Iron Stars - EP Log Ship Boarders

Aboard another vessel, the Protectorate team responsible for securing the jammed log-ship begins moving into place. Though not truly disabled, the Protectorate is going to attempt to take the ship anyway, depositing a small elite team of soldiers to try to take the bridge before the jamming can be cut through.

No longer Captain Artema, for the course of this boarding mission, Daira is on her way to get her equipment, when she hears sounds, from inside a locker. She gently knocks at it. "Hey, someone in there?" ( @Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) )

(How are we going to board the log ship? Should I have the station teleport me to where you are for now?)

As Daira's hand touches the locker handle, Moff comes tumbling out in a pile of limbs and wing. Startled, ashamed, and smelling of burnt oiled tarmac with a heavy sprinkling of tajin, the noctua looks woefully up at the priestess and wimpers, "Is it over?"

(Thats fine. We cant teleport directly onto the enemy ship though)

1:49 PM

(boarding will be done via boarding tube)

Daira looks confused, then gently smiles, ignoring any possible smell, out of courtesy. "Moff! I hope you found what you had been searching for in there. As for the space combat, yes, Ognyena and her Prophet protected us, and guided our weapons. We have won, without any losses. We prepare to board the Logistics Ship that they tried to protect. I wonder what is in there." She thinks for a moment, almost lost in thought, but then her eyes focus on Moff again. " You. You might know more about them than any of us do. And there might be Noctua in there as well. I know you aren't one to run into combat at all cost. But you could really be our trump card of knowledge in there. And by my love to the Prophet, I could protect you."

"I uhh... Yes! I did. Find what I was looking for." They dust themself off and pull a- that is, their own- vac suit from the locker. "I will accompany you, if there is a vanguard. No noctua is particularly fond of battle but we cannot let that stop us." Moff does not share their fear that noctua captives on a Chimerian ship may no longer be noctua, and not of their own volition either.

Grim having received coordinates shared between the Elysium sheep and his station is able to obtain a transporter lock for long enough to get him to the Elysium ship. Once there he will look to join the rest of the boarding team. “Good to see you all. Hopefully we can liberate the vessel with minimal loss of life”

Daira looks Moff deep into their eyes before touching Moff's upper body, the same way any Paragon intrudes personal space. "Don't worry. In there might be unspeakable dangers. And in some corners we might be the spearhead of our boarding operation. But the Prophetess and Ognyena are with us, they have shown during battle in space. Additionally, I have undergone a special Black Phoenix VIP Protection and Extraction training. And I finished that training as the best of the four participants. So that is that. What I want to say is that I am trained in protecting the vulnerable against any and all threats, and be it with my own body. So you are safe with me." That is when Grim appears, a person still very well and fondly known by Protectorate citizens. Daira's eyes widen when she sees grim. "Torgrim Gulaksen, friend of the Prophet, it is an honor to meet you. You at our side will see the Prophetess bless us even more."

“It is an honor to meet you as well. This battle went well I am impressed by how skilled the Elysium captains are. Hopefully we can replicate the success in these boarding operations and seize the ships with as little life lost as possible.”

Moff blinks at Grim and rattles out a "Hello, Torgrim. I am Moff. Thank you for taking care of my compatriots. A pleasure." They wonder though, if the priestess actually understood that saying there were 'unspeakable dangers' was not reassuring. And not only that but Moff had had the utmost horror in seeing the results of chimerian activity on Uloth. Maybe unspeakable was right, but only for it's gruesome rendering of their lost home. They shake.

The boarding tube begins powering up, and the iris side doors leading into the Protectorate ship open, allowing you to pass inside as the steel headed penetrator begins heating, preparing for the process of burrowing into the compartment of the enemy log ship. It is unknown what the crew compliment might be, or what races they might entail .Shipside briefing over the last half hour has essentially boiled down to the age old, prepare for anything

Daira gets ready to enter the boarding tube, but before entering it she turns around once more. "Ognyena and her Prophetess are here, with us. Have trust in the flames that burn bright in your hearts." Daira closes her eyes. "Ognyena, fill us with the strength and grace of Fire, the strength to be fiery and bright. Let us be like the duality of Fire, the Fire that hurts and that in death purifies those who are evil, the Fire that feeds us and keeps us healthy forevermore. this is the harmony of the Celestial Fire. Prophet, be a wall of fire if we ever need it." She opens her eyes again. "May the flame in your hearts always guide your way. And may my blessing in Ognyena's name protect any of you." She then turns, ready to go.

9:52 AM

(Drill is punching through at 18)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 6/24/2022 9:52 AM

Shaking subsided to trembling, Moff follows toward the mid-rear of the boarding crew. For now, their suit is unsealed to allow a flow of air; if there are other noctua, Moff will smell them before they see them.

"Once the other side opens, get out, spread out, take cover. We will be the easy targets." Daira places herself closer to the front and prepares to rush out as soon as the door opens.

THere is a long squealing sound as the drill burrows into the back of the enemy ship, above the engines. Shrieking and hissing as coolant, heat, and raw kinetic pressure is all applied in equal amounts as needed, the lights in the pod shut off as the final punch through is made, and the leaf iris doors open revelaing the interior of the gymnasium on the long haul log cruiser

As they prepare to enter the enemy ship Grim checks with Daira and Moff “Shall I initiate a telepathic connection between us as well as using my abilities to augment your physical strengths?” (Offering to establish unity of thought between us and use pattern optimization)

12:32 PM

(I think that would be useful since it would me an the non-noctua can get a read on the noctuan pheromone readings, plus they can't get horribly separated and ambushed) "Is there a potent downside? If it is not too strenuous on your body I would be glad to have the support."

"I would appreciate that as well, Torgrim. If it is not too strenuous."

(Sorry never lit up for me. 7/10 strain remaining) Grim extends biosponic energies into Moff and Daira pushing them to the peak of their capabilities he then telepathically links them. Checking, is everyone able to hear me ok? (edited)

Oh! This is just like the hive network! Yes, I can feel you just fine, Torgrim!

"This is amazing! Almost as if Ognyena and the Prophet would talk to me. Moff, don't be too far from me and Torgrim." With her sword ready Daira steps into the gym area.

Grim follows behind Daira entering into the gym area and scanning the room for any threats

Moff stays at the edge of the boarding tube's end, waiting for the others to signal that it is all clear before they make their way further in. How far is too far?

"Don't know. Just so we could get to you if we are faced by dangerous opposition. We should move quickly anyway, this area is quite open, with many doors facing us. Do you smell Noctua, Moff?"

Completely disrobing their head, Moff leans forward and they take their equivalent of a huge sniff: wildly waving their antennae around to capture the minute particles in the air.

