Starfinder - Dead Suns Adventure Path

[robnar]

The Shuttle Okimoro, outside of Absalom Station

The Okimoro, a small system shuttle hardly worthy of the name, starts to guide through the fleet of ships in semi-permanent orbit around the huge, glittering spires of Absalom Station. The pilot, a happy human who handles the ship with the steady familiarity of someone who's done this thousands of times, happily points out the ships within the Armada as they pass. Space here is crowded with cargo ships, asteroid miners, explorers, embassy ships, and the occasional military vessel or militia patrol craft. Sleek Kasathan ships guide by the blocky, functional lumps of pact world ships. The occasional military vessels or militia patrol craft dart by the lifelike, copselike outlines of the Eoxian necromantic ships. The pilot points out several Vesk vessels with more than a hint of resentment.

The pilot specifically calls out the Acreon, an old drift-mining ship that has been dominating the headlines throughout the pact worlds for the past several days. It showed up at Absalom Station with no crew and no life signs, hauling a strange asteroid pulled from the drift. It sits in its own empty zone, quarantined and abandoned.

Five travelers sit on the ship, linked up at the port of embarkation with instructions on how to link up with Duravor Kreel for introduction to the Starfinder Society. Kreel is a tall dwarf, profiled on your datapad.

Introduce yourself! First post should introduce and describe your character and meet the others. and set up anything you need to do. Once you've introduced yourself, if the PCs want to do any small talk you can include it in the IC small talk thread on the Discord.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: None.

Tannhauser watched as the ships slipped by through the viewport, he was still unsure of why he was here. Qiib had suggested he join the Starfinder Society, and that the organization would possibly be able to assist him discover the truth of his origins and the corp-sec retreival team that had continued to track his movements. Still, he missed the vast darkness of the Diaspora, this cluttered Armada made him feel cramped, confined, constricted. It was an unusual feeling for him, as such, he allowed his eyes to flutter shut, flickering back and forth beneath plasti-flesh eyelids, while he ran an internal diagnostics. His internal structure was at 100% integrity, however, his powercore was running hot, generating more energy than he could easily route through his systems. His para-causaul network had already connected to the infosphere that surrounded Absalom station, he casually perused the information located therein, looking at any publically accessible information in regards to the Starfinder Society.

As he catalogued the information, the android stood up from the worn shuttle chair, and paced the deck of the shuttle. The android was of average height, however, it's chassis was heavier set than most androids seen in the Pact worlds, thick, duratanium cabling formed his musculature, visible beneath the glossy black finish of the golemforged plating that was anchored to various hardpoints located across the android's chassis. However, the most unique feature of the android was the plasti-flesh covering which adorned his head and neck, as if to give the semblence of an organic sentient, it did little to conceal the inhuman nature of his biomechanical eyes, with their black sclera and faintly glowing blue iris.

Noting his fellow occupants, he saw an older human, weathered, greying hair and a full wide mustach; another synthetic of middle height, light blue skin, brown eyes, black hair, wearing a pilot's jump suit; a lithe framed Pahtra with a golden hued and spotted coat, second skin armor and a blaster on her hip; finally, their fourth, a diminutive Tanuki, grey and black coat, a large, fluffed tail with broad bands of those same colors, and interestingly enough a quadraped drone with some sort of riding saddle built into the rear of it's chassis.

Curious, the android turned towards the other sentients aboard the shuttle, "Good day, would I be mistaken to believe that we five are travelling to Absalom with the same directive, to meet with a representative of the Starfinder Society?"

[Archemist]

"Good day, would I be mistaken to believe that we five are travelling to Absalom with the same directive, to meet with a representative of the Starfinder Society?"

You see a bluish-skinned android with short black hair, a woman(?) probably built to blend in with Lashunta or Human societies, maybe Vesk if those little forehead protrusions are meant to be horn-like instead of antennae. No, not Vesk. Too smooth.

They're seated and bouncing their left leg but otherwise seem completely calm and near expressionless.

The flight suit they're wearing has the colors of a racing team, R.C.-Edaio, right down to the logos of a couple Akiton orgs with so-so reputations. It has "Drive" embroidered on the front in gold: it could be a name, it could be a command.

It could be a passion.

***

They look over at the other strange android's question. "Correct. No. No - you are not mistaken.

"From the conversation I had, I was thinking Starfinder was interested in playing their cards close on this one... but I guess we must be it, then?" They look briefly from one to another of you with a fresh intensity.

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

The little Tanuki is fidgeting with a funky data-pad mounted on his left arm. He is wearing coveralls and has a comically oversize handgun, relative to his small body, slung over his shoulder.

"Yeah, hopefully working for them is better then when they accidentally bring some work through your business." he says with just a hint of sarcasm.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: None.

Tannhauser's eyes flicker back up beneath the plasti-flesh eyelids as he does a cursory infosphere search, before he looks to the blue-skinned android, "Dvorak Drive, Akitonian Starskiff League. Placed 9th overall during their initial season season, preference for a modified 74-Z, with Aratech repulsor pads and a Moll K-19 power core." It wasn't a question, but a statement of fact, "An impressive machine. I believe I saw one of your races across the Dust Sea, you slipped past Jhereg Niklas, the favorite for that race, on the third corner, an upset victory at 7:1 odds." He turned his attention back to the other synthetic, "However, it is likely that your choice to join the Starfinder's will keep you from participating in the next season, were you dissatisfied with the League?"

Their reasons were there own, but he remembered Connaugh's excitted 'Whoop!' as they rounded that corner, earning his dwarven handler a sum of money. However, the Akitonian junker's were unimpressed, having lost a sizeable sum, and when the junker's attempted to retreive their winnings from Tannhauser's patron, their was an altercation that resulted in them leaving the Dust Sea, quickly.

[Tycho42]

For much of the interchange, the older man stared out the window, clocking the ships that passed by one by one. There was a million credits. Half a million. Two. So much wealth here, floating around a small speck in the middle of space. He knew the second he stepped on board that station, the minute he walked away from the lights and the parts that people wanted him, an outsider, to see, he’d find the “real” station. The people who really kept the damned thing running, who struggled and scraped by. He’d been one of them, at various times in his life.

He looped his thumbs through the equipment loops on his harness and pushed himself back against the cushioned seat. His black jumpsuit had numerous patches, most faded. Everything he owned was on his person; it was easier that way. He could leave anywhere at the drop of a hat. Hell, if their shuttle got breached right now, he’d stand a decent chance of survival as his vacsuit activated.

His attention was caught by the Acreon. He gazed at it for a long time, before musing out loud, in spite of himself. “And how much is in your hold, mi kopeng; and wither your crew?” More loss.

He turned to the others, listening to them talk for a little bit. “I heard of you both,” indicating the androids. “Big time sports are big business in the Diaspora. More dangerous the better, na?” He looked at the other alien, with the giant gun, especially keying in on his comment, but asking the question generally.

“Ya deal with the Starfinders before? Been to Absalom Seteshang?”

[Niobaran]

Niobe

Once Absalom Station had become visible through the windowpanes of the shuttle, Niobe had been staring at it, following the descriptions of their pilot closely.

The somewhat feline, apparently female humanoid is taller than most humans (about six and half feet), lithe, with slightly longer than human limbs. Her fur is golden and spotted, similar to that of a leopard or cheetah. Niobe moves gracefully and swift, and her body language testifies a certain amount of self-confidence. As they are planning to dock soon, she wears traveler's clothes and has a durable looking backpack with her. As observed by Tannhauser, she has a pistol strapped to her side, along a handful of other items that make her seem prepared. An old looking compass dangles from a cord around her neck.

Hearing the discussion ensue, she watches it from the reflection in the pane for a moment, then turns around to join in. When she speaks, her voice sounds soothing. "Never dealt with them before, haven't been here before... But yes, your assumption is correct -- I plan to join them, actually." Her voice suggests that she has little doubt if any that she could be accepted into their ranks. "Name's Niobe, by the way."

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: None.

Tannhauser greeted his new companions in kind, pleased with this simple interaction. As the grizzled human, speaking in a Diasporan patois, inquired as to the legitimacy of his actions in the combat circuit, he simply shook his head. "Big time sports in the Dust Sea; my time in the Diaspora was aboard a dwarven clan ship, a mining vessel." He appeared almost wistful as he remembered his time aboard the Belegost, "This unit is well equipped for ring, and so I plied that trade when forced to flee the Diaspora. On Akiton, fighting in the circuit is preferable to the alternative if one's stock and trade is combat and violence." He paused as Bexford inquired about the Starfinders, "I was approached by a retired agent, and the negotiation was amendable. We are now within range of Absalom's infosphere and I have downloaded the publicly available information on the Society, should you wish me to transfer it to your comms I would be glad to do so."

As the Pahtra introduced herself, the android realized he had been remiss. "I am sorry, this unit's designation is Tannhauser, I am pleased to have made your acquaintance."

[Archemist]

Dvorak smiles at Bexford's sentimentality about the ships. They understand.

"Dvorak here, as Tannhauser mentioned. Me, I'm from here originally. I have not dealt with Starfinder before, but they promise adventure and needed some independent spacers. One of our test pilots did some work for them and reminisces fondly about those times.

But I guess we'll have to get our particulars from this Kreel fellow."

The android looks around and addresses the Tanuki: "What was your experience at your business? Or, what is your business?"

Feel free to reply here or on Discord, hehe.

[Tycho42]

“Good point. If we are all meeting the same person, we should all know one another. Name is Abelard Bexford. Bex, please.” He smiled at the others, looking around at them. Not...exactly what he’d been expecting but not displeasing. His gaze fell on the android named Tannhauser, as he raised and gestured with his datapad. “I wouldn’t say no to those files you pulled.”

