Iron Stars - hagen

Hagen Emeric awakens in the mountain fastness at the center of Bergasa. Outside, the seas crash against rocky beaches, and the wind carries the scent of salt, and the leftovers of raw creation. Only weeks ago, Silvano finally finished handcrafting the entire planet's landmass the way he wanted it, and the clockwork of different biomes surrounding this central mountain is a work of beauty. Although the construction was encouraged psychically, micro level organization is something beyond even Silvano's prestigious power, and there has been several calls for people to go exploring to see just what is existing out there on the landmasses

5

Hagen awakens to the sound of the crashing waves. He lies with his eyes closed, listening to the fight between water and rock. He can't grasp this place. Everything here looks so natural as it could have always been here. The fact that he knew it hasn't always been here bothered him, but he couldn't do anything about it, so he puts this problem off for later. Another wave crashes. Is the water fighting the rocks or are the rocks fighting the water? Could Silvano have chosen either one? Did he chose both, or neither? Hagen did not know the answer to those questions. Not knowing how something works bothers him. Usually, nature did not intrigue him. Nothing in nature is by design, everything has evolved through generations of mutations. There is no purpose in nature. He opens an eye and peeks at the fully funtcional miniature of an antique agricultural vehicle he build some years ago. Machines were not like nature. Machines are designed, they have a purpose. Each and every part of a machine was designed to be as it is. Everything fits by design. In nature, everything fits by coincidence. Silvanos nature is fitting by design. Or is it? Maybe that is what makes this place so creepy for him. "Well, that will bug me the whole day again", he mutters while getting up. His hands, rough and trained by years of power tool usage, flip back his reddish curly top hair. After putting on his blue maintenance overall, he gets into his neon orange vest and heads outside. Hagen lights a cigarette, checks the computer system for any reported failures, and heads towards one of the exploration managers.

"Hey there. I'm free for the day as it seems, that is until some asshole plugs up the pipes again. You have any vehicles going out today? I can keep them running for the exploring folks" (edited)

"We've got a hyrdofoil going west to an island out in the middle of the bay. Probably about 2 days of over-water traveling and then some scouting when you get there. What do you think? interested? "

14:38

3

"Yes, I'm interested. But I'm not a scientist or surveyor -see" Hagen presents the Maintenance patch on his overall, then looks back at the man. "I can certainly keep those ships floating and help the explorers with their equipment. I'm good with engines and mechanics." (edited the phrasing. Had arranged it wrong) (edited)

"That's helpful. These hydrofoils are pre-scream relics that Lord Mazzio took from the Elysium Protectorate when he heard Cyrus died. They were underwater on Aslief for years before he stole them and fixed them up. Might need some more TLC from you.

22:54

"A breakdown that far from our mountain here would be a problem"

"Ah, but you see - not a problem with me on board. But thats some history for a boat. Would always be better to build them for the environment you want to use them in of course, but I guess they are made for water, not specifically Asleif water."

“That’s what the boss is thinking. So, you in or what ?”

"Yes. Which direction are we heading to, and what are we looking for?"

"West, to the island I've just identified. Lord Mazzio is not sure what his psychic unleashment actually created there, in terms of plants, resources, animals, anything. If we can get some eyes on the place, and a proper survey, I think we will be in good hands. We can plan for development or any other advancements there later, once we have your report"

"Oh, the island, you said that earlier, right. Sounds like it's doable. Who else will be part of this expedition?"

“Two security , and two science officers. A pilot, and then you. So that’s a full crew right there”

"Then I'm ready to go. I'll get my toolkit and some spare parts and meet with the rest of the crew at the hydrofoil dock"

15:03

(I have a postech toolkit, but these are pre scream relic hydrofoils. Can I tell if thats sufficient or would I need a pretech toolkit?)

(You’d be patching it with post tech components anyway since the other stuff doesn’t exist anymore)

Hagen plans to go to the warehouse storage units to grab his toolkit and some spare parts (I have six on my sheet). After that, he heads to the meeting place.

The crew is assembling at the base of the mountain , carved to be a cave directly open to the sea. A blue water patrol boat is being constructed in a large dockyard within the mountain, and on a smaller series of docks you see the hydrofoils that have been taken from less desirable hands. The crew is standing outside the one assigned to your group, throwing bags onto the deck for storage in the below deck bunks

Hagen slowly walks towards the crew, gazing at the patrol boat for a moment, then picking up normal speed. He is curious if he can see what the construction crew is currently working on. He arrives at the hydrofoil, toolkit dangling from one shoulder, backpack from the other. "Hello. I'm Hagen. I'm here to join the expedition", he says while setting down his stuff.

“Hi Hagen. I am sure we will make introductions over the next couple days but we are happy to have a technician aboard. Getting stuck out there doesn’t appeal to anyone. Not sure if you’re an angler or not but I brought some fishing gear. Maybe we can see what’s down there when we anchor at night “

"Yes, we will have some time together. I have never tried fishing before, but I get the concept of how the rods work. I'm sure we will catch something."

Hagen helps them load the boat and prepare everything for take off. He controls every cargo strap and lock twice before starting the routine pre start checks for this kind of vehicle.

The foil looks good, and after a few moments it passes as much of an inspection as you can give it. The foil is cleared for departure by two of the crewmen inside the mountain bay, and it blasts into the water, high speed engine revving and leaving a high rooster tail of white wake behind you. It roars, all cylinders firing. Below you, as you clear the immediate mountain area , dark schools of fish scatter at the sudden violence of the foils passage. The sun is at your back, and a cool wind whips through the open upper floor. Everyone but the pilot, a security on lookout, and navigator have chosen to remain below deck

Hagen stays on the deck. He takes off his helmet and lights a cigarette. As the wind hits his face, he smiles lightly, and closes his eyes. The sun on shut eyes paints everything red. He has worked on Owiag Station, a biodome facility on the moon Owiag, for seven years. Small corridors, recycled air and the necessary sealed vac suit on day long repair trips have left him with a deep appreciation for a breathable atmosphere. He enjoys how the wind violently tosses his hair and his exhaled smoke around. The smoke cabins ventilation system on Owiag pulled on his smoke in a different pattern. He chuckles as he remembers how often he had to changed the filter. He knew exactly how that filter worked, and how important it was. The ventilation system was stretched out over the whole station, and one bad filter could be responsible for withering crops five units further. The whole station worked like that. Everything was in a crafted, calculated balance. It works perfectly, until you take out one part, and everything begins to shut down, one system after the next. Artificial creations always follow logic and calculations. Can something like that happen here, on this planet? A chill creeps down his spine, and he realises that the wind picked up. He puts his helmet back on, mutters "yeah, its bugging me" and joins the crew below deck.

A small game of bridge is being played between four crew members as everyone begins settling in. They seem to have been waiting for this for some time. The foil bounces over the waves effortlessly and the engineering quarter is a deck down, at the bottom hull of the ship

20:50

It’s expected by the end of this youll be somewhat familiar

Hagen glances at the people playing the bridge game, then he settles in a bunk himself. He stows his stuff and looks for the person he talked to earlier. If they are involved in the game, Hagen heads to engineering to look at the working pretech parts in action.

The guard you spoke with is the one standing post on the upper deck for this first rotation

Hagen approaches him. "I don't think we'll catch anything with that speed", he almost shouts over the wind, grinning. "What are you watching out for?"

“Anything that might be out in the waves. Anything at all. We don’t know what exactly might have been started here by that bioscopic shaping process. Life and it’s evolutions can’t always be planned for”

"Yeah, that's creeping me out... The parts that Silvano didn't create on purpose, you know? We'll see what the Void created." Hagen can't restrain himself from eyeing the guards equipment. He sighs. "Might as well head straight into the thick of it; if an engine starts up, you better keep it running."

(Notice /wis)

(7)

(found and changed some art, Hagen now has a pic in roll20)

A trail of bubbles is following along the eastern side of the boat

(oh shit)

20:21

"Hey, look, what's that?", Hagen says, and points in the direction.

The security officer leans over and sees the bubbles. He waves to the pilot who in turns firewalls the engine, sending everyone reeling back on the deck. Down below you can be certain their game is now all over the walls and floor

23:04

A geyser of white water and a vanishing shadow are all you are able to see before it vanishes into the depths

"Did you see that? What was that? I couldn't make out anything at all, it was back under the surface again so fast" Hagen regains his balance, one hand on the railing. "You sure you wanna catch something?"

his face goes quite pale. "Maybe not that one" A red light on the pilot console begins to flash, and he motions for you to come into the pilot house

Hagen gives the guard an apologetic look, both for his comment and his abrupt call. He rushes over to the pilot house, knocks and immediately enters. "What's going on?", he asks, eyes half on the pilot, half on the console.

"Engine number 2 didn't like that little stunt i just pulled. The fire was put out by the automatic suppression system, but our speed is down, and if that thing's still behind us or nearby, I'd like to get us back to full speed as soon as we can

Hagen nods after checking the console. "I'll have to take a look", he says, and heads down to engineering. He quickly grabs his gear and puts on his helmet on his way down.

THe engineering space smells like smoke and wafting grey dust erupts from the venting and access hatches. Even through the ventilation of your suit, you can still smell the fire retardant in the air. The propeller screw, and drive shaft have both been burned and warped, this engine is entirely disabled.

Hagen opens a radio channel to the pilot. "Driveshaft's warped, propeller's screwed as well. Engine one seems fine. I start working on engine 2 now." He assesses the damaged parts to see if they are repair- or salvageable, and checks with his spare parts. If he can't find fitting spare parts right away, he plans to repair or salvage and replace the damaged parts after a jury-rig, to get some more distance between the water creature and the boat quickly.

(we can get a blanket fix/int check and hash it out from there depending on the result)

(14, wow)

3

2

You're able to stretch what you have on hand. One of the spare parts you have can be broken down into smaller components and stretched out enough to replace what was entirely burned away, or just deformed by the heat. After about an hour of work, and no further attempted snacking, the damaged engine 2 re-ignites successfully.

"Engine two is back, give it a try, will you?", he radios to the pilot.

The engine fires smoothly and you feel the boat rise a few more meters out of the water as the lift improved with the extra speed

"Purrs like a kitten. Looks like we're back to full speed again", he says on the radio. Hagen cleans up his workplace and leaves for the crew deck. (edited)

Night begins to fall, after both engines run for another few hours, and you're halfway between here and the island you're being sent to survey. The engines finally power down for the night, since navigation is too difficult in absolute darkness like this. The anchor makes a loud rattle as it splashes into the ocean, and there is a tightening of the chain as it latches on to something down below.

21:48

Ship lights come on, now that the engines are not scarfing up most of the available power.

Hagen joins the crews social circle for a proper introduction. "Hey everyone, I'm Hagen, I'm your technician. Most of you probably haven't seen a lot of me since I've been in engineering until half an hour ago. So, what are y'all up to?", he throws in the round.

“Just a friendly game of cards. Not much to spend the credits but the thrill of them changing hands Id enough for me” the pilot says, as he finishes enduring the ship remains in place.

"I'll join in for a few hands, if you don't mind" Hagen squeezes on the bench to play cards and socialize with the crew. He tries to catch everyone's name and occupation, especially the scientists fields of study.

(lets get a luck save for the heck of it) introductions are made through the night, along with the promise of friendship if everyone survives the expedition. After seeing that large sea beast there is a genuine feeling that there might be some flora or fauna ahead, or worse, that even silvano might not have been able to account for when he set these world shaping psychic processes in motion.

(6 v 15)

You begin the night with a generous 100 credit lead on everyone else, but luck rights the balance as the night goes on, and you end up back where you start before opting out of further hands

Hagen shares the crews concern and mood of uncertainty, but does not want to press it. He quickly gets lost in the game and the social bubble of reserved laughter and conversation has an awkward pause every time the boat creaks or is shaken a bit from the wind. If there is still a guard outside, he occasionally joins them for a smoke and smalltalk. (If nothing remarkable happens, queue montage and fade to next day/planned thing'd be fine with me) (edited)

The next morning you awaken to find out that you have not indeed been eaten during the night. The anchor rises out of the water with a rattle/clank of machine links being pulled back into their large pullied housing. As the anchor rises out of the water, a few different crab like creatures are angrily clicking their claws and scurrying away, trying to get back into the water and to safety

After having a cig, Hagen joins the crew for eating and hangs around until needed.

The boat engines ignited perfectly this morning and true enough at mid morning the island comes into view. The sand is a pale pink, it looks healthy and glitters in the sunlight. Trees in rich greens and purples , branching with leaves and buds form a thicket inland around a large hill that extends a few hundred meters into the air It’s hard to see into the island, but if secure a port here would help exploration efforts on surrounding land masses

Hagen looks at the hill and into the island. Until the boat closes in on the island, he watches for movement from afar, ready to help prepare anything that needs preparing.

01:08

He snaps some pictures of the island, before getting his own stuff. He joins the crew on deck, ready to close in on the island, and to set foot on it.

The foil is a light vessel and is able to bring itself right up onto the beach, the sand parting gently at its bow. The anchor is left up but some ropes are thrown over and tied to telescoping rods hammered into the sandy beach. When the ship looks stable everyone prepares to depart. A bulky survey scanner is pulled from the ship along with its tripod. A handheld bioscanner for everyone is also handed out

"Thank you", he says to the one handing out the handheld scanners. "But I'm not sure I can use this as good as a trained person. I'll just scan everything and we look at the data later", he continues, shrugging. Hagen seeks out the scientists with their big scanner. "Where do we have to install that one? High up there?" He points to the top of the hill, then tracks a path in his mind from the summit to the beach. "That would be one hell of a trip", he says quietly. The realisation that he may see what no one has ever seen before starts to settle in, and an ambiguous smile settles on his lips.

"I think that would be the best place for it , we can sweep the whole island at once, and get some preliminary data back to The Mountain. We're going to be going through some pretty thick..temperate...jungle..like terrain. Let's stay close and keep our wits. We dont know what might be lurking out here"

"Heat and damp air is no problem for me. Crawling around in service tunnels under a reactor makes you get used to that. This'll be different, though, but I'm confident that we can install this bad boy up there. Signal will be good, unless we stumble into some strange interference. You never know with MES. I'm curious what Silvano created here", Hagen says. That he also is afraid, he keeps to himself, masked by the smile he is still carrying. While readjusting the toolkits straps around his shoulder, he suddenly feels eerily aware of the weight of the laser pistol on his belt. A gun is a tool that can't fix a thing, his father used to say, and No one needs a tool that can't fix, but with his eyes set on the shadows beneath the purple and green leaves of the jungle, he feels a rush of relief that he thought about taking it with him, even though the smile fades and leaves Hagen with a blank expression.

The group prepares to take the path inland, to the hill. If all goes well, the summit should be reached by evening. The ground goes from a pinkish grey beach of sand to a dull looking dirt, almost like the more vibrant colors have been leeched from this region of the world. The sky overhead is a milky grey, and the cry of nesting birds, or what you hope to be birds, entices all of you into the trees to see for yourselves.

21:27

If there is wild game on this planet, most can measure their lifespans in weeks or a few short months, and none exist here in quantity to make game paths through the trees. Trying to use handheld nav comps as you work your way through the thick forest is tough, and by noon the group has stopped several times to locate lost members and re-unite them with the group.

21:29

"Alright" the security chief says, looking exasperated. She has eschewed most of her combat field uniform by now, keeping just the pants, tool belt, kneepads, elbow pads, and goggles from it. "This isn't working. We need a way to keep a hold of each other while we all navigate this. We keep scattering into the trees here and eventually someone's going to get so far away we won't be able to find them again"

21:29

"Any idea's how we can fix this?"