The room is empty , the gym abandoned when the Protectorate fleet entered the system. The call of battle stations and bringing the ship to general alert has taken all hands. There is still power in this section of the ship but it flickers either due to battle damage or violence of the boarding tubes entry.

(I take it that being empty means Moff doesn't smell any other noctua pheromones?)

(Correct. Empty as in nobody is here )

12:47 PM

(I want to point out too that this pheromone thing is not part of their write up or mechanics. It might be in a future edition if I can think of a balance but this is some world building thing that was at first harmless and it’s turning into something being weighed much more heavily than it was ever intended to be. ) (edited)

(That's fine. I was thinking it would act more of a notice/smell thing than an actual mechanic)

A long second of deep sniffing and Moff shakes their head side to side. No, I don't sense any other noctua Priestess, at least not here. Maybe they're being kept somewhere else, if there are any at all. They slide from the boarding tube's exit and shift anxiously behind Daira and Grim.

"Okay, might be easier if there are only Chimerans here, but we will know once we have the ship under our control." "We should go from room to room and make sure they can't flank us." She points somewhat straight forward. "Let us start there." (She points at room 21)

“You have lead so I will follow you.” Grim says as he prepares to follow to room 21

Crossing the hall into 21 you hear the sounds of heavy items being thrown onto their sides, or abruptly hitting the floor. The door to the room looks to be closed and you're not sure what might be going on behind it. You can also hear rustling in the two locker rooms flanking you.

"Grim, do you have any tricks that might open up these doors?" "Someone, watch out for the Locker Rooms behind us!"

Being at the rear, Moff's head snaps behind them and their wings arch as if primed for something. Their claws scratch against the metal of their rifle.

“If it was just locked I could try and pick it. But it sounds like they barricaded it and can’t manipulate their minds without seeing them. I suggest we focus on the locker rooms. If these people are barricading themselves in, they likely don’t want to fight anyway and can be handled after the more immediate threat.”

Daira nods, draws her sword and slowly walks towards one of the locker rooms, as if being sneaky would yield anything in this situation. She signals Grim, Moff, and the rest to get ready and storm the first locker room.

Doing their best to make cover, Moff props a lifting bench against a weight rack and crouches behind it. The lip of the bench is used to steady the jittering rifle. I'll watch the other door, just in case.

(which one are we checking first, left 19, or right? )

(It doesn't matter to me, I've got no tactical sense and neither does Moff)

(doesn't matter to me either, so left)

(if no one else has a preference, we will go with left)

(Left works)

The left bathroom is quiet and the smell of moisture fills the air. The air is warm and you are forced to pass through a steam filled shower room before getting into the wider common area beyond.

"Ognyena, Keeper of the Celestial Flame, make me see where others don't" As she says that, her amber colored eyes, flicker, like a flame, and she tries to see through the steam to avoid dangers waiting behind it. (One point of Effort is spent to activate the Inward eye: Commit Effort as an On Turn action. For as long as it remains Committed, you are mystically aware of your surroundings with a sense equivalent to normal eyesight regardless of darkness, obscuring mists, or your actual eyes being closed or blinded. 4/6 Effort remaining as Purified Body is active as well, which negates any need for sleep, food, water, or air.)

You can see two Chimeran marines readying shots behind the steam, using overturned changing benches as improvised cover and shooting positions.

"Take cover! Opposition behind the steam! I could rush through the stream, and battle them, giving you a chance to shoot. Are you in agreement with that?" Daira asks through their telepathic connection

As Moff hides further behind the weight bench, they notice some of the free weights. What about throwing a weight in as a distraction?

”I am more of an up close fighter” Grim says as he ignites his mind blade and also prepares to enter into combat

Then you are both going to rush in? Moff chimes nervously, having wrapped a large towel around a 1 kilo weight. They heft it, ready to hurl it over the rest of the boarding party as a means to hopefully distract.

yes. Don’t worry though we should be fine.

They whimper but don't say anything more, primed to make their throw at a signal. Their rifle sits ready at their side, propped up on the edge of a bench.

(We can say one or two more things but the enemy is going to start shooting after that) (edited)

"On three. One. Two. Three." Daira rushes forward with her sword drawn. If she gets to one of the Chimerans she would try to stab forward. (16/12) (edited)

One of the Chimerans is wounded, and his companion combat rolls a bit to the left, preparing to fire their own weapon toward the steam.

(Should i roll initiative before I attack?)

(no one else did, so go ahead)

Grim goes for the other Chimeran making a clean slice through his carapace (28/18)

Left behind in the action and not wanting to brick the priestess instead, Moff tosses the weight back down and shoulders their rifle, watching the other locker room door and the right hallway. (Hold action to fire, but uhh did we grab ship safe weapons? The default Moff has is a laser rifle.)

(they were surely available)

(I'll just assume there was one in that locker that Moff hid in)

(void carbines or melee weapons are currently the only ship safe weapons where we have no risk at all of breaching something)

12:20 PM

The second of the chimeran marines is cut down almost instantly, fungal head rolling free of the body to spill out of its otherwise intact combat helmet.

Grim heads over to the fallen Chimerans and begins searching for any key cards, security devices, or similar items that might be useful getting around the ship.

(We are still in combat Grim)

(Oh sorry.)

(There’s one enemy still up. Moff still has a turn )

(Thought there was only two. Wasn’t trying to skip him)

)there is. Dai wounded one. You killed the other. The wounded first one isn’t dead )

(Got it. Makes sense now)

Nekosmash

(There’s one enemy still up. Moff still has a turn )

(Moff is watching the other entrances for cover so my action was to hold action. I thought I got the rules right but do I have to 'use' it?)

(Holding your action just takes your move , you still would have a main action which you can use.

5:56 AM

(You don’t have to use it but you do still have a main action available. If you want to be skipped then it’s back to dai

(Skip please, makes more narrative sense.)

(I acted as if it was a surprise round, without asking if it even was one. Do we roll initiative now? Or should the last Chimeran get a chance to act now?)

(I don’t think he can even hurt you with the -4 for clubbing up unless he crits so let’s not waste the time getting initiative

Daira, being as close to her opponent as she is, tries to circle around her opponent and slash him, trying to use the fact that she has a melee weapon, but her opponent does not. (22/9)

The blow is clean, sending another headless body to the floor, leaving only the sound of the water running and heavy breathing remaining in the rooom.

Is it over?

(the enemy force in this bathroom are dead, yes)

"Yes. And no. There is nobody left here, but there surely are many left on this ship. Ognyena's gift made their cover obsolete, but we might not always be so lucky." Daira would look around to clear the rest of this locker room.

There are no other foes within the locker room.

