Iron Stars - moissanite

Moissanite awakens in his small cave shelter, near the Central settlement on Sanjaru. The people here have been given large amounts of attention by the CBSS, and have recently fought off a group of raiders from across the sea. The dream of progress is continuing here, and the tribe has decided to migrate, to learn the ways of the future. The days of taming dinosaurs and using crude tools for manual labor are over. Several members, yourself included, have been sent ahead to gauge how receptive the humans would be. It's also rumored another Geon tribe has made contact with the people here, though are more naturalist in temperament.

The progress party head out towards the Central settlement, with hopes of meeting CBSS scientific officers to assist in the development of Sanjaru. I've only skimmed the surface on what these people of the future have to offer, but I know this would be huge for the tribe. I bet the ancestors never even dreamed of the tribe reaching the stars! Mo thinks to himself. (edited)

Two guards are out, 500m from the walls, with rifles lowered. They were foraging but upon seeing you, they switch into their immediate job of guarding. “Halt there Geon. What is your business here?”

Noticing the rifles "Are you CBSS? We would like to learn more about your technology and help bring it to the natives here."

"We are CBSS soldiers yes. Are your intentions peaceful? We will let you speak with the mayor if you can pick just a few to come into the settlement"

"Yes, I think we have common goals reagrding Sanjaru. We just want our people to prosper." Mo chooses to bring two of his peers, Feld and Olivine. They all have apprenticed under Quartz Gearmaker. To the rest of the party, "Let everyone know that we've reached the settlement and are communicating with the CBSS." To the guards, "Feel free for one of you to follow. They can help you map out the area if needed."

They are both going to be following the three of you into the settlement, others on sentry duty will be watching the rest of the tribe. "You're going to have to excuse the surprise. We did not realize there were geon on this planet"

Friendly chuckle "You should've seen our surprise when we witnessed your machines!." Pause "WAIT! You mean to say there's more of our kind on other worlds?! I wonder if our elder tribesfolk knew of this.."

he shrugs. It's not his concern. You're taken into the settlement, raised from stone and wood. More advanced building materials are being unloaded from a lander set down at the back of the walled settlement. A team of workers is hard at their labors, pulling down a forge and furnace to be replaced with its more modern equivalent. An idling truck stands ready to take the older equipment further south to a mine where the humans are also hard at work. Its a long journey from here on foot. The mayor's residence is a large wooden building with two more guards out front. Something passes between them in a shorter, more clipped language before your chaperone turns around. "You're not carrying anything concealed that might threaten the Mayor's safety?"

"I did find this sack filled with a bunch of items. One of them reminds me of your rifles, but smaller." Opens backpack revealing inventory

"You;ll have to leave that with us until it's time for you to leave"

"That's fine by me" Hands over laser pistol and monoblade (edited)

You're permitted inside. A small man sits behind a large wooden table, he is elderly and enjoying his breakfast, but he has a strength about him, and scars on his face and arms show he has seen violence in his past. He has the rigidity of a solider, mellowing out in his old age but unable to let the last bits of tension leave his body. He nods, gulping down the mouthful of stew he was working on, indicating you should sit.

Sits down "Thank you for meeting with me. My tribe would like to know your intentions with this world. We appreciate the new technology that you've brought and would like to help in any way we can."

"Our intentions? The first humans came here a few hundred years ago as part of the First Wave of Exploration, leaving our birth world and exploring the stars. One such settlement developed here. This land was the frontier for us, never reaching the development of closer to the core. The Scream happened five years ago, killing many, destroying the technological progress we made, and ending the dream we had of seeing the sky again-for a time. Since then we made do taming the dinosaurs here, working with primitive tools, and trying to live as our ancestors did in ancient days. It was a primitive form of innocence. The CBSS survived the same ordeals , but had reached space again and has arrived to bring us b ack to where we belong. They've helped us secure our settlements from raiders, and brought us together on this central continent into something like a peace conference. "

"I see, it's good to see that things are coming back on track. Who were these raiders? Are there any major conflicts between the settlement and CBSS proper?"

"There have not been any. We were able to reach an agreement and are fulfilling our side. "

"Would the CBSS be willing to help develop my tribe and bring it into the modern age? We would love to be able to meet with our brethren in the stars."

"Their advancements will come to the entire planet, now that we know of you, we'll be sure to send help. That is going to require service in return though. We are all workers, laboring together to make things better for all who follow our movement. "

"Of course, our tribe is ready and willing to help in any way we can. What type of service are you thinking?"

"Unification of this world is something the CBSS needs completed, but at the moment our own soldiers are spread across many different occupation zones that all need the same kind of help. I offer you two choices. Help us bring the World of Al-Thynnian to a calmer state of being so our peacekeepers can withdraw, or assist us here as we raise local troops to cross the sea and finish the fighting against the peoples there. They have made the mistake of spitting on a sincere offer by the Communist Party. We must respond in kind"

"I think it would be best for me to stay here and help. I don't think I could leave this world before I know for sure my tribe will prosper. Could you tell me more about these people across the sea?"

“They claimed to have a large army waiting to cross. They seek to establish settlements of their own on this continent but as rulers not neighbors. That’s all we know”

"Looks like we'll have to find out then! I'll send word back to the tribe. Thank you mayor... What should I call you? I'm Moissanite, but Mo is fine too."

"Mayor is my title, that is fine enough for now. Speak with the Captain of the Guard in the barracks here in town. He is relaying information back to the Party Headquarters on Pelasgon, our Capital world. He will have better orders on what to do next"

"Alright Mayor, will do." Mo stands and does a customary bow before exiting To his companions, "Looks like the CBSS is willing to develop our world. We have to assist them in their fight against the humans across the sea." They begin to head to the barrack to meet with the Captain of the Guard

The Guard Captain is training a squad of soldiers with new firearms in the main courtyard. The humans here used to use simple single shot rifles that had to be loaded from powder horns. Some Geon also made equivalent but they were never in favor as much as finely honed bows or throwing spears. These weapons are tapered, made from advanced materials, and capable for firing many shots very quickly. They are the most modern things you have ever seen. Firing drills come to a halt as your small group approaches, the locals not seeing Geons much, so you are something of a curiosity

Mo approaches the Captain "Excuse me Captain? The mayor sent me your way to assist in your mission overseas. Moissanite at your service!" Salutes (Any advice on how I should RP with my current inventory? The high tech stuff is tripping me up bc of my current primitive knowledge. I was thinking I'd have learned stuff by now, but the current context makes me feel like Mo is at the beginning of learning modern tech)

(I think you'd understand the basics or could at least identify the form or basic function of what things should be. Youid probably have the broad strokes of using things but not the knowledge to fix them or make your own)

1

(Oh If you react with An emote I don’t get an alert. I thought you just hadn’t replied. ) “You’re the volunteers then? Very good. That’s enough of a unit to bother with sending. You’ve been given the broad strokes of the situation I trust ?”