Hagens hair clings to his face and he wipes it away. He is covered in sweat from the dampness around them as well as small scratches and residue from the flora they have been crossing. He plucks a small branch from his boots and looks around. "I don't know the specifics of these handheld bioscanners and can't reprogram them, but if they come with a maximum scanner range, we can scan each other and watch for out of range alerts" (edited)

"We're getting all different returns from the terrain in here, and the scan is bringing back everything around us. It's hard to separate our group from the animals and birds around us"

"Mh. We all can more or less see the hill and thats where we're going. Can the big scanner pick up some frequency or interference from the small ones, if they are activated? In that case, even if someone gets lost, we could find them later with the big scanner once its installed, if they dont manage to find the summit on their own by that time. Or we could just pay more attention to one another - we are not that many people, after all. Everybody picks a buddy and no one walks alone, that kind of idea."

"You might have something with the setting up a signal up there. Alright, so we just do our best, and as long as the scanner makes it up there, we're all going to have to be a little self sufficient "

"Tying a rope around each other would just slowus down to a crawl in this thicket, so everyone pick a partner and keep your eyes on them. I'll be with the big scanner - I can repair it, should it not be working."

The day drags on as the humidity rises. Bugs and birds caw and buzz, and you lose track of the entire rest of the group aside from the tech with the scanner. The path up the hill is winding and rugged, and as you near the summit, the last of the afternoon light filling the sky the operator slips, dashing the machine on the rocks

Hagen rushes to his aid. "Hey, are you okay?", he asks with a concerned look. He looks the man up and down and shoots him a smile. "We have to be extra careful now that it's getting dark." (is it reasonable to have a light source either in a multitool or datapad/slab, or on the helmet? Hagen basically wears construction worker gear)

(the helmet, and glowbugs)

(alright I'll buy those after the mission)

"Right, I think I busted the scanner though. You might need to take a look at it once we get up there"

"Let me take a quick look now. It'll only take a minute, I just want to make sure no loose parts fall off and get lost, or already broke off and lie around." Hagen activates his helmet light, changes it to close range bright light work mode and takes a good look at the scanner.

It looks to be repairable with some of the parts you have with you. One part should be plenty to make this work for now

"Yeah no problem, I can fix it once its set up. The plan was to meet at the top so we should go there first, look for a good spot from there, plant it, then I repair it. Lets hope the others have arrived by then. That okay? Alright, come on" Hagen switches the worklight to a much dimmer, yellowy cone so they could see better, and activates the red warning backlight so he could be more visible for the rest of the crew.

Sunset has come by time the heavily sweating pair of you reach the summit. It does not seem like anyone else is here yet, though you can hear sticks breaking and the occasional wind carried curse word coming up the path. THere is still enough light to work,b ut that is a rapidly fading benefit

"Lets catch our breath and look for a good spot", Hagen says between heavy breaths, standing with his hands on his knees. He enjoyed that he did not feel how cold and wet his clothes were if he did not move. He had always liked sweating. The need of his body to cool down while in excessive heat and use reminded him of a machine, and the similarity between biomechanics and machine mechanics had always fascinated him. The movements and actions of one part always need the movements and actions of one or various counterparts to keep the machine in balance and working. That is true for the human body and a machine. And those various moving parts combined formed new parts relying on the actions and reactions of other parts, just like a driveshaft needed torque and rotation or a muscle needed a bone to attach on and sweat to cool it. But now he was entering the stage where he had sweated, and that was the part he hated. Being in wet or damp clothes was nothing unusual for him, but he had always disliked that his body had no immediate answer for being covered in its own coolant. So he enjoys to stand still for catchingh his breath, and after a minute, he gets up and wipes the cold sweat from his face. He looks at his hand, takes a quick look around and realises that the light is fading. "You know what? Lets just set it down on the most stable spot we can fin within 10 meters or so. We can move it in daylight, but already get a scan through the night." (edited)

15:41

After setting down the scanner, Hagen begins his repairs.

(lets get a fix/int for that, and I can lay out the rest of the scene)

(7)

You're forced to use a second unit of your spare parts to get the machine fixed, the long grass and fading light causes you to lose several fasteners and settings from your first pack. As darkness falls, the scanner's floodlight, along with its intense radio signal, and polyspectral lens begins working to get a full detail picture of the island. More importantly, your companions can now detect your position, and with a fixed point of reference you can hope the rest of them arrive soon. You can see the sealed hydrofoil from up here. A few sea birds are sitting on the railings of it, perched and doing things sea birds tend to do.

"Hey, look at that, we can see the whole island from here. Too bad its already so dark. Well, shall we set up camp while we wait for the others? Gives them plenty of time to find us. If they are not here once we're finished, we can plan something else!"

(3xp 5000 credits)

(that's enough for a level up. Can I do that mid mission, or is the mission over? I'm a bit confused, haha)

(scene is over, we can do the level up now as night goes on, and people make their way to your camp) (edited)

(I see. HP 8, Focus Connected lvl 2 > Connect 1 +1/3, Notice +1 > Notice 1, bank 2 regular skill points, done)

The team minus one of the security detail all manages to stagger up to the top of the mountain through the night, passing out almost as soon as they manage to reach the encampment. By morning, the missing man has still not shown up, and it is impossible to get a read down below on the bioscanners with all the other life in the thick jungle

"Alright, we need to find our missing man. Science team, you handle the readings and whatnot, see if you can get us a rough map for our devices or something. One guard stays here on lookout, watching over the camp. You can see the boat from up here, so if our missing man shows up down there, you have to spot him. The rest of us (should be me and the pilot; we were six people, right?)... we go search for our missing man. We know he should be in the upper half of the island, he was with us after the break we had. We should head down the hill, eyes open, and take something with an edge to cut a path. That way, we work on something that we have to do sooner or later, and we can't lose each other, while we search for our man. Everyone okay with that?"

A mono edge machete is passed over to you, and you begin heading into the thicket of the jungle. Birds and small rodents perch in the trees and caw loudly , drowning out other sound

02:19

)six in total was right (

(what's the pilots name? I should know by now)

(Kasper)

Chunk With a swing of Hagens machete, a vine split in two, both ends vanishing in the jungle like a shy animal, as the year old tension disappeared. They had been doing this for half an hour now. Hagen had left his orange vest at the camp. His overall was zipped open to his waist, sleeves tied around his hip. His green tshirt underneath was soaking. Another Chunk, and another piece of yet to be named and catalogued flora falls down, to make the life of a couple of humans easier. "So, tell me, Kasper", Hagen says, pausing to wipe the sweat from his face. "How was the ascent? Y'all took your time, and none of you were in a condition to say much, if anything" Chunk

“I don’t know what happened down there. I can follow a path. I went into a grove of trees that I thought all of you went into and then there was just nothing “

"Mh. So you have no idea where around you could have lost him?"

“How about we go back to where I think we got separated and we work from there? We got the machetes now so cutting a path won’t be as hard”

"I'm fine with that. You lead the way"

It’s a half hour of slashing through dense foliage before you come to something of a clearing where the trees widen. A discarded pack is on the ground though the weapon and bioscanner that go with it are both gone. Deep boot prints lead in the opposite direction back toward the water, though if these tracks continue straight they are wildly off course from the beach

"Lets follow the steps as good as we can. Its no wonder he has not appeared at neither the boat nor the summit if he went in that direction", Hagen says, and leads the way

The man was making no effort to conceal his passage and after another half hour of searching you come upon him. Pinned under a fallen tree he is alive, but hurt and dehydrated. He grasps toward you with weak fingers, outstretched into something like a claw

Hagen closes the distance quickly and kneels down next to the man. "Hey, its alright, we're gonna get you out. Kaspar, give him some water", he says before getting up and circling around the tree. He tries to judge if Kaspar and him would be enough to get the man out, without running the risk of hurting him

With some light work, such as setting up some kind of block and tackle or lever, you should be able to move the tree off of him and at least get him clear. It's hard to tell how bad his legs are mangled

Hagen and Kasper get to work. After finding a suitable pivot, they lift the tree to get the injured and exhausted man out of his position. He takes a look at the mans legs. "I'm no doctor, so we have to use your own judgement. It's a walk of approximately two hours to the summit. I know you are exhausted and hurt, so... what do you think, could you do that? If not, thats okay, I will build you a stretcher, and we will carry you."

His legs are crushed once you drag him free, and he is weak from the pain. If he is going to make it up the mountain, it will be on your backs, or with a stretcher.

18:00

weakly, he takes a small vial from the pack near him, crawling over to it, and takes a deep drink of pain suppressant

"Just sit down and wait here, I'll bee right back" Hagen begins to collect the local floras bits and pieces he deems useful for building a makeshift stretcher, or a crude carrying harness. He does not walk off far; staying within ears reach is a priority, he does not want to get lost or lose the other two.

(Your fix is good enough where i dont tihnk we need a roll to get something together)

19:21

Within an hour, you have a stretched made from lengths of cut tree limb, bindings from vines, and some straps made of the same to help keep the patient immobile and more importantly keep them from falling off. You have an uneven , but largely cleared trail you've hacked with your machetes back to the summit, and once you're close you'll be able to get some extra help bringing the wounded in.

As Hagen, along Kasper and the guard, gets close the the summit, he shouts and waves for the rest of the crew to notice. While they are tending to the guard, Hagen rallies the explorers and explains what happened. "...so, short version is, we are complete again, but only five of us are able to work. We have installed the scanner and it has been running through the night. How long until we have the required data? Do we need to put it elsewhere, and will it stay here if we leave?"

“It will continue sending information back if we leave. We should collect some plant and soil samples to come home with, Silvano would be interested in the actual conditions here”

"We should take some rocks as well. You know, minerals. Could make expanding here a lot easier, if we confirm propper building materials are already on this island. I'll give you a hand with the samples if you want. I still have this", Hagen says, presenting the handheld bioscanner

(lets get a work/con, and we'll round this up)

(8)

Some soil samples, plant samples, and a few jars of the water near the beach are collected. The survey scanner keeps beeping, and will continually send back information about conditions here. A larger follow on expedition will likely be planned. The wounded man is lowered aboard the hydrofoil, and he fades in and out of consciousness.

Hagen stands, ankle deep in the water, at the islands beach, hands on his hips, watching the wounded man being loaded onto the boat. He could have built a pier to make that process easier, and it would also relief future expeditions. Nah, he thinks, maybe next time. I should leave that work for someone who gets payed to do it. He helps everyone to get their belongings and equipment on the ship, then he begins with the hydrofoils pre-start checkup procedure.

(2 days of downtime on the way back and 3xp, 5000 creditS)

(Level up; HP 9, Fix 2, Connect 2, 1 skill point unspent)

The foil returns to the under-mountain dock two days later, and there are dozens of workers still down there working on dock infrastructure, power, and the blue water patrol ship they've been working on. There is no sign of silvano down on this level, he rarely comes down from his peak sanctum anymore, but the dock foreman is there, along with one of the more senior functionaries, no doubt seeing the return of your craft from afar

Hagen watched the island grow smaller and smaller, and the Mountain bigger and bigger. He waits until the docking procedure is finished, helps the crew with the injured man and their belongings, and waits until he is needed for some kind of debriefing. (edited)

The senior functionary makes his way down the wide metal decking, heading to the boat, and stepping aside as medical teams drag the stretcher away. "You've made it back. Weather and local conditions data is coming in, very clearly. It looks like you've all had a bit of an adventure out there"

"Yeah, almost lost a man. You know what this planet needs? A satellite. A good one. One with a strong signal, for navigation. The handheld bioscanners had loads of interference on that island, but the big one is installed on the summit, and working just fine. So why not put an even stronger signal way up there", he says and nods towards the peak of the mountain, and the sky above "and explorers can use that signal as a point of reference when navigating the Unknown." "We've also brought some flora and some soil samples for Silvano. Should I hand that to one of his runners or deliver it to a lab?" (edited)

"I'll ensure you're credited, but I'll have runners bring it in, there's a whole decontamination process to go through, and its just a pain" she laughs "We could get something up there. The fleet doesnt hold a position, and most of the time isnt even in local space. We'd need to grab a few things to get a rocket up from a nearby world though"

"Should we not undergo a decontamination process as well, if the samples need one? One of us got a major injury, and we all have lots of cuts and scratches. The satellite thing - I think I could build something, if I had access to a workshop, and a tech nerd or two. Maybe a radio tower on top of the mountain. I mean... There is only water around here, no structures or terrain to block the signal"

"The planet Balquis, about a day from here in spike has rocket components we could take, even if we assemble the satellite here and use one of the void ships to launch it"

"Sounds like I just need a workshop, and that tech nerd", he says, smiling. "It's a good idea to visit Balquis for parts. How come you know they have spare rocket parts?"

"We had a pair of scout ships return with some salvage from the world. We took some spike cores from damaged vessels on the ground there, some kind of failed trade hub, but it looks like they were using cargo rockets and system runners to get most of their goods into orbit as is"

"Oh, so they have a giant scrapyard where a settlement used to be? What happened?"

"We're not sure, the previous group didn't stay long, the repairs were a priority, but maybe its something you can help figure out"

Hagen scratches his chin. "Maybe", he says. "I'd have to take a shower first. That island was like a sauna. But it's quite charming, once you get over the whole not knowing a single bird or bug. You should check it out", he says with a broad smile. "You wouldn't know about any planned jumps to Balquis in the near future, would you? As you described it, it's quite the point of interest"

"THere's one planned for tonight. It's a quick turnaround, but the spike jump is an entire day, you'll have plenty of time to sleep aboard"

"That soon? Perfect. I better get going then. See you", he says, and hastily gets home. He takes a quick shower and has a cig by his window afterwards. He throws his used overall into his recycler and puts on a new one from storage. He repacks his bags, grabs something to eat on his way to the meeting room and enters. (I'll hop to Einer)

Hagen returns to Mount Home, now with a large supply of the specialized parts he needs to complete both of the projects he has in mind.

19:42

(just not sure what you want to do first)

(the beacon, I think. You told us we got some pretech parts. Is that a specific part, or is that a placeholder until we as players use them for something, like a crafting ingredient?)

(you can modify weapons/armor/ships with them, some of the really advanced mods need it)

(Ah I see, I'll add pretech parts x1 to my char sheet then)

After emptying the ship of the tanks and and the construction material, Hagen searches for the ports short-haired foreman lady. "Hello there. I was wondering if you know of a room or area in the vicinity I can rent and use as a mechanic, as a workshop"

"Space is at a premium with us constrained by the mountain here, all the techs have been sharing a large bay down by the blue water docks on the sea level. the water closeby is mandatory, just in case there's a fire. Once we get some more bodies, and a settlement out on either that island you scouted, or a location we're getting information about now, it'll be easier to get some private business going"

"It's not really a private business just yet, I would like to build a beacon for Mount Hope. I have what I need, except the workplace. I shall head down to the blue water docks and ask there. Thank you for your time"

00:15

Hagen walks to the docks and searches for the tech bay.

The bay is an open air wide metal platform@above the water with benches along the outside , making a wide work space in the middle for various projects

19:52

Three other techs are here right now

Hagen walks up to opne of them. "Hello. I've got a project I need a workshop for, and got sent down here. Can you help me out?"

23:24

(shoulda asked before approaching to pick, but what are those three working on?)

(Things for the next boat they're going to make, since the blue water frigate has launched and is now patrolling around mount home)

Hagens view falls on the moving frigate on the water, and he looks back at the technician. "Hey, I saw you working on the frigate!", he almost shouts excited. "I peeked at what you were doing just the other day! Glad to see her finished and moving, what a beauty"

"Thank you! we're working on something really ambitious next, but you said something of your own project? Can you tell us about it?"

"Ambitious is a good keyword", Hagen says with a smile, and pulls out his dataslab. "A couple of hours ago, I returned from Balquis' abandoned trade hub. I managed to scavage two cargo rockets worth of components, and a big solar power array. I want to build a sky beacon above Mount Hope, as a navigational anchor for exploration and expansion on the landmasses around us"

"This something based in space? or something we're going to put on top of the mountain?"