"Clear!" "Should we check the other locker room next? To make sure nobody is hiding there as well?"

I haven't seen any movement from it, but that does not mean they are not lying in wait. Moff shifts position, switching to the other knee and peering more intently toward the other locker room.

Right 19 does not have water running in it, or steam. The lockers also look to be free of Noctua hiding in them, and to that matter free of anyone who might be hiding inside and waiting.

Getting the better look inside, Moff corrects themself. On second glance, it's pretty empty. Do you want to do a sweep anyways just in case?

"Yes. Unless Grim thinks otherwise. But if we march forward, I don't want anyone to shoot us in our backs." Daira walks through the steam again and gets to Moff's side, so she isn't exposed to any dangers alone.

”we can check. Although I do worry the longer we take the more time we give them to organize a defense or delete sensitive files..” Grim says as he searches the bodies for key cards

Priestess, would you sweep the locker room please? There is something I just want to check first. Leaving Daira to do whatever she deems and Grim to his searching, Moff floats toward one of the doors and checks what kind of locking system it uses. Grim may be looking for a key card, but if it needed a combination of bioscanners and/or lock, they might have to do some more ethically grey actions.

To spare them the work, Daira would check the other Locker room.

The room is still empty, and these Chimerans in the left locker room were low ranked house-guard, and were not permitted into the more sensitive areas of the ship. There is nothing on them that will make bypassing the existing security systems easier.

Not finding any security devices and realized his companions wish to search the other locker room Grim agrees ok let’s check the other room then.

(right 19 is empty)

"Nobody here. Where to next? Oh and Moff, anything new concerning the Locks?"

*let’s go along the outer hallway (either of the 5s) if we take the auditorium they have plenty of places to set up defenses and I feel like we will be in a kill box. But again you are leading so I will follow.” (Recommending going around but whatever Dai says I am good with and will follow)

The locker rooms were not priority enough for them to bother with putting their higher tier security technology on here. We will only find out later with more critical rooms, I suppose. Moff returns to the others, and gives an apprehensive look down the corridor.

(left or right 5 im good with either, just have to see what the group wants to do so I know what to describe)

(left 5 then)

(No opposition. Left is fine.)

Heading down Left 5 you hear a skittering sound in the rooms beyond, though you cannot see anyone. There is also the gentle squeal of metal being dragged against metal, like something heavy is being pulled across the deck .

"Maybe Grim was right. Should we ditch safety and go faster, to interrupt them?"

I am not versed I'm ship combat at all, but rushing seems like more of a danger to me. Rushing means mistakes.

“My experience tells me that sounds like heavy weapons being dragged into place. I could be wrong but, that’s what happened when Ivan, Teucer, and I fought the pirates on Heras. If we don’t get there quick it could mean more danger, but your call”

"Torgrim, you are the way superior here, I am not even a full Priestess, and you were a friend of the Prophet. So let us follow your assessment and rush forward." With that thought out, Daira prepares to run forward.

With that Grim also begins rushing hoping he is either wrong about the heavy weapons or fast enough to get there before they are fully set up

Moff skitters behind, claws clutching their firearm. They don't say more than a mental whimper.

(lets get intiiative for this)

(4)

!roll 1d8

Grim Roll: [3] Result: 3

(3)

!roll 1d8+1

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [6] Result: 7

!roll d8

Nekosmash Roll: [6] Result: 6

(Moff, marines, Dai, Grim)

(Is there a visible access panel/door switch mechanism from where the party is?)

(There is not)

Caught up in the sudden, tumbling current of rushing forward, Moff ends up hugging the corner of the hallway in the same situation as before; unsure of what else to do but shoot at the first chimerian they see. (Holding to fire on trigger, end turn)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 7/1/2022 10:38 AM

Five Chimeran marines appear, as surprised to see you as their insectoid faces can convey. They are dragging a heavy cutter with them, and it drops onto the deck with a thump from their position five meters from you .

!roll 1d20-1+1 !reaction shoot void carbine

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [5] Result: 5 Reason: reaction shoot void carbine

(missed)

3:07 PM

Two of the marines immediately begin setting up the heavy cutter, working to get the tripod unfolded and power cell hooked up (setting up weapon) the other three, seeing the melee focused members of the group stow their void carbines and instead draw long coral looking combat blades, preparing to fight.

That was a dangerous situation that unfolded right in front of her. She promised to defend Moff, and she will. She runs up in front of Moff, passing them, allowing the Noctua to still participate in this fight, while posing as an impenetrable wall for any Chimeran attacks. And as the heavy cutter is just five meters from Moff, Daira even gets to try to slice off pieces from one of the Marines who handles the cutter. (Screen an Ally(Moff)-Move Action, Sword Attack-Main Action 18/9 | As long as Moff doesn't move more than 5 meters away from Dai now, Dai should be able to try and Screen up to three attacks against Moff, including one area of effect/special attack) (edited)

The blade wounds one of the gunners , but does not kill them.

7:54 AM

(Grim)

!roll 4d6

Grim Roll: [6, 4, 2, 2] Result: 14

Grim reaches out to the other gunner with violent biosponic energies hoping to take him down before he can activate the heavy weapon. (14damage but physical saving. Damage triples if failed) he then moves into melee range with the three wielding blades hoping to draw their attacks so they don’t fall on his friends. (6/10 strain remaining) (edited)

!roll d20

Nekosmash Roll: [12] Result: 12

(passes, 14 wounds but not kills)

4:56 PM

(back to Moff)

Readjusting their grip from being startled by the chimereans' sudden appearance, Moff takes another shot before dipping behind Daira.

8:19 PM

!roll 1d20-1+1 !reaction shoot void carbine (edit: wow Moff, you really do suck at this gun thing) (edited)

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [1] Result: 1 Reason: reaction shoot void carbine

The shot misses, wildly off course but smoke and the smell of low grain powder fills the corridor. With the gunners engaged, the two riflemen move aside, firing in the direction of Dai.

8:48 AM

!roll 2 d20+5

Nekosmash Rolls: [3] Result: 8 [7] Result: 12

(miss and miss) The shots go wide at the fast moving Khan in waiting, as she readies her own assault

8:49 AM

(dai, then grim)

Daira effortlessly evades the incoming attacks, and is even able to get into a better attacking position. On sudden step forwad. One sudden stab forward. Then she looks the Chimeran into their eyes, as she knows she scored a good hit. (27/14)(still screening Moff) (edited)

Previously wounded, this final blow neatly beheads the first of the gunners and the helmet tumbles away from the body.

7:00 PM

(grim)

Grim moves quickly to engage the first melee Chimeran performing a flawless kata as he strikes (27/16)

The finishing move is flawless indeed as the second of the two heavy weapon gunners falls, leaving only two riflemen.

