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Post by Lemunde on Feb 4, 2024 12:16:46 GMT
Background
My name is Zoya Solas. I was born and raised in the Terminus in a star system hundreds of light years away. I had a happy childhood for the most part, or at least I had no more struggles than anyone else growing up in the Forge.
When I came of age, I was approached by a cloaked man wearing a strange amulet. He told me I had been chosen by Remoss to help guide humanity toward its next stage of evolution. I was skeptical at first but the man was very convincing. He told me it was my destiny to leave my friends and family behind and walk the path of the precursors, to explore the Forge in search of the secrets Remoss had left behind for us to find.
And so I was inducted into the Disciples of Remoss. They taught me the secret shadow magicks and the ancient martial arts; both tools I would need to pass the tests of the precursors when I delve into their vaults. I was also given an iron amulet with the depiction of a strange alien-looking face. I was told this was how our ancestors imagined alien races looked and this was paying homage to them, since none truly know what form the precursors took.
Ever since, I've been hitching rides to different systems searching for bits of ancient relics and knowledge. So far I've had very little success. I'm not quite as zealous as I was when I first joined the Disciples of Remoss, but my motivations haven't changed. I still want to help unlock humanity's potential, and I'm willing to travel to the ends of the universe to make that happen.
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Post by Lemunde on Feb 4, 2024 12:17:49 GMT
Journal Entry 1
A few weeks ago, I received an urgent message from a fellow disciple that they needed my help with. Apparently there was some kind of dispute among the higher ups that led to some kind of altercation. Ultimately one of our elders, Kiarra Amar, forsook her vow and fled in a star ship.
They tracked her to the Matar system and since I happened to be nearest, they have me the task of bringing her back to face judgement. I took passage aboard a freighter which dropped me off at the city of Larissa on Kishar, a jungle world with a toxic atmosphere. This is the closest planet in the system capable of supporting life, so I assume she must be here.
I have no idea how long my search will take, so I rented an apartment here. It's a nice enough city, all things considered. The structures are primarily made of wood, which gives the place a sort of rustic charm. But it's entirely sealed off from the outside. With the poisonous atmosphere, I can't exactly step outside for some fresh air.
The local news keeps bringing up a nearby resort which is fighting a legal dispute with the city for exclusive rights to the planet. Apparently the locals feel that the lifeforms on the planet need to be preserved and studied, while the resort wants to charge rich people to hunt them for sport. It's not really my concern though. I just want to find my wayward sister and get back to my primary charge of finding the secrets Lord Remoss left for us.
With that in mind, I'm going to ask for Remoss's blessing and swear to fulfill the duty the elders have placed upon me.
(SWEAR AN IRON VOW, STRONG HIT)
Sitting around want going to get me anywhere. I needed to get out there and start asking around. The problem is most people are narrow minded and take a dim view of my order. It felt sacrilegious, but I removed my amulet and stuck it in my pocket before stepping out the door. Remoss would forgive me if I could get the locals to cooperate.
(SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW: STRONG HIT)
I went through some of the public areas, asking about my missing "mother" and giving them a physical description as well as the name and description of her ship.
(GATHER INFORMATION, WEAK HIT, CAPTURED EXPERIMENT)
I discovered that she was seen going into the local wildlife research facility some time ago. I wasted no time making my way there. I asked the receptionist if anyone resembling Kiarra had been through there?
(GATHER INFORMATION, WEAK HIT, DEPART STRANGER)
I was deferred to one of the researchers, a wiry young man named Ike Ammar. He told me he dealt directly with Kiarra and that she came in wanting access to one of their beacon sensors. He explained that the sensors revealed a network of waypoints in the jungle that led to their various hides. They used the hides to study the planet's lifeforms in their native habitat. She offered to pay substantially for one of the devices, saying that she wished to study the jungle wildlife herself, but he turned her away. The devices were reserved for use by the research team and there were people on the planet who would use the hides for poaching.
It made sense as a hiding spot. With the toxic atmosphere, the hides would be enclosed and would have supplies and survival gear if someone had to stay there an extended period of time. I told him that Kiarra was known for poaching animals on other planets and that I was a bounty hunter sent by the Keepers to arrest her. I hoped to secure their cooperation by making them believe I had their best interests in mind.
(COMPEL +SHADOW, WEAK HIT, HIDE VENGEANCE)
Ike agreed to lend me one of their devices as well as a map with the locations of all of their hides, but insisted that if I found her in one of their hides that I should rough her up. They wanted to send a message that poaching wouldn't be tolerated. I agreed to his terms and reached to shake his hand.
(MAKE A CONNECTION, WEAK HIT, WEAKEN SURVIVAL)
He took my hand, nodding approvingly. He then left momentarily to retrieve one of the beacon detectors. I made small talk with the receptionist but didn't learn anything interesting. Ike returned after a couple of minutes with one of the devices. He hesitated before handing it over, noticing the laser pistol tucked away in my shoulder holster. He was concerned about the harm any stray shots would do to the plants and animals. I reluctantly decided to leave the pistol with him, telling him he could return it to me after I returned the device.
[Mark Progress: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :2 boxes]
Before blundering into the jungle, I had a few preparations to make. First I needed to determine which specific hide she was holing up in. Sensors could detect human lifesigns, but I would need to gain access to a sensor suite. Kiarra's ship would have one, but I wasn't confident enough to break into it without getting caught by local security. Once I subdued Kiarra I could make her give me access which would make the trip home a lot easier. But that didn't help me now.
Still, there were other ships docked here. I decided to head over to the docking platform to see if I could convince any of the captains to help me out.
(ARE ANY OF THE SHIPS MOVING CARGO ON OR OFF? MAYBE: NO)
(IS ANYONE DOING MAINTENANCE ON ANY OF THE SHIPS? LIKELY: NO)
Oddly, all of the ships were locked up tight and no one seemed to be around. Under the circumstances I could probably sneak aboard Kiarra's ship without anyone noticing. Not being seen would be the easy part. Hacking the ship's systems from the outside to let me in and access the nav suite would be the hard part.
I decided on a third option and went to look for the dock master. I came upon a rather large and imposing woman punching numbers in a datapad and inspecting one of the ships. After a brief introduction I determined she was the dock master and informed her that I was a bounty hunter looking for Kiarra, a known poacher and fugitive. I told her I needed access to Kiarra's ship to try to determine where she was hiding.
(COMPEL +SHADOW, STRONG HIT WITH A MATCH, BEGIN RELIGION)
The dock master, whose name was Asha Talin, frowned and explained that she was suspicious of Kiarra from the start. Somehow Talin knew she was involved with some kind of cult and didn't want her spreading her lies around the city. She agreed to aid me in opening up her ship.
The Bear Trap (as the ship was called) got it's name from the brown and somewhat jagged underbelly. It had two vectored nacelles on either side.