Then, he looked to Dvorak. “As for you, tell me all about the station. Where does an old spacer get a drink and some stories. Especially stories about big, abandoned ships with rocks strapped to them. That’s a story mi want to know.”

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Slate flicks off the screen of the data-pad.

"You can call me Slate. I had a small repair shop not too long ago but some society members chased their quarry into my place. There was not much left standing after the dust settled." He says as he zones out of the present for a few moments lost in memory.

"Yeah a stiff drink sounds like a good idea."

[robnar]

Landing on Absalom Station

Regarding your inphosphere-enabled Culture Check, you learn all the information about the Starfinder Society on p. 479 of the core rulebook.

The team continues their introductions as the shuttle approaches Absalom station. The pilot announces that they're approaching docking bay 94 and will land in a couple minutes - a phrase that is meaningless to most of you, as you look out the port and see the enormous bulk of the station dotted with hundreds of docking bays, loading quays, and ship tender berths.

The shuttle spins on its approach and sidelines into the station, and as the side doors drop you see a large, functional commercial docking bay - yellow safety lines, neat stacks of cargo waiting for their next shipment, the yellowish-brown glare of sodium lights. The bay is buzzing with activity - dockworkers moving around, cargo being shifted, et cetera.


Bex Initiative: [roll0] Perception: [roll1]
Dvorak Initiative: [roll2] Perception: [roll3]
Niobe Initiative: [roll4] Perception: [roll5]
Slate Initiative: [roll6] Perception: [roll7]
Tannhauser Initiative: [roll8] Perception: [roll9]


Bex is lost looking at the sheer masses of wealth in the enormous docking bay, and wondering what the 93 other docking bays before it have to offer. The rest of the team spots Kreel - a tall, handsome Dwarf standing with a datapad prominently stating "NEW STARFINDERS" and watching them offload the shuttle. When he identifies them, he raises his hand and smiles.

Niobe, Slate, and Tannhauser also note something different, and more ominous. Two armed groups are taking up positions on either side of the docking bay. Before they can shout a warning, one of the people to the left - a lithe Lashunta woman, peeks behind a crate and starts firing towards the other group.

A flurry of laser fire crosses the docking bay. Kreel drops to the ground, while other bystanders start to run.

https://i.ibb.co/MszTT6n/M1-Enc1-T1.png
https://ibb.co/xDnvvHh

G indicates the goons. Goons on the left are wearing blue armbands, goons on the right seem to have no uniform at all though tend to red highlights on their clothes.

K is Kreel.

PCs are on the bottom in hard-to-see blue.
B is Bex,
T is Tannhauser,
S is Slate and C is Slate's Drone,
D is Dvorak
N is Niobe

If you move, please indicate specifically where you move to. I'll try and put in a grid reference on later maps, but don't have time right now.

Tannhauser, Slate, and Niobe can act in the surprise round. Various Goons act on Initiative 22 and Initiative 9. The goons that acted on initiative 22 have already gone.

Goon Group 1: 22
Slate: 21
Dvorak: 10
Niobe: 10
Goon Group 2: 9
Tannhauser: 7
Bex: 4

[Tycho42]

Bex is startled by the eruption of gunfire, not neccessarily the situation he thought he would find himself in. In effectively a stumbling dive towards some crates, his hand catches his own firearm, ready to assess the situation.


So, I figured I’d post Bex’s action because he can’t really do too much. When he’s able to act, I want to get my gun out (swift action due to quick release), move three squares to the west (unless it got occupied by an earlier combatant), and assess the situation - basically try to get a look at what this mess is all about and try to not make it worse. The two colours make Bex think this is a turf war, and he’d like to find out.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

"-- Down!" Her warning comes too late, but fortunately, Kreel drops down to the ground on his own. Or is he hit? In a fluid motion, Niobe draws the small pistol from her belt, and releases the safety catch. Without looking at the others, she just says lowly: "Cover me, I'll try and get him out of there!"


Surprise round: Only one action, so, drawing weapon.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned.

The android carefully took in the situation, six armed assailants, three to the north-east, two to the north-west, and one almost due west. It seemed the attackers were from opposing factions, the pahtra, Niobe, called for her fellow Starfinder applicants to cover her advance towards where Kreel had taken cover.

Tannhauser surged forward, there was a flicker in his vision as the reactor at his core flooded his systems with photonic energy. "Drop your weapon red-band, you don't want this fight." A hex-shaped field of blue white light surrounded his fists and forearms as he advanced to the north east. "Believe me."

Moving 20', four squares, diagonally to the North East, which should place me just below the '4' in the middle of the docking bay. Free action to enter Photon Attunement, and manifesting my solar weapon as part of my move action.

[robnar]

Docking bay 94


Goon group 2:
Top attack vs. middle left goon: [roll0] dmg [roll1] hits for rolled damage.
Middle attack vs. middle left goon: [roll2] dmg [roll3] hits for rolled damage.
Bottom attack vs. Tannhauser: [roll4] dmg [1] hits for rolled damage

You don't get to drop prone in the surprise round, because surprised.

Kreel has a massive laser burn through the side of his neck, exiting the other side. He is on the ground, unmoving. The wound is probably mortal.

The laser fire continues to crisscross the bay, as both sides fire wildly at each other. To the left, the Lashunta who took the first shot is drilled across the shoulder and hip by two laser shots, but keeps standing and firing. To the right, as Tannhauser moves into the crossfire and calls out one of the combatants, he startles, then turns his laser and shoots Tannhauser. The bolt glances off his ankle plate, but leaves a flash burn.

The situation is eerie. The docking bay roars with the thrum of the lasers' discharge capacitors and the cracks as they burn through cargo plates, glance off bulkheads, or scorch flesh. There are shouts of rage from the combatants, shouts of pain from the injured, and screams from bystanders.

https://i.ibb.co/rQzmPPx/M1-Enc1-T1a.png

Legend remains the same. Superscript notes indicate amount of damage taken. Slate and Drone now occupying the same space, marked SC.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

"Shtako!" she growls and darts forward to Kreel's side, dropping down next to him to see if he is still alive.

I counted an 80ft path from Niobe to the square next to Kreel (western side). She can just take two move actions, and drop in the end as a free action.

[Archemist]

Dvorak yells, "Hey, cut it out!"

They dash over towards Tannhauser, crouching beside the crate at the bottom of the "4" on the floor. Tannhauser looks ok so Dvorak turns their attention over to the one that shot at the fellow android. "Drop it!" They wag their finger at the goon.

As if by magic, the goon's gun begins to get a bit oily.

Move to the square diagonally up and right from Tannhauser. Casting Grease (https://www.aonsrd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Grease&Family=None) on the weapon of the closest (bottom right) goon (who otherwise might continue to have an angle on their position). Reflex save DC14 to try to stay holding onto the gun, otherwise they're disarmed for the moment.

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

First day on the job and already shooting up somebody's workplace.

"Copy that Niobe"

Move action: master control of drone.
Standard action: draw handgun.

Drone move action: forward 30 ft next to Tannhauser.
Drone standard action: Provide covering fire for Niobe.
[roll0] 90 ft range increment.

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94


Goon Group 1:
Top vs. Middle group 2: [roll0] damage: [roll1]
Middle vs. Middle group 2: [roll2] damage: [roll3]
Bottom vs. Middle group 2: [roll4] damage: [roll5]

Reflex roll for greased goon: 10​

Edit as appropriate for resolution of actions
Top vs. Middle group 2: [roll6] damage: [roll7]
Middle vs. Middle group 2: [roll8] damage: [roll9]
Bottom vs. Tannhauser: [roll10] damage: [roll11] Draws weapon and charges. Crit fail, trips on the forklift tines. Considered off-kliter.

Niobe darts nimbly through the hail of gunfire, staying low as she bounds across the docking bay and slides next to the downed dwarf. You're not a doctor, but the wound looks mortal. His neck is blasted clean through from the side. Laser burns are clean - the skin around it is cauterized, and there's minimal bleeding. But his windpipe is open and his spine exposed through the hole.

Dvorak. You move next to Tannhauser as you collect energy from the air and shape it into a greasy protoplasm. It works like a charm - the thug whips his pistol towards you and it flies out of his hand, banging off a crate nearby. The thug - a surly looking Kasatha - pulls out a club from his belt and roars into a charge - only to bark his shin painfully on the forklift tines. He stumbles over them, halfway to you and Tannhauser.

Slate. You start firing at the assailants - hasty shots, vaguely aimed. You're not confident in the results - the drone seems to be firing high and unsteadily as it walks along.

Goons: The goons continue to trade shots. Laser blasts sizzle across the docking bay. The gangsters in the middle have it worst, since most of the room has a clear field of fire on their positions. The Lashunta woman takes two more hits but keeps standing, while her counterpart across the bay takes two glancing blows.

https://i.ibb.co/tQ3k5rz/M1-Enc1-T2.png

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 7 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned (Rnd 2).

Seeing an opening as the Kasathan attempted the very manuever he, himself was going to try, the android surged forward "Photon ... DRIVE!" However at the moment before impact, he vented the energy out of the heat sinks in his forearm and bicep, causing the matrix to become unstable and aimed for his four limbed target's solar plexus, hoping to drive the wind out of him and put him on the deckplate.

Move Action: 15' directly east, adjacent to off-kilter gang member. Std Action: Non-lethal attack w/Solar Weapon @ +0 (+1 BaB; +3 Str; -4 NL Penalty); [roll0] vs KAC; if successful 1d6+7 [+3 Str; +2 Cha; +1 Crystal; +1 Photon Attunement]; [roll1].