6:00 AM

(Back to Moff)

If Daira were to listen closely, she might pick up the faint whimpering from the noctua behind her. Still, Moff tries their best to do something other than cower.

6:20 AM

!roll 1d20-1+1 !Shoot void carbine at other gunner

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [10] Result: 10 Reason: Shoot void carbine at other gunner

The shot is missed, and the two riflemen draw combat blades, leaning into the fight against both Dai and Grim

8:17 AM

!roll 2 d20+3 !attack on dai and grim

Nekosmash Rolls: [14] Result: 17 [12] Result: 15 Reason: attack on dai and grim

!roll d8

Nekosmash Roll: [8] Result: 8

(I know I missed Grim, if a 17 hits Dai, then its 8 damage, otherwise, its her turn)

( hits, 68/56 HP) (This is the counter attack so technically still the Riflemen's turn) (Brutal Counter, to counter attack 3/6 Effort remaining) Daira is hit by a strike, because it took her too long to adjust. But thanks to whatever magic Grim had cast on her, she doesn't feel the pain, there seems to also be no blood where she got hit. It didn't matter if there was, as she immediately counters the attack by a swing of her own. (26/11) (once this is resolved, it is my actual turn)

(rifleman 1 is wounded, so its still just your actual turn now, yes)

Exhausted from the quick counter attack, Daira misses her follow up attack. (miss)(and Daira still screens Moff)(Grim next) (edited)

Grim struggles with his next kata exhausted from the last strike (12/16)

The sword swing misses, defelcting off combat armor of the Chimeran

11:01 AM

(MofF)

One shot left, Moff growls to themself. It is a small lament of their uselessness, but doing nothing is worse... right? Their wings flex, weighing the options. Do you think we will encounter more opposition than this? They project to Daira and Torgrim.

11:15 AM

!roll 1d20-1+1 !Shoot void carbine at remaining gunner

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [10] Result: 10 Reason: Shoot void carbine at remaining gunner

(So weird you've got the same result this many times in a row, the dice roller must really have an issue with you killing something haha)

11:39 AM

The shot misses, leaving the remaining marine to try to deliver a downstroke toward the embattled Grim

11:39 AM

!roll d20+3

Nekosmash Roll: [8] Result: 11

(which misses, Dai up)

Dai tries to end this threat with a slice of her sharp sword all done in a fluent motion of moving towards the enemy and hitting them. (22/7) (Moff still screened)

The resistance in this hall is quickly put down ,and you find yourselves alone breathing heavily in the sudden silence. Organic wreckage from the slain chimerans is slewed around your feet, and for now the threat is handled.

Unused to the turmoil of combat, Moff slumps briefly against the wall and suppresses gags. There's a dry clap as they slap the sides of their face and refocus on the heavy cutter in front of them. ... I'm taking it with us.

(It's enc 3, since its a heavy weapon,. One type B cell is loaded, just in terms of carrying stuff)

(This is when that 16 strength comes in handy!) Moff quickly stows the disobedient void carbine, blasted thing it was, and retracts the tripods. They heft the hunk of weaponry with a grunt and push off from the floor; the large silhouette conveniently covers the gore at their feet.

“Should we secure engineering first to give ourselves greater control of the ship, or check out the side rooms like the science lab first?”

I vote Engineering. Control of the ship could be critical for access. The noctua responds mentally first, but out loud they chime "Labs."

Daira frowns as she sees Moff effortlessly getting that Heavy Cutter and taking it with her. And as the discussion for a next destination starts, she agrees with the group. "Yeah, Engineering sounds like a good idea."

”Great we all agree” Grim mentally says as he leads the way to the engineering room

(We are in 5, so we have a lot of rooms to pass before that point)

6:53 AM

(24 is immediately in front of us now that the Chimeran security are down and we can look around)

(I mean we can check the lab on the way.)

(I think we can check if it's open, I just wouldn't be surprised if a lot of stuff was barricaded.)

The door to room 24 looks to be open, the damage from the ship battle preventing the electronic locks from working. Thin smoke seems to be coming out from inside the room.

Daira points at the room. "That smoke looks like we shouldn't keep it unattended, right? Not that something good gets lost in flames. Well, if flames take it, it would be Ognyena's will, but we should still check, I guess."

”yes let’s check. If there is a fire we need to put it out. It would be a shame if after all this effort we let the ship be lost or damaged beyond repair.”

Pushing into the lab it looks like the workers have fled. A small fire has begun on the far control banks, as a complex system of climate control and life support devices were once working to keep a colony of bright colored coral alive. The surge and feedback from the disabling shots has destroyed the sensitive system and the circuits have overloaded. The air reeks of melting plastic and burned rubber, along with machine smoke.

Not good at all! Moff plonks the heavy cutter by the door of the room. They seal up their vacc suit for breathability and immediately look for fire suppression systems.

Grim like Moff also immediately begins to look for any fire suppression like hand held extinguishers or a button to activate ceiling based suppression, maybe even a button to vent air from the room in case of a fire.

Daira kneels down close to the fire and closes her eyes. "Ognyena, I know you started this fire, for us to win the space battle. But please, let it go, or else your Novice might be hindered in bringing justice to this place. Dear Prophet, if our Goddess might be unable to help, weigh in please, and don't let this fire go out of control."

Nothing happens when praying, but Moff and Grim are able to find a few extinguishers on the wall for an eventuality like this. The crew either fled before using them, or the problem was not this bad when the room was last occupied.

Having grown up aboard a ship, Moff could only roar internally at the stupidity of leaving any fire alone. The colony would've roasted my carapace if I left a match lit, never mind an actual fire! Getting shot be damned. Moff quickly grabs an extinguisher, checks it for any damage, and skims the instructions.

It looks to be fairly simple, pulling a pin near the nozzle and spraying it from a few meters away from the flame. The foam inside will do the rest on a small enough blaze.

Satisfied that it doesn't have some weird extra mechanism, Moff spins toward the control panel's flames. They position themself, brace, pull the pin, and release the foam.

After Moff and Grim finish putting out the small fire Grim will make sure any future fire hazards are dealt with, such as sparking wires. When the work is completed Grim asks ”We will want to come back later and see what they are Researching but want to move on and deal with the immediate threat for now.”

(You

12:52 PM

are going to need a unit of spare parts to just replace things, unless there's anything else you think you might be able to do)

(Not fixing anything. Just things like trying to turn of it cut power to any devices that have loose wires or are sparking.)

Moff tilts their head at Grim. Good research practice dictates that there should be an additional copy of data stored on a separate drive somewhere. Keep an eye out. Knowing they're short on time, Moff looks around to see if anyone left a notepad/compad/data storing terminal around when they left in a hurry. (Is the coral the same kind as the swords earlier?)