(oh whoops, I'll keep that in mind next time haha) "Pretty much, we were told that there are humans across the sea that want to take over. Not much detail other than that. But, that's enough for me to help with your cause."

"A good soldier does not question orders. You are already halfway there. Very good. We are indeed planning to cross the ocean in a small force to explore, investigate, and determine what might be possible to do over there. We know the people there are opposed to the fragile political alliance we have created on this continent and view the people here as victims to be raided and enslaved. These are CBSS citizens and you can understand why the people across the sea, and this viewpoint they have are a problem"

"Of course, is there anything that needs to be done prior to departure?" Moissanite thinks there may be more to this than what is being communicated...

"you said you're not sure how to handle weapons? did I understand you correctly?" (there would be a ton of documentation of the raids and fighting between Pasha, Parsnips and Boris all fighting here extensively, and since you're part of the polity you'd have access to it)

(okay gotcha) "I have basic knowledge of blades, clubs, and bows. As for your weapons, the concept is like our bows but with a trigger. Instead of being a hunter, I decided to go a different path to help the tribe. I think you'd refer to it as an "engineer"."

"The question stands then, you wouldn't be able to perform the duties of an engineer on the technology we have if you needed to, which means we'll have to do some training in the field. " (edited)

"Sounds like a great opportunity. Looking forward to it Captain."

The expedition will be picked up by shuttle tomorrow to be dropped off on the other continent. The team will be scouting and trying to disrupt things there while remaining mobile and hidden. You have today to handle any outstanding affairs with your tribe. Success means integration as party members and sharing in the bounty the CBSS will bring

We see a brief montage of Mo packing his gear, going to a comm station to talk to his tribe and inform them of his mission overseas, and speaking to his master telling him that he can't wait to bring the tribe into the modern age. Then cuts to Mo ready and waiting for the shuttle to begin the expedition with a nervous but eager disposition.

(you'd be able to bring a few with you as you want, probably will just be background filler, but they're not kidnapping you to go aceoss the ocean)

21:29

As you lift off, you can see the first of the tribe are already getting medical attention. A few of the elders are looking a bit better than you've seen them in a while. The downdraft from the shuttle engines makes the grass whip and wave, as the craft climbs into the sky to head west, across the ocean where the raiders had come from. You pass over a battlefield where casualties are still being managed and a fleet of burned raiding ships on a beach. Scouts from the plains settlements riding pterodactyls circle the area looking for survivors of the rout who fled into the countryside.

(sure, we can say Feld and Olivine tagged along too) Taking note of the battlefield wreckage "Woah.." Mo had only witnessed the results of small skirmishes, nothing of this caliber.

“This is primitive compared to how the CBSS makes war. Shields and spears and a handful of guns decided this, probably more used to how you fight”

01:41

( #deleted-channel is where the war planning and some combat is)

1

"Ah I see... I guess war just gets worse."

"It ends quicker. Medics now are very good at treating wounds as well. One day we will regain the medical technology we used to have, but it looks like we were still doing better than you" he laughs as the transport continues on. THe flight continues for a few hours in silence as you cross the ocean and enjoy taking in both the sensation of flying and seeing so much water all in one place. Fishing boats near the coast are your first signs you're coming close to land. THese are not of the CBSS or anyone affiliated with them

While pointing to the boats, "Are those the raiders? Should we be worried?"

“they look like fishing boats. They’re of the people that live here though “

Embarrassed "Haha... Of course... ANYWAY, I hope that they're amenable to our cause."

“Still. They’re fishing and this food could be going for their Warriors. What do you think geon? Should we sink them?”

"Hm, I don't think there's enough evidence to support sinking them. However, we might as well shoot the water around them to force a retreat. If they are fishing for the warriors then they'll have their supplies cut short. If not, they should have enough food for themselves."

He nods, and opens the side door, pulling the machine gun from its cradle outside into the firing position. "Want to do the honors Geon?"

Mo thinks Guess my field training starts now "Sure, I think I can do that." Mo grabs hold of the machine gun and begins to aim just a few meters away from the boat. A short pause, and then he pulls the trigger for a few rounds.

(if you're intentionally missing we don't need a hit roll, lemme know)

(yeah, let's do the interesting choice)

(what would that be? sorry im a bit lost)

(ah, my bad. I was thinking that Mo would be aiming to just hit the water. But due to his lack of training, he could maybe lose control of the machine gun and then hit the fishing boats)

(alright, lets roll the attack)

(okay, so that would be 1d20 + shoot bonus + dex bonus: 4)

The shots chop the water,a few strike the hull of one of the fishing boats and it seems to be enough to discourage them from continuing to fish (edited)

"Alright good, that went well."

The coast passes by and 5km from it, the shuttle sets down into a glade of trees with a clearing wide enough to allow it to set its bulk down. "Everyone out!" the crew chief calls

"Yes, sir." Mo follows the rest of the crew out. He looks out into the brush to check for any hostiles.

(notice/wis)

(3)

The forest seems clear as you set down from the shuttle. Its pilots are in no hurry to get caught on the ground and will circle.

(will circle?)

(will circle the area so they can hopefully spot anything coming your way)

(gotcha) Mo follows suit and joins the formation

The team of ten of you pushes into the woods as the noise of the shuttle taking off and circling the area recedes. Quiet returns to the woods and now that your senses are not overwhelmed by the noise you’re beginning to hear animals and bugs. To the north of your patrol you hear large sticks breaking in the woods but can’t see what is making the sound

Mo silently gestures towards the sound to alert the rest of the squad

They're alerted, and are creeping closer. trying to see what the disturbance might be. The trees and branches are swaying but you're unable to see what's doing it still.

Mo readies his laser pistol

Through the trees you get a momentary glimpse of three men with bows and spears 200m away. They’re creeping closer and cannot see you. The noise of the shuttle coming down has evidently attracted a group of hunters

Taking note of their approaching trajectory, Mo positions himself for a flanking ambush and becomes still.

(sneak/dex, as they come into range)

(7)

They don’t seem to notice as they wander to 100m, optimal weapons range for all of you should you decide to spring the trap

Mo fires his laser pistol aiming for the torso of one of the hunters. The rest of the squad follows suit and engages.

(just need the hit/damage so i know what to resolve)

(15/2)

One of the hunters clutches his chest as the burning shot punches through his leather armor. One of the scouts with you finishes him off, while another fires a burst at the hunter with the longbow. He is heavily wounded. The third hunter is missed, and shouts as he begins to run.