He opens a file on his dataslab

17:38

17:42

(It honestly never crossed my mind to mount something on the peak that shines upwards, that would be way easier) (edited)

(upward or illuminating where exploration teams are out at, if you still wanted to do that)

(I like the sky based one, gonna stick to it, if its doable)

(it sure is)

20:13

"Alright, so some sort of guide satellite, that shouldn't be too hard given all the salvage you've brought back"

"Yeah, I have been pretty lucky to get everything in one run" He looks around to make a point about what he is about to say. "Looks like you have enough room for me to start soon. You said you had an ambitious project, I hope that does not get in the way, but if it does, I'd be happy to help. What is it?"

"We;re going to be working on a large transport ship, like a floating dock that can accommodate helicopters, vertical launch flyers, and a sea deck for smaller speed boats. We'd like to use it to help get settlements established on the mainland, and serve as a logistical bridge between the mountain and any settlements we make"

"I thought about a similar thing, but airborne. I'd like to share my knowledge and skills with you once that beacon is finished"

“I think all of us working together might be for the best. We thought airborne too but the chance for fault is a lot higher since you’re constantly fighting gravity, plus, we need something surface level to actually investigate things spotted from the air

"I agree, and I gladly work together and share my thoughts. Such a big ship may also help unravel the mysteries of the sea" or agitate what's living there. Might just wanna radiation cook everything around such a ship, he adds in his mind. "I'd like to have all the formalities done asap, you know how it is, I got things to invent", he says with a wink and a smile. "Who do I talk to to wrap this up?" (edited)

"You just did, we're on board, just tell us what to do"

14:57

(we can montage this, if you like, since with just you a skills contest doesnt really net anything )

14:58

(and you've got the things you need)

(alright, queue montage)

It takes a few days for the object to be built, and will need to be floated out of the expedition hangar on a small raft to be picked up by a ship, but the work moves swimmingly thanks to the recovered parts. The Final Flight is on station to bring it up into orbit with you aboard, ready to go out and flip the switch for the first time.

"FF, this is Emeric. I'm suited up and entering the airlock" He presses the button for the airlock controls, and the door slides open. As it closes behind and the pressurization process is started, Hagen closes his eyes for a few seconds. He can hear the airlocks high pitched peeping, the first signal of that process. The image of a pitch black sky with nothing but a mountain, illuminated by a bright beam coming from out of the clouds, is in his mind. The beam eats away the darkness, bathing the mountain and the surrounding sea in a dim light. The airlocks seconds audiosignal, the hissing of air being sucked out, enters his thoughts, forcing his eyes open again, just in time to see the round door iris open, framing the beacon he and the team of technicians built over the last week. As he sees the machine hanging, slightly spinning, in zero-g, silent and illuminated by spotlights from the ship and the systems sun, a memory of his parents dancing in zero-g flushes through his thoughts, and he can't help but tear up and smile. With the airlocks third accoustic signal, the shutter door is completely open and Hagen launches himself from the First Flight to the satellite. "I'm on my way now, FF", he radios, and hopes that his voice sounds not as emotional over the radio as it sounds to him. He reaches the beacon and looks around. The ship is a dark, star-eating spot some meters away, and he can see Bregusas donut shaped landmass way underneath him. He has a slight rush of vertigo as he tries to focus on Mount Hope, and averts his gaze. He arrives at the control panel. "Gonna start it up now" He flicks the main power switch, and as a few control diodes light up as well, an indicator rises and highlights a switch. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, opens his eyes and flicks the switch.

2

There is a buzz that you feel more than see as the solar panels begin collecting light, and powering the beacon. Glowing light begins pooling around the projector, and down onto the planet below, exactly as you had envisioned. You push back from the satellite, the Final Flight gently moving abeam of you for pickup, and you can see any crew who did not have immediate duties is also crowded around whatever viewports they can manage to find

Hagen floats backwards towards the FF, his gaze follows the beam of light building a visual connection between the mountain and the beacon. Hey Silvano, I just enhanced your creation, he thinks with a broad smile. Something in his mind shifts, and he freezes with a puzzled look on his face. Only nothing can't be enhanced. Silvano needed something enhancing his creation, and everything in existence can be enhanced only if it exists prior. Nature tries to change, to enhance what's there, to fill all the blind spots with life. We would have those uncontrollable fillings here, even with usual terraforming. Different fillings, sure, but not any more controllable than what got created where Silvano did not have full control. Machines and design are the same - they follow the needs of what's already there. In a way, I am doing exactly what I don't like happening - I fill a spot where I think Silvano did not have full control over his creation Suddenly, his back hits the First Flight, and he jerks around. He hurries along the outer hull towards the airlock. He turns around to look at the beacon again before entering the ship. I get it now, Silvano. This was just too complex to do it alone. Might as well help now, after it is 'finished' already (edited)

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(I resolved my goal to get a beacon over the mountain)

(yes, there is Xp there assigned, which i believe was an additional 3)

(yes there is a 3. So I get 6xp total?)

(right)

21:11

(3 from the mission, and 3 from your bonus)

(thats awesome! goals rule)

(lvl 5 hp 12 ->21, Focus Tinker lvl 1 fix 1 -> fix 2, know 0 -> 1, work 0 -> 1, talk -1 -> talk 0, 4usp) (edited)

1

(Neko, please take these 500 credits for a little thank you festivity with small gifts for the technicians working with Hagen on the beacon. He's got connected 2, trying to make some friends by appreciating their time for his project. I already substracted 500 from my sheet) (edited)

22:03

(and by any means, keep a slice of cake for yourself, you earned it

)

(24k even left now after deduction)

(thats 1k then for this, that seems a little show-offish, but its fine, haha. I phrased that weirdly. Well, everyone gets a new powertool; no technician has ever all the tools they need) After returning to Mount Home, Hagen visits the blue water docks. He collects everyone he worked with during the past few days, and leads them to a prepared area a little off, from where the beam is visible. He hands out drinks for everyone and straightens his back for a quick toast. "I came here with nothing but salvage and a vision, and within a week, thanks to you, those are gone" He chuckles, waiting for everyone else to politely laugh. "What I have now instead is a finished project up in the sky" He raises his glass, looking up. After a few seconds, he meets everyones eyes. "I appreciate the time you invested to help me achieve this, and I will never forget it. As a gesture of my gratitude, I got you all a little something, on the table over there. Just look for your name. Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. Cheers"

Half an hour after the short toast in this small circle, he invites the rest of the people currently working on the dock to the small celebration

The dock workers and their overseers begin coming together, work stopping for the first time since the hangar was created. Everyone looks on eagerly to see what is happening and several field questions about the beacon

Hagen shortly sums up the idea behind the beacon and why he thinks it's finishing is worth a celebration. He answers every question thoroughly and is not afraid to go into detail, if someone is up for that. He tries to get people talking about their projects, then draws other people in to get their opinion on that, to evoke the sense of a shared idea makerspace in the docks.

it seems like this feeling is beginning to pervade the space, and they are all touched by the beacon and what it symbolizes

Hagen is happy that the beacon is well received, and he lets the evening fade away

(You wanted to explore balquis then?)

20:08

(That’s what I nabbed from the chat)

(yeah, to check out the failed colony over there, to finish what we started. I don't mind taking Einer along, Hagen would ask him since they talked about returning together)

21:26

(but I'd also do it alone if he's caught up in something)

(If you’re wanting to shoot him a message we can do that

The next day, Hagen prepares to go down to the dock, to join the planing phase for the swimming base. He thinks about possible materials for such a project, and the big scrapyard that is Balquis comes to his mind. He takes out his compad and writes a message to @Karre Mondragon(Timothy).

Hey Einer, are you tied up in anything?
I will go back to Balquis in the next few days, to take a look at that failed colony. You asked me to tell you, so consider this an invitation.
Reach out when you find the time, I'm at my apartment or at the blue water dock. 
Hagen

(Seen. Totally down for Balqis Part 2 if the timing with waking up the ferals works out)

(I don't mind waiting for you Bro)

4

3

There's a knock on the door leading into Hagen's workspace. Einer stands there with his duffel slung over his shoulder, "Hagen! I got your message. You're going back to Balqis?"

Hagen and two technicians stand with their back to the open dock, hunched over the virtual 3d model of a platform or some big boat, projected upwards by a dataslab on the table. One of the technicians has tweezers in his right hand, with a curly yellow cord plugged into the dataslab, and with the tweezers, he moves an antenna from the front to the top of the model. Hagen turns around as Einer knocks on the open frame , and a grin splits his face. He hastly changes a few words with the techs and, while taking his helmet off, closes the distance to Einer for a greeting. "Einer! Good to see you. Yes, I am going back to Balquis" He sees the duffel over Einer shoulder. "You coming?" (edited)

Einer cranes his neck to look at the 3D model, “If you’ll have me. What’s that?”

"Of course, my friend" Hagen steps to the side and gestures with his arm towards the model. "It's what the mobile seabase may look like one day. With this blueprint software, we can 3d scan the parts we have, and then place and rearrange them so everything fits" He points at the pair of tweezers which seems to be used to grab and handle the virtual part. "That's super handy if you don't have a blueprint yet because there is none. We're just juggling ideas so far, the conceptual planning phase is not completely wrapped up" (edited)

Einer walks up, leaning in to look at all the features, "It's impressive to say the least. Are you planning on just the one?"

Hagen nods. "It will be one of a kind. Gonna be complex enough, and big. This won't circle around Mount Home like the patrol boats, it will be more like a semi-permanent waterborne port and dock, moving to where it's needed, and then it'll stay there until it isn't"

“Almost like Old Earth oil derricks? It’s fascinating. I can’t wait to see it in action.” Einer adjusts the duffel over his shoulder, “Are we going back to Balqis for more parts, then?”

"Yeah, like an Earthen oil Plattform, but... " Hagen starts, then he tilts his head as he seems to process a thought by looking at the ceiling, before sneering and shaking his head. "But not on stilts", he concludes, then begins to nod as an answer to Einers question. "If we find some stilts on Balquis, we're not gonna need them. So far, we did not plan with anything we don't already have here, so anything we find could be useful and included here" He chin-points towards the 3d model, eyeing Einers duffel. "You look ready. Are you?" (edited)

“Absolutely. Maybe we’ll be able to find out what killed those Protectorate soldiers we found. I’d like to be able to pass that information along to Heras, given the chance.”

Hagen begins to collect his things from the workspace. "The colony is a bit off from the trade hub we visited, but we might find some clues, that's a good idea. Do you expect us to run into trouble?" He pats his right hip, where his laser pistol would be if he wore it in Mount Home.

Einer’s tone hardens, “Unless we want to end up like those soldiers, I think it’d be prudent to expect it.”

Something in Hagens eyes firms as he regards Einers sword. "I think I'll invest some of my funds into protection, then. Do you know an armory of some kind?"

20:44

(can Hagen buy a combat fiel uniform (1k) and a stun baton(50)?)

"I'm sure some of the marines can point you in the right direction. Should I meet you aboard the First Flight?"

"You're right. Let's meet there in an hour"

Einer nods, and heads off to Mount Home's landing bay. He gets situated aboard after checking in with the crew.

(yes, those are both available)

(cool, I'll buy it, - 1050c)

Hagen arrives at the First Flight after 57 minutes. In addition to his backpack, he has a dark grey bag dangling from his shoulder. As he sees Einer, he lifts the bag a bit. "They had something my size", he says with a grin while patting his belly.

He grins, "Hopefully you got it tailored. It makes all the difference when you're dressing up." Einer walks with the engineer as they head to drop off their equipment, "Do you ever feel like you're being pulled in several directions since you came to Bergasa? The beacon, the sea platform, establishing the workshops, the Balqis expeditions. All of it."

Hagen scratches his chin while he thinks about the question, a quizzical look on his face. For a while, the dry rasp of his fingertips against his stubbles accompanied by his slow breathing are the only sounds he produces. His fingers stop, and he leans towards Einer, eyebrows furrowed, with a counter question gleaming in his eyes. "Why are you here if not for the opportunities you had nowhere else?", he says in his low, calm voice

Einer inhales before responding, "I spent a long time without responsibility, and even longer craving the opportunity to feel useful. It's refreshing to be needed, but disorienting at the same time. I fully believe there's opportunity here to build something we'd be proud of and couldn't accomplish anywhere else in the sectors. I'm curious as to what your own perspective is."

Hagen glances at Einer while they walk through the corridor."I didn't engage in all that because I felt needed, I did it because it made sense for me. All the things I did are connected, all tied to who I am - a mechanic with opportunities. I like to build and to fix things, I do what I want, not what I'm needed for" Hagen tosses his backpack and the grey bag on his bench as they arrive at the crew quarters. "I like to know how things work, how parts and facts and concepts are connected, because I believe that they always are. I'm not overwhelmed by the opportunities Bergasa gives me, because I know why I am here. My path is set, so to say. But..." He sighs heavily. "But I'm overwhelmed by the unknown I'd have to engage with in order to get a better picture of this place" (edited)

Einer leans against a nearby bulkhead, contemplative. "It feels like we're on the cusp of greater influence and authority. I'm glad we met before it happened; since it'll be nice to have a friend experiencing similar situations. Do you think there's anything we need to do in preparation for Balqis? I assumed it'd be us going down alone, again."

Hagen closes the few steps any puts a hand on Einers shoulder. "I'm glad as well, my friend. But I don't think you and me need any special preparations for going down; we know that there is somebody else, and we are prepared for that. I don't plan to use the bit of firepower I have, but I won't just get decapitated like that EP fellow. A thourough scan before landing will ease my mind, though" (edited)

“Agreed. Glad we’re on the same page.” (I don’t have anything to add for the moment)

"What happens to the people in those tanks?"

"Oh," Einer looks down, "Lord Mazzio helped me crack the tanks open. It seems like the people inside were all MES sensistive. Their people put them in the tanks to prevent them from becoming feral. The first we woke up, we had to," he takes a steadying breath and looks up at Hagen, "kill them. They weren't in control and were an immediate risk to us and all of Mount Home. It was a close thing with the second one, she was choking on the fluid and Silvano had to keep her from using her powers while I tried to clear her airway. She and the third seem to be doing alright. My understanding is Silvano is taking them under his wing since he's the only thing anywhere like a teacher for this sort of thing."

Hagens eyebrows shoot up with the word feral, and as Einer looks at him, understanding eyes look back from a face that usually has more color. He listens closely, and as Einer finishes, Hagen claps him on the shoulder. "Look at you saving lifes left an right!", he says with an energetic tone, and a hint of pride. "Who knows what would have happened if you had not been there. Hell, I missed the hatch, if it were not for you, they'd still be on that rocket, destinied to wither away"

22:56

After a short moment, he continues. "But I can see that is not how you see it. Do you want to talk about how you feel?", he says with a serious look on his face, and no hint of mockery is in his voice.

“I- Uh no. I’m ok. It’s terrible, and I wish we could have helped them. The tank kept them from recovering during the healing, but their suffering wasn’t long after they were woken up. If they suffered.” He sighs, “Thank you. I think it might be worth destroying what remains of the other rocket. Even if there were tanks in it, they haven’t been powered since we left the rocket dismantled in orbit. It’d be a fitting pyre if there are any passengers aboard.”

"We may have to make arrangements for that, I don't think this ship carries that many expendable torpedos. Let's talk to the captain"

“Sounds like a plan. Besides, we can always come back if we need to.” Einer follows Hagen out of the quarters and to the bridge.

(What ships did we want to take for this. )

(FF and a corvette to blow up the rocket if the free merchants can’t?)

(we could also fly up to the rocket and plant explosives)

(The corvette is armed and certainly can)

(is it even reasonable to take a corvette with us for such a thing?)