"Maybe the backup drive is in here. This lab I mean." Daira would look around as well, trying to aid Moff in their search for data.

(Yep, same kind of coral, and okay sounds good Grim, there wasn;t really much about what we were actually doing there so I was making assumptions)

As Daira continues to search for a potential data backup, Moff realizes that they can just work directly with the coral instead. It might not tell them what it is or where it came from, but it can help to keep it alive. Gliding to the coral colony, the noctua focuses every ounce of awareness onto the confines of its life giving chamber. What is it you need? (Using The Whispering Wind to identify what life support systems have gone awry for the coral colony. 1 Effort expended. - Leaking said message through Unity of Thought to the rest of the party)

Oxygenation is below critical levels and the colony is asphyxiating.

"Torgrim, Priestess, the coral here needs increased oxygen levels if we want to prevent it from death. Ideas?" Moff glances at the door and then searches for some means of supplementing oxygen. A manual setting? Gas cannister? If there's a port I maybe we could hook up my vacc suit?

(We'd basically have to try to cobble an air system and regulator together somehow from what's on hand)

(I have decent fix but you mentioned needing spare parts earlier which I don’t have. If we can try without them I will though)

Soren (Grim)

(I have decent fix but you mentioned needing spare parts earlier which I don’t have. If we can try without them I will though)

(I think the spare parts is for the control module itself. This is a different fix, so we either have to see what's available in the room if needed, we can probably gut the are cycling and regulator from Moff's vac suit)

(I made sort of a generic request there Grim since there wasn't a whole lot for me to work with. That's all fine, you describe actions, I try to put rules over it. Moff had a more specific thing in mind and its different enough where it might be achievable)

"Is it save for you to connect your suit with this thing? I wasn't successful with finding some back up drives, yet. But maybe there is some wall port that delivers oxygen. But I can't read Chimeran, but if I find a port, could you read it?"

"So long as we aren't planning on suddenly exiting to vacuum, I think it should be harmless to remove the regulator hardware from the suit." Moff shakes their head at the second question. "They are not willing to share if you do not join them. There were no chances to learn the characters. The best I can do is extrapolate based on laboratory context."

“I am a simple man and don’t quite follow everything being said here, but I am good with my hands. If you guys have something you want me to hook up just tell me what needs to go where “ (irl I am confused are we taking a part from someone’s suit or the wall? If someone tells grim what to do he can try and do the work)

Moff nods at Grim, and stands up. Removing the torso portion of the suit, the noctua twists around and pulls at the environment regulating module. They struggle a bit before managing to pop of the whole unit with a grunt. "I do not want to risk using the wrong kind of gas nor do I think testing it by say, lighting it on fire, would be a good idea. I've a survey scanner somewhere in here," Moff taps one of their saddle bags, "but it may be too slow for this purpose. Torgrim, please help hook up this module to the coral's chamber." They tilt their head. "If you would benefit, I have a metatool on me." (We can try checking the wall but have no way of determining what ports release what gasses, unless someone has an idea. Moff thinks it is safer to disassemble the air control part of their vacc suit, as it is already set to manage and regulate gas levels.)

Grim takes the meta tool and sets to work. First he tries to separate the damaged apparatus from the ships power then he will splice wires from the air control unit with those of the apparatus. He will connect the tubes from the air control unit into the apparatus containing the coral. Next he will check to make sure it is properly sealed and try to fix any cracks that may exist. If a permanent solution isn’t available for any cracks he will try basic duct tape as a temporary fix until the ship is secure and a more permanent solution obtained. Finally he will try to connect the apparatus to one of his b power cells so that any future loss of power to the ship does not affect it. Once satisfied he has done his best Grim will start it up and see if his actions were successful

(I think between what you said here and your skill level we don't need a roll for it to be considered a success)

1

“I don’t think this is a permanent solution and whichever engineer winds up assigned to this after we take the ship will likely be cursing me under his breath, but … it should hold up long enough for us to at least take the ship.”

Moff gives a satisfied "Uhm" to Grim as they feel the coral colony's desperate clawing subside. "They might, or they may thing well of you for your abilities given the circumstances." They turn to Daira and chirp "Have you found anything, Priestess? There is even a small chance it could be a paper copy."

(Neko, has she?)

(No)

Daira shakes her head. "Nothing. I am sorry. Maybe. I guess you saved the thing. Anything else might be left for those who come here after we have taken over the ship completely."

“I do suggest we keep moving. Lots of time was spent saving the coral, but each moment let’s them dig in harder”

"Yes." Moff pulls back on the torso of their suit, lighter now without the regulating mechanism. They walk to the heavy cutter and haul it up again. "Though I would be happy if they stayed away from me."

"They won't. But I'll be between them and you. And with Ognyena's help, we will be victorious. Let us move on then."

(where to now?)

(I think we're continuing further down that hallway toward the more middle part of 27?)

Coming up to Prime engineering it looks like there was an explosion here and the marines standing guard outside have been killed. You hear the sound of slaves within trying to repair the vessel, though you're unsure if there are any Chimerans inside leading the work.

I am hoping the explosion was caused by the slaves taking our attack as an opportunity to seize freedom, but we won’t know until we get in and can talk As Grim continues to head to the doorway into engineering he will try and listen carefully to see if he notices any sounds or voices that Chimeran. (Basically trying to listen if hears just slave voices like noctua or anything more dangerous like an overseear)

Moff follows behind Grim, antenna perked, to listen for Gisherayin (native noctuan) and see if they can catch any noctuan pheromones above the searing explosives smell.

(notice.wis)

!roll 2d6+2-1 ! (Notice/wis)

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [6, 2] Result: 9 Reason: (Notice/wis)

You hear a single chimeran voice inside, trying to direct the slaves. It sounds wounded

(I am making the assumption that this information gets conveyed to all via the biopsion link) Moff's gaze switches between Grim, Dai, and the entrance to the room. The mane around their neck bristles.

(Yes it would!)

"Moff, is there any reason to believe that he is nice to the slaves? And Grim, if we enter, and kill the only one who might know how to prevent a crisis in there, would you be able to prevent such a crisis?" (edited)

Priestess, they would not be called 'slaves' if the chimerians were being nice to them. Moff edges closer, as quiet as they can be to see if they're capable of picking up actual words. (Trying to get an idea of what the problem actually is)

The reactor's safety rods have been damaged and the temperature is rising. They're tryingto find some other way to cool it, but if they cannot figure it out in the next few moments they're going to jettison the reactor.