Mo aims a shot to the fleeing hunter (11/5)

The shot downs him, and a quick burst finishes the wounded. The ambush is over quickly, the hunters and their primitive weapons were dead the moment you saw them. Instincts honed against deer and other local game animals are next to useless against fellow man, or humanoid, and they've paid for it.

"This feels unfair..." As Mo examines his weapon while moving it around in his hand. He then examines the bodies, looking for any tattoos, markings, or other signs of affiliation

Each of them has a silver arm torc in the shape of a ram head , followed by the three bands that keep it secured to the arm They’ve got no other obvious items of value on them. Their clothes and weapons are all effective but primitive materials and are no match for modern firearms

"Chief, do these bracelets mean anything to you? Were these our enemies?"

"Torcs. That is an interesting find my Geon friend. I do not know if the Geon did things like this but in some past human societies , humans were gifted or given Torcs showing their allegiance, owner, or some other political or family affiliation. The ram's head liked this belonged to one of the groups that invaded the central continent, though their numbers were smaller than the others. They might have been a pacified tribe forced to send fighting men with the invading force, or they might have been opportunists hoping to grow their own lot with the minimum possible investment. We can't be sure, but we should approach these people with both possibilities in mind. Regardless, these ones are dead. If you decide to fill your pockets keep those hidden. It's proof we murdered their kinsmen"

Mo decides to leave them be and move on

They have blazed a trail through the wilds on their hunt for game. Following it back will likely lead to their camp, or some larger settlement.

Let's follow the trail. Mo is curious as to what this people's society is like compared to the Geon and Human groups on his own land mass. "So Chief, what are the other Geon you've met like?"

"The geons from Mehani are very peaceful and nature loving. I don't think they would have thrown themselves into an operation like this, but you've already proven you're a credit to the entire CBSS just with what you've done so far"

"Thank you, anything for my clan. That extends to the CBSS as well for all your efforts to help us."

"We're going to have to follow these tracks back , and look for where they came from. Anything we can figure out like ranges, numbers, layout, all that is going to be helpful to report back with. A larger troop investment is going to be needed to take anything major but we can make it easier if we do this right"

"So then this is a stealth op? If these tribes haven't yet seen a Geon, I think we can use that to our advantage. Either way, I'd like to be part of the team for this mission."

"We're the only ones here, we're going to be the ones scouting- you're already part of it" the sergeant claps you on the back gently, and moves forward through the woods, leaving the bodies behind. (if you're taking anything we can, otherwise we'llpush on)

(nah I'm going to leave everything)

Pushing onwards past the ambush site you follow the small path up a berm and through another 400m of woods. THe smell of a cooking fire ahead and the rich logs being used as fuel filters through your senses. A thin pall of smoke, another 200m ahead in something like a shallow valley looks to be your destination now that youve slowly crossed several hundred meters of woods from your initial landing zone. The people here might be unaware the spacecraft set down

"Looks like they're camped out in that valley" Mo says quietly. "How spread out should we be for our approach to their perimeter?"

"Lets keep it to within 20m, close enough to keep eyes on each other. What do you think?" You notice the scout service works a lot less like the military than you were expecting. Officers solicit opinions from their men, and the plan is concocted by the group. (edited)

"That makes sense to me, just like the hunters back home. Will we utilize hand signals for basic comms or do we have 'tellerphones'?"

"going to have to use handsignals. Shipment hasn't come in from Pelasgon yet, the only pads and comm servers we have are on the central continent. Cities needed it to coordinate the war effort- lot more important than a few hicks out in the woods, spying on other hicks"

"Fair enough" Mo says with a grin He then motions with his stubby boulder wrist and hand that he's ready to move out.

The village is situated within a forest clearing. Trappings of old life have inserted themselves amid the ruins of the new. Furs now make doorways on buildings that had once been modern, A ruined plane serves as some sort of communial building for the settlement, and junk has been piled high to make 5m tall settlement barricades

22:08

Close to 300 people must live here, tending crops, salvaging metals, exploring the forest, and otherwise going about the trivialities of their day to day life.

Mo looks for any sort of armed force such as guards or hunters. He wants to assess the civilian to military ratio. (Cool visual btw, did you draw this?)

(I didn’t but it was circulating on an art group im in)

19:28

Everyone is armed in some way. Even the children have a knife on their belt. There are about 12-15 guards on duty from your count and they have hunting rifles.

Hm, not sure if we can handle this straight on... Mo thinks He signals to his nearest squad members by pointing away from the settlement and shrugging in an attempt to see if they should regroup.

The squad leader shakes his head no and looks to be getting his compad out to take pictures of the settlement.

Mo nods his head, Okay, what's chief's plan... We may out tech them, but there's far too many for a straight on attack

You can see one of the other geon with a piece of charcoal and a long piece of bark, sketching what he can of the settlement. Counting people and soldiers , remembering the layout, estimating distances and other observations will all ensure the CBSS arrival in the area is smooth. These people may not even have to be fought once a suitable and coordinated display of power is made. The success of that depends on this mission.

Mo begins to join the other Geon and relays the information he has about everyone being armed and the number of guards on duty.

There is a loud shout from the small settlement and a dust cloud appears on the western horizon. It is notably heading toward the settlement you are observing, and a bell begins to ring signaling the townsfolk. Whatever it is, they believe it is friendly. Several of the men and women nearby rush to the gate winch to begin moving the airplane parts that make it up out of the way

Hm, this could be the perfect distraction

21:41

The skiff streams into the village with a rolling cloud of dust behind it. Six men are hunkered down on the deck, rising as the vessel sets down.

You can also see that the vessel is somewhat modern compared to the other things you have seen on this world so far. This was not something they were capable of getting for themselves.

"Chief, do you think they're allied with another nation?" Mo scans the vessels for any obvious banners or emblems.

“None of the other nations here were that advanced. Those came from someplace else and that changes things quite a bit. We need to destroy that thing”

"I think we should split the squad. Have one team approach the gate to create a distraction while the other sneaks in the back to sabatage the vehicles."

“It’s just a few of us against dozens. You up for this?”

Mo just stares for a second, you could almost see his mind racing. Then he nods "Yeah, let's do it."

(Also which team did you want to be on so I have an idea of where I’m going)

(I was thinking the sabotage team, would give Mo a chance to interact with some more modern tech maybe)

The team pulls 100m back from their current positions to plan the hit out. The sergeant takes a demolition charge from his pack and hands it to "mo". "There is a 40m blast radius on this thing. It won't go off until you hit this detonator spoon on the hand unit like this, but you want to be as far as you can from that 40m when it goes off. Getting it right into the skiff bed will ensure its destroyed and we'll probably take out most of the buildings around it. The way I see it, we need to handle the wall guards, and do something about that gate as a team. Then we will cover you and the other sappers while you make a break for the skimmer"

"So much power in such a tiny thing." Mo says while admiring the charge. "Sounds good, we'll wait for your signal. We'll assume gunfire is a signal if the nonviolent way doesn't pan out." Mo readies himself to get into position (edited)

"These people attacked the mainland. I don't think there is a non-violent way to handle this"

"Copy that."