(We could use it for an escort, kind of thinking about saying hi to EP after this since we’re already out if you’re interested)

(extending it to a diplomatic mission in case we find something about the EP soldiers? I'm in)

(At the very least to let them know we found their soldiers, too)

(sure)

(let's rp this out a bit, if you agree with such a direction, Neko)

(yeah the corvette was intended to be the escort)

04:13

(just in case, and if you guys want to RP go ahead)

(I meant the part where we spin this into a diplomatic mission involving the Elysium Protecorate) (edited)

(If you guys end up heading out that way i think RP is absolutely called for)

While on the way to the bridge, Hagen speaks up again. "I'm thinking... If we have to take a bigger ship to blow up this rocket... A corvette in orbit is pretty good leverage if we encounter those... Decapitators"

“That seems reasonable. Hopefully they’ll understand the severity of the threat.”

"Did you find any identification on those soldiers? EP might be interested in their whereabouts"

Einer reaches into a pocket, and pulls out two sets Protectorate Dog Tags, “I pulled them off the bodies before I buried them. If we can’t take the bodies home, the least I figured I could do was return these to their people. Things got a little hectic before I could get out to Heras last time, though. I agree that we should let them know what we found after Balqis.”

"Let's get a warship, then. Now who do we talk to to get one?"

(Ones been assigned for the expedition already. Really all we need to do is set out)

“I think I heard the ground crew mention we had an escort already. Let’s check in with the captain and we can be on our way.”

Hagen nods, and both men arrive at the bridge shortly after. "Ah, captain, good to see you again. I see the First Flight is in a good condition and ready to fly, but how about that corvette in the next dock? We will need a bit firepower, and may have to take a little detour to EP"

"The escort is also ready to go. Both crews are aboard, and we have as much fuel as we're going to be able to take. Their captain also knows how to trim a course, so if we go right to the Protectorate from our little detour to Balquis, we should be able to refuel there"

“Wonderful! Thank you, captain. Is there anywhere aboard I can make myself useful for the trip?”

“We aren’t expecting trouble. It’s a short jump to balquis. Just be ready for the drop when we get there”

"Sounds like something we can do"

19:42

(unless you have something else you want to talk about during the journey, I don't mind montaging to Balquis so Bauxite can join soon)

(I’m game with that. He’s about to torch as far as how he wrote the character so An adventure of his own may kill him)

(Can I try making some frontier meds en route?)

20:44

(Otherwise I’m cool with montage!)

(You can, we can work that out in PM but yes)

22:01

Arriving at Balquis, the planet seems largely unchanged since your last visit here. The remains of what you did not take from both rockets remains in loose orbit, though some of the smaller components have tumbled back planetside and burned up in atmosphere

Einer stands to the side on the bridge, trying to stay out of the way while the crew inserts them into orbit above Balqis. When the scans come back about the rocket parts, he speaks up, "Captain, can you request that our escort destroys the larger chunks of remains while we're here? I'd prefer not to leave them in orbit."

“We will take care of it once you’re on the surface. Let’s handle that first. We are looking into that failed colony”

Hagen arrives on the bridge as Einer began to talk, walking stiff in his new combat field uniform. The grey undersuit fits tight around his body, the belt looking slightly curved where it's designed to be a line. The darker armored plating on his shoulders, chest, hip, back and thighs distort his silhouette, and his unvisored face is a bright red spot at the top. He teeters over to Einer, stands next to him to look at the screen, careful not to make eye contact. Eyes on the screen, he waits for a few seconds in awkward silence before he clears his throat. "So... What about that colony? Anything on the scanner?", he says in a tight voice.

There are very faint power returns, along with some scattered plant life in the failed colony below, but no tell-tale signs of why it collapsed from orbit

Einer stands more comfortably on the bridge, his belted tunic offering some warmth in the cold compartment. "Bad luck maybe? Not every colony can be a success story. Especially with the Scream nonsense."

"Right, well, we wanted to check it out and see for ourselves. So what do we think? make a landing?"

“Sounds like the best idea. Don’t linger, but stay in communication range please.”

"Landing would be great. I don't mind if it's a bit off" Hagen bends his knees outwards and stiffly squats down. "I need to get used to moving in this suit" (edited)

"We'll maintain position on the ground. So, lets head down"

05:17

The ship begins angling downward slightly and its engines provide a short burn as it moves into the atmosphere. From the round, it appears as though a comet is falling from the heavens over the ruined trade hub, and things in the scrap slowly stir.

Einer stands on the cargo deck, waiting for the large ramp to open. His hand rests on the pommel of the sword hanging on his hip, and he tests the strap holding the shield to his back with the other. Confident in his equipement, Einer looks over at his friend, "You ready, Hagen?"

"I think I am", Hagen says, hands on his hips, looking down his armor. He adjusts an elbow pad and checks his laser pistol.

Einer grins, “I’m sure it’ll get broken in at some point. Hope you put some baby powder at the joints, you know. For chafing.”

"The manual said nothing about any powder", he says with a sneer, scratching his chin (edited)

19:43

He sighs. "Well, better safe than sorry. You said I should come prepared. Not getting shot at has worked so far, I'm still gonna stick to that, but this is just in case" He pats the armor on his hips

“Absolutely. Hopefully it won’t come to that, but I’m glad you’re prepared. Will you want to stand and fight if it comes to it?”

"Oh I will want to run away or cower down if it comes to it, as every sane person should. But I will not let you die. If push comes to shove, I will stand and fight with you"

He places a hand on Hagen’s shoulder, “Thank you. I’m glad to have you.”

20:43

(I’m ready)

(How close to the site outskirts do we want to land )

(I’d say maybe a 5-10 minute walk to the outskirts? If we have to leave quick I don’t really want to be far away. Unless you want to try and sneak up, Hagen)

(neko said that everyone and their mother saw us, no way we can sneak up, might as well land as close as possible)

(Hard to sneak up with a space truck haha)

(yeah don't wanna land 20km away, haha. I'm ready as well btw)

Settling down a kilometer outside the failed hub, its ruined skyscrapers and other buildings decorate the landscape , reaching skyward like skeletal fingers. Many of the buildings are standing but with chunks taken out of them

From the ruins, wreckage stirs, a kilometer away from where the ship has come down, and the arrival of these newcomers is being carefully observed- though they do not notice the young geon observer documenting their landing

As the dust clears and the buildings become more and more visibly defined, Hagen steps out of the ship. His eyes slowly make out details in the torn skyline. "We can't be alone here, and we were definitely noticed. Let's move, and keep our eyes open", he says over the hissing of his closing visor.

“Do you think people could live here again?” Einer asks, almost absently. His mind trying to imagine what the colony was like before it failed. He unslings his shield, carrying it on his left arm but his sword remains in its sheath.

Bauxite slowly raises his head into a window, trying his best to remain unseen but doing a terrible job. After seeing two space veterans descend from the heavens he his at his wits end with fear. "Why now? I finally found a place to take shelter." he whispered to himself. Bauxite gently lowers his head under the window and walks to the stairs heading to the ground floor, drawing his laser pistol.

02:30

He walks in the direction of the party, trying to stay out of the open

Hagen judges the collapsed buildings and rooftops. "Hard to say. If there is some power running, there may be some folks living here. By the looks of it, from here with the bare eye, I'd definitely check it for shelter if I were stranded"

“It’s nice that there’s infrastructure in place at least. Maybe it’s cheaper to repair this than it’d be to build a whole new city. Is there anything you need specifically for Mount Home?” Einer continues walking down the avenue leading into the city.

Hagen walks along. "Repair the city? Well that will take months to assess and calculate, and even more to do. But, um, no. I don't. As I said, we plan with what we have, we might not even find anything worthwhile. It will be better to judge once I can take a closer look at the damage" (edited)

Einer nods, not saying anything else for the moment.

(does Einer visually have binoculars on him?)

(I do have some stowed if you want to use them)

(Those would be in your backpack, Hagen wouldn't know you have any)

18:35

(neko do you tell us when Bauxite and the two if us run into each other, or do we figure that out ourselves? I feel like we are kinda waiting for that to happen but not wanting to to take the liberty, haha)

(I think since your entering the area was so grand, its sort of on him to make contact , but i think it needs to happen as you guys close into the city here)

19:01

A pile of junk shifts loudly, as you move close to the city outskirts, kicking up a large plume of dust a block over from the western portico

Einer, startled by the junk falling, hastily draws his sword, “What was that?”

Hagen spins to face the direction of the noise, then bolts in the direction, disregarding his caution from before. "Collapsing rubble! There has to be people! Come on, maybe someone got injured and needs help" (edited)

Einer keeps pace, standing to the right of Hagen so he has room to swing his sword or cover his friend with the shield if needed.

Bauxite knew he shouldn't have put all of his weight on that wall while trying to be sneaky - half of the building he was beside came down on top of him, trapping his leg. On top of that he can see the two Spacers coming towards him down the street. In a rush he tries to pull his leg from the rubble but it just buries him deeper. Bauxite lets out a sigh and yells "Heeeeelp! My leg is trapped, I don't mean any harm"

“Di- I- Did the rubble just ask for help?”

Hagen comes to a halt at the collapsed building. "Don't be silly. There is someone inside" He gets a bit past the building to look at the rubble from another angle. "Hello? We're here to help!", he shouts

Bauxite relaxes a little knowing that he won't be blown to oblivion. "Thank goodness you're friendly, i barely escaped the last group of people that tried to get me". He starts to dig around his leg to try and free himself, moving chunks of concrete, rebar and electrical cables. When ever he touches some electrical cables you see random lights in the rubble light up dimly and turn off again as if they were being running at a lower voltage than usual.

Hagens eyes widen with surprise. "There is power running! Be careful", he says over his shoulder to Einer. He faces the rubble again, beginning to lift some rebar mesh and concrete. "You sure made a lot of noise for someone who tries to be quWHAT ARE YOU?", he shouts, and jumps back a meter, tripping and falling to the ground.

Einer grabs Hagen by the drag loop on the back of his armor, hauling him back to his feet. The sunblade starts laughing incredulously, "It was the rubble!"

Bauxite makes a face "I am not rubble!! I'm a Geon, we're a race of rock like people. Normally we hang out in groups but... I got lost. Can you guys help me out of here? I promise this isn't a trap or anything like that.

07:06

While distracted by the conversation bauxite stopped releasing electricity into the rubble and all of the lamps faded to black

Hagen looks from Einer to Bauxite, his eyes still wide with surprise. He inhales deep and closes his eyes to collect himself, then begins to lift the rebar again. "A Geon? I've heard you exist, but I never saw one"

"Are you hurt or only pinned?"

"Also do that," Einer gestures with his left arm, "thing with the lights again."

" My leg feels ok, just stuck. Oh the sparks, yeah I can try to do it , it just happens"

07:17

Bauxite reaches for a long pole and uses it to lever whatever rubble was on his leg with Hagen. "My name is Bauxite by the way, pleased to meet you! Nice to see some friendly faces. What are you guys doing out here? don't exactly get many visitors." Bauxite is obviously over excited at the prospect of meeting new friends

With the lever Bauxite found, the Geon is freed after a short moment. Hagen steps back from the rubble. "Hello Bauxite, I'm Hagen. We're here to take a look at this settlement. We're trying to find out why the colony failed, and what became of it, and to see what's scavengeable. Do you live here?

Bauxite brushes the dust from his chest and thighs before standing"Good to meet you. For the moment yes I do, it has been the nicest place to live around here without going back to my village. Normally it is pretty safe and the rocks are delicious. I have only been here a few weeks and I haven't seen any humans around here. I remember meeting some of them as a child when they visited my old village." Bauxite then checks his equipment in his backpack and stows his laser pistol and other scavenged goods. "There is plenty of left over equipment and supplies, not sure what half of it does but one mans trash... I can help you carry some things if you want.

Einer isn’t hiding his fascination well, “Your tribe is on planet? Why are you, well, here instead of there?”

"Well, I kinda got exiled. The village elder did not approve of my 'sparks'. I accidentally burnt his house down along with his two kids just by standing next to the building." Bauxite is visibly upset and you can see some of the air around him twisting and changing color in the light (see corona effect). " I am cursed with this power" he reaches down to the rubble to power it up.

Hagen takes a step back and eyes the Geon suspiciously. "But you have better control now and won't ignite or straight out shock us?", he asks carefully.

"I have control when I am not angry or depressed. I have learnt that much by myself. My village never had many people who could use magic" As bauxite says this he removes his hand from the destroyed circuits and they stop glowing. " I am looking for a teacher, someone who could help me learn how to better control this power."

"A teacher?" Hagen eyes Einer for a short moment "Well, I know some stuff about electricity, but that's not the teaching you need"

(Would I recognize the type of psychic he is?)

(Are you a metapsion?)

01:49

(Or have defecting witchery ?)

(I don’t. Sunblade skill can be used in place of know/magic if you think that’d be enough to do a lore check on.)

(Would need meta or that one magic ability that lets you detect and identify MES/Magic)

(Got it) “Bauxite, I’m sorry you were exiled from your people. If you want to come with us, we know someone who might be able to help you understand and harness your powers.”

"R-Really? that would be amazing" Bauxite's eyes ope wide at the idea of leaving this place. He puts on his backpack and stands tall rearing to go. " Lets go find some salvage for you guys!"

Einer nudges Hagen with his elbow, "Glad we came back here. Lead the way, Bauxite. And keep your eyes out for people not quite as friendly as we are."

"I think I saw some shiny things this way, follow me" bauxite beckons

06:45

(I have no idea what we are looking for, nor does bauxite. could be anything from tl5 relic to some busted space junk)

A ruined factory at the edge of town once belonged to Aegis Defensive Platforms Inc, and the sign is the most intact part of the building. The roof has caved in and then been further leveled by a falling radio mast. Everything remains covered in pale dust and splintered brick from the collapse

Hagen walks up to the building and points to the sign. "Hey, wanna take that sign? It's in a good condition", he says with a broad smile. Seeing the confusion in Einers face and the mimic of the Geon Hagen can't read yet, he laughs. "I'm joking. Let's take a look inside. Production hall looks trashed, but maybe we can find a computer you can power up, Bauxite. Maybe they did not wipe their drives before leaving" Hagen approaches the facility, looking for a good way in.

The front foundry hall is largely intact and “personal protection division” is stenciled on the front of the room. The heavy door looks sealed but the locking terminal is in good condition

"Can you open it?" Einer directs the question to Hagen.

Hagen approaches the terminal and tries to open the door

(Program/int)

As the request for a password comes up, Hagen enters his usual maintenance override codes without thinking. He realises that his habit has taken over as he presses the Accept key. (7)

18:19

He blinks, and waits anxiously for the screen to switch colors.

It was the default password, and the door begins to slide open, revealing a large workspace in the area beyond, where dozens of armoring benches have their tools laid out, though a few of them were crushed by fallen ceiling debris

"I can't believe that worked", Hagen mutters while stepping up to Einer. His eyes widen as he peaks into the room. "Wow!", he exclaims excited. He enters the room, aiming towards the nearest undebried workbench, to examine the tools.

The word "Butterfly" is on most of the work-benches, along with schematics for a normal standard pattern Icarus harness

Hagen scans the blueprints, hands on the workbench, leaning over the schematics. "They seem to have built grav harnesses here", he says to Einer and Bauxite.

“Huh,” Einer says, walking up beside Hagen, “that seems like they could be useful. Are they different than the Icarus harnesses used by paratroopers?”

"I haven't seen many of those, but this seems to be a pretty standard version. At first glance, they look the same, but I haven't analysed the circuits yet. That will take a couple hours"

20:50

"With such detailed plans, I might be able to modify a bit. Construction worker harnesses would make some scaffolding obsolete, for example"

Einer shrugs, “I’ve nowhere else to be. I’ll do a circuit around the building to make sure nothing’s waiting to surprise us here.”

Hagen nods to Einer. "Bauxite, feel free to do as you want", he says to the Geon, and gets to work.

"No problem, I'll see what I can find" Bauxite say as he starts rummaging through a pile of scrap, energizing things to see if they do anything

(any use of power without training moves you closer to torching, are you sure you want to expend it?)

