on Saul- to whatever ends come with it.

(Minimum crew size is 10 and I only have a 5-man crew for my 1 ship. Is it possible to borrow some men to make the 1-day hop over to Chloe? Being stellar neighbors has its perks.)

2:26 PM

(I'll make sure to get them some meal vouchers for their stay over in Chloe and the Per Diem is excellent.)

(Yeah that is no problem)

3:07 PM

(there are enough Ad-Astra shuttles and other minor transports around for them to get back)

(Sounds like it's about time to start the actual mission now!

) Dax makes his payment for the Engineers' help and with a little fanfare at seeing the old vessel live again, excitedly spikes to Chloe to make his exchange of ships and crew and begin his first real step towards finding Saul. (Need to probably take a couple days on Chloe to catch up on the local happenings, find a few more crew members willing to undergo a discreet operation, gather necessary supplies and whatnot for the journey ahead.)

(Agreed , did you want to play that out?)

(Not fully, just didn't want to jump too far ahead without you. I've only got one item of business.) Dax spends his time at home dealing with the most pressing matters that can't wait in between his time spent preparing for the operation. He hires new help to crew the Crimson Nomad, paying extra to ensure discretion and deniability. (Unless you need me to be more specific, I was going to assume I'd pick up a handful of pilots, engineers, and gunners in addition to general labor to get to about half capacity of the ship. 20 total.) At one point during the preparations, he catches Vorianu alone to speak with her. "Hey, umm... I've been meaning to talk to you. It's... well, it's not easy for me." Dax is visibly conflicted as he presses on. "I was thinking. And... I think maybe you shouldn't come on this one. What we're about to do... Well, it's dangerous. Not the normal kind, either. This could be worse than anything the Shapers threw at us if it goes wrong. I just, it's, well," he stumbles over a few more words. "No, no, let me finish... This is something I have to do. Saul needs to be brought in... But if we get caught out... Silvano himself might be after us. If he finds out who I am... Well it would be better if someone stayed behind and made sure Chloe will be alright. I just don't want you to get hurt because I lov--" he chokes and coughs a few times, unable to finish those three simple words. Dax looks at her, beautiful as always, and tries to hold it together. He feels vulnerable now more than ever.

(that works for me as far as the crew) "I love you too Daxxy" she says, pulling you close and not expecting you to finish your reply. "I'll take care of Chloe, and see if I can make sense of that ridiculous far trade sheet you made. I know you can pull this off. "

9:48 AM

"Saul turned his back on the UNW, the UNW that we are a part of now. You're the only one who has a hope of taking care of him"

"Th... Thank you for your confidence. I'm so glad to have you by my side for all this." He gives her a firm squeeze before releasing the embrace. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pirate ship to catch. Can't be late to my own party. Stay safe, Vorianu." With a quick flash, Dax teleports himself to the starport and makes ready to set sail. Aboard the newly christened Crimson Nomad, Dax calls for a meeting on the bridge before they launch. "First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who decided to throw their lot in with me and chase down the traitor Saul Harcrow. The mission is simple, uh... sort of. The goal is simple; accomplishing it might not be. We are to capture Saul and bring him back to the UNW for trial. Failing that... Well he'd be better off dead than left alive working for the crazy dictator Silvano. For obvious reasons, we are not flying UNW colors on our ship. We're not flying Wither Corp colors either. This stealth Corvette is posing as an unaligned pirate vessel so we don't get anyone in trouble that doesn't deserve it. We don't want to start an intergalactic war by accident. The downside to keeping this a secret is... Should something happen to us, we're on our own. No one in the UNW is going to be looking for us because this mission doesn't exist on record. I commend your bravery for joining anyways." "With all that out of the way: Finding Saul. We know from our intel that he is a personal trainer of sorts for the great Lord himself, which leads me to believe he's probably stationed somewhere on their capital planet, Bergasa. We need to spike in to the furthest reaches of their system and slide in undetected or we'll have blown this thing before it even starts. Once we're close... Well we'll just have to see what the next step is after that. Thank you, all. Let's fire this thing up and set course for Bergasa! We've got a long road ahead."

11:18 AM

(Two possible routes, 9 days each by my count. I don't know enough about current exploration/politics to know if either of these routes are safer than the other, but whichever route is out of the way of more people, that's ideal.)

(I think through Andere is probably safer, so first contact with SCAF space comes at your actual mission point, rather than detection checks in Muntzaratz and Bergasa)

(Lets go green path then.)

Valentina Spiros's message about Nexcorp operations on ZAG is still current, as you enter the system, though they seem to be occupied in transporting things between both planets, and handling close in system defense. Val was given permission to peacefully fuel at the sun but advised against directly approaching the planet when she entered the system previously.

(Am I going to have to interact with them in order to refuel? Or can I go on my merry way quietly?)

(We dont need to interact if we dont want to, i just didnt want to make the choice for you, we do need to do an opposed program/int. You get a +2 as a frigate for hiding vs seeking)

(Unless I'm mistaken, I should get more than that with all the fittings I have on this thing. Sensor Mask, Sensor Shadowing, and Emissions Dampers. Sensor Shadowing is from Skyward Steel)

Sensor Shadowing relies on the creation of metamass bodies at strategic locations around the energy profile of a starship. These bodies act as an effective absorption screen for most conventional scan frequencies. Manipulating them is slow, however, and so the ship must have a clear idea of the exact location of the sensor array they are attempting to elude. In effect, this means that the shadowing only assists against space stations and other fixed scan sites, and not against starship scans. Sensor shadowing apply a -5 penalty to all checks to detect or scan the ship. Sensor shadowing strains a ship’s own sensor array, however, and applies a -5 penalty to all hit rolls and sensor checks while in effect and for 12 hours after it is deactivated. Sensor shadowing does not stack with emissions dampers or other stealth measures, but emissions dampers might affect ships that are unhindered by the shadowing. Sensor shadowing cannot be installed aboard space stations, as it relies on spike drives to function.

2:44 PM

(If it isn't a stationary target, then Emissions Dampers takes effect instead)

2:46 PM

(Rolled 2d6 for 7 before any modifiers)

(yes, I was just making you aware of the size one, since its in a weird section of the book. I assumed you'd factor in your fittings yourself)

4:46 PM

(planets also have a pretty decent bonus to detect, so although you're super optimized there's a chance they will see you , hence the check even being necessary)

(Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly should I be adding to my 7 I rolled? Just the +2 from frigate size? Emissions dampers +2 can't be used if I'm contesting a stationary target, that gets the -5 from Sensor Shadowing. Sensor mask and Q ship cladding are more visual subterfuge by my understanding)

(7 is what you rolled. You get 2 from being frigate sized. I get -5 due to sensor shadowing and I agree on the other fittings )

7:38 PM

(Emissions dampers don’t count since the planet is what is scanning

7:38 PM

(So we have tied and in this case ties go to the player , your ship is not detected) (edited)

(Hot, thank you.) Dax breathes a sigh of relief upon slipping into the hidden far side of the system's star, away from prying scanners. "That was cutting it too close that time. They nearly had us sighted!... Please please keep us further out next time!" He continues to grumble to himself something about being the worst pirates ever. (Ready for the next hop.)

(Usually those hide and seek checks are taken whenever a system is TL4/inhabited or there are at least spacecraft in the area- and you’re trying to remain hidden from their scanning. Within polity space you don’t generally have a reason to hide so we don’t bother ) (edited)

(Yeah I get it. We're being intentionally sneaky so we have to actively avoid scanners and there's a chance for failure)

(Kingiri is next, ill get a report up)

7:43 AM

Kingiri

TL Variable
Breathable Atmosphere
Human Miscible Desert Biosphere
Tens of Millions of Inhabitants

Kingiri is a single habitable world in a system with a bright red sun. It also has a gas giant, and a barren world with a ring of ice and rock. The locals have harnessed some lower form of arcane power to make up for the lack of electricity and other industry here. The humans have recently completed some sort of "God Machine" and are using it to continue their war against local tribes of mutants- who have allied to try to end the human presence here once and for all. The humans are hard at work on a second one of these mechanical walkers, and are currently testing some sort of floating god-head design for their second working. Other modes of transportation are grav-assisted sand skiffs, which both sides seem to use with great skill. (edited)

(Do you think they'll hand me pretech as soon as I land? If they don't, I'm not interested. /s) (For real though, that sounds awesome and it's too bad I'm just passing through.) "Wow... some nice views here. But... it's no time for sightseeing. You guys know the drill. Let's get refueled and ready for our last jump. And keep it quiet, let's not make ourselves known. This place will have to wait for someone who's not chasing a wanted criminal." (Can we refuel here without a hide and seek check? Or is someone scanning this system?)