[Tycho42]

((There are some revised actions I wanted to take. Sorry, I was flat-footed as a player this round))

Bex curses under his breath, a colourful mixture of swears as he shifts angles to run back over to help the android. He slides into position behind a barrel to the south of the android, firing a shot at the Kasatha menacing him before ducking back down.


Move 30’ behind the barrel directly south of Tannhauser, firing at the Kasatha that is coming at him.

[roll0] to hit with pistol, [roll1] piercing damage if it is a hit.

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94


Goon group 1 - top vs. 2 middle: [roll0] dmg: [roll1]
Goon group 1: middle: drops down behind cover, you can't tell what she's doing.
Goon group 1 - top vs. 2 middle: [roll2] dmg: [roll3] Moves up to next line of cover and shoots.


Tannhauser moves up and slams his energy-wrapped fist into the chest of the off-balance Kasathan, staggering him back and visibly knocking the wind out of him. Bex moves up behind cover and fires at the Kasathan, but the shot misses as the thug staggers back.

The other goons in blue move up, while the injured Lashunta drops down behind cover. As the middle red goon turns to fire on Slate both blue goons dial him in. He takes a shot through the hip and another through the head, and the burning laser fire ignites his hair and shirt. The flaming body drops.https://i.ibb.co/wyHhrbr/M1-Enc1-T3a.png

[Niobaran]

Niobe

Seeing Kreel hurt badly, if not dead, she does not hesitate. Now our never... she grabs the med patch from her jacket's pocket kept there for emergencies, and patches it on Kreel's neck trying to cover as much of the visible wounds as possible.

Move action, draw med patch, standard action, administer first aid. [roll0] (12 total = 2 skill + 10 med patch)

[Archemist]

Dvorak has not shown much emotion through this but does look to be cowering a bit as Tannhauser and the goon slug it out in front of them. They finally get up to peer over the boxes and cast a spell with another wave of their hands, over in the direction of the further goon. It only takes a few seconds but it feels like forever amidst the laser fire.

Staying in as much cover as possible and using a Full-round action to cast Summon Creature (https://www.aonsrd.com/SpellDisplay.aspx?ItemName=Summon%20Creature&Family=None), to get a little robot to pop into existence behind the top-right goon. We'll say the little square with the grating in the upper-right corner. The casting time is 1 round so it'll pop up next turn and help flank. The robot has a short-ranged sonic gun at +5 to hit and 1d4 damage.

If Dvorak gets hit before next turn I'll have to concentrate to keep the casting going.

Everything else I had are mostly Close range abilities and folks are still quite spread out. (And the cryo pistol range is even shorter than Close, haha.)

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Slate gets down close to the drone and directs it to move up to Kreel and Niobe and try to give them some cover.

"Niobe, how does he look?"

Slate
HP: 8/8
SP: 7/7
RP: 4/4
EAC: 14 (18 w/ total defense)
KAC: 15 (19 w/ total defense)

Move action: master control of drone.
Standard action: total defense.

Drone
HP: 10/10
EAC: 11
KAC: 14
DR: 1/-

Move: Double move next to Niobe to try to provide some soft cover.
Standard: N/A

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

Top goon vs. Tannhauser [roll0] dmg: [roll1] - move action to move, standard action to attack. hits, 2 dmg.

Bottom goon vs. Tannhauser: [roll2] dmg: [roll3] move action to right himself, standard action to attack. Misses.

Slate's drone strides next to Niobe while the Pathran slaps a medpatch over the injured starfinder's throat. She has no idea if it will work - he remains unresponsive. In the meantime, Dvorak starts to assemble a simple ovoid magical robot behind one of the attacking goons.

The red-banded goons are in a dire spot. The topmost goon, a female human, runs to check on her friend who went down. She screams and shoots at Tannhauser as she sees him preparing to strike down her friend, and the shot scorches across his armor. The bottom goon rights himself, but swings his club clumsily and misses.

https://i.ibb.co/5stNXNj/M1-Enc1-T3b.png

[Tycho42]

Bex takes a breath and brings up his pistol, taking another shot at the goon that is threatening Tannhauser. He has no idea who these guys are, but maybe once one side is cleared out the others will scatter. Worth a shot. Bad day and bad luck for those with the red bands.


One shot with a pistol: [roll0] for [roll1] piercing damage if it hits

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned (Rnd 3).

The woman appeared in the android's peripheral, squeezing off a shot from his pistol as she ducked back behind cover, placing herself closer to both Tannhauser and Bexford. The blast scorched a furrow in his armor as he twisted, taking it on the shoulder, he then turned his attention to the shaken man before him, "Told you you didn't want this fight red, shoulda have dropped your weapon and stayed down."

He advanced menacingly, staying low, lacing his fingers together he formed a double fist and suddenly standing to his full height, his fists rising in a vicious arc aiming towards his assailant's chin. "Double Photon Strike!" Tannhauser prepared to sprint towards the forklift, slipping between it's tines to advance on the red band's female companion, should his attack stagger his current opponent.

Standard action to attack, [roll0] vs KAC, if that hits, Tannhauser will move to the east end of the crates, slipping between the crates & the forklift. You had mentioned it would require an Athletics check to do so, [roll1]. However, if I miss, or don't KO said thug, I won't disengage. Ha! I forgot to include damage but that 11 looks like a miss! So no movement.

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

Goon group 1 top provides covering fire for goon group 1 middle retreating. [roll0]
Goon group 1 middle retreats.
Goon group 1 bottom moves across the battlefield.

Tannhauser's "Double Photon Strike!" misses, taking at least two of his 'cool points' with it... but Bex's shot does not. As the Kastatha ducks back, just out of the android's reach, Bex shoots him in the sternum - a clean, square hit that exits in a spray of blood against the crates behind. The Kasathan topples over backward.

Meanwhile, the 'blue goons' seem to think their mission is accomplished. The goon against the far end of the corridor starts laying fire as fast as she can across the docking bay while the other two start to retreat. The heavily injured Lashunta runs down a side corridor, while the other - a lanky human male who looks like a low-grav diasporan - lopes quickly back to cover near their exit.
https://i.ibb.co/Q7gT016/M1-Enc1-T4a.png

[Archemist]

The summoned robot shows up in a quiet flash of red light and takes a potshot at the remaining red-band goon. It's a tiny little thing, almost like a toy tank, but somehow its gun is way louder than it was just popping into existence.

Dvorak calls out, "They're leaving - you're surrounded - stop shooting!" It's not the strongest of voices, but they really don't want to kill any more, not after Bex's rather final shot on the closer goon. Dvorak does draw their pistol, hoping nobody notices that it probably doesn't have the range to hit any of the goons.

[roll0] for the summoned robot on the red-band goon it flanks, for [roll1] Sonic damage. Otherwise, delaying, to see how red-band goon-lady is going to react. Dvorak's not good with people, but with all the violence maybe she'll be persuaded.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

Niobe is not answering to the question at first.
While she is still leaning over Kreel's body, her grip around her gun tightens, as she glances around. The remaining red goon stood her range, and she would have a clear shot. Dvorak's voice cuts through the pew pew of the laser guns, and encourages the goon to stop and just surrender. Niobe does not want to defy his words but a trapped animal might bite. And if the goon shot at Tannhauser? No lethal force and from behind, ... if she would succeed, surrender was guaranteed, and if not, the goon might just notice it as a shrapnel from another attack. Yes, it was was worth the risk for her.

"Hurt... BADLY!"

Trick Attack for non-lethal damage.
[roll0] vs. DC 20+(goon's challenge rating). If she succeeds, goon is flat-footed and the attack does 1d4 extra damage. Regardless, here's the attack:
[roll1] (includes -4 for non-lethal).
[roll2] piercing damage plus potentially [roll3].

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Slate climbs off his drone.

"Let's get 'em to a med station."

Big place like this there is bound to be a med station of hospital around here somewhere he thinks.

Slate
HP: 8/8
SP: 7/7
RP: 4/4
EAC: 14
KAC: 15

Move action: Climb off drone and use it for partial cover.
Standard action: Help load Kreel onto the drone's back.
Free action: Instruct drone to take total defense.

Drone
HP: 10/10
EAC: 11 (15 w/ total defense)
KAC: 14 (18 w/ total defense)
DR: 1/-

Move: N/A
Standard: total defense

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

Dvorak calls out for the goon to surrender, while Niobe furtively shoots her needler at the goon while faking continuing to work on the dwarf.

The red-bandanna thug, surrounded, next to a dead teammate, and cut off, hunkers down behind the crates to get some cover from Niobe and screams "Stop shooting! I'm putting my gun down!" Niobe notices her gun clatter into the hallway.

In the meantime, Slate notices that the downed dwarf is far more than he can lift. On the other flank, the blue-uniformed goons slip out the side entrance they entered through.

Well done all! First encounter down. 130 xp each (+10 award for limited coordination).

List any actions you're going to take in the immediate aftermath (i.e., next round). Initiative order doesn't matter, since the fight is over, but limited by actions.

[Tycho42]

Bex moves to secure the sidearms that the thugs were shooting. The last thing anyone needed was for those to go missing from the chaotic scene. He’d also quickly check vitals if anyone was breathing to help the first wave of responses. Then, he was going to brace for the contact with the law that would inevitably come. He settled himself down into a version of the story that was pretty much the truth;
He’d come on board, seen the guy he was supposed to talk to get gunned down, and fallen into sef-defense mode.

[Archemist]

The red-bandanna thug, surrounded, next to a dead teammate, and cut off, hunkers down behind the crates to get some cover from Niobe and screams "Stop shooting! I'm putting my gun down!" Niobe notices her gun clatter into the hallway.

Well done all! First encounter down. 130 xp each (+10 award for limited coordination).

