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by Aidannadia » Wed Dec 25, 2019 8:53 am
by The Empire of Tau » Fri Dec 27, 2019 1:58 pm
by Ralnis » Fri Dec 27, 2019 11:21 pm
by Elerian » Sun Dec 29, 2019 2:23 pm
Level up! You gain one trait pick and 5 investable Skill-Points!
Leon thinks back to the looks he got until the scandal was surpassed by another and they lost interest in his, but which was his.
Trait - A torrid affair: She was related to an instructor at the Academy, good peerage, nearly twice your age. Yet, secret notes, warm and yearning. Furtive assignations where desires (and other things) could be unlaced. The reports were salacious. - Gain 3 Heart and 2 Guile.
Trait - A parade of debauchery: You were a lively one when they gave you leave. Drink, more drink, brawling, gambling, slander. Spacer’s Honey. Spacer’s Honey alone, Spacer’s Honey in company. You’re lucky you didn’t get expelled during those months. - Gain 3 Guile and 2 Brawn.
(Five points into Brain, and pick Torrid Affair)
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Wed Jan 01, 2020 8:33 am
Mei Nakama
Strange sounds, similar to static and the grind of ancient machinery still laboring to some forgotten purpose could be heard in the distance, emitted from some place deep inside the ruins. The pale while lights of Mei's expedition fixed into the inky darkness of the hallway, illuminating only dark metallic walls before the light was completely absorbed by the dark. The only was forward was through the halls and so that is where they went, with Mei walking confidently at the head of the small column of faithful acolytes. As they moved further and further, the occasional pillar rose from the floor, projecting a deep green light above itself, they were not afraid, such "lamps" were relatively common in Builder ruins. Their footsteps, once the only source of sound except for the occasional drip-drop of water was now mixing with much more audible sounds of ancient machinery somewhere in the distance. Soon after that, their lamps struck a large gate at the end of the hallway. It took a while but with the proper incantations and prayers to awaken the machines of the ancients, they finally managed to get the gate to open with a terrible grinding sound. They walked on and almost immediately found themselves on a platform looking out over a vast chamber in a deep chasm, pyramid-like structures of dark metal laced with shimmering green patterns rose both from the floor and fell from the ceiling, illuminated by bluish lights. An eerie and haunting sight to be sure, it seemed like a large, dead reactor-chamber though Mei wasn't quite sure, she would need more information on that. But if those structures were indeed generators, whatever this place was it must have consumed immense amount of power to run. The was only one way to go, over bridges and alongside ledges. So that is where the faithful walked along their path. Then, they stopped. Something sounded like... steps, a voice? Could someone be down here...?
Samuel Bridge Iron
Sam and the Commander spoke for a long time, it made a good impression on both the attending representatives of the local authorities who seemed impressed by Sam's eagerness to learn and be of use. The Ylem militia didn't use much ammunition, at least not until the attack of the armada and the time after, sometimes splinters of the armada tried to conduct hit and run raids against the planet bu those could mostly be repelled with lighter weapons. Thus, handheld weapons had the most ammunition expenditure, they didn't have much artillery to speak of, except some light cannon mounted on light wheeled trucks, and mortars used by fire-support units. Only a few dozen anti-air laser cannons were present, mostly defending Discovery and some surrounding towns and important installations. Supplies were overwhelmingly transported by wheeled trucks as the militia had access to little other vehicles than that and a few wings of small, durable dropships. The food supplied was of decent quality and well-cooked when at base, when deployed they mostly had to settle for bland nutrient blocks. While on the topic of food, well, Ylem had been a net exporter with significant surplus before the attack, now many farmers had fled into the cities and returned to find their farms either dilapidated or destroyed. Thus, production of food was significantly lower and some imports had to be acquired until the farms are up and running at full capacity. It was a heavy blow to the economy which largely depended on export of either raw or processed foodstuffs. Most of the factories in the larger cities were just that, food processing plants and the service sector was still relatively limited, most people were farmers tending large estates with the help of good-quality machines and UAV's for soil-monitoring and other tasks. Now however many farmers had lost equipment such as tractors, ag-drones and the like. Mining was rather limited as were other, heavier industries but some refineries could be found in and around Discovery. Staple foods were among the various grains, vegetables and meats grown and husbanded on the planet, imports (until now) were simply unnecessary, fishing was a rather peripheral industry and while people used to be well fed but after the attack, after farms lay abandoned and refugees