No.731554[Last 50 Posts]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYUF74K93IYIt is a lawless time in the galaxy. The recent years of war and turmoil have led to a fractured, chaotic society, rife with warlords, crime empires, private corporations, and other vying powers trying to stake their claims on this new wild world. The Republic of Selen, following their triumph over the Helian Empire, struggle to maintain their hold over the Realms.
In these times, mercenary outfits have become more and more common, hired by all manner of powerful figures to undertake whatever tasks need be. Spacers are a common sight, wandering from place to place, doing whatever work needs done, no questions asked. Groups of these mercenaries have formed, freelance, unaffiliated unions with little ties between its members.
It is to the best known of these, the Spacers' Guild, that our protagonists seek to pledge to, in hopes of ekeing out a living among the stars…
No.731555
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va4OyeQHbr8You are currently aboard a space shuttle, heading towards a well known space station. Delphi, as it is called, is a popular destination for would be spacers like yourselves, especially those seeking to join the Guild. Through various channels, you've come to hear of a particularly well off Guild member who manages employment who can be found on Delphi. All you have to go on to get in contact with this individual is a name and a place: Ochi Rill, in the Rho District of Delphi. This shuttle, traveling from a nearby planet, will take you there, but finding this Ochi person will be up to you if you wish to take Guild work.
The shuttle itself is no thing of beauty; a rickety, practically built spacecraft, little more than a flying rectangle with a main hold for the passengers. The seats are uncomfortable and cramped, but luckily, there are few others on board. Apart from the four of you, there are two others traveling to Delphi. One is a Dog in a wide brimmed black hat, fast asleep in a corner, while the other is a pegasus with a few cybernetic enhancements, currently entertaining herself watching a program via some sort of hologram emitter. Neither of them seem to be paying much attention to you.
Tinny, calm electronic music warbles from the speakers of the shuttle, barely audible unless you're paying close attention. A monitor hanging from the ceiling displays the time till arrival: one hour. The windows nearby offer a view of space, though there isn't much to look at save for the usual stars and planets. At the far end, a machine with a display depicting a cheerful looking mare in a maid costume offers a variety of food and drink for the trip, for inexpensive prices.
With relatively little to do between now and the arrival, it occurs to you it might be a good idea to get to know your fellow passengers a bit better. You are all strangers to each other, for now.
No.731557
>>731555https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqkC9i5PEAohttps://pastebin.com/RhDU6hrnThe rather imposing figure of the dragon in her armor was rendered a bit lacking in impact for two reasons. The first was her being stuck in a tiny seat and trying to peer at what the pegasus was doing.
The second was a bit harder to determine but if one listened closely they could hear some rather odd bouncing and bubbling music coming from the inside of her helmet.
No.731559
>>731555https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnA7SQMl7WMhttps://pastebin.com/RACAq6YjGale, a purple griffon clad in a simple dark blue coat and rimmed glasses, leans uneasily against a wall of the spacecraft. In his claw he holds a single florin, flipping it between his claws, as if he was trying to tie the gold coin around a finger like a ring. There's concern in his eyes, but also a composure. In his mind, he tries to recall what led to this point.
Three days ago, I was in a casino penthouse. Three hours ago, I was facedown on a sidewalk. Three minutes ago, I went over all of this in my head for the fifth time."Well, suppose I'll go first. Good a time as any to get to know eachother. Name's Gale. Thirty-nine years old and twenty-two years of the finest, less-than-legal "mercenary" work. I don't think we all need to know much else about me."
No.731560
>>731559The dragon jumped lightly as his speaking had somehow startled her. She cleared her throat and deepened her voice in an attempt to make herself sound a bit tougher
"I'm Areia, I'm out here trying to show my stuff." she said flexing a bicep a bit awkwardly from her cramped position as her scales barely caught the dim light that reached her current seat.
No.731561
>>731557You manage to look over to what the pegasus is doing. Despite her rather rough and tumble appearance, with a dark red duster coat and a glowing red cyborg left eye, she appears to be watching some sort of soap opera featuring a whole slew of robots. She doesn't notice you staring at first, but edges away defensively and keeps to herself.
>>731559As you break the awkward silence, the Dog in the hat stirs slightly in his sleep, and the mare just gives you a little glance and a nod, but little more. They both seem intent on minding their own business.
No.731562
>>731559"Hmn?" Vandal's ear flicks as she looks up, "Vandal or V. I punch baddies. I can't decide my favorite color but pastels are nice."
No.731563
>>731559The elk looks over to the griffon, and clears his throat before saying "Fir. I'm a, ah… mercenary, I guess. I used to work security."
His armor is a dull, steelish-gray, and doesn't seem to have a helmet. His antlers have been shed or cut off low to his head, likely to make it a little easier for the hulking elk to fit into a ship.
No.731564
>>731561>>731562>>731563The dragons attention turned back to the Pegasus only to scowl under her helmet when she saw that robots were involved and she got up to pace off the distaste in her throat at the sight.
She made her way to the snack dispensary and used some of her limited funds to buy a gem flavored soda for herself, grabbing a straw as she didn't wish to remove her helmet at the moment "So…" she began keeping the slightly forced gruff tone "Take it that you guys are mainly in this for money then?"
No.731565
>>731564Vandal's tail flicks back and forth sticking out of a hole in her shredded pants, tilting her head at the dragon. "Are there other reasons?"
No.731566
>>731564"Mmm. Old work dried up, so I figured a change of profession might be a good way to do it." he says, checking the space above his head. He'll also check a few of the others in the ship, just to see if they're watching.
No.731567
>>731566[1d10] He'll take a chance to glance out the window, too.
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.731568
>>731563"Security? What for? Chance that we have already met. Probably not in the most formal or friendly ways though…"
No.731569
>>731565I unno, looking to prove oneself?" she responded to the cat as she drew close, straw poking from the small vertical gap in her helmet as she sipped her drink "Or I guess a good time?"
No.731570
>>731568"Ship security, mostly." he says, gesturing to his shaved antlers.
No.731571
>>731564As you insert a few coins and make your selection, the display of the maid comes to life, with a cheery little jingle playing as she does a dramatic spin before gesturing to the dispenser slot. A bright purple soda can with an icon of a dragon with sunglasses giving a thumbs up thunks to the bottom unceremoniously.
>-3 florins>>731566>>731567The ceiling has little of interest. There's a few knobs and buttons for regulating the temperature, as well as a panel with an icon of a ladder on it, presumably leading to another level of the shuttle for staff only.
Looking out the window, you don't see much at first; then, you notice something odd. There's a ship tailing the shuttle, trailing behind it. The ship in question is flat and crescent shaped, with a central cannon where both ends of it meet. Odd that an armed ship would be stalking a shuttle like this…
No.731572
>>731570"Probably not then. So, you're well versed in the ins and outs of ships? Anything in particular you can tell me about this one?"
He says, looking around the ship and lightly knocking on the wall he's on.
No.731573
>>731569>>731571Vandal looks slightly envious of the soda, bouncing one of her knees up and down passively. She pats one of her pockets and decides against it, "Strange way to have a good time."
No.731574
>>731572"Hmm… definitely not new. Maybe a freight shuttle?" he suggests, before glancing out the window and narrowing his eyes.
>>731571"That one though, hmm… We might want to be careful." he says, frowning a little bit as he gives it a closer look
>Perception [1d10]Roll #1 3 = 3 No.731575
>>731571>>731573"I mean folks do a buncha weird stuff to get their kicks." she said taking a sip of her drink after popping the top. She caught the small glance and decided to be polite and offer the cat some of her drink. Would be rude of her to not make the offer if nothing else.
No.731576
>>731574"Never been considered freight before."
Gale approaches another window and eyes up the ship.
"Don't think they're just following us to look at our bumper stickers."
"Bet that would be a much more comfortable ride than this scrapheap. Wonder how much it's worth…" he thinks to himself.
Perception (Expensive Taste) [1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.731577
>>731575Vandal looks at it and sniffs it, being kind enough to waterfall it into her mouth as not to get her lips on the can. Her face scrunches as her fur stands on her back, not expecting the flavor. "Bubbly mineral water? The label's so colorful tho-" looking the can over, she chuckles, "Ahh, I see now." Vandal smiles, happy for the gesture regardless. "Thank you."
No.731578
>>731574You've seen the type of ship you're on before. While you're not sure of the exact model, it's a fairly bog standard transport vessel. Usually used for short distance cargo runs.
>>731574>>731576The ship outside, on the other hand, more closely resembles a fighter, made to fit about five or six people. It's armed, that much is clear, and it looks rather rough and scrappy. It has markings on both prongs of its crescent shape that you can't really make out. Eventually, the ship pulls back and starts flying upwards, out of sight.
>>731576>>731575>>731574>>731573As Fir and Gale see the mystery ship do so, nothing happens for a bit; then, there's a sudden jolt, and you're all almost thrown out of your seats. The display on the vending machine blacks out, and the lights turn off, replaced by emergency backups that light the hold an eerie red. You feel the ship grind to a complete halt, suspended in the vacuum of space. No communication from the front as to what happened. Any personal electronics you're carrying also short out for a brief moment before flickering back on.
The mare jumps, startled by the sudden blackout. "The hell?" she mumbles, rising to her hooves. The sleeping Dog in the corner stirs awake, remaining silent, looking around with mild curiosity.
No.731579
>>731578"Fuck. That thing just did something to us didn't it."
Gale says, digging through his briefcase and resetting his electronics while silently putting his pistol into his inner jacket pocket.
"Hey!" He shouts in the direction of where he thinks a pilot would be. "Somepony running this thing? What happened?"
No.731580
>>731577"Got one made for Dragons." she said with a deep laugh…
>>731578Only to let out a fairly girlish shriek as she was taken of her feet and to the floor, splaying low on instinct before standing and looking around confused trying to find the source of what did that "Did we strike a meteorite or something?" she asked as her voice slipped back into its much more normal cadence as she tried to remember where she stored her blade in this shuttle.
No.731581
>>731578Fir springs up to all fours and looks around, his frown deepening as he tries to check for the ship outside again. A pair of hard-light antlers spring to life from the stumps on his head, glowing a bright orange.
>>731580"I'm… not sure, actually. We ought to be ready."
No.731582
>>731578>>731580Vandal jumps up, letting out a startled yowl as the lights go dark. She reaches in her pockets and cracks a chemlight, the neon yellow light shedding not as far as some of the other's lighting implements.
"So are we gonna lose oxygen or something? I don't have a space suit. Maybe look for something like that?"
No.731583
>>731582>>731580>>731579"Well, we won't be running out of air, but we ought to ready up- I'm pretty sure that jolt came from the ship tailing us. They'll probably board in just a little, if experience serves."
No.731584
>>731579No response, save for some garbled mechanical jargon. Seems like the ship was being piloted by a bot.
>>731582The pegasus gives you an odd look. "There's always a backup oxy stash, case this sort of thing happens. You never been on a ship before or somethin'?"
>>731580You find your sword easily enough; it's stored under your seat, along with the rest of your cargo.
>>731579>>731580>>731581>>731582"EMP blast, I'd guess," says the pegasus, pulling out a blaster of her own. "Seen it before. Big guy's right. Won't be long before they start drilling into the hull…"
As if on cue, you hear a harsh metallic buzzing and whining, followed by a mechanical
thunk of something being attached. "And there it is," the pegasus says in a low voice. "Get ready for a fight. These bastards probably aren't looking to take prisoners or hijack, else they wouldn't be carving up the place. Of all the days for a pirate hit…" She fiddles with the settings on her blaster, which emits a soft whine as it charges up. The Dog stays seated, wordlessly focusing on a display attached to his left forearm and tapping something into it.
>roll Perception No.731585
>>731584[1d10] Summon Esper
Fir takes the moment to try and power on his armor, keeping his eyes trained on the buzzing noise. He nods a little bit to the pegasus, and lowers his head for a charge, if needed.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.731586
>>731584She grabbed the massive blade and clicked it on, the energy coursing up the blades edge and taking on a burning orange hue as she prepared herself for the worst, taking a two handed grip on the weapon and looking for the source of the drilling noise so she could face it and fight properly
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.731587
>>731584"Not when the power goes out." Vandal quickly responds, taking something hard to see out of her bag given the low light level. She looks around with her feline vision for threats and the like.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.731588
>>731584"Jussst what I needed… Let's make sure we have numbers on our side."
[1d10] Conjure Minion
>>731585"Oh, you can do that too. Neat."
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.731589
>>731585You try to power on your armor, but it merely lights up for a moment before fading out. Seems the EMP's making it act up.
>>731588You make a holographic copy of yourself, which stands slightly in front of you, mimicking your every action perfectly.
>>731586>>731585>>731588>>731587There is a tense moment as the buzzing sound continues, a glowing yellow and red ring starting to appear on the ceiling, cutting through to form a forced entry. The buzzing stops, and the sliced metal circle falls with a heavy thud. You hear a soft
beep from somewhere in the room, and with a rush, five robots fly in from the hatch like angry bees. They are small, resembling tinier versions of the crescent ship you spotted outside, made of rusted metal and cobbled together wiring, armed with small arms laser turrets. Drones, controlled by some unseen force. Each of them pick a target and begin opening fire indiscriminately!
[1d10] vs Vandal
[1d10] vs Areia
[1d10] vs Fir
[1d10] vs Gale
[1d10] vs the pegasus
The pegasus jumps backwards and returns fire on the drone targeting her!
[1d10]
Fir and Vandal notice something. The small beep they heard came from the Dog in the black hat. As they spare him a glance as the fight breaks out, they find him gone, as if vanished into thin air.
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 7 = 7 /
Roll #5 6 = 6 /
Roll #6 7 = 7 No.731590
[1d2] for Drone 4
Roll #1 2 = 2
No.731591
>>731589Not trusting the dog, Vandal sniffs out where he's gone.
>Hunter's Eye: automatic instant, once per combat; Your vision, smell and hearing are unparalleled. An enemy targeted by this skill cannot use Stealth, is removed from Stealth if already using it, and you gain a +1 bonus to all attacks against the target until the end of combat. You can also see in the dark without the need for a light source.Meanwhile Vandal swats at the little drone pestering her with her paws, sharp claws revealing themselves.
>Claws: passive; Felids have natural claws that they can extend and retract at will. Unarmed attacks can now deal wound damage and count as Dual weapons for the purpose of skills.
>Dual Wielding: weapon; Strike at an enemy with both of your weapons in quick succession. Make two rolls to attack. A Critfail on one roll does not cancel the other, but you still fall helpless.[1d10]
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.731592
>>731591>rolled a 2
>Ninja Flip: passive; Whenever you are attacked or would take counterattack damage, roll a 1d3. Lower the damage you would take by the result.[1d3]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.731593
>>731589Areia froze for a moment and stared at the drone as it ended up slamming into her and bouncing into the floor and she was left for a moment with a grin on her face as she grabbed her blade, energy surging through her form as it transferred to her weapon next.
Empower Weapon
She promptly raised her blade and aimed to bring it down on the hunk of junk that dared to try and hurt her.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 6 + 3 = 9 No.731594
>>731589Fir tsks a little as the armor seems to sputter, and stamps a hoof in annoyance. He'll ignore it for now, and use the part of it that doesn't need to come online- the heavy plating- to block for Gale
[1d10] Brace (Gale)
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.731595
>>731589The minion tries to claw the insectoid while Gale slips out of sight, looking to inspect where these nuisances came from.
Minion Attack [1d10]
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.731596
>>731591The Dog - Blackhat, for simplicity's sake - is using some sort of cloaking device, but you can still sniff him out. You can only assume he's up to no good as you sense him sneaking around the perimeter to flank you and the others. You hear him whisper something into the wrist device he carries.
You manage to dodge the shots from the drone, impacting on the seat behind you. You manage to knock it off balance, but its retaliating fire still grazes your left arm.
>Vandal takes 3 hits>>731593As the drone crashes to the floor, you press the advantage and bring down your huge sword, sending sparks and scrap metal flying every which way as you sunder it with one mighty stroke.
>4 drones remaining>>731594The shots glance off your heavy armor as you move to help the griffon, but he is too nimble and manages to slip away before you can help him.
>>731595The minion manages to rake at the drone, knocking it off balance. Two red lights start flashing alternatingly as the drone rights itself.
You manage to duck out of the battle and get a good look up at the tunnel that was carved out. You can see some sort of connection leading through to the pirate ship that's attacking; they seem to be coupled together. No sign of the pirates themselves, for now.
>>731595>>731594>>731593>>731592The drone gets a hit on the mare, who returns the favor with a blast to the optics on its left prong. "Agh! Bastard!" she grunts, clutching her wounded shoulder.
Vandal senses Blackhat creeping up on Areia, unbeknownst to the rest of them. He presses something on his wrist device and lunges at her!
[1d10+1] Autocrit via Stealth
The remaining drones keep firing on you!
[1d10] vs Fir
[1d10] vs Vandal
[1d10] vs Gale
[1d10] vs pegasus
The pegasus cranks up a dial on her blaster and unleashes a powerful shot at the offending drone!
[1d10] Meltdown, autocrit/autocritfail
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 4 = 4 /
Roll #4 7 = 7 /
Roll #5 10 = 10 /
Roll #6 9 = 9 No.731598
>>731596Fir ignores the drone shooting at him- it likely won't hurt much anyways. He quickly scans the room.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.731599
>>731596The dragons haughty pride was quite quickly cut down as she was suddenly sent to the floor and found herself quite thoroughly dazed. She was lucky to have kept a grip on her sword as she felt things go a bit off before she tried to get back up and stand with a groan.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.731600
>>731599Ignoring this then.
>>731596Arreia barked out a laugh as she turned her focus to taking out the drone that was hassling the deer, taking a large swing of her blade at it as the energy on the blade thrummed away.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 8 + 2 = 10 No.731601
>>731596Clicking her skates together, Vandal grins and cracks her knuckles, the skates being pressed together starting an electric hum to start from them. Suddenly shooting off in a burst of speed, Vandal jumps up and kicks onto a wall to come at the hidden Blackhat from a surprising angle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VyaShl6urc>Moody's Shuffle: passive/instant automatic, recharge 2; Build up momentum using electromagnetic inline skates and launch forward towards a target. Move to an adjacent zone and gain +2 to any other combat action this turn. Passively, you can use your inline skates to skate and grind against terrain and even glide against walls for brief periods of time.With the hiss of an aerosolized substance, Vandal strikes Blackhat with a jump and sprays paint directly in his face.
>Blind: recharge 1 after effect ends; Temporarily blinds an enemy, giving a +2 bonus to all actions targeting it for 2 turns. Can also be used to block sight of cameras, guards, and other visual reliant objects. On Crit the target’s senses are blocked completely, causing all their non-Crit attacks to miss next turn.[1d10+3]
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.731603
>>731596The clone recoils from the hit, but presses on, attempting to strike the bot again
Attack [1d10]
Meanwhile, Gale slips into the other ship, and searches for any sign of identification or company it might belong to.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.731604
>>731598You can't see much else apart from the drones. The one targeting you manages to hit a weak spot in your armor, dealing a light but painful blow.
>Fir takes 1 hit>>731600You cut down another drone, destroying it with a single blow. They might as well be made of paper to your sword. You don't get much time to enjoy your victory, however, as you suddenly feel immobilized by a jolt of electricity coursing through your body. Paralyzed momentarily, you collapse to the floor, struck by an unseen enemy.
