Aboard the Vox Finalis, the TECT team gathers to begin their drop assault , only one image has come in from the planet below

(I had enough spells left to precast the buffs on Dax the night before, Seung already has them. Immunity to environmental hazards/don't need to breathe+wings and +2 to hit/+5 damage)

(Did you siphon strain too? I'm probably fine either way)

"You know..." Dax says glancing down at the physical changes, "I should be used to this by now, but it's still kind of freaky."

"Oh I think it's an improvement, I bet that Vorianu lady would like it!" Grupp winks.

"Looks like a big place down there, this should be fun!"

"Is it that obvious?... I didn't think that was public knowledge."

"I mean, you talked to me on your ship about it, did something happen?!"

(IRL forgot that)

"Oh... uh... we ate some food together and I got a hug once. I guess you could say things are pretty serious."

"Ha! What'd I tell ya, she's just like a man eh?"

Dax visibly grimaces. "Not.... really? She's definitely prettier, and way more intimidating. Not really man-like at all."

"Oh I've met some pretty intimidating guys and ladies, doesn't seem to be a gender specific thing to me!"

“Yeah I can agree with that. Try dating a taros warrior turned leader.”

"Yeah that sounds intense. Good luck with that! Are we ready to go?"

"All good and set." (edited)

(How are ya’ll getting down there. Using the mechs?)

(Grupp is going to magic them two to survive and all three of us to fly.)

(Gotcha) You approach the edge of the hangar bay, looking down over the swirling blue green cloud of the planet below. Somewhere between the cities, under that gas, lies the project the Remnant is working on

"So I guess we just jump and at some point we stop ourselves right Grupp."

"Yup! Should be fun! Ready when you are!"

Outside, you see the Red Sangha vessel, and Cyrus' own ship moving into drop position. Robert's fighter wings begin their dive

"Dax you're the one who can teleport? I hope you can save us if it all fails." Seung says stepping towards the edge watching the other ships descend. (edited)

Grupp grins and steps off the edge.

Grupp feels the cool air flow by, the fighters pass by, their formation briefly forming up around you. Someone invariably says something about pigs flying

"Fuck it. First planes in the desert and now this." Seung says as he takes the last few steps in a short run and leaps after Grupp. (edited)

Grupp does a couple loops and tricks to show off, wings extended as he waits for the others to catch up before he pulls them in and goes into a steep dive.

"Here we go again!" Dax steps off after them.

After free falling to get closer to the team, he spreads his wings to get accustomed to them. (edited)

The three of you sail through the clouds, cool wind passing you, as do the myriad small craft being lofted by the fleet in orbit. (2 days have passed for strain and HP regain purposes)

You'll have to make this quick the acting captain of the vox finalis calls out to you. We're expecting their counter-attack within hours

"I guess we shouldn't take to much time falling then." Seung says over comms pulling in his wings and dropping further towards the gas.

As a unit, the three of us pull wings in to drop into the gas layer.

The three of you quickly outstrip the fighters and pass the floating sky cities. Explosions and traces of gunfire fill the sky above

You, safely away. The endless cerulean clouds pass by, until a dark shape appears below.

(Let me find a better complex map)

The complex is supported on its own antigrav engines, a kilometers long probe on the north end punching deep into the gas fiant,

giant

A warren of catwalks, hallways, control rooms, and barracks stretch out before the probe area protected by three gates, each of which protected by defense towers

You look to be alone, no one noticing your landing on this empty platform, the main doors of the complex before you (so right in front of the first hallway junction, north from 2, i should have drawn them on)

Pinned a message.

(So gates in front of each junction?)

(You can’t see inside to answer that but there’s a gate ahead of you to get in.

There are at least some kind of defensive works if you had to judge based on station layout)

"Wow, so this is pretty big!"

(How reinforced do the doors look?)

(less than the star base)

(its mostly an access door)

"Are we trying to be sneaky here? They'll be on defense with the attacks above, but I doubt they sensed us since we didn't use a ship or anything."

"I think if we cut our way in, we won't be alerting everyone to our presence. An explosive probably would though. I'm not trying to be super sneaky, but I'd prefer not to bring everything down on my head."