streamed to the planet they got about 1500 calories per day. The enemy was hard to pinpoint, they were on the move and striking new targets in other systems within the sector, periodically some returned to attack Ylem but these lesser incursions could often be beaten back with sufficient warning. The Armada had been cobbled together by an influential pirate commander Faeran Illuvian, head of the group of outcast emyaar corsairs known as the Void Specters. He had managed to get other commanders and individual pirate captains to join him to go on a great pillaging attack, plundering and laying waste to an entire sector with a combined armada of some 120 ships. They were spread out however and Illuvian control of them was always tenuous at best. If they were to face heavy resistance or if Illuvian was to be killed or lose his respect the armada would probably scatter in a dozen different directions. After the attack on Ylem, it seemed he had given his pirates leave to strike weaker targets and settlements all over the cluster, leading to chaos and destruction. However, several space-lanes remained relatively safe as the pirate had already attacked the nearby colonies and moved on. Illuvian especially had to keep the two Ulthar brothers Dharlak and Bremak Gegraros on his side, as their Six Blades armada of over thirty ships was the second largest component group by far. As the meeting went on, Carnegie and some of Samuel's crew walked the second hand ship vendor's offices and even payed a visit to the local shipbreaking yard. They did find a vendor who had two Suvura 3300 Light Freighters for sale, each costing around 10 000 credits. They also found a discount Kelerah K-100 Pike for only 9500 credits as well, however the ship had suffered significant damage during the pirate attack on the planet and was missing it's missile launch bay. In order to build up a fleet Sam would probably have to do a few delivery runs before amassing enough cash to get the ball rolling. But when it did, it could very well become a springboard to greatness for the young man from Qharlaq's underslums. The risk was great, but the founding of a successful merchant fleet for Ylem would make him a very, very important man on the planet in the future, his wealth would give him influence and secure a life far from the deprivation he experienced on his homeworld.
Kyr Mirhorn Van
The Dunkidor searched all throughout their ship and finally found an old discarded hand-terminal belonging to a clanmember long since gone. The local law enforcement agencies were significantly more organized here than on most Outer Rim worlds with little colonies having only a few local town sheriffs and their deputies. Best be careful if it was doubtful one had enough credits or valuables to bribe the Chascan police. The call went smoothly, a time and place for a meeting had been set up at a small restaurant downtown, the contact the smugglers gave them insisted that Kyr comes alone and unarmed, she can have two companions, but they'll have to wait outside the establishment for the duration of the meeting. Although one can never be quite sure, it didn't seem that dangerous, this underground artifact dealer didn't have much over interest in crossing Kyr and her crew. The meeting should be perfectly safe and the chief hoped this dealer would be able to point them in the right direction. Kyr dressed in as fine an outfit as she could put together, she had to look the part as a representative of a mighty Thulean war-chief. Taking two of her clan-mates she left the docks and after a quick ride by aircab they arrived at their destination. A small building completely in the shadow of great feats of architecture, the smell of the food was quite good even though this place was obviously not the most expensive. As her two crewmen waited outside, Kyr entered and the attendant immediately approached. This dealer was obviously well-connected with this little place, perhaps even ran it as a front for her more illicit dealings. Even though she was the only alien in the restaurant, the local Ellireans paid her little mind and simply continued their conversations, huddling around their own tables as waitresses emerged from the kitchen serving fresh-looking salads and spicy shellfish. The Ellirean artifact dealer was well-dressed and sat in a booth where vine plants with sweetly smelling flowers climbed the wickerwork hanging from the ceiling above the large table, obviously reservations only. Kyr put on her best act, it had never been her strongest suit but it was enough to coax out that apparently, there was one "supplier" that recently aquired exactly what Kyr's imaginary Thulean warlord was looking for, what a happy coincidence. This gang however rarely dealt with customers directly, so no matter how much Kyr tried to get the dealer to tell her how to find them, the Ellirean couldn't say, she didn't know. Or at least that's what she said. She could not point them to any hideout or base from which they operated. But she could give them information on a few of them, the one who would handle delivering their artifacts to sell at the underground auctions, and, she gave her the date and place of the next auction. If Kyr wanted to, she can go and speak to them herself, but the dealer doubted they'd get a direct deal.
Skill-check: 64 - Small Success.