(so before i turn this into a gunfight you weren't intending on having, did you want to try to negotiate for entry or are we gonna shoot our way in? both possibilities came up, i dont want to take your options away unless its your decision)

(I'm cool with whatever, I can understand why the captain would go in guns blazing. Thanks for checking though

)

You and one other sapper are ready, to his credit he has a brace of magma grenades ready for an occasion just like this. The other members of the scout team arrange themselves on the hill- with all of you 100m away from the settlement they begin opening fire on the village below, pitching two sentires off the wall with their first bursts of gunfire

"That's our signal." Looking at the sapper's grenades, "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Here, two each. Lets go. We sprint to the wall base, lob them over, hope sometihng falls down so we can get inside. Deal?"

"Deal." Mo grabs the two grenades and fixes them on his belt. He looks over to the sapper to check if they're ready. A nod is exchanged and they set off to the wall.

(excert/con)

(7)

You cover half the distance to the walls before the sentries that weren't killed spot you. 50m to go, danger ahead and above. It is almost like you've trained for this. (initiative)

(6)

(50m from the wall, there are three wall guards in sight in a guard tower. You are first)

(How tall is the tower? I'd like to try to lob a magma grenade in there. Also, would it be correct to assume the burning gel would just outright melt the metal/wire walls?)

(It would melt it since this is scrap metal but normally its jsut what the entry says, i believe we wrote something in there about armor, You could throw the grenade into the tower)

22:01

(but you'd need to get to the base of the wall to do it )

50m from the wall, Mo sees three guards positioned at the top of the tower. Without stopping, he turns back to the sapper and says "Cover me!". He grabs his magma grenade ready to toss it once he reaches the wall base.

(a move action is 10m, so a move and main gets you 20 , but it means you're not able to do anything else)

(ah okay, so instead could I run to cover for a distance of 15m or so?)

(a move is 10m, so if you're using your main to even move an additional 1m, you cannot do another main action)

(okay, I think I'll just go for moving 10m then using my main action to get to 20m)

Advancing to within 30m of the wall, suppression fire from the hill keeps the guards heads down. Hasty return fire is more focused on them, and you can see that the sergeant is hit. From here you can’t tell if he’s dead or wounded. (your turn again)

Mo presses on for another 20m

Now 10m from the wall, the guards remain suppressed as your fire team on the hill lays down accurate covering fire. The sergeant has not moved, you're not sure of his condition. "Alright!" your fellow sapper shouts, readying to eject the pin from his own weapon. "Lets light this candle!" (enemies failed their morale check and were unable to act this round)

"Go go go!" Mo yells while ejecting the pin from one of his magma grenades on his sprint to the wall base. "I'll aim for the tower, make sure the wall is open for the others." Mo tosses the magma grenade into the guard tower.

(Just need the damage result when you have a second. They’ll take evasion saves I just need to know what value to halve if anyone passes)

(attack: 16, damage: 3, fire: 7)

The grenade explodes at the top of the tower. Flaming bodies fall from its gun ports and more important t the wreck of the tower top slashes a long gash down the wall. With some effort you can scale it, and will be that much closer to the skimmer.

"Here's our opening, let's hope the other team has everything handled because that was definitely not quiet." Mo begins to scale the wall

Climbing the wall you can see your target is a short move beyond. The inhabitants here are stunned at the attack. Some of the locals are beginning to come to their wits, but not ernough.

(how high up am I? Would it be possible to throw the charge to the skimmer from the top of the wall? )

(you'd have to get one more move close enough but yes)

18:49

(enemies failed their morale save and are falling back from the wall)

(Okay, I'll move closer while staying on the wall for the high ground)

18:53

Mo sees the skimmer and starts moving towards it while keeping the high ground. He watches below looking at the fleeing warriors.

The warriors fleeing only have a few black powder firearms. Most have spears of swords and will die before getting close to you. Running for the skimmer is also a deadly prospect for them, running headlong into your superior firearms

Now in range of the skimmer, Mo takes out his explosive charge and detonator. He then throws it owards the skimmer aiming for the center

(Ranged attack, just need to get over a 10)

(10 lol dang)

The demolition charge sits comfortably on the front glacias of the skimmer and latches on with the thump of the magnet worked into its core. It clicks "armed"

(Am I in blast range if I click it right now?)

(yes, but one move will get you away and the soldiers here are getting to shelter since your weapons just entirely over power them, so we're out of initiative now)

(ah okay) Mo looks at the charge eager to detonate to see what would happen. But, after thinking again, he decides to move away to get some distance between him and the charge.

The button blinks from STANDBY to ARMED and you feel a tension behind the trigger now. You move clear of the wall, and clear of the blast radius.

click

There is a tremendous explosion as the skimmer, the wall section, the towers, and the first few buildings closest to the skimmer begin to collapse. The settlement here has been decisively taken out of any future conflicts

22:02

(3xp, 5000 credits)

22:03

The shuttle sets down 500m away to get you out of the immediate area in the event hunting parties are dispatched, or reinforcements from other allied settlements are sent upon noticing the mushrooming dust cloud.

22:03

(I know you've been sort of stuck on this planet for a while. I am up for anything you want to do if you're bored/tired of this) (edited)

"Looks like that op went smoothly Chief. Anything interesting happen on the other side of the settlement?" (Hm, I'm open to whatever. I think it made sense to be on my home planet for a bit before venturing out. If there's not much left to do to help the CBSS develop Sanjaru maybe we could go to a more populated planet to do an engineer training arc or experience other Geon cultures? I'm also down to explore that other Geon tribe on Sanjaru if there's potential conflict there being they are more naturalistic)

(You upheld your end of the deal by taking one of the belligerent parties out of the war, so your tribe will get the modern things they were promised. I don't want to make too many broad strokes on the other tribe yet so as not to prevent Kolbeckite from telling his own story with them)

(Cool cool, so my tribe should be set for now it seems. Just needs time for all the changes to roll through. Yeah, that sounds fair. So maybe Mo can go to the capital, see the sights for a bit, and then maybe take on a mission that would help the CBSS gain some sort of technological edge? Maybe through researching some strange phenomenon close by or spying/stealing it from another civilization?)