(they're not scanning orbit, dont have the capability, so we can use the sun to refuel without trouble)

Once the refueling is complete, Dax gives the order for the last spike jump, the jump to Bergasa and the true beginning of the hunt. Along the journey, a thought strikes him. On the last day in spike space, Dax decides to shave off all of the hair on his head. Starting with his facial hair, he works his way up until he's completely bald. The only hair left on his head is his eyebrows. The sight of himself in the mirror is a bit unsettling, but it certainly removes his resemblance to the famous talk show host of Grupp and Dax After Dark. Woah.... that's... weeeeiirrrd. He looks down at the pile of dark hair scattered around the space with a bit of sadness. Oh well... It is just hair, anyways. It'll grow back. Hope Vorianu forgives me. Grupp will grow it back before the next show, I'm sure. As prepared as he could ever be, Dax walks out to the bridge, ready for the task at hand. (I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I would like to have brought Dax's grav tank along for the ride. The ship has 60 tons of space left over for it.)

(that's fine)

4:12 PM

(alright, program/int again since we're actually trying to hide this time)

(

Here goes nothing....) (8 +2 [NPC Skill Check] +2 [Frigate] = 12) (And Sensor Shadowing again for -5 to them)

(Right. Basically in this case it just cancels out the +5 a planet gets, so 9 v 12, you are hidden)

8:40 PM

The Titan hangs in the sky over Bergasa and doesn’t seem to have been alarmed. The rest of the planet is as the galactic net says it is, and little had changed

Dax lets out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding as their presence seems to have gone unnoticed. "We did it, guys. We are here and we are hidden. Now for the next step... We only have to locate a single well-protected person on the most secure and isolated planet in the known universe. What kind of intel do we have on this place? Do we at least know what side of the planet he's on? What compound he might be in?"

The only SCAF settlement on the planet right now is Mount Home, the mountain in the exact center of the planet. Mazzio himself has a sanctum here, at the peak of the mountain. Harcrow typically travels between here, and Actaia, where SCAF has another site they are trying to develop. There are also many ruins on the planet's surface where a race of psionic reflections of Mazzio's called the Mishk once lived before being wiped out. There are no specific indications of where Harcrow might be, as you arrive into the system.

"Well if we're going to do anything, we have to get in there first. Let's set down nice and quiet a ways outside of the big ol' mountain place. It'll probably need to be on the other side of the pond though. No doubt we'll be in trouble landing too close to the base... But if I had to guess, our man will be inside. Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and the old demi-god will be sleeping or something when we get there. We really really don't want to mess with that one."

One of the crew remarks this feels a bit like the Old Earth board game "Don't Wake Daddy" though instead of pretending to be children heading to the fridge for snacks, you're a group of very serious undercover operatives attempting to apprehend or eliminate the #2 man of the most wanted and powerful terrorist the Galaxy has seen in some time. (there's a bunch of biomes in that circular clock pattern on the mainland of Bergasa itself. Was there somewhere specific you wanted to set down? Just so i can set the scene)

(Let's go for a forest biome so I can punch trees and build a nice house before the baddies get me)

An aborted attempt at a settlement using cargo containers turned into homes is in a clearing as you set your ship down nearby. The people here are gone and have been for some time.

(What kind of scale is the map? With teleport-3 I need to be within 1,000km. I was considering flying in closer with a couple people to scope it out.)

(1 hex is 200km)

(So if we're camped out around here then I'm technically within my 1,000km teleport range of Mount Home, as long as I've seen it with unaided sight before.) After the ship sets down in the cover of trees, Dax walks out into the strange settlement with a few of the crew. "Strange looking place, here. But, I suppose it'll be a good a place to camp as any. Let's set up here and post guards in the vicinity. I need to do a bit of scouting so I'm going to take the grav tank up and lay eyes on the mountain. She's a bit tight on space though, so I'll need just one pilot and one gunner with me... Understood?"

(Yep, i know, and i think you;d be able to see it since its a ginormous mountain)

1:07 PM

Two volunteers hastily jostle to join you, as inside an armored vehicle seems far safer than just being exposed on the ground.

(If you're saying that I can see the mountain or did see the mountain on my way into the planet then that is probably already enough for a "lock" and I could teleport at least to somewhere on the mountainside. I assumed I wouldn't be able to see 600 miles from camp through the natural haze of air and the curvature of the planet to the mountain, but maybe I'm over thinking it lol. I thought I would need to get closer with the small craft to get my "lock" on it. If I already have it, then scratch the idea about getting closer with the tank.)

(Either plan gets us to the same end result and I don’t think they’d see one tiny tank amid an enormous ocean with the very small number of vehicles they have. So whatever picky things are wrong with the things you can see or get to the mountain however you see fit)

(Fair point. Just trying to keep things above board and avoid assumptions as I approach a mountain of impending doom.) "On second thought... we'd better just get this thing underway. The longer we're here, the more likely we are to be spotted. We go in with a team of ten, myself included. The rest of you will be staying here keeping lookout and protecting this position. If we lose the ship, we're stranded out here. Can't get paid if we can't get home, so stay sharp. Three of you can provide mobile recon and cover from the grav tank, but avoid firing except as a last resort. Those things pack a punch and there's no telling who will notice." "Alright, lets get packed and get going." Dax brings a standard issue rifle like the rest of the crew is using and changes the appearance of his modded CFU to look identical to the other men. With his team in place, he gathers them and teleports himself and nine others to what he hopes is a barren portion of the mountain. Here goes nothing... (1 Effort for the Day, Burdened Apportation)

(You’re good. I get it)

9:37 AM

The rock face you teleport to is a cliff halfway up the mountainside. The inner mountain docks for ships and most of the industry seems to be firmly located on the other side of the peak- this one seems more empty. Construction hasn’t reached it yet.

There is a faint electrical buzz in the air and although you can’t see physical security measures , there are undoubtedly cameras, traps, and sensors on this side to figuratively watch scafs back

Dax spends a moment to get his bearings and turns to his team. "Time to get to hiking. Be careful and keep your eyes peeled. If you see anything that doesn't look like it belongs, it probably doesn't. We're looking for a way in and I bet you it doesn't have a glowing sign to go with it. Let's get to it." Dax begins hiking upwards carefully, looking for the easiest slope to ascend, eyes open for abnormalities and defenses.

(Notice/wis)

(That's a big 'ol 4)

(You know what, screw it. I'm using one of my dozen rerolls.) (12)

(Haha alright ) 50m from where you begin your climb you find the first of the thermal sensor poles, it has a wide coverage area , and sticks out of the rock on a large pole. It’s small domed head gently pans backs and forth like a normal security camera. It’s about that size and shape- thought slightly more bulky due to its power units. It’s been painted a dusty white brown to help it blend in with the mountainside

"That didn't take long. Look there," Dax says as he points it out. "This place might be a bit harder to break into than I was hoping. Stupid paranoid demigod guy making life hard for us hard-working honest bounty hunters. Honestly..." He sighs. "Doesn't look like a normal head on it. Maybe it's not video. What do you guys propose? Think we can skirt around?"

"THey might notice a camera going offline, or, whatever this is. BEst to go around by a lot, if we can"

"Agreed. It's going to be slow going for a while here. Let's get around it and keep our eyes peeled for more of those. And anything else out of place. And doors, especially doors. I'd love to just, you know, have a door to the inside show up. It would solve so many problems." Dax takes the group in a wide arc out of the way of the sensor and continues the trek upwards towards who-knows-what.

Moving wide right, around the sensor, you again resume your climb, rising another 100m up the cliff face , and as the wind blows you get the smell of cigarette smoke coming in with it. There is an overhanging cliff above you, screening your ascent, and it sounds like at least two pairs of boots are scraping away at the stone as they huddle and shuffle, trying to keep warm.

Dax silently signals his team to stay put for a moment and he gestures up the cliff. Looking for a clear area above the overhang, Dax teleports to a spot where he shouldn't be spotted by whoever is waiting there. Let's hope they aren't paying too close of attention...

There is a somewhat porous rock face above them, where they're not looking, you can hang off it and be above them, to drop down.