Leon Tchaikovsky
Leon crawled into his small bunk, exhaling and feeling the stiff tension in his calves and shoulders finally, gradually ease. He hadn't been back to the ship for a long time, walking the deserts and following the strange, whispering guidance of the paracasual had led him across the dunes searching for something, anything, a sign to point the way forward. Was this it? Had he been dragged back and forth across the deserts to meet with these archaeologists from one of the inner galaxy's greater powers? One that was a long-standing rival to the Imperium Galaxis that he had given so much to preserve and defend from enemies internal and external. Indeed, he had given to quarter to traitors, deserters, defeatists and other enemies of the Imperium. Anyone he caught abandoning his duty to the Emperor could count on nothing but ruination if they were unlucky enough to cross the path of Admiral Tchaikovsky, Scourge of the Outer Worlds. Well... that was in the past, now... what was even happening now? So many traitors and opportunists clawing at the carcass of the Imperium Galaxis, the Hemoh and the Ellireans getting ready for the race between them for who would claim the title of preeminent power in the Galaxy. He was torn from his thoughts by a sharp pain in his head, he needed to rest and recuperate from the physical exertion brought by casting such powerful incants earlier. He spent the next few days mostly sleeping, eating and meditating, channeling the healing powers of the Paracasual through his body, the undo the damage done from his exertions. When he finally felt ready to move out again, he was intrigued by the vast structure he had passed on his way, a landmark that had guided him many times. He powered up the ship and used his comm-link to let T'Kess know that he would be checking the place out, see if it could be entered and then come by to report his finding and speak on how his help would best suit the expedition. The Shadow of Doubt then darted above the red dunes only for a few minutes before he found himself by the vast, tapering structure. Cracked red stone rose high, columns and statues laid broken and half buried in the sand. The ancient gate was shut however and the control pad next to it completely dead, no chance getting in. Well, that was until he went back to his ship and took it for a fly-by around the structure, apparently someone had blasted a hole through one of the walls and there was enough space on the nearby platform to land a pinnace and enter the building.
Gain 800 credits.
by Ralnis » Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:49 am
by The Empire of Tau » Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:37 pm
by Aidannadia » Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:08 pm
by Elerian » Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:42 pm
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:25 am
Kyr Mirhorn Van
Kyr's crewmates filed out of the Battered Fly on went on their respective missions in the streets of they city. It only took a few hours before the team she had sent to the address sent some pictures back to Kyr which she promptly pulled up on a holoprojector aboard the ship. It looked like a relatively normal office building, eight floors, built sleek and elegant as could be expected on an Ellirean world. There was a garage as well as a number of entrances on ground level and probably a landing pad for aircars and vtols on the roof, if not that there had to be a service entrance there. Was one of these companies somehow involved in the underground trade of rare alien artifacts? Or was one simply a dealer's front organisation used to provide an unseemly location for illegal auctions after the sun sets. Regardless, the ducks stayed outside, working in shifts they observed the building from different angles and at different times. After the end of the day when the workers filed out, only some remained, casually dressed but with a way of carrying themselves that said they were more than ready for trouble. The dunkidor mercenaries could see them passing near windows, standing near the garage entrance. Obviously guards. Sometimes, aircars and small pickup trucks came in the middle of the night, under the careful eyes of a Clan Van scout keeping watch from a noisy nearby cantina catering to after-work parties. Those eyes spied the gang's delivery team exiting a vehicles on a late night, making small-talk with a black-clad guardswoman outside before the doors opened and the vehicle went in. One day after, the same vehicle returned again alongside several others. Indeed, this is the spot. In the meantime Zax had been putting his tech-savvy fingers to work on Chascas nets, compiling all the information he could dig up about the building and the companies working from there. Luckily he had managed to get a rather good holoprint of the building. It was three days before the auction was set to begin. Both the thieves who had stolen to goods they were after and other shady Ellireans had been coming and going from the building. Kyr's clan-members had counted at least eight guards in the building during the night. Armed with handguns, though there was a possibility they had something heavier in a stash somewhere inside. They did look unarmored, but could be wearing shield generators under their clothes. Well, that and they didn't know where the artifacts were stored, a Dunkidor would have been sticking out like a sore thumb in that building. It was up to Kyr to decide how to proceed, should they try to sneak in and steal the artifacts back? Would they try to capture a guard and question her for information where to auction goods were kept? Would they try to enter undercover and try to find the storage room? There were many ways to go about this after all.