Dax takes the mageblade and tests it against the access doors to cut through.

it slides through with ease, like a sharp carving knife against a marbled piece of meat

"Ready?" Dax lifts his leg and kicks at the door to knock it in.

Dax knocks it in, just in time to see Cornelius’s unconscious form pass by, hurtling headfirst down into the gas giant before anyone can reach him

"Uhh what was that?"

"I dunno. Doesn't matter. Let's worry about what's ahead."

The door blows open under your boot. Straight ahead down a very long axial tunnel is a gate with two turrets out front. It’s very far away, over 4,000m, and you guess you’re alive only by being out of their range. A cross tunnel runs west to east into a warren of other rooms

"So I'm guessing we shouldn't charge the turrets right? I mean, we're free to do so but it just really seems like a bad idea."

(Is that gate and turret #4 on the map?)

“I mean nothing is stopping us from charging the turrets. We just gotta be faster then they fire, or fire further then they can.” (edited)

(That’s right dax)

Dax gives a cheeky grin. "How fast? You want to get there right now?"

Grupp raises an eyebrow, "You can go that far?"

"Definitely. And all of you with me."

Dax summons the mageblade and prepares to teleport. "It's go time!" The three of us enter a passage of metadimensional space and apparate directly to the gate. (Counts as a Move action for me because of Proficient Apportation, 1 Effort for the scene) (Burdened Apportation to bring allies, 1 Effort for the day.)

(Not sure if it counts for their Move actions too, but we should still have Main actions left to attack turrets this round)

(They have everything left. I’ll try to be quick)

(Initiative or a surprise round?)

(Initiative. You’ve entered their targeting area even though it was sudden. They just didn’t get to shoot at you for a billion rounds first )

(4)

(9)

(11)

(Turrets with a 6)

"I hold from the explosives for now!" Seung says as he aims his arm towards the turrets firing twice at one his arm set to the anti-vehicle laser. (29/34 30/25)

(Are these something I can get in melee with?)

(Like I'm not sure if these are like ceiling mounted or something)

(They’re in the ground)

(Inserting my turn because I don't know when I'll be able to next.) Dax gets his bearings as quickly as possible and throws his mageblade at one of the turrets. (33/16+5 cause Grupp)

With a concentrated attack from Seung and dax the turret explodes, showering the hallway with debris and broken electrical components

The remaining turret fires

(16. Nope)

"Nice job!" Grupp fires at the turret. (17/14)

"Alright just one more!" Seung yells firing twice into it just the same as the last. (39/23 29/25)

(It's probably ded) (edited)

(It is. Sorry guys I’m still doing party stuff. You might be waiting a bit here and there)

(All good buddy)

(Ignore the party, we're more fun!)

(Someone goes hey come out back we want to show you something and suddenly im grilling chicken by myself)

(We good)

The second turret detonates as it’s hit by sustained fire. At the end of the hall (left room T and right room T) a pair of maintainer suit mechs enter the corridor to investigate the alert

(Same combat or new round?)

(Same combat)

(So I'm up)

(Are they anywhere close to us?)

(looking at the map they're at the mid of the hallway. We're closer to the end I think?) (edited)

(If the hallway was 4km long then that's really far)

(at the same time those are bridges over now looking at them.)

(they're 500m from you,

(they do have ranged weapons)

(Now I have to look up my range lol)

(Well they're outside my effective range of 100m. Is it possible to rangeblade them from here with a penalty to hit? The book doesn't specify an upper limit to the range)

(Can't you teleport as a move action?)

(He'd have to commit effort, he probably doesn't have a ton)

(Didn't know if he had the power that makes it not cost anything.)

(Not yet I dont think)

(yeah we can say -4 since its very long range)

Dax launches a mageblade down the corridor. (25/18)

One of the mechs staggers, its fuel system squirting glistening petrol all over the hallway

The mech;s return fire with twin nailguns down the hall (evasion save all)

(Success 18v5)

(4v4 success)

(Save rolls are still bad, but I got lucky)

(13v3 I’m good.)