(Yeah we can go to Pelasgon)

05:25

The fighting here has taken an enemy out of the war and due to your help the tribe will begin getting the supplies it has been promised. Change will take time. Eventually you will see the results but that will not be today, or soon. The shuttle brings you back across the sea where you and your tribesmen are dropped off in the central plains settlement to a heroes welcome. A military officer is also among the gathered and it looks as though he wants your attention when the pleasantries wifi your tribesmen are complete

Mo is greeted by the tribe with great happiness and admiration. He tells them that change will come in due time. He says that with not much left keeping him on Sanjaru and so much to learn out there he may not be back for a while. However, he will try to send regular comms when we can. He speaks with his mentor, Quartz Gearmaker, who is glad to see how much Mo has developed. Quartz leans in and tells Mo something that no one can hear. We see that Mo has a sense of excitement and a bit of relief. Notices the military officer and goes to approach him.

“Mo I understand you’re something of a war hero. The chairman would like to meet with you at the capital , Pelasgon. Will you accompany me?”

"Of course! It would be an honor."

A shuttle has been prepared for your journey, and three days of travel to the capital awaits you. (we can figure out downtime, and if you wanted to RP with the liaison we can) (edited)

(Hey Mo, would you like to collaborate on our next mission? You seem to be into RP so it could be fun? I could meet you on Pelasgon if you're interested!)

Mo boards the shuttle ready for his journey to the capital. He looks out to see his his tribe sending him off. As the seconds go by, they get smaller and smaller. The mainland fills up his field of view until he can see Sanjaru in its entirety. I am Moissanite Forgebringer (Hey @JDSweetBeat ! Yeah, that sounds like it would be fun. I'm down.) (edited)

You can see that another agent has been assigned to you for an upcoming task but not who, or what that task is- only that you are both going to be meeting the chairman for some kind of personal reassignment. He is seen as a fair and honorable man, and a hero of the people going as far as to severely limit his consumption of luxuries as most across the planet have no access to them.

"Hi there, you're here to see the chairman too? Have any idea what it's about?"

@JDSweetBeat we can both meet each other and then the chairman here just since you’re already doing the same thing) (edited)

(Well, we'll push on then Mo so you can play)

21:56

The Chairman is waiting as your shuttle sets down at the edge of his complex. He is a broad man, and tall, with half of his body replaced with military grade replacements for various wounds he suffered over the course of the long civil war on Pelasgon. Even with the pain he must be in, he still presents a warm smile and puffs appreciatively on a large cigar. Blue smoke drifts to scatter in the downdraft of your shuttle's cooling engines.

21:56

The ramp lowers, allowing you to exit and attend your new party patron

(Sorry, I wasn't checking Mo's thread lol)

(All good. Idk why the tag didn’t work but discord is weird sometimes )

(I had notifications for this channel explicitly disabled, so that probably explains it.)

02:40

(Sorry, this server*)

(no worries) Upon entering Mo does a short bow to The Chairman. "It's an honor to meet you sir."

Boris follows Mo's lead after their brief greetings. Boris adopts a more old Earth western approach, right hand extending expectantly to shake. "Agreed," he says, turning his head briefly to Mo before returning his primary attention to the Chairman. I'm the son of a miner turned revolutionary. I've heard the stories of your exploits during the first wave of revolutions. I never thought I'd meet you in person though." (edited)

“Now you have. You have both done superb work for our glorious workers State. I’ve brought you here to meet you in person and to discuss each of your strengths, and how they may work to further the future of the CBSS”

(lol, the son of a miner and a sapient rock) "Of course, back on Sanjaru I apprenticed under a master 'engineer' as you would say. While your tech vastly outdates ours, I've found your public information services to be very helpful for bringing me up to speed. I've been particularly fascinated by your computers recently."

"You will have plenty of time to work with them while in Polity service. As for you Mr. Mitri, I understand you were instrumental in ending the rebellion of the Crimson Claws on Vari. That world is very advanced, possibly the furthest ahead technologically in our entire stellar union. Bringing them back into the fold will ensure we maintain parity with our neighbors for a long time to come"

"It was..." Boris hesitates for a moment. He looks visibly uncomfortable. "Unfortunate work. Unfortunate work that had to be done. Though, respectfully, I'd rather not talk about the details. Surely you've read the official report, if you've gone through the trouble of bringing me to Pelasgon, Chairman..." The uncomfortable look fades from Boris' face, replaced by a rock-solid glare. "As far as my own mission on Sanjaru, I've talked my way out of a few tough situations. I can handle myself with a gun. Computers, on the other hand... Mechanics... Let's just say, 'not my strong suit' and leave it at that." (edited)

"I have combat experience on my home world of Al Thynnian preceding my service with the CBSS. My training after I transferred to the Special Assignment Division is focused on infiltration."

"I've seen your record. To that end, if you'll both follow me into the Party headquarters here, I'd be happy to discuss some promising new assignments with each of you as our glorious union grows stronger"

Boris falls in line behind the Chairman as they begin to move.

"Of course." Mo does the same

You are led into a large conference room where a map of the entire multi sector region is projected into the wall. The red of the CBSS border burns brightly but is small compared to its neighbors. “As you can see, we have much work to do. Workers everywhere need our assistance and with the easing of tensions on Vadhat we can divert more resources to the frontier. Wars for the vicarious thrill of conquering another civilization will earn us a poor reputation among our allies , and we must look for new and clever ways to expand , and welcome more workers into the fold. Currently we lack a true bread basket World , and need to clean up much of our internal workings. Exploration is as important as warfare and sabotage , especially with the NFSS bearing down on us”

"What mission would you send us on? I do have a ship capable of basic exploration. Though I'm not experienced in that field, Mo may be of more use there..." Boris turns expectantly towards Mo, looking for their input on the matter.

Mo chuckles a little sheepishly "Well, my most recent exploration mission took place on a new continent on my home planet. So I can't say I have much experience with space exploration. BUT, maybe we can fit your ship with additional exploration modules so we can find potential target planets for the Chairman's mission."

"We are looking at the unexplored but possibly strategic position of Dynomen. It will hold Greystar from exploring further south without passing through our territories. We are not sure what exists on the world, if it is inhabited, or what the complications might be there if it is, but if we do not act quickly and secure the planet we will quickly find ourselves surrounded by our much larger neighbors, and the workers of the universe will be forever cut off from us"

"Then consider it done." Boris turns to Mo. "Presumably we will be traveling together?" (edited)

"Count me in, I think we can cover anything Dynomen throws at us with our skill sets."

(On the walk to Boris' ship, The Union.)

"So, what's your story, rock?" Boris asks jokingly. "I'm going to be entirely honest, I've never really met a Geon in person before. I hear you come from Sanjaru? I was deployed there for a time. Never ran into any of you though..." Boris' tone is lighthearted, and he's talking quickly, as though he's intentionally trying to expel all traces of silence from your shared air-space.