Skill check: 84 - Large Success
Samuel Bridge Iron
Life on Ylem proceeded slowly, Carnegie payed for the meds to re-stock their little medical bay, after all, one never knew what kind of accidents one might run into out there in the vast void. After sending a message to Brudos on his hand-terminal. It took some time for the man to respond, he was probably hard at work with the task Samuel had given him. It was only in the evening that Carnegie got a reply, it was good but truth be told he had hoped for more progress. It seemed that Brudos´ initial work had gone better than expected, the xenobiologist was relatively certain that he was looking at seeds of Gilderwood, a species of tree originating on the Outer-Rim garden world of Ohosan. These vast trees have since spread to many worlds both across the Inner and Outer Rims of the Galaxy as Gilderwood is much prized for both it's durability and for the gleaming, golden-like strands that shoot through the wood. Some of the heaviest, most durable machinery in the timber industry is needed to fell those behemoths. Meanwhile, as Sam's meeting was nearing it's end he was given a number of possible delivery missions to attend to, the state would first and foremost like to use his ship to transport either a cargo of nutripaste which would be distributed to the most needy in the refugee camps where there is a notable undercurrent of discontent at how the embattled authorities are handling the refugee crisis. The paste is to be picked up on the planet of Zophon, not that far away and in addition to the 800 credits which would be payed to Sam, another 200 could be given as a possible bonus for a timely delivery. The other is a long trip to Noctis Station where a cargo of combat drones purchased for the militia was waiting. They would help the local forces cover ground and patrol areas where occasional pirate ground made landfall in order to respond quickly and efficiently. The long distance and greater danger of second mission also made it more rewarding 1650 credits would be payed to Sam's accound if he were to get the drones back to Ylem in one piece. Sam could choose either one of these or perhaps ask for another delivery mission, soon it would be time for takeoff once again however, and as the captain returned to his ship, Carnegie informed him of the progress made by Brudos on the analysis of the seeds they had brought. Then, he also asked if they crew could receive a small bonus payment of 50 credits, they figured they would be leaving soon and were eager to enjoy a good night out in a local spacer's cantina near the port before leaving.
- 65 Credits: Med-bay recharged.
Mei Nakama
The group of cultists was surprised at what they saw, a lone Hemoh child caught in the bright shine of their flashlights. Some of the colonists must have managed to actually open the ancient doors with their blasphemous, careless ways, paying no regard to the proper rites and prayers giving heed to the spirits of the holy place. While the child was clearly not a threat to Mei and her well-equipped shore-party but it was unlikely for him to be here by himself. There had to be more of them around here somewhere, perhaps well equipped enough to actually pose a threat if they mistake them for pirate raiders. The child immediately froze like an animal caught in the light of a vehicle, waiting for the impact. Mei kept her composure however and knelt, stretching a hand out to the small being before them. One of Mei's devoted acolytes took a few slow, cautious steps to the side, connecting a scanner to his datapad and sweeping it in a slow motion back and forth gathering readings on one of the vast, dormant pyramidal structures that rose around them. While Mei tried speaking to the child, her acolyte forwarded the results from his scans to her hand-terminal for her to review later. After the initial scan, the reading seemed to confirm the constructs as the same type of anti-matter reactors that could be found in most Builder ruins. Many theorized that only a handful of these mighty constructs would be enough to supply a heavily urbanized Inner Rim world with twice the power it needed, being far superior to the Plasma Fusion that had powered most of the galaxy for millennia.
"I don't know... the minders will be so angry if they find out that I was exploring..." The little Hemoh said. "And the elders will be scared, you've got so many guns. What if they think you're with the bad people?" It said, looking up at Mei anxiously. "You're not with them right? Maybe I could tell our minder that you're here, and they can come and talk to you?" The young Hemoh said, still frightened but seemingly willing to help in some capacity at least.
Skill-check: 67 - Small Success.
Leon Tchaikovsky
Leon stood tall on the platform as the powerful winds tugged at his form. Regardless, he relaxed and focused deep within himself, feeling the familiar sensation as he was enveloped by the strange winds of the Paracasual which soon flowed around him, colorful and lively, invisible to anyone who did not possess the psionic gift, the ability to tap in to this hyperdimensional plane of existence. His inner eye opened as his physical ones rolled back, a dull glow emanating from behind his eyelids, as he coasted through strange dark places in the Beyond, his body rose from the platform, levitating slightly above, his arms outstretched. He looked back, he looked forward and he looked below. He saw them, the ancient Rakodans walking in the halls with some strange container, heavy and bolted shut, hovering forward above the floor thanks to it's contragravitic generator. What was inside Leon could neither see nor feel, at least not yet. Then, he saw the Rakodans gathered around some sort of stasis tank, what was inside was hidden from view, but one of the onlookers placed his hand, long fingers grazing the plexite in a clear gesture of reverence. Then, then Leon saw ancient thoughts, ancient memories of battles long forgotten, glories long faded, of knives in the dark and warm blood washing over hand and vibroblade. Then, his view fixed on the stasis tank for one last time before the room shifted, it became dark, dilapidated. But he felt no danger, saw no ancient guardians. Perhaps any machines like the combat robots he and the Ellireans had run into in the ruined mansion had all been lost to time and decay in this place. And who, or what was in the tank. The being whose memories he had glimpsed, was it still there... was it still alive and what was it?