(HOW DOES TALIN INTEND TO MAKE THE BEAR TRAP ACCESSIBLE? RISK NATURE)
Talin called a couple of her workers over and had them cut into the hull with a plasma torch. I told her I preferred not to damage the ship as I intended to return with it, but she assured me that the damage would be repaired in short order. It was worth the trouble to get that fanatic off her world.
I climbed up through the hole and made my way over to the cockpit. The system was locked with a pass code so I would need to figure out a way to bypass it. I thought about trying to guess it but too many failures would lock me out. But I figured it wouldn't hurt to make at least a couple of attempts.
(FACE DANGER +WITS, WEAK HIT)
I spent several minutes looking around the cockpit, going over in my head what I knew about Kiarra. She likely would have updated the pass code once she had gotten away. She certainly wasn't the cheerful type. Sitting there staring out the cockpit window, I wondered what might have been going through her head as she stared out into space, fearing the repercussions of her actions, thinking that she had wasted so much of her life on what she now believed was a false religion. After ruminating on this long enough, I punched in "EMPTINESS" on a whim.
The console lit up and I now had access to the ship and, most importantly, the sensors. I scanned the landscape, looking for human lifesigns in the vicinity of any of the hides.
(GATHER INFORMATION, MISS, BURNING MOMENTUM, WEAK HIT, BREACH STRANGER)
I found her! One of the hides had not one but two human signatures. One of them seemed to be just outside the hide. Did she get found out? This didn't look good. If someone else got to her before I did, if someone was intent on killing her...
I nearly knocked one of the repair crew off their scaffolding as I dashed out of the ship's now open cargo ramp. Securing my oxygen mask, I made for the nearest airlock. Kiarra was a disciple of Remoss, whether she admitted it or not. If she was going to die, it would be by the hands of her brothers and sisters after she stood trial. I still held out hope that we could bring her back into the fold. But none of that would happen if someone managed to murder or capture her before I could reach her.
[Mark Progress: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :4 boxes]
(UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION, DANGEROUS, +SHADOW USING SHADE, WEAK HIT, ENDURE STRESS -2
WEAK HIT, +1 SPIRIT, -1 MOMENTUM)
[Mark Progress: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :2 boxes]
As much as I wanted to get there as quickly as possible, I didn't know what kinds of dangerous creatures lurked in the jungle. On top of that, there could be other people looking for Kiarra. I didn't know enough about the situation to be sure. So I called upon the shadow magicks to aid me, which shaded me in darkness and camouflaged my silhouette. The pace made me anxious, but I wasn't going to rush and end up getting myself killed.
(UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT)
[Mark Progress: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :4 boxes]
(UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION +SHADOW USING SHADE, MISS)
(PAY THE PRICE, A NEW ENEMY IS REVEALED, OPEN HOME)
(CREATURE: ROOTWURM, LARGE, COVERED IN FUR AND DRIPPING MUCOUS FROM ITS MAW)
Cautious as I was, I was too focused on the beacon detector and stumbled into a large hole in the ground. I tumbled end over end and landed hard on the cool, moist earth below. My oxygen mask came loose but I managed to position it back in place before breathing in too much of the toxic air. The momentary burning in my lungs told me I wouldn't survive long breathing it in.
Something stirred deeper in the pit, which continued on into darkness. I turned on my wrist-lamp and pointed it in the direction where the sounds were coming from. My light shown on a large hairy worm-like creature which snarled in rage at my intrusion.
(ENTER THE FRAY +IRON, MISS WITH A MATCH, IN A BAD SPOT, DEPART SURVIVAL)
The rootwurm (as I decided to call it) reared up and smashed itself against the roof of the tunnel. The vibrations caused the opening I fell through to collapse and I was forced to roll out of the way to avoid being buried.
(REACT UNDER FIRE +EDGE, MISS)
(PAY THE PRICE, YOU FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN EARLIER CHOICE)
(KIARRA GETS MURDERED OR CAPTURED CLOCK ADVANCES)
I managed to avoid the brunt of the falling earth. I felt that I would ultimately be able to deal with this situation, but this was a delay I couldn't afford.
The rootwurm moved in to try to wrap itself around me.
(REACT UNDER FIRE +EDGE, MISS)
(PAY THE PRICE, YOUR ACTION CAUSES COLLATERAL DAMAGE OR HAS AN UNINTENDED EFFECT)
I leaped to slip out of the rootwurm's grasp. While I managed to escape for the moment, I tumbled hard into a hard root cluster which scraped and bruised my back.
(ENDURE HARM -1, WEAK HIT, PRESS ON)
(COMBAT ACTION, PERFORM A FEINT OR TRICK)
The rootwurm's maw started closing in on me, dripping with saliva. But another part of its body was shifting to get around to the back of me. I was getting sick of being on the defensive. I powered up my knuckles and rushed in to slug the creature in its nasty face.
(CLASH, MISS, PAY THE PRICE, YOU FACE A TOUGH CHOICE, INITIATE SAFETY)
Time seemed to slow. The creature's maw was open wide to devour me, but to the side I saw a small amount of daylight. I had a small opening. If I feinted and rushed for the light, there was a chance I could find an exit and escape. If the exit proved to be false, I would have backed myself into a corner and made the situation worse. If I stayed to fight, I would be committed, with no means of escape if things went badly.
I committed!
(CLASH, MISS, PAY THE PRICE, YOUR VEHICLE SUFFERS DAMAGE)
The rootwurm's bulky midsection slammed against me before my fist could make contact. I tumbled to the ground and my oxygen mask started hissing.
(ENDURE HARM -2, MISS, -2 MOMENTUM)
(COMBAT ACTION, LEVERAGE THE ADVANTAGE OF A WEAPON OR ABILITY)
I was stunned on the ground, fighting with my mask to keep it from leaking out precious oxygen. At least, that is what I was pretending to do. The rootwurm moved in, it's maw open wide.
(REACT UNDER FIRE +SHADOW, WEAK HIT)
(ENDURE STRESS -1, WEAK HIT)
I managed to slip out of the way at the last moment and the creatures maw planted into the earth. This was getting frustrating.
(COMBAT ACTION, COORDINATE WITH ALLIES)
The rootwurm continued to burrow into the earth, but other parts of its body were surrounding and beginning to tighten around me like a noose. With no other recourse, I struck at the creature's side nearest to me.
(CLASH +IRON, MISS)
(PTP, Your action causes collateral damage or has an unintended effect)
(Advance clock)
My punch connected but it only caused the creature recoil and cause further structural damage to the earthy chamber. It was going to be more and more difficult to get out. I had no choice. I had to keep striking.
(CLASH +IRON, MISS)
(PTP, You encounter signs of a looming threat, SHARE HEALTH)
The ground was beginning to shake, more than from the battle with the rootwurm. I think the commotion was drawing the attention of more of the creatures which were burrowing towards the chamber.