(Half of 19 Rounded down)

(And Seung Up)

(Hey you skipped me lol)

(Grupp Up)

Grupp activates the arcane cyst holding Bodily Panoply. His armor disappears as one of his arms grows into a HMG. He lays down suppressive fire (16/half damage)

(8 heavy on each. Seung for real this time)

“So are we loud enough I can just use explosives or you still wanna forgo them for now.” Seung yells towards the other two.

"Seems they know we're here eh? Let em have it!"

Seungs hand reforms as he hauls his speciality rocket launcher from his back filled with thermoberic missiles. “Alright then!”

Firing twice once at each of the mechs. (37/51 27/60)

Both of them grind, their armor no match for the shaped explosives before the fire engulfs then

Them

They both look out of commission

“So they probally know we’re here now and I only have two more missiles. We should try to find what’s here quickly.”

(Is there another gate or anything to get to 6?)

(Following the complex to where the hallways end at area 5)

(It’s a postern gate)

(On the western size)

Side

"Well we could head through the complex and look for a way through or bust down the gate." Grupp pulls out his thermal razor glaive, "Yeah, I know which you guys want, come give me a hand Dax."

Dax shrugs. "I mean, you're not wrong."

We begin working in tandem to take down the gate.

Seung takes flight attempting to help by pushing the metal inward.

Dax keeps trying really hard.

With both of you the gate opens immediately to a blistering storm of fire from the other side, as another set of turrets detect unauthorized access

(We can keep the same Initiative)

The grenades bounce or explode against the gate as you open it, ruining them as cover, but you're kept safe from harm

(Sorry folks) Seung makes his way through the door his arm active again and fires at one of the turrets. (28/30 31/29)

barely holding, its base sparks, and sizzles. you smell burning rubber. It looks like it may go to pieces any second, but for now it swivels to track you

(dax)

Dax runs through what used to be a gate and teleports right to the base of the damaged turret to finish it off. (34/27)

It blows out in a shower of sparks and electrical debris

It's cannon pumps and thunders as it discharges airbursting grenades into the corridor

(Missing Seung and Grupp, Dax hit for 16, back to grupp)

(My AC is down to 18 since I switched to the HMG, so I think I'd get hit?)

(Could've just been 3 separate attack rolls and I got (un)lucky)

(Or... reading it again... the thing exploded and I was right there in melee)

Grupp fires his HMG... at the wrong turret. Woops (2/7)

(Seung up)

(no i got an 11)

(for grupp)

Seung quickly reloads his arm before firing twice into the turret once more. (25/28 32/29)

It likewise is heavily damaged (dax)

Dax likewise jumps at it and swings a sword. (23/20)

The mageblade slams down and scatters the turret remains across the corridor, and the hall falls silent

"They really like their turrets here. I have a feeling they might not have a lot of men stationed here." Seung says looking at the scattered machine. (edited)

"Yeah seems like they're mostly focused above. I wonder what's down here, you think we'd see more people if there are so many." Grupp shifts his HMG back into armor.

He stores the spell again in an arcane cyst in case he needs to switch in combat.

The gate shudders and you feel an arctic breeze float beneath, chilling your legs and feet, enough to notice but not enough to harm

"Hmm maybe we should try finding some stairs. It's a big place I wonder if they have anything hidden blow." Seung says checking the walls for further doorways.

The doors before you look less reinforced and easier to get into. The chill still comes through beyond

"Yeah that cold is disconcerting.. I guess we should continue on, we should be getting close."

"Let's find out." Seung says heading for one of the doors. (We're in 6 atm right?)

(Yes at 6$

(So is the door like heading south into 30 or going further north.)

)it goes further north

(Toward 7)

(Alrighty just want to make sure I know where we're going.) "You two ready in case there is more turrets.

Grupp heals himself (16) "Ready when you are! Dax, need me to top you off?"

Grupp heals Dax (11)

(Cool thanks.)

Seung pushes on the door to head inside. "Then let's find out what they're hiding here."