Skill-check: 93 - Great Success!
by The Empire of Tau » Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:30 pm
by Elerian » Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:58 pm
by Ralnis » Thu Jan 09, 2020 3:23 pm
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Sun Jan 12, 2020 6:23 am
Samuel Bridge Iron
Carnegie and the rest of Sam's crew lit up with pleased smiles. "Three cheers for the captain!" Carnegie shouted and the crew answered with three hurrahs before leaving the ship and disappearing into the spaceport making their way toward the cantinas for a night of revelry and carousing. Sam knew that they would likely be slow in the morning, another day of rest would be more than welcome, but they had an important delivery to make on time in order to feed them mouths that streamed to the planet from nearby systems in the cluster. Huddling together in makeshift camps of tents and prefabs, they were spread across Ylem, listless, restless and many were desperate for work, news and basic resources needed for survival. Food and medicine was running low in the camps as few traders would risk going to the cluster with the threat of the Pirate Armada in the region. While his crew were out living it up and enjoying themselves, Sam stayed behind in the silent hallways and rooms of his freighter quickly reading up on his destination to get a better idea of what kind of place he was going to, as long as they could keep away from the cutthroat politics that seemed to swirl on the planet just like the waves of it's vast oceans, well... they should be fine Sam hoped. They would need to land at the spaceport in Point Bravery, one of the many small city-states that vied for control over the planet's habitable land. There they would need to make contact with the local representatives to hand over the payment he would be carrying on behalf of Ylem's government and load the food aboard the ship. Some kind of mix of fish and kelp, nutritious sure, but Sam had his doubts if it was at all palatable. He had enough of processed nutriblocks back on Qharlaq to last him a lifetime.
- 100 credits.
Morale rises! The crew is pleased with your command.
Leon Tchaikovsky
Lost in though, phasing in and out between past and present Leon felt the tears welling up inside, he felt his chest constrict, piles of human bodies on Krieg, piles of Farrasqui bodies on Szzenche. The flowers of his homeworld were feeding on the blood of millions, growing in crimson fields where crumbling ruins, once a testament to the enterprising spirit of humanity and to alien covetousness alike were now slowly being consumed by nature. As far as he knew, the planet had never been resettled since the twin exterminations... The very though of it made him sick, made him ragingly angry and broke his spine all at once. He couldn't bear it any more, he fled, fled his pain, his anger, he fled into the darkness of the vast building, he ran down the hallway tears welling while his throat ached, demanding he cry, just cry it all out. The long hallway eventually ended and there, the former Admiral sat down on the floor and sobbed, surrounded by dusty pillars, broken stone benches and faded murals illuminated by the ruddy glow of a few still functioning lights. It took him a while to notice that, but when he did he realized that there was still something powering the building through a decaying network. That meant, perhaps, that whatever had been in the stasis-tank was still... still here. He descended further down the steps of an ancient staircase leading down into the depths of the structure. He passed through broken hallways and corridors, thank all things holy it wasn't built as a maze. Leon could easily find his way back up again. Nor did he run into any kind of automated security system along the way, no drones, no droids barred his way with laser guns ready to fry his innards to a crisp. No, it was actually calm in there, peaceful even if one could forget the sound of wind moaning drearily down the hallways from tears and holes in the crumbling structure. He could admire the lost beauty of this place in full. But then, then he finally reached his destination. A room, high walls painted over with faded murals, a stone walkway leading up to a pedestal rising from the floor. Upon it stood a stasis tank, the liquid gray and murky. He would need to get closer and as he did, he saw a light flash... it still had power.