(There’s no save allowed either. Technically we would have torched already with lighting up the stuff at that house but that’s just mean)

Outside, Einer begins his patrol Of the campus. (Notice/wis)

(Snake eyes) (3)

1

You’re unable to hear the grav skimmed until it’s almost on you, bursting through a a low wall of stacked sandbags 100m at the end of the road. There are eight raiders on the back, all with pole arms and bows, decorated in war paint. Two more subdued looking figures sit toward the center, slaves mostly , handing out arrows and other serviceable equipment to the warriors aboard (edited)

Einer curses, ducking behind any sort of concealment he can find. He quickly comms Hagen, "Hagen! Gravcar just rolled up. We have company, and they're close. Find Bauxite and get ready to leave. Radio the FF."

Inside, Hagen is hard at work scanning through the system and schematics here when a wall at the back of the room hisses open. Inside, six suits of butterfly aerotek armor sits in stands, prototype units

04:32

04:33

The icharus units have been modified to allow limited flight.

5

As the message from Einer reaches his Compad, Hagen jumps and and quickly tells Bauxite

Einers Radio crackles. "Einer, these suits allow limited flight. I'll try to put one on and hope it's functional, they look like they attach to my armor. I have the blueprints, we can make more at Mount Home. Coming out asap" (wearing cfu. How long to put one on?) (edited)

11:03

While closing the few steps to the wall, he comms the ship. "Hey First Flight, we got company. Are you ready for a quick pick up?"

(It’s a whole new CFU suit. You’d have to don this entire new set of armor. It would be a couple minutes )

(Oh I read that wrong, I thought its an extension. That'd be unbelievable for Hagen to do in this situation)

(Depending on what Einer does he could buy you guys some time to don them)

Realising he'd need to completely change to put on such a suit, he opens his channel to Einer again. "Screw that, it will take some time to get in one. I don't know how to utilize such movement in a fight. You think we can gtfo?"

(Does it seem like they saw me? )

(if they didn't they'd be about to since the FF is coming in and its a whole-ass ship hovering over the place. What I can tell you that is probably more helpful is that if you needed to sprint inside or take about a round's worth of actions, you;'d be able to without any kind of opposition before things get weird)

“I think that’s a good idea. Can you grab a set or two to bring back with us? I can buy you some time if you need it.”

Hagens eyes fly from the suits to the entrance to Bauxite and back to the suits. "I have the plans, don't risk anything", he radios before chugging a butterfly suit at Bauxite. "It might get a bit rough, keep your head down and prepare to move fast. Drop the suit if you need, your life is more important" He says to the Geon while stepping up to another suit, ready to pack it together (edited)

Don’t risk anything, Einer thinks. He gives a mental shrug, and leaves the communication app on his compad open so Hagen will be able to hear what happens next. Einer draws his sword and steps into the open to place himself between the building and the encroaching party. He yells loudly, “Hi there! You gave me quite a startle when you busted through that wall.”

The grav skimmer sets down, and the warriors begin hopping off the open back. The last of the arrows and spears are passed out, though they're all out of range for the moment. "You cannot kill us all, surrender and you will live" their apparent leader says, his eyes are tattooed a flaming red, so bright they can be seen even from this distance

“Counter-point,” Einer says, “you let me leave and I pay my way. It’s obvious I trespassed here. There’s no need for conflict.”

"What do you offer, trespasser?"

22:16

The group has stopped short, not advancing closer so far

22:17

(and inside Hagen and Bauxite would hear that the threat of attack has moved back some minutes at least)

“I have medicine on my ship, and food if you need it. Seems like living here on planet isn’t the easiest task. Depending on the size of your group, it could go a long way to easing some of the strain.”

Hagen quickly scans the room for another possible exit. Changing the suit makes not much sense for him, but he shoots the Geon a look and nods towards the suit. Hagen positions himself near the entrance, ready to jump to action at any time Einer needs him.

There is a large hole in the ceiling, where you could boost up and catch Final Flight on the way

02:47

"I see" red eyes says, thinking. "Give us everything you have, and we'll consider letting you go"

He sighs, "That's not really any way to start a negotiation. I can give you twenty-five days of supplies, but there'll be nothing if you won't meet me part way. Anything more than that, and I'll want to ask for more in return."

(lets get a talk/cha, but +2 since its reasonable)

(13, forgot the +2)

'

15:10

"Produce these supplies, now, and you will live" Almost on cue, the Final Flight arrives, hovering over the ruined factory, its stabilizing engines firing to keep it level

(Are the two non-warriors slaves? Would i be able to tell that from where I’m standing?)

(They're slaves , probably could tell based on their looks)

Einer grips his sword tighter, but keeps his tone as light as before, “Do you have anyone who wants to leave the planet? I’ll pay their way as well.”

The raiders do not volunteer for this. (are you intending to be giving the supplies over for real? I suppose the FF would be advised of your intentions, and acting accordingly. Inside, Hagen and Bauxite could fly up to it using the armor)

(Yeah, figure we have enough supplies to make it back to Bergasa after this to restock. If the captain doesn’t want to, that’s another issue I guess. Just trying to buy time until Hagen and Bauxite get out at the very least.)

(He'll do it if it means coming home with no corpses on board)

(Glad he’s reasonable.) “It will take a few minutes for the crew above to gather the supplies.” In a lower voice that hopefully won’t carry farther than the compad, Einer says, “Hagen, whatever you’re going to do, you should do it now.”

With the arrival of the FF, Hagen begins to do as he advised Bauxite, and changes his armor. As he is finished, he plucks the headset back into his ear, and hears Einer voice "...few minutes for the crew above to gather the supplies" He wipes sweat he did not know about off his forehead as he assumes the negotiation went successful. He jumps startled as he hears Einers whisper, and taps on his mic twice to give a signal of understanding. He approaches Bauxite and sneers through the caved in roof at the leveling engines. "Okay Bo, aim for that green ring over there, that marks the cargo hold. If we as much as touch the engine plume, we are dead. I'll burn to a crisp, you'll probably turn to glass. Let's not do that" With a heavy sigh, he activates the suit, and looks at the Geon. "Ready? Me neither. GO!" He jumps straight off the ground and activates the suits thrusters, aiming for the hole in the roof, and then for the cargo bay.

There is a burst of air as the butterfly harness takes flight , pinioned points harnessing grav energy to propel Hagen into the air effortlessly. It feels like an extension of his own body, and the armor feels very secure

Darting through the air, Hagen feels the battle between gravity and the butterfly suit, and he is relieved that the suit is not only winning against, but actually outclassing the planet's pull. Feels like a spacewalk, but from a planet. That's weird, he notices. Being used to zero g jumps, he steadies his vector and flies as straight as possible.

(I

17:17

am going to assume bauxite is MIA, but he will follow)

17:17

Bauxite likewise dons what he can of the harness , enough for him to fly at any rate, and he zooms skyward, landing into the open bay of the merchant ship in a rough tumble

(Did Ol’ Red Eyes and his merry band of gentlemen see Hagen and Bauxite?)

(The ship is screening them)

“One last thing,” Einer calls, “Last week we found some bodies. Were those your doing? By the crashed ship?”

"Perhaps, if they were interlopers like you"

“Did you take someone, too? I found drag marks, which makes me think not everyone was killed there.”

"The supplies? My warriors are getting impatient" Red-Eyes says, balancing the spear in his hand

“The ship will need to land. Unless you want them to drop the crates from two stories high and scatter everything when they hit the ground. Do you have a settlement nearby where they could drop it off?”

"Now now, we have the skiff. We can do the exchange here"

21:54

they seem to be waiting expectantly for the ship to set down

Einer gives a half grin, “You’re the boss.” He contacts the ship, checking with the captain if there’s an adequate location nearby to do the hand-off.

At the edge of the entire ruined colony here, near where you came in, there is a large enough field for him to drop the ramp, allowing you to make the exchange

Einer passes the location on to the group. "I'd offer to walk with you, but I'm sure you can understand why I'm hesitant. Instead, I'll stay where you can see me, but outside of the range of your bows there."

They have no objection to this, as the Final Flight sets down, nearly the entire marine compliment aboard covers the tribe with their rifles from hatches, open airlocks, and the extended cargo ramp of the ship. Both sides seem to realize any act of aggression here would be sending at least a few people home in boxes and burial shrouds. The containers are piled up, and there is a brief puff of gas as the ramp makes ready to retract, the signal its time to leave

Einer stands beside the ship, and calls out to Red Eyes, “I look forward to our next meeting!” (edited)

He nods, as the warriors begin advancing toward the supplies. (if you'relikewise planning to make tracks, youd be able to without trouble now)

16:07

(6xp, 10,000 credits)

Einer walks up into the cargo bay to stand beside Hagen. When the ramp closes, the false smile plastered to his face disappears and Einer manages to spit out, "Slaver scum."

The mechanic claps Einer on the shoulder. "Glad you're okay. Had me startled a bit" He scratches his chin. "Wanna track them? Go down in half an hour again, with the suits, and see if we can follow the trails airborne? We can come back with a couple guys in a week and free the slaves, if we get a location"

Einer stands rigidly, his hands balled in fists. He's obviously focusing on his breathing. "The destroyer in orbit may be able to track them to wherever they go. I doubt they know it's up there. Heading back to Mount Home to get a few more people sounds like a good idea, though. I don't want to risk any of the First Flight personnel if we can help it."

"If we follow them, it will be us two - we only have two of the suits. I don't know how much the destroyer can pick up with his sensors, we'd need to see their hideout to plan a follow up" Hagen looks at Einers stern face. His voice gets lower as usual, and he leans in even though the two are fairly remote from the rest of the crew. He licks his lips in concentration and talks a bit slower than usual. "You seem to be very agitated, my friend. Do you have a slavery incident in your past you want to talk about?", phrasing it on purpose in a way that lets Einer say no without giving away the answer to the first part of the question.

"I should be fine without the armor. Were there more sets that you found? Might be worth having the crew go in and grab them while we track the raiders." He grimaces, "No, nothing like that. It's despicable that they're taking people, and that man seems purely interested in maintaining his own control. He's a poison, and a threat."

Hagen nods, and speaks in his normal voice again. "I am relieved to hear that. I don't get how someone can own a slave when a robot is so much more efficient" He scratches his chin. "And I suppose it's cruel. Should have lead with that" His face turns red, and he clears his throat. "There were six suits, so four more, and workstations equipped to manufacture more. I have the plans and I think I can help recreate such a factory in Mount Home" (edited)

(neko do we know if the destroyers scanner could a) follow the gravcar and b) provide a location for us to scout, or c) even better, provide a "satellite" picture from their hq?)

Einer's expression softens, "Let's have the First Flight drop us back off when we see the gravcar leave. The marines can grab the last four suits, and we can go for a hike. Let's plan on being out for at least three days, enough time for the Flight to get back to Bergasa and drop its equipment off and restock. They can bring more troops with them while we track down the raider camp. We'll keep the destroyer in orbit to relay and watch out for us as best it can."

03:20

(I already have 9 days worth of rations in my kit. Plus 2 survival kits and some batteries. So I shouldn't have to pull too much from the Ship Locker. We might want a Field Radio in order to stay in touch with the Skathi destroyer in orbit)

(It’s not precision Radar. You’d get a general area)

03:24

(You keep saying destroyer. Did you somehow make a system ship to come out here? Because there’s a system ship designation that has an actual mechanical benefit)

03:24

(Or is it actually a corvette )

(Eh I called them destroyers to be different in the ship sheet. They're corvette hulls) (edited)

(Okay. That’s what I was asking. )

(NP. I'm cool with operating with a general area if Hagen is)

(I am)

Hagen scowls. "The FF landing probably was what drew these slavers here in the first place. We have these suits now, we should use them to drop down without announcing our return. We should keep an eye on them leaving, they might drop a scout to watch us depart while they haul their supplies home"

Einer looks uncomfortable, "What about being dropped off somewhere away from the city? It'd be unfortunate to lose both sets because something happens to us."

"It'd be better for us to drop off with the ship leaving. The FF can land near the factory in an hour or two, take everything, and be gone before they can return. That should draw them away from us, and the four suits are on Bregusa tomorrow. How does that sound? "

(My AC loses its bonus if I wear armor. I could use a grav chute if the ship has one and it drops us from less than a km up)

(or we drop in the suits and you leave yours in the factory to get picked up)

(That'd work too)

(either one of those options work, or just accepting the less optimal ac to keep the extra mobility )

(I’ll just do that then.)

Final Flight waits for the raiders to leave, and get some distance from the site before coming back down as close to the complex as they can

20:15

The area is quiet now, and the crates of supplies have been taken

Einer stands at the edge of the cargo ramp, looking down at the distant ground. He shifts uncomfortably in the Butterfly Armor. Over their com link, he says, “I shouldn’t have given you such a hard time for wearing that CFU earlier. You ready?”

Hagen chuckles. "A vac suit is less restricting for someone my size, that's really all. I'm dying to jump, you'll enjoy it, it's fun", he says with a grin that splits his broad face.

00:38

(What are we taking from the ships locker exactly? A field radio, Tl4 binocs, atmofilters and a pressure tent?)

(1 more set of rations so we have enough for 10 days, we can each carry five. A pressure tent is a good idea, and I’ll give you a survival kit in case we get separated)

00:50

(Since were going to be on our own for several days.)

(A pressure tent is 4enc, I cant take any rations)

(Are you able to carry the other stuff?)

(I can take the tent, survival kit, field radio, and binocs/atmofilter)

(Einer Equipment: Readied- Sword, shield, armor, compad Stowed- Survival kit, atmofilter, 10 day rations, medkit, binos TL4)

(do we need field radios with a corvette in orbit and compads/dataslabs?)

(So the compads only work with a local comm server within 300 km. A corvette in orbit would be a bit farther than that, so we'd need the field radio to reach up to them is how I interpret the communication equipment rules)

01:26

(Do you have program-0? Otherwise that might not work..)

01:30

(Unless we can use a tightbeam link or something)

(You could use a tight beam)

(We also probably don’t need a pressure tent if we’re willing to sleep under the stars. The world doesn’t have a toxic atmosphere right?)

(We'd only need program-0 for a 10 min call with extended reach, FRs are fully operable otherwise. Tight beam it is though, so no field radio, meaning I take the tent, survival kit, atmofilter and 5 rations and am ready) (edited)

(Also ready)

(updated my inventory on the char sheet)

Final Flight waits for the raiders to leave, and get some distance from the site before coming back down as close to the complex as they can The area is quiet now, and the crates of supplies have been taken, nothing has been left behind for later, not even the carry straps.

20:07

There is a line of pushed down grass where the grav plates of the skimmer have knocked everything over

Hagen nods to Einer, closes his helmets visor and steps through the airlock. He lets himself fall down a good chunk of the distance before firing up the Butterflys grav engine. He twists his body to change his angle, and with a curve, he lands on a good looking roof next to where the slavers took the crates.

Einer follows less gracefully, opting to come at a more direct angle and landing into a crouch beside Hagen. He surveys the area, noting the evidence of the skimmer’s passing. “Nice of them to leave a trail for us.”

"I see it now, but I never tracked someone" He makes a go ahead gesture with his left hand along the trail. "Lead the way. I'll be on the lookout for movement"

“This could take awhile. Let’s stop in a few hours if it lasts that long to check in with the ship in orbit.” Einer moves down to the ground below, and begins following the trail left by the raiders.