"Yeah, my tribe normally kept to ourselves until the CBSS touched down. Not sure about the other yrived though... We've lived relatively simple lives using what you would call stone age technology. You should've seen my master, the tribes' most experienced tool maker, when we first saw the CBSS ships..." Mo chuckles. "You could say I'm an excited caveman trying to catch up with everything. And you?"

"Just a simple miner turned not-so-secret agent. Father was killed leading a strike on Al Thynnian, I was conscripted into the corporatist army... I deserted when revolution came. Joined up with the CBSS after their intervention in the unrest." (edited)

As you approach the ship, Boris walks up to the door and bangs on it. "Eugene! Euey, open up!" After a moment, the doors open, and a balding young man with glasses and a compad, dressed in CBSS military garb steps out.

01:08

The two exchange a few jokes, then Boris turns to Mo. "This," Boris says "is Euey. He's a bit of a... genius... when it comes to hacking."

01:08

(Sorry Neko, I hope you don't mind me taking a little creative liberty with my henchman?)

(You’re good. Just can only have the 1 right now through. Everyone else needed to fly the ship would just be remaining aboard as normal npcs)

(Gotchya!)

Visibly excited "Nice to meet you! I'm Mo! You think you could show me a few things when we're all settled?" "Nice ship you got here Boris. Must've cost a lot. If you end up adding more modules, let me know. I'd like to help the lead engineer with that!"

(I think you both have a ship now don’t you?)

(oh, I thought I hopped on a public transport to get to Pelsagon)

01:33

(or military transport)

(You would have but I thought you built one)

(nah I haven't built one. In my head I imagined Mo just went straight to see the chairman after arriving.)

The crew is hard at work getting the Union prepared to travel. The Hull shakes gently as the fuel boom is retracted and the reactor comes online. A trivial amount of power is needed to keep it idling in port and you see the lights inside get a bit more intense as ground power is disconnected

Euey says in a sort of geeky monotone voice "All system diagnostics appear to be reading fine..." and he goes off on a technical rant that nobody can (or wants to) understand. "Alright crew, let's get going!" Boris says, interrupting Euey's rant, ignoring the annoyed look on his companion's face. "We're going to Dynonen. Moissanite, our comrade from Sanjaru, will be coming with us. Let's try to get them there in one piece."

13:18

Euey sits next to Mo. "You wanted to learn more about these?" and starts on another technical rant. Boris sighs. "It's going to be a long trip."

"Ha, thank you comrade!" Mo says while giving Boris a friendly pat on the back "I don't think it'll be long enough!" While turning to Euey, "Interesting, could you tell me more? I was reading in the public archives that..." This will definitel not be the last technical rant on the ship...

Euey's eyes light up and he goes on... Boris rolls his eyes. "Alright, lets get this show on the road."

00:28

(I'm ready to go to Dynonen whenever)

(we have 6 days passing for downtime as we travel from Pelasgon to Mehani to Vari and then finally to our destination of Dynomen) (edited)

(IRL days or in-game days?)

(Game days, so let me know what you want to spend the downtime on, and ill get a system report up for you) (edited)

(will get a map done before long, but here we are for now)

20:40

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash/a/dynomen-location-1

Dynomen

(I mean, there's not really much to do on a spaceship lol)

(Mo will probably just spend most of the time picking Euey's brain I think)

(Euey will spend most of the time enjoying the attention, and Boris will spend most of the time sighing and rolling his eyes)

17:04

(There’s actually mechanics for Downtime, which is why I thought the pause was relevant , if you’re fine skipping it, the system report is posted above and that’s what you’d get through sensor sweeps upon entering the system)

(oh cool, I'm fine with skipping it though. I don't have access to a laptop to roll until Friday.)

(There’s no rolls needed just tracking of the days spent

01:46

(But we can circle back to that)

01:47

The Dynomen system consists of a single habitable world. The planet exists closer to the sun within the habitable band. It has two moons, each of them is focused on the refinement of heavy metals and fuels for the enormous major shipyard in orbit over the planet. This system also has a red sun, a gas giant, and a large asteroid field where much of the mining for shipbuilding projects takes place. A cult worshiping the mechanical wonder that is this major shipyard in the post-scream era, and the VI intelligence within they've named "Salvation", controls the shipyard and has halted operations of all projects since The Scream, to the frustration of the dozens of industries in the system that rely on it. It is not currently known what the cult may be doing inside. The Dynomen system is patrolled by a small local defense fleet consisting of system ships, under the authority of Dynomen Worldgov.

01:47

A hail from a system patrol vessel stationed near the spike entry point begins flashing on the comms system

(Yeah, I'm fine skipping it too, but that's nice to know going forward). Boris presses a button to patch the message through to them. (edited)

Unidentified vessel, state your affiliation and reason in Dynomen space. This is Dynomen system patrol. This message will repeat

"This is the SS Union. We are on a mission of exploration and diplomacy for a union of stellar states."

22:06

Boris (making sure he's not transmitting) turns to Mo. "I think it may be wise to keep the specifics of our political affiliation on the down-low until we're more familiar with the political situation in system. Thoughts, comrade?"

"Agreed... I'm concerned about this 'cult'. I've yet to read of a situation in the public archives where this term was used in a positive light."

“A Union of stellar states? There are many nearby. Is Dynomen your destination or are you passing through?”

"Our mission was to survey this system, specifically for agricultural worlds that could be settled, resources that could be exploited, or people who could be befriended. We didn't expect such a relatively advanced civilization here."

Mo nods in agreement. "I believe our Union and Dynomen could directly benefit from an alliance."

“We can clear you to approach the planet and land at the central space port if you wish to speak to leadership. A representative and their security detail will meet you”

"That sounds ideal."

23:52

Boris orders the pilot to follow the instructions of the system fleet and land at the central space port. "So comrade," he says to Mo. "This is... An unexpected turn of events." (Is there any way to contact the broader CBSS without making us look hostile to the Dynomen folks?)

(They can’t stop you from sending a message. That’s an ordinary thing to do anyway so I don’t think sending a message home would be considered a hostile act)

"Yeah... This planet doesn't seem like the bread basket we were hoping for. You think we should let the CBSS know before we engage? I'm not sure what the protocol is here..."

(Basically it’s use your best judgment. Not having a hostile system right on your border is probably a benefit)

"Surely the shipyard could prove a vital asset to the CBSS should we be able to obtain control over it. Additionally, we appear to know very little of the economic operations in this system, so it's still plausible that they could be of use on the food front as well. We should definitely send a message to the Council before we engage in diplomacy. This way, if things go south, at least they'll know what happened."