>3 drones remain>Areia takes 5 hits>Lightning Elemental: DC+1 to all actions next turn>>731601You take another graze from the drone as you ride the thick glass window smoothly, jumping towards where you can sense Blackhat. You jump towards him and spray him; while it doesn't hit him in the face, it does disrupt his cloaking device, leaving the rather odd image of a floating paint stain. He snarls. "Bloody cat! I'll have you…!"
>Vandal takes 1 hit>>731603Your clone is shot down amidst a volley of shots from the drone, falling to its knees.
>Clone takes 2 hits, helpless>Clone H/W: 0/2You try to climb up, but the hole seems too small to climb through without considerable effort, and you simply fall back down to the main hold, giving away your position.
>>731603>>731601>>731600>>731599The pegasus blows the drone into smithereens, but not before taking a shot to the chest. She cries out in pain and collapses backwards, clutching her chest, trying to get back up.
[1d10]
Meanwhile, the now exposed Blackhat presses a few more buttons on his wrist device, launching some sort of electrified dart at Vandal.
[1d10]
The remaining drones focus fire on those still standing.
[1d10] vs Vandal
[1d10] vs Fir
[1d10] vs Gale
[1d2] for the above
Roll #1 4 = 4 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 /
Roll #5 7 = 7 /
Roll #6 2 = 2 No.731605
>>731604Fir snorts a little, before trying to batter Blackhat with his hardlight antlers
[1d10] (No Weapon Tags, it's just a shield)
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.731606
>>731604Areia gave an incredibly loud shriek of pain as the shock bypassed her armor and her scales quite easily and left her lightly singed and twitching as she found herself struggling to get off the ground, a pained noise rolling forth from her lips.
No.731607
>>731606Shit forgot to roll
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.731608
>>731604Gale loudly thuds back into the ship and rolls over to his clone.
"Sorry about this, but you're the best cover I can find."
The clone of course, doesn't respond.
Gale takes a shot at the drone that attacked his clone.
Pistol [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.731609
>>731604>Ninja Flip the electrified dart[1d3]
"Who'll have who mutt?"
Vandal says, showing off her claws before swiping at the rival species' face.
>Stance Swap, instant auto>Stance of the Tiger: Reckless but fierce. This stance forgoes all outside aid and prevents you from benefiting from or using weapon and catalyst skills but you gain +1 to all basic unarmed attacks and you can deal full wound damage when unarmed.Dual Attack
[1d10+2]
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 7 + 2 = 9 /
Roll #3 9 + 2 = 11 No.731610
>>731605You ram into the undercover pirate when he least expects it, tossing him into the air with your charge. His cover well and truly broken, he lands on the ground with a hard thud, letting out a soft grunt.
>>731606The electricity still courses through your body, and you find yourself unable to move, let alone get up.
>>731608You line up a precise shot while the drone is distracted and pop the drone with one shot. It starts flashing red as it spins out of control, billowing smoke before crashing to the ground with a tiny explosion.
>2 drones remain>>731609You lunge at him while he's down, sinking both sets of claws into the Dog's face, leaving him with deep, bloody wounds. He yells in pain and struggles to kick you off as he fires off the dart, which hits you plain in the chest, sending you stumbling. You are grazed from it, and get a painful jolt of electricity which almost makes you topple over.
>Vandal takes 1 hit>Electricity: DC+1 to all rolls next turn>>731609>>731608>>731607>>731605The pegasus keeps struggling to recover, wheezing as she cradles her injury.
[1d10]
Blackhat, bloodied but unbeaten, struggles to stand, pulling his wrist device up to his mouth. "Bruv, gonna need a bit more backup 'ere. There's two drones down. …Three. And one of 'em got me good. These guys aren't pushovers like the last lot."
"Always gotta bail you out, innit?" a younger voice warbles.
"Be down in a tick. Hang in there. I'll bring Brix as well, just in case."The two remaining drones focus fire on Fir.
[1d10]
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 No.731611
>>731610The dragon let out an indignant noise as she tried to force herself through the pain to stand up and help her allies here.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.731612
>>731610Fir gives the drones a glance as they attempt to take another shot- one of them managing to reflect the shot back at itself, frying it instantly. He flicks his ears when he hears the Dog call for backup, and tries to fire up his armor again- hopefully, this time, it'll work.
[1d10] Summon Esper
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.731613
>>731610"Piece of garbage." Gale utters as the drone spirals to the ground. Gale then yells towards Blackhat's transmitter "If I was you I would cut my losses now and fuck right out of this star system!
As he says this, he thinks to himself
"These guys are sloppy, put somepony down in the hotzone with no backup besides some toy starships? Just who am I dealing with?"He finishes his sentence with a shot towards the remaining drones.
Attack [1d10]
The clone struggles to get back on it's paws.
Recover [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.731614
>>731610Peeved, Vandal once again sprays paint in the dog's face.
>Blind [1d10+1] DC+1"Can't fight on your own huh? Kinda pathetic tbh." Vandal taunts saying the letters outloud, turning to shout to the others,
>>731613>>731612>>731611"Two more on the way friends, pirates proper."
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 No.731615
>>731614[1d3] Ninja Flip!
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.731616
>>731611You manage to get back up, hurt but not in too bad shape.
>>731612As another drone falls, Blackhat sneers as your armor keeps acting up. "Looks like we did a good job on it, ey."
>>731613You down the last drone with another well aimed shot.
>all drones destroyedYour clone manages to recover, its body flickering and fluctuating, denoting its instability.
>>731614Blackhat throws his hands in front of his face, shielding himself from your spray and swiping at you unsuccessfully. "Just you wait, kid," he growls. "When I get me hands on you, I'm making you into a rug."
>>731614>>731613>>731612>>731611It's not long before the help arrives, shimmying down the hole in the ceiling and landing right in the middle of you. It's a cocky looking Dog with an assault rifle, looking eager for a fight.
Before you can react, a clangor rings out from the hole, and a lanky robot falls down haphazardly, landing in a pile of limbs before rearranging itself. It's tripodal, with two main arms ending in blasters, and a round dome for a head. It stiffly points both firearms at you both, ready to open fire.
The Dog's grin fades quickly as he sees the injuries his brother's received, raising his rifle and pointing it at each of you in turn. "Amateurs," the pegasus grunts, too weak by now to stand up. "Call yourselves pirates? You're the worst I've seen in a while."
"Shut up," the newcomer barks. "All of you. Hand over the valuables, now. I'm serious!" His eyes dart around nervously, clearly intimidated by the situation. Blackhat just starts trying to climb to his feet, groaning from the exertion.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.731617
>>731616Areia groaned, swaying on her heels a bit as she had to shake off the last bit of jitters she was feeling as she held her blade tightly. And then she saw the robot and she felt everything go quiet for a moment.
She grabbed her blade and let out a war cry as she Rushed at it with intent to kill.
Blast, Autocrits on success due to Preferred Target:Robots [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.731618
>>731616"You really think if I had valuables I'd be flying in this trashcan? You need to rethink your business model, kid."
Gale reaches for a hologram emitter as he continues.
"You're just not doing this right. You need victims who aren't gonna resist, folks that have no personal stake in what you're stealing. I hear jewel theft is a pretty well off market."
As Gale continues he casts into the Emitter.
"And, at the end of the day, we have a hostage."
Gale finishes by leisurely pointing his gun towards Blackhat.
[1d10] Conjure Minion (Hologram Emitter)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.731619
>>731616Seeing as the Blackhat's getting up and not playing with his device, Vandal takes to snatch it up in the chaos.
"How's this thing work anyways, can it make me invisible too?"
>Shadow Hand: hidden, recharge 3; Pickpocketing is of second nature to you. You steal away an object from a target that they are not actively using. You cannot steal anything a target is currently wielding or wearing in combat, but if they have spares you may take those.[1d10+1]
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 No.731620
>>731616"Mmm, I wouldn't feel too proud- it's been acting up regardless of whatever you tried."
He mulls over what to actually try next, and opts for a new approach, making note to try and find a replacement power for the suit… if that even exists.
[1d10] Enhancement (Single)
>>731616Fir gives the second Diamond Dog an unamused look, before saying "You clearly didn't prepare for this, or even pick your target well. Take the scrap and the other dog, and go. There's not much more here of value you could take, anyways."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.731621
>>731618Intimidate/Persuade [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.731622
>>731620[1d10] Intimidate
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.731623
>>731617The robot, apparently named Brix, unleashes a volley of shots at you, shooting you in the hand and knocking your blade out of your grasp.
>Areia takes 2 hits>at 3/4 due to going helpless earlier>>731618As you point the gun at his brother, he trains his own on you, as does Brix. "Drop the gun. And the hologram thingies. Or we'll carve you into fine art."
>>731619"Not on your life, kid." Blackhat jerks his hand away before you can grab it, baring his teeth menacingly.
>>731620As conventional methods of using your suit's abilities fail you, you turn to a more arcane method, channeling magical energy into your antlers. They extend and flare up as you threaten the Dog.
>>731620>>731619>>731618>>731617"They already murked me good," Blackhat grunts, staggering to get up. "Let's just call this one a bust."
"What, let 'em win? No way!" Blackhat's brother doesn't take his eye off you.
"I'd rather run and live another day. Forget this lot. Try our luck with the next transport."
Blackhat's brother struggles with the decision before relenting, relaxing his guard. Blackhat fiddles with his bracer and lopes over to the hole as a pole descends to allow him to climb up, which he does. The robot soon follows. "Youse just… just stay out of our turf, yeah?" his brother says, unconvincingly. "We're watching you." With that, all three of them begin to leave, the hatch sealing behind them.
As everything falls quiet, the pegasus lets out a bark of amusement, in good spirits despite getting shot in the chest. "Ha! That was the worst attempt at a robbery I've seen in years! Two bit street thugs, nothing more. How did they even get this far?"
She pulls out a can of an odd grey mist and starts spraying her injury. It seems to have some healing properties. "Got some scrap parts out of it all, at least," she muses, looking at the sparking remains of the drones. "Ought to fetch something at the market. …Anyone else hurt?"
No.731624
>>731623Areia raised her hand as she fell back into a seat, clicking off her blades power as she hissed in mild pain. Between the shock and the fresh wounds in her hands she was feeling a might tender right now.
"Bucking hate robots. Hate them so damned much." she said taking her helmet off to let herself breath a bit easier.
No.731625
>>731623As they back off Gale taunts them.
"Hey, I'm not saying it's a bad business idea! Just pick your muggings more wisely."
He chuckles as they slink away.
"Who do they think they are, some wild west desperadoes or something? I'm with you girl" He says to the pegasus "That was the most fun I've had in a while. And uh, don't think I caught your name."
Gale carefully cleans himself off and repackages his charged hologram emitter and pistol, while deactivating his minion.
No.731626
>>731623"Upset." Vandal says, crossing her arms. "I beat him fair and square, that means I get his lil thingy he had on him. It turned him invisible y'know."
>>731625>>731623Vandal pouts, licking the small wound she got during the fight. "Ah well, least they're nice enough to leave. I barely got scratched, but jerks of them to use bullets if they're not going all the way. Rubber hurts just as much - I know from experience - but at least you're not gonna end a life just for some money y'feel me?" The felid's whiskers twitch, closing her eyes and sitting back in her seat. "What happened to honor among thieves."
No.731627
>>731623"Quit it with the tough-talk, just go." the elk says, a bit of annoyance in his voice.
>>731623Fir turns back to the pegasus after the two Dogs leave, before shrugging "Hopefully we can manage to fix any damage that their attempt left. I'm not the best, but I might have a thing or two to fix the ship with. As far as injuries go, I think the… dragon, and the cat could use a bit of help. Tend to yourself, first."
>Summon Esper (Smith/Tinker) [1d10] (If I have to roll, DC -1 from Single)Roll #1 2 = 2 No.731628
>>731626If it's the same dodad that decided to taze my spine I'd probably have asked for it so I can crush it into dust." she said a bit bitterly about the experience.
No.731629
>>731628>>731624"Awh, but then I could shoot dodads at
other asshats." Vandal says, reclining her feet out and stretching, "And robots suck yuup. But, they have the redeeming quality of continuing to act normally even after you paint 'em bright pink and a pair of nipples. Perfectly lacking self awareness that people normally have."
No.731630
>>731626"Honor needs a cut like anyone else, take that out and you walk away with a little more cash. And a little more cash is what everyone wants. You seem the type that's been on the wrong end of a narc's gun before."
No.731631
>>731629I can at least agree to the using it on others. As for robots, only good one is a ruined one in my book." she replied with some audible venom in her tone. She grabbed the discarded can of gem cola and drank what was left before winging it off into a corner in an attempt to calm down.
No.731632
>>731625Blackhat flips you the bird as they ascend back to their own ship.
"Fiddler's Green," says the pegasus. "Just Green works." She watches as you deactivate the holograms. "Pretty fancy stuff you got there," she remarks. "Who'd you have to kill to get it?"
>>731626"Yeah, well, maybe next time," Green shrugs. "If there is one. Those Lightbender devices aren't cheap."
"Honor among thieves?" she parrots with a dry smile. "No money in it."
>>731627Your armor finally decides to play along, reconfiguring to allow you to interact with technology better. "Gotcha," says Green. "You go see what you can do with the bot up front."
You open the door leading to the shuttle cockpit. It seems the piloting robot has lost its power supply with the EMP blast. You'd have to find a way to get the power back online, either via rerouting commands at the cockpit itself or getting your hooves dirty and going to the engine room. Either way, you'll have to fix it yourself, or you'll be stranded here.
>>731624Green trots over to you. "Hold still," she warns as she shakes the can of grey mist. "This won't kill you, but it won't tickle either." Before you can protest, she starts going over your wounds with the stuff. It burns and stings awfully, but after a few uncomfortable moments, you feel the pain starting to subside. It seems to be a healing agent of some kind.
She shrugs as you curse robots. "Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Can't deny they make life a bit easier. And they don't complain, or ask for wages. Most of 'em, at least." She glances towards the cockpit. "Don't look now, but I think there's one driving the ship."
No.731633
>>731632Fir ducks his head to slip into the cockpit, letting out an uncomfortable noie as he's left tightly-packed. Regardless, he takes a look over the piloting robot, and tries to do what he can ro re-route it. It's not his forte, but it seems like his suit's diagnostics have some suggestions.
>Tinker with the power supply [1d10] (DC -1)Roll #1 7 = 7 No.731634
>>731632She winced and hissed before relaxing as eventually the pain began to subside from her extremities and she felt that she could bend her fingers without too much issue.
"Thanks Green, I'd have helped ya up if I didn't have trouble myself." she said a bit embarrassed, choosing to pretend that the robot in the cockpit was just a sleeping pony of some kind "Been a while since somebody got the drop on me like that."
No.731635
>>731625"Oh don't you worry yourself with me big guy, I barely got a scratch. We felids have excellent reflexes you know."
>>731630>>731632"Well fuck narcs and fuck anyone who'd take some extra pay to sell their soul to a corporation of corrupt government." Vandal says to Gale, turning to Green, "Not every job ends with shooting each other to get all the bits. You can make bits by being a
decent person and errr.. a thug. A decent thug. Y'know, don't jump grannies, give a smile every once and awhile, realize we all need to eat at the end of the day. Have some standards."
No.731636
>>731632"Green, gotcha." He says, bringing out the charged hologram emitter "Nopony. Was a gift from some far out tech group, said they "saw potential in me". I've had a friend of mine take them apart and put them back together at least ten times and he can't find any sort of tracker or malicious intent, so I've been using them. Haven't seen anything else like 'em"
>>731635"Riiight right, felid could dodge a bullet at point blank or something like that." As you finish speaking he continues "Suprising to see one with the right ideology though. Gang of cats I knew were constantly shooting eachother in the back over a couple hundred florins. I take it you aren't from there?"
No.731637
>>731636>>731635Kinda getting a bit too philosophical for my tastes. I generally just do what I think is right, though if someone is offering me a healthy bit of cash while I do that, I'm not going to say no." she said as she popped her helmet back on and looked at her blade, noting she'd need to get a battery pack prepped for her blade, or at least recharge its current one.
No.731638
>>731633Prompted by the diagnostics of your suit's interface, you manage to tinker with the ship's main computer until power is restored. The robot, a tall, pyramid-headed automaton with several arms and a chair where the legs would be, immediately comes back online, spouting coordinates and restoring all the major functions of the shuttle. Lights come back, then music, then ventilation. The wannabe pirates' incursion doesn't seem to have left any lasting damage.
>>731634"'S alright. I've had worse from better."
"Same. Last place I'd expect to find pirates is here. Nothing out in this corner of the 'verse but would be mercs and revheads. They ought to find better real estate if you ask me."
>>731635She listens to your little spiel with a doubtful expression. "Yeah, well, take it from me, kid. You have to look out for number one. Don't trust anyone to have your back, and you won't be disappointed when they try to stick a knife in yours." She looks you up and down. "Say. Aren't you a little young to be a spacer anyway?"
>>731636She nods, admiring them. "They're something alright. Ought to see about finding a good fixer over on Delphi. Sure there's someone what knows aught about that sort of tech."
>>731636>>731635>>731634>>731633Whatever Fir does, it works. The power comes back online, and before you know it, the ship starts moving again, the muffled elevator music starting to trickle through and the sunny looking maid on the vending machine popping up again, occasionally saying something cheerfully in a foreign language. The only lasting impact is the countdown to arrival, which now just shows a ????. "Hehey, you did it!" Green says cheerily to Fir. "Would've had a look at it myself, but I'm still a bit winded from that shot. Next stop, Delphi."
"Say, you're all spacers like me, right? If you don't mind me asking, what's your business in Delphi?"
No.731640
>>731638"Hey hey hey I'm in my twenties, I'm just short. And in no way was I saying bare your back for everyone you meet, literally just like- try to be a good person!"
Vandal looks taken aback, throwing her paws up in the air defensively and turning to the other two,
>>731636>>731637"Well jeez everyone's the cool hardened mercenary then, no room for a heart anymore. Big frickin dorks." She turns to Gale specifically, grinning as she enjoys the banter, "And fuck you for saying that's a Felid thing, there's a whole buncha griffon sterotypes I could spew off if I was some racist shitbag too. I ate my veggies and got solid B's for a while I'll have you know."
No.731641
>>731640The dragon looked at the cat oddly for a moment. She had never claimed to be a mercenary nor had she really claimed to be stone cold. "I'm guessing the ears are for show or something?" she asked as she shuffled and grabbed her pack, pulling out a small rectangular device.
"I don't really do the hired muscle thing. I mean I do but its mainly like getting rid of crooks and shady guys because someone asked me to and gave me some money for it." she added as the clicked it on and focused mainly on it now "My usual source of income these days is breaking malfunctioning machines and donations from folks I help out." she added trying to play herself up as a bit more of a hero.
No.731642
>>731641One of the ears twitch in response, as if unconsciously to the retort, "Well sorry then, just saying I wouldn't go and go and kick some kittens for ten million bits. Some stuff I won't do for any price, y'know?" She shrugs, "Anyways that seems neat, getting paid to break stuff and all. I should start getting paid to do that too, it's a small hobby of mine too. Making's more fun though."