(Let’s get a survive wis for just general keeping up with the trail)

Hagen stays on the roof until Einer has walked for some minutes, but not until he loses line of sight. He skims the surrounding area for movement with his binoculars, especially behind and in front of Einer. (He'd only do this once at the beginning to catch someone who could have stayed behind and now intends to follow us) (edited)

No one aside from Einer is spotted, it seems the natives took their cargo and their people, and hauled out

(12. Sorry at work again today so responses might be delayed)

Hagen closes up to Einer and walks along

The two of you push into the woods, following flattened vegetation and winding through small mounds of rocky soil. Rain drips from leaves and a brook bubbles away heedless of the drama unfolding around it. Some carry straps have been tossed aside from the cargo along with a few ration wrappers

Einer walks without speaking for a long time, listening to the environment around them. Finally, he sighs, “It’s a shame the colony failed to take root here. It may not be the most comfortable planet I’ve ever visited, but it’s certainly far from the worst. I think people could be happy here given half a chance.” He continues following the path left by the skimmer while waiting for Hagen’s response.

"It's not bad", Hagen agrees. "I mean we have yet to experience a night here, but if people build cities here, they can't be half bad either. To me, it looks like the Scream made this colony fail, so people could have that second chance now. They'd have to put up at least with the Geon tribe and these slavers, though"

“Hopefully the slavers won’t be an issue for much longer. I only mention it because not everyone who,” Einer pauses, thinking, “adheres to Mazzio’s philosophy, will want to live on Bergasa. It makes some sense to have a few colonies.”

Hagen shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe? I got redeployed to Bergasa with a month left on an expiring maintenance contract. I honestly don't know much about Silvanos philosophy and kinda just stayed here. Do you have plans to join some political ranks and become a governor?", he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing that official. But I do want to start a campus for others to learn about Eir's philosophy.The galaxy has gone too long without her Facets practicing openly."

Hagen scratches his chin and thinks for a moment. "Sounds like you think Silvano would disagree, going by the way you phrased it"

“I don’t know if he’d disagree since he seems amenable to the pursuit and spread of knowledge. My order has a history of aligning itself with organizations that took advantage of us, and I worry I may be doing the same with Mazzio, but at least his ambition is in the open and aligns closely with my own beliefs.”

Hagen chuckles. "Your order really does remind me of my uncle. He'd say similar things before marrying again. Not saying it actually is similar... I think you should listen to your guts, and to Eir. If Eir can exist and function inside Silvanos reach without restrictions , I don't see why you shouldn't go for it"

Einer laughs, "Thank you. I think the benefits of having the campus within the security of SCAF will be long term beneficial, and hopefully offer an alternative to people who don't necessarily mesh well with the Academies elsewhere in the sectors."

(caught up, this was flowing and i didnt want to interrupt)

"Well, don't wait for a perfect location then. You can always move with your deciples, but if you think you and SCAF benefit, go for it"

“I’ll bring it up with Mazzio next time I see him. Thank you for the encouragement.” Einer is silent again, focusing on the skimmer tracks.

The skimmer path begins winding up a small hill, approached in an S pattern like a skiier might approach a hill, though winding up. From the summit, you're able to get a glimpse on the raider village, after some kilometers of walking from the failed colony.

19:29

The village stretches out, behind a thick wall, and warriors patrol the outside, especially now with outside contact so recent.

Einer crouches by a tree and pulls out his binoculars to survey the village, "Well, that was pretty straightforward. Guess we can let the ship upstairs know our location."

"Can you get a quick head count?"

(Can I?)

There are six warriors on patrol around the walls. Four slaves are near the tree in the town square skinning a recently caught animal for meat and its hide. The crates have been piled up in the middle of the village, and it seems as though there are at least 30 other inhabitants outside now, all looking to see what was brought home

“I don’t think we’re taking this village by ourselves.”

Hagen snaps a picture with his compad and sends it and it's location to the waiting ship. "We won't have to. With the location, we can come back with a small army. Come on, let's get away before they notice us"

Einer nods, following Hagen away from the site.

After vanishing behind the summit, Hagen turns to Einer. "Wanna do the risky but wise thing and camp here for some days? See what's going on, maybe get a feel for the tribe, but most importantly, we can keep and eye out for returning raid parties not accounted for right now"

“I think that’s a good idea. Get as much information as we can before we commit to a course of action.”

"That, and I don't want to have carried this heavy ass tent just to give it a walk. Let's search for a good spot"

Einer snorts our a laugh before helping Hagen find a suitable place for camp.

(i think with both of you having a clear idea of what youre doing/being skilled at it, you guys could find a concealed place to camp and be safe for at least a day or two)

(Cool, figure we’ll spend that time trying to get a feel for the camp’s schedule and comings and goings.)

(what is life like in camp for you and Hagen, who is responsible for what?)

(Einer would look for a source of fresh water nearby, since we don’t need to worry about food and don’t want to risk a fire where they might see smoke. Is there any way we could set up a recording of the village with a compad and binoculars? Like putting a phone up to a lense or something. Figure TL4 equipment might be fancy like that.) (edited)

(Hagen would install the tent and wire it up correctly. After that, as Einer searches for water, Hagen would set up a watching post with line of sight to the camp and their tent)

00:42

"Hey Einer, what do we do if they notice us? What's the plan?"

“Talk our way out if we can, run if we need to, fight if there’s no other choice.”

(I don’t see why not if they’re tl4 binoculars)

"I'd suggest we run and just leave everything as our plan a. They can't catch us with the suits, and we can reclaim everything once we come back. So... Run if we can, talk if we need to, fight if we must"

“Works for me. Try to keep what supplies you’d need on you in case we leave in a hurry.”

Hagen nods, and prepares everything in a way that he can grab it all and run. "I've set up a post, we have good vision over the village from there" He points to a tree some 30 meters off. "It's really just a blanket and a pair of binoculars", he adds, "but it'll do" (edited)

“We’ll work in shifts at night so someone is always awake to watch for patrols.”

"Good idea. Do you have night vision goggles? I had them in my hands on the First Flight, but I had no way to stow them"

"I don't, but thankfully our binos have low-light functions."

04:17

(Per CRB)

"I hope the nights here are bright enough for that"

Einer pauses, "Hmmm, good point. I guess we'll find out soon."

During this first day of observation, supplies are handed out and they look to be relatively fairly portioned to village members. Slaves even get a share, though it is a lesser amount. There is no outright violence against the slaves you see doing their duties, but it is clear they are looked upon as second class. No patrols return from otherwise afield during this first day, and the village mechanic spends some time working on their grav skiff. (edited)

Hagen and Einer sit together at their watching spot. Hagen sits cross legged on the ground, an opened ration on his lap. His left hand holds the binoculars to his eyes, his right searches for the tray. As he finds what he believes to be a protein bar, he begins to talk in a muffled voice, gesturing with the food in his hand, still looking through the binocs. "I did some thinking. You don't have to ask Silvano if he allows you to build your, well, your own school. I mean... If all of us always ask him about his opinion or his blessing for everything... I'd be so annoyed in his place. There will be a time when we can't ask Silvano for his opinion before we take a difficult decision, might as well make it a habit" Hagens vision is focused on the mechanic. He tries to see what the guy is working on exactly, as knowing a faulty vehicle is in the hands of these people might be important later on.

It looks like he is just doing regular maintaining work, such as cleaning the grav plates and greasing the control surfaces that make them change direction as steering commands are given

“Forgiveness over permission then?” Einer is leaned against a tree, scanning the area around them rather than focusing on the village.

Hagen shakes his head, unaware of Einers field of view, then he tilts his head to one side, thinking, lowering the binocular to look straight at Einer. "It boils down to that. But I was thinking about autonomy, philosophically speaking" He realises the protein bar in his hand and takes a bite, eyes on the village again. (edited)

Einer is silent for a long time, processing what Hagen said. Then, “You’re right, of course. I shouldn’t feel like I’m walking on egg shells. It’s strange going from a pretty regulated life to being responsible for my own actions. I think I look towards Mazzio like I would look towards my instructors. It’s hard to shake that habit.”

Hagen is silent for a couple minutes before slowly beginning to talk. "When I was a kid, my dad and I worked on stuff together, and I always asked him before I took a tool. Not that I'd need his approval to take one, I did not have to ask, I just told him what I was planning to use because I wanted to know if I took the right tools for the job, or if he could give me some advice or insight beyond that, without asking for it. One day, as he was busy somewhere, I wanted to work on the spike drive he bought for us to mess around with. I couldn't confirm with him what tools to use, but I worked all day, and I got it running. As he came home, I thought he'd be furious because I was in the garage without him, using his tools without his knowledge, maybe doing something wrong, but he was very content and couldn't stop smiling. I think he was proud. After that, I never had to ask him if I could use his tools again. I did, of course, I was eleven, but I knew and he knew that he trusted me handling his tools and working alone in the garage, and I knew that I could pick the right tool for the job. That's when I knew I wanted to be a mechanic" He pauses, to let it sink in. "Could have been asking for forgiveness instead of permission, but the only person who needed the permission was me. He did not need to give it to me, I needed to have it, and it never crossed my mind that I could give it to me myself"

“Wow,” Einer breathes, “that’s powerful. I- I should really take that into consideration. Thank you, Hagen. I’m honored to have you as a friend.”

Hagens motions freeze, and he looks at Einer, then quickly looks away as his face turns as red. He looks to the ground, plucks at some fallen leaves stuck to his suit, then his gaze wanders back at Einer. "You are welcome. I didn't think this would touch you so, the honor is mine. I'm glad we met, my friend", he says, voice on the point of trembling. He quickly puts the binocs up to his face again, but he can't see anything through the distorting cloud of tears.

The woods at the bottom of the hill stir as a group of warriors return leading two men and a women in chains. There are six warriors in the group though a. Few of them have extra weapons and shields, most of which are marked with blood

Hagen clears his throat before whispering intently. "Somethings happening! Look, over there. Seems like they got in a fight. I wish we could hear what they tell the others. You are not a lip reader by any chance, are you?" (edited)

“I’m not. But it doesn’t seem too difficult to guess what happened. Probably started off with more warriors before they encountered whatever group the ones in chains came from.”

Hagen nods. "Do you think it's worth following their tracks back to where they fought?"

“Could be. I don’t think it’d do any harm.”

01:22

(Did we see the warriors leave before they came back?)

(No, they weren't here when you started looking at the area)

“Since we’ve been here for a day now, and they’re just getting back, they might be coming from potentially farther than a day’s hike from here.”

"They have three captives, some seem wounded, and they carry stuff for 10. I think they were slow and not that far, else they would have taken the vehicle. We are two people with flight suits, and we know about this location now, so we can always come back after a couple hours if we want to"

18:18

Looking through the binoculars again, Hagen looks for insignias on the captured people's clothes

18:23

"If we find a couple dead EP soldiers again, we might make an ally if we can connect these slavers to it"

Einer stands and shakes his limbs out, “Good point. Maybe there are other groups out here as well, ones that are more friendly than the one we’ve found.”

Hagen started to get up, but freezes mid motion. "I have not thought of that", he grumbles. "There may also be groups that kill us for what we have with us. These folks" he chin nods down to the slavers "want to sell us, if they find us"

There aren’t any insignias on the clothing of those captured. Their clothes are rough spun and native looking

(obviously no uniforms?) (edited)

(No uniforms just whatever they can patch together)

Hagen sneers. "Doesn't look like EP, or anything, really. Pack up and go, or just go?"

“Let’s pack up. We can’t clear away the evidence of our presence if they stumble across it, but there’s no reason why we should give them a free tent for it.”

"Well we plan to free those slaves, we'd get the tent back then, but finding it would warn those people", Hagen says, while starting to deconstruct the tent.

"Exactly. Better to hope they think we're locals watching them than someone with access to higher tech."

(I am a little lost here, are we pulling out of the area, or are you guys trying something)

02:41

(I sort of dont know where to go from here)

(We could try and save those hostages and see if they’ll lead us to where they’re from?)

03:22

(If we could catch up to them before they get too close to the village)

(They’re close enough to the village where defenders could reinforce the column pretty quickly )

(Scratch that then, we can’t take on that many haha) (I think we were going to backtrack that party’s trail to see if we could find where they found the new captives. Then at some point FF is going to come back with soldiers to help us take the village and free the slaves)

(even 8 dudes on that grav skid joining the 3 or 4 you wont have had time to drop is going to swing the fight pretty badly against you. I wasn't clear on distance and i dont want you to make a decision on bad information)

(Yeah, just knowing they’d be able to see us and reinforce at all makes the plan pretty much dead in the water)

(we came here for the location and to scout their numbers, if it's not plausible to backtrack to that party's conflict, we can just observe for one or two more days or gtfo now/soon. We basically have the information we came for)

(there was evidence of other life in the failed colony, people having gone to ground and just otherwise not being out in the open a whole lot, and its an easy drive/journey from here)

Gazing over the surrounding area while deflating the tent, Hagen thinks about the situation. "Let's just leave. We have what we came for, we gambled a bit and it payed off, everything else is just pushing our luck"

“I suppose you have a point. This seems like something to leave to people equipped for it. Let’s find somewhere a good ways away to wait to get picked up.”

(6xp, 10,000 credits)

4

(So we moving to Bergasa? Still paired up to investigate the Mishks?)

(that was my understanding from last night yeah, at least to start)

(Cool time jump?)

(yes, I have not decided on my sp investment but LVL 5 > 6 HP 21 > 22)

(its a day back to home)

18:50

Back home, work is occurring on the peak of Mount Home, though the project is secreted by Lord Mazzio's personal dictate. The air seems to feel charged somehow, like there is subtle power in the background. The prisoner is on a supply barge, nearly back at Mount Home, though there is reluctance to bring it inside, as no one is sure what these things are capable of, and the likeness of bringing a snake to bed has been made

Einer stands on an observation deck built into the side of Mount Home. He’s wrapped in a coat to protect him from the cold winds and spray from below. In his hands he has a warm bowl of stew and he eats it distractedly while staring out at the distant barge approaching SCAF’s home.

18:58

He eventually speaks to Hagen, “I guess we should take a foil out to the barge, so we can start our investigation there. Rather than bring them into Mount Home. Especially with Silvano elsewhere.”

Hagen scratches his chin while his curly hair gets tossed around his face by wind and water, forming jagged lines of chestnut on his forehead. "I agree, but we need a way to contain it inside Mount Home. The barge is too easy a target. If the Mishk are telepathically connected, the others might want to save it, and can 'see' what they'd have to do"

Einer takes a last bite of his stew, swallows it, and says, “Given Silvano’s interest in psionics anyways, it seems like we need to figure out a way to hold someone or something sensitive to MES energy anyways. Probably not anything we have time to do now, but something to consider for the future.”

Hagen eyes light up with an idea. "What about those tanks from the rocket?"

“Oh!” The food is forgotten now, “Do you think you could figure out what the liquid inside was? I think we lost it all when we cracked them open.”

"I'm no chemist and don't know much about medicine, but maybe someone in a hospital knows"

23:24

(fix 2>3, program -1>0, know 1>2)

“A project for later then.”

"Yes. If they did not get recycled, I hope I can fix at least one of them" Hagen starts to move, and continues to talk. "Do you think you can communicate with it?"

“I think so. The big question is if it will be able to communicate with me. And if it’ll want to talk after being kidnapped.”

The creature has stirred a bit in its chains, but has been knocked out in combat, and then kept silent with repeated blows as it has stirred before.

Hagen and Einer cross the dock and make their way to the foil bringing them to the barge. Once there, Hagen tries to look as unthreatening as possible, and keeps a respectful distance to the Mishk, and gestures Einer to approach the situation first.

(that means I don't have my pistol ready)

Einer takes the hint, and moves closer to the creature. He crouched down to be closer to eye level with it, and says, “Hello. My name is Einer Stjerne. I’m sorry you’ve been treated this way.” (edited)

04:49

(Relevant rule. Universal Speech: You can speak with and understand any creature with a language. You gain a level in the Diplomat focus as a bonus, acquiring level 1 in it, or level 2 if you already have the first level.)

“I have been killed before. The worst that can Happen has happened” it says back, the consonants sharp and jagged when spoken by its foreign tongue

Einer blinks, “You’ve...died before? In what manner did you come back?”