List any actions you're going to take in the immediate aftermath (i.e., next round). Initiative order doesn't matter, since the fight is over, but limited by actions.

Dvorak pulls out their personal comm and radios in the emergency. "Gunfire in Hangar 94 - three people down!" They move to standing if/when Blue Team is done with their cover fire.

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

After unsuccessfully trying to move the dwarf Slate tries to log onto the infosphere using his custom rig to locate the nearest medical facility.

[roll0] Computers

Slate
HP: 8/8
SP: 7/7
RP: 4/4
EAC: 14
KAC: 15

Move action: -
Standard action: -
Free action: -

Drone
HP: 10/10
EAC: 11
KAC: 14
DR: 1/-

Move: -
Standard: -

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned (Rnd 3).

Tannhauser reached down to check for idetification or a comm unit on his red-banded assailant, then lifting him gently and bringing the Kasathan thug towards where the woman had tossed her sidearm. He laid out the unconscious form, and looked to the other gang member. "Absalom Security is on it's way. Why don't you tell us why you decided to engage your rivals in the middle of a docking bay during peak traffic." Energy flickered across the android's combat chassis, "It will be easier on you if you comply."


OOC: Tannhauser will attempt to use Intimidate on the surrendered gang member to Bully them into being more compliant. [roll0], not sure if there is a penalty for the lack of Cool points, lol! Let's see what this does!

[Niobaran]

Niobe

Niobe gets up from the ground and rushes towards the double sliding door a few steps away from her, trying to open it, to shout for help.

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

As Niobe runs toward the door it slides open, revealing six station security guards in pale blue armored jumpsuits with pulsecaster rifles at the high ready. They burst in, shouting loudly "WEAPONS DOWN! ON THE FLOOR!"

I don't like to assume player character actions, but the appropriate action in this case is pretty clear. Unless any of you report otherwise here or in the discord by tomorrow afternoon HST I'll assume you drop your weapons and comply with orders.

Note number 2: IC, you know that police in this setting would start shooting WAY earlier than they should in real life. This setting has reliable nonlethal weapons - a reasonable cop would shoot immediately on any hint of trouble and sort it out after you wake up. (BTW, for an interesting side note on this topic, the ambush scene in the book A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold talks a bit about how that would work in a sci-fi setting with reliable stunners).

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned (Rnd 3).

Having not drawn a weapon, the android allowed the field surrounding his fist to dissipate into harmless photonic energy. The mote settling into it's housing with a soft click and a whirr. He laid on the deck plate and interlaced his fingers behind his head surveying the situation and security's response.

As Tannhauser complied with Absalom Security he inspected the woman in front of him. He'd spent almost a year in the Nul-Grav Combat Circuit on Akiton, and he'd had to deal with a number of different gangs, tribes, and worse. Tattoos, insignias, or sometimes even the color of an accessory denoting association with a specific gang or collection of criminals.


OOC: Perception check to look for identifying markings on either the woman or the prone form of the Kasathan I brought over earlier. [roll0].

[Niobaran]

Niobe stops dead in her tracks and drops prone, letting lose of her pistol and getting her hands behind her head.

[Archemist]

Dvorak dismisses the Grease spell and the summoned robot disappears after a few seconds anyhow. They comply with the police instructions, in absence of any reason not to.

[Tycho42]

Bex sighs and starts getting down, pushing his weapon a little distance away. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again. Though, from the ground, he does speak.

“Gotta sort it out, we understand. But self defense isn’t a crime here, right?”

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Slate places his gun on the ground as he lays down.

"This dwarf needs immediate medical help."

Slate
HP: 8/8
SP: 7/7
RP: 4/4
EAC: 14
KAC: 15

Drone
HP: 10/10
EAC: 11
KAC: 14
DR: 1/-

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

The gangsters have a noticable, non-accidental red theme to their clothes. The Kasathan had large, crude, dark blue tatoos of crowns over all four of his hands.
Station security checks through and clears the area quickly. Once that's done, the basic cops tell you that you can stand back up, and ask you to wait around for the lead investigator. They make it clear you're not under arrest, and ask if they can ask you any questions about what's occurred. They are not so subtle with the gangster standing - one of the cops tackles her, while the others forcibly cuff her and drag her back down the hall.

For those who agree, the beat cops move you away from the others and ask routine identifying questions - name, identification number, what you were doing here, and a statement of what you saw.

Almost immediately after the street cops arrive, a medical crew arrives with a hover-gurney and loads Kreel onto it. Two more paramedics come by and ask if any of you need medical attention.

After about fifteen minutes, a more senior policeman in a cheap suit arrives and starts to talk to the group of you. "Hello, I'm detective Rogers and I'll be working this case. For your information, the entire altercation was captured on the station security cameras" ... he points toward the hubwards two corners of the docking bay, where you notice discreet security cameras. "I've come to the conclusion from the video and other witness testimony that you were bystanders to this tussle between the Kings and the 21s. Is there anything else I need to know, and anything else you want to know of me?"

[Tycho42]

“Two, zakomeng: what’s the bad blood between the two gangs? Seems we should know if we see them again. We did put a few holes in some and that won’t make friends. Second, who shot our man Kreel? You have cameras; which side popped him?”

The tall man scooped up his gun and slipped it back into its holster against his side. He seemed at ease talking to the police now, especially as they weren’t suspects.

[Archemist]

"It's nice to be back on the Station where you guys handle this sort of thing - back on Akiton there wouldn't have been any help coming. We should be seeing about the hurt fellow who was here to meet us, though."

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Photon attuned (Rnd 3).

"Rogers." Tannhauser stood up, nodding towards the Detective, "My companions and I were aboard the Okimoro, our intention to attend a meeting with an agent of the Starfinders," he pointed towards where the paramedics were working on the dwarven Starfinder. "Our contact, Durovar Kreel, went down in the crossfire. Some of my fellow applicant's rushed towards Kreel to render medical aid, while the rest of us engaged the shooters."

He paused, considering, "As for questions, I have two. First, what is Kreel's condition? Second, may we obtain an ident-chip, in the event that we recall further information upon reflection upon the incident?"

[robnar]

Detective Rogers takes the questions in stride, answering each of you in turn.


“Two, zakomeng: what’s the bad blood between the two gangs? Seems we should know if we see them again. We did put a few holes in some and that won’t make friends. Second, who shot our man Kreel? You have cameras; which side popped him?”

"Not sure what they were fighting over this time. Level 21 and the Downside Kings have different turfs, don't know what brought them together here. Not sad to see a couple of the Kings get popped, they're a nasty crew and we don't have the officers to keep a lid on the Downside. They probably will hold a grudge - they like to target anyone who messes with them to make an example. Can't tell you much about the video - once the shooting started we couldn't figure out the play-by-play."

In the interaction you notice that there's an opportunity to get some help. On the assumption that you would take it: Diplomacy: [roll0][roll1]+7: woiting

Rogers pauses for a second. "Don't really need much evidence to convict dead guys. All I'm gonna say is that I'm gonna turn my back for a few minutes. Might want some more self defense if they come for you." He shrugs, leaving you with the strong impression that he's not going to make noise if the pistols near the two bodies walk away.


"It's nice to be back on the Station where you guys handle this sort of thing - back on Akiton there wouldn't have been any help coming. We should be seeing about the hurt fellow who was here to meet us, though."

"Don't know anything about Akiton. Here we're pretty fast, except for a few bad spots. The downside kings operate out of Pipetown and the downlow, and we can't really get after them there." He pauses, and shouts for one of the medics - "HEY, JIMMY! How's the vic?"


"As for questions, I have two. First, what is Kreel's condition? Second, may we obtain an ident-chip, in the event that we recall further information upon reflection upon the incident?"

"Yeah, here's my contact information." He punches a couple buttons and transmits a calling icon to you through the infosphere, copying anyone else logged in.

While he fidgets with his commlink, one of the medics, a lanky and pale Vesk moves up. The tells detective rogers: "He's dead. Blast burnt the spinal cord. Unlucky shot - don't think any of these jokers -" gesturing to the corpses "coulda managed that deliberately." He turns to the group of you: "You guys did good. The medpatch preserved the central spinal column well enough that there's enough of a body to resurrect if the Starfinders spring for it."

Feel free to ask any more questions. If you're good to go let me know in the discord or the OOC panel. Sorry for the delay, rhythm's kicking up a bit at work. I may be down to a post-a-day or a post-every-other-day until things slow down.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: None.

Tannhauser nodded towards the Detective, "Rogers, if we could get the location where Kreel's body will be stored?" He paused, "We still need to contact the Starfinder Society, inform them of the incident, and arrange for the notification of his next of kin."

[Niobaran]

Niobe

She stayed silent for most of the interrogation, but willingly provided answers when asked something. Kreel was dead, and she wondered whether it was her fault. Maybe if she would have been faster? The fact that her courage might have increased his chances to be resurrected was only a small consolation. She was both angry and aghast over the events that had occurred. All she heard seemed to come through a veil. Without thinking too much, she took the invitation of the officer to snatch some of the equipment that had been left behind. As she picked up the laser pistol, she wondered if that would have been the weapon that had cut through Kreel's throat. While she had known him, his death felt wrong -- both so avoidable and yet inevitable. Tannhauer was right, she thought, they should contact the Starfinders and let them know what had happened here...

[robnar]

Docking Bay 94

Detective Rogers responds to Tannhauser's questions matter-of-factly. "He'll be taken to the station morgue for autopsy. He's a victim in a criminal case. We will notify the Starfinders and inform next of kin, though they normally notify as well. Unless you know the victim personally you getting involved will just complicate the official process."