Vandal continues to sink deeper into her seat, eventually in some sort of position that can't possibly be comfortable to anyone who valued their spine. She pulls out her sketch pad again, seeing as the others are more content to relax after dealing with the pirates.
No.731643
>>731642I'd recommend keeping an eye out for scrapyards then." she answered as the little rectangle began to make game noises. She seemed to need to find her own way to pass the time and ignore the robot in the other room. "I mean I'm not gonna kick a kitten either. Unless they came at me with like a knife or something. I might do it in self defense then." she added as she swayed. She seemed to be the type that moved around with the game they were playing.
No.731644
>>731643"Well yeah but then it's the dumbass kitten with the knife's fault not the ten million bits motivating you, you're good there." Her responses slow down as she pulls out the pen and occasionally looks up at Areia to look her over. "Scrapyards seem lonely though. Just you and heaps of vehicles and bots right? Usually out in the middle of nowhere so no one's cutting holes in the chainlink fence to grab the thingamajig they need for their car without paying or something?"
No.731645
>>731644She shrugged "I usually just listen to music for a while and then go back home or wherever I'm staying." she said letting the gruff demeanor slip again "I mean yeah sure it'd be nice to have the company but as is I do what I can to get by and it's a good safe outlet." she added. She was full on moving in her seat with the game which was a rather amusing, what with a very tall dragon in plate armor swaying around like a kid.
No.732050
>>731644>>731645>>731638Fir squeezes out of the cockpit a short time later, and lets out a relieved huff. "Things are working again. Hopefully, there's no more trouble before the station."
>>731638Fir bows his head a little in response, before saying "Work, mostly. Things dried up elsewhere for me."
No.732051
>>731638"Business is business is business. This was the cheapest flight from where I was to a city with a contact."
>>731640"Well you sure are a feisty kitty aren't you. You just get tired of being compliant and decide to have a rebellious phase?"
No.732052
>>731638Areia sighed as she kept playing the game. It was an excellent way of distracting herself while she waited for the ship to get to their destination. She wanted to stretch her limbs properly after being cooped up in the tiny ship for so long.
No.732053
>>732051"Fuck off, what you figured you'd be some sauve lady's bird cause you're dead center in your midlife crisis? Don't talk down to me."
No.732054
>>731640Green shrugs. "Tried that once. Didn't take." She flashes you a grin, showing several gold teeth. Between those, her black and red cybernetic eye, and her long red duster, she looks every bit the part of a pirate herself.
>>732050"Said one hour left before," Green chimes in. "Hopefully they don't come back for a round 2. Would hate to ruin the shuttle."
>>732050>>732051"Figured it'd be a business thing. Not many folks would go to Delphi on holidays, know what I mean." She smirks.
>>732051>>732053"Looks like we're off to a good start," she grins, watching with slight amusement.
>>732050>>732051>>732052>>731640"Well," Green sighs, getting more comfortable herself, "if it's mercenary work you're after, I might know someone. Ochi Rill. Kind of a big deal over there. Does a lot of logistics stuff for the Guild. Mission dispatch, finance management, that sort of thing."
The name is familiar to you; as it turns out, Ochi is the point of contact you were referred to, though you have little to go on but a name and a sector: "Ochi Rill, Rho District, Delphi".
"Course, it's not exactly the most wholesome work," she goes on. "Nor the safest. But it pays well. And you guys can handle yourselves pretty well from what I saw just now. So yeah. If you've got the stones for it, I could try and get you guys a word with him. Interested?"
No.732055
>>732054"Well 'course it doesn't work out since everyone's from places where you're taught to fuck eachother over to succeed. Prisoner's dilemma and shit, just more people need to be conscientious of that stuff." She says, before adding, "Not to discount what's happened and all there. Not shitty enough to discount someone's injuries because
muh morals or all that."
Vandal shrugs at Green's suggestion, "Oh sure, long as we aren't harassing a union or something. Know how to rough up a piece of shit or two."
No.732056
>>732054"Huh, that was actually the name I found on the job offer." Areia." answered as she killed the music and focused her eyes on the Pegasus "Though what exactly do you mean by not the most wholesome?" she added with a small narrowing of her eyes as she sat up straight.
>>732051You are just the master of being condescending to folks who just helped ya aren't feathers?" she asked as she had to chime in on his poor behavior.
No.732057
>>732053"Bwaaahahahaha, you sure are funny. Look kit, I don't wanna dote on you more than I have to, but you can stick it to the ponies on top but be careful out there. Ain't all graffiti and roller skates in the real world."
>>732054"Ochi… I had somepony a bit more civilized in mind, but he could work if my other contacts fall through."
No.732058
>>732054"An hour? That'll be fine then, probably. I didn't have many plans aside from browsing, so I'll check out this 'someone' of yours." He suggests, stretching out a little bit.
>>732057>>732055Fir frowns a little, and flicks his fluffy ears. "Short, quiet ride might be nice."
No.732059
>>732057"What did I just fucking say about talking down to me, you think I'm here going on a cute little adventure like I saw in my lil cartoons I watched eating sugary cereal playing with the lil toy I got at the bottom of the box? I know the streets, I ain't all idealist." She scoffs, kicking her paws back and crossing her legs, "Just mostly."
No.732060
>>732058I honestly wouldn't mind one myself but it seems somebody can't resist digging at others about their morals or something."
>>732059The dragon remained silent on this one as she personally still enjoyed cartoons and sugary cereal in her downtime.
No.732061
>>732060"Then don't respond. If you don't think much of the cat, why bother listening?"
No.732062
>>732056>>732058>>732059"Well, last time I managed to upset this many people in such a small amount of time I… actually lets not talk about that."
He takes a breath, drops his shoulders and continues speaking.
"Look, I've been somewhat out of the low class criminal 'mercenary' work for a bit now. And I know it there where you can get real incompetent, reckless, and overall-a-threat-to-safety-and-profits type folk. I just wanna make sure we're all professionals, and can handle a little bit of heat. Really, I don't wanna get off on the wrong hoof/claw/paw/etc."
No.732063
>>732062"I ain't cryin' or anything don't go thinking you've offended me so deeply I'll let go if you're hanging off a cliff or something like that. Just like, y'know-" She pauses for a bit, "Let's be chill, not assume that shit right out of the gate. No actions've warranted it."
No.732064
>>732061I wasn't referring to the cat being the one being an ass."
No.732065
>>732055She raises an eyebrow, looking amused by your idealism. You get the feeling she's being a little condescending.
>>732056"Well, it's merc stuff. Nothing glamorous about it. Usually not even legal either. Hired muscle, for the most part. Bounties, heists, smuggling, hits, general tough guy work. Though, if you're working as a group, probably won't get much of the last one. Way it works is, someone needs a job done, so they get in touch with the right channels, get picked up by what we call an Ear. Like old Ochi. He spreads the word around, payment gets organized, guild takes a cut, everyone's happy. No questions asked."
>>732057"Be hard pressed to find anywhere 'civilized' these days," she snorts. "Republic may have won the war, but they're a damn joke at keeping the peace."
>>732058>>732057>>732056>>732055"Sweet," she grins. "Might take a bit, he's usually kind of busy. But I'll see what I can do."
Time goes by, and you begin to approach the floating spaceport of Delphi. Orbiting a white star, Delphi is a vast megastructure moving through space, resembling a large central pillar with two rings around its center. Your shuttle approaches one of these rings steadily, and you begin to see other space traffic in the surrounding area; including, you notice at one point, the ill fated pirate ship from earlier. Green curls her lip. "Lookitthat. Going off to lick their wounds. Bloody jackals."
As the shuttle draws closer, the ring starts to loom closer, and you begin to take in the sheer scale of the station. It must be the size of a small moon, and from the looks of it, construction has begun on making it even larger. Now dominating your view, a series of panels open up in an aperture pattern, allowing your shuttle entrance to one of the docking bays. You pass through a force field of some sort, common in such bays, protecting the station from the vacuum of space.
The shuttle lands smoothly, and the doors open. As you gather your belongings and exit into the hangar, the ship is approached by a gaggle of mechanics, having seen the damage it's taken due to the pirates. One of them approaches you, seeming like the one in charge here, a lanky looking griffon in a black wifebeater, a cigarette dangling limply from his beak. "What 'appened 'ere?" he asks you with a frown, looking over the scuffs and dents on the shuttle and entering something on a datapad. "Ship was scheduled for like 'alf an 'our ago."
No.732066
>>732065Pirates." she said bluntly as she grabbed her bags and put her blade between her wings and debated peacing off from the group to go and find those pirates. Chances are one was hanging out at a clinic and that meant there was probably a quick way to locate one. She looked to the others and debated voicing her opinion but she seemed torn on it.
"Hey… You guys wanna try and see if we can find the ones who attacked us earlier since Green seemed to imply that they were here?" she asked "Would kinda like to get some payback from earlier." she asked as she decided that maybe trying to do this as a group first would be the ideal scenario.
No.732067
>>732065>>732066"Weirdest sorta pirates too. Guy joins on to the ship and musta pinged his buddies or something. Didn't go so well for 'em."
No.732068
>>732065"Boarded by pirates. Banged the craft up, but no one's really worse for wear." He says, shrugging a little.
>>732066"Might be worth checking for a bounty on either of 'em first if we're going to go looking." he says, checking for a map. If he can find a copy to use, he'll check out the Rho district.
No.732069
>>732065"Unexpected Hostile Boarding by a Third Party." Gale says in his best legalese voice. "I'm sure this come up all the time in your line of work."
He says, walking past the griffon without even looking at him.
No.732071
>>732069>>732066>>732067>>732068"Musta been brutal," he comments, entering some information on the pad. "…Y'know, if it's your ship, we c-"
"Fuck off, revhead," Green barks abruptly. "It's not our ship. Just the transport we got. You're not getting a red cent from us." Looking offended, the griffon slinks away, giving Green a dirty look. You hear him barking some orders to his crew before they start adjourning disappointedly. "Vultures, the lot of 'em," Green growls. "Soon as they see a ship come in, they try and wring some extra money out of everyone on board."
You keep moving, exiting the hangar and out onto the streets of Delphi. It is bustling with life, all manner of spacers from all corners of the Realms congregating on the one space station. You can see several shops and office buildings lining either side of the streets, and street vendors and performers can be spotted on every corner trying to eke out a living. Giant holograms in a plethora of forms walk the streets freely alongside real people, going mostly ignored by those accustomed to the sight, acting as walking billboards. The occasional robot flies past overhead, on some unknown business.
Green frowns, looking around. "…Hm. Problem. I have no idea where we are. Never been to this part of the station before. Might have to look around, see if we can find the district the old fashioned way."
>roll Navigation>>732066"Eh. Not worth the hassle. 'Specially if they have friends in higher places. Best leave 'em be. They cross us, we can just kick their asses again. Easy."
>>732068You find a terminal outside the hangar that looks like it once displayed a map when prompted, but it seems to be out of order. Just your luck.
No.732073
>>732071"Was hoping the last time I was here was gonna stay the last time… still I think I have a decent idea of where we are…"
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732074
>>732071She made an annoyed noise but nodded as she looked around.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.732075
>>732071"I'll skate about and come back, see what's around here." Vandal says, clicking her heels together and flipping her hood back up, gaining some momentum and then jumping up on a wall and use it to bypass some of the crowds.
>Moody's Shuffle: Passively, you can use your inline skates to skate and grind against terrain and even glide against walls for brief periods of time.[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732076
>>732071Fir frowns a little, and kicks at the terminal once or twice, before shrugging and heading back to the others. "So much for that. I'm not really familiar with this place, unfortunately."
Maybe his height'll come in handy for looking over the crowd.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.732080
>>732076>>732074>>732075>>732076You explore for a bit, occasionally getting jostled by the crowd as you try and get your bearings. As Vandal starts wallriding, she gets a few dirty looks from people she disrupts, and someone yells something in another language.
After a few minutes of scouting, you manage to find some signs pointing you in the right directions. You are currently in Epsilon District, which seems to primarily feature shopping and accommodation for offworld visitors. Rho District is only a few minutes away, by comparison. Green leads you onwards, pushing through the crowd and avoiding hawkers and panhandlers to get to Rho District. This place is a bit less busy, with a few cafes and pubs littered throughout, along with some housing. You note that very few people seem to live here permanently, at least not willingly.
"Alright, here we are."
Green gestures towards one of the eateries, though it doesn't look like the most pleasant one. The tavern, its name faded by time, is squat concrete dome with no discernible features save for a few neon signs advertising food and drink. "Don't judge a book by its cover," she says coolly, and starts walking in. "It's not fancy, but it gets the job done. Ochi owns the place. Plenty of guild rats come through here. Kind of a hub for our lot.
"Now, I'm gonna go talk to Ochi, see if he has time for you guys, so just sit tight and wait for me. You guys going in? Or would you rather take a look around? Might find something to your liking. We can meet up back here if so."
No.732081
>>732080The Dragon weighed her options a bit "Guess I'll go for a small walk and look around for anything. I don't really wanna sit in a pub and do nothing while we wait." she said stretching her wings out wide to get some pleasure from the simple act of stretching the hell out of her sore muscles.
"Anybody care to join me in my little stroll?"
No.732082
>>732080"I'll hang around outside, if it's all the same." he says, stretching out a little and heading off for anywhere with outdoors seating. He'll keep an eye out for anything of note, too.
[1d10] Perception.
>>732081"I'll just find a seat for now, thanks."
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.732083
>>732080>>732081"I'm gonna check out the rooftops, I wanna get a looksie from above. You've got wings, wanna join?"
Vandal says, revving her skates.
No.732085
>>732083She nodded as she looked to the wings she was currently flaring out "That I do. Sounds decent I guess."
No.732086
>>732080>>732085"Neato, race you up." Vandal grins, starting up the walls without a countdown.
[1d10] i am sped
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732087
>>732080>>732082"I'm not going anywhere either."
He says, sitting besides the deer. "You fixed that ship right up, huh? Always wondered how that stuff worked."
No.732089
>>732080>>732086She took off after her.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.732090
>>732087"As well as I could, yeah. It was mostly just running some diagnostics and going from there. It helped that I knew what to look for, too."
No.732092
>>732081>>732082>>732083>>732087"Alright. Sit tight and I'll be back in a bit. Hopefully." With that, she enters the tavern and leaves you to your own devices.
>>732082You take a look around the immediate area. You're at the end of a road, and it doesn't get to seem to get much traction, at least not right now. There are a few others around, though. There's a sleepy little workshop with several robots and vehicles in various states of disrepair. A holographic sign advertises ships for sale, presumably taking advantage of the abundance of spacers that come to this end of town. Looking up, you can see that the roof has a fake blue sky projected onto it, though there seems to be a defect in it in the form of a black spot. Several pegasi and griffons, tiny as ants from your view, are working hard to repair the sky.
As far as the more immediate area goes, you can see a pair of street urchins running about nearby, seemingly on the prowl for things to scavenge from the workshop. An untrustworthy looking hippogriff wearing a beanie is leaning against a wall, minding his own business. You notice that he seems to be staring at a rather building on the other side of the road, blocked off by a chain link fence which projects a force field upwards to deter fliers. From one of the nearby houses, you can hear some noisy rock music playing, though it is mostly muffled from here.
>>732087>>732089Vandal jumps from wall to wall in an attempt to climb up faster than Areia, but finds it difficult to find footing. She gets a bitter look from a mean looking old stallion staring out a window she jumps off of. Areia beats her to the roof of an apartment building by about 15 seconds.
The roof is unremarkable, consisting of a handful of panels, a power generator, and a tiny cleaning droid minding its own business. You can get a good view of the skyline of Delphi from here, all pointed black spires, like jagged teeth. You take note of the artificial sky, which is entirely blue and cloudless save for a single glitchy black spot, currently undergoing repair.
There's someone else up on the roof, who you rather rudely interrupt; she is an earthy brown unicorn mare with big round glasses, who until a few seconds ago was playing the violin. As you make a rather dramatic entrance, she looks a bit miffed, and inches away from you to the opposite end of the roof to mind her own business.
No.732094
>>732092Areia looked around and scowled as she moved over to the cleaning droid, kicking it over in a petty display of distaste before looking to the mare curiously and strolling over to her "I'm guessing you come up here to play your music in peace or something?" she asked as she clanked a bit in her loose armor.
"I used to do something similar before I decided I wanted to be this instead of…" she trailed off as she was reluctant to admit it "Er… not this." she said figuring that would be a descriptive enough term without being insulting to the other up here "I usually just brought books or a game up to my roof." she added trying to move away from that subject.
No.732095
>>732092>>732089"Hmn, suppose you've had those wings all your life to get used to, fair enough." Vandal nods in accepting the loss. Noticing the earth pony, Vandal flops her hood down, waving. "Oh sorry miss, we just wanted to get a view down below. We'll keep quiet."
>>732089Vandal sits on the edge of the building, looking to the dragon, "So you born on one of these stations, or on a planet like me?" She keeps her voice down, in respect for the violin mare, "OOooh, or maybe on a ship, that'd be sorta neat."
No.732097
>>732095She paused and looked back to her "Was born on one of the ecumenopolis worlds. One of those ones that the entire surface is a giant city? I didn't see a tree until I was like 12." she said as she adjusted "The names… Cripes how did I forget my homeworlds name?"
No.732098
>>732092Fir settles in somewhere with a good amount of legroom, glancing towards the building the hippogriff seemed so interested in. The forcefield seems pretty unusual, so maybe it's something special?
No.732099
>>732090"Ah, easy enough to talk to a captain, but something entirely robot ran… hard to trust."
>>732092Gale pays special attention to the griffon. He can recognize someone on lookout or casing a place fairly well, and wonders what this catbird is up to.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732101
>>732097"Continental multination planet myself, but the island I was from was pretty darn urban itself. We had a few leftover shrines that a preservation edict kept around so I did get to see trees and such." She twiddles her paws, "Just traveling a lot? I can imagine it happening. I don't remember my grade school teachers names."
No.732103
>>732101Think it was like Carthago or something." she said as she stretched out again "I mean I remember my first and second grade teachers pretty well. Dunno why I just do. Mr. Bitsy and Ms. Monopoly." she added as she decided to prove that she could "They were pretty normal but Ms. Monopoly gave us cookies when we did well on out quizzes."
No.732105
>>732099>Perception roll if needed! [1d10]>>732099"I think it performed fine, honestly. EMP would've knocked the ship out, robot captain or no."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732108
>>732103"Least on my planets, cat teachers were known for being the strictest sorts. Hissing and yowling if you make a single mistake. Hardlight rulers slapping your paws and everything. They were almost parodies of themselves." Vandal shrugs, "I did well enough though, they work you hard so you learn harder."
Her tail swishes at the mention of cookies, "Wonder if they have a sweet shop here. Not just a vending machine, I mean the real kinda thing."
No.732109
>>732094The robot lands on its back like a beetle, struggling for a good few seconds before activating some stability mechanism and flipping into the air and back onto its wheels. Almost as if it's defying your petty attempt to wrong it.