The doors open and you’re all blasted with air cold enough to chill you even through your armor. Another door is ahead but it is not protected or heavily fortified. Around you, packed in as tightly as possible you see the first of the missing population of Cruesa. A serpents nest of cables, gears, LEDs and hissing static fills the roof running from each and every specimen tank to the final room.

Each of the tubes is barley big enough for a person to lie in and you count thousands here alone. The air hums with energy.

There is a viewport nearby where you can see down into the gas giant. Vapor, pieces of floating rock, ice, and anything else of value is being pulled into the large probe that extends kilometers below the station

"What the hell." Seung says moving into the room. "They're storing people here in cryo. There is so many of them..."

"I've got a bad feeling about this..."

"I guess that means we won't be running into much living resistance."

"Alright, I'll say it: Why? Why keep thousands of people frozen?"

"Hundreds of millions according to Mord. I guess we'll find out soon."

There is a status terminal near the doors to the northernmost room, and the panel winks on as it senses living presences in the room

Grupp goes to check the terminal. "Maybe this can tell us more before we go in."

TELEKINETIC EXTRACTION CORE TERMINAL the panel reads, and it shows millions of tiny vital trackers. On a second half of the screen, it shows that the telekinetic array is working as planned, the brainwaves of those trapped in this machine each micronomically amplifying the telekinetic abilities of this machine for use in harvesting minerals at a much more effective rate Seung has seen an offshoot of this technology, or maybe its predecessor, in the Slyth control tower on the south pole of Gudrun

"Telekinetic? For hating psychics so much I feel like the remnant use their abilities an awful lot. Are you guys ready for this?"

"Ready for what?"

"To see what's through the doors? Seems like everything leads in there and there've been plenty of guards so far. I doubt it's unguarded in there too."

"Oh, that. Sorry... I got distracted by all the... this."

The pods stretch on throughout the room, going up into the ceiling. It seems even colder beyond

"Yeah... we'll need to be careful, we all know the remnant loves mass murder when things go wrong. There's probably a kill switch for all these people somewhere."

"Maybe this is a question better asked another time... but... are these people actually people? Were they captured and taken away from their lives for this or were they... harvested? I think that makes a significant difference about whether we care about their livelihood. And then there's the possibility they could be feral...." Dax trails off for a moment. "Sorry, I feel like I'm being callous to the humanity of the situation. I just wish I knew more."

(We can make some program checks to get some information out of the database here, if you want)

"Well I don't think they're all psychics, everyone has their own metadimensional signature that it could siphon off and with this many people... sorry, starting to sound like Reg there for a bit. Ha! Let me see if I can get any more out of this."

(5 lol)

(with a +2 to Int?? )

"Hmm.. yeah I can't get past the network defenses, I'm no expert hacker or anything. Guess we'll just have to find out!"

"Well, there's nothing for us but forward, then. I'm ready." Dax moves to open the door.

A vast array of complex mining, processing, and packaging machinery sits at the middle of the room, its many dozens of insectile arms are processing mined gas products, and minerals, packaging them up for use. Thousands more of these human tanks are visible, and they stretch on what looks like endlessly above and below. Another large terminal stands over a pit at the north end of the room, where the probe punches deep into the gas giant. More humans are lining the mining boom.

This terminal looks more involved. and you can see the dozens of powerful quantum processors running it.

Flocks of eyebots above and below go to different tanks, exchanging nutrient fluid, and running diagnostics if needed

("More humans are lining the mining boom." Are these human tanks? or living breathing walking humans?)

(humans in tanks)

(You might be the only conscious people in here)

"Well I think I've the best shot of using the terminal, maybe this one will be more helpful." Grupp heads over to the terminal.

(Program/int again?)

(Yes pls)

(11)

(You can ask 3 questions to the database)

"There's a fairly extensive database here, but I have limited time. Any suggestions for what to ask? I probably have time for about three questions."

Grupp types into the terminal, What are the purposes of this facility?