"Alright Honzo" one of them says, taking in a deep breath "try to stay warm. I'll deal you into the card game once you're off watch"

No sense in coming all this way to turn around... Just. Do it. Dax waits for the first guard to leave before dropping down behind the remaining one. Hands on his rifle, but not aimed at the man yet, he speaks. "Hey, pal. Can you help me with something?"

Without thinking, the man turns, and has a stunned look on his face as he comes into contact with someone who clearly does not belong here

"Listen, don't worry about it. I'm just a ghost, and a friendly one at that, as long as you're friendly too. I need to get in and find someone. Supposed to be throwing him a party or something. You want to help with that?"

"I...I don't know what you mean" he stammers. He hears the words you are saying, but is searching for a way to save his own life in all of this

"Party. You don't know what a party is? It's where people come together to have fun doing stuff together. Like that card game you were about to go join. That's like a small party. I'd like to have a card game with my friend in there too. His name's Saul, maybe you know him? Where he hangs out? Where the party is going to happen?"

"Warden Harcrow is your friend? I will call him, he is inside I think, in chambers."

(Are there cameras watching these doors?) (Also, is he close to the edge of this cliff face? Like if he were pushed off would it be fatal?) "Oh, no. You don't have to do that. He's expecting me. I'll just be on my way, thanks." (edited)

(Not cameras that you can tell, the sentires were basically the physical security measure here, and yes to the fall question)

Instead of heading inside, however, Dax takes another step towards the man.

(I don't think he's going to react in time if you're about to do what I think you're going to do)

(

I am.) Dax lowers his shoulder and rushes the man, shoving him hard off the shear face of the cliff. "Sorry, I think it's going to be a surprise party."

He has no time to react or brace, and certainly wasn’t ready for this to happen. He falls down the mountainside , out of sight. A postern door into the mid levels of mount home is before you

Dax pokes his own head over the side and signals to his team to join him on the ledge. "Alright, I'd like two of you to stay here and keep watch. There's supposed to be some people out here anyways, maybe it'll keep them from noticing us for a bit longer. And if something goes wrong, you can hopefully provide some support from this end of things. Let's go, no time to waste." Dax and the seven remaining men open the door and head into the lion's den.

The door opens to something like an airlock but really it seems more like a warming shelter. A mess hall is to the left down a long hallway once you exit this room , and to the right the hallway is blocked off by fallen debris but you can see light on the other side of it. It’s not packed very densely

"Well, we're in. It's a good sign that we're unnoticed so far.... Now if only they had one of those big maps with a 'You are here' on it... the confusing hallways and stuff are going to be helping us stay hidden, but it also makes it harder to figure out where we need to get to...." He stands with arms crossed looking at his two options forward. "I'd like to avoid running through the mess hall for now, even hungry as I am now. Could be packed full of people that want to kill us. Let's see how hard it is to get through this rubble. You can see light through there and we don't need a big hole. Here, help me with this." Dax goes to the pile and tests the debris to see if there's any he can get to budge.

It shifts, easily so- it just seems that a work crew has not come down here to actually attend to the matter yet. You should be able to make a big enough hole with a bit of work.

Once Dax and his team have cleared enough of an opening to get through, he scrambles down to the other side of the mess and looks down the hall towards whatever comes next. "Ah, shoot. I should've seen if that guy out there had like a map on him or something. Maybe I pushed him a bit too soon. You guys keep your eyes open for anything that will help us find the way through here. A map, if you can."

"boss. I might be able to lift something from their comm servers, but if they catch me the place is going to go on alert" one of them volunteers. "I'll try for it, if you think it might help"

"That's... That's not a bad idea. It beats wandering these halls without a clue. We could walk right into a whole bunch of them at any moment. Either they catch you doing that and have to figure out where we are, or we get caught in person and then everyone knows where we are. I'll take my chances on the hack stuff. Get to it."

(8 vs 7 , success, ill get you a map)

1

(Circle is where you entered, Square is where you are now)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 4/21/2021 4:12 PM

"Got it boss!" she says, looking down at the map. "This place is huge

"This place IS huge... So we're here and we came in there and we're trying to get to... I don't know where. It looks like this wing we're in won't get us anywhere else in the facility... is it worth exploring this direction anyways?"

“There’s another cave in to our East. Looks like it might connect to a passage in that next series of rooms beyond “

"Yeeeeeeeeah... Yeah let's do that. Well, actually. Dangit." He sighs quickly in exasperation. "Actually, is there any way we can pull up some descriptions of these places? I know this particular branch is a dead end that won't get us further into the complex and that every second wasted in another second we could be discovered and blah blah blah. If there's something important back here maybe there's a way to, I don't know, maybe make a distraction or something. Or if this place just looks like an actual dead end, let's skip it. We'll keep moving down and get somewhere that's actually connected to the main hub of stuff, know what I mean? Help me out here, time's-a-ticking. Even with a map I'm feeling blind."

“We can tunnel through the rock fall to the East here into the rooms beyond it. Looks like a barracks area or some sort of living region. That or we go back outside and try a different door now that we know where they are” (edited)

"Aahhhh but outside means more guards means more interactions than I'm looking to have. Let's try getting through this rockfall like you said. Better than wandering the main corridor. Let's see what we can do with it." Dax heads into the room to his east to investigate and clear a way through the rockslide.

one by one, you should all be able to slither through. On the other side, (27) you see an empty mess hall, and its between meal times, though this is no doubt one of the main habitation sections. The furnishings seem upscale there, likely a place for SCAF officers.

It seems like your target may be close, with things looking more upscale like this. The bio-scanner your team programmer is carrying notes several human contacts in the bunk chamber north of here. Only one of them is moving, the rest seem to be either asleep, or in a position where they do not want to move. Presence of your target or not, depending on how ruthless you want to be, this may be a chance to deprive SCAF of several of their officers all in one stroke. (edited)

"Officers, and close? Sleeping too? Well shoot if this isn't my lucky day. What do you say we go relieve them of duty? Or at the very least, relieve them of their uniforms. That will help us get closer than walking through here dressed like... well, dressed like mercenaries. Look sharp, we're moving." Dax leads the squad north, and forms up at the threshold to the bunk chamber. On his signal, he opens the door to step through, hand on his rifle.

They are all sleeping. There are eight of them here. None of them are Saul, but based on the uniforms hanging up, these men are all Captains and higher ranking members of SCAF. A blow here would weaken their command structure , and the effects would ripple as less capable officers will need to be promoted to take their place

As tempting as it is... I can't kill men in their sleep. Besides... I don't want this to seem like a political attack against their whole structure. I'm here for one guy. In and out. No friction. After quickly assessing the situation, Dax signals at the hanging uniforms to his men and heads over to them himself, prepared to collect enough for his crew.

After a few moments of changing in the adjoining room you emerged from, everyone now looks like ranking SCAF officers, complete with identity cards, and all the other trappings of rank once would normally be expected to carry. A hallway runs further west into another series of rooms, marked off as physical training rooms, meditation cells, a firing range, and another barracks where troopers are commonly stationed when doing their rotations of defense of Mount Home. you can also hear the sounds of construction, as the digging machines in Mazzio's employ work to repair and shore up their mountain home.

(Let's head east and through the south-facing doors to enter this part of the complex) Confident in their disguises, Dax leads the way confidently through the main corridor with the aloof air of superiority and makes for the next set of doors on his right.

You rise as you head south, into a more secure area of the mountain. You pass a group of SCAF soldiers who move to the edge of the hallway out of your way and throw sharp salutes upon seeing the emblems on your uniforms. The doors open, and as you walk into 35, you can see that there is a large room to the east where some notable has made their dwelling. "M. Reydove" is on the placard. The room smells like a pharmacy. The reek of medical sterilizers and other sanitizing solutions wafts out from under the door.

Dax looks around at the immediate surroundings, sees nothing else of interest and shrugs. "Reydove... never heard of him. Let's say hello, then. Just to be polite, of course." He gives a few quick raps on the door.

"Enter!" a female voice calls through the door, and you can hear a clang of metal tools being moved

(Oh god why am I doing this) Dax opens the door and steps in with both of his arms stiffly down at his sides. He nods his head towards the woman, "Reydove."

(she would know Dax I think, you guys were here about the same time)

(Oh is this Melora? She was right before my time here. Dax also shaved off all of his hair/facial hair and everything to hopefully avoid being recognized as a TV star)

1:09 PM

(I don't believe I've ever had an IC or OOC interaction with the person)

(this is indeed melora)

1:23 PM

"Oh hello Major" she says, trying to put a name with the face she is looking at, but recognizing the symbols on the uniform at least. "Everything alright? Are you feeling sick?"