05:17

(I also forgot to mention that I want to get a recording of the conversation for the other SCAF people)

(that gives Hagen something to do)

(No reason Einer can't translate any questions Hagen has, either, and we'll assume that the information is being relayed back)

16:31

"I died before, and came back divided. I am here, and I am somewhere else"

“Do you remember Who were you before?”

There is a breathless exhale of what is not breath, but the imitation of it, but there is no reply

“Do you have a name?”

"This is the same question"

17:28

there is no further reply after that

“Fair enough. When you say ‘divided’, is it just you? Or all of your people?”

"All of us, are now twins of ourselves"

Einer thinks back to the briefing reports from the expedition teams, and if there were any pictures of the creatures taken. (Did they look identical? It’s not something I think we’d notice until this bit of info if it’s the case)

You get the impression he is not talking about physical appearance

17:48

based on his own mask, and the ones that have been captured already

Einer frowns slightly, “Are you and your twins linked? Telepathically or otherwise.”

"The body knows what the spirit is feeling, even when the two are apart"

“What we do to one, we do to all?”

(this is not coming off great in character but hes basically trying to communicate something that you're not equipped to understand in terms of the level of nuance behind it

(Ah ok. Creepy stuff lol)

"When one of the living passes through, they meet the void, and one becomes two"

“This all seems very esoteric. So I’m going to ask you questions that are a bit more direct. Why did you start attacking our expeditions?”

"Wrong to stand in defense of your lands? You are monsters. You don't even show your faces, wearing masks, bodies of shadow"

Einer glances at Hagen with a perplexed expression when he hears the last part. He says, “It’s not wrong. I’m surprised you feel so strongly about ‘your’ land when it didn’t exist half a year ago, though. Is there any chance we could share the land? Bergasa is our home, too.”

"Bergasa is our home. This is the land we were called back to settle, develop, and build"

20:18

"There can be no progress while the other lives"

"I disagree; there can be even more progress if we don't see each other as 'the other', and work together. Disagreement is fine though. Let's start with the masks. You say we hide our faces in shadows. Can you see our faces now? " (edited)

"Your golden masks hide your features, though I do not wish to gaze upon the faces of the Legion of Hell"

“Are your masks any different?”

“We do not wear them. We have no need to hide our faces”

(in spacecommon) "Do we have one of those masks we found here?"

(there would be one on the barge)

14:45

(from the raid earlier, there are 3 others in mount home)

Hagen gets up and takes the mask from one of the bystanding guards. He lifts it up, turning it in his hands to look at it from all angles. He approaches Einer, squats down next to him and sighs heavily. "I'll put this on if you don't want to. It's just, you're the one talking, and I think it might... see you if you put this on"

15:32

Hagen laughs nervously. "Don't worry, I'll whack you over the head if you start to behave weirdly" (edited)

“Oh. Hmm.” Einer is silent for a long moment before saying, “Try not to kill me if it goes wrong. Call Silvano for help or something.”

(Putting it on then? just so i know what to do)

(Yeah...)

"Maybe I should put it on, you are medically trained. But if I then can't communicate with either you or the Mishk... I don't know" He turns to one of the guards. "Do you" he gulps. "Do you have a stun baton?"

(Unless Hagen really wants to) “I don’t. There are the soldiers aboard, we could probably control you if needed. I don’t imagine it’d be very gentle if something happened, though.”

"Oh I got shocked a couple times learning electronics, I know I'll be fine if you stun me. I won't enjoy it, but do what you have to do. I trust you, and your medical skills over mine" He takes the mask and looks at Einer for any last arguments.

Einer remains silent.

(mental save at -4 Hagen)

(14v9) (edited)

(so 14 v 13 after the penalty, still a pass) Hagen dons the mask, and the world begins to fade to an inky blackness around him. The room remains the same, and everything remains in its place, but the figure before you now looks like a man, a military officer in a Remnant uniform, a spacer from the looks of it. He is diminished in body, and behind him, a glowing humanoid figure also stands, a hand on his shoulder, both of them connected by an inky black tendril.

19:33

'Ah, I can see your face now. I told you friend, this was no time for masks"

Einer continues to translate, allowing the two to communicate if needed.

After a few moments of vertigo from the changing vision and images, Hagen quickly describes what he can see. "I see him as a man now. Remnant officer. He defenitely has died. Behind stands a... Humanoid Gestalt, connected to him" He tries to scratch his chin while thinking about what to have translated, but the mask is in the way. He says: "Forgive our rudeness, we did not know how to... Unmask ourselves to you. I can see you now, and your twin. Is it your spirit that I see?"

"My twin? No no, that is me. Its all me"

"We are mirrors, the body and spirit, splintered as we pass from time, and then are called to Return"

"Do you remember your passing from time?"

“There was a battle. I was on a corvette. Mazzio teleported in, complaining my ten men were somehow a force powerful enough to stop his mighty mech. How he got onto our ship with such a creation I do not know. My laser pistol and the shit in my pants must have marked me out as brave. He shot me. I woke up on a beach. Here.

“Were all of you killed by Silvano?”

23:58

“All of you on Bergasa that is.”

23:59

Einer has a minor look of surprise and horror.

“Lord Mazzio has touched everyone here in some way. Thousands of us”

23:59

(Basically he is the cause in some way even if he wasn’t the physical explosion or however it happened himself. He set the thing going)

(So if his actions resulted in their death, they’re manifesting as the creatures?)

(That’s how Things stand right now yes)

“What happens to those we’ve killed? Do they come back divided again?”

00:02

Einer’s speech is faster, more nervous despite trying to hide it.

“They vanish. The anchor of the body fades and the spirit lives on, elsewhere”

Hagen looks at Einer with a quizzical expression hidden by the mask. He is pale, and his face starts to itch where the mask touches the skin. (what does Einer look like through the mask?)

(To Hagen, Einer looks like he normally does just with the mask on)

(I look like I’m wearing a mask?)

(Yes)

01:46

(Has your main features but hollow eyes and a hollow mouth like the other masks)

“Is your existence painful?”

“Is yours? I feel pain when things that cause pain touch me”

“Sometimes. Who do you serve? As a group, your people seem to be operating with coordination. We saw the obelisk you were building.”

“Lord Mazzio has commanded us to settle this island for ports and refueling. Your camp and your armed followers attacked us”

“Has he sent you other commands since then?”

He lists off a few others and they all mirror actions he has asked you to undertake

“How do you communicate with your people?”

"Mazzio has allowed us to bridge between minds. I've communicated with spoken word less and less often"

“Have you been communicating with them since you’ve been captured?”

19:21

(Also the first one Lucas found looked like a merlon wearing a mask. Does this one look like a human in a mask?)

(Yes, this one is more human featured)

(Starting to feel like we need Silvano to come back and have a talk with a therapist haha)

"There has not been a need. They can continue the work without me, if any remain"

“Where is your home? I’d like to talk to whatever leaders you may have to try and find a peaceful resolution to our conflict.”

With that, he has no answer, not because he will not, but because he can not

"Do you know where Mazzio is now?"

“Mazzio is far away. The obelisks let us speak with him”

Hagen glances at Einer. "Does he live under the sea with you?"

"He lives in many places, but he is not here now

"Have you seen him since your arrival?"

He shakes his head no, he has not

Hagen again tries to scratch his chin.

"Who is in charge of making sure his orders are followed? Basically, do you have a superior?"

"His orders do not require enforcement. his orders are carried out"

23:43

"There is no other alternative'

(I assume that you translate your questions to me as well, since I would not know what you asked)

23:46

"How did you receive the orders that came after your arrival?"

The obelisk allows us to speak with Lord Mazzio when we need. The orders came from him, through it"

23:47

(like an arc node, basically a way to extend his range)

"I see. They seem to have no bodily shape of Mazzio. That's good", he says with a clear intention of it not being translated.

Einer nods, not wanting to speak and be overheard.

Hagen nods, and changes the topic away from Silvano. "Where do you get these nasty looking swords you have?"

“They’re part of life, now. Most of us awoke with them”

“What would you do if we released you?”

“Return to my kin and continue the work we have been asked to do”

“Speaking of your kin, have you had any more join your ranks since you woke up on Bergasa?”

He does not know

(Those are all my questions. Hagen do you have anything to add?)

(Hagen would try to get a picture of how the Mishk are living. We don't have to play that out and I don't know how much he will tell us, but I'd ask questions like "do you live underwater" and "do you need to eat". Just learn a bit about what civilization they have established since their arrival. Maybe they have tribes or a caste system or something, I'm down to roll for additional fluff info we can get)

(They won’t answer any of that either because they can’t explain it or because to them it should be obvious)

After Hagen has the impression that the dialogue has died down, he sighs and signals to Einer that he is finished. He takes a deep breath, looks at the remnant officer a last time, and removes the mask from his face (I so hope it comes off)

It comes off and the world returns to normal right now.

00:29

The colors begin to return to your vision and the sound once again is the background of the barge

“Thank you for indulging us,” Einer says. He moves to leave the interrogation and lead Hagen above deck.

Above deck, Hagen lights a cigarette. "That was creepy", he says and exhales the smoke. "What do you think of this?"

"I think not only is it bad enough that we're trying to build an entire government from scratch, we also have to deal with our leader's haunted past physically manifesting and doing its best to stop us. So, not great I guess. And very creepy," he adds.

Hagen nods and scratches his chin. He seems relieved that he can do it now, and does it a bit longer and with more intensity than usual. "Not only that, but the Mishk get the same orders Mazzio gives us. That's good to know. If we can find and compare their and our execution of these orders, we might find a way to use this to our advantage"

"I think there's two things we need to do. The obelisk has to be secured and studied; and Silvano either needs to be left in the dark or convinced to not give any further orders for the time being." Einer notices the chin scratching, "Are you ok? What was it like wearing the mask?"

Hagen jerks, as if he got cought doing something he should not. "What? Oh. Its just a habit I have. I get itchy if I can't scratch my chin, and I couldn't under the mask. Putting the mask on was strange. Colors faded and changed, and I saw this lighten figure standing behind that Remnant officer, both connected by black tendrils. You wore a golden mask as I looked at you, and everything went back to normal after I took it off. They seem to only see faces behind those masks"

01:11

(characters are not aware of doing mental effect saves, right?)

"Huh," Einer says. "Normal always seems so relative doesn't it?"

Hagen chuckles. "Yeah. But they seemed to dislike not seeing our faces, and we now know how they can. That's something we've learned - if you want to talk to them, bring a mask"

01:21

"Do you think Silvano would do what you suggested? Not order anything? I mean, leaving him in the dark would require his cooperation since he can just read minds. That seems a bit complicated" He scratches his chin while talking, notices it, and stops for a second, before forgetting about it again, and continues.

Einer glances around, making sure that none of the crew are too close. He lowers his voice, "I think it'd be a decent way to gauge his intentions regarding us and the polity. He has us as advisors, so hopefully he'll actually take our advice. Ideally, if he ordered us to improve relations with the Mishk, then hopefully they'd take it as orders to improve relations with us. At least to try and stop the killing."

Hagen looks around as well and also speaks in a lower voice. "That's a good idea. Also, finding out how these orders are related seems important. Maybe we should investigate those obelisks first, as you suggested, and look into what order for us their construction would have been"

"Maybe if we have one, we can use it to find others if they've been built. Seems like they're congregating in larger numbers around the obelisks."

Hagen gulps. "Like a primitive settlement"

"Exactly. That obelisk outpost mirrors the outpost that we were trying to set up on the island. Everywhere we explore, or have been ordered to explore, the Mishk are there to meet our expedition teams. I'd be surprised if they have anything like a functioning society and not just an imitation of what we're doing, though. That Remnant officer down below seemed to be operating on autopilot, or under a set of restrictions that he couldn't really deviate from. At least that's the impression I got."

"Maybe that spirit entity behind him held him in check", he comments, before thinking about the rest. After some time, he lifts his head. "I think you are right. We need to confirm this. I'd say no orders from Mazzio after the one to improve relations until then" Hagen exhales deeply. "Should we try to protect Mazzio from this knowledge we have now, for the time being? I mean... Everyone he killed seems to be here, as a Mishk. Could you stomach to know such a thing if this was your doing? I sure couldn't, I'd be terrified and glass the whole planet"

"I don't know if he would have the capacity to care. Maybe before he was," Einer thinks of what he's trying to say, "whatever he is now. But I think he may just see them as a means to an end. I worry that that's how he sees all of us."

Hagen laughs a nervous laugh. "He'll have to kill us twice now if he wants to get rid of us"

Einer snorts, "On one hand, we know that the afterlife as it pertains to those killed by Silvano Mazzio is further service towards his goals. I'm not sure if that's something akin to punishment or limbo."

"I hope neither of us finds out first hand. I'm not sure how to ask him if I'm allowed to keep a secret"

"The way I see it, we've been trusted to protect SCAF and its people. We're extensions of Silvano's will in that regard. Not telling him about this runs the risk of losing his trust. But we also could lose the initiative. I think asking for his trust, and asking him to issue the order without more elaboration will be a middle ground."

Hagen nods. "Maybe Vucans paranoia got to me. You are right, of course." he lets out a relieved chuckle. "I never had my mind read. As I arrived here, I tried to make sense of what Silvano did, and I was particularly interested in the blind spots of his creations. Creatures like the Mishk. Now that I know what they are, I begin to grasp what a powerful being Silvano has to be if he can revive everyone he killed without even realizing it. I... I honestly think he should not lead us until we know how he is connected to all those blanks. It's just not safe. If the Mishk receive orders from him, who says there isn't something or someone who receives his thoughts? I mean he will read my mind, and if he does, he will know about how I see all this. I'd never tell him, but he will know. That's making me nervous"

“If you’re uncomfortable with it, I’ll go to Actala and talk to him. You could stay here and secure an obelisk in the meantime.”

"He will read my mind sooner or later, I'd like to be done with it. I don't believe he'll do or even say something. He must have read all kinds of thoughts about himself. For him, that might even be a reflex, but for me, it's new, that's all. I'd rather not have known before, and maybe he doesn't read my mind at all. Plus, I don't think I'm that kinda guy who secures a location. I'd possibly need to lead soldiers in a battle, that doesn't fit me"

Einer nods, “Do you want me to accompany you to Actala?”

Hagen shakes his head. "You can come if you want, but not for my sake. I'll be fine"

He grins and extends a hand to shake, “Then I’ll work on having a project for us when you get back. I’ll secure an obelisk and have it ready.”

Hagen shakes Einers hand, then lifts an eyebrow. "Ready for what?"

“Whatever fancy tech wizardry you can work on it, or for Sil to inspect if he decides to come back.”

(You’d have felt some pressure in your head as you put it on but it would have gone away with the save passed)

(Hagen did not share that in particular, he put it off to the visual stuff) "If it broadcasts or receives something, I can do something with it, if it's physics based. If it's MES based, I can't do anything"

"Let's get it done with. What do you think we should do with this Mishk?"

“Keep him in Mount Home or cut him loose.”

"I don't think we can get much more out of him. Might as well set him free and not risk them getting a telepathic peek into Mount Home"

"Agreed. I can take him back to the island with me."

Hagen nods. "Well then, I'll take the skiff we came in back to Mount Home. Do you need to pick up stuff or do you stay on board?"

"I'll stay aboard, and have a helicopter pick me up to take me to the island." He rests a hand on his sword, "I should be fine with this. Anything I need I'm sure the soldiers will be able to scrounge up." (Were there any guards in the room during our interrogation?)

(Not in the room, but outside of it)

Hagen goes in for a hug, one where he grabs Einers shoulders afterwards. "I'll see you after my return. Don't die, my friend"

(Hagen was going to see Sil then? did I recollect that right?)

(yes)

(4 days of travel by my count then, getting you there a day ahead of Vukan)

Actala is slowly going through the process of reconstruction, as Mazzio is busy raising the buildings and factories needed for whatever he is working on. You feel a warm and reassuring presence come over you as you enter the system, though he does not communicate with you mentally, and you do not feel him searching your mind like you normally would

Before starting to Actala, Hagen writes a message to Silvano.