(Add clock)
(CLASH +IRON, MISS)
(PTP, You are harmed)
(ENDURE HARM -2, STRONG HIT, IN CONTROL)
The creature's maw came up through the earth and I barely got my leg away in time. The teeth scraped across my leg leaving several gaping wounds. But I fought through the pain to continue the fight. I kicked the creature in the "face" to try to stun and disorient it long enough to get into a better position.
(GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, MISS)
(PTP, A new enemy is revealed, INFESTED TERRITORY)
(Advance clock)
My kick barely had any effect. The ground was quaking at this point. I could tell many, many more of the creatures were closing in. I was out of time. I decided to focus my attention on escape. First I needed to get to the collapsed entrance.
(Add dangerous objective, escape)
(Combat action, Destroy something or render it useless)
(REACT UNDER FIRE +SHADOW, MISS WITH A MATCH, PERSEVERE DOMINION)
(SACRIFICE RESOURCES -2)
The rootwurm grabbed one of my arms with its maw. I managed to pull free but it ripped the knuckles from my hand. I was down to a single functional weapon. The rootwurm reared up over me, confident in its ability to destroy and devour me.
(Combat action, Counter or reflect an attack)
(CLASH +IRON, WEAK HIT)
[Mark Progress: Combat: Escape the rootwurm pit. :2 boxes]
(PTP, Your action causes collateral damage or has an unintended effect)
(ENDURE HARM -1, MISS, Mark wounded)
Foolishly I forgot my knuckles on my right hand were gone when I tried punching it again. My hand went straight into the creature's maw and it nearly took my hand off as I ripped it free from its teeth. As it was, my hand was now a shredded, bloody mess. I cried out in agony.
(Combat action, Nullify a system, device, or weapon)
(CLASH +IRON, MISS)
The creature managed to rip the knuckles from my other hand as I struck again.
(Combat action, Make an indirect attack)
(REACT UNDER FIRE +SHADOW, WEAK HIT)
(ENDURE STRESS, STRONG HIT, Embrace the darkness)
I feinted to the side as it tried to knock me over with its midsection. I was just barely surviving for the moment and I was convinced I was going to die here. With every ounce of strength, I grabbed the rootwurm's midsection with both arms and tried to shove it up and over me to get on its other side.
(GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT)
[Mark Progress: Combat: Escape the rootwurm pit. :4 boxes]
It worked for the moment and I began clawing at the earth to try to make an opening.
(GAIN GROUND +IRON, WEAK HIT)
[Mark Progress: Combat: Escape the rootwurm pit. :6 boxes]
I was making marginal success, but the rootwurm was still a threat. I turned and made a powerful kick to its midsection to try to drive it back.
(GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT)
[Mark Progress: Combat: Escape the rootwurm pit. :8 boxes]
The kick connected enough to cause the rootwurm to recoil. I turned and continued clawing at the earth, my right hand caked in bloody loam.
[Progress Roll: Combat: Escape the rootwurm pit. :Weak Hit = 8 vs 10 | 2]
(ENDURE HARM +IRON, MISS, I'm still standing)
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Post by Lemunde on Feb 4, 2024 12:18:32 GMT
Journal Entry 2
I clawed my way through the last of the dirt, kicking back the rootwurm the whole time. Running on pure adrenaline, I struggled to my feet and sprinted as fast a I could away from the pit. I collapsed a short time later, but I only gave myself enough time to catch my breath.
My most immediate concern was my oxygen mask, which was still hissing. I struggled to my feet and once again shrouded myself in the shadow magicks after finding a secluded spot to try to recover and make repairs.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[REPAIR, MISS, PTP, A new enemy is revealed]
[FACE DANGER +SHADOW USING SHADE, WEAK HIT]
I heard movement in the trees above me. A massive snake-like creature was slithering its way through the area. I waited patiently for it to move on.
This wasn't working. There was no way I was going to reach Kiarra in time at this rate. I decided to return to the city to try to recover. I began moving back through the jungle, taking to the shadows to avoid the attention of any more dangerous creatures.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[SET A COURSE, STRONG HIT]
I made it through the airlock just as my oxygen mask gave out. I nonchalantly walked over to an emergency station to swap out my broken mask for a functional one.
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, WEAK HIT, UNCOVER SOLUTION]
The other mask was locked behind a glass panel. Frustrated, I threw an elbow into it.
[FACE DANGER +IRON, STRONG HIT]
The glass shattered loudly but no one was around to notice. With the mask retrieved, I made my way back to the Bear Trap to try to rest and address my injuries. I used the ship's comms to contact the local medical services, claiming I had an accident while affecting repairs.
[COMPEL +SHADOW, MISS, PTP, You are harmed]
[ENDURE HARM, MISS WITH A MATCH, DELIVER NATURE]
I never completed the transmission. I suddenly realized how feverish I was feeling and a few moments later I was passed out in the cockpit.
[SOJOURN, WEAK HIT]
I woke several hours later in the medical facility. One of the repair crew had found me and brought me there. He stopped by to check in on me and I thanked him for his help.
[MAKE A CONNECTION, MISS WITH A MATCH, You create an opportunity for an enemy]
He shrugged off my thanks and said he expected to be rewarded and that the repairs to my ship would likely take a very long time if that didn't happen. I told him I didn't have any money on me, but that I stashed some supplies and ammunition in the jungle and have him the coordinates of the rootwurm pit.
[COMPEL +SHADOW, STRONG HIT]
This appeared to satisfy him and he left me to recuperate. During my convalescence, I contacted Ike on my communicator. I told him about what had happened and asked if there were any other hostile creatures in the jungle I should be wary of.
[GATHER INFORMATION, MISS, PTP, Your action causes collateral damage or has an unintended effect]
[TEST YOUR RELATIONSHIP, WEAK HIT, HUNT WORLD]
[Mark Progress: :2 boxes]
Ike was very displeased to hear that I had been interfering with the ecosystem. At least that's how he interpreted it. He gave me a short rundown of some known jungle creatures, but nothing I couldn't have found on the public network database.
Afterwards, he told me he had a job for me once my current bounty was taken care of. There were several known poachers on the planet and he wanted them "off the planet", one way or another. I wasn't in any position to refuse, so I swore to see it done.
[SWEAR AN IRON VOW, MISS, PTP, STRENGTHEN BALANCE]
Ike approved and ended the communication. A nurse came in shortly after and informed me that I was well enough to be discharged to rest at home, then presented me my bill.
Having no idea how I was going to pay it, I informed the nurse that the technician who brought me in offered to cover the charges.
[FACE DANGER +SHADOW, MISS, PTP, Your action causes collateral damage or has an unintended effect]
She nodded and left the room and I started getting dressed. A couple of minutes later she returned with two security guards and informed me that she had contacted the technician who would be returning soon to address my lies.
I acquiesced and asked if they could let my lawyer through so that he could advise me, pointing behind them.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW, MISS, PTP, You are stressed]
[ENDURE STRESS, STRONG HIT]
One of the guards turned to look but the others didn't but it. I just shrugged and called on the shadow magicks.