The mare looks a bit weirded out by you approaching her, even more so as you start telling her about yourself unprompted. Nevertheless, she answers your question. "Yeah. Hobby, I guess. It's good to get away from all the noise. Too many people living the apartments nowadays." She shrugs. "Plus, the abandoned ballroom is gone now, so I can't sneak in there anymore. …Er, if you'll excuse me." She scoots away and keeps playing, albeit much more quietly. She seems a bit self conscious having an audience, but to your ears at least, plays decently enough.
>>732098>>732099What the building is isn't quite clear. There's no signs on it or anything, apart from one warning outsiders not to trespass on private property. You get the feeling the hippogriff is up to something; he seems to be surveying it, watching intently as if waiting for something to happen. He catches Gale staring, and slinks away into an alley, out of sight.
>>732105>>732099>>732098>>732095A few more uneventful minutes go by before Green returns. "Alrighty, we're good to go. Talked to Ochi, put in a good word for you about the pirates and whatnot. He has a few jobs to offer you, might be more depending on how you go." She pauses for a moment, eyeing Areia specifically. "…You've got a thing with robots, right? Might wanna try and keep that in check. He's not actually here right now." With that, she gestures for you to follow her into the dingy little hovel.
No.732110
>>732109Fir frowns a little at that, but there's nothing particularly bad he can spot just yet. The elk gets up to all fours and makes follows after Green,, nodding a bit in understanding.
No.732112
>>732108You mean like a proper bakery? I'd love to find one of those. Get a nice fresh baked gem donut." she said almost drooling a bit at the thought of it. "Course we could get some stuff we can both enjoy too."
>>732109She turned back to the musician and listened and gave her a thumbs up "Keep it up, you're damn good." she said before heading down.
>>732109She raised a brow at the mention of robots and she felt her anxiety raise a bit but she decided she was going to try her best to behave, she didn't wanna blow it for the rest of them.
No.732113
>>732109"Let's just keep our heads down. Don't seem like a friendly part of town."
He says, remembering the griffon he blew the cover of.
Either this place has gone down-downhill or is way worse than I remember. No.732115
>>732112"After we get paid for whatever next job we got, we should hunt for one."
>>732109"Coolio." Vandal follows along.
No.732118
>>732115>>732113>>732112>>732110You follow Green down the flight of stairs and into the tavern. The smell of alcohol and tobacco fills the air as you look around; music bubbles from old, worn speakers as the miscellaneous barflies congregate. Almost all of them are spacers like you, wearing all manner of suits and carrying a huge variety of weapons and equipment. The tavern is filled with the sound of their chatter, and behind the bar, a bipedal robot designed to resemble a typical hotel bartender dispenses drinks and processes orders. A few screens are mounted on the walls, broadcasting local news or sports.
However, it's not here you're going to. Green takes you past all this and through a room leading to the back of the establishment. Behind it, you find a neat looking office with several displays, datapads and miscellaneous office equipment. Behind a desk is a robot with a roughly humanoid shape from the waist up, having two bulky arms ending in three fingered hands and a head resembling an old fashioned camera. The torso is boxy, with some lights and panels framing a green-tinted monitor of some sort, which displays soundwaves as the robot talks. When you enter, he seems to be having a heated discussion with a gruff looking changeling.
"You have any idea what this is going to do to the client? Get out of here, you blew your chance. We're not in the business of giving second shots to rookies like you. Shoo! Shoo!"The changeling pushes past you, grumbling indistinctly. The robot turns to face you, adopting a more genial tone.
"Sorry about that. Bloody amateurs, giving us a bad name. You're the ones that fended off those pirates, eh? Good lads. We could use someone like you in the Guild.""I'm Ochi, as you probably know. Ear of the Spacers' Guild. Sorry we can't meet in person, I'm on a mission myself right now. But I can still talk. He extends a stiff mechanical arm in a handshake to whoever will accept it.
"Green tells me you're looking for mercenary work, then? I trust her word quite a bit, but I want to hear it from you as well. What are your credentials, then?" No.732119
>>732118Gale lunges forward to shake the robots cold metal hand, introducing himself "Gale. Esteemed art forgerer, bank robber, jewel thief, and parking regulations violator. Currently on my fifth false name and cannot wait to have to drop this one. Pleasure to meet. Just looking for a decent amount of florins to get my life back together. Simple motivations, simple griffon."
His false smile is almost as forced as that introduction.
No.732120
>>732118"Sorry didn't bring my resume, you want my
old report cards or something?" Vandal says, tilting her head, "I can sniff out a cloaked pirate and I clawed him till he left with his tail tucked behind his legs. What d'ya mean credentials?"
No.732121
>>732118Fir waits until the end of the argument, and nods his head a little bit in response to Ochi. "Most of my work is ship security, in nastier parts of space. I'm not particularly used to mercenary work, but I can adapt well enough."
>>732120"Something like that's close enough. What have you done, where'd you learn, that stuff."
No.732122
>>732118Areia might as well have been a statue as she was doing everything in her power to not just abuse this poor machine for doing its job.
She inhaled sharply and gritted out "Areia, done a bit of muscle work on some other worlds."
No.732123
>>732121>>732120>>732118"Oh that's not credentials, that's more like background if anything."
She turns back to the robot, "Evading law enforcement, getting in hard to reach places, and building report with street gangs from respect."
No.732124
>>732119Ochi shakes it heartily.
"Pleasure to meet you too. Burglar, huh? I reckon you'll fit in well with what I have in mind…">>732120>>732123Ochi looks a bit surprised at her attitude.
"You know what, that's good enough for me. Green told me about how you can climb stuff with that tech of yours. Might come in handy soon, actually.">>732121"Security works just fine. We can always use a bit of muscle on a job.">>732122"Good, good." He doesn't seem to notice your apprehension.
"There's always room for that sort of thing around here.">>732123>>732122>>732121>>732119Ochi seems fairly content with what he's hearing. Green backs you up. "You shoulda seen the way they laid out those punks back there. Took out a whole bunch of 24Ks like they were nothing. They're tough. Real tough."
Ochi touches where his chin would be.
"Hm… Know what, we're kind of short on workers right now. That idiot back there screwed up a job, now the client's pissed. There's some cargo that needs to be recovered, see. Here's the job I'd like you to give a spin:"He interacts with one of the screens, pulling up an image of an unfamiliar planet, coordinates scrolling by rapidly. The name
Faora-9222 comes up on the display. A little red blip can be seen out in the middle of one of its oceans, between a cluster of islands.
"So just a few days ago, we received an urgent message from an anonymous client. He needed a middleman to run a package delivery from Faora to here. We sent a guy - idiot you saw before - but he didn't mention he was in trouble with one of the seafaring gangs on the planet. He got away, but the package got left behind. Now it's in the hands of some local thugs, and who knows what they'll do with it.We need a team to get in their HQ, grab the package however possible, then deliver it back here. Hitch is, we don't exactly know what the package is, only what it looks like." He pushes another button, bringing up an adjacent display of a small wooden box with a few protrusions on it, resembling some sort of puzzle.
"This is what they're after. Don't know what it is, don't care. We can arrange the transport to Faora, but it'll be up to you to find a way into the raiders' base and bring it back in one piece. You'll be rewarded, of course. 400 florins each. Do this, and you're in the Guild.""If you have any questions about the job, now's the time. I've got a lot of calls to make." He looks at you expectantly.
No.732125
>>732124Areia was quiet for a moment as she debated the mission. She seemed fine with it as she decided that she was fine with this "What kinda tech level should we expect surface level on the planet? Same as ours or are they on the lower end?"
No.732126
>>732124"Neato, like pirate pirates then? No bounty on the actual thugs, just the box, right?"
No.732127
>>732124"Pfft, a changeling who can't keep track of which of his alternate personas is in trouble where? Amateur."
He mulls the offer over a bit.
"So a simple heist. Considering you describe them as thugs, we can go in hot if necessary. Doubt they're smart enough to stop a well executed heist however. Sounds easy enough to me."
No.732128
>>732124"Sounds simple enough. Anything we might want to know about this HQ of theirs, or do we need to get all the information on our own?"
No.732129
>>732125"Processing…" He starts bringing up a fact sheet.
"Not as colonized as other planets yet. A few major cities, some scientist outposts in the jungles… Islands are mostly uninhabited, only raiders." He dismisses the sheet.
"Might be best to stock up on whatever you need here on Delphi before leaving.">>732126"Pirate pirates. Not that rookie crap you ran into. Let me check the databases… Beep boppity boop… Ah. There's a few wanted criminals. Not bad prices on their heads. …Not here though. You'd have to transport them to the Nive system if you want to bring them in. And good luck with that." He shrugs.
"Unless you have your own ship, I don't see much chance of being able to do much there. They're wanted alive.">>732127"Yeah. One rookie failure's bad enough. I'm counting on you not to fail.""Use whatever means you like. Guns a-blazing, sneaky-like, all up to you. We just need the package.">>732128"Hmmm…" He zooms in on the planet some.
"Seems they've claimed an old pre-war Albatross frigate as their hideout. Run aground on an island. You'll have to find some way to get there, unless you're really good at swimming. No place nearby to land the ship you'll be taking, sadly. On that note…">>732128>>732127>>732126>>732125"Another thing. I'm sending Green here with you.""Yup, I'm playing babysitter," she says with a dry smirk. "Was gonna run this one alone, but I reckon it's a good one for you guys to cut your teeth on."
"She's one of the best in the sector at this sort of thing. But, we need to see that you guys can perform, so she'll be piloting the ship on loan. You'll get communicators so you can keep in touch with her while you're out there.""And if you guys screw up, I'll come and bail you out."
"Oh, and one last thing. The ship you're going to be using doesn't belong to anyone here. We have it on loan to repay a debt. If anything happens to it, there's going to be hell to pay.""Now then. I've arranged for rooms for all of you here in my humble establishment. One night only. Green'll show you them. If I were you, I'd take today and tomorrow to plan and prepare, then leave tomorrow evening. I've given Green all the info I've just told you.""Well, that's it. Any lingering doubts, spit it out now. Otherwise, shoo." No.732131
Hey, could I join you guys in your game stuff?
No.732352
>>732131This game is full, but you might be able to pick one up somewhere. Come stop by our chatroom during American evening hours and you'll probably find someone to talk to about it.
https://cytu.be/r/pretendhorse_playhouse No.732467
>>732129"Eergh pass on swimming, we'll have to figure something out. Alright, time for a beach episode." Vandal says, turning around and rubbing her paws together.
No.732468
>>732129"So, we'll land a little bit away? Got it." he says, before looking back over to Green and waiting for her to lead them off.
No.732474
>>732129Gale looks around at his silent crew.
"Well? Nopony? I'm fine with leaving it here."
He says, turning and walking towards the door.
No.732476
>>732129There was about a half second interval between him finishing his remarks and the dragon leaving silently.
No.732480
>>732468"That's right. Up to you how to proceed from there. I'd recommend finding some way to traverse the islands. Not exactly many places to land a ship in those parts, see.">>732467>>732468>>732474>>732476"Alright then. If you don't mind, I've got a lot of things to take care of. Bloody amateurs…"The robotic vessel for Ochi turns away, focusing on a holographic display of some sort of pie chart. You follow Green up a flight of stairs adjacent to the tavern below, coming to the accommodations. In contrast to the rather dingy, seedy tavern, the rooms aren't bad at all. You are presented with two clean, neat rooms with two beds each. Decorations are sparse and tasteful. There's a TV screen in each room with assorted channels, as well as a vintage looking radio. "Not bad, eh?" Green comments. "Ochi does have some standards, you know."
She turns her attention to a data pad, which you can see contains a sort of mission briefing, basically a copy of everything Ochi ran by you. "Hm. Gamma District, Docking Bay number 3. Not a bad ship either." A 3D hologram pops up of what you'll be flying in, a dull grey, bulky looking cruiser ship with three fins on either side. Seems spacious enough to fit six or so on board. Overall, unremarkable, but reliable.
"So," says Green. "Any ideas on how we're gonna do this? I mean, I have my own ideas, but I'd like to hear it from you guys first. New blood and all." She looks at you expectantly.
No.732483
>>732480Honestly I figured we could be a bit less subtle seeing as their straight up pirates we're dealing with. I was also thinking about seeing if we could steal a ship of our own off the place so we don't need to rely on having others bum us rides."
She looked around "Though if you guys have some ideas by all means feel free to pitch us something else."
No.732484
>>732480Fir strokes his chin a little bit as they follow along behind Green, and he offers a bit of a shrug. "Seems pretty good. If we're traversing islands, can we get… a raft, or something?"
No.732486
>>732480"Not the worst tavern crawlspace I've slept in.
He says dismissively.
"So they're like a bunch of skeevy pirates? Probably drunk off their tails, not paying much attention. I'd say the stealthy approach would be best.
No.732487
>>732486"What, do you think they'll go Arrrrr and only have one eye each? You can't bet on something like that." Vandal says with a grin, looking to Green,
>>732480>>732484"Well not like we'll be stranded, I think we could do a little better than a raft. Maybe see if there's some fisherfolk around or something wherever we land. Someone's always willing to get you somewhere as long as you can help em out."
No.732488
>>732487"Not particularly. I'm mostly figuring they'll be unprofessional idiots who don't know what they have. I take you're familiar with the crowd?"
He says to Vandal with a smirk
No.732489
>>732488"Yeah I get it you're prone to underestimating people, that's why you're here and not a penthouse. I've spent the majority of my life jumping between megacities, why would I know pirateS?"
No.732492
>>732483"That'd be the dream, huh. Doubt these guys have anything better than what we're working with though. Don't suppose you know how to fly a ship?"
>>732484>>732487"Raft seems pretty basic. Might have to see about borrowing some Skippers or something. Or even build one. It's not hard. Done it before when I was on Taniq."
>Note: a Skipper is a watergoing vehicle used throughout the Galactic Realms. Usually only big enough for one or two people, it's essentially a dinghy with hover tech and a propulsion engine on the back. Useful for traveling over large bodies of water.>>732486"I'm thinking we do some aerial recon to get a better view of their base, then hit 'em at night while they're less active. Think I might have some Nighteyes stashed somewhere."
>Note: Nighteyes are essentially night vision goggles in contact lens form, activated via a remote command. Somewhat expensive equipment, not particularly common.>>732483>>732484>>732486>>732487Green looks back at the datapad displaying the ship, folding it in half and gathering her stuff. "I'm gonna go run some errands before we leave. See about gathering gear, prepping the ship, etcetera. If you guys want to come with, that's up to you. Might even learn a thing or two. Otherwise, I'll come pick you guys up tomorrow morning to leave. Trip from here to Faora should take a day or so. Won't be making any jumps since it's in the same system.
"Till then, up to you guys however you want to get ready for this jawn. Sound good?"
No.732494
>>732492"Riiii-ight. Nighteyes. Had a friend who claimed one rolled into the back of his head and it let him see through walls. Haven't used em since."
He says, moving his eyes strangely for a bit.
"Anyways, I'd rather stay here than go on your grocery trip. 'Less nopony else is stay behind, no reason to sit at the bar alone."
No.732495
>>732492>>732494"I got a pair of Nighteyes right here." Vandal winks to Green, her pupils narrowing to show off her feline night vision. "Would just need a set of binoculars or something fancier."
No.732497
>>732492>>732492I have some experience in smaller ships but I could probably handle something bigger. And they're pirates, why wouldn't they have something we couldn't steal?" she said being ab it hopeful about the whole thing.
"And as for now, I have to see if I can find a bakery."
No.732498
>>732492"Skipper? Sounds good to me, then." he says, before stretching out a little. "I could do with some more travel, yes. What sort of gear are you getting?"
No.732500
>>732494"Suit yourself. Don't let appearances fool you, this place is pretty good."
>>732495"'Nocs it is." She makes a note on her datapad.
>>732497"I think there's one over in Epsilon. Worth looking into, maybe." She shrugs.
>>732498"Gonna talk to some spacers, see if I can't get my hooves on some stuff that'll be useful. Grapnels, portable radars, commlinks, that sort of thing. Plus some repair tools in case the ship starts acting up. Better hope it doesn't though. You heard Ochi. So much as a scratch on that rust bucket and we're all getting our wages docked."
>>732494>>732495>>732497>>732498"I'm off then. Remember, be here tomorrow morning or I'm leaving without youse." With that, she stands up and makes to head off to do her rounds.
No.732501
>>732500>>732495Alrighty I'll head off. You said you wanted something sweet right Vandal?" she said looking to the cat.
No.732502
>>732500Fir nods a little bit, and follows along after Green. Even if he doesn't learn much, he can always carry stuff.
No.732503
>>732500>>732501"Oh uh, that'd be neat yeah." Vandal says, watching Green head off, almost wanting to tail along just to make sure they don't get jumped. However, seeing Fir follow along, she feels more confident with going along with Areia, "Ice cream? Bakery? Candy? Weird local junk foods?"
No.732504
>>732500"Well, I suppose this is a teambuilding activity then."
He says, begrudgingly tagging along.
No.732505
>>732503[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732507
>>732501Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.732510
>>732501>>732503You head off onto the streets, trying to follow the signs. You quickly get swept up in the crowd of the bustling spaceport; spacers from all over the Realms make up the vast majority of the crowd, coming in all shapes and sizes, some in suits, some with weapons and some with exotic beasts. It doesn't help that the scenery of the station is quite monotone, all dingy buildings and flashy neon signs.
Before long, you realize you're completely turned around, and have no idea where you are. You're in an alley of some sort, which leads to a suspicious looking building with no identifiable markings. There's no one else around save for a pair of burly saurians. They look like they've been drinking, talking loudly and incomprehensibly and laughing raucously.
Areia catches one's eye, and he stares at her irritatedly. He gets his friend's attention, and before long, both of them are eyeballing you, looking for trouble. "Oi!" the first saurian slurs. "What're… What're ya lookin' at? Don't you know who we *hic* we is?"
>>732502>>732504Green blinks as both of you tag along. "Huh. Thought you'd have better things to do than hang around me. Just try not to get lost or anything. I don't want to explain to Ochi how you got eaten by a sewer Krall or something."
You follow her out of the tavern and back out onto the streets of Delphi. You keep making twists and turns through back alleys and narrow streets, all looking more or less the same, crawling with the usual rough looking denizens. It's a wonder she knows where she's going. "Goes without saying," Green comments, "but try not to stare at anyone. Most of these guys probably have prices on their heads somewhere."
Eventually, you abandon the crowds, and move into a quiet little dead end alley, entering a grubby little hovel. Moving past a mothbitten curtain, within is some sort of chop shop. Bits and pieces of machinery are scattered everywhere carelessly, robots half stripped for parts strewn over metal benches like they're being operated on. Rickety, rusted shelves host all manner of mechanical bits and bobs. Annoying alien reggae music warbles over an unseen speaker.
"Chopper!" Green shouts. "You there?"
After a beat, a filthy looking Dog emerges from one of the back rooms of the workshop; at least, half of one. This Dog appears to have been in a grievous accident at some point in the past, as his legs have been replaced by a metal prosthetic, allowing him to hover a few feet off the ground. He wears enormous brass goggles, and his long, shaggy fur and whiskers give him the impression of having a great big bushy beard.
Chopper beams as he sees Green, showing many crooked teeth. "Aha! Thought I heard your dulcet tones, love," he croaks. The two exchange a warm, friendly hug.
"What brings you out these ways?"