Of all the things behind this door, why'd it have to be a girl... "Yes, yes! I'm not fine. Quite sick, thank you. I," he clears his throat loudly as his brain catches up to his mouth. "No, what I meant was 'I'm not sick.' I feel fine." Dax visibly makes a show of scanning the room and avoids eye contact with her. If I don't look, it's like she's not there! "It looks like I'm misinformed. I thought Harcrow was here. I heard he got hurt during PT or something and I could find him here. You haven't seen him, have you?" (edited)

"No, but I can find him for you. They might be moving him down here if he was hurt" She sits at her console. You're unable to see the screen as she is sitting facing you at her desk. You can see all manner of items on it, ranging from spend Lift vials to very detailed diagrams and models of the male and female reproductive system. There are also some half completed anatomical sketches that might be modeled after herself and are likewise detailed for the shape they're in. "Looks like he's a floor up on the expedition hangar deck"

(Classic Melora. Is there a map of Leda on the wall, by chance? lol) "Ah, well that's all I needed. I'll intercept him then. If he is actually hurt, I'll make sure he gets where he needs to go. He's probably being stubborn somewhere. The man wouldn't stop working if you'd cut all his limbs off, from what I know of him. Thank you for your time."

(I really did think about it)

2:32 PM

"Alright, I'll be ready if he ends up making his way down here. Try not to drag him too much, he's stubborn is right"

(Is the way up to that level on this map? Would I know how to get up there?)

(The lift up is at 36, which you’ve got the map so we would be able to make that connection)

(Oh I see it now, thanks.) "Will do." Without another word, he turns and leaves her office. He makes his way to the lift and briefs the team on the way up. "There's no way to know what we'll run into once we make it to the hanger. If he's sharp, he may recognize that we're impersonators and then we'll be in hot water. Be ready for anything."

The elevator is empty when it reaches the pad at 36. A small security grate to keep things from falling out retracts, allowing you to get on. The breathing is heavy. Everyone does a final weapons check. Everyone ensures the safeties of their weapons are off. This is do or die. The control box blinks twice-ready for lift

Dax punches the button and steps back, adjusting his laser rifle on its sling to hang behind him. No need to hold it at the ready and look more threatening when the real threat comes from himself and not the weapon anyways. He does a few quick stretches of his neck and bounces nervously on to the balls of his feet while he waits for the lift to crawl.

There is a major flight operation occurring when you get to the main deck. Planes are being broken down and packed into shipping containers. Technicians run back and forth between different tooling stations. Saul Harcrow and his three deputies are in the center of all of it , 50m away from you. He has people constantly running to him with updates and sends them away just as quickly with adjustments. He is the focal point of the entire hangar

(Nothing like a simple snatch and grab in the literal heart of enemy territory. Nice and easy.) Dax steps out of the lift and sighs heavily and mutters under his breath. "Shoot." He looks to his left and then his right hoping his crew sees something he doesn't. After a moment's hesitation, he decides not to loiter where he's standing and make himself look useful. He steps off to the left and begins walking just to do something, and keeps his eyes on Saul as much as he can. "Don't worry, I'm sure something will shake loose and we'll get our chance." All the while, Dax is thinking the exact opposite to himself. There is NO way we get near that guy like this. I'm very worried...

|Saul continues walking across the hangar. His destination seems to be a shuttle craft at the end of the bay and he'll have to pass by you to get to it. His progress is slow as he is constantly assailed by hanger-ons. The closest he will come to where you stand now trying to look busy is 20m (edited)

Dax speaks in a loud whisper and gestures towards the shuttle. "Let's be ready to intercept him before he boards. I'm going to try a friendly approach first, but it could get ugly pretty fast so stay ready for anything." Dax strides ahead to make sure he's in between Saul and the ship. As the target comes closer, Dax's nerves spike as the moment is finally upon him after months of planning and posturing. "Harcrow!" He calls out in a gruff voice, hopefully sounding un-Dax-like. "I need just a moment of your time. Will you come with me?"

(talk/cha. Or perform, your choice)

(9)

His ears perk up for a moment. His curiosity has the best of him, and he begins walking over. "You sound like someone I used to know! " he shouts from 10m away , a hand chops and he sends his retainers back a few steps so he can actually see. The disguise seems to be holding in the sense that its confusing him enough. The voice doesn't belong to the uniform, though its unquestioningly a SCAF uniform. "Bartleby, that's not you is it? whats going on?"

(I had a maybe clever but definitely cheesy idea that's probably impossible at this point, so we're just going to have to YOLO.) "What? No! I'm not Bartleby. I was sent to retrieve you by Reydove. She said you might be stubborn about it, so... well this is awkward. Are you coming?"

At the mention of Reydove's name you can feel his demeanor change entirely. He moves right over to you "Is Lord Mazzio okay?, has he taken ill? She's been worried about him"

7:07 AM

he now stands 5m away, still jogging, waiting for an answer

(My cheese ball idea kind of depends on the interpretation of Teleport rules. I can't forcibly take an enemy with me when I teleport, but if he considers me an ally for the moment, I'm wondering if that falls within the rules and I can BAMF him out of here before I'm caught and bullets start flying.) "I... Well, sir, you'll just have to see for yourself. Quickly, please."

(I think he would since you've bothered to get disguises and have a plausible lie)

(As soon as he's within 3m I can teleport with him using Burdened Apportation) Dax looks to his companions for a brief second before making a snap decision. With Saul so close, he can get them both out and back to their initial landing zone in one jump. Brought too many men... can't get them all back at once. Dax looks into Saul's eyes as he teleports just the two of them out of Mount Home and across the surrounding ocean to the spot where he launched this infiltration. "Hey. Stay put, will you?"

3:40 PM

(For reference. 2 Effort spent for the day)

Saul is bewildered for a moment, wide eyed and adjusting to the sudden translocation he just went through - trying to figure out why mount home is suddenly thousands of kilometers away

(If there's enough time for a round to pass, I'm going to cast Void Barrier Instantiation in a box to hold him right here) "I gotta go get my friends. Be a good boy, please." Dax calls out to some of the crew that remained behind to tend the ship. "Keep an eye on this one! I'll be right back!"

(Round 1 would be getting him here. Six seconds would pass in the hangar and I think maybe the quickest witted people would realize something is wrong , six more seconds for a technique for round 2, that same six seconds is passing there, so we would be coming in at what is essentially round 3 of a situation we aren’t sure about, 18 seconds from his banishing having elapsed in total

(That all sounds good. I was more wondering about casting the spell if Saul would try to interrupt me)

6:57 PM

(But my goal is to get back as soon as I can to save the crew)

(I don’t think he would have pulled himself together in time to interrupt you)

As soon as the arcane barrier snaps into existence, Dax disappears once more to teleport back into the hanger he just left. He comes in prepared for a fight, but no weapons are visible yet. (Since teleporting is a Move Action, will I still have my Main Action this round to potentially attack someone if the scene is hostile?)

(yes since you didn't use it for anything)

8:51 AM

As you enter the hangar the quickest of the security team there is becoming aware something has happened and that your group is part of it. Weapons are just now becoming leveled and orders to surrender and stand down are being shouted. There will be a gunfight here in seconds of the situation continues.

(If the team hasn't scattered and we're all within 3m of each other, I can get them out.) "Woah, woah, woah guys! We were just leaving!!" As quickly as he is able, Dax extracts the team by teleporting all 10 of them out of the hanger and back to the landing zone where an imprisoned Saul is waiting. (3/5 Effort used for the day)

(they wouldn't have moved)

9:34 AM

Saul is just beginning to peace together the situation as you return.

"You didn't think I was just going to leave you there, did you?... Yeah, sorry about that. It was too many to take at one time. Anyways, weapons up. We've got business to be about." With a nod, he drops the barrier surrounding Saul and strolls toward him. "Hey. You're coming with us. Once we're all settled and happy and on our way out of here, we'll sit down and have a real chat. For now, I need to you empty your pockets and give me everything on your person. Hop to it."

(notice/wis)

(8)

He appears to have divested himself of all weapons, armor, and communications. He has even handed over the keys to his exquisite grav bike though it is back in the hangar.