Lord Mazzio.
Mr Stjerne and I have discovered an important connection between the Mishk and you.
I will tell you what I can when we meet, but with the knowledge Mr Stjerne and I have now, it is unwise to include you in every detail. I request of you that you trust Mr Stjerne and me in that regard, and that you don't reach out to read my mind with your powers.
I am looking forward to our meeting in a few days.
Regards, HE

You get a brief reply , stating that he has seen the message and will refrain, and until then waits for you to arrive and see him personally before saying more

18:47

(which you;d be there now, since my last post is a little out of order0

Hagen watches the tiny blooming and dying spots of welding torches as the ship passes over the factories under construction. He tries to count them to get his mind off the encounter with Silvano he is in the way on to, but quickly loses focus, and they all blurr together. He waits at the airlock for the ship to land and is ready to exit it, nervously rolling from heel to toe.

00:21

(had it all typed out and did not hit send)

You’re not bidding to enter by Silvano because he is respecting your wish for a lack of mental contact.

Hagen knocks on the room he assumes Silvano to be in, then enters

Silvano remains on the throne, connected to the Masque, but he is able to see you and speak normally, though his voice is raspy and he has not used it in some weeks. "Hello Engineer Emeric, I was able to read your message, and am waiting to hear what you have for me"

Hagen respectfullly lowers his head. "Yes, Lord Mazzio. I have a proposition for you. As you are aware, we share this planet you created with some creatures not put here with intention. Well, Mr. Stjerne and I managed to talk to one that got captured, and we discovered a connection between you and the Mishk. We kinda know what they are and why they got created by you. You see - by terraforming Bergasa, you seem to have created some creatures that are linked to you in some way, be it your past, your thoughts, your inner daemons... I don't know yet. Well, in this case I do, and I have decided not to tell you, for the time being. The connection we discovered is in itself not that dangerous for you to know about, but the implication of this discovery makes it - in mine and Mr. Stjernes eyes - completely unsafe for the entirety of SCAF if you remain the sole leader and decision maker of this polity. Talking to the Mishks revealed that there may be some other creation you and we don't fully know about, a creation also connected to you, and connected to the Mishk. If this entity ruling over the Mishk is connected to your mind, and knows what you know, I have already told you too much. Mr. Stjerne and I want to investigate this further, but we are very concerned that your power and position are playing against us. You have to know this much: orders you give us are executed by both me Mishk and us. This is why I propose that you turn SCAF into a triumvirate and include Mr. Stjerne and me in the decisions you, well, we make. We will continue to be your advisors, but by officially declaring this, we will have advantages I can't reveal to you. I know this is very convoluted and maybe not even neccessary, but I believe it's the right, and the only way, for SCAF. I am not a leader and I propose this out a sense of duty, not of greed or hunger for power"

“I understand. I will handle the psychic and metaspace affairs, and you will handle the temporal ones with me Stjerne. Is this what you are proposing? This allows you to handle the needs of the people sworn to us without complicating the situation with my mind and what may be linked to it”

Hagens eyes widen woth surprise for a moment. He said yes? Just like that? "Um, yes, this is what I am proposing. It's a bit more complex, but it's the essence. A need for specific orders you'd have to give may surface, but that depends on what we can find out on Bergasa" (edited)

“For now this is what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the people sworn to me. I want this resolved quickly so we can end these emergency powers and return to life as normal. I expect you and our sunblade friend won’t drag this crisis out for your own personal enrichments “

Hagen bursts out a laugh. "I in return expect you not to die while I hold a formal title, Lord Mazzio, for I am not fit to be a long term leader. In fact, had we not found out what we did, I would have only requested a linguistic expert to aid us with the Mishk language today"

"I noticed construction workers on Mount Homes peak, working on a project no one talks about. I could feel the static in the air in the upper levels. As you know, I am an engineer. I assume whatever gets build on Bergasa has something to do with that throne you're sitting on. If you let me in on the specifics, I can make sure your....future domain meets all requirements"

"We're nearing completion of a psionic anchorpoint of my own design that will allow all members of Mount Home to communicate telepathically with one another, should they wish to do so, while they remain in the Bergasa system. It will do the work of what dozens of telepaths would have needed to do before I made this wonderous discovery"

"That is both terrifying and very useful. You always immediately know which one of your colleagues took your screwdriver. That will immensely boost productivity, if people get used to it and use it right. A great discovery indeed, Lord Mazzio. If I can't be of help with that project and you have nothing else, I'll return to Bergasa. Is there something else?"

“I understand right now we are having some problems with aircraft , and their range being limited. A ship is being used as a jumping off point for them to finish their journey. You were working on something like a platform or island base correct? I’d like to see that done as soon as possible so our ships can be moved elsewhere “

"That platform was already the next thing on my list. Expanding from Mount Home and claiming more of the landmass is crucial for future growth, and that begins with setting up a reliable supply chain. Anything else, or anything for Mr Stjerne?"

"Nothing as of now. Please, be well, be safe, and I shall refrain from issuing any further orders to you, or Einer directly"

02:44

"I trust you will both get to the bottom of this soon"

Hagen lowers his head as both a sign of understanding and a stiff courtesy. He walks backwards a few steps before turning around and leaving the room. He wastes no time to get back to the ship, and works on the platforms plans during the spike jump.

(We could roll working on those plans into probably several of downtime skills if you wanted to apply the 4 days to anything)

(I have pilot in mind, I don't see it fitting here)

(understanding how aircraft would take off from and approach an airstrip so it can be factored into the design?)

(Oh right, the theoretic part. Pilot 4/90 then)

Arriving home at Bergasa, you feel a gentle tickle in your mind as you come in system. Faintly, at the edge of your perception, you hear human voices though it is easy to sweep them aside by focusing on something else.

Hagen shivers, and focuses on the plans for what was concepualized as a swimming refueling station. By now, the platform had grown in both complexity and utility, and while on the way to the docks, Hagen reluctantly tries and reaches out to the foreman to inform them of his return.

The foreman and you connect minds , where the communication is now the rapid exchange of ideas and concepts without the need for words

20:48

Your every intention is perfectly realized , and there is not a single mis communication

Hagen tells the foreman about Silvanos urge to see this done fast. He arrives at the dock to meet in person, and the plans for a platform take more and more shape during an awkward half-thought half-talked meeting. (let's collect the important features. This thing needs a refueling station for aircrafts, housing for crew and residents, it needs to be semi-mobile and as self-sustaining as possible. Am I missing anything we talked about?)

(also a dock to refuel and repair ships)

(I think those are the main points. Arguably any kind of defensive needs are covered by the sanctums section of codex of the black sun]

17:35

(since there's a cost for turrets in there)

(yeah that's 5k plus the weapon price per defensive turret. I don't know how big the platform is gonna be and what amount of turrets/defense is realistic)

(the sanctum fitting that deals with vehicles says how many it can support at a time. If that helps you gauge how many you need and how big it would roughly be.)

(Oh so I'm building the whole platform as a sanctum, with sanctum rules, gotcha, didn't know that)

(i think that might be easiest in terms of what you want it to do)

21:05

(now that im back with some books in front of me)

(yeah I'll do it no problem, just have to read all those rules first. Doing that tonight)

(Sounds good!)

(Constructed Sanctum Platform Garage Atmoflyer x4 40k Integral Power Plant (5% of total, added later) Landing Bay 100k Medical Bay 50k Garage/Docks for Various Ships x6 60k Workshop 25k Defensive Turret x8 48k (I just added 1k/each and we decide on specific weapons later) --- That's 323k +5% = 339,150 credits. Thats what the platform needs. If I add housing and recreation for 5k people via 6-people habitats it's gonna up the price a lot, but this is the essential stuff) (edited)

(we would need those things I would imagine since its going to be a permanent installation)

(okay then this won't be a big settlement, we can't afford that. I'll add housing and stuff for people working there, it's gonna be like living on an oil rig, but it's also google headquarters)

(4 + 6 garages for 100k Landing Bay 100k Med bay 50k Living habitat x50 (300ppl) 500k Recreation facilities 25k Workshop 25k 8x defturret 48k = 898k +5% power plant = 942,9k)

(Alright, I'll get a handout up for the base in case we ever need it)

13:43

(what do you want to name it?)

(we need four of those in the waters around Mount Home, this one is going towards the east, supporting/securing future settlement plans in that direction. I like Eastern SCAF Holding as a name, but it also sucks, I tell you if I come up with a better one) (edited)

(Right now i think the western one would take priority since there is a settlement going up on that big island out that way)

15:39

(the one you fixed the survey scanner on)

(Oh yeah I was thinking about the one on the left. I always confuse East and West)

(all good. I only remember because of the spongebob episode)

17:35

(I'll make a handout)

(handout up. I'll update the map

The plans are in place, and a construction crew is dispatched to get this semi-permanent installation together. It will take a few weeks to entirely complete, but once done, will serve as a vital link to operations on the western side of the planet.

Hagen stands on the docks, helping the foreman oversee the packing process of the construction and transport ships. As the ships are done, Hagen rallies the crew to say a few words. "Everyone. Thank you all for participating in this project. This platform is the first step to new settlements outside of Mount Home, settlements under the sky, surrounded by forests, and with fields in walkable distance. This platform is the first step to cover the Donut that is the landmass around us with the icing and sugar sprinkles that are the individuals and families of the SCAF nation. This platform will support and secure our reach on this planet. I wish you all a quick mind, a firm hand, and a keen eye for detail in the coming weeks. Remember that equipment can be replaced, but a life not. Good luck" He stays to watch the ships leave, and heads back into Mount Home after a few minutes.

Back in his room, Hagen listens to the Windfalls video message of Commander Lysander Kaminski proposing a business deal, and prepares his answer. He opens the recording software on his terminal to record it, sees his worker attire, and decides to take a shower and changes clothes first. In a simple dark grey buttoned shirt with a purple scaf emblem pinned to his chest, he looks at himself through the camera, then at the camera, scratches his chin and starts recording.

Commander Lysander Kaminski, greetings to you.
I am Triumvir Hagen Emeric and I wish to respond to your business proposal.
You request a ship, and it appears like you need it for war-like activities. Our shipyards could provide such a ship, and I as an engineer will make sure everything is up to highest standards. 
Please understand that a ship constructed by SCAF will be affiliated with SCAF, and if it is used to further your cause, I'd like to know what we attach our name to before discussing the issue further.
I await your response, Commander Kaminski

After reviewing and re-recording the message a couple times, he sighs, scratches his chin, and sends it.

(and then were set up in selgar's to go when youre ready)

(yeah I just noticed. See you there)

Triumvir Emeric,

It truly is a pleasure to hear from you. I worried at the prolonged silence from your council but was relieved when your shipwrights contacted us to request plans. I understand your reservations regarding the contract to build a ship for our group, but I hope I can put those concerns to bed. Our home, NeoTortuga, is truly a marvel to behold. A relic from a bygone era and home to thousands of people. I hope it’s not a stretch for you to imagine the potential danger they’re in plying the spike routes amongst the sectors. Additionally, despite our best efforts, we are not friends with all parties that find their homes here. As a result, Admiral Inghram has deemed it necessary to increase the defenses available to our home. The cruiser laid down by the Sovereign Colonies’ shipyards will protect NeoTortuga, and by extension her people, from those who would seek it harm. 

Not so different than the titan your Lord Mazzio stole from the Remnant; albeit with less of a threatening air about it. I hope you will find our payment more than reasonable for this endeavor and I look forward to observing the construction. 

Yours Truly and Respectfully,

Lysander Kaminsky
Commander Windfall

(edited)

Hagen responds via video message.

Commander Kaminsky,

I understand the need to defend ones home from enemies of times past and of times to come.
I believe our facilities can turn the plans you gave us into a guardian for your people, and a valuable asset to your fleet. I apologize for not inviting you earlier to stay, but please, come down to Mount Home and oversee the construction as you like.
If you want to bring an entourage, please limit it to six people.
I wish you a pleasant stay in our capital, Commander Kaminsky

Hagen,

I’ve wrapped up on Heras and took a detour through Tecmessa. Ended up finding some horrifying things and also found an old colony reactor core. I’ve detailed Insight to come pick it up and bring it back to Bergasa to act as a power source for the Western Island settlement. I’m on my way to Muntsaratz to start making inroads on bringing the system under our banner. 

With the official stuff out of the way, I have a personal project I’d like to include you in if you’re interested. If you recall, I mentioned wanting to start a new Conclave of Light to train more people in my order and to offer a safe place for those sensitive to MES energy. I finally have the funds to start the campus, and I would be honored if you’d be willing to spend some of your time there. I can set aside some space for an apartment and we can build a workshop for you to work in away from Mount Home and the hustle of running the Sovereign Colonies. I don’t need an answer yet, and you’ll always be welcome regardless. I hope you’re staying safe back home on Bergasa. 

Your friend,
Einer Stjerne

Einer,
Glad your trip to Heras was a success. Good luck on Muntsaratz.

Yes, I am interested. I have eyed the possibility of my own workshop for some time now, and I put away the money to buy it. Maybe I can make you a training robot for your deciples. Since I saved the money for a workshop already, I can pay for it, and for some living quarters as well.
I'm staying on Bergasa for the time being since I have Triumvirate shit to do.

Your friend, 
Hagen Emeric

(attached are 40k credits for you @Karre Mondragon(Timothy)) (edited)

Messages come and go as Hagen begins preparing for an extended stay in his workshop. SCAF needs more, and better, of everything if it is going to provide for its people and keep them all safe. The workshop door hisses closed as he enters with weeks worth of provisions and toiletries , and enough design paper to plan it all. With a final look around the drab stone hallways of Mount Home, Hagen sighs, shuts the door, engages the lock, and begins to draw

3

—-SECURE TRANSMISSION—-

TO: HAGEN EMERIC

FROM: EINER STJERNE

Hagen,

I’m about to do something potentially foolhardy in the name of furthering the goals of the Sovereign Colonies. If I die, that means we’ll be down a third of our Triumvirate. Do your best to keep the power from being centralized again. Hope you’re enjoying your vacation. 

Your friend,

Einer.

Hagen looks up from his drawing board as the small led begins to flash. He skims the message, scratches his chin and reads it a second time with more attention. He frowns at the screen for a couple minutes. "Why does everyone think I'm on vacation? I'm hard at work", he says to himself, making a vague gesture at everything.

Einer,

Thank you for that heads up.
Please remember that you don't have my permission to die.
I know you better than trying to talk you out of anything. I wish you unobstructed judgment, a strong shield, and true strikes.

I will do my best to keep the situation from escalating, should we not see eath other again.

But we will.

Your friend,

Hagen

With a heavy sigh and furrowed brows, Hagen sends the message to @Karre Mondragon(Timothy) , and goes back to the drawing board.

(when you're back back we'll figure out what you've been up to this whole time)

(all right)

(Ready when you are friend)

Hagen finally has a moment to breathe amid the endless construction projects he has involved himself with over the last few months. These structures and the mobile outposts he has created means anyone can live on the landmass now as homesteaders once the planet is safe. SCAF has gone from one planet to many in that time, and the need for projects everywhere has escalated. A particular one on Unn led by a woman named Sunniva looks especially ambitious and worthy of your time

Hagen strolls around the docks, seawind tugging at his clothes, catching up on the expansion of SCAF territory on his dataslab. Unn, mh?, he thinks, looking at the details of Sunnivas project. He glances at the team of construction workers busy with one of his designs and with a sigh decides that he can trust everyone involved to do their job properly. He nods satisfied and begins the preparations for the flight to Unn.

(1 day of downtime, and we'll set it up!)

(Pilot 4/90)

(Level 6>7, HP22>23, Tinker Focus 1>2, Trade -1>0, Bank 3SP)