Kyr Mirhorn Van
A once battered clan now made their way out of their ship with determination in their eyes, the youths who joined back on Port Noctis walked with the feathers puffed out in confidence. The elder ducks had told them of their attack on the pirate corvette and the youths were now eager to add their own glories to the tale of Clan Van. Kyr noted to herself that she would need to keep and extra look on the younglings to make sure they don't do anything too impulsive or stupid in the heat of the moment. When the bullets start flying even the most experienced fighter could let the adrenaline rush go to their head. It was her duty as the chief to make sure they all went out there and brought back glory, not martyrs and bodies. Kyr hoped the gods smiled on them today as they exited the vehicle they hired to get there, parking two blocks away before they slowly made their way toward the building. It was night, business had stopped and the vast office complexes had largely emptied out, only those who wished to drown their workday in drink remained at the small bars and cantinas in the area, music and laughter spilling out on the well lit streets where holoboards and vast screens projected commercials and advertisements at all hours of day and night alike. Finally, they arrived at their destination, the small office block rising in the distance, eclipsed and overshadowed by much larger, grander constructions. They stood and looked over the building, checking the corners and the windows to get a look at where they guards happened to be. A few ducks took a walk around, checking the building from various angles. The only place where they could see any guards was at the loading dock where deliveries would come in. Three in total, the rest of the building looked clear. Now Kyr had to choose which of the entrances to use and it fell on one of the side entries. The main door was too conspicuous and if the garage was where the deliveries came in, they could expect heavy security on the other side. They quickly made their way across the street and down a side-alley, lining up by the door as Zax took out his hand-terminal and connected it to the panel near the door. Kyr did the same and checked over the schematics another time. Soon, they heard a beep and the panel flashed with green light. Zax had gotten into the system in no-time. He slowly opened the door and the ducks made their way into a austere hallway before arriving at two glass door which slowly slid open to greet them. They found themselves in a lobby, a stair leading upward to more offices the likes of which surrounded them. Now, Kyr looked at her hand-terminal and pulled up the schematics Zax had managed to download, there were no guards in sight, where did they keep their goods?
Skill-check: 82 - Large Success!
by Ralnis » Sun Jan 12, 2020 5:36 pm
by Zjaum » Mon Jan 13, 2020 4:15 pm
by The Empire of Tau » Wed Jan 15, 2020 8:46 pm
by Elerian » Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:43 pm
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Sun Jan 19, 2020 3:00 pm
Kyr Mirhorn Van
The ducks fanned out, stepping across the sterile, well-polished floor after checking the walls for any security cameras. Moving in precise patterns they got around to get a better view of the area, the security chief had to have their office around here somewhere. The mercenaries were careful in their movements to avoid any possible patrols and automated security systems, it was probably not too far fetched that competitors would have been interested in stealing corporate secrets, however, that is not why they were here, they had come to steal something completely different. Kyr was carefully looking through Zax´s schematics and there it was, the security chief's office about five floors up and slightly suspended out over the lobby, allowing the chief a good view of the area had she been there. Luckily, the office seemed dark, only the ruddy orange glow of holographic displays left on could be seen through the window. If they were on it could only mean one of two things, either the chief was here tonight or she had self the system on but locked down. Checking there was a good bet on where to find what they were looking for. It was unlikely, no, borderline impossible for the whole auction operation to go on without the involvement of the guards. The ducks slowly made their way up the stairs, passing sterile hallways and glass-walled offices until they finally arrived at their destination. The door was code-locked but Zax was seemingly riding high today and he cracked the code shortly after hooking up his hand-terminal. They entered slowly but the room was empty, only the holoscreens cast a dim orange glow across the neatly organized office, and they were locked down forcing Zax to get back to it. But after he did, and succeeded, Kyr had to stifle a small cheer from her clan-mates. The storage room was in the basement, near one of the main parking garages. After looking at the security cameras they counted three guards outside, all armored with light armor and carrying what looked like SMG's but there were likely more of them around. They knew where to go, but now they had to go there, and deal with the security. Either by creating a distraction or by going head-on... it was all up to the chieftain.