Total:
2x azimuth laser pistols with 2x batteries, mostly discharged.
2x clubs
2x credsticks with 150 credits each.

After you get through with your actions, a quick check of the inphosphere reveals directions to the Starfinder headquarters at the Lorespire complex. Dvorak's able to quickly interpret the instructions on how to get there.

About fifteen minutes later, you drop off the ring-route tube station at the Lorespire complex - a clean an orderly campus of buildings built into a huge, beautiful garden in a transparent section of the ring. The greens of the grounds contrast highly with the bright colors of the starfield outside and the busy lights of the Armada, all set against the black backdrop of space.

In the clean anteroom of the Lorespire complex, an androgynous android in a Starfinder jumpsuit greets you, and asks your business.

[Archemist]

In the clean anteroom of the Lorespire complex, an androgynous android in a Starfinder jumpsuit greets you, and asks your business.

Dvorak's demeanor shifts almost imperceptibly towards sad. Or worried, maybe? Apologetic.

Dvorak lays a bloody datapad on the desk. It flickers but still reads "NEW STARFINDERS" in a clear, cheery font.

"Unfortunately, we bear bad news. Your agent Kreel was shot and killed in the crossfire of a gang-fight in Bay 94, before our very eyes. We were to meet him, as new recruits. Security has taken his body to the morgue for examination, where you or his kin can retrieve it."

Dvorak pauses. "For our part," gesturing to include the group, "we would like to know how we may still be of service, either in regards to Kreel's demise or what he was to have us do as part of the Starfinder Society. You have probably already called up information on us and the incident via the 'net while I've been talking, but for reference, my name is Dvorak Drive." They point to the word on their flight suit as an afterthought, with a shrug.

[robnar]

Lorespire Complex, reception room.

The receptionist blinks at the bloody datapad, and then frowns at the flood of information. "Very good. Please sit down and I will inform the leadership."

[roll0]

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 4 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: None.

Tannhauser took a seat as directed by the receptionist, looking nervously to his companions, he whispered, "I hope they do not make the assumption that we attacked Kreel to obtain his datapad." As he waited, Tannhauser's perception shifted to his internal comm, which he used to connect to Absalom's infosphere. Once connected he began to access news streams and data files looking for references about either the 21's, or the Kings, to see if he could find any information on the two rival gangs.


OOC: I think you can use Computer's for Recall Knowledge if you have access to the Infosphere, I am only rocking a +4 total, now, I would prefer to take a 20 if I can. However, if we don't have time for that in the lobby of the Lorespire Complex, I will suffice with a quick roll ... [roll0]. Let's see that how that works out for us!

[robnar]

Lorespire Complex

After a few moments, a large and stern looking Vesk in a starfinder uniform greets you in the reception room. "Please come with me."

He escorts you deep into the central spire, up three floors on an elevator, to what's obviously one of the library levels. The floor is a central large library room ringed by offices. He takes you to one of the offices - Dr. Chissisk, a host Shirren. They stand up and greet you cordially, and invite you into a large, cluttered office that reminds you of a busy professor. Stacks of papers are strewn across the desk, and artifacts from across the galaxy clutter the shelves.

Chissisk offers you a seat, tea, and protein wafers, then moves back to their desk. Upon sitting, you hear their voice softly in your heads - "“I am sorry that I cannot welcome you to Absalom Station under better circumstances. I assure you that such attacks are not a daily occurrence, though I realize that is likely small comfort to you. I am pleased that none of you were seriously hurt, but I grieve for Duravor’s death. He was a valued member of the Society, and a friend. May the Lady of Graves be kind in her judgment of his soul.”

"I'm puzzled by the reason behind the attack. There's no reason for a gang shootout in that area of the station. I want to know whether it was coincidental that you and Kreel were there at the same time, or if something else is going on."

"My understanding is that you are interested in becoming Starfinders, and since you were witnesses to the attack, I would like to ask you to investigate the incident on behalf of the Society. Find out exactly what happened and why. It may simply be a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time—I have no doubt station security will rule it so—but if Duravor was murdered, I would like to find justice for my friend. At the same time, this will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your own skills and abilities and show the Society that you are worthy of the title ‘Starfinder.’ Good luck."

With infosphere access, you can take 20 on a check to recall information, but it is still a Culture or Profession check, not a computers check. Here's what you learn with a quick check.

The Downside Kings are a brutal street gang that controls several decks of Absalom Station’s lower levels, or “Downside,” through a combination of intimidation and violence. They are known to engage in a wide variety of illegal activities, from extortion, fraud, robbery, smuggling, and theft, to drug and arms trafficking, kidnapping, murder-forhire, and trafficking in sentient species.

The Level 21 Crew are a street gang that claims (unsurprisingly) Level 21 of Absalom Station’s seedy lower decks as its territory. Their known criminal endeavors include theft, fencing stolen goods, gambling, prostitution, racketeering, and smuggling.

With gangs, the infosphere is not likely to have too much more information. Detailed information to the level you desire will probably only be available from the police or the residents of the respective gangs' territories.

[Tycho42]

Bex circles around the office, looking around and generally behaving as if he owned the place. He was however listening, and listening carefully. When the shirren was done speaking, he waited a beat before speaking.

“Sure, he was a friend. As I hear it, one of us did some fine work in patching up the holes so a good resurrector should be able to bring him back if you want. You have them to thank for that.” Bex nods to Niobe.

“As for the matter of finding out who is responsible, sure thing bossmang. Though I didn’t come here to the station with a horde of zeroes hanging around in my account, and this sort of information requires money in my experience. Give me and the crew a little spending money, and point us to the Level 21’s favourite hangout and we’ll do the rest.”

Bex smiled a winning smile, gesturing at the end to the others in what he was now considering their group.


So, I think Diplomacy is indeed in order, and I have the Envoy skill expertise there.

[roll0] + 7 for the roll
[roll1] for the expertise

And the intent is, to not put too fine a point on it, to get Chissik to give us a lot of money :)

[robnar]

Lorespire complex

Chissisk nods in the negative. You're not Starfinders yet, and I don't want to tie up our resources on station business. This is to satisfy my need for information on whether or not there's a threat on the station. Use your ingenuity.

I can offer you two things. First, there's a small hostel called the Moons of Sleep that often caters to us nearby. I can waive their fee for efficiency rooms. Second, you did good work treating Kreel. I've written an order for them to issue each of you a basic emergency kit. That should replace your lost medpatch.


The basic Starfinder medical kit is a small pouch that can attach to a belt or web gear on armor, marked with the ubiquitous red cross logo of medical equipment that predates the gap. It contains both a basic medical kit and a medpatch.

@Bex - yeah, that roll kinda stunk, but your request is reasonable so you get something.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

"That sounds very reasonable, thank you for the opportunity of proving ourselves to the Starfinder Society and the medical supplies. Next time I make use of those, it shall save a life." She slightly bows her head. "Even if it will not give sense to his death, I for one want to find out whether it was an accident or murder. As we are to investigate this, we must look for a motive first. And I would like to start with that in this very room, if I may? I merely have two questions: Who in the Society knew Kreel best? And, could you tell us anything about the mission he was about to assign us to, as it might be well related to the shooting?"

[robnar]

Lorespire Complex


Who in the Society knew Kreel best? And, could you tell us anything about the mission he was about to assign us to, as it might be well related to the shooting?"

I probably knew Kreel best. He was an assistant in my office of research on astrogeology and helped me with administration of my tasks as a council member. His mission at the time was simply to receive you and evaluate your candidacy.

As for Kreel, I'm not sure why someone would kill him. He's a Diasporan who has deep ties to the asteroid mining community. He was very opinionated about the Drift Rock in orbit now - he was personally invested in one of the claimants to the rock, the Hardscrabble Collective. It was... tedious... to get him into conversation about the Drift Rock and the Acreon. Astral Extractions represents everything he thinks is evil in society. He volunteered at a dwarf community organization in the Armada once a week, and he was passable at Go. If someone did decide to have him murdered, I assume it was over some grudge related to the Starfinders in general. That is what I'm worried about. His political activity with respect to miners and the Drift Rock doesn't seem worth murder to me.

[Tycho42]

Bex’s eyes flick in response when he hears Kreel was a Diasporan rock hopper. He mentally takes notes of the two organizations - he’d have to suggest they take a trip to those two.

“You’d be surprised; the rocks have money enough to move anyone. What did he think was to be found on the rock outside? And why is the big corp - they sound like a corp? - so evil, according to him?”

[robnar]

Bex’s eyes flick in response when he hears Kreel was a Diasporan rock hopper. He mentally takes notes of the two organizations - he’d have to suggest they take a trip to those two.

“You’d be surprised; the rocks have money enough to move anyone. What did he think was to be found on the rock outside? And why is the big corp - they sound like a corp? - so evil, according to him?”

Reading Shirren facial expressions, for the non-Shirren, is... nicely put, a royal pain in the butt.

Not sure he had any more clue about the rock than any of the rest of us. I think he was involved on principle - Astral Extractions is trying to use a technicality of the Acreon's contract to claim the Rock; The Acreon is a Hardscrabble ship and they're claiming it as just salvage. I'm not sure the exact history or matters at issue, but Astral Extractions hired the Acreon for its last voyage.

As far as Astral Extractions, Kreel would go off about the same things every neo-revolutionary claims about corporations. Predatory lending, using proxies to get out of contracts, hiring thugs to intimidate strikers or litigants. The usual complaints. I can't independently assess the merits of those claims, corporate law is not my specialty. Kreel was fascinated by it, and I respect his honesty and integrity.