[FACE DANGER +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
The room grew a little darker as my form took on the colors of my surroundings. Momentarily baffled, I used the distraction to slip past them as they cautiously stepped in to investigate.
Before exciting the facility, I slipped into a supply closet while no one was looking to nab some medical supplies.
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, STRONG HIT]
As I left the dome, it occurred to me that the technician would be passing through here soon. I hid in some bushes nearby intent on ambushing him.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW USING SHADE, WEAK HIT]
[ENTER THE FRAY +SHADOW, WEAK HIT, IN CONTROL]
I saw the technician strolling down the path a few minutes later. As he passed, I stepped out and plowed into him.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue the technician. :3 boxes]
I shoved the technician to the ground where he laid momentarily stunned. I reached down and grabbed for his weapon.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue the technician. :6 boxes]
I pulled the ladder patrol from his belt before kicking him hard in the side to subdue him further.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue the technician. :9 boxes]
Reaching down I grabbed the tech by the collar and informed him that I had no intention of offering him any kind of reward and if he had a problem with that he knew where to find me.
[Progress Roll: Combat: Subdue the technician. :Weak Hit = 9 vs 10 | 7, You face collateral damage. Something is lost, damaged, or broken.]
Still dazed, the technician nodded slowly. I let go of his collar and began walking away from the dome. As I walked, I took a moment to examine the laser pistol I had stolen from him. From a distance it looked as deadly as any other laser pistol, but it was missing a vital component that would have made it functional.
Disgusted, I tossed it aside and continued making my way back to the Bear Trap.
Now was the moment I'd been dreading. Once back aboard the ship, I activated the sensors and scanned Kiarra's location.
[GATHER INFORMATION, WEAK HIT, HIDE DECAY]
It looked like Kiarra was now alone in the hide, but the structure had taken some damage. I surmised that someone had tried to force their way in. Maybe they left to get some help? Or maybe Kiarra dealt with them?
In any case, she wasn't in any immediate danger, so I laid back and took a breather before contacting Briana Salvi, my friend and mentor in the Disciples of Remoss.
[HEARTEN +1, MISS, PTP, you are delayed or put at a disadvantage]
[ADVANCE CLOCK]
The Weave operator spent several minutes trying to connect me, but Briana just wasn't available. Frustrated, I went into the back to check my bandages.
[HEAL, MISS, BURNING MOMENTUM, WEAK HIT]
The supplies I had stolen included some potent stims and pain killers, both of which I applied liberally. I felt like I was back in fighting shape, but I had no time to lose. I checked the ship to see if Kiarra had stashed any weapons or other useful items I could "borrow".
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, MISS, PTP, Your equipment or vehicle malfunctions]
I thought I had found something hidden under a control panel. Reaching down, I jerked hard and pulled out a piece of conduit. The control panel immediately powered down. Cursing, I tossed the thick cabling back under the panel (as if that would accomplish anything) and left the ship to find Kiarra.
[SET A COURSE, WEAK HIT, COMPLICATION, TRAP IS SPRUNG]
[FACE DANGER +EDGE, WEAK HIT]
[ENDURE HARM -1, WEAK HIT]
Fitting my new oxygen mask, I left the airlock and picked back up on the path where I left off. On the way I very nearly stepped into an animal trap. Clearly poachers had been through here recently but I didn't have time to pursue them. I figured the trap itself would be handy so I reached down to retrieve it.
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, STRONG HIT]
I was able to set it off without risking injury and secured it to my belt before continuing on.
[UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :6 boxes]
[UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :8 boxes]
[UNDERTAKE AN EXPEDITION +SHADOW USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :10 boxes]
[Progress Roll: Expedition: Get to Kiarra's hide. :Strong Hit = 10 vs 8 | 7]
[Mark Progress: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :6 boxes]
I continued moving stealthily through the jungle, paying closer attention to my surroundings as I followed the trail of hidden beacons. I managed to reach the hide without further incident. It was part way up a tree with a painted ladder leading up to a landing with a small airlock. The window was one way so I couldn't see inside.
[UNDISCOVERED INDUSTRY]
There was some structural damage but more concerning was the damage to the atmospheric scrubber. Kiarra was probably running low on oxygen. I had to get inside quickly.
I rushed up the ladder to the airlock and examined the control panel. Kiarra probably hacked her way inside and changed the code, which meant I was going to have to hack it as well.
[FACE DANGER +SHADOW, STRONG HIT WITH A MATCH, HIDE EXPEDITION]
It took only seconds for me to unlock the door. In the process I stumbled across a map of all of the hides and the paths to reach them. It was mostly information I already had, but I saved it to my datapad anyway.
After cycling the airlock, I pulled my knife and held it defensively before opening the door.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +IRON, STRONG HIT]
As the door unlatched, I kicked it open hoping to get some amount of surprise.
[FACE DANGER +IRON +1, WEAK HIT, FORTIFY LANGUAGE]
Kiarra had knocked over a piece of furniture and was taking cover behind it. She took a shot at me but I managed to take cover behind the airlock door frame.
She had donned an oxygen mask to account for the malfunction scrubber. She shouted at me that she would rather die than go back. I responded that Lord Malek had promised leniency if she returned peacefully.
[COMPEL +SHADOW, WEAK HIT, SURRENDER LANGUAGE]
She took some time to consider her position. Finally she agreed to return with me, but only if I listened to her side of the story and promised to speak on her behalf. I agreed and she stepped out and handed over her laser pistol.
[Mark Progress: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :8 boxes]
Before leaving, I checked around for any supplies that the wildlife foundation wouldn't notice if they went missing.
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, MISS WITH A MATCH, PTP, You create an opportunity for an enemy, Your vehicle suffered damage.]
While I was helping myself, I got a call on my communicator from the dock master. She told me that a disgruntled tech boarded the Bear Trap and wrecked a lot of the internal systems. I told her I'd deal with it when I got there.
[DEFLECT MEMORY]
[SET A COURSE, STRONG HIT]
We stealthily trekked back along the path of beacons. Kiarra wanted to explain things but I told her to wait until we were in a safe location. We arrived back at the city of Larissa without much trouble. When we reached the ship, I stopped to have a word with the dock master.
[MAKE A CONNECTION, MISS, PTP, YOU FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN EARLIER CHOICE]
She wasn't pleased to see me in the slightest. The technician had told her about our encounter outside the medical dome and she was taking his side. She had affected just enough repairs on the Bear Trap to make her flyable and wanted me gone immediately.
I told her I had a dire situation in the city I needed to take care of and promised I would be gone a soon as I was done.
[COMPEL +SHADOW, WEAK HIT, FINISH STRATEGY]
I don't think she entirely believed me, but she was more concerned with getting me out of her hair. She told me she didn't want to see me on her docks after today. I relented and left to seek out Ike at the wildlife facility.