Search Luck: 71 - Large Success
T'kra Tyawerai
The vast dunes that spread out all around them were hot, dry and windy. T'kra doubted anyone would ever have set any kind of permanent footprint on this planet if not for the valuable resources that could readily by harvested with cheap gear after the eruption of a sciligeyser. The three Werai women looked up into the skies above, enjoying the sight of the looming gas-giant that the world orbited and the nebula beyond, visible even now, the wondrous nature of space could always amaze even the most rugged voidfarer from time to time. After all, it was infinite in it's scope. As the winds whirled around above them under a nearly cloudless sky, the women got to work. Keyu and Roai made their way up to the abandoned campsite, a number of prefab housing units stacked on top of each other, surrounded by an equally prefabricated wall which had evidently taken a beating from the planet's occasional fierce sandstorms. Inside there was little, no movement, no signs of life. The place looked like it had been abandoned for months. Everything was covered in yellow dust. Under a pitched cover a large rover stood parked. Strange, people usually didn't leave expensive vehicles like this behind. The two Werai women entered the prefabs and saw old furniture strewn about, there were a number of large dents in the floor but no old dried bloodstains and no bodies. There were things to find though, they managed to find a few crates of spare parts in good condition and rip some valuable wiring from the walls. In a locker they also found three Foehammer laser pistols. The place was strange and they didn't quite like the feel of it. T'kra on the other hand had made a strange discovery indeed, the basalt rocks were no rocks, they were in fact strange black metal structures, long dead lines once lit shot through the metal, possible once lights. T'kra had no idea what she was looking at, had she stumbled upon the ruins of some ancient civilization?
Scavenger's Luck: 97 - Great Success! 3 Foehammer laser pistols acquired / 300 credits worth of Salvage acquired.
Samuel Bridge Iron
The trip was relatively uneventful, Sam's little freighter passed dead systems with no habitable worlds and with access to similar resources in much more hospitable places. Airless rocks with little in the way of ores, frozen gasses or water ice to warrant building any kind of permanent colonies. Every now and then they passed the burned out hulks of freighters left to drift in the darkness of the void, ships who had fallen victim to the tendrils of the pirate armada. There was little to find as the wrecks had probably already been stripped of anything even remotely valuable by the pirates that had waylayed them. Sam knew better than to linger here, it was best to use the fact that he had invested in heat-sinks for the ship to leave places like this as soon as possible. After a few FTL cruises and Warp-Gate jumps they finally arrived in orbit above Zophon, the vast blue water-ball was located in a largely unremarkable system, near the star there was a hothouse world with a crushing atmosphere and little of note and further out there was a methane-ammonia gas giant, making the system largely dependent on fuel import for ship as Zophon's infrastructure was largely powered by tidal-wave generators. Samuel hailed the flight control of Point Bravery, stating his name, his ship's registry number and his mission, providing the credentials he had been given by Ylem's authorities as a representative of the planet's merchant fleet. With such credentials how could they refuse him. Sam was quickly directed to a starport and after being allocated a berth number and coordinates Samuel's freighter darted through the heavy cloud cover and descended toward the planet. A fierce storm had descended on the area but Sam's freighter had little trouble making it to it's destination. The city of Point Bravery was constructed out a number of sturdy circular towers upon which they could spot heavy laser guns. The tower rose out of a large complex built to withstand the storms, high winds and attacks from rivaling city-states that scrambled for usable land and underwater ore deposits with equal ferocity. As the small freighter closed in, a large hermetic gate opened on the roof, allowing the ship access to the docking berth. As Sam's ship set down and the gate above closed, they had barely finished the landing procedure before two Salunri men in well-cut suits with small pins fastened above the outer chest pocket, each resembling the crest of Point Bravery. These had to be the representatives Sam was here to meet regarding the good, something sure made them eager to meet with him quickly...
Leon Tchaikovsky
The tank hissed as ancient hydraulics spun into action, the life-supporting liquid within was slowly and steadily being pumped out as the lights flickered, ancient wiring and connection devices finally giving out after this one last surge of power through them. As the tank drained more and more of it's liquid Leon could finally see the being that was trapped withing it, a large humanoid figure slumped forward, restrained from falling against the see-through composite by a number of strong straps tied over it's arms, legs, chest and stomach. He could see scar tissue covering the being, much of it was far too uniform and intricate in appearance to have been marks from battle, whoever this creature was, it must have practiced some kind of ritual scarification. It did not look like one of the ancient Rakodans Leon had seen when looking back into the distant past in his third eye, this being was tall and hulking, strongly muscled with crude-looking cybernetic implants clearly visible on it's powerful frame. It was almost reptilian in a way with dark grayish skin, sharp-looking claws and a lamprey-like mouth. With a strange blare from a long-ruined sound device the liquid had finally been drained from the tank and with another hissing noise, the composite slid away to the side of the tank while the straps retracted, the creature opened it's eyes groggily before taking a shaky step forward, falling out of the tank and landing on the dusty stone floor with a loud thud, it certainly was heavy. It roared, or shouted? Clearly distressed about the situation, it covered it's eyes and looked around trying to get up and eventually managing to get upright. It looked around, right to left and back, before it's eyes fell on Leon. It fixed it gaze and emitted to ululating noise, it then roared loudly and tensed up, powerful muscles bulging, looking as if it would leap at the old man any second now...