"That'll do." He gets on comms to the whole ship's crew. "Pack it up and prep the ship boys, we got what we came for. We're going to attempt to sneak out the way we snuck in." With the crew preparing for a hasty retreat, Dax hurriedly escorts Saul in to the disguised Slyth vessel and brings him to a private quarter, grabbing a fresh set of clothes on the way there, not caring if they fit or not. Once inside the room, he tosses them at Saul. "Change. Now." Dax crosses his arms and leans against the wall to make sure there's no funny business while he complies.

(Evasion save)

1:17 PM

(His sneak was a 9)

(16 v 3 Success)

The circuit inlaid knife barely passes you by. You act on instinct rather than processing the threat directly. It quivers as it embeds itself into the doorframe.

(He just threw it, not stabbed with it, right? Does his posture lead me to believe we're about to have a fight? Or that was just a one-off? I want to respond appropriately)

(he threw it as a last ditch from his holdout pocket, but he missed and he does not have anymore. It was a one off)

Dax blinks and looks over at the knife that just whizzed by. He thinks for a moment about how to respond, before straightening up to speak. "You must not have recognized me yet. If you knew who I was, there is no way you would have just done that." A fiery mageblade appears in his hand in its preferred form of a sword. "I'm Dax. Dax Withers. We did business once, back on Chloe. I'm here to bring you in, and they happen to be paying more if you're warm, or we wouldn't be having this conversation." For dramatic effect, a second identical mageblade appears in his other hand. "While you are on my ship, you're going to be a perfect little prisoner, or your entrails will become your extrails and I'm only going to keep enough parts of you on board to identify you, and the rest of you is getting spaced before you stink up the place with your rotting corpse. Have I made myself clear?"

The uniform has thrown him off for a moment, as has the non-descriptor nature of the ship, but the mageblade has a surge of recognition

3:42 PM

"Withers. Right, with the brotherhood and that mob they sent at us. I remember the rockets and trying to escape.. I've also got questions"

"I'm perfectly happy to sit down and have a lovely heart-to-heart with you, but right now you need to strip down and put those clothes on. I don't trust you as far as I could throw you, and I'm very strong, so I could really throw you. I don't want anymore surprises."

He nods. He’s just broken your trust by throwing a knife at you, a very strange and interesting one at that. He complies. Knowing when he is beaten. “Sir! We gotta go!” The pilot shouts from the front of the ship

6:37 PM

“Someone scan him too! Make sure he’s not tracked !”

(I was wondering if it was in him or hidden in the clothes....) Dax immediately drops one of the mageblades picks up his comms. "What are we waiting for?! Get us off this rock! And do that other thing too! Get a scanner guy in here!!" He turns back to Saul. "What are you waiting for? Your clothes are right there." He drops the second mageblade to pluck the knife out of the door frame and brandishes it towards Saul. "Come on! If you don't do it, I'm going to cut them off you."

(it was in holdout cavity cyberware, so i suppose in him)

7:26 AM

Saul was already complying with the request as the scanning team begins trundling down the corridor towards you with the bulky medical imaging cart. You've seen a revenant knife before. Had this hit you, you would have fallen under Saul's control. This knife seems newly manufactured. It does not have the wear of age like other First Wave of Exploration relics such as this normally have.

(OOC I knew he was being tracked somehow but I hadn't gotten to the "how" yet.) "Pretty snazzy knife you have here," Dax says while turning it over for inspection. "Never seen one of these in person before... You know, on account of them being maltech and highly illegal in most civilized places. And doesn't this one just look brand new and unused... hm. I wasn't planning to make this a political issue. You know, just get in, grab you, get out, get paid. But maltech... being made fresh out here in Colonies' homeland? We might have ourselves a problem. I'm not the sharpest knife in the shed, but I can put two and two together sometimes."

"Sometim---" he winces, a as a pair of forceps digs into his neck without ceremony, pulling away a bloody scrap of flesh. Some of it is blinking. There is some applied pressure and the bug is silenced.

10:15 AM

"They've got a heading. Fighters are probably scrambling" Saul says confidently. "There's still time to give this up. Mazzio might even let you join since you're obviously a capable individual. "

10:15 AM

"Might get a rank higher than me even"

Dax pointedly ignores anything Saul is saying and pulls out his comms again. "Why aren't we in the air yet? I wasn't planning to stick around for the welcoming party!"

You feel the engines cycling up from their entirely off-state. The ship was kept silent to minimize the detection chance. The pilot begins getting the craft airborne, as long range sensors detect fighters circling, 500km away, on a grid pattern search.

"Alright, shut up and stay put. If we go down, you're going down with us. We can have tea or whatever later, once we're in spike." With that, Dax has the scanner screw leave and he walks out to jam the door and disable the panel within the room. A moment later, he appears in his chair on the bridge, ready to take charge. "What's the situation?"

"They haven't seen us yet, and if they do we can probably drop them quickly. It's them alerting the space forces I;m worried about"

"All we've got is a little sand blaster on this thing. You sure that's a good idea? I don't want space forces to notice us either, but wouldn't they already be alarmed either way? We just took a giant number two on them, er, from them. I mean to say we got their number two guy. That's a red alert all hands on deck if I know anything about anything, and boy do I."

He is not sure. The ship rises harshly on a daggerish course into the upper atmosphere. (program int, +2 for frigate sized, +2 for sensor shadowing, +2 for emissions dampers)

(On my way into the planet I used Sensor Shadowing, which doesn't allow for stacking with other stealth measures. The book description says it lasts 12 hours and I'm not sure how long this planet excursion has taken. If it's possible, I'm going to use it again if it's not still up. Sensor Shadowing is just a -5 to the opposed roll but only works against space stations or planetary scanners.) (I rolled a natural 9, so +2 (Frigate) and +2 (NPC skill check) makes it a 13 with their roll having a -5)

2:39 PM

(If it's not possible, I still rolled a hot 9 to add whatever you need to it.)

(The planet doesn’t get their +5 for being a planet , but the ships in space aren’t subject to that penalty so I’ll roll those )

9:44 PM

(Planet got a 5. 8 and 5 for the ships in orbit. You won’t be detected leaving )

(

hot) (Going to take the green route home.) Dax sits tense for most of the inter-system taxi'ing, on edge about being discovered and finding a psychic demi-god standing in their midst. When it seems they've slipped detection and make it to the system edge to enter spike space, he lets go of a huge sigh of relief. As soon as they translate into spike travel, Dax lets out a loud cheer on the bridge and over the ship comms. "WooooooEEE! That's how you do it, boys! Drinks are on me for life! Yes! Oooohhh man. That got pretty close there for a minute, whew." (The trip is 9 days back and I've only got one thing I want to do on the way: A conversation with Saul. If there's likely not to be any complications getting to Chloe, I'm happy to skip ahead.)

(We slipped the noose here, so we can do the conversation)

8:38 AM

(9xp, 5,000,000 credits)

5

(Ding! Level 16)

Level 16
HP: 109 -> 115
Focus: Psychic Training Level 1 - Teleport (Gain 3SP)
SP: 3 -> 1 Banked
3SP from Focus + 2SP from level up = 5SP -> Teleport 4
New Pyschic Technique: Deep Intrusion

2

There is too much space and not enough ships to cover it, you are undetected as you flee the system with your prisoner. Saul is resigned.

During the journey home, Dax makes sure Saul is taken care of. He eats the same food as everyone else and material comforts are provided. Dax lets him out of his cage at one point and invites him to the common area where he has drinks set out for the both of them. Ice water, fruit juice, tea, coffee, and even a bottle of whiskey are freely available. "Please, sit. Lets chat." Dax gestures that he's welcome to any of the refreshments.

You can see him hover at the sight of the whiskey for a moment, but stays his hand. "Better stick with coffee first. Never thought I'd have a cup of the Acastan good stuff again."

"Sure, whatever you like." Dax, seated at a table, leans in as Saul sits down. "Now, down to business. I've got questions, and I'm sure you do too. I'm going to be honest with you, and I would appreciate the same in return. First though: Who are you? I've only met you the one time on Chloe. We did business, it went well, I got paid, and everyone was happy. Then you disappeared into the void and the next thing I see is your name at the top of a 'Most Wanted' list."

"You know my real name. Saul Harcrow. Former UNW marshal and I was still acting as one when we met on Chloe all that time ago. I didn't expect the mission to lead me where it did, but when we met last I was still an agent of the UNW and was in good standing."

"Well... Then, what happened? Why leave? The UNW needed you as much as anywhere else did. Rebuilding after the Remnant war... the Shaper Crisis... More recently we've been defending our homes from a Ghoul lord, some Rachckchck invaders, slavers in the south, an evil mining overlord, the Still Lady came back... I mean, really. Why defect? And Silvano, of all people?"