”I think we enter and demand his surrender. If he doesn’t comply we use what force is necessary. But as for the slaves assuming they are noctua as long as we are linked with Moff we can understand and speak their language so I trust our diplomatic skills are at least good enough to convince them we beat the alternative. Moff being here should help with that point as well. I also want to get to the reactor soon as it feels like we are running out of time to try and save it.”

"I agree. Time is of the essence here. Can't risk the ship exploding. With us and all the poor Noctua and Mosk on this ship. Even tho they would all be blessed by Ognyena if they end in a ball of fire."

"I would much rather not be a ball of fire!" Moff cuts in hurriedly and gears up to rush in time with the other two. "Would you care to do the countdown?" They tilt their head toward Grim.

3..2…1 go Grim mentally counts down as he ignites his mindblade once more telekinetic energy flowing through it as rushes into the next room looking for the Chitik overseer

Daira draws her real physical sword and gets ready to charge in behind the Friend of the Prophet.

Moff sucks in a breath and rushes forward with the others. As the party breach the room, they roar in native noctuan "Get down!"

(You will all get a surprise round)

(Am I close enough to get a melee strike after movement?)

(Yes)

12:45 PM

(all of you would be)

Grim charges at the Chimeran and after a rapid flurry of lightning fast katas he strikes into the Chimeran’s brain (26/17) “These people aren’t yours to abuse anymore slaver” Grim say’s with disgust towards the Chimeran (edited because I got Chitik and chimeran mixed up) (edited)

The Chimeran's helmet deflects some of the blow but you're able to dent it with the force of your blow.

2:01 PM

(Dai or moff, whoever wants to go next)

Seeing the friend of the Prophet charging forward, Daira joins him in his charge, trying to bring this Chimeran down. (26/7)

The Chimeran is killed as the keen blade punches into soft chest armor plating. It falls, pushed forward onto its knees before dying

Moff had maneuvered themself hastily between the chimerian and the slaves. As they watch the figure topple over, they set the heavy cutter down with a thunk and turn around to look at who or more specifically, what, the prisoners are.

The prisoners are a mix of piggen and human, with two noctua sprinkled in. They’re trying to get the engines running again but being beaten half to death for magically not making parts appear from thin air doesn’t look to be a good strategy for fixing the engines

Grim will run over too the engines control panel and will communicate with the whichever prisoners are doing the technical work hoping they at least put the best mechanics there. “You are free now, but I would appreciate any assistance. Can any of you give a quick assessment of what is damaged? I promise you all will be taken care of and nobody will be hurt but first I need to deal with the immediate time sensitive problem.”

(They can fix it with a bit of help I don’t really have specific systems in mind here)

2:29 PM

(More technical than I really wanted to get )

(But I want you to explain the exact science of how a starship engine works with detailed schematics! For real though that works, just was trying to do my due diligence instead of just giving you “I try to fix”. Should I give a fix/int?)

Torgrim, you still have the metatool yes? I can assist too, if needed. My claws are narrower than your hands. Moff glances over briefly before floating in toward the other noctua, trying their best to put out an air of reassurance. "It is as he says. We will not harm you. I am Moff. Of the Tecmessa xamaynk, a refugee colony." They click, trill, and hum.

(We'd need a post-tech tool kit for somethinglike this. A metatool is basically like a wrist mounted leatherman)

(Grim doesn’t have one. Does anyone else?)

(Moff does not.)

“I don’t have the needed tools. We may have to eject it and just repair it later.”

Turning to the former prisoners, Moff inquires, "Do any of you know of a place that replacements or spares might have been kept? If there are none, be honest. You will not be harmed for the truth, we only need make haste."

They have intentionally not been given much an idea of where things are in the ship outside of their immediate work station and do not know.

Grim will see if there is anything he can do without the parts and tools. If not anything clearly able to be done he will start the process to eject the engine before it explodes

The thing is ejected into space for the moment , unable to be helped with the limited tools and supplies on hand.

"What is the consequence of this? Is the ship just unable to move, or do we also end up without energy? Sorry I am not too familiar with ship tech."

(When the system was ejected, did any of the lights/electronics flicker, or are there any angry warning signs popping up?)

(Not for now)

"It would appear the ship has sufficient reserves or auxiliary generation for now, but we cannot rely on it lasting. I am unfortunately-" or rather, quite fortunately, "-unfamiliar with these ships but principles tend to remain the same. Suffice to say I doubt it will be capable of propelling itself unless there is an independent backup system for the engines." Moff looks back at their newly acquired company. "You are all injured. I fear that the priestess and her companion would be hard pressed to protect all of us. Prioritize taking care of injuries, though I know you do not have much to do so. Do not wander about or you may fare worse. I especially advise you avoid the auditorium."

(Would I be able to establish a beacon back to the station from here to transport them out? I know we couldn’t beam in, but now that we are here and control engineering I don’t know if it fair to attempt setting up a connection to beam them out?)

(No, we didn't bring one over with us)

6:54 PM

(we're going to have to take the ship to make this possible)

“Is there anyone with injuries that need immediate attention?” Grim asks the prisoners

The slaves are all lightly injured in one way or another from beatings but you may be the one in need of healing if the enemy is permitted to keep reinforcing the bridge, it seems.

Moff looks back over at the slaves, and debates leaving their scavenged weaponry with them. At best it'll buy them some time, but at worse they'll kill someone they didn't mean to or give the chimeric forces a reason to slaughter them. They shiver, and pick up the cutter again. "Stay down, and here. We will, with luck, return soon. You are all very, very brave."

(Can that lift get us to the bridge or just the workshop shown? Trying to figure out where to logically go to next)

(It can get us to tbe bridge )

“Let’s head to the lift and see if it’s working so we can get to the bridge.”

"Are we actually planning to use it tho?" Daira asks as she follows Grim. "What if they are waiting on the other side, for the doors to open?"

“They may be, you may be right there could be a smarter way like maintenance tunnels. I am just used to going in head on sometimes I forget caution. We could also set up the heavy weapon Moff found so that if they are waiting there they get a nice surprise. I am fine either way though.“ (edited)

"That would be a nice surprise. Moff shooting them, and we get them head on. Maybe we find some makeshift protection for Moff on our way to the lift, so that they aren't too exposed."

“We could, but I am also very confident I can keep him in good health, but I do understand you mor.. um more civil focused folks would rather not get shot to begin with.” Grim then looks for material to set up a defensive fighting position for Moff to man the heavy weapon in. Hoping they missed his almost slip of the tongue.

Daira aids in the search while slowly pushing them forward towards the lift. "I am not afraid to get hit. If I do, then it was the will of the goddess and the prophetess."