(I want to send the following message to the Chairman's Council unless Mo has any objections: "The Union has entered the Dynomen system and made contact with the native civilization. The peoples here appear to have maintained some degree of technological advancement, including regular sublight space flight, and have a respectable system defense fleet. There is a major intact shipyard above the main planet, though publicly accessible records indicate that it is under the control of cultists in conjunction with a possibly rogue AI, and that these agents appear have flustered all attempts by the planetary government to re-assume control of its operation. The agricultural status of the planet is still in question, and will be investigated further. Seeking advice on what the Chairman's Council wishes to be done.") (edited)

(Go for it!)

(I know parsnips responded in the council channel. Maxim is on vacation and might not be able to see it, and a few others are more scattered/less involved in that channel, if you're set, we can move into landing and whatnot, or we can wait for more input, whatever you guys want)

(Seems like the green light for diplomacy has been given)

(Cool cool, I think it would be fine to move forward from here)

(Yeah let's move on to the meeting)

The landing vector is provided for you and you emerge from the atmosphere and through the cloud layer to a modern looking city. There are no air cars but you do see a few grav vehicles among the congestion on the ground. You are guided to a cement landing skirt inside a military airbase at the end of this large city where a platoon in ceremonial uniform is ranked up to meet you, along with what looks to be a trio of junior diplomats and their aides

"Hello!" Mo says with a bow. "Thank you for meeting with us. We represent the SS Union crew."

"Union Crew, the Worldgov of Dynomen greets you warmly. You are the first contact from outside the system we have had in over five years, though we have been listening to the news from Galnet when signals are beamed this way"

"We are glad to see such a technologically advanced civilization on our doorsteps. The Scream reduced much of the sector to ruins as I'm sure you know. Most neutral worlds we've encountered with a semblance of advanced technology are mired in civil wars or are struggling with environmental hazards." (edited)

"We have our own problems and I am sure you were briefed on some on the way in. There is no shortage of problems here on Dynomen, but we are doing our best to try to keep the lives of our people comfortable"

"There's no shortage of problems anywhere since The Scream. Out of curiosity, does your world produce enough food to meet its needs? Does it have the capacity to produce a surplus? The polity we're representing believes that there would be great benefit in an alliance with your people, but we're experiencing a relative shortage of food, and importing food from other polities has proven quite costly."

23:18

"In exchange for such an alliance, we are prepared to offer protection from any belligerent third parties you come across, material support and advice in dealing with any problems faced by your people, and access to FTL capabilities, opening up the opportunity for interstellar commerce going forward."

23:21

"Of course, your world would largely retain autonomy over its own affairs, with the caveat of worker's rights being guaranteed, in accordance with the Bill of Rights recently passed by the Galatea Council."

Boris is a good diplomat... Mo thinks while listening to Boris' official sounding conversation

"In the meantime, you have an issue with a VI and some cultists on a station in orbit. Might we be able to assist you along that front? To demonstrate that we are acting in good faith?" (edited)

“Our world produces barely above its carrying capacity now. We know we could do things better with access to the right technologies. What do you propose to do once aboard ? The Vi and it’s cult know everything about the station.”

"Well, we do have a very competent hacker on board. If we could somehow get access to the station externally, we could use that to leverage any negotiations with crew on board."

"We do have a hacker on my team. Also, I doubt this VI is so irrational as to believe that its position is sustainable. Perhaps we could reason with it?"

“Perhaps. We have a whole planet of talent to draw from. If it was as simple as hacking a computer this would not be a crisis. You have your work cut out for you. It may listen to reason”

"Right, so what information do you have on the station as of right now?"

“We know the cult worships the Vi within. We have suspended mineral and material shipments and believe conditions inside are deteriorating due to lack of maintenance. The VI hasn’t issued any demands but we believe it is just because it has determined planetary support is not required to achieve whatever it’s aims are “

"Are you in contact with the cult?" (Sorry, I thought I asked this yesterday, but apparently I didn't hit send).

"They've issued demands for resources early in their occupation. We sent them for a while, but suspended shipments recently. We have not had any other contact aside from ensuring system ships keep away from the shipyard"

14:21

"safe navigation benefits both sides, and on that point they've at least been reasonable "

"What use would a VI have with a nonfunctional shipyard? The station doesn't have the capacity to inflict any harm planetside, right?"

"It does not have anything it can use to attack the planet. As to your other questions, you're asking the same things we are. If we knew, we would have told you and would not need help"

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us..." (I'm thinking we can try to start by gathering data about the shipyard, see if any vehicles are routinely in and out or if data is being received/transmitted that seems out of place. That could give us a clue, contact, way in, or something like that)

(Admin/int, we can look ocer some records)

(Sorry, I was finalizing my move yesterday and today. I'll be able to resume tomorrow afternoon if that's okay?)

(No worries, get your stuff done

)

(Works for me)

(Admin/int: 12)

Every three days at exactly midnight a small station monitor ship emerges from an auxiliary hangar and does a scan of the hull before returning to its docking bay. The last scan was two days ago

04:58

Otherwise aside from occasional signal traffic when coordinating to avoid space junk or handle air traffic control, communications are irregular and there doesn’t seem to be any data being beamed anywhere else

"Hmm, looks like that monitor ship is our way in. Now the question is how we should utilize this info..."

"Surely they're not scanning themselves. We could EVA onto the top of the shuttle? They go back in, report the all-clear, we come down and slip into a maintenance corridor? We figure the rest out once we're inside?"

The solution proposed by Boris seems to be the most reasonable- if the scanning shuttle is stormed before they can get a word out, you have a chance at getting inside

"Alright then, lets gear up"

(Would say armored vac suits would be available as I don’t think either of you have power armor yet)

(I'm ready. I'll deduct the credits from my character sheet next time I'm on Roll20)

(Okay, I'll do the same)

Both of you ready your vac suits and wait inside the airlock of your own ship- itself keeping a safe distance as to not be observed. As the scanning ship emerges, it will do its best to drop you close for you to EVA the rest of the way to it, and from there you are on your own. The bridge crew is ready, and the airlock lights along with anything on the outside of the ship that could give you away is turned off. Silently the ship ghosts into position, just as the scanning ship emerges. The airlock doors begin to cycle down from ten seconds before opening to hard void, just a few hundred meters away from your target.

Mo turns to make eye contact with Boris to signal that he's ready. With that, Mo moves to propel himself out of the airlock and towards the shuttle... He feels uneasy as he loses contact with the airlock.

Boris nods to let Mo know he's ready. He follows Mo out the airlock, a similar feeling of uneasiness permeating his gut. "There you go Boris, why do you always have to have such shit ideas!" He mutters to himself as he drifts in the general direction of the ship. (edited)

mag anchors in the hands and feet of your suits power up as both of you make contact with the hull of the small scanning shuttle. There is a small supply airlock on the top of the vessel with a flywheel allowing it to open. The crew will know it has been opened, and you will have to work quickly once inside

Boris gets in position by the airlock door. He pulls the lever, causing the doors to slide open, slings his combat shotgun off his shoulder and into his hands, and dives into the ship, (hopefully) ready for anything.