“That’s just it , the UNW wasn’t doing anything about that. The government didn’t do a thing about the shaper crisis and they didn’t curtail the@power of the factions within either. When my sister brought her group out of the Gudrun wilds they banished her to the moon because she had tri green members and helldivers in her group. Just because of what they were, nevermind that the wars were over. Their existence was criminal and it made her existence criminal. I still don’t know what the UNW did with them. I saw a small group of people making themselves rich while the middle rotted away. I worked with Mazzio before the UNW cast him out too. He saw the same problems that I did and he was actually doing something about it. I stole as much material as I could. I joined him. I don’t the regret a thing”

"Huh." Dax shrugs and takes a drink. "Not what I expected, honestly. I figured your reasons would make sense, but man. Your perception of reality is just, so... just wow. I don't know anything about your sister, so that's too bad, whatever happened there. But for the rest... I don't even know where to start." "I'll just say this. Things are good. We've had struggles and growing pains, but the UNW recently 'federalized' or something and it's consolidated a lot of the factions' stuff and is supposed to be really good. I don't know, that's what advisors are telling me." "The Shapers, though. We did nothing? That's what you honestly believe? Man... I was picking Shapers guts out of my hair and clothes for weeks after all the fighting I saw. WITH the UNW, I might point out. I was there when we ended it, too. Standing alongside proud UNW members. Just... wow."

“It was too slow and it’s because the factions forced your hand. They disobeyed the government and mobilized their resources anyway. It’s good they did, but the government was powerless to stop it. Silvano offered to help me find out what happened to Abigail when this was over. I didn’t need fo think twice”

"Well fine. You have your reasons. It's obvious neither of us are going to change the other's mind. You think 'UNW bad' and I think 'It's not perfect but it's still good.' Is that a fair assessment?"

“I would say that’s fair”

"I'll leave you with this. Look past the mistakes of the past and see the UNW for what it is now. It's people. Working hard and making a living out here in the universe. Enjoy the rest of your flight, Saul." Dax stands and finishes his drink in one swig before leaving the room. (All done with in-flight entertainment. Onwards to Chloe for a transfer to a more reputable ship like the Trailblazer and then we're headed straight for UNW HQ.)

(9 days to Chloe and based on the current displacement of SCAF ships, they aren't in position to intercept)

8:26 AM

The trailblazer is waiting on the ground near the capital building and two squads of defense auxiliary soldiers are standing by for extra manpower if needed. The mood is tense as Saul's reputation is well established here in the UNW and especially on Chloe. Everyone is expecting Mazzio to appear, cause trouble and vanish again without warning at any time

Dax departs the Crimson Nomad next to Saul and ushers him straight towards the Trailblazer, ready to be rid of this cursed cargo as quickly as possible. He teleports around Chloe, hopping to a few odd places to do some quick last minute errands, taking a little time to visit Vorianu as well. "Hi... Um... Sorry for the whole..." Dax gestures at the 9 days of growth on his bald head. "It's honestly kinda scary. But... yeah, just dropping in to say hello and see if... maybe you want to do the last leg of this journey together? We got him, Yani, we really did it. We're on the home stretch now."

"I'd love to go with you. Would it be okay if I talk to him? I've had some questions about the early UNW and hearing it from someone who was there doesn't compare to reading about it"

"Yeah, of course. You can ask whatever you want as soon as we're safe in spike. I'm getting antsy just sitting here. Are you ready to go? I can get us back to the ship right now." Dax is almost hopping with anticipation.

"Yes, of course, lets get into spike space and get moving. We are so close now and I don't want you to remain this stressed"

With no fanfare, Dax teleports the two of them straight into the Trailblazer and gives the command to take her up and out of the system, setting a course for the headquarters of the UNW. (Looks like a 9-day journey by way of Parnika -> Thjodhild -> Tsatsos -> Gudrun) (I've got nothing planned for downtime, and I'm not sure if you wanted to play out Vorianu sitting and talking to Saul since that means you're playing 2 sides of a conversation Dax is just an audience for. If there's anything important to know, we could just do a cliff notes version of their talk.)

(She would mostly be asking about Abigail and it would be revealed that Saul truly doesn’t know what happened to her. Vorianu In her position as administrator would know that the UNW relocated them somewhat forcefully to the moon far before it was terra formed or survivable and they were not contacted again. Promised supply drops never arrived and when someone did finally stumble upon their settlement on the moon nobody was there

(

Yikes.) (Did she share that info with Saul? I can't imagine he'd be thrilled to hear it.)

(I think she would have probably solicited your opinion before doing so, given the nature of what you're doing right now)

Before arriving at Gudrun, Dax sits down with Saul again to have a chat. "Hey, I did some digging for you. Well, not really for you since I don't really owe you anything. But I was curious, so we leveraged some resources to find out about your sister. Long story short... she was forced out to Gudrun's moon with other settlers. Their settlement didn't last and didn't get the supply drops they needed to survive out there. No one really knows what happened to them. The settlement was empty the last time anyone saw it. Take it as a positive or a negative, but that's the best closure I can find for you here."

“I don’t have any regrets about what I did then. Whatever happens, inside I feel justified. Thank you Withers. You’re a good friend “

"I don't know about all that, but I'd like to at least think myself a decent person. Who knows, man. Maybe Abigail is out there somewhere. Maybe she got out." He lets out a long sigh. "I wish it didn't have to be this way. You and me could've done some real good out there, UNW or not."

“I thought that once. The UNW is the biggest albatross around its own neck. You’d be wise to get out while you can. You can still do the good I cannot”

"Nah... I'm not a quitter. For better or worse, they're my team. You don't quit on your team. I've got people relying on me. Shoot, I have a whole planet relying on me. I'll do my good there. I'm UNW for life. Bye, Saul." (I don't have anything else until we're there.)

The ship arrives in Gudrun with Saul aboard. There is no indication Silvano is aware of the culprit, or if he is, that he is planning on doing anything about it. The question now becomes what will be done with Mr. Harcrow now that he is about to be returned to UNW custody.

10:31 AM

A trial, certainly, but after, will be for the unity council to decide.

(How would you like to handle the transfer? The maltech is an important topic for Unity Council, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing with Saul himself)

(probably good to mention in unity chat)

2:34 PM

(let everyone decide what to do)

(sounds as though we've decided not to aggressively act on SCAF, and focus on counter-measures instead, not sure if this helps you advance or not)

Name: Dax Withers ~~-----------------------------------~~ Race: Human Background: Soldier Class: Adventurer (Warrior/Psychic) Level: 16 Max HP: 115 Max Sys Strain: 14 Base Atk Bonus: +7 ~~-----------------------------------~~ Attributes: ~~-----------------------------------~~ STR: 14 (+1) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 14 (+1) INT: 12 (+0) WIS: 11 (+0) CHA: 15 (+1) ~~-----------------------------------~~ Saves: ~~-----------------------------------~~ Physical: d20 vs 5 Mental: d20 vs 5 Evasion: d20 vs 4 Luck: d20 vs 6 ~~-----------------------------------~~ Skills: ~~-----------------------------------~~ Exert (1) Fix (2) Notice (1) Pilot (1) Program (0) Shoot (0) Stab (5) Talk (1) Teleportation (4) Trade (1) ~~-----------------------------------~~ Foci: ~~-----------------------------------~~ Arcane Physique, Dexterity (1) Limited Study (2) Mageblade (2) Psychic Training (2) Savage Fray (1) ~~-----------------------------------~~ (edited)

9:00 AM

HP: 115/115 Sys Strain: 2/14 ~~-----------------------------------~~ Weapon | Atk Bonus | Dmg | Shock Mageblade | +17 | 1d10+1d6+11 | 14 vs AC19 | ~~-----------------------------------~~ Psychic Effort: 7 Effort Remaining: 7 ~~-----------------------------------~~ Current AC: 20 Armor Worn: Combat Field Uniform, Force Pavis, Energy Buckler ~~-----------------------------------~~ (edited)

9:00 AM

Psychic Effort: 7 Effort Remaining: 7 ~~-----------------------------------~~ Known Techniques: ~~-----------------------------------~~ Personal Apporation Proficient Apportation Burdened Apportation Effortless Apportation Deep Intrusion Spatial Awareness Perceptive Dislocation Spatial Synchrony Mandala Stutter Jump Rift Reduplication Offensive Apportation

9:05 AM

Known Spells: ~~-----------------------------------~~ Ten Thousand Bullets Void Barrier Instantiation

Dax Withers pinned a message to this channel. 8/2/2022 9:07 AM

(Okay, I know we talked about the base on Tsatsos on that northern landmass type former colony area, I know you mentioned trying to talk to Billy , not sure where we left that off )

(We'll skip talking to Billy for now because IRL busy reasons. I'm headed to the Tsatsos base like you mentioned but I can drop in anywhere you like. If it's easier to start on Chloe to mobilize, I'm good with it. Or I can just tell you what and who I'm taking to skip ahead.)