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Post by Lemunde on Feb 4, 2024 12:19:08 GMT
Journal Entry 3
On the way, I told Kiarra that I had been posing as a bounty hunter hunting a poacher, i.e. her. She nodded in understanding, agreeing to cooperate to avoid outing us both as cultists.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW, MISS WITH A MATCH, PTP, Your equipment or vehicle malfunctions]
When we reached the wildlife facility, Ike was there to meet us in the reception area. He handed me my laser pistol which I noticed was missing a trigger. He said he had been looking into me and discovered no record of a bounty hunter with my name.
[THREATEN PRIZE]
He was seriously considering turning us both in to the authorities. He suspected (wrongly) that we had a bounty on our heads. Still, we didn't need the trouble of the local constabulary digging in to our backgrounds.
[TEST YOUR RELATIONSHIP, MISS, PTP, The environment or terrain introduces a new hazard]
Ike reached for his communicator and Kiarra panicked. She pulled her laser pistol from my holster and fired at a window. Toxic fog began seeping through and Ike and the receptionist scrambled for the emergency station for a mask. Kiarra and I donned ours and ran out of the facility. It was time to leave.
Every turn, I seemed to be making things worse. No doubt Ike would be contacting the authorities as soon as the damaged window was dealt with. We needed to get off planet as soon as possible, so we made a mad dash for the docking platform.
[FACE DANGER +EDGE, WEAK HIT]
The crowded corridors slowed us down a bit, but we managed to get to the Bear Trap before any alerts went out. Kiarra helped me prep the ship and we were cleared to launch.
I had only ever piloted a ship in simulations before today, but Kiarra stepped up and helped get us on our way. She seemed as eager to leave as I was. I had to remind myself that we were both technically pariahs. Most people didn't understand the path Remoss laid out for us.
[DEFLECT STRANGER]
We began retracing the route Kiarra had taken to get here. We reached the drift, the e-drive spooled up, and we were soon traveling through interstellar space.
Now that we finally had a quiet moment to ourselves, Kiarra began explaining what happened and why she had to leave.
Lord Malek had recruited a new member a short while ago; a young woman named Zakia. She rose quickly through the ranks, but her behavior went against our tenets. She had discovered several artifacts and had gifted or sold them to outsiders. She had also been caught with a detailed list of the names and descriptions of several members.
Despite all this, Lord Malek had defended her and continued giving her preferential treatment. Kiarra felt that Zakia was corrupting Lord Malek and the Disciples as a whole.
I listened intently but I would need to see this Zakia for myself before I drew any conclusions. But I promised her I would do all I could to see that Zakia was brought to justice.
[SECURE AN ADVANTAGE +SHADOW, MISS, PTP, You encounter signs of a looming threat.]
I don't think she believed me. It was then I noticed she still had her laser pistol and was holding it a little tighter in her holster.
I got up and said I was going to go get something to eat before turning to strike her in her seat from behind.
[ENTER THE FRAY +SHADOW, MISS WITH A MATCH, IN A BAD SPOT, DEFLECT STRENGTH]
Kiarra was prepared and was on her feet deflecting my blow in a blur of motion.
[Overrun a position]
[REACT UNDER FIRE +IRON, MISS, BURNING MOMENTUM, STRONG HIT, IN CONTROL]
She tried to plow into me to knock me to the ground but I managed to push her back before going for a tripping maneuver with my foot.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :2 boxes]
Kiarra fell hard onto the steel plating and I went to kick her in the head.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, MISS, Your equipment or vehicle malfunctions.]
Kiarra dodged and I ended up kicking an exposed circuit board instead. The e-drive immediately disengaged.
Kiarra made a kick for my feet as she tried to scramble away.
[REACT UNDER FIRE +IRON, WEAK HIT]
[ENDURE HARM, STRONG HIT]
Her kick connected but was too weak to have any effect. As she scrambled away, I made a flat footed kick to her back.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :4 boxes]
She tumbled forward and face planted into the deck. I reached to pull her pistol from her holster.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :6 boxes]
With her now disarmed, I made another kick to her side.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :8 boxes]
She was momentarily stunned, but I gave her another hard kick to make sure she knew to stay down.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :10 boxes]
[Progress Roll: Combat: Subdue Kiarra :Strong Hit = 10 vs 4 | 1]
I dragged Kiarra's semi-conscious body over to one of the bunks and strapped her in. I used some of the loose cabling to bind her hands and feet.
[SET A COURSE, STRONG HIT]
We came out of the final drift in the Schedar system. Our order's main center of operations was situated on a desolate, tidally locked world called Ordos. It was basically a small tent city built around the remains of a precursor vault, one that had already been fully explored and stripped of anything useful.
I landed a short distance away on a flat, stony island in a sea of sand. I pulled Kiarra from her bunk, untied her feet, and had her walk in front of me at gunpoint.
[Mark Progress: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :10 boxes]
Lord Malek and my mentor, Brianna were standing outside the main tent waiting for us. Lord Malek expressed his disappointment in Kiarra before leading us inside.
[Progress Roll: I will find the fleeing elder and bring her back to face judgement. :Strong Hit = 10 vs 9 | 7]
[Mark Progress: :2 boxes]
[Is Zakia there? maybe: No]
Several of the elders were gathered to question Kiarra and to decide her punishment. I spoke to Briana and told her what Kiarra had said about Zakia. Certainly it was enough of an unusual circumstance to justify going easy on her.
[COMPEL +HEART +1, MISS, PTP, The environment or terrain introduces a new hazard.]
Briana was appalled that I was taking Kiarra's side in this. She made it clear that I was endangering myself by going against Lord Malek and that I should think twice before saying anything against Zakia to her or the other elders.
[TEST YOUR RELATIONSHIP, WEAK HIT, DEFEAT SAFETY]
[Mark Progress: :4 boxes]
I offered my apologies and this seemed to relax her, though the mood between us had grown dark. I had hoped to stay and recuperate for a few days, but something here gave me the distinct feeling that I didn't want to be around here for very long.
Before I was excused to allow the elders to deliberate, Lord Malek thanked me personally and as a reward he gifted me Kiarra's ship, saying she wouldn't be needing it anymore. I didn't like the grim implications of that, but the ship would make travel much easier, at least once I managed to get it repaired.
After saying my farewells, I boarded my new ship and launched her into space. One of the local settlements listed in the ship's records was a decent enough station called Felicity, which was in orbit around a desert planet. I decided that would be a good place to rest and get some repairs.
[SET A COURSE, MISS WITH A MATCH, BURNING MOMENTUM, STRONG HIT WITH A MATCH, FALTER TRADE]
As I closed in on the planet, a local merchant ship contacted me offering to trade. I was low on a few supplies so I agreed and rendezvoused with them. There were a few things onboard that Kiarra had collected that looked valuable (but probably weren't). Either way, I tried presenting them as rare trinkets found in the farthest reaches of the Forge.
[RESUPPLY +SHADOW, STRONG HIT]
Their eyes gleaned as they passed over the bawdy baubles. We haggled for a few minutes but ultimately I made off with stocks full of food, water, and ammunition and they left with a few useless shinies. Business concluded, I continued on to the station.