(We okay)?

(I think so, we're just about to break in. I was waiting for a prompt or roll or something)

(OhI didn’t want to skip without mo. Usually you guys take a couple days between posts so I wasn’t rushing ahead)

14:50

The doors open and you enter the engineering section of the small shuttle. You can hear two voices shouting from the bow of the vessel as they notice the airlock doors open from their consoles

(no prob! I'll send a one liner or quip in the future) Mo moves to the wall next to the airlock entrance to get out of their potential line of sight and readies his laser pistol

Two shadows cast light thrtough the smokey window door as a keypad is cycled. You can hear some sort of clicking or chirping noise passing between the people there, some sort of helmet comms channel being used instead of words being spoken out loud. The door will open in five seconds once pressure stabilizes.

Mo gives Boris a quick glance and nod letting him know that they got this.

Five seconds tick down before the doors hiss open and the two security members step into the room. The metal iris closes behind them. As you’ve both hidden from line of sight , they begin turning on spotlights to look into the room properly

I'll move to take down the entity closest to me to the ground and shoot

(Those would both be a main action so are we trying to force enemy movement or fire?)

(ill go for forcing enemy movement to start)

(Exert/str)

(4)

(10, unable to take him down

Boris sees Mo charge into one of the cultists, and proceeds to charge into the other, attempting to knock him down as well, cursing quietly at the situation they were in.

(Same thing, exert/str)

(Accidentally rolled it with dex so Roll20 registered it as an 11, but it should be a 10)

Boris is able to knock his to the ground, while the other cultist now grappling with Moissanite reaches to ready a knife that had been on his belt, pistol clattering to the floor. (Readying a stowed item is a main action, and the other one cannot break the being pinned on the floor, so back to Mo)

Mo goes to prevent the cultist from grabbing his knife and get a more dominant position on the ground

(Its an attack roll to disarm, and then if it hits an exert str or dex to relieve them of the weapon. Since he's pinned already we can skip to the check, as your attack will auto hit)

(17)

(Attack hits, now exert/str or dex)

(exert/dex : 6)

THeir knife is kicked away and ends up firmly in your hands

(Are there any obviously or seemingly critical areas on their suit that I would want to target?)

(I think they’d be more or less the same as critical areas just to kill a person anyway)

(alrighty, I'll go for an attack here with the knife)

(your main action was disarming him and taking the knife, so we're to boris now)

20:23

(*but next round you can make a weapon attack as normal)

(yeah, no worries. I figured I'd just let you know what I planned on doing so you wouldn't have to wait on me)

Boris makes to slam the head of the man he tackled into the ground in the hopes of knocking him unconscious.

(Need a punch attack. It’ll hit just need the damage )

(sorry my internet has been down and roll20 isn't working. Is that a d20?)

(Yes )

(3)

The blow misses and you’re unable to drive the attacker down. He does his best fighting with both of you, unable to throw you off or land any blows but you can hear the crackle of his helmet channel. He seems to be trying to call for help

(Is there any way I could knock his helmet off?)

(Mo is up) (Not right now there isn't , we;ll see how things change after mo's turn)

On the ground with the knife in his hands, Mo goes to stab the cultist aiming for the neck area

(alright, just need the attack/dmg when you've got a sec)

(6/3)

The restrained cultists struggles as both of you close in on them. The knife punches through the neck seal and he goes slack, his helmeted head bouncing against the bulkhead before the body sags to its knees to gurgle out the last of its life. The immediate threat has been handled, but the cockpit has not been seized (edited)

(Okay, so my cultist is down while Boris' is still up on their feet trying to call for help?)

(that's right)

22:26

(nobody up front is reacting though, and this knocked down guy isnt running anywhere)

Boris hears the cultist trying to call for help and redoubles his efforts, slamming the cultist's head into the ground again

18:00

(18)

(where did you roll that? I don't see it in the roll20 chat)

(Roll20 isn't working for me right now, so I rolled it using the Google dice thing) (edited)

20:17

20:18

(That's why I asked if it was a d20)

(there are other modifiers but ill take it in this case)

20:47

The cultist is knocked out. He is no longer calling for help.

Mo looks over and sees that Boris got the situation handled. He then goes to peek out the door the cultists entered to check if the coast is clear for now.

The cockpit is on the other side of this door and the two pilots seem like they're more focused on trying to handle the complicated operation of the spacecraft. The fight was over noisily, but quickly and the absence of their friends is something they have not registered yet.

(you feeling a sneak attack Boris?)

(Just so mechanically we know what our options are, you guys would get a surprise round if we decide to go for it, I think lingering for the full minute needed to set up an execution attack is more time than we have before you get noticed, since the shuttle is big, but not that big) (edited)

(makes sense to me)

Boris un-holsters his laser pistol, as it's more precise than his combat shotgun and he doesn't want to risk harming the ship controls. He raises his right hand to his face, gesturing Mo to be quiet/careful as they enter.

(Whatever order you guys want to act in, we will see how your attacks go and if there’s a need for initiative we can roll it after)

(If you wanna go first Mo, my internet has been acting up. I'll try to respond sometime tomorrow on my uni's halfway decent wifi)

(either way, if you manage to get back to decent internet before he makes his move go ahead Boris)

Mo stows the knife he got from the cultist and pulls out his laser pistol as well. He takes a moment to aim for one of the pilots and fires.

(just need the hit/damage when you got a second)

(9/2)

The shot punches through the back seat of the shuttle pilot, and he slumps forward, helmeted head smashing into the controls

The other only has a second to respond before Boris likewise acts and takes him out. The shuttle is yours.

(looks like boris just ghosted so go ahead an ddrive this on Mo)

21:37

(I'm not sure when that happened but I'm sorry if its kept you waiting. Just to refresh, you've got the cult shuttle under control now ,and it doesnt seem as though they've alerted the shipyard crew)

(no worries, it happens)

23:26

Now at the terminal, "Well, let's test out what Euey taught me" Mo moves to try to hack into the shuttle to try to find additional information

(What questions would you have? Easier that way)

(hm, for this case I think something like schedules, routines, or access codes. Anything that could help me when I'm inside)

The shuttle doesn't have any access code data, those aboard would already be cleared to fly it but you can see interior guards rotate every half hour, roughly. There are two assigned to the shuttle bay along with a technician that should be waiting inside as you come in to land.

(hey neko, sorry for the delay. Life's been pretty busy lately. You think we could do a hiatus for a bit? Not sure how you handle that stuff)

(Yeah that’s fine we can pause here. Let me know when you’re ready to pick it up again )