Moff ignores Grim's correction, and wasn't it obvious that one would prefer not to be shot to start with? "Shall I set this up on the lift then? An instant burst for suppression." They allow Daira to usher them, before clicking their jaws and resisting more. "As unsavory as it may sound, the helmet back there might also serve as a good decoy."

"Yes set it up in the lift. But how by Ognyena could that helmet be used as a decoy?"

"If they're set up to shoot as soon as they see a 'head' then the helmet could be our substitute target. We put it on a stick or something and let it be the first they see when entering."

"That sounds unorthodox, but it is us against them, and we need to take the ship to protect their slaves, to later free them. So unorthodox might give us the edge we need. Let us gather whatever protection we can find for the Heavy Cutter, and a stick for the head. We need to be quick, wasting time just makes it harder for us."

Moff heads over to the lift and starts extending the telescopic legs on the cutter, taking care to have it stabilized and out of what Moff thinks will be the first line of fire. "I should have a telescopic pole in one of my packs. Focus on finding shielding."

Daira nods and looks around for metal plates that have either fallen off walls or ceilings due to the space fight, or look otherwise easily detachable from their current location.

There are some thin inner panels that keep wires and pipes hidden for looks that you thin you can pry up fairly easily

7:21 AM

(we'll consider them the same as instapanels, for ease)

Daira gets those panels and puts them in front of the telescopic legs of the cutter, to provide more cover. "More protection is always good."

Grim also helps with the preparations and once complete asks the others ”Ready?”

Daira nods. Tension can be felt and she mumbles prayers to Ognyena and the Prophetess.

(I'm more reactive in this case since you guys are dug in. They're not coming out of the bridge so nothing is going to happen unless someone kicks it off)

Grim attempts to set the lift to carry them to the bridge floor. If able to get the lift to work he will then attempt to get the door lift door open once there. (edited)

The lift rises with your emplacement on it, at the southern end of the bridge. Five Chimeran officers remain here, trying to do their best to restore function to the ship. Most are wondering why their various slave teams are not working right now, or responding to comms

(Do they react to the lift noise?)

(this is the scene as we're coming up, not right away but we dont have a surprise round if we're going right for violence) (edited)

As the lift shifts under them, Moff's hands clench the heavy cutter and their wings clamp down. "Please take care of them quickly, Torgrim. Priestess."

(I feel like talking won't get us much, so should we roll Initiative?)

(I am for violence, so surprise round then initiative I believe)

(no surprise round is what Neko said. So if we go for violence, Initiative it should be) (Dai rolls initiative 5)

(Rereading you are correct. My reading comprehension failed me)

(Initiative please yes. )

!roll 1d8+1 !initiative

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [4] Result: 5 Reason: initiative

(2)

!roll d8

Nekosmash Roll: [6] Result: 6

(Looks like it is me, Dai, Moff, and then Grim)

9:33 AM

The five crewmen look to be surprised, drawing readied laser pistols now heedless of the danger of firing them in a space facing deck.

9:33 AM

!roll 5 d20+3

Nekosmash Rolls: [17] Result: 20 [3] Result: 6 [13] Result: 16 [16] Result: 19 [1] Result: 4

!roll 2 d6

Nekosmash Rolls: [5] Result: 5 [1] Result: 1

(20/5 on Dai, and 19/1 on Moff)

9:34 AM

The shots largely miss due to the surprise of there suddenly being intruders here, and it looks like for most of these crewmen, that one shot is all they're going to get.

9:34 AM

(Dai)

(hit 63/56HP how far away is the closest target?)

(10m )

Daira rushes forward, but too hastily. Be it the surface of the ground, or debris lying around. She just doesn't have a good stand, and thus her swing misses the usual precision and strength. (miss)

(hit, 38/19 + 19/20 temp hp) Moff's jaws grit as a shot cracks part of their carapace. "Priestess, you must duck!" With Daira moving in on some of the officers, Moff lets loose a volley from the heavy cutter, trying their best to avoid her.

10:29 AM

!roll 3d6+2+2 !Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire so halve the damage

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [6, 3, 2] Result: 15 Reason: Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire so halve the damage

(Dai would need a save as well)

11:53 AM

!roll 5 d20 !v14

Nekosmash Rolls: [10] Result: 10 [12] Result: 12 [8] Result: 8 [15] Result: 15 [5] Result: 5 Reason: v14

(all but one fail, so they're taking 15, and we;ll move the scene once she gets some results)

11:54 AM

(Suppression is alll or nothing, its everything in front of you or nothing)

(No worries, the description was just flavor text in this case. Maybe the one that saved is the one by Dai.)

!roll 1d20 !vs 10

Daira of Artema| P| Andra| Aruke Roll: [15] Result: 15 Reason: vs 10

(easy save 55/56hp, first real damage)

Grim maneuvers himself to the nearest adversary and carefully executes a series of quick katas. (21/17)

One of the bridge crew is wounded by the sword blow and several different from the suppressing fire of the heavy cutter. The machine is loud , the industrial version of the elegant and silent shear rifle , and the grav planes it produces are no less violent. None of the enemy have fallen but all look to be harmed

9:43 PM

!roll 2 d20+3

Nekosmash Rolls: [3] Result: 6 [7] Result: 10

!roll 3 d20+3

Nekosmash Rolls: [1] Result: 4 [6] Result: 9 [16] Result: 19

!roll d6

Nekosmash Roll: [1] Result: 1

The two Chimeran in combat , one with dai and one with Grim are unable to land a bit. Laser shots snap at the cutter trying to take its gunners down and only one manages to get through to hit Moff (19/1)

9:44 PM

(Dai yo)

Encouraged by Grim's beautiful kata, Daira tries to give her opposite a deep cut as well. But more in her own way, with less elegance but more physical effort. (28/11) Should this bring her opponent down, she would reposition herself to screen Moff. (If the opponent still stands, I can't do this as I am still bound in combat, I think, and screening is a move action.

(Screen I believe is a move, your enemy is dead)

(yeah Screen Ally is a move action, yes)

(Moff should be up next)!

(hit, 37/19 + 18/20 temp hp) There's a yip as another shot nicks one of Moff's wings, cracks radiating out from the bite of the shot. In their distress the noctua inadvertently squeeze the heavy cutter's trigger for another volley.

7:38 AM

!roll 3d6+2+2 !Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [6, 4, 3] Result: 17 Reason: Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire

!roll 4 d20

Nekosmash Rolls: [13] Result: 13 [13] Result: 13 [16] Result: 16 [5] Result: 5

The heavy weapon roars, cutting down one of the enemy while the others dodge out of the way or duck behind consoles that take the incoming fire for them.

8:06 AM

(Grim)

(should I roll a save as well?)

(YeS)

Grim continues his onslaught with the blade against his nearest foe (27/17, also pass saving throw 7v5. So 7 damage?)