He delivers the latter pitch with the air of a professor who has little time or interest for anything that isn't a rock formation found in space. But you can tell he's willing to believe Kreel based on the man's personal characteristics.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

As the others talked to Chissisk, Tannhauser's eyes fluttered, clicking oddly to the left twice as his internal comm-unit connected to Absalom's infosphere. He then searched for a variety of disertations on gang culture and affiliations, criminal psychology and proven interview and interogattion techniques. He began to assimilate the information into his core programming, even as his internal nanobots began to repair the non-critical damage he had sustained at the docking bay.

Even with his attention turned towards the Infosphere, his audio perceptions picked up the mention of Astral Extractions and his memory banks flipped back to the Belegost. A corporate hit team moving through the dwarven clan ship, moving with military precision, neutralizing the security teams as they progressed deeper into the vessel until they came upon Tannhauser and the mechanic who activated his power unit, Zinoviya Yudin. As his download completed, he surpressed the memory, returning to the Starfinder's administrative office.

"Chissisk, sir. May I request access to Kreel's personnel file, during the course of our investigations it is probable that we will need to search the victim's residence to find any possible link between himself and the incident which took his life. We will, of course, catalogue any evidence we find and share it both with Ab-Sec and the Starfinder organization."


OOC: During the conversation, Tannhauser will take a short rest and spend a Resolve, healing all his Stamina damage. With my Infosphere Integration I will shift my Skill Focus from Perception to Intimidation. I will also type my current Skill Focus under my Conditions so everyone can see where it is currently set.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

"Maybe he struck a nerve with that... Do you know whether he ever spoke with someone else on the topic? Did he have a favorite bar he visited regularly?" She thinks aloud. "Is his data pad still working and accessible?"

[robnar]

"Chissisk, sir. May I request access to Kreel's personnel file, during the course of our investigations it is probable that we will need to search the victim's residence to find any possible link between himself and the incident which took his life. We will, of course, catalogue any evidence we find and share it both with Ab-Sec and the Starfinder organization."

Hmm... I'll send a request to personnel and his family and see what they say. The Starfinders are a voluntary organization, I cannot grant you access to his property. Any request will have to wait until next of kin have been notified and the executor of his estate grants permission. This will take a while.


"Maybe he struck a nerve with that... Do you know whether he ever spoke with someone else on the topic? Did he have a favorite bar he visited regularly?" She thinks aloud. "Is his data pad still working and accessible?"

He hung out with Hardscrabble often. They might know something. I can grant you access to his office terminal and official computers, but I cannot grant you access to his personal effects.

[Archemist]

He hung out with Hardscrabble often. They might know something. I can grant you access to his office terminal and official computers, but I cannot grant you access to his personal effects.

"Security did say he might be able to be resurrected, too, if your organization has an insurance plan for that or something. So he may yet want his stuff. But let us know if you find anything interesting. Thank you for the information; we'll do our best."

When medkits are handed out, Dvorak follows the others in strapping it to his lower back.

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

First day on the job, technically not even inducted into the organization, and there is already a trail of bodies. With thousand-yard stare Slate follows the others barely acknowledging the conversation as memories flood over him and he gives serious consideration to crawling into a bottle for a little while.

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Tannhauser nodded at Chissisk as his companions finished their inquiries, he stood up and walked out of the office. With a flick of his thoughts, he connected to Absalom's infosphere and queried the location of Moons of Sleep, then had the infosphere plot an efficient course from their current location in the Lorespire complex. His eyes returned back to focus on his physical surroundings, as they walked through the lobby he turned in the chit provided by Chissisk. He waited while the receptionist provided them with the basic medkit, which he secured in the industrial hardshell container he had attached to the hardpoints on the shoulders of his golemforged plating.

Using the station transit system, Tannhauser notes the location of the Moons of Sleep, walking into the lobby to secure temporary residence while they continue their investigations.

[robnar]

Lorespire complex to Moons of Sleep

Chisisk efficiently concludes your interivew, processes the order for the medkits, and transfers the data from Kreel's terminal to you. He concludes by saying I appreciate your willingness to approach this delicate assignment as your first mission as a Starfinder candidate. This is difficult work, but much of what you'll find will be both difficult and incredibly rewarding. May the Triune bless you on your journey.

The Moons of Sleep is a small, neat hostel with several coffin rooms - just enough space for a planet-dweller to get claustrophobic, a palatial estate for anyone who has spent lots of time on a small spacecraft.

Your course of action and approach is up to you at this point. In general, we can handwave data collection with a Culture check, that you can take 20 on.

For in person interactions - either on the turf of the Level 21 crew or Downside Kings or at the offices of Astral Extractions, Hardscrabble Collective, or other entities, with an Intimidation check or Diplomacy Check. You cannot take 10 or 20 on these.

In general, tell me what you're looking into, where you're going, and what you think you want to know, then roll the appropriate check. I'll post in the response if more is required. If you're looking for a more character specific scene (e.g., Slate drowning his sorrows), let me know in a PM.

[Tycho42]

Bex walked along with the others, musing out loud, though not loud enough to attract attention on the bustling station.

“Alright. Working theory, yeah? The corporation gets pissy that the little guys - Hardscrabble - try to take a bit of their pie. They’re like all of the big corps - steal whatever they can and cover their tracks. Our beratna Kreel, he’s a little too good for them. He plays the game. He knows the law, only thing corps still have to respect in public. They decide...cheaper to waste him. Hire a professional, mix up the gangs, say be here this day, this time...and boom. Professional takes Kreel, gangs cover it up, we are caught in the middle. Gangs too, for that matter. We get background on Kreel, check his data first. Then we go meet the Level 21s. With luck, we find out who got them to that docking pad.”

With that he stopped talking for a long while and started listening to the others and the sounds of a station. When they got to the Moons of Sleep and popped in to one of the rooms with a little disbelief at the size of it.

“Ohhh boy; bossmang pulled out all the stops for us. Place is a palace.”

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Identifying themselves to the clerk, Tannhauser was directed to a small efficiency unit, the space was adequate for his needs. Having lived on the Clanship Belegost with the dwarven mining clan, he was used to the cramped quarters of a working Diasporan mining vessel. Once settled in, Tannhauser opened the adjoining door so he could confer with his fellow Starfinder applicants.

He pulled a chair from his unit, to take a seat in Bex's living area, he hit a couple clasps and the magnetic lock holding his plating to his android hardpoints, released. The android listened as Bexford shared his conclusion, nodding his head slowly, "It does sound reasonable. That would leave us the unenviable task of tracking down this corporate assassin." His memory banks flickered back to the corporate extraction team that stalked the Belegast's hallways, eliminating Clan miners in an attempt to recover their property, Tannhauser himself. His eyes flicked back into focus, looking around the small room towards his companions.

While they compared notes, he opened a tool kit and began to repair the scoring on his armor with a micro-polymer fill. He used his integral comm to search through the Starfinder personnel logs they had been given by Chissisk. "I am currently scouring the personnel file on Kreel provided by the Starfinders, once we are ready I believe we should attempt to initiate contact with the 21's on their own turf. While we are making our way to their territory we can attempt to contact the Hardscrabble and attempt to arrange a meet with their representative."


OOC: I will take a 20 on an unskilled Culture check, with my massive +0, however, it says you can't get more info than a DC 10 unskilled. So I think we'll only get preliminary information. Someone can find us a location & contact info for the Hardscrabble and we can make a call as we travel to Level 21 into the gang's territory.

[Archemist]

Dvorak assists in checking through the data and seeing what's changed around the Station since they were last there. "Hmm. Let me know if you need any help looking up Hardscrabble in our Comms system, Bexford - finding the right comm address can be a bit arcane.

"If we're dealing with the 21s, I'll act as lookout, and come in separately so they don't necessarily know we're all on the same side... I'm not as stealthy as Niobe, but I may be able to palm my pistol and will be ready if your negotiations start a 3-axis tumble."

[Niobaran]

“Ohhh boy; bossmang pulled out all the stops for us. Place is a palace.”

"It is!" She confirms. "Kinda like in the 'grams." She adds indicating that she has never been in a hotel in her life.

"So, to get this clear. These Hardscrabble guys are the one owning the Acreon, and they had rent it out to Astral Extractions, right? Basically both parties claim this strange Drift Rock. Kreel was on the Hardscrabble side, maybe because of his conviction that the Astral Extractions people are an evil corp, or maybe because he knew something that we don't." She shrugs. "We should really get in contact with those Hardscrabble people, I think. If he supported them in their cause to get the rights to the Rock, they might be willing to support an investigation of his death." -- she confirms Tannhauser's point. "We might also try to find out what's so important about this rock they argue about." She thinks for a moment.

"Many questions, but what we need is actions! Alright, let's see what these gangers are up to. But in hindsight, I think it would be good to have a more detailed look at the deck where he was murdered. Maybe we find some traces of another attacker..."

[Izzarra]

Slate, Tanuki Mechanic

Glancing at his drone "I am about as subtle as a big mechanized combat machine, unless I am on my own."

[robnar]

Moons of Sleep

Tannhauser looks for a chair, but since it's a coffin motel he doesn't find much. The 'rooms' are 4' high by 4' high by 8' long small alcoves with a twin size bed and a little alcove for a computer and your bag. You can sit on the bed and converse with your neighbors in the alcoves across from and above you, which you do.

After the team converses, it learns some of the basics. You can only pull the most superficial information off of the infosphere and Kreel's tablet.

You don't learn much from his tablet that you didn't know already - Kreel was invested in the Hardscrabble collective. His emails reveal a few points of contact, but when you reach out to them you get a curt message: "Due to ongoing litigation and pending arbitration of our dispute with Astral Excavations we are not answering inquiries at this time." Hardscrabble's "offices" are all various mining ships in the Armada.