(that's fine, let me know whos coming and what they're bringing to play with)

(Dax will travel with his usual contingent: (everything relevant is pinned) Ship: Trailblazer (80 tons of cargo space) Vehicles: Donner and Blitzen (vehicle mount fitting for 25 tons each, 50 tons total) Crew: 3 people from the original 5-member Dax crew. We're missing Peace, the older pilot woman. She earned her retirement. Also missing Tengu the Piggen because he has a growing family. That leaves Mirr, the gunner, Kells, the pilot, and Vorianu, the girlfriend. Backup pilot and backup gunner can be filled by nameless NPCs to bring our crew up to 5 total + Dax) (edited)

(sounds good to me, its 8 days from Chloe to Tsatsos, and we'll kick this off)

(I don't have anything for downtime. Dax is ready!)

The northern coast of Tsatsos is home to a colony where the Remnant were once working on shield tech. A previous explorer named Talos Cordova once passed through the area and found evidence of someone living there, but his expedition was more focused on recovery of certain technologies. Loriya has confirmed there is a cell living here, using the abandoned and EM shielded nature of the area to hide the electronic signals of their operations, and it is believed that these terrorists are still there. (edited)

1

Dax Withers is still a young man by most standards, just hitting 26 years old a few weeks ago. He took the mantle of leadership over Chloe years ago at this point, but it has taken its toll on him in return. He has more responsibilities and worries than someone his age ever should have to deal with, but he rose to the occasion back then because there was no one else. He rises to the occasion still, though with less jollity than his freewheeling former self would have. It has seemingly been fire after fire ever since the title of Governor was bestowed upon him. From the marauding criminals the Remnant left him, to the Rachk invasion, to this latest batch of insurgency, it would seem that Dax is destined to never get a good night's sleep ever again. It shows in the darkness under his eyes, in the slower measured gait he's adopted, and in the exasperated sense of humor that's as if he's trying to convince himself he's in better spirits than he truly is. That brings him here and now to Tsatsos. Through the measly bread crumbs of information he's uncovered himself along with the substantial investigative work of other UNW members, he has finally reached a point where he can tangibly do something. So much of his job recently has been chasing rabbit trails and tying off loose ends in paperwork that feels so much like bailing water out of a sinking ship. He couldn't even take part in the UNW intervention of his own planet because he was stuck in a humanitarian crisis that could have been better off without him, for all he knows. He prefers the simpler times. He could show up, swing his weapon at a few people, and really solve problems with an immediate payoff. But now, now he can show up and mess with the malevolent people who dared to set Chloe in their sights. He can finally make a meaningful impact again.

3:12 PM

Upon translating out of spike travel back into real space, Dax makes his way to the bridge of the Trailblazer, ready to assess the situation. He steps up to Vorianu from behind, laying a hand on her back as they both stare out at the molten planet below. She'll never know how much she means to him, that she's still here at his side through all of this. Her steadfast presence is a pillar of his life and a very necessary force keeping all the plates spinning alongside him. "Have we verified the base with visuals yet? It would be great to know ahead of time what we're jumpi-- ah, you know what. Forget I asked. I can see all of the volcanic fog from here. If it were as easy as looking at it through a satellite, we'd have had them way before now. Looks like we'll be doing this the old-fashioned way, which I can't say I'm sad about. It'll be like the good ol' days! Getting up close and personal to solve problems!" He gives a somewhat humorless laugh. "If I know you, you probably already have the VTOL ready, right?"

The VTOL is indeed ready , and can be ready to move whenever you say. The lander is going to have the same difficulties getting an electronic reading on the ground

"Alright, well let's not bother Billy. As much as I'd like to chat over coffee, I think we're both a bit too preoccupied for that. We'll be about our business and catch up later. Ready to roll out!" Dax and Vorianu hop in the VTOL together, leaving the other crew to stay behind and man the ship. "Be prepared to back us up if it gets too hot. Keep the engines warm and all that. Thanks!" The space fittings of the VTOL allow it to drop in from orbit and fly all the way down to the surface, aiming to set down several miles away from the reported location of the base. "Stay with the lander, will you? I'll want to hop back here if it looks like it's going to be too much for me. This first part is more of an exploratory trip, anyways. Just want to see what I'm up against, you know?"

"Of course, we likely won't have radio contact on the ground once we get there, if there's a problem you'll have to physically return to the lander. I'll keep the engines on for you but we're going to lose contact with the ship too. The EM waves down there are going to do a number on all our electronics"

"Well hopefully there won't be any lasting damage to them. If it looks like we're going to lose flight control, just get out of here. I can always find you," he says with a warm smile. "For now, lets just see what happens." Dax returns to looking out at the planet below as they come closer to landing.

(I don't think there'd be much more to see upon landing, more of getting close to the colony. Talos has been there once before so let me grab the floorplan from his thread, and thats probably all the info we'd have really gleaned)

9:27 AM

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 8/8/2022 9:27 AM

Dax double checks his gear as they touch down and gives Vorianu a quick kiss before hopping out onto the desolate landscape a few miles away from the target. He sighs and stretches for a minute as the VTOL takes off again to find a safe place to park. "Alright, then... Nothing to it," he says to no one before zapping away towards the base. Using a combination of Effortless Apportation to teleport himself behind rocks for cover and carefully poking his head out to check for surveillance, he methodically makes his way closer to the base in a fashion quite unlike the carefree Dax of adventures past. (Would it be safe to assume that he could take a bit of time and teleport himself around the place from a distance away? Just to scope it out from all sides without getting too close yet.)

(Around it would make sense, I don't think inside it)

(Basically just hopping around to find a "soft spot." Looking for a way in that may be less guarded, if that's possible. I'm not sure which way I'm intended to come in on the map.)

(There isn't really an intended way, this is just the map I have to work with)

10:09 AM

You spend close to two hours teleporting around the city, ensuring you keep a kilometer or two of distance away from the settlement and are able to see that the eastern approach is more of a rocky mountain than the rest might be, and there are probably fewer people watching that side as there are no defenses or ramparts there. It is evident Someone is here, there are faint readings coming off the once in development Remnant colony now that you're close and within the EM field.

Satisfied with his mental image of the place, Dax decides it's time to get moving and see what sort of damage he can do. The eastern approach looks the least bad... He teleports himself up to the side of the closest building (looks like whatever that thing is east of the hospital is where he'd land.)

It looks like this is a dome covering power generation equipment, and the hospital is directly linked in in the event the rest of the city loses power from its primary geothermal power source. You hear the sounds of tools from inside the building, within the dome.

(Is there a way inside or is it just a solid wall around where I'm standing?)

(On top of the dome it is just solid dome)

(Oh I thought I was on the side of it, not on top. Either works.) Dax looks around from his vantage point to find the entrance to this particular building, prepared to teleport down to the walkway outside the doors if need be.

There is a window ledge below you and dropping down to it you see inside where there are two engineers trying to get the backup reactor started. It sounds like the machinery is choking, starved of fuel or something to break down for nuclear fission.

Dax weighs his options for a moment before shrugging and teleporting right into the midst of them. "What seems to be the matter here? Have you tried turning it off and back on again?" He makes no attempt to convince them that he actually belongs here since he's lacking a disguise or any of the other trappings of verifiable personnel.

“Who are you?” One exclaims. The other says something like wondering where you came from. Both seem willing to fight if necessary (edited)

"Me? I fix stuff!" He summons the mageblade and plunges it into the console they were working on to render it useless. "There! All fixed!" (Basically just looking to cause some havoc in the already choking power system)

There is a siren that sounds somewhere else within the shielded colony as the console is smashed and whatever systems it controls now no longer have someone at the helm (edited)

(Are they going to pull weapons and attack me or?...)