(If you pass there is no damage)

!roll 1d20 !vs 10

Daira of Artema| P| Andra| Aruke Roll: [18] Result: 18 Reason: vs 10

(no damage for Dai either)

One of the crew are slain, leaving just three of the enemy remaining afte rGrims' blow. They focus fire on him, seeing him as primarily responsible for the deaths thus far

9:40 AM

!roll 3 d20+4

Nekosmash Rolls: [15] Result: 19 [19] Result: 23 [9] Result: 13

!roll d8

Nekosmash Roll: [6] Result: 6

(23/6 laser weapon damage, then up to Dai)

Seeing that the fight was in a favourable position, Daira moved forward, opening up Moff for attacks but allowing her to strike another foe. But she quickly learned that trying to strike a foe and evading Moff's rain of death are two tasks that are hard to combine. (14/6)

(miss, back to moff!)

Please hurry up and just go away. With more faith that the Priestess and Torgrim will dance between the shots than they have the ability to control the weapon, Moff fires again.

8:12 PM

!roll 3d6+2+2 !Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire

Moff Cvk-Tarilli (Lemming) Roll: [6, 2, 1] Result: 13 Reason: Heavy cutter + AB + Holistic Optimization Patterning : Suppressive fire

!roll 1d20 !vs 10

Daira of Artema| P| Andra| Aruke Roll: [8] Result: 8 Reason: vs 10

(42/56 HP)

(Success 9v5, 68/74 hp) Grim continues his attacks against the defending Chinerans (21/17)

!roll 2d20

Nekosmash Roll: [9, 5] Result: 14

The gunfire is intense and the enemies are cut down by the massive waves of gravity shredding power. You are alone in what remains of the bridge. The ship is yours.

2

Moff lets go of heavy cutter and all but tumble backwards onto the floor. They sit there with eyes closed and chest heaving, head tilted up. They mumble in a high pitched squeak, "I never want to do that again."

Daira would breath heavily, if she was breathing, instead she touches one of the places where a spray of bullets hit her. Her face shows pain. She grabs some of her cold fire powder that she uses for meditation. Ignites it, and burns the area. She doesn't say a word or make a sound. But it is obvious, and the look on her face almost screams that it hurts like hell. She then turns to Moff. "But you did well, Moff of the Noctua. Ognyena was smiling on you and us today. My prayer was heard and the Prophetess sided with us. There might still be opposition left in this ship. But now we are in control. Um is anyone of you able to get anything from the readings of these screens?"

“I could try but I am not an expert on ships. Now that we control the bridge and engineering though I may be able to get a stable connection with the Paivatar.” (If it’s ok now Grim would attempt to set up the connection so that we can transport people over.)

(The ship is ours so we can handle that off screen. 3xp, 5000 credits all)

4

“Between the LLF and EP mechanics and technicians I think the ship is in pretty good condition. But did we want to do anything with the coral? Maybe get it moved over to a lab on one of your ships?”

"If you have a spare technician, it would be prudent to pull the conservation conditions from the laboratory and move the sample into a more stable setup." Moff lets out a small hiss as they lift themself up. They pull the B-cell from the heavy cutter to disable it, then lift into a hover. Looking just above Grim so as to not see much of the floor they add on, "I can move with it, help keep it stable. Did you notice? The warriors earlier were wielding weapons shaped of the coral." (edit for removed word) (edited)

“I did not notice but that is interesting. I do however have significant lab setups on the station. I will have my techs transfer it there until you are ready to collect it, unless you have labs on any of the ships here.” (If you guys have the facilities take the coral if not I can put it on the station until we can transfer it. Not trying to run off with it.)

(IIRC the station had the most advanced laboratories, but let's have Dai and/or Teucer check in)

"The Paragons have no better equipped ships here, and I thin the Protectorate ships are also more suited for combat than finding out stuff about corals."

With that in mind Grim issues the order for the coral to be transferred, he also provides instructions that only passive research should be conducted for now. This means monitoring and analyzing of the coral, the research’s can examine any observable data like growth rates and oxygen consumption. But no adding stimuli like messing with light or oxygen levels no harvesting and pieces etc. Instructions are also given that the coral should be transferred to Moff or Dai once requested. After the administrative work is completed Grim asks “should we contact the other team and let them know of our success?”

"Yes. I think so. But I think, at least, we should take care of the freed slaves first?" Moff still has their head held high to avoid looking at the floor; there is no risk of tripping for a noctua after all. "They should be brought to a medical bay, and given something to hold on to."

“Excellent thinking Moff. I will have them brought to the stations medical bays. I also have a troop transport coming to bring support in case it’s needed in a ground conflict. Still at least a month a way though. However, it should be able to bring these refugees to a safe planet of their choosing. They are your people however so I will make sure the stations medical personnel know to work through you in order to provide any Noctua specific care or cultural issues. Basically I am asking if you can fill the roll of patient advocate and ensure they get the treatment needed as my staff although talented has never treated noctua before.”

"Alternatively, two Paragon hospital ships should be entering the system any minute, as they jumped with a few hours delay to not end up damaged in a crossfire. They come with the best medical staff that devotion can get you. And we even have Noctua in our ranks now." She turns to Moff. "If you ever want to learn more about Ognyena and the Prophetess, I would be delighted to tell you. Or any other Paragon for that matter." "So, gather the Slaves and get them medical care on the LLF station and Paragon Hospital ships is our first priority then? What do we do about the, um, lost engine?"

“If the paragon ships are here soon I think they are the better fit. If we have options I would rather have these good people who have already been through so much on clearly marked civilian hospital ships than an armed station that is known for engaging in combat. Definitely better to reduce their potential exposure to more danger.”

"I agree, yet I don't know if the Chimeran's respect that." She gets somewhat closer to Grim. "Mr. Torgrim, when all of this is over, before our paths lead to different directions, I uh, I would like to talk to you. In private."

"I cannot speak for the piggen or humans, but the noctua will be more at ease of they can speak to another who can communicate in a uhhmmmn, whole, manner." "Your offer is appreciated, Priestess, but there is much to do on and for Tecmessa when I return." Moff cocks their head at Daira leaning in toward Torgrim. "If you cannot think of any other matters, I'm going to go inspect the lab again." Where there is distinctly less dead. They make a half turn toward the door, waiting to see if there 'is* anything else. (Narration not needed for this Neko, Moff just wants to get away from all the corpses.)

(Once the other mission winds down we can figure out the planetary landing, and by the same token anyone wanting to return to their respective personal adventures can do that now too if the war stuff is dragging on)

1

(Thank you as always Neko. Moving the conversation Dai request to her thread)

(sounds good!0