The inphosphere gives you basic information: Astral Extractions is a powerful mining conglomerate with business ties throughout the Pact Worlds. Most of the company’s operations are centered in the Diaspora and the rocky moons of the outer planets, but it has also begun sending scout vessels into the Vast in search of new claims. The company recently hired one of the Hardscrabble Collective’s ships, the Acreon, for one of these exploratory missions. The point of contact is a generic email box that doesn't respond to your inquiry. Their offices are in one of the central hub large office complexes.

The Downside Kings are a brutal street gang that controls several decks of Absalom Station’s lower levels, or “Downside,” through a combination of intimidation and violence. They are known to engage in a wide variety of illegal activities, from extortion, fraud, robbery, smuggling, and theft, to drug and arms trafficking, kidnapping, murder-forhire, and trafficking in sentient species. The Absalom Security message lists two decks on the downside as their main stomping ground.

The Level 21 Crew are a street gang that claims (unsurprisingly) Level 21 of Absalom Station’s seedy lower decks as its territory. Their known criminal endeavors include theft, fencing stolen goods, gambling, prostitution, racketeering, and smuggling.

At this point, the most relevant line of approach seems to be talking to either Absalom security or going to the various gang's turfs to gather information. You can't pull much directly off the infosphere aside from this.

If you want to talk to Absalom security, post your initial approach and roll diplomacy to talk to the investigating officer. If you want to go to the various gang's turfs, then tell me where you're going and roll either diplomacy or intimidate. If you've got other ideas, go ahead and let me know! Reaching out to hardscrabble will be difficult unless you rent a ship and try to to knock on one of their airlocks. You can reach out directly to Astral Excavations' main office.

[Tycho42]

Bex looks around at the rest of the group and then nods. “Gangers first then, eh? Try to follow my lead and if you go off script, try not to get killed.”

Bex takes the publicly marked paths to get to Level 21, walking in as though the place were his. Anyone he recognizes that seems to be from the Diaspora, he gestures in greeting to, engaging them in a little conversation to try to start the word coming that they are here. Once their presence is known, he starts making inquiries discreetly about where to meet with particularly the one guy he focused on earlier. He passes from one person to another, chatting as he tries to narrow down where that person is and where he can find them.


Please, let my rolls be better...
[roll0] +7 then an additional [roll1]

[robnar]

Absalom Station, Level 21

After a few discreet enquiries, a street kid simply states "you should just ask mama Fats. I don't know what you're talking about."

He gestures down the narrow, greasy corridor to a small atrium brightly lit with faux-sun lamps. There's a small planter, a couple tables with umbrellas to block the lamps, and a little corner grocery store with a large hand-painted sign saying "Mama Fats - Corner Grocery".

Behind the counter, a fat halfling woman with a guarded expression looks up to you and says "Wanna buy something?"

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 2 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Tannhauser walked forward as the halfling patron inquired as to what the group wished to purchase, "You tell me, Ms. Fats. My friends and I came to Absalom to meet a friend of ours. A Starfinder named Durovar Kreel. Thing is a firefight broke out before we could speak to him, some bastard put a burst of laser fire through his throat." He extended a thumb and indicated over his shoulder, "My pahtra friend there had to watch him bleed out, while we dealt with the shooters." He leaned forward, conspiratorily, "Thing is there were TWO groups of shooters, one with a series of crowns tattooed across their knuckles, then the other's who wore blue bandannas. A lashunta and a Diaspora-born human among the blues, who Absalom Security later identified as the 21's." He slammed his fist on the counter top, distraught. "Thing is, gorram Ab-Sec is doing rutting nothing to find the shooter! Figured we'd reach out to the 21's to see if we can find the guy who put a laz-blast through Kreel's brain-pan."

He stood up, "So how about it Fats, you set up a meet with the 21 boys?" He checked the menu posted on the wall above the counter, "And I'll take a Korrbad on proteinloaf sandwich with a side of jellied Slaur roe while we wait."

[robnar]

Mama Fat's Corner Grocery

"My normal guy for Korrbad's out of stock." She says, looking you straight in the eye, even though you can see some in the freezer bin to her right. "But if you wanna buy a couple vat-eel sandwiches maybe somebody can deliver that other thing you want. It'll be 20 credits though." She gestures to the hot rack to the

"I'm sorry you're so worked up about your friend. Sounds tragic."

20 credits is ridiculous markup for what she's selling. But the 3' tall little old lady is staring up at you with a steely gaze behind her pleasant smile, without even a flinch when you slap the table.

I like the made up fluff text. Helps flesh out the world. If you're actually posting something based on published flavor text give me a heads-up. I usually skip through a lot of the fluff when I learn a new system.

BTW, in my head a vat-eel sandwich is the Absalom station equivalent of a gas-station hot dog in the contemporary US.

[Tycho42]

Bex smiled and nodded. “20 credits. No problem, Mama. Mind if we stay here, have some conversation while we eat?”

He slipped his hand across the datapad and sent the money over. He actually made it 21cr, just for the sake of clear communication.

[robnar]

Mama Fat's

"Good to do business with you. Let me know where to deliver that other stuff you asked for."

[roll0]+[roll1]

You spend a few more hours looking for information, and learn a little bit about the Downside Kings. In addition to being one of the more brutal gangs on the station, their leader is a barbarous human woman named Ferani Nadaz, and they tend to operate out of a nightclub called the Fusion Queen in the downside.

When you finally return to the moons of sleep, the receptionist passes you a handwritten note in a grubby envelope, addressed to "the nosy out-stationers". It reads "Baxa wants to parlay. Come meet us at Fat's tomorrow at 0830. Don't come packing."

[robnar]

Moons of Sleep and Mama Fat's

The team moves back to their hostel and settles down for the night. In the morning, they store their weapons and proceed down to Level 21 again.

Level 21 isn't particularly busy at this time of day - you get the impression that most of the gainfully-employed have left for work, and the unemployed and destructively-employed haven't woken up yet. But Mama is sitting behind the counter, and she gestures you back through the service entrance.

In the back you see three thugs - a huge, muscular human male; the lean and wiry diasporan; and a grizzeld Ysoki with a cybernetic eye and a huge revolver on his hip. The two humans are sitting at a small card table, and the Ysoki is sitting on a stack of merchandise.

The Ysoki speaks first: "I'm Jabaxa, and we're Level 21. We run this level. Good job with those Kings yesterday. Whadda ya want?"

Main talker, probably Bex, should roll diplomacy. If other people want some information, go ahead and roll diplomacy as well as an Aid Another check vs. DC 10. Failure won't hurt you, but a natural 1 will indicate a faux pas.

[Archemist]

"Happy to help - but we're curious about why you chose a time when all us other folks would be there - you had to see the shuttle arriving, right? Or did the Kings pick the place?"

[roll0] but he'll try to help, inserting the above sometime after Bex does introductions, etc.

[Niobaran]

Niobe

She feels uncomfortable with her guns left at home, but then again, she wanted to prevent bloodshed anyway. And if they wanted them dead, they probably could have it easier, and more discreetly.

"Why did you fight them anyway? The deck is on neither of your turfs, is it?"


[roll0]

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Tannhauser hung back, he hped to add an air of respect and street-cred to anything that Bex said to this ysoki, Jabaxa. After all, he'd owned the Null Grav circuit on Akiton, defeating his competitors in the most brutal fights outside of Eox. All he needed to do was flex and scowl at the biggest piece of muscle in the room. He turned his head, leveled his cold, synthetic gaze on the human seating behind Jabaxa himself, however, before he noticed the large caliber tactical pistol, he noted something else ... and suddenly he realized he hadn't had the complimentary breakfast at the Moons of Sleep.

"Oh, is that jellied Slaur roe? You going to finish that?"

OOC: And that, my friends, is what happens when you roll a 4 on a Diplomacy check to assist your Envoy!

[Tycho42]

Bex slides in across from the Ysoki and spreads his hands, gesturing to the fact that he is unarmed.

“Abelard Bexford, Bex please. See it as we do; we come onboard, and guns start firing. We were looking for a business contact, a dwarf, and he gets gunned down. We start shooting back. Turns out we are on the same side, when the bodies start falling; lucky us, eh?”

He looks around the table, trying to guage their responses so far, before leaning in.

“Now we aren’t looking to join up, and we’re not looking to piss anyone off, but we do need to know...why were you and the Kings there? Simple question, then we drink, eh?”

[robnar]

Back Room at Mama Fat's

Jabaxa arches the eyebrow over his cybernetic eye - a disconcerting effect. "We want to know why the Kings were there too. Hardscrabble and us have an agreement to protect their people while they're dealing with this drift rock garbage. Once the dwarf went down our job there was over. My man Drifter here told me yall did good work with those Kings."

"We got a tip from one of our people that the kings had something going down at that docking bay. That's why we were in. I don't know if they were there for the dwarf, or you, or something else."

"But this stuff makes me thirsty." He reaches behind the stack of merchandise and pours something that smells like industrial grade cleaner into a bunch of tumblers. He passes them around, and offers a toast. "Here's to steady gravity and clean air filters."

[Archemist]

"So Hardscrabble told you the dwarf was with them, and to protect him? And then you got wind of the Kings' plan? Just making sure. We hadn't heard that - though as you've seen, we're new here." Dvorak accepts the drink and adds, "I was just thinking I'm getting overdue for a degreasing."

[Tycho42]

Bex raises his own glass and echoes the toast. “To clean air,” and drains the glass. It wasn’t bad, in fact. About the same as the homemade alcohol on ships that couldn’t import the better stuff.

“What exactly was the contract with Hardscrabble? Just standard protection duty? Guard anyone identified as their group, look intimidating? Or is there more?”