by Ralnis » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:23 am
by Zjaum » Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:27 am
by The Empire of Tau » Tue Jan 21, 2020 7:50 pm
by Aidannadia » Wed Jan 22, 2020 2:17 pm
by The National Dominion of Hungary » Tue Jan 28, 2020 2:16 pm
Kyr Mirhorn Van
The Ducks move out and Kyr formulates a plan to draw the guards away. With Zax in the system, he could remain behind and track the guards as they, at least in Kyr's hopes, take the bait and go on a wild goose chase across the building. As Kyr laid out the details of her plan, the mercenaries huddled up with one of the ducks keeping watch outside the office and Zax probing through the cameras and security systems. Clan Van would try lead the guards away from the store room, but for that they needed a volunteer to act as bait, leading the Ellirean guards by the nose and as soon as the chieftain said so, each and every one of her eager young clan members raised their feathers and puffed themselves out but Kyr needed to make sure the job is done right so she sent one of her new recruits as well as one of her seasoned clan-members from the raid on the Wicked Grin to make sure everything is done right. The mercenaries file out of the office and sneak down the hallways with Zax connecting his and Kyr's hand-terminals to the security system so they could keep an eye on the guards. When they arrived near the store-room, the two volunteers slowly set about putting the plan into action, moving over to a nearby security camera which quickly captured the movement and sent out an alert to all guards. Soon, Kyr could see three guards from outside the storeroom running in the direction of the distraction. The Dunkidor tried to move in quickly, but Kyr then spotted more guards arriving, two of them from a side corridor to reinforce the storeroom and... shit. More were coming from a side corridor and would soon be upon them, as they heard their footsteps they could hear a shout. "You there, don't fucking move!" The guards rounded a corner, a gunshot rang out and a flash of light lit up as the shield of the rearmost Dunkidor mercenary deflected the shot which struck a glass wall of a conference room which now fell apart in chiming rain of shards.
Skill-check: 28 - Failure
Samuel Bridge Iron
Samuel quickly finished his business meeting with the two local representatives, both seemed to want to be done with the whole thing as soon as possible but it would take some time for the funds to clear and the food still needed to be transported from the storage building where it was being kept up to the spaceport where workers in exoskeletons would take the heavy containers aboard and stow them in the cargo hold. The amount of money it would cost was rather substantial, of course it was the Ylemi government's money that was paying for it but still, Sam had to admit that he felt a sense of satisfaction and confidence at the thought of watching his little ship's cargo hold being filled to the brim with supplies for the first time, looking exactly how it was supposed to look. As steady work went on, he would be able to use his funds and the trust and respect of Ylem's authorities to make himself a man of great importance on the planet if he were to put his sharp wit, silver tongue and the strength of his back into it, aye, now that would be something. As the talk of business faded, small-talk filled the void as the two Salunri reps left the ship, one stopped for a while, offering the human an opportunity to get to know the local nightlife in order to "foster a better trade relationship between two worlds". He told Sam that he could get him, and his crew into a good lounge near the central parts of the colony. Just bring a suit.
Mei Nakama
The survivors thanked them, eager for news, any news really about their compatriots. Even if they found that they were all gone, then they could at least start grieving properly. The galaxy was a fickle thing, it took away as easily as it gave and sometimes, just as it could give you all, it could also take everything you held dear. As the cultists slowly made their way back through the dark ruins to their ship which awaited them above, Mei thanked the Ancients with a prayer. One couldn't forget to pay the proper respects to the lost spirits of this ancient holy place for the great bounty they had bestowed upon the faithful. They finally reached the surface and emerged from the ruins under the starry night sky. While the days were terribly warm, the nights were equally cold and Mei led her little expedition back aboard. There, she led a prayer-service as the cultists rejoiced at the finding and praised the exalted name of the ancients. Now, there was much to do, after the service was complete she informed them of what had transpired in the ruins, they had found survivors from the colony and Mei agreed to help them look for signs of other survivors and what had become of the colony. Now there were two things that they could do, first was to go to the location of the main settlement, graciously sent to Mei's hand-terminal by the arkon, or they could first go up into the black void once more and investigate the wrecked colony-ship that drifted in the vast darkness above. They could of course split up and try to do both at once, but that would mean greater risk if anything dangerous was still around. But, by this time the pirates would have left, right?
by Aidannadia » Fri Jan 31, 2020 1:07 pm
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