When the tap is set in place on a planetary body, the mining array begins to probe and extract valuable minerals, performing basic processing and smelting on the extracts. In the absence of a telekinetic psychic and a supply of sentient minds, the array is little more than an efficient, maintenance-free pretech mining array. When supplied with a telekinetic and a sufficient number of fodder-minds, however, the TCET’s more impressive features are available. Through a process of telegeological feedback and neural amplification, the telekinetic can shift large masses of bedrock and molten stone far beneath the earth, making paths for the collector drones and bringing valuable masses of minerals into range of the tap. These enormous telekinetic forces would kill any human psychic, but the TCET allows the operator to filter the metadimensional energy through the brains of restrained sentient beings, killing or mentally crippling them. The more sentients available for this use, the stronger the telekinetic forces at the psychic’s disposal and the richer the lodes that can be produced

--Finely rendered schematics appear with this explanation, showing the various pieces of the device---

"Gods... all these people are just fuel. Just so they can get more valuable minerals?"

"So you're telling me all of these people have just been turned into batteries and had their minds wiped?"

"That means shutting down the facility might be a mercy for them.... It also means there's a psychic running this thing. It doesn't sound like it just runs itself."

"Yeah there's a telekinetic somewhere. Knowing the remnant he's probably not a willing participant."

"The plans you found can probably point us to him."

Grupp looks at the schematics, looking for a place for a telekinetic to operate the facility.

"It probably looks like some kind of bridge or control room situation, if I were to guess."

"You see anything that looks like the 'brains' of this operation?"

The unfortunate telekinetic, is in some kind of a projecting bulb at the bottom of the mining probe, 15 kilometers below, deep within the gas layer

(Probably ask what the minerals are used for)

"I may have to go down there to neutralize him. We need to make sure it won't kill everyone here to do that though. Assuming there are any left mentally sound."

"There's probably a lift or something to get down there. Otherwise we could just fly ourselves."

Grupp types in his second question, What mineral are they searching for and what are their plans concerning it? (If that counts as two questions then just the plans)

(one question is fine, they're sort of linked)

They are not searching for a specific mineral but they are searching for the heavy metals and gasses needed to make warships, and weapons

Spike drive cores especially are produced in great number here

"Sacrificing hundreds of millions just for machines of war. Well, at least we can end it here."

"Alright, last question." How many people are still living and how can we save them?

350 million are interred in this facility, and in the dozens of rooms you have bypassed on the way here. Their minds are ruined upon connection with the machine, personality subsumed as they become conduits for more telekinetic energy.

(Think like an electrical circuit, it just turns them into a living amplifier/repeater)

"You were right Dax. Well that makes this a lot simpler to destroy."

(Did I ever do a group skill contest with you guys before?)

(Don't know what that means, so probably not)

"Three hundred and fifty.... Million??... This is murder on a scale I didn't even know was possible."

the machinery in the room is complex, a mixture of slyth, advanced pretech, and maltech. To shut this down, you're all going to have to be working on it. There are computer terminals and various engineering spaces around the room with things you can probably tell are important. (Each skill can only be used once, no matter who uses it. You can use any skill so long as you can think of a way it might benefit the situation here, which is trying to shut this complex machine down without it exploding or just suddenly plummeting into the gas giant with all of you aboard. You want to give yourselves time to escape. You have to reach a certain number of successes with skill checks before a certain number of failures)

"I mean, yes. Destroying the facility is an easier decision now that we know they are already 'dead'"

(Make sense? Charles and Katya did one once to make this really cool scavenged ice crawler thing, and they enjoyed it)

(It does. We'll wait until Seung is around. I have no idea what his sleep schedule is right now since he was on nights last week and now he's on who knows what schedule)

(Complex skill checks with no experts, what could go wrong)

(play to your strengths, just think of how to use them in a way that makes sense here)

"Do we have to do this now? I am less than helpful with computers unless it means slashing it to pieces. If we win the planet we can come back with a better crew for this task. Maybe we could just shut down the defenses to make it easier for ourselves to get in next time."

"I mean, slashing computers in this case could be helpful if you're slashing the right things!"

(Stab/dex is still a skill check)

(Yeah, it was more of a general question. We're here now, but I don't know how urgent it is to shut this thing down.)