[SOJOURN, STRONG HIT]
I was cleared to land without issue. Once aboard I immediately purchased repair services from the dock master before setting out to find a place to relax.
Felicity station was a rather serene structure. Several biodome modules ringed the primary pillar. The wide, warmly lit hallways were adorned with greenery and flowers of all types.
That was the nice part. I didn't have to walk far before I noticed many of the workers were on strike. Some of them tried to convince me and others visiting there to leave the station and not support their oppressors. I wasn't really in the mood to deal with them or their troubles at the time, so I moved on past them.
After trying the local cuisine (which was delicious), I spent a few hours in a bar. I got to know a rather attractive girl named Kirsa. Apparently she had acquired a modest fortune by "acquiring" and "redistributing" valuable objects from wealthy "clients". She ended up taking me back to her place and we spent the night together.
[MAKE A CONNECTION, MISS]
[Pay the Price: A friend, companion, or ally is in harm’s way (or you are, if alone)]
I woke in the middle of the night to find her sifting through my clothes. Alarmed, I demanded to know what she was doing when she attacked me with my own knife without warning.
[ENTER THE FRAY +IRON, WEAK HIT, IN CONTROL]
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue thief :2 boxes]
Adrenalin pumping through my veins, I was up (naked) and responding to her attack without hesitation. I wrenched the blade from her hand after dodging her thrust.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, WEAK HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue thief :4 boxes]
With a swift chop, I cracked her across the back of the neck with my hand and sent her plowing face first onto the bed.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, MISS]
She kicked back and sent me stumbling backwards towards a glass table.
[FACE DANGER +EDGE, WEAK HIT]
[ENDURE HARM -1, WEAK HIT]
The table smashed but only left me with a few superficial cuts across my back. The knife still in my hand, she got up and threw a vase in my direction.
[REACT UNDER FIRE +IRON, WEAK HIT]
The vase hit me without shattering but it managed to stall me from getting up. She used the delay to reach for her communicator. With her momentarily distracted, I called on the shadow magicks to hide me and faded into the darkness before calling to her.
[REACT UNDER FIRE +SHADOW USING SHADE IN DARKNESS]
Confused and frightened she glanced around the room to see where I had gone. She reached over and turned on a lamp to light up the room.
[CLASH +IRON USING SHADE, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue thief :6 boxes]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue thief :8 boxes]
The shadow magicks kept me hidden, and I managed to get behind her and get two hard blows in on the back of her head and on her spine.
[GAIN GROUND +IRON +1, STRONG HIT]
[Mark Progress: Combat: Subdue thief :10 boxes]
[Progress Roll: Combat: Subdue thief :Strong Hit = 10 vs 9 | 7]
One final kick to the head and she was out cold. I fell back onto the bed and rested a moment. I then forced myself up and got dressed. I gave Kirsa (still comatose on the floor) one final kiss before leaving and heading back to the Bear Trap. Smiling, I decided it had been a pretty good night, all things considered.
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Post by Lemunde on Feb 4, 2024 12:19:43 GMT
Journal Entry 4
I spent the time waiting for my ship to be repaired and resupplied going through the local network and familiarizing myself with the planets in this system. Two planets caught my attention: Tartarus, home to a once thriving human civilization, now an irradiated wasteland of crumbling cities. And Azula, a world clearly dominated by precursor ruins but the intense heat makes investigating them extremely difficult.
My e-suit would be enough to protect me from all but the most irradiated areas on Tartarus. The ruins on Azula were a different matter. The structures jutted up from a sea of lava. Landing near it would not only be hazardous to my ship, but would most assuredly light me up like a torch as soon as I stepped out the airlock. I would need a special suit designed to deal with the intense heat to even attempt exploring those.
The precursor ruins intrigued me, but I decided the ruins on Tartarus were ultimately easier to explore. I had no idea what I would find there, if anything. Doubtless others had been there; grubs looking for an easy payday at the very least. I decided to ask around to see if anyone could give me more details on the ruins.
I eventually tracked down a grub at a local pawn shop. They told me they had indeed visited Tartarus but had a run in with pair of local fanatics. It didn't take long for me to realize he was talking about my own order. Apparently my brothers and sisters regularly visit the planet in search of clues and relics. The ruins were scattered around the entire planet, though. Explorers could search for centuries and not find everything.
With my destination set and the Bear Trap fully stocked, I set out from Felicity Station towards Tartarus. As I approached the planet, I began picking up a weak distress signal. A grub's ship had apparently malfunctioned and crashed in the heart of one of the ruined cities. Their radiation levels were rising and if they weren't rescued soon they would soon perish.
I was eager to begin exploring the ruins, but I couldn't bring myself to let this person die without doing anything about it. I radioed my response, informing them that help was on the way. I hoped this wasn't some sort of trap.
I scanned for a safe landing zone. Fortunately there appeared to be an inner city graveyard a short distance from the crashed ship; plenty of space for landing, though my struts might smash a grave stone or two. I wasn't concerned with offending the dead when lives were at stake.
After setting down, donning my e-suit, and stepping out the airlock, I took a moment to observe my surroundings. All was hazy with shades of browns and oranges. What were once skyscrapers were towering all around the graveyard, all crumbling semblances of what they once were.
The crashed ship was a couple of miles away across heaps of fallen rubble. Getting there was not going to be easy. Clutching my iron amulet, I whispered a prayer to Remoss before setting off.
As I approached the street that had the most direct route to the crashed ship, I noticed an adjacent building begin to crumble before my eyes. I ran back far enough to avoid the brunt of any scattered debris. The dust lingered for some time, but I managed to see that the debris now blocked the path I was going to take. I was going to have to find another way around.
I made a bit of progress around the rubble and into the streets. But it wasn't long until the sounds of shifting rock from behind me told me that I was being followed. I looked back and was horrified to see someone, or rather, some thing in a tattered e-suit slowly shambling towards me wielding what looked like an ornamental sword. I drew my laser pistol and took a shot at it.
The shot merely grazed it but it reacted by stumbling back a couple of feet. I drew my combat knife with my other hand, ready to take it on in close quarters if need be. Ducking behind some rubble, I called upon the void to hide me. I then began maneuvering around the area to try to get near the thing's blind side.
As the creature continued shambling towards my former hiding spot, I struck at it from the side with my knife. I pierced its suit and into its flesh, and something like blood began oozing from the deep wound. It reacted quickly however, seeming unfazed by the attack.
I made a powerful kick at me which I was able to block. I gritted through the pain and slashed back at it. More cuts pierced through its suit but it continued to ignore them. It reared back with its sword and prepared to skewer me. I called on the void once again cloak me in shadow.
The cloak helped me avoid the strike, but it was on its guard now. Guessing where I might have gone, it lobbed its sword in my general direction. The sword grazed my shoulder, and my suit hissed as gel oozed out to seal the puncture. Having had enough, I circled around and lunged at the thing with my knife from behind.