"The usual. With an extra catch." She gestures to the two of you. The grubby little Dog looks you up and down. "Fresh meat?" he asks you.
No.732511
>>732510"Er no… I was looking for a bakery, not a pair of pickled lizards." she said puffing her chest out a bit and trying to show she was a tough gal too
"If you could kindly point us towards one, I would really appreciate it." she added knowing it would send a bit of a mixed message.
No.732512
>>732510"Not much of a prosthetic type, but if something catches my eye I'll let you know. Mostly because I'll need help removing it from my eye."
He says, turning to a nearby scrapped robot and sifting through it looking for nothing in particular.
No.732514
>>732511Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732515
>>732510>>732511"Yeah I know who
yous is: drunk." Vandal grins, giggling at Areia's remark, "Snnrrkk pickled lizards."
No.732518
>>732510Fir shrugs a little bit, and follows along after her. The streets are a bit narrow at times, but he's able to navigate it well enough. He offers a little bit of a wave to Chopper, but stays quiet.
No.732520
>>732515>>732514>>732511The first one opens his mouth to offer some sort of response to Areia, but both of them turn almost comically in unison as Vandal laughs. The larger of the two takes a few crooked steps forward. "Something funny, rug? We here to *hic* to amuse you? Eh?" He pokes her in the chest hard. "You don't wanna say the wrong thing. We's in deep with all sorts of nasty folks." "I think… I think you both owe us an apology," the smaller saurian shouts, turning a few heads from bypassers. "You insulted us! Both a' youse!" He balls his fists, continuing to make a scene over nothing.
No.732521
>>732520Areia snorted and stepped in between him and Vandal "You really wanna go with a dragon who had a sword as big as herself on her back?" she asked simply as she would really rather not fight "Your pal there seems to know not to start shit."
No.732523
>>732512You look through the scrapped robot, finding some components that you recognize as being particularly useful. It seems to be a recurring thing here in Delphi for seemingly ramshackle places to hold something of worth. "You break somethin', you pay for it," Chopper warns.
>>732518>>732512Chopper looks a bit miffed as you offer little response to him. "Yeah, good to meet you too."
He turns his attention back to Green, and the two drift away for a bit, seemingly discussing the task at hand. She seems to be securing some supplies from him for the journey. You are left to your own devices within the chop shop for a few minutes.
>roll for finding valuables to purchase if you feel like it No.732524
>>732521>>732520"Aaas you said, the pickled lizards been brining far too long." Vandal skates backwards as not to be blocked from their line of sight by Areia, "You don't need an apology, you're already sorry enough." She crosses her arms, feeling a little bad about continuing to provoke the situation but not one to let someone else have the last remark.
No.732525
>>732523"I don't see much of anything that isn't already broken. But one ponies trash…"
Expensive Taste [1d10] Finding something worthwhile in this scrapheap.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732526
>>732523>>732525"Could be something of value, yes." he says, taking a look around himself.
[1d10] Lookie-loo
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.732527
>>732521>>732524"You wouldn't want to dance with us," the saurian slurs at Areia. "We could get a hit put on youse. Both of youse. So much as touch us and see what 'appens."
As Vandal keeps taunting them, the larger saurian snarls. "You…!" He swipes at Vandal clumsily.
[1d10-1]
Roll #1 6 - 1 = 5 No.732529
>>732527Areia narrowed her eyes and decided to return fire by taking a swing at the big guy in an attempt to put him down with a simple punch.
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.732530
>>732525While looking through a piece of broken machinery, a lever snaps off in your hand. You can only hope that didn't get picked up on camera.
>>732526You find something you can put to good use; an Arcane Conductor. A small battery-shaped component made to be fitted to a variety of magitek, essentially supplying it with extra energy.
>Arcane Conductor: Passive -1 DC to a skill of your choosing. This bonus is lost when sent helpless while having the Conductor active. Reactivating the Conductor is an automatic action.>Cost: 75 florins>>732526>>732525It's not long before Chopper and Green return, the latter carrying a duffel bag full of who knows what. "Take good care of it for me, won't you? I'd hate to see my work wasted on bloody pirates," says Chopper.
"Don't worry, I think we've got this. Seems like a pretty cut and dry job."
She looks to you. "Good to go, or do you wanna keep looking? Some decent stuff in here."
"Just decent?" Chopper says with mock indignation. "You'd best be remembering whose gravmech saved your arse at Argo Cell!"
No.732533
>>732529>>732527Seeing swipes exchanged, Vandal throws up her paws, "Yoo I'm just throwin words not throwin punches, these squares don't deserve a beating just cause they ain't in their right head. Who knows what they like without liquid-dumb in them, it's clear they're already sauced."
Vandal goes to help the thug who swung at her gain his balance, slipping a paw in his pocket as she does. "I didn't mean nothing bout it pal, you want me to get you a bottle of water or something?"
>disarming if they have a weapon, otherwise wallet yoinkingShadow Hand: hidden, recharge 3; Pickpocketing is of second nature to you. You steal away an object from a target that they are not actively using. You cannot steal anything a target is currently wielding or wearing in combat, but if they have spares you may take those.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732536
>>732530Fir fishes out the conductor, inspecting it for a little bit before holding it up for Chopper to see. "I'll take this, if you don't mind."
>-75 Florins No.732537
>>732533[1d10] persuasion
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.732538
>>732529>>732533>>732537He misses his punch and puts up his dukes, blocking Areia's swing. He's about to throw out a haymaker at her when Vandal starts trying to (literally) disarm the situation. While he isn't carrying a weapon, she does manage to filch some coin from his pocket. Both of them are too drunk to notice.
>+20 florinsAs Vandal attempts to defuse the situation, both of them step away, sneering at both of you, teetering on the spot. "…Getouttahere," the smaller one spits out after a moment. "Catch youse 'round here again, I'll have your guts." "Yeah! We'll have your guts!" the larger one parrots, attempting to flex his muscles to intimidate you into leaving.
>roll Navigation if leaving the area No.732539
>>732530"Nah, not really my type of tech."
He says, trying to casually drop the lever someplace else.
No.732540
>>732538Areia rolled her eyes as she tried to get her bearings on the place.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.732541
>>732540>>732538Vandal follows the dragon away, "Sorry for getting them all riled up, but why'd you go swinging back? It's clear they couldn't hit me if they wanted to." Once they're out of sight, she holds up the 20 florins, "At the very least, they helped pay for whatever snacks we grab."
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.732542
>>732541Force of habit, someone swings I swing back."
No.732543
>>732542"Fair, but still don't explain why you did it, they weren't swingin at you."
No.732544
>>732543Well I mean if I let people start swinging at my friends its gonna send the wrong message." she muttered.
No.732545
>>732544Vandal holds her paws up to her face, pupils dilated akin to a kitten, "Swinging at what now?"
No.732546
>>732545"You heard me whiskers." she replied glad the helmet obscured the majority of her face.
No.732547
>>732536The little half-Dog happily accepts your coin. "Ah. Good eye. Them's rare upgrades, you know."
>>732539"Aye, I can see that," he grins. "Best be careful wearing fancy clothes like that in these parts. Stick out like a fly in milk, you will."
>>732536>>732539"Best o' luck to ya," Chopper grunts, seeing you out the door as you conclude your business here. "Show them slubberdegullions what for!"
Green has a smile on her face as you leave Chopper's shop. "Always liked that one," she comments. "Known him for four years. Always got along with him. He's a bit prickly, but a sweetheart when you get to know him."
She starts heading through the streets again, this time towards a docking bay. A handful of service robots are trundling about their business as you approach a large gate with the number 3 painted next to it. She enters a 4 digit code, and the gate rattles open, giving you access to the hangar where the ship is being kept. It's just like in the hologram you saw before, a large, six-finned vessel fit to host about six people comfortably. "Ah. Should've known. It's a Dragonfly," Green comments.
>Note: Sparrowhawks are a fairly standard issue class of cruiser in the Realms. Most ship classes are named after animals, such as Albatross, Sparrowhawk, Coyote, Weta or Dragonfly.She start heading towards the loading ramp with the duffel bag. "Here, give me a hand sorting out this gear, would you? Got plenty just in case things go south. Which they might do. Newbies and all."
No.732548
>>732546Vandal's whiskers twitch reflexively in response to being mentioned, "Shiit we haven't even got snacks yet. You're alright."
No.732549
>>732548You aren't so bad yourself kitty cat. Better than the snob at the least. Don't really have too much of an opinion on our antlered friend but he seems pretty reliable." she said after another clearing of her throat.
No.732550
>>732540>>732541You start wandering for a bit, following street signs and trying to find a bakery. After some time, you stumble across one, though you're not sure if it's the one Green mentioned. It's a fairly small, inoffensive looking place, with all manner of baked goods on display in glass cabinets, and loaves of bread being displayed on shelves. You can hear the low whirring of a dough mixer somewhere out of sight. Behind the dark wooden counter is a homely looking hippogriff with massive round spectacles, wearing a white apron and a little hat. She gives you a friendly smile as you enter. "Afternoon, strangers. What can I do for you?"
No.732551
>>732550Areia popped her helmet off as she looked over the baked goods "You got any gem baked goods?" she asked as she needed to know if they had stuff for dragons.
No.732552
>>732549Vandal rubs the back of her neck, "Seems like the strong and silent type. He'll open up."
>>732551>>732550"Uhh that but without the gems for me. Just uh- baked goods. Yeah.. you've got those." Vandal spins around one heel and tries again, "Hi good afternoon how's your day been?"
No.732553
>>732547"Not familiar with the type." He says, gesturing towards the ship. "But I'm guessing it isn't the most luxurious one out there.
He assists in sorting gear, paying close attention to each piece.
No.732554
>>732547Fir nods a little bit, and fiddles with the conductor until he manages to hook it into his armor. He'll get it set up right later.
>Passive Boost: Summon Esper>>732547"Mmm. How are we sorting it out?" he asks, ducking his head a little as they reach the loading ramp.
No.732555
>>732551"Everything we have here is either gemmed or ungemmed," she says with a polite smile. "We cater to both nowadays." As an example, she points out a citron tart in the cabinet, which has been split in half; one half is normal, while the other is lined with shards of citrine.
>>732552She blinks a little in confusion as you stumble over your words. If this were a cartoon, you'd see a question mark above her head. "…Not bad, bit quiet, but about the usual. Yourselves?"
No.732556
>>732555Oh perfect. I'll take some sapphire cookies and I guess like 2 dozen regular donuts? Mainly creme filled but I guess a few glazed would be good." she said as a grin sprung up on her face.
No.732557
>>732555>>732551"Is the demographic really that large? We didn't have any geovores where I grew up so I'm surprised it's half your inventory."
"Oh we're fine, just wanted to sample what's around here. Baking your passion?"
No.732558
>>732554The conductor slides right into place in the power sockets, and you feel a slight jolt as it starts pumping magitek energy through the suit.
>>732553>>732554You start sorting through the assorted gear alongside her, storing most of it in the ship's cargo hold, a cramped, ill-lit space with a few creepy but harmless ten-legged spiders having set up residence.
The gear consists of the following:
Six pairs of Nighteyes, with corresponding remote activators.
Two pairs of binoculars and one monocular.
Six pairs of Commlinks, small, near-invisible earpieces that can be linked up on a wireless network to verbally communicate with each other from long distances.
70 feet of climbing cable.
Six pairs of climbing spikes.
A week's worth of astronaut food, water, and oxygen tanks.
Two Carriers, small deployable items that can be tethered to one to carry cargo. They have repulsors built on their underside, and can therefore travel over rough terrain relatively unhindered.
A Crybaby. This is a dubiously legal device that will begin to transmit a distress signal when activated. Sometimes used by raiders to lure wayward ships into an ambush. One use only.
Two Chokies, a colloquial term for a small, hard to detect robot that can be remote controlled. When activated, the Chokie dispenses tear gas. One use each.
Six gas masks.
Two collapsible shotguns, loaded with rubber bullets. Ammo is 6/24.
A collapsible sniper rifle loaded with sleep darts. Ammo is 4/16.
Green nods satisfiedly as she takes inventory of what she's managed to score. "Pretty cool, huh? Let's try not to use too much of it. Chopper will want his stuff back, etcetera."
No.732559
>>732556"Sure thing!" She grabs a pair of tongs and starts bagging the baked treats for you. "That'll be 15 florins."
>>732557She shrugs. "We get spacers from all over the 'verse in here. Dogs and dragons included. Be missing out if I couldn't cater to 'em."
"More or less, yeah. Been working here my whole life. Took over after mum. Would've liked to go offworld, but the business won't run itself, you know?"
No.732560
>>732559She tossed a few of the coins on the counter and took the boxes with a near manic look on her face. All she needed now was a place to nab some comics and some battery packs for her sword and she'd be set for a while.
"Should we get some stuff for the others too?"
No.732561
>>732559>>732560"Oh nonono, let me pay for it. Our lizard friends spotted me remember?" Vandal pays for Areia's purchase with the stolen Florins.
"Ahhh, so what'ya do when the the recipe calls for like, mom's love? I know all the best recipes has something like that in it." She leans over the glass display, looking inside, "Speaking of, watcha like making the most. Can I get a couple of whatever those are?"
No.732562
>>732558"Wow. Suppose you've got all bases covered here. Though that's what I expect out of our digital overlord who sent us on this mission. Seems to really care about this package. What do you make of that, Green?"
He says to her, wondering aloud.
No.732563
>>732561She retracted her cash for now "Fair but what about the others?"
No.732564
>>732563"Uhhh I mean sure, build some goodwill instead of just bickering. Bet the groof would be in a better mood if he had something nice to peck at."
No.732565
>>732564He'd probably be better with some booze in him but I don't wanna blow cash on that." she said as she looked around "What do you think the deer dude likes?"
No.732566
>>732565"We just dealt with some slizzard lizards, we don't need to get them booze too. As for the deer? I unno does anyone
not like donuts?"
No.732567
>>732558"Hmm. Definitely keeping us well-stocked, even if it's a little… low on ammunition. We'll limit what we can though, yeah."
No.732568
>>732560>>732561"Cheers!" She takes the coins, counts them, then drops them into the till.
>Vandal: -15 florinsShe blinks at Vandal's question, screwing up her face and thinking for a bit. "Hm… I'd say my favorite is this one."
She points to a sort of meringue in the cabinet, made with whipped cream, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi fruit and a variety of other fruits besides. It's labeled as a pavlova, 7 florins a slice. "Old family recipe," she grins. "I mean if you're a carnivore you probably won't get much out of it, but I always adored this one."
No.732569
>>732562She shrugs. "Probably some crime boss' lackey or something. I dunno what's in the box, and really it's none of my business. Try to avoid asking too many questions when it comes to these sorts of jobs. Far as I'm concerned, my only part in this is to go in there, grab it, and get it back to Ochi."
>>732562>>732567"Which reminds me. I dunno how much you know about the Guild, but by all rights it shouldn't even be called a guild. We're just spacers. Our only job is to work with our points of contact. Like Ochi. Otherwise, we're free. No chains, no rules. You can be a romantic like Chopper back there and think that there's camaraderie, but really that's just romanticism. All a means to an end." She shrugs. "In my book at least. The point is, don't feel bound to anyone or anything in the Guild."
"Anyway. I'm gonna check out the rest of this rust bucket, then go crash at Ochi's for a while. Care to join me?"
No.732570
>>732568Hmm, Guess I can get them like… some bagels and some regular cookies or something." she said "Yeah just gimme some bagels and regular cookies too."
No.732571
>>732569"I'll keep that in mind, then." he says, before taking a look around the cramped interior. "A… little more couldn't hurt, sure."
No.732572
>>732569"Low commitment. I like that. Guess we have a while until the rest come back from whatever theyve gotten themselves into. I'll join you."
He says, following Green,
No.732573
>>732568"Ooo pretty. Just cause us cats are carnivores don't mean we can't
eat this stuff. It's not gonna do anything for me nutritionally but like, long as I don't eat half a pie I won't have issues on the other end."
Vandal uses the last of the stolen florins and 2 of her own, buying a slice to try there and now.
>>732570"Bagels? Unless we're picking up some brined fish or something along the way, sounds kinda boring."
No.732574
>>732573Whats wrong with a good bagel? You got any better ideas?"
No.732575
>>732574"Ya just need something on it I mean. Just a normal bagel's kinda eh."
No.732576
>>732575Everything bagels?"
No.732578
>>732577I usually just have a bagel toasted with butter. Maybe a breakfast sandwich. Never really been a lox girl."
No.732579
>>732578Vandal shrugs, "What can I say, I like fish."
No.732580
>>732572>>732571Alongside Green, you take a look around the ship, making note of its layout.
The cargo hold takes up the large majority of it, having the whole lower level dedicated just to it. It is cramped and ill-lit due to an abundance of mostly empty plastic crates. If they were cleared out, there'd be much more room.
A small walkway near the back of the hold takes you to the engine room, similarly ill-lit, though this is due to a malfunctioning light in the ceiling. There is a small workshop set up here, with a variety of tools for manual repair.
A flight of stairs connecting to a catwalk takes you to the upper level, where you find the cockpit. It is quite spacious, with a large wall mounted display showing a map of the local star system, along with several panels and levers for piloting the ship.
Doubling back, you find the kitchen, where Green starts storing the food. It's rather small, with the dining table being built almost inside it. It can seat up to six.
The living quarters are rather barebones, consisting of only three rooms with little more than a bunk bed each. It's built for practicality, not comfort.
Finally, on the port and starboard sides are ladders leading to the turrets. Each one has a fairly comprehensive operating system. They are powered by magitek, and do not require ammunition.
Green nods in approval as she gets a feel for the ship's layout. "Not much to look at," she comments. "I've crashed better ships than this. But it'll do. Don't you reckon?"
>>732570"Coming right up!" The baker starts gathering the cookies and bagels, bagging them for you and giving you a slight discount for not being the usual rude fare.
>-13 bits>>732573You buy a slice of pavlova and try it. It's as good as it looks, refreshing and pleasantly fruity. The combination of strawberries and kiwi give it a distinctive piquant aftertaste. The baker waits eagerly to hear your final verdict.
>-7 bits
>pausing No.732581
>>732579Wow a cat that likes fish." she replied with a chuckle
No.732906
>>732580"Hrmn. A little crowded for my tastes, but…" he shrugs a little, and says "It's nothing I haven't dealt with before. It seems fine enough to me."
No.732907
>>732580The dragon graciously accepted the goods and slid some of her bits forward to pay for it.
No.732908
>>732581Vandal waves dismissively through bites of pastry, but is too distracted by trying to reflexively catch a lost strawberry slice from the pavlova to commit to any sort of further response.
>>732580After having ate the whole slice in 2-3 large bites and one (lively overly dramatic) attempt at saving a lost strawberry slice, Vandal gives the equivalence of a thumbs up with her paws, tail swishing. "Oh yeah, totally worth. Make a good case for not wanting to live here cause like, I'd have to be tempted with knowing you're down the street at any point. I don't know if that sounds like a bad review? It's a good one, I would stop by at the very minimum to chat, spend money I don't have, et cetera."
No.732909
>>732580"Typical. All the space in the galaxy for whatever loot we scrape up and none for the crew themselves."
He says, perching himself onto a shipping crate.