1:49 PM

(If I'm free to get out of there I'm going to hop around a bit)

(We're going to need initiative if we're getting into combat)

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Roll: [2] Result: 4 Request: [1d8+2]

Nekosmash

used /roll

Nekosmash Roll: [8] Result: 8 Request: [1d8]

The two techs draw pistols first, opening fire on you with quick and practiced motions

10:02 AM

!roll 2 d20+3

Nekosmash

used /roll

Nekosmash Rolls: [15] Result: 18 [8] Result: 11

(I don't think an 18 hits you, the 11 clearly does not)

(Correct. AC is 20)

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Roll: [8] Result: 25 Request: [1d20+17]

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Roll: [10][5] Result: 26 Request: [1d10+1d6+11]

"Woah! That's a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" He begins his swing and teleports into the both of them mid-windup before unleashing a sweeping horizontal attack with his mageblade. (25/26, 14 AoE shock vs AC 19 if the other guy is in melee range with me too)

Both of the techs fall, cut through by the mageblade. Their weapons scatter across the deck from open hands, and their blood begins soaking the catwalk.

2:54 PM

(end of combat)

(But now there's an entire compound alarm going off because the console was destroyed, right? That informs how I proceed)

(The alarm is going off because you destroyed vital controls and now some part of the reactor isn’t working right. It’s not specifically an intruder alert , but it is alerting the locals to a problem)

(Ah, understood. Thank you.) Maybe they'll be distracted and this will work in my favor.... In order to avoid more unwanted attention, Dax makes himself scarce and teleports back out of the building to land on top of the dome once more. He scans the area from his vantage and decides to get in closer to the main part of the campus, opting to teleport to the tip of the dome next to the engineering building and warehouse.

(notice/wis)

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Roll: [4, 4] Result: 9 Request: [2d6+1]

You can see the roof of what looks to be a medical building right across the dome from you. A small unmanned helicopter is on the roof and looks to be spooling its engine up to launch. Shouts echo through the packed colony streets as workers and engineers begin rousing, and you can hear the distant sounds of a heavy vehicle being turned on to help with the engineering crisis. Most of the movement of people on the streets seems to be done through buildings and tunnels, and as its only been a handful of seconds since the alarm has gone off, there is not yet much activity.

Sabotage and confusion is the name of the game, Dax thinks while he jumps to the roof with the helicopter, mageblade still in hand. He does a quick once-over to figure out where he could permanently disable the vehicle the quickest. (Unless someone is there to stop me, I'd like to just hack my way through whatever component looks the most important to this thing being able to fly.)

(no one is on the roof. If we lop the tail boom/rotor off all its going to do when it gets airborne is rotate and crash, but it is a vehicle, and I don't think the mageblade is a heavy weapon, so we'd need probably a couple attack/damage rolls. My thinking is if ithis takes a few hacks, someone might show up)

Seeing no easy target, he gets to work hopping into the air and slashing at the back rotor, using micro-teleports to get the height he needs and dropping back to the deck. (I'll just roll a few attacks and see how it long it might take based on that.)

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Rolls: [16] Result: 33 [7] Result: 24 [12] Result: 29

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Rolls: [5][5] Result: 21 [10][1] Result: 22 [3][6] Result: 20

(top 3 are attack, bottom 3 are corresponding damage rolls)

The helicopter tail boon is shorn off, and the drone begins to spin as it lifts off trailing thin wisps of black smoke. It crashes into the street below in a fireball, sending shrapnel pinging off the surrounding buildings.

(Is there any line of sight to the Engineering building from where he is? If there's any windows that would be his next target.)

(Its the one you teleported from, so yes)

(I guess I'm confused about where I came in and what buildings I've tagged then.) (I'm not throwing stones here because I'm happy to roll with whatever makes the most sense, but I think there have either been a couple miscommunications or I've just misunderstood thus far. As I understand it, I scouted around the outskirts of this compound and decided to approach from the east as you said it looked more mountainous and rocky so there could be less defenses on this side. I teleported up to the side of the #1 building (which turned into "on top of," but that's no big deal) My understanding was that I hopped down to a window on that same building to get inside and mess some stuff up. After that I popped back up to the roof of the same #1 dome and said I wanted to teleport to the dome next to engineering, which I'm not sure if that actually happened or not (that's the "2?" marking with a dashed line). I made a notice/wis check and hopped to the roof of the hospital to wreck the helicopter which I know for sure what and where that happened. So I guess I'm just wondering if my understanding lines up with what has happened so far.) (My overall goal here is mainly to cause confusion with quick sabotage at several different spots to perhaps give the illusion there's more than 1 person doing the work. Eventually he'd like to find more critical areas and sabotage them while finding some higher-ups to harass.)

(I;ll try to reason this out, standby)

(Not trying to cause trouble, just want to be on the same page as you and I'm not sure I was.)

(Your understanding is correct, 1 is the engineering building, we teleported to the top of it and went inside and smashed things, we then teleported to hospital and greased up the helicopter, and that's where we are now, deciding where to TP next. Per my notes, we never went to 2) (edited)

(The word "Engineering" is typed in hard-to-read white letters inside that building next to 2. That seems to be where the communication breakdown was.)

11:40 AM

(No matter. I've got it sorted now and will proceed.)

(How did you want to proceed)

(Carefully yet recklessly. I've been simmering a bit how to continue.) Dax drops to the deck for the last time after shearing off a helicopter's tail and watching it unravel before him. It's not often you get a chance to just break stuff. It's nice to let loose for a while... After a brief moment watching the scene, he looks west and disappears again, reappearing on top of the next dome (labelled 2) to survey for his next and softest target.

From here, you can see the fire truck approaching the crash site. There are six workers on it, wearing thick reflective suits with fire retardant coatings on them. Two of them sit in the cab driving, the other four ride along.

(Crazy idea. Would Dax be able to teleport into the cab? Like if there's a middle seat or just a clear enough space to get right in their business. Doesn't seem practical but it does sound fun.)

(yeah there is a space behind them, where the rest of the fire crew would normally sit)

Ha... this oughta be something. Dax focuses his target in his mind's eye, setting his intention. He blinks and reappears within the response crew's vehicle directly behind the driver's seat. "Hey! Where are we headed?"

There is confusion and one of the drivers bails out, spinning and rolling down the road as the truck continues down the street at speed. They seem too stunned in these few seconds to react.

"That's not very polite! Oh well, see you guys!" Dax stabs once into the vehicle's console with the fiery mageblade before disappearing back to his rooftop to watch the chaos unfold.

The vehicle comes to a halt, the steering wheel still working, but most of the other instruments no longer working. After taking close to two blocks to bleed off momentum and come to a halt, the crew begins to bail out.

"Aw... phooey. Oh well." Dax returns his attention to the larger scene unfolding below him. Alright, enough playing around. Time to get to the important bits... He searches for his next target to infiltrate, looking for something more official or administrative in nature.

(notice/wis)

Dax Withers

used /roll

Dax Withers Request: [2d6+1] Roll: [4, 2] Result: 7

You believe the monitor habitat is the most important part of the facility. It looks to be the nerve center of the operations here and looks to be where the damage control team came from.

Let's find someone important... Dax waits until the right moment when a door opens on the monitor habitat building before he teleports himself over to it to catch it before it closes. (If that's possible. I'd also understand if I run into someone coming through the door that I need to deal with. Or I'll just attack it another way if that's implausible.)

(If you have deep intrusion you could get inside without having seen it before)

(Dax has every TP ability now since rebuilding my sheet. I'll just do that then for 1 Effort.)

(I'll get you an interior map)

7:29 AM

(We would be at the stairwell coming in from the roof)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 9/12/2022 7:29 AM

Dax appears in the landing of a stairwell, thankful no one was immediately there to upset his stealthy approach. He focuses for a moment, calming his heart rate and activates Spatial Awareness before cracking open the door into the reception lobby. (The psychic may Commit Effort as an On Turn ac- tion to gain an intuitive 360-degree awareness of their physical surroundings. The sense is roughly equivalent to sight out to 100 meters, though it cannot read text or distinguish colors. It is blocked by solid objects but is unimpeded by darkness, mist, blinding light, holo- grams, or optical illusions. The sense lasts as long as the Effort remains Committed to the technique.)

(We wouldn't be able to get through the walls here)

12:11 PM

The lobby area is empty. this was meant to be an office building once, but no business is being done here, and no one needs to mind the stairwell to direct visitors.

(Yeah I will just keep it active throughout this scene so I have awareness of anything that's open/accessible)

(sounds good, figured so, just meant to communicate itll be room by room for anything you discover with it)