(You can make a program check that doesnt count toward the context for more info, i think we used all our questions for now)

(Dc will be higher)

(Theoretically if things started to go south, would a ship's teleport pad be able to get us out if we weren't inside the facility? I know the ship to surface rules means we'd have to be outside)

Grupp uses his knowledge of psionics and arcane to find vital sections to shut down the telekinetic functions. (Magic-know/int?)

(This is technically a very big ship but thats not to say escape is impossible)

(just not via teleport)

(Would a magic-know check work?)

(I think it could, sure)

(sorry, i got lost on that)

(No problem)

(12)

Grupp locates the controls that allow-or in this case likely force- the telekinetic to project his power into the gas giant below

The controls shut down (1/6 for successes so far, 0 failures)

(Waiting for Seung)

(All good, i meant to update that before. PAying for my day off on friday)

(I mean I have little skills that’ll help tbh)

“Wouldn’t it make sense to just fire on this place from orbit. I know there is... people here but if there isn’t anything we can do to help them.” (edited)

(That's what I was thinking honestly)

"That or I guess I could go and pull the guy out at the end of the boom or blow it up if you both think that's a better idea." (edited)

"Maybe we could let the planet do the work for us. Disable the anti-gravity and let this thing fall into the planet."

"We just need a good way to do that and not be on it when it goes."

(That’s part of what winning the skill contest will do. You’ll get to decide how this is disposed of, within reason)

Seung decides to take flight attempting to follow all the cords and connections to see if they all go to one place to disconnect.

The cables go from one, to ten, to hundreds as you follow them, all going off in as many directions

(I’m getting the sense we don’t want to do this. That’s fine we can just say it was handled I guess. I don’t know what else to do and I don’t have time tonight to write something else)

(This isn't on you, we aren't decided on what to do between ourselves)

(We had talked about leaving the TECT and either sending a different team back in who is better suited for it, or blowing it up from space.) (I think that since we're already here, we're going to try to make something work ourselves, even with a lack of intelligence based skills on mine and Seung's behalf) (The plan we are thinking of so far is finding a power source/engine room type area to find a way to destroy it and let it fall into the planet. Grupp's first skill check was simply to disable the telekinetic functions)

(If I'm wrong on any of that, Grupp or Seung can say something)

(And sorry for the confusion. Like I said, it's not on you Neko)

(The thing with a tect is the captured minds do all that. Unintentionally all roads go back to the place you don’t want to go. That’s why I did it as a contest. So there would be some versatility. That sort of backfired

(I’m not going to force it.)

(Oh that makes sense. The humans are powering the entire station, not just the telekinetic portion)

(Yeah it's less we don't want to do it and more we don't have the skills to pass it.)

(Yeah Grupp was right with his semi matrix thing.)

"Let's head back and see if we can't get a team with Billy and some techs down here to really take a look. Once we have more of a clue what's going on we can take it down then or shoot it down into the gas."

(3xp, 10,000 credits)

"Is there any way we can make sure the turrets and things are disabled for the next crew? That is our specialty, after all. Is there anything about the defenses on that terminal, Grupp?"

"I could always stay down here and take a look. I don't need food and I should have plenty of weapons I think."

"Make sure there is no one else around waiting for you all to come back."

)there’s nothing else. I don’t want to tie you up for no reason(

(There’s a shitload of minder bots but they’re not armed)

Grupp flies down 15km to try to rescue the psychic down there. (Just for fun)

He is inside a transmission blister at the bottom of the device, and there does not seem to be a way to get him out

Grupp casts breaching charge on the blister.

It has no effect

Knowing his efforts are futile, he tries the thermal razor.

The razor sparks as it makes contact but likewise has no effect on the blister

Grupp uses Truth of Flesh and Bone to see what condition the psychic is in before continuing to get him out.

Cyrus along with a small crew of engineers land in a Remnant shuttle

(The tect is broken and won’t work again. This is turning into a shitshow

(And I want to be done with it)

(They aren't here to repair) "Wire it up. Anything you think is integral to it's structure." Cyrus says as he walks down the halls.

(I’m not running this mission anymore)

(Okay)