"Strange to have all this space for one item, but I'm not complaining, why don't we take a little commission fee from those pirates while we're at it?"
No.732911
>>732906"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Should be able to hold together if we get into a scrap. And considering we're dealing with pirates, we probably will."
>>732909Green shrugs. "No real rules in the Guild. No one's gonna complain if we loot 'em blind."
>>732908She smiles happily as you approve of it. "I'll take that as a compliment. It's a peaceful life here, really. Place doesn't really make enough money to be worth robbing. Kind of quiet though."
>>732906>>732907>>732908>>732909After a while, you all reconvene at Ochi's for the rest of the afternoon. Food at the tavern is mediocre, but you can't really complain. Green takes off to parts unknown, promising to come back in the morning to lead you to the ship.
The evening goes by without many interruptions. Whether you decide to drink or not is up to you. Either way, the beds are comfortable, and before you know it, you fall asleep one by one, thinking about what prospects tomorrow will bring.
-
You are awakened brusquely by a loud knocking on the door of your rooms. "Come on, spacers, time to get a move on," Green calls. She seems antsy. "Package won't deliver itself. Don't keep me waiting or I'm leaving without you guys."
No.732912
>>732911Gale ungracefully stumbles out of his room, making it obvious he is not much of a morning bird. Or a morning cat for that matter.
"Yeah, yeah I'm coming I'm coming." He yawns. "Gotta leave so damn early, don't we?"
By the time he's boarded the ship he's a bit more awake but not anymore friendly.
No.732914
>>732911"Like I'm getting ditched here." Vandal says, opening the door nearly the moment after the door's knocked. "Let's go."
No.732916
>>732580Areia took a moment as she had to pull all her armor back on as she wasn't exactly going to sleep in it. She came out seeming a bit tired still but ready for this, munching one of the donuts she nabbed yesterday as a breakfast.
No.732917
>>732911Fir is up shortly after being called on, rolling out of the somewhat messy bed. He doesnh't take long to get back up and ready, though.
No.732920
>>732912>>732914>>732916>>732917You roll out, following Green out of Ochi's and towards the hangar. The streets of Delphi are a bit quieter at this time of day; looking up at the artificial sky, you can see it's about 5:30 am. Not many folks around at this hour except street thugs, who all give you a wide berth. They know better than to try and jump a whole group.
Eventually, you get to the hangar, and Green enters the code to open the doors.
You make yourselves at home on board the unassuming ship, taking a while to check it out if you haven't already. "This is it," says Green, making a half hearted gesture towards the ship. She looks a bit tired herself. "Welcome aboard the… Hm. Sec." She looks over her datapad with a frown. "Huh. Ship doesn't even have a name anymore. Welp. Call it what you want, I guess."
>See >>732547, >>732558 and >>732580 for descriptions of the ship and what's on boardEventually, Green makes her way to the cockpit and starts booting the ship up. "If any of you know how to copilot, c'mere and give me a hand. Fir, I think you said you knew it, right? Or was it you, Gale? Rest of you, just hold on to something, I guess."
>>732916>>732914"By the way." She addresses you both as she works on getting the ship running, entering coordinates and pulling levers. "I'm gonna tell you guys what I told the others. There's no rules in the Guild, and by all rights it shouldn't even be called one. You can make friends with other spacers if you want, and think there's some big noble purpose in it all, but really there's no strings attached. Do the job, whatever it takes, and you'll be as good a member as any of us. Don't feel bound to me or Ochi or any of these guys. Capiche?"
No.732921
>>732920"I know a little about it, yeah. Let me see if I can help." the elk says, leaning down some and stepping inside of the ship. At the mention of a name, he shrugs a little. "Doesn't matter to me."
No.732922
>>732920"Don't know how to fly on anything 'cept the wings on my back. Got the personality of a handsome space captain though."
As he enters the ship he returns to the cargo bay and calls over to Vandal.
"Hey kitty, you seem a thief type. You think they left anything behind in these crates? Could be worth a peek."
Searching for valuables in the crates [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.732923
>>732920Let's just call it The Party Boat for now because this thing seems to not be the thing I put effort into naming."
She looked to Green "Duly noted."
No.732925
>>732920"Kay, I wasn't gonna start repping someone else's colors anytime soon anyhow, a job's a job." Vandal shrugs,
>>732922"Crates? This a handmedown then? What kinda skill would you need in looking through boxes. The boxes aren't gonna try and stop you from looking in them. I'm not a crowbar."
No.732927
>>732921[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732928
>>732922"Debatable."
You find that most of the crates have already been emptied, ostensibly by other Guild members. You do find a forgotten box with a robot component though. Some sort of advanced processor for military units, from what you can tell. It seems pretty valuable. If you happen to visit Chopper or another botsmith, you could probably sell it for a decent chunk.
>>732923Green smiles. "'Party Boat'. I like that. I would've gone with 'Engine with Extra Steps' myself."
>>732925"From what I heard from Ochi, guild took it as collateral after a job went south. Something about repaying a debt. Ours now I guess, if only for this one job."
>>732927>>732921You help Green get the ship running, activatig the hypernavigator and starting the launch sequence. The controls are quite comprehensive if you've done this sort of thing before, which you have. Before long, the ship is primed and ready to blast off to the provided coordinates. Green nods in thanks as you help her out around the cockpit. "Hey, you're pretty good. How long you been doing this sort of thing?"
>>732921>>732922>>732923>>732925The ship shudders and shakes as the loading ramp retracts and closes. The newly christened Party Boat begins to stir, like a she-bear roused from hibernation. You feel it starting to slowly rise in vertical takeoff, and before you know it, the ship is flying upwards towards the exit into space. The hangar clears as the ship flies off, rapidly building speed, exiting into the vacuum of space and bound to the water planet of Faora.
"Get comfy everyone," says Green through the PA system.
"We're not jumping systems, so it's going to be about a two day flight from here to Faora. Got her in autopilot for now, but I'll pull us out once we're a bit closer, or if we run into any trouble. Which we might. We'll see." No.732931
>>732928"Well neato, wonder what sorta stuff got left behind." Vandal goes from room to room trying to see if the former occupants had decorated or personalized it any.
No.732932
>>732928Gale tucks his newfound treasure under one of the bunkbeds and tosses his jacket onto the top bunk.
>>732931"Not much besides whatever botpiece I found." He says, sitting himself down at the kitchen table.
"Two days, huh. Guess if we weren't comfy with eachother we gotta be now."
No.732933
>>732928"How long? Oh… 8 years, or so. Picked up a lot, even if I wasn't normally doing things like piloting."
>>732928"Two days? Works for me." the elk says, stretching out a little and finding somewhere to sit for a little. No.732935
>>732928Areia stretched out a bit as she moved with the other two through the ship.
>>732931"I unno, maybe we'll find something cool." she said as she looked for a closed room someone hadn't looted yet. She headed into one and started searching.
>>732932"I mean me and Vandal there seem to get along pretty good. Can't really speak for me and you there feathers." she added as she cracked her neck audibly from the room she was in.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.732936
>>732931[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732938
>>732935"Ouch. Well, like all good things, I'm an acquired taste." He says without a lick of irony or self awareness. Throwing on a wink as well.
"And I'm in a real tight spot right now, don't got a lot of freedom to be nice."
No.732939
>>732938"I mean being a decent person usually is a good way to get others to like and help you more willingly."
No.732940
>>732931>>732936If they did, it's been stripped by now. You don't find anything of value at all.
>>732935The most you find is the severed head of a robot, lying abandoned under one of the beds, covered in dust. It almost looks like a fly with its two large, bulbous eye equivalents, a pair of short antennae, and a small circular protrusion where the mouth would be. You're no expert, but you could probably pick its brain for something interesting. Or just sell it for chump change.
>>732933She nods, listening to you as she works. "Fair 'nuff. Where were you before this though? Pardon my questions. Seems odd having worked for so long and only just now joining up with a guild. You a pirate or something? No judging if so, just curious."
>>732931>>732932>>732933>>732935Most of the flight passes by without incident. You find that the ship has a small infestation of alien rat-like creatures with four arms and pig-like snouts, but they are elusive enough not to be a bother. Food consists primarily of canned rations and protein bars. Hardly what you'd consider good eating. Green seems content with it, though.
Late in the afternoon, Green uses the PA system again.
"Look alive, spacers. Something interesting you might wanna come take a look at. Some kinda mining station on an asteroid, but it's abandoned. Like something hit it hard a while ago. Not sure what. Raiders, most likely, or some sort of Behemoth. Might be worth checking out, see what we can salvage. What do you think?" No.732941
>>732940She decided to keep the odd thing for now. She wasn't the most keen on the robot head but she had an urge to dig around and maybe find something interesting.
At the announcement she headed up to get a good look and nodded "Probably worth raiding, if nothing else we might find some scrap we can sell."
No.732943
>>732940"No one else is using the stuff anymore, sure thing Greenie. Any old hails or messages from the crew before they got spaced?"
No.732945
>>732940"Wouldn't mind some time away from this scrapheap. Maybe our little vermin friends wanna come too?"
He listens to the announcement.
"Mining huh. We're not in the right ship to actually take some of the rocks, but maybe they got something left behind in their HQ. Besides whatever waxed them."
No.732946
>>732940Fir mulls it over a little, before finally nodding. "Didn't come from a particularly good place. Work was work." he says, shrugging a little… and shooing one of the rat-like vermin away with a snort.
>>732940"Salvage isn't bad- just in case, we might as well have some extra."
No.732949
>>732943Green fiddles with some dials, but hears nothing but low drones. "Nothing. Looks like it's been a while since the hit."
>>732946>>732941>>732943>>732945You get a good look at the abandoned asteroid through the cockpit. Sure enough, there's a facility built into it, but it looks like it's seen better days. Parts of it are blown wide open, as if by some blast, and overall, it looks like a crumbling ruin.
"Alright, let's do it. There's some oxy suits over in the cargo hold, so we might wanna get suited up before we go out there."
The oxy suits resemble old fashioned diving gear; a baggy brown suit with little metal rivets and rims, with a small, magitek backpack to fuel the oxygen. The helmet is shaped almost like a bell, made of a reflective golden alloy. Despite this, you can see perfectly when putting it on. There are enough suits in shapes and sizes for all of you, luckily.
Green brings the ship down onto the asteroid and suits up before opening the airlock to exit. You all grabbed commlinks before leaving, so you can communicate with each other through them even while wearing the suits.
"Mind your step out here," Green warns.
"The grav and oxy systems are down for sure, so if we're not careful we'll be bouncing off the walls. Don't go too far on your own."You exit the airlock and start moving across the asteroid towards the ruins of the mining facility. You quickly find that Green's right; you're light as a feather out here, able to perform incredible leaps and bounds. This comes with its own risks though, and if you're not careful, you could go hurtling to the other end of the asteroid, or even into the vacuum of space. It doesn't help that the asteroid is not made of your ordinary stone; it is some alien, glossy mineral that makes it difficult to keep your footing.
"How did they even survive on this rock?" Green wonders out loud.
>roll Navigation as you approach the facility No.732950
>>732949"Flying's never been easier."
As Gale approaches he tries to be as sneaky as possible, trying to adapt his usual stealth routine to Zero-G
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.732952
>>732949The dragon was kind of wishing she could have kept her armor on but the suit was unfortunately a bit too snug for that. She kept her sword with her as she kept an eye out.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.732954
>>732949"This looks fun, let's give it a try."
Vandal says, jumping from asteroid to asteroid as if it were a parkour course.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732956
>>732949Mine should do the trick well enough… this site looks pretty bad, though- definitely could have been a raid." he says, before grabbing a comlink for himself.
>Outside we go! [1d10]"Hard to say. Maybe they got regular suppliers, or maybe it was going poorly from the start?"
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.732957
>>732950You jump forward, underestimating the effects of low gravity. You make it to the facility in a single bound, but hit your head on a passing bit of debris, ringing your bell-shaped helmet. You hear a small
crack. Green hisses.
"Careful, bird. Another hit like that and your oxy helmet's done for.">Gale takes 2 hits>>732952You carefully make your way forward, hopping across the asteroid with relative ease, being careful not to go too fast. You make it to the entrance in one piece.
>>732954You carome off some passing bits of rubble easily, hopping from wall to wall and using your fire extinguisher to regulate your momentum. Before long, you find yourself joining the others at the entrance, doing a stylish little front flip to stick the landing. Green looks impressed.
"Huh. You've got moves, kid. Nice.">>732956"Looks like it. Probably a Republic operation gone tits-up. Guess we'll find out."You traverse the asteroid easily, stepping from rock to rock like an expert, always testing for secure footing before going for it. Before long, you join the others at the entrance, safe and sound.
>>732950>>732952>>732954>>732956Green goes last, following in Fir's hoofsteps as she makes her way across the asteroid to the entrance.
The main door of the mining facility seems to have been blown wide open in a violent explosion. You can see bullet and scorch marks lining the entrance, but no bodies to speak of.
There is a secondary blast door behind the main one that is blocking your entrance. As Green approaches, a cracked monitor on the side comes to life, glowing sickly green. A distorted female voice warbles from it, spouting off word salad in a calm, clinical tone. Listening closely, you notice it seems to be repeating itself, as if broadcasting a pattern.
"Colorful. Unlike. Commission. Herb. Update. Gallon. Defendant. Market. …Colorful. Unlike. Commission. Herb. Update. Gallon. Defendant. Market. …Colorful. Unlike. Commission. Herb…"Green shrugs in confusion.
"Door seems to be locked, and the AI's not working, clearly. Should we find another way in, or try and force this one?" No.732958
>>732957She looked to her sword and then pondered it "I could probably pull my helmet off and blast it with plasma real quick if you want this done fast." she said with a small shrug.
"Otherwise I could use my sword and overcharge the plasma cell."
No.732959
>>732957>>732958"I could try fiddling with it some- if I can get things to work right, I might be able to get the AI working well enough to open the door… or, at least unlock the door."
[1d10] Summon Esper (DC -1)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.732960
>>732957"Big spooky. Hope it's not too maze-like in here. I'll number off the rooms so we can follow the numbers backwards and all."
Vandal sprays a stylized
1 on the wall.
No.732961
>>732957"Owww. Yeah, I'll be more careful."
Gale listens in on the warbled ramblings of the AI
"What is it trying to say? There's some sort of pattern…"
Trying to see a pattern or meaning to the madness [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.732962
>>732958She moves to the side and gestures for you to do your thing.
"Go right ahead. Do your thing. Kind of wanna see that sword of yours in action again, to be honest.">>732959You charge your armor up, reconfiguring and fortifying to suit your needs.
>H/W boost from Esper - now 7/7>Access to skill: Tinker>>732960"Good idea. Might be easy to get lost in there, depending on how rough it is." She admires your handiwork as you spray the number.
>>732961You listen closely, but can't seem to find a pattern to it yourself.
"Maybe it's a code," Green suggests.
"Transmitting to somewhere else in the 'verse where it means something." She shrugs.
"Conjecture." No.732963
No.732964
No.732965
No.732966
No.732967
>>732962Areia nodded and raised her blade from its spot on her back and raised it up as she aimed at the door.
Meltdown [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732968
>>732962"Well I'mma skate on ahead, I'll be spraying where I've went and won't go too far. I ain't just wanting to stick around listening to some weird last message of an AI."
Vandal says, building up momentum and skating towards the door with momentum so she can be the first in once Aeria's busted it down.
No.732969
>>732962"Alright, let's take a look at this and see…" he says, his armor glowing a light green as he begins to take a look at the door.
[1d10] Tinker (Open the door, or get the AI working?)
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.732970
>>732962"I'll take up the back. Don't want whoever and whatevers left of this rock sneaking up on us."
Gale produces one of his hologram emitters, charged with his magic.
"This'll keep watch, or at least slow something down."
He tosses back by the door and the projection of himself appears.
No.732971
>>732967>>732968>>732969>>732970Gale sets up a hologram at the entrance, dutifully standing guard. Fir fiddles with the panel for a bit, eventually managing to bypass the faulty security systems and unlock the door. This proves to be pointless, however, as Areia busts the door open, her sword glowing and sparking as she cleaves through solid twisted metal with a powerful downward swing. The door buckles under the force, sliding open and leaving a trail of sparking molten metal in its wake. Green lets out a low whistle of approval.
"That'll do it."True to her word, Vandal is the first in, leaping with the low gravity through the now open door and into the mining facility. The interior of the room, ostensibly having been the reception area, is littered with scorches and bullets, just like the exterior you came through. The ceiling is low, and behind a central desk you can see a broken monitor flickering on and off, displaying a graphic with the banner of the Republic of Selen on it. The walls and ceiling have some broken pipes and cables, some still sparking. Overall, the reception area of the mining facility is in utter shambles.
Curiously, you notice that there are no bodies to be found, nor any blood or any signs of death at all. You do, however, see that there are several robots strewn about the entrance of the facility, in varying states of disrepair. A low, glowing light on some of them indicates they are still functional, albeit barely.
As you enter, a few lights flicker to life, activated by movement. A creepy little melody starts playing, formerly background music, now distorted by the malfunctioning systems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_SBWNnr_lk"Feels like walking into a tomb," Green remarks uneasily as she follows you in.
"N-no need to mess around. Let's just grab what we can find and get out of here before something horrible happens."There are a few doors leading to other branches and levels of the facility. It seems to extend downwards, boring into the asteroid itself. There are some wall mounted signs giving directions, but they are almost illegible due to their damage.
No.732972
>>732967>>732971"Yo Areia ya wanna knock the heads off some of these bots along the way? Ain't doin us any help functioning."
Vandal tags another wall in numerical order, checking out the mounted signs and trying to clean them off with some spit and her fingerless gloves.
[1d10] percep
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.732973
>>732971Areia hefted her sword up, discharging the dead battery cell and throwing in a new one as she moved along. She'd need to buy some more later but for now this would do.
She took a rather different choice as she approached the robots and began to start looking at getting into their heads to salvage personality chips or memory boards.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.732974
>>732971"Probably don't need to head much lower. The real value's likely up here, managerial offices and such."
He swallows, and tries to hide the slight tremble in his voice.
"Don't know what we'll find. We have no idea what state this place was left in."
Gale seems to be a lot less talkative now.
No.732976
>>732971"Ah. Or, that." the elk says, shrugging a little bit and heading inside. He flicks on what lights he can before they go though, just in case.
He nods in agreement with Green and begins looking around, hoping to find something worthwhile. "For what it's worth, it might be so severely damaged that they didn't have time to take everything with them- we could still find something."
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.732977
>>732974Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.732978
>>732972You read one of the signs after getting a closer look:
ARR C S - APR CES N - AA ORY - AGreen trudges up behind you, tilting her head as she tries to read the signs.
"'Processing'? I dunno. Should just follow it anyway.">>732973>>732976You take a better look at the robots. They have four crablike legs, a head with a central red eye, two pairs of mounted mining lasers, and two large shovel-like arms for carrying ore. They could be dismantled for scrap.
>>732973As you approach one, it starts to stir, undergoing a full system reboot. Its eye is fixed on you, whirring quietly as it seemingly scans you, warbling an untelligible pattern with the same cadence as the door panel from before. You're reminded of a cat deciding whether or not to pounce on a bird.