I hit what I thought was a critical area, but it swung around with bony claws and slashed my suit. More gel began sealing the openings and a beeping informed me that the sealant was starting to run low. I stepped back as the thing shambled closer towards me. Then it stopped a moment before toppling forward, apparently dead. Or at least more dead than it already was.
I barely had time to take a breath before I got a call on my communicator. It was Brianna. Apparently she intercepted my communication with the grub and was demanding to know why I was helping them. Her anger was understandable. The DoR had a poor view of grubs who sold precious artifacts to irresponsible people with more money than sense.
Thinking quickly, I told her I intended to interrogate the grub to see what he knew about the ruins and any other locations of interest in the area before I helped them. She didn't believe me for an instant. We argued for several precious minutes before I was forced to tell her that I intended to help the grub with or without her blessing.
She was silent for a few moments after that, but finally acknowledged that she would respect my decision. With her placated for the time being, I called upon the void to shroud me and pressed on toward the crashed ship, this time more wary of any walking dead.
A few minutes later, I came upon an open street full of skeletal corpses. Many looked to have been fleeing in terror from something when they died. I noticed one was clutching a much smaller corpse as if trying to shield them from something.
I had seen my share of death, but this sight before me was unnerving, to say the least. Considering my encounter from before, I resolved to move past them as carefully and quietly as possible.
I came to a sort of toll gate that was somehow still functioning. There didn't seem to be an easy way around and I didn't want to waste time forcing my way through. I was forced to insert my credit chit which deducted a substantial amount from my account. The gate opened and I wondered if someone set this up recently as a form of extortion?
Before pressing on, I tried hacking the gate terminal to see if I could recoup some of the credits I had just lost. The software turned out to not be very complex and I was able to confound it enough to add a few more credits onto my chit than I had spent.
With that taken care of, I returned to the shadows and called to the void to shroud me before continuing.
I arrived at the crash site without further incident. I kept myself hidden, still somewhat wary that this lowlife might be laying some sort of trap for me. After a couple of minutes of careful observation, I realized that he wasn't even there. I tapped my wrist communicator and demanded to know where he was.
Scout (the grub's callsign) replied that he and his associate were killing time looking around the area and would be returning shortly. Unbelievable! They were in danger of contracting radiation sickness and were wasting time scrounging for scrap. I told them that if they weren't back here in five minutes I was going to leave them behind.
Scout himself was getting frustrated. He explained that they found a piece of really valuable data but they were having a hard time extracting it. It was clear they weren't going to leave without it. I asked where they were and told him I was coming over to help.
Nothing about this felt right. I decided to keep my policy of stealth and try to get to them undetected. When I arrived, I found them arguing over whether or not they should trust me. Releasing my shadow magicks, I stepped out and plainly informed them that they didn't have a choice if they wanted to live. With the grubs stunned by my sudden appearance, I walked over to the nearby console and looked down at the amber-lit monitor to see if there was anything I could do to extract the data.
The radiation must've been affecting their judgement and focus. The data wasn't hard to extract. Within moments I ejected the data card and tossed it at Scout who fumbled with catching it before securing it in his e-suit's chest pocket. At that point I was done wasting time and left the building, not really caring if they followed.
Ultimately they agreed amongst themselves that they didn't have a choice and cautiously followed me back through the city. The going was slow but we managed to reach my ship without incident. But just as we were preparing to board, Scout's partner shouted "There it is!" and pointed off to a crumbling structure on the far side of the graveyard before sprinting off towards it, Scout following after her.
Pissed... Frustrated... Infuriated... No words could describe how I was feeling at that moment. I quickly boarded the Bear Trap and powered up the engines. Lifting off a few feet, I turned the ship towards the building they were running to and fired the forward cannons.
The slugs tore into the structure and the two grubs stopped in their tracks as the it collapsed before their eyes. Scout's associate dropped to her knees. I landed the Bear Trap and told them over comms that this was their last chance to leave before I left them there for dead.
The two slowly made their way back toward the ship. Both were quiet and sullen as we set off away from the irradiated wasteland. As irritated as I was, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them (and somewhat guilty). Whatever has been in that building (a library from the looks of it) had something so valuable to them that it was worth risking their lives over.
Touching my amulet, I resolved to help them recoup whatever it was they had lost when I destroyed that building.
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Post by Lemunde on Feb 8, 2024 6:49:05 GMT
Journal Entry 5
These grubs continue to baffle and frustrate me. The way they reacted to the destruction of the library, I expected there to be some lost record containing a cure to all diseases hidden within. But I continue to underestimate the power of greed.
After speaking with them at length, they revealed that somewhere within that library they expected to find the secrets to a lost form of electronic currency. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around what value this could possibly have, but they seemed convinced that it would give them the ability to completely alter the economy of the entire sector and make them rich beyond their wildest dreams.
I told them I had some idea of where such information could be found, and that I would be willing to take them there in exchange for any information they had on the precursors and their vaults.
Scout took a hard look at my amulet. He had obviously discerned my allegiance to the Disciples of Remoss sometime during our escape, but hadn't said anything until now. Our people weren't exactly on good terms with each other, but he acknowledged that I did help them out of a situation that would have surely cost them their lives. He wanted my assurance that none of my brethren would be involved in our dealings, and I heartily agreed, not wanting to draw any more attention to the fact that I was dealing with grubs.
I felt less comfortable about this after he made an off-handed comment to Book (his partner) about being in bed with a cultist. Book cringed at the way he put it but neither of us pressed the issue. I wondered who he might end up telling about our deal?
In any event, none of us were in any condition to start pursuing this venture. I was a little banged up from my fight with the dead spacer, and both of my new associates looked like they were suffering a bit from radiation sickness. I suggested we stop for a while at Falicity Station to recover. Scout agreed and I set a course for the station.
As I reached for the controls, my hand shook and I hesitated. Visions of the dead spacer and the corpses flooded back into my mind. I had been so preoccupied with getting the grubs safely off the planet that I hadn't had time to reflect on the ordeal. But suddenly the weight of everything that had happened in the past few hours was too much to bear.
I could sense Scout and Book staring at me from behind and shook myself out of it. Angered and embarrassed, I engaged the sublight engines and set off for Falicity Station.
We were allowed to dock without issue, and after pressing past the protesters, we pretty much went straight to the clinic. A few stitches and some antiseptic and I was good to go. Scout and Book needed more extensive treatment and will need to take antirads for a few weeks.
We agreed to take a couple of days to rest and split up for a bit. They took a hotel in the lower quad and I made do in my ship which was already equipped with comfortable accommodations. More importantly it gave me the opportunity to check the local network for any potential ancient libraries or archives that might have what the grubs were looking for.
It occurred to me that a library would only have general information on this unique form of currency, but what they really needed was the facility where the data for this currency was processed and stored. They would need a large array of computers to handle all that. One such facility was discovered on the remnants of Shell, a local planet that suffered some kind of catastrophe that all but destroyed it.