[robnar]

Back room of Mama Fat's

Jabaxa scoffs a bit - "you're gonna have to give me a lot more of this rotgut to get me talking details of a contract. But the high point - we protect Hardscrabble while this arbitration stuff is going down. They get nervous that Astral Extractions will hire some legbreakers to talk 'em into settling out of court, you know?

Everybody who knows their head from a bag of a**holes knows Kreel was a Hardscrabble man. We knew he was going to the docking bay. When we got wind that the Kings were headed the same way we rolled out with the people we had. Too bad it wasn't enough.

You ask me, weren't no coincidence that the Kings were there."

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).


The android watched the conversation progress, as the drink was offered he nodded his head before slamming it back, confident the concoction would cause no permanent injury to his synthetic organs. He tilted his head back, enjoying the ethanol burn from the distilled liquor, exhaled slowly, lifted his glass and turned it upside down tapping it against the desk twice. "THAT ... was invigorating. Now we can get down to business right?" He paused, looked from the muscle back to Jabaxa, "Regardless of the contract between you and the Scrabble, you guys got caught off-guard, and their man, our friend, Kreel died. That looks bad on them, worse on you." He paused, "Haven't spent much time on Absalom, but I've seen a few feuds on Akiton, and know my way around a fighting ring, a guy slips a shot through your defenses and scores a solid hit, it stings. You have to pick yourself up, and be ready to throw down a second time, otherwise he'll think he can walk all over you, and you'll start to believe it."

He tilted his head from one side to the next, approximating a human fighter's propensity for cracking their neck, loosening up for the coming fight. "Word gets out, membership drops as recruits start questioning your ability to throw down with the Kings. From what I've seen, from what Bex has told me, that would be a shame, folks who call level 21 home would suffer for it. So how's about you give us everything you know about the Kings, their operation, their contacts, and we hit them back. For you." Another pause. "For Kreel."

[Niobaran]

Niobe

Given the drink, she swallows it down quickly. Good thing she had spent quite some time on low-speed vessels where people were very bored, and usually did not have high quality drinks. While her strategy had been to become better than the rest in drinking games, the way there had paved quite a tolerance for such.

She feels slightly worried about Tannhauser's promise. Hitting back the Kings or kindling a gang war... Both were crimes that could proably have dire consequences on a space station, but maybe it was more a bluff than anything.

[Tycho42]

Bex leans back, thinking he saw a little subtext between the words, and feeling the need to pull the thread a little more formally.

“You think Astral Extractions might have hired your rivals?”

[robnar]

Back room of Mama Fat's

Jabaxa listens to Tannhauser and smiles. "Man, you want to hit the Kings, don't let me get in your way. I wouldn't piss on those @%*&()$ if they were on fire. Ferani Nadaz - their leader - run around with a big Vesk named Hatchbreaker who backs her up. They got maybe 20 heavies, but they generally aren't all in the same place at the same time. Fusion Queen on the downside is where they hang. They run drugs and pimping from there, and shakedown all the downsiders for their lunch money every chance they get. You walk around downside in nice shoes and they'll come to meet you."

He turns to Bex. "I got no idea if Astral's paying them, but I also got no idea why they were in that docking bay yesterday. They don't usually shakedown the stevedores, and Astral's DEFINITELY not above hiring thugs. Can't prove anything either way, and nobody's paying me to try. But if you gave me odds on Astral having their tentacles in this one I wouldn't take that bet."

He slams down a vesk-sized tumbler of whatever caustic combination of alcohol and distilled evil was in that jug, smacks his lips, and moves on. "Got anything else you worried about?"

[Tycho42]

“Nothing else here, beratna. You take care of yourselves. Tell you what; we decide to hit them, we give you a message, yeah? Maybe you want a little payback too. If you don’t, that’s no problem either.”

[Archemist]

Dvorak nods along. "Yeah, we didn't come here to do your dirty work, but we'll see. Maybe they'll be as cooperative as you, maybe not. Anybody in particular we should watch out for over there? Otherwise, we'll get out of your hair, yeah."

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Tannhauser nodded as Jabaxa spoke, somewhat concerned with the numbers. As Dvorak spoke up, he shot them a dirty look, too rough, to uncooperative. "Like Bex says, we do this thing, they got numbers we don't have. You have your crew show up in their turf, they think it's payback from the docks, yea? So you don't engage, but you pull off reinforcements, give us time to talk to this Nadaz. Find out why she took down Kreel, fair?"

[robnar]

Back Room of Mama Fat's

"Good luck talking to Nadaz. She's wild. She'll as likely shoot you as say hello. Not sure how you'd draw her out of the Fusion Queen. If you want to go in there, they've probably only got six or seven heavies there at a time. Biggest one to watch out for Hatchbreaker - he's there biggest one. Used to be a mercenary, but he likes drugs and girls more now. He usually guards Nadaz."

"We can't send anybody downside to distract the Kings - still under contract from Hardscabble and looking after that business. But in exchange for services rendered in the docking bay we'll put word on the street of a big announcement from Hardscrabble at the courthouse. See if that draws any of the Kings away."

Think that's a wrap for this scene. We can resolve any other questions through discord and some rolls, unless you have anything else you want to do. If not, post what your character does to prepare for the next scene. If you want to plan amongst yourself, feel free to use the discord to speed up conversation.

[Tycho42]

Bex fills the rest of the group in on the plan for getting recon on the next location. His idea is to go in with an open communications channel, broadcasting to the group who would be outside. He’s going to go in and socialize, basically playing dumb and bluffing it as well as he can. He’ll communicate a key word if he gets in trouble. With any luck it should be an in and out trip.

At least, that’s what he reviews in his mind as he stands outside, waiting to go in.


Basically, the idea is to go in and schmooze, get a layout of the players, and then get out. Look for who is carrying what, how they respond, etc. I’m going to start it off with my usual Diplomacy roll. Everything I do is broadcast to the group in case they need to storm the place. Bex is absolutely armed when he goes in.

[roll0] + 7, plus [roll1]

[robnar]

Fusion Queen

The Fusion Queen is in the "touristville" neighborhood of the downside - a small landing off one of the major access elevators to the downside, but before you get into the maintenance hatches and warrens that characterize where most of the downsiders squat. A wide double door and bright neon lights in the shape of a crown - exactly matching the tatoo on one of the dead gangsters from bay 94 - mark the entrance to the club. Two thugs are shaking down the patrons waiting in line - taking a cover charge from some, frisking most of them.

When you walk through the club entrance, you get a perfunctory request for a 10 credit cover charge and a thorough search for weapons. The bar is a big room with a dance floor, stage, bar, and some private tables. Arrayed across the tables are every sort of drug you can look for, with various characters hawking them to the all-to-eager clients. There's an employees only door in the back, and some attractive bartenders selling overpriced intoxicants with a little bit of extra in them on request.

You work the tables and the bar, buying drinks as needed and listening to the conversations. After a few rounds of drinks with a couple of the Downside Kings. Over the course of the drinks, one of them starts bragging about the "big payout they got for icing that dwarf in the docking bay." He adds that corporate money is good money because they pay clean - you can spend that stuff anywhere without the cops coming for you.

As the big human thug proceeds to get higher and higher off the bag of novacoke he's powdering his nose with, you decide it's time to make your exit before he turns to the hard stuff.

https://i.ibb.co/zfgjqSc/Dead-Suns-GITP-FQ.png

[Zero Prime]

Tannhauser, Android Solarian & NGCC Competitor (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2200655)
Hit Points: 11 of 11 | Stamina Points: 8 of 8 | Resolve Points: 3 of 3
Conditions: Skill Focus (Intimidation).

Back in their quarters, discussing their upcoming plan, Tannhauser looked towards Niobe as they expressed their concern over an attack against the Fusion Queen based solely on vengeance. He cocked his head as he spoke, watching the Pathra for a reaction. "Thing is Niobe, these Downside Kings are bad motherpronkers, arson, kidnapping, murder, sentient trafficking. And they are on Astral Extraction's payroll? You heard Chiskisk, they don't want us investigation Astral Extractions directly, because the Starfinder's don't have the clout to fight them off in the courts." He paused, trying to keep all the info together, "So if we take evidence to the Starfinders, or AbSec, they are punching above their weight class and Extractions will knock any allegations we make into orbit, right? Why? Because they don't fight fair, they are willing to hire killers to make problems go away, Starfinders won't play that game. So if we want to prove they had something to do with Kreel, we need to step in the ring and get our knuckles bloody."

[Tycho42]

Bex nods at the android’s words. “Bigger still, and the thing that would make me have a go anyway, is that it’s another corp trying to treat everyone like pawns in their game. Put aside for a moment that the gang is bad news; corps using regular folk because they are disposable is way worse.”

Bex leaned back to take another drink from the bottle he had procured and brought with him.

“I’ve seen gangs before and there is one good thing. They think they safe in their nests; no one is going to come for them there. We want to hit them where they’re weakest? It’s there. We bust in, get what we need, maybe off a few air-wasters, and then we melt.”

[Archemist]

Shrugging at Bex's plan, Dvorak says, "If you say so. I think it might also be where they're strongest? But I agree we gotta go in there."

[robnar]

Moons of Sleep

The team discusses through the night, and eventually comes up with a plan: they will move to the Fusion Queen, and try to coordinate with the 21s to draw some of the Downside Kings away from the club when they make their move. Jabaxa is generally amenable to the idea, but he makes it clear that he doesn't have enough free muscle to risk any big engagements with the Downside Kings.

Sorry for godmodding the team decisions, but want to move this along.

Need two decisions: (1) If you're going outside of normal hours, early in normal hours, peak time, or late
(2) If you're bringing all your stuff (see exhibit A: Slate's combat robot...)