>>732977>>732976>>732973>>732972You notice something odd about the floor of the place. It's covered in a fine layer of grey dust that crunches slightly under your feet.
Almost like ashes.
>pausing No.733305
>>732978"Hmm… the droids could make good scrap, I think." he says, before lifting one of his large hooves and looking at the floor.
"Was there a fire here, maybe? These seem like ashes."
No.733306
File: 1583031800126.jpg (Spoiler Image, 31.15 KB, 1000x1000, White Emoticon Mouth-Muffl….jpg)
>>733305"I'd prefer them scrapped too," Vandal comments, digging around in her cargo pants to pull out a half-filled plastic bag of disposable face masks and taking the time to finagle the flimsy face protection over her face. "I keep these around in case I get sick or a planet's known to have a nasty bug, but I'm not gonna have a coughing fit because I inhaled a dead spacer or something that's gonna give me cancer in ten years."
The mask has a novelty print of a small black nose and a w where it covers up her mouth.>>732978She turns back to Green who's behind her, "I dunno, I'm liking the odds that the last one is an armory. Maybe we see if they got any cool mining mech suits or something to go busting through any blown up debris."
"Oh and, can we start taking apart these robots like I said? Literally what good are they working when they could just like, 'intruder alert' us and shoot us in the back?"
No.733307
>>732978She grabbed her blade and growled as she leveled it at the bot "Look, do me a favor and pop any intelligence chips you have out, and maybe I won't try to slag your ass for having the gall to wake up and make my scrapping operations that much harder."
No.733309
>>732978Gale carefully avoids stepping on any ashes, despite being in the suit.
>>733305"Don't think the tech is gonna be worth it's weight. Doubt anything that could be damaged by whatever happened here is gonna be worth a lot." He says this, then looks at Areia's glitchy robot.
>>733307"Like that, nopony's lookin to pay for some malfunctioning piece of tech."
No.733310
>>733309"Meant scrap for us- it's never a bad idea to have some." he says, before frowning a little. "Maybe they had an accident with a mining laser."
No.733311
>>733305>>733306Green nods in agreement and starts inspecting one of the nearby robots, only to have it activate like the one Areia is inspecting.
"No sign of any burn marks," she muses in response to Fir.
"No lingering smoke either. Doesn't look like a fire to me. Come to think of it, what are these bots doing in the reception area?…">>733305>>733306>>733307>>733309As Areia starts threatening the robot, it just stares at her blankly; then, it begins to stand, rearing up to a formidable height. The scrambled message becomes slightly more clear.
"Directive. Dirrr-ective. ExpUNgE. CAUteriZe RepUblIc disSidenTs. PrEpare foR occuPatiOn."The other mining robots begin to stir as the signal is retransmitted. A panel on the first robot to speak begins to flash and beep steadily, as if signalling someone or something. You count six robots. Perhaps more in other parts of the facility. Having laid inactive for some time, their receptors are trained on you with hostile intent, their industrial grade lasers beginning to glow and whir as they charge up menacingly.
"Shit!" Green starts backing away in alarm, drawing her blaster and getting ready for a fight.
No.733312
>>733311"Ah. That'd explain it, actually." the elk says, trying to re-configure his suit for combat.
[1d10] Summon Esper (Knight, DC-1)
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.733313
>>733311Areia growled and immediately moved to hit the first while sparing its head. Her blade thrummed with energy as she rushed in.
Blast, Preferred Target:Robot [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.733314
>>733311https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkLukDN67dEVandal hisses and jumps back, "Fuckin, I was saying it since we entered the room. Why do we have to spend so much time poking at bears until they wake up."
Her hair stands on ends as her body reflexively gets ready for a fight.
>Stance of the Bear: Sturdy and forward. This stance increases your Max Hits by half your current wounds, rounded up.She grabs at the nearest robot and starts prying at it's head, trying to rip it off using sharp claws to cut at cords.
>Claws, Dual Wielding[1d10]
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.733315
>>733314Ninja Flip: passive; Whenever you are attacked or would take counterattack damage, roll a 1d3. Lower the damage you would take by the result.
[1d3] reduction from the 2
[1d3] reduction from the 4
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 No.733316
>>733311"That doesn't sound good. Or look good. And I'm not sticking around to find out."
With this Gale stealths to flank the robots.
[1d10] Stealth
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733317
>>733312Your suit fails to reconfigure. You hear something fizzling inside it.
>>733313The robot skitters backward with surprising speed for its bulk, lashing out at you with a foreleg to the chest, sending you stumbling backwards and into the wall.
>Areia takes 3 hits>>733314"'Have to'?" Green parrots in bewilderment.
"We met like yesterday."You take a glancing blow from its shovel-shaped arms. You manage to jump away, aided by the low gravity, but it rings your bell a bit. You manage to shake it off.
>Vandal takes 2 hits>>733316One of the robots' receptors tracks you, and a smaller white light starts shining from right next to it, blinding white like a floodlight. No chance of hiding with that thing tracking you.
>>733312>>733313>>733314>>733315"Incinerate."The mining robots start closing in on you, their lasers primed. Each one focuses one of you before firing their beams!
[1d10+1] [1d10+1] [1d10+1] [1d10+1] [1d10+1]
>vs Gale, Vandal, Fir, Areia and Green in that order>note: due to low gravity, dodge rolls get +1Green takes a potshot at the one attacking her!
>Aimed Shot: automatic 3 damageThe one transmitting the signal starts backing away from Areia, raising its arms to protect itself as it does so!
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #2 6 + 1 = 7 /
Roll #3 7 + 1 = 8 /
Roll #4 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #5 4 + 1 = 5 No.733318
>>733317Areia groaned thanking the fact that her armor prevented that from being worse but now she was mad.
She sucked in a deep breath and let loose a gust of her breath at the leader.
Dragon's Breath: Plasma [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.733319
>>733317"Fuck. Well, you can track me, but you won't know which one is me."
As Gale says this, a blue energy swirls in his hand as a copy forms in front of himself.
Conjure [1d10]
(Open Rift) As the copy forms it rushes towards the bot who marked gale, looking to tear into him with their claws.
Minion Attack [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.733320
>>733317>Ninja flip against 7 [1d3+1]Vandal shakes herself, baring her fangs and revving up her skates, rocketing after the fleeing signal robot.
>Moody's Shuffle: passive/instant automatic, recharge 2; Build up momentum using electromagnetic inline skates and launch forward towards a target. Move to an adjacent zone and gain +2 to any other combat action this turn.With haste, she begins prying at the machine's parts and trying to dismantle the beacon.
>Claws, Dual Wielding[1d10+2]
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #2 9 + 2 = 11 /
Roll #3 3 + 2 = 5 No.733321
>>733317Fir ignores the one targeting him for now, he'll probably be fine.
>>733319>>733317Fir moves in front of the griffon, trying to re-direct the shot with a hardlight bracer.
[1d10] Diverge/Brace (Gale)
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.733322
>>733318The mining robot transmitting the signal raises its arms, blocking your breath. It seems these robots are designed to resist extreme temperatures.
>>733319Your copy pierces the robot's eye with its claws, sending it stumbling and firing off laser bolts manically.
>>733320You jump up and avoid the incoming laser, propel yourself off the wall and launch yourself like a living cannonball into the signal robot. Sparks fly and wires thrash as you rip and tear, wrenching the beacon free with a single desperate pull. The robot stumbles backwards, weakened.
>>733321You charge in, raising a bracer and redirecting the powerful white-hot beam back towards the robot. The impact throws the robot clear across the room, leaving it a smoking, sparking wreck but still active.
>>733318>>733319>>733320>>733321The robot whose signal was interrupted lashes out at Vandal with a big shovel-shaped claw!
[1d10]
The blinded robot fires off laser blasts every which way, hitting anything it can!
>roll to dodge, DC4[1d10] Green Dodge
Green takes another shot at her attacker!
[1d10] Basic attack
The wounded robot starts charging up a more powerful blast, focusing Fir!
The other three keep attacking with slightly weaker blasts!
[1d10] [1d10] [1d10] vs Gale's double, Areia, Fir
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 /
Roll #3 1 = 1 /
Roll #4 3 = 3 /
Roll #5 6 = 6 /
Roll #6 2 = 2 No.733323
>>733322Correction: that last blast is directed at Green, not Fir
No.733324
[1d2] Gale or his minion?
Roll #1 1 = 1
No.733325
>>733321Addendum: The second blast sends you stumbling a bit, but you manage to shake it off. Your armor is a tad singed, though.
>Fir takes 2 hits No.733326
>>733320[1d3] Ninja Flip the 8
[1d10+1] blind robot
Vandal doesn't relent, intent on shredding the robot to pieces.
>Stance of the Tiger: Reckless but fierce. This stance forgoes all outside aid and prevents you from benefiting from or using weapon and catalyst skills but you gain +1 to all basic unarmed attacks and you can deal full wound damage when unarmed.[1d10+1]
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #3 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #4 2 + 1 = 3 No.733327
>>733322The Dragon growled and decided to just take the blast head on as she rushed at the robot since it had stopped in an attempt to take down her feline friend
Blast, Preferred Target:Robot [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.733328
>>733322"Hmm… let's try this again." he says, trying to reconfigure his armor.
[1d10] (Summon Esper, Cleric, DC -1)
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.733329
>>733322"I'll thank you when this is over." He says to Fir.
As a more immediate thank you, Gale takes a shot at the robot charging up a blast as the clone continues to tear into the robot it's already one
Shooting charging robot [1d10]
Clone slashing robot [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733330
>>733329Dodge [1d4]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.733331
>>733327>>733322Dodge roll [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.733332
>>733328[1d10+1] Free Dodge!
Roll #1 2 + 1 = 3 No.733333
>>733330[1d10] actual dodge
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.733334
>>733326You tear into the robot with strength you didn't even know you had, grabbing the photoreceptor and tearing its head clean off its body. It flails and twitches, starting to run around chaotically without its head. It takes you a moment to acknowledge the blasts you took. A couple of stray blasts hit you in the back, scorching nastily. You falter, but you're still standing.
>Vandal takes 3 hits>>733328Your systems come back online as you tinker with it.
>H/W boost from Esper>Access to skill: HealYou take a hit from the rampaging blinded robot, staggering again.
>Fir takes 3 hits, now at 4/7 due to Esper boost>>733327As the freshly decapitated robot runs amok, you stop it where it stands by cleave it in half with a single swing, spreading molten slag and sparks everywhere. The remains twitch once, then are still. You barely feel the glancing laser blast that hits your arm.
>Areia takes 1 hit>>733329Your shot and slash combo damages the robot significantly, causing it to redirect the incoming blast towards you.
>>733330>>733331>>733332>>733326Green jumps out of the way, but her blaster jams. She starts fiddling with it, cursing under her breath.
The wounded robot stops dead in its tracks, starting to wind down, until eventually coming to a complete standstill. It seems to have shut down due to damage.
>4 robots remainThe wounded robot unleashes its laser blast at Gale!
[1d10+1] Autocrit
[1d2] Gale or copy
One of the other robots starts charging up a blast of its own, bearing down on Areia!
The other two focus the rest of you!
[1d10] [1d10] Vandal, Fir
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 8 = 8 /
Roll #4 10 = 10 No.733335
>>733334The blinded robot stops dead in its tracks*
No.733336
>>733334Areia groaned and shuddered a bit before focusing on her blade, pushing some power into to make these strikes count as she rushed to slash the robot that was charging.
Empower Weapon
Trying to choppa choppa dat robot [1d10+3]
Roll #1 4 + 3 = 7 No.733337
>>733334>>733327[1d3] Ninja Flip vs 8
"Nice swing! Let's go save the birdbrain next." Vandal shouts over to Aeria, shooting over to the robot shooting Gale next with two claws ready to wreak havoc.
>Moody's Shuffle[1d10+3]
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 6 + 3 = 9 /
Roll #3 4 + 3 = 7 No.733338
>>733334"What I get for trying to be nice."
Gale and the clone both try to take the robot out, Gale shooting recklessly as the clone tackles the robot.
[1d10] Shoot
[1d10] Tackle
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.733339
>>733334Fir lets out a soft grunt from the rampaging robot smacking him, and frowns a little bit. Once the armor begins to glow blue, he directs a wave of magic at the dragon.
[1d10] Heal on Areia
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733340
>>733336You charge up the weapon even more for some extra oomph, hacking into the charging up robot, severing one of its arms and one of its legs. It scuttles backwards and trains its charging beam on you instead!
>>733337You take a laser blast to the chest, but the suit protects you. You just get the air knocked out of your lungs.
>Vandal takes 2 hitsYou lunge and throw yourself at the robot, punching its lights out - quite literally. You shatter its central photoreceptor with a punch, causing it to go berserk and start swiping madly at thin air as it continues to charge.
>>733338While Vandal causes a distraction, your clone manages to foil its shot completely, throwing the bot to the floor. The blast hits the ground at point blank range, causing the robot's steel exterior to melt in a small explosion, leaving a small crater in the ground. Its systems power down, and the robot is still.
>3 robots remainYour double, however, took the force of the shockwave, completely disoriented and broken by it. It repeats the same actions over and over in a loop, fizzling in and out of existence.
>double is at 0/1>>733339Your magic channeling is interrupted by a shot straight to the gut, which sends you stumbling backwards. Your armor sparks and fizzles, and you find it difficult to move, completely winded from the impact.
>Fir takes 4 hits, helpless>>733336>>733337>>733338>>733339Green gets her blaster back online and lines up a single precise shot at the robot targeting Areia!
[1d10+2] Snipe, DC8 to deal +2 hits
The charging robot fires at Areia!
[1d10+1] Autocrit
The other two robots fire at Gale and Vandal!
[1d10] [1d10]
[1d2] Gale/Copy
Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12 /
Roll #2 2 + 1 = 3 /
Roll #3 5 = 5 /
Roll #4 4 = 4 /
Roll #5 1 = 1 No.733341
>>733340The Dragon let out a small hiss of delight before rushing to once again back up someone, though in this case, she was aiming to help Gale by giving him cover and smashing a robot.
Blast, Preferred Target:Robot [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733342
>>733340"Not liking this whole relying on you guys to save me thing."
Gake takes a shot at the robot targeting him
"Not liking you either."
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.733343
>>733340Fir lets out a huff as he's knocked to the floor, and tries to get to his hooves.
No.733345
>>733340Wounded, Vandal acts more cautiously, taking out spray cans and spraying at the photoreceptors of the drone attacking her, not wanting to get close enough to be striked back.
>Blind: recharge 1 after effect ends; Temporarily blinds an enemy, giving a +2 bonus to all actions targeting it for 2 turns. Can also be used to block sight of cameras, guards, and other visual reliant objects. On Crit the target’s senses are blocked completely, causing all their non-Crit attacks to miss next turn.[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.733346
>>733341You go to bring your sword down, only to get shot in the hand by the robot, causing you to drop the unwieldy blade. It follows up by backhanding you with its shovel arm, sending you clear across the room because of the low grav. You hit the far wall hard, completely shattering an already broken monitor.
>Areia takes 5 hits, helpless>>733342As it's distracted by Areia, you take a moment to blow the robot's head off with two well aimed shots. It staggers about for a moment before falling still.
>>733344You manage to get back up without a hitch.
>>733345You spray it in the photoreceptor, rendering it completely sightless. Its shot goes completely wide.
>>733341>>733342>>733343Green shoots the robot right in the mining laser, causing it to spontaneously combust and break down. "Bingo," she says with a grin.
As only one robot remains, its head starts glowing, the painted-over photoreceptor strobing as the robot begins to whir.
b]"Directive failure. Reassigning priority: mitigate asset capture. Reassigned. Asset liquidation in three. Two. One."[/b]
>roll to dodge[1d10+1] Green
Roll #1 9 + 1 = 10 No.733347
>>733346Areia groaned and tried to get herself up before things went south too fast
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.733348
>>733346>>733347[1d10+1]
"Thaaaat doesn't look good."
Seeing Aeria in a pinch, Vandal goes to pull her out of the way herself.
[1d10] Get up from helpless/help with getting away from blast
Vandal tries to pull Areia away from the robot,
Roll #1 3 + 1 = 4 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733349
>>733346Gale dives towards his clown, throwing it towards the robot, hoping it absorbs some of the impending blast. He then dives to cover to dodge.
Clone throw [1d10]
Dodge [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 8 = 8 No.733350
>>733346"No, none of that." the elk says as he gets to his hooves, trying to heal Areia again.
[1d10] Heal
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.733351
>>733347>>733348>>733349>>733350Gale's clone shatters like glass as the final robot self destructs, sending out a huge shockwave that knocks you across. Gale, Green and Vandal manage to avoid the blast, but Fir and Areia get swept off their feet, bouncing off the walls before hitting the ground hard.
>Fir and Areia take 1 woundGreen moves to help Fir up, a bit winded from the fight but otherwise in good spirits.
>recovery is automatic due to combat ending"Geez. That was rough. Let's grab what we can from this dump and get out of here before more of those 'bots show up. What do you suppose happened? It's like something just made 'em go haywire. Must've vaporized the miners, poor bastards…"The room is a mess. Bits of robot are scattered everywhere, some relatively intact while others are just mangled scrap. There are cracks running up the walls from the blast, and several monitors have been knocked loose. At least the creepy music's stopped.
No.733352
Correction: Vandal pushed Areia to the floor, helping her avoid the brunt of the explosion, but Vandal got her bell rung by getting swept away by it.
>Vandal loses 1 wound
No.733353
>>733351Areia was a bit shocked Vandal would take the brunt of the blow for her there and went silent for a bit as she once again tried to get to her feet.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.733354
>>733351Let's retry this.)) She groaned as she climbed to her feet, looking to Vandal as she felt some lingering pain rippling through her body right now "Are you okay there Vandal?" she asked in her more natural soft tone.
No.733355
>>733351"That was… yeah."
Gale reconciles with seeing his own form get blown to shards before speaking up again.
"Hey, Fir and Vandal, thanks for the help. Think I would look a lot like that clone right now if it weren't for you two. Let's just make this mental and physical trauma worth it."
No.733356
>>733351>Free Heal!>>733351"Thanks." he says to Green, rolling his shoulders out and humming a little. "Not too familiar with robots. Bad coding? Altered coding?"
>>733355"Don't mention it." he says, flicking his hardlight antlers off and trying to inspect the room a little more closely.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.733357
>>733352>>733354Vandal pulls herself off Aeria, apologizing under her breath. "Don't go getting knocked on your claws like that, you're too heavy to pull easily."
>>733355"Well yeah, not gonna lose a team member before we even get to the planet. Let's finish up looting this place and kick any robot we find. Take out any cameras too."
No.733358
>>733356"Not the way to do it, kid. Always mention it. A good rep can get you plenty far."
>>733357"Doubt those cameras are going anywhere anymore. Or they would have sent a recon team to pick up anything worthwhile and close this place off. But if it satisfies your punk rebellion fantasy, go crazy kitty."
[1d10] Looting
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.733359
>>733357I'll keep that in mind Vandal." she said a bit embarrassed.
>>733355I tried to help you as well for what its worth." she grumbled as she once again looking for any surviving Intelligence chips amongst the scattered bit of bots.