It made sense that the data would be stored off-world, which would make it much more secure. The facility was discovered by another team of grubs who were apparently more interested in material salvage than records. They probably didn't even know what the facility was for.
There was one problem in that the planet in question was trapping a lot of solar radiation from the system's pair of stars. The grubs had already been exposed to a lot of radiation. Combined with the meds they were taking, I had no idea how more exposure would affect them.
So I decided to go into the trade quarter to try to find some better e-suits to help deal with the radiation. I expected to find some kind of store to try to trade in my current e-suit, but instead I came to a sort of large, mobile vending machine offering generic e-suits at a fixed price.
I wasn't interested in paying full price. The area was a little crowded, so I found a secluded spot and used my shadow magicks to cloak myself. I then snuck over to the machine's maintenence console and started hacking away at it.
I got the machine's robotic internal mechanism to retrieve the suits, but it must've detected the intrusion as it sent an electrical shock through the keyboard I was using. I pulled back in pain, but gritted my teeth and managed to keep quiet. No one seemed to notice and I discreetly dropped my cloak and retrieved the suits before returning to my ship.
With all that taken care of, I spent some of my time relaxing and checking the local news for current events. Protestors had vandalized an administration office, but other than that nothing interesting was going on.
The next day the grubs showed back up to my ship, sufficiently recuperated and ready to get going. I handed them two of the e-suits and told them they'd be needing them. Scout gladly accepted his. Book was appreciative but was eager to get going.
Understandably, Scout thought we were returning to Tartarus before I informed him that the facility we were looking for was on Shell. The radiation would be even more intense (hence the new e-suits), and no doubt there would be other hazards to deal with.
Shell was, after all, a planet in name only. My research indicated that there was one large chunk that survived some sort of celestial impact, and the rest was a scattering of orbiting debris. Some of that debris would be striking the large chunk periodically. There would also be a great deal of seismic activity.
Scout and Book were obviously undeterred. Now that they knew what they were getting into, we launched from Falicity Station and I set a course for the planet of Shell.
Within a matter of hours, we were in high orbit around Shell and I began scanning for the facility. It showed up almost immediately. From what I could tell, the facility must have been constructed long after the planet's destruction. It was situated near what used to be the planet's core, which had cooled over the centuries. But it was still rich in iron deposits and precious minerals; a treasure trove for those daring enough to face such a perilous environment.
Getting to it would be tricky. I would need to maneuver the Bear Trap around all the orbiting debris which was moving in a semi-chaotic fashion. I spent a couple of minutes trying to plan a route through it, but ultimately decided there was no way we would be able to reach the facility without taking a few hits. So I just said "screw it" and punched the throttle.
Scout and Book quickly buckled themselves in after the first rock struck the hull. At first it seemed like we weren't going to make it, but I managed to find enough openings to avoid too many impacts, and we soon set down on an adjoining landing pad connected to the facility.
I was surprised to find the facility was still powered, probably owing to the fact that its power source was a nearby fusion plant taking advantage of the abundance of radioactive minerals in the core. The designers had apparently carefully placed it and the facility in a spot where debris impacts would be rare. Indeed, looking up through the cockpit window, I could see chunks of cosmic rock shooting across the sky at terrifying speeds, but their angle tended to be such as to send them away from this location instead of towards it.
The radiation levels were as high as I expected. My ship's instruments were already starting to be affected, so we wasted no time getting our new e-suits on. As a precaution, Scout and Book take an extra dose of their anti-rads before donning theirs. With all preparations made, we stepped through the airlock into the virtual vacuum of the planet's surface.
I was disappointed to find that the previous explorers had locked the airlock behind them, perhaps planning to come back at a later date to do some more scavenging. I had to spend some time hacking the console which slowed us down a bit, but we eventually managed to get inside.
I suggested I scout ahead quietly as we moved, in case there were any security measures still in place (or left behind by the other grubs). Scout agreed, but Book reminded me that we needed to get this done as quickly as possible.
As we moved through the facility, we came across several security cameras that we had to sneak around. I wasn't sure what would happen if we got caught on any of them and I wasn't interested in finding out.
We started out in the engineering section. All of the hallways were lined with pipes and cables that fed into and out of ports and boxes embedded in the walls. In one of the rooms, I came across a locker with a canister of coolant which I pocketed, thinking it might be useful later.
We then moved into the common areas which ultimately led into operations. There we found the server room we were looking for. I personally marveled at the luck we had so far in not tripping any of the security systems.
I found the main terminal and set to work on hacking the system to give us full access. I noticed as I was sitting there that I was starting to sweat a little bit. Scout remarked that I was looking a little pale. I checked the readout at my wrist and noticed my radiation exposure was reaching a moderate level.
Fortunately it didn't take long to gain access to the system. With my part done, I got up from the terminal and let them get to work. There was a lot of data to sift through regarding accounting information, but Scout and Book weren't interested in all that. They were looking for information on procedures and operations of the financial system.
Eventually they managed to find a detailed reference manual and downloaded it to a data disc. With that taken care of, all we had to do was get back to my ship with the data and get off the crumbling rock.
Getting back to the Bear Trap was easy enough. I easily recalled where all the security cameras were and, if nothing else, our presence here went unnoticed. I was more concerned about getting into orbit without wrecking my ship. Scout and Book quickly buckled themselves in, remembering the ordeal with landing. Not wanting to waste any more time, I punched the throttle and into the orbiting debris.
The trip into high orbit was a little rougher than before. The ship took a few more hits, but I managed to avoid allowing any vital systems to be damaged. There'd be a few dents to have banged out once we were back at the station, but other than that the ship was fine.
We hung out in high orbit to gather ourselves after the whole ordeal. Scout and Book were using one of the auxiliary terminals to study the data they had found. Their reaction was a little underwhelming.
Scout explained that the manual was written using so much jargon and obscure terminology that deciphering it was proving to be a challenge. They were going to need to find someone educated in financial matters to help them make heads or tails of it. He was reluctant to give me any of the information I was looking for until they knew for sure that what they had was going to be useful.
We argued over it for a bit before I finally agreed to help them find a financial advisor. Maybe there'd be someone on Falicity Station?
And that's when all of my ships systems suddenly powered down. The auxiliary power kicked on, and when I checked the ship's diagnostics I discovered that the reactor had taken some damage from the radiation. We weren't going anywhere until I got that repaired.
There appeared to be some kind of contaminant in reaction chamber; a decayed strip of metal. Normally fixing it would be a time consuming process of flushing it out with the proper tools, but I decided it'd be faster and easier to just reach in and try to fish it out by hand. It burned a bit and the extra hit of radiation didn't help, but I managed to get the strip of metal out and within a few minutes the reactor was back up and running.
Scout gave me a shot of one of his anti-rads and said he appreciated my help in all of this. I responded with a simple nod. I really hoped this was all worth it.
With the ship back up and running, I set a course back to Falicity Station.
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