Looting [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.733360
>>733358"Right okay, still an asshat. Robot clearly sending out a signal somewhere and yet you're thinking I'm talking about the cameras on the drones. We're on a space station, it's got power. You think a mining station doesn't have security cameras?" Vandal turns her back to the griffon, "Some dashing rogue you are."
>>733351[1d10] looting
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.733361
>>733356You don't manage to find much of note.
"Maybe," she shrugs, kicking one of the scrapped bots. Seeing its head is still intact, she gets to work in removing it.
"If I can take this, I might have a moment to pick its brain. Literally. See if we can't learn something.">>733358You examine one of the more intact robots and manage to pry the mining laser loose. While it's not very useful on its own, it would make for a powerful weapon component if taken to a smith. Or it could just be sold for scrap.
>>733359You manage to dig around one of the robots, managing to retrieve a mostly intact processing unit from one. It's shaped like a cartoon brain. Could be worth dismantling.
>>733357>>733360"Bit late to be worrying about cameras," Green comments.
"Not that they'd be working. This place was a mess even before we got here."You find that the doors leading deeper into the facility are locked, but after a bit of rummaging around the reception area, you find a drawer with some bits in it, as well as a PicoTune; a tiny, portable electronic device no bigger than your fingertip, which can form a neural link with the user and broadcast music directly to them on demand. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be working, but you could probably get it fixed.
No.733362
>>733360"Sure, but they obviously don't care enough to look at the signal. We'd be swarmed or there'd be nothing here. And besides I love the camera."
He says with a wink, knowing it'll irk you.
>>733361"Hey kitty! Now I got a laser pointer for you to play with."
He laughs as he goes to the doors.
"No way we're busting that lock. Likely would require a hack, and I doubt the right terminals have power."
No.733363
>>733361"Can't hurt. Need some help, or do you got it?" He asks, looking around cautiously.
>>733362"We could always try to get some power back on next." he offers.
No.733364
>>733361She pocketed the brain so she could study it later, try to get more into the head of a robot so she could study it later. She promptly made her way to the door and eyed it quietly.
She took her sword and prepared to try this again. She had blown one door open with a meltdown, lets see if she could go for two.
Meltdown [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.733365
>>733362"Like fuck, is it your goal to be as unlikeable as possible? I'm trying my best to like, treat this like we're adults, but you've got way more fucking growing up than I do. I'm heading back to the ship, get your head blown off by a laser."
>>733361Vandal turns to Green, though still glaring at Gale, "Listen, unless Gale gets his shit together I'm just gonna hang back on the ship. This isn't part of the mission proper anyways so not like I'm disobeying any orders…"
No.733366
>>733362Green stifles a smirk as you tease Vandal.
"Could always try busting it open," she points out.
>>733363The response she gives is to just blast the robot in the neck region then wrench the head free. She fastens it to a clasp on her coat back.
"All good here.">>733364The battery threatens to blow out as you overclock the sword, carving through the door like butter. Bits of slag drip from the hole you've created, and the doors shudder open, allowing passage to the rest of the mining facility.
>>733365"Knock yourself out. I'll comm you if something comes up. Shouldn't be too much longer, though.">>733362>>733363>>733364>>733365>roll looting again if desired now that the door's open No.733367
>>733363"That's an idea."
>>733365"Huh. I like your attitude. I had you fixed for a poser, but maybe you have potential. But be mad at me, I don't really mind."
>>733366"Gonna be honest, pretty sure we won't find more down there besides rocks and malicious robots. I'll stay up here."
No.733368
>>733366>>733365Just stay next to me Vandal, I don't think I can stick around the bird without trying to slug him if I don't have someone I can talk to reliably. Besides maybe we can find some more loot in here.
Looting [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.733369
>>733366[1d10] Looting!
[1d10] Also a perception if that's allowed.
"Ah. Fair enough."
>>733367"If we could find a map, or better signs, we could find the power."
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.733370
>>733368"Well great slug him then, he just wants a reaction and I'm done putting up with it."
>>733366Vandal makes her way back to the ship with a few skates through the rooms, tail swishing restlessly in her suit.
No.733371
>>733367"Have fun talking to the robots then, I guess. Nothing to lose in going down there."As the group split, you are left to your own devices in the abandoned reception area.
>>733369>>733368An investigation of the rest of the facility reveals there's not much more to see at the moment. More ashes of dead miners, an elevator to the mines themselves that doesn't work, a few deactivated robots, and a ruined workshop are about all you can find down here. The latter, though, isn't entirely a waste of time. Areia finds a bracer of some sort, which, when activated, pops up with a little display of all heat signatures up to 20 feet from where the wearer is pointing. Useful for detecting life forms nearby, though other sources of heat may scramble it.
>Heatfinder x1Fir doesn't find much in the way of trinkets and baubles, but he does find a few stray florins on a counter.
>+30 florins>>733370You get back to the Party Boat in a huff, waiting for the others to arrive.
>pausing No.734091
>>733371"Hrm… think it's worth looking around more? Not sure what else we're going to find."
No.734096
>>733371She quietly replaced her existing bracer with the Heatfinder for now, figuring that she could have it reworked to match her motif more later. She debated searching around a bit more but decided the ship was better. Would give her time to study the brain module.
No.734097
Repost for convenience:
The unnamed ship, christened the Party Boat by Areia, is a large, six-finned Dragonfly-class vessel. It fits about six people comfortably, and has a spacious storage compartment. It has an engine room and workshop, a cockpit with a constantly updating star map, a kitchen and dining room, three empty living quarters with a bunk bed in each, and port and starboard turrets.
Green has acquired the following gear for potential use on the mission:
Six pairs of Nighteyes, with corresponding remote activators.
Two pairs of binoculars and one monocular.
Six pairs of Commlinks, small, near-invisible earpieces that can be linked up on a wireless network to verbally communicate with each other from long distances.
70 feet of climbing cable.
Six pairs of climbing spikes.
A week's worth of astronaut food, water, and oxygen tanks.
Two Carriers, small deployable items that can be tethered to one to carry cargo. They have repulsors built on their underside, and can therefore travel over rough terrain relatively unhindered.
A Crybaby. This is a dubiously legal device that will begin to transmit a distress signal when activated. Sometimes used by raiders to lure wayward ships into an ambush. One use only.
Two Chokies, a colloquial term for a small, hard to detect robot that can be remote controlled. When activated, the Chokie dispenses tear gas. One use each.
Six gas masks.
Two collapsible shotguns, loaded with rubber bullets. Ammo is 6/24.
A collapsible sniper rifle loaded with sleep darts. Ammo is 4/16.
No.734099
>>733371Before leaving, Gale takes one more look through any sort of reception desk, looking more for information about this place than loot.
[1d10] Searching
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.734101
>>733371Sulking into the unused bedroom without having taken off her suit yet, Vandal pulls out her spray paint and holds it up to start spraying to vent. Cursing, she remembers that the ships isn't even the group's, kicking the bedframe and stripping off her suit, making her way to her room and hopping in her bunk. She pulls out her smartphone, seeing if she can find the bakery she visited earlier and leave it a good review.
No.734102
>>734091Green shrugs. "Sure, can't hurt to give it another once-over." She keeps looking, determined to find something of value.
>roll looting again if desired[1d10] Green Looting
>>734096You start making your way back to the Party Boat, finding Vandal already there. She seems (reasonably) upset.
>>734099The reception console isn't working anymore, but it could be fixed with some know-how. You do manage to deduce, however, that the station was owned and run by the Republic of Selen. Judging from the fact that the mining robots went rogue and killed everyone, it's safe to assume that it was either A) a gross malfunction or B) a deliberate sabotage by one of the Republic's enemies.
>>734101Luckily, the mining station seems to have a signal you can hijack to access the miraculous new invention of the InterNet™. Unfortunately, the bakery doesn't seem to have an online presence yet. It's still a relatively new advancement in galactic technology, and social media is in its infancy.
Areia returns to the Party Boat, sporting a fancy new bit of tech.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.734105
>>734102[1d10] Looting time
"Shouldn't waste too much more time- I'd rather not run into more of those drones."
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.734106
>>734102Vandal sighs, kicking back and laying in the bed. Hearing the heavy footsteps of the only other bipedal in the group, she hollers from her room,
>>734096"End up slugging Gale?"
Vandal's voice rings from her bedroom.
No.734107
>>734102>>734106"Nah, I just nabbed some new tech and left him behind to scavenge like the bottomfeeder he is." she said with a grunt.
She paused and sniffed a few times after pulling her helmet off "Why do I smell paint?"
No.734110
>>734107"Whatever, I don't really care what he does. Just not getting paid to be poked at by creepy old dude so chilling in here." She lays restlessly on the top bunk, deciding to get up to look down at the dragon. "Just waiting for his weird obsession with me to pass."
No.734111
>>734102"Not my job then."
Gale returns to the ship. He sits in dining area, unphased by the little excursion.
No.734112
>>734105You find 20 more florins, and a hunk of a valuable ore called bastellite. It's usually used in weapons and armor manufacturing. Very sturdy, but very heavy. It's cumbersome to carry the unforged alloy, but it could be quite valuable if you sell it, or you could even have it merged with your armor by a skilled craftsman.
"Nice find," Green comments, tucking away some money she found.
"What do you reckon you'll do with it?">>734106>>734107Speaking of which, you hear your favorite person come back, boarding the ship.
>>734111You return to the ship and go up to the dining area. You can hear Vandal and Areia already on board.
No.734114
>>734110I would personally recommend kicking him in the dick but that seems a bit redundant and would probably just slow the mission down too much."
She showed her new bracer off "Found this neat little doodad though. It's a Heatfinder."
>>734112Her nose twinged as she picked up the faint odor of the bird but she remained quiet.
No.734116
>>734114"Neat, I can kinda do that on my own, but neat." Vandal shrugs, her eyes briefly turning to vertical slits, before returning. "Guess I can't give my eyes to someone else though."
No.734118
>>734112"Not sure yet." he says, hefting the ore up and huffing "I'll hang on to it for now, at least, see what I can get done with it."
Once he's got it secured well enough, he looks back to Green and says "We ought to get back soon, though. Let's go."
No.734119
>>734112Gale tosses his newly acquired mining laser along with the processor he found under his bed.
"Not too far from having one of those mining bots for myself." He says to himself.
As he returns to mull about in the dining room, he overhears Vandal and Areia.
He thinks to himself "Aww, bonding over their mutual hate for me. How cute." as he kicks his paws up onto the table.
No.734122
>>734116I also nabbed a brain out of one of those mining bots. Was gonna study it when I had the chance. Robots might be soulless abominations but I have to admire the tech used on them."
No.734125
>>734122"Oh they were huge on tech on my homeworld. Everyone had portable game systems, some of our folks our pioneering this thing called social media, I have a few friends I show pictures of what I'm doing occasionally. People from back home I sorta kinda stand." Vandal nods, waving her small phone/tablet device.
No.734127
>>734118"Yeah, we've wasted enough time here. Let's get going. Not too much further till Faora."You both return to the Party Boat, being aware of the rest of the crew already there. Green removes the space suit and leaves it lying on the floor of the cargo hold carelessly.
>>734122>>734119>>734118>>734114The Party Boat takes off again with a jolt, the doors hissing shut and the ship slowly rising off of the asteroid. It slowly builds up speed before shooting off into outer space, back on course for the planet of Faora, where your first mission awaits.
The rest of the day and most of the next go by relatively quietly. The pigrats, as Green calls them, become slightly more boisterous in their infestation of the ship, scurrying about in plain sight and occasionally trying to break in to the food supplies. Green doesn't seem to have the heart to jettison them.
Late in the afternoon of the next day, you begin your landing to Faora. A small blue planet with flecks of brown here and there, most of it consists of tiny islands in between bodies of water. Terrain on said islands flip flops between tropical and swampy. There are a few settlements, but nothing too major, most of the population being confined to the planet's capital city. This is not your destination however, as Green maneuvers the Party Boat to land on one of the smaller islands, on the outskirts of a tiny town of offworld settlers.
"This is it," says Green as the ship lands on a black stony beach. It's about mid afternoon right now. "Coordinates led here. Looks like a slagpile to me, but at least we're not in the middle of nowhere. I'll stay with the ship and keep watch. You guys can stay in touch with the commlinks. It's your trial by fire after all. I'd recommend going out to the town and asking around about these pirates we're gonna have to deal with. Maybe they can help us get to this wreck they're hiding out in."
No.734128
>>734127Areia nabbed the commlink and one of the sets of Nighteyes, and a monocular as she decided to take to the sky for now and see if she saw anything… piratey from the up there in the small town.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.734129
>>734127Fir humphs a little and sets the suit back where it belongs, before plodding back to his room slowly.
>>734127Fir shoos the pigrats away from the provisions when he can, not wanting to lose out on quite everything.
Once they close in on the planet, he checks the view out of one of the windows while Green explains the details. He'll snag his commlink and a set of nighteyes, before stepping out of the ship and heading for town. "No need to waste time, then."
No.734130
>>734127Electing not to find a seedier location, Vandal instead looks for a fish market or the like, looking to hear word from the locals if they've had any troubles with piratey folks.
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.734132
>>734129Navigation because I'm stupid! [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.734133
>>734127Gale takes the monocular and follows the others.
"I'm sure we'll be doing this planet a service getting rid of these pirate folk."
He says, searching for any sort of bar or tavern.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.734136
>>734128You exit and fly up to get a better view of the surroundings. You can see that what appear to be islands from a birds eye view are actually the wrecks of shot down vessels. There must have been a great battle over the skies of this place at some point. The rusting hulks of vessels dot the landscape, forming a perilous strait for any would be mariner. You recall that Ochi mentioned the pirates had built their base in the remains of a frigate. It seems likely this will be your destination. You imagine you could take the Party Boat in that direction and drop down from above, or simply hire a boat and sail out to the wrecks. The latter seems more perilous, but an easier method to avoid pirate attention than flying a ship right over their base.
>>734129>>734130>>734133After a bit of searching, you manage to find a path through the tropical forest that leads you straight to the village from the beach. You notice that a lot of the town, nestled amidst the tropical trees, seems to have been built from repurposed ship parts and scrap metal, being a hodgepodge of oddly shaped shacks and square buildings. Other structures are made of adobe. Much of the village's economy seems to revolve around fishing, woodcutting and metal forging. The locals are of varied races, though ponies seem to be predominant, and most of them seem to be well adjusted to life here. You get curious looks from them as you enter.
The village is bustling, even at this relatively sleepy time in the afternoon. You can hear the chatter of locals, the whirring of simple robots carrying out tasks, and laborers hard at work nearby. Overall, it's a small but lively little village, well removed from the concerns of the rest of the galaxy.
As you enter and adjust yourselves to the surroundings, you are approached by a grizzled, dark eyed griffon in a wide brimmed hat. His uniform suggests he's an authority figure doing the usual rounds. "Afternoon, spacers. Don't get much of your kind around here. I'm Galen. The sheriff in these parts. What brings you to our community?"
No.734138
>>734136Not a fan of any breed of cops, Vandal skates by, turning backwards to shout over to the rest of the group (despite having commlinks), "I'm gonna check out if they have a fish market, hit up comms when you're done talking to the geezer."
[1d10] Nav (+2 if he tells me to stop due to talent lol)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.734139
>>734136She had landed with the group and stepped forward "We're looking for some pirates that took something that didn't belong to them and we heard that they might be hanging out in some of the ruined ships. Know anybody who might be able to take us there quietly?"
No.734140
>>734136Fir looks around slowly, and nods a little to Vandal as she scoots on past the rest of them. She'll probably find them later, so it's all good.
"Bit of work, nothing too bad. Think you could help with some information on pirates?"
No.734141
>>734136"Fancy name."
He says, pointing out the similarity between their names.
"Just a repossession job. Nothing special."
No.734142
>>734138Galen frowns with disapproval. "Hey kid, you can't just- Suppose she can. Hrmph."
You scoot on through, turning a few heads due to your offworld tech. It doesn't take long to find a local monger selling all manner of alien fish. A stout little pony with a great big bushy beard, he appears to be closing up for the day, pausing expectantly as you draw near.
>>734139>>734140>>734141He frowns. "Shoulda guessed you were here 'bout that. Had one of you lot come by a few days ago. Ended up getting kidnapped by 'em, as I recall."
"If you're looking to get to their hideout, you're pretty much on your own," he says with a shrug. "Pirates aren't the only danger in navigating your way through the Teeth. And asides, we try to avoid getting tangled with 'em. They've been a thorn in our sides for years, but we get by as best we can. They come around every once in a while, we give them a share of our goods, and in return they leave us alone. Not ideal. Not by a long shot. I had my way we'd have run them out of town ages ago. But we're just not equipped to be dealing with them. Never have been. So we try and coexist where we can."
"Sorry, didn't mean to go on a tangent. Point is, I dunno if there'd be a soul in town willing to take you into those waters. Too risky, you know?"
No.734143
>>734142Fair enough but I suppose if we find someone willing and we take care of them maybe you guys might have a… bounty for it?" she asked as she knew how these things worked. Years of role playing games and then a few years being hired muscle told her that taking care of a problem usually got someone a nice reward for their trouble.
No.734144
>>734142"Hmm. Fair enough- I guess we'll do our own looking, then. Is there anyone that can lend us a boat?"
No.734145
>>734142"Ah pardon didn't mean to stop you, just figured I should check out the fresh fish here. One of those weird spacer, but that's obvious I think. Still open?" Vandal says, trying to be amiable considering she was both an outsider and the shop was closing.
No.734146
>>734142"Fair enough. Though, we could wait for them to come to us. How often are they usually here?"
No.734147
>>734143Galen taps his chin. "Well, we don't have anything official out for 'em. But, we'd be more than grateful if you manage to get rid of 'em. We don't have much, but if you did run em off the planet, we'd scrape together a reward for you for sure."
>>734144"Hm. We might have some Skippers, but we can't just hand something like that out for free, even if it is for a good cause. I'll see what I can find for ya."
>>734145"Am now," he answers. "What can I do ya for, spacer? We've got Knifetail, Heike Crab, Razorcrest, even Bor Shark… all freshly caught, of course. Reeled 'em in just this morning." He points out the different types of strange marine life hanging from a rack behind him.
>>734146"Usually they send a few of theirs out every couple weeks. They're pretty consistent with it. …Come to think of it, I think they might be about due for another collection for tomorrow…"
No.734148
>>734147"Renting would be fine, too. Where would we go to look for something like that?" he asks, before stroking his chin. "We could wait for them to come tomorrow, and go back with them…"
No.734149
>>734147>>734148"Now why would they take us back with them?" He asks genuinely, trying to decipher a plan.
No.734150
>>734147>>734148>>734149Or we could just floor them and steal their boat? Have one of them guide us back and not have to bother anyone around here with bribes or sweet talk."
No.734151
>>734149>>734150"Flooring them was… the idea, yes. Did it note come across as that?"
No.734152
>>734147"I'm a dumbass city slicker, what'd you say would be best for eating as is, little preparation?" Vandal asks, leaning over the counter to look, "Is this just off the docks, or you sail out in the morning?"
No.734153
>>734151You didn't say it and as far as I've known you, you haven't really seemed the subtle type so…"
No.734154
>>734153"Ah. I'd mostly meant we could just force them to tell us where the rest of them are."
No.734155
>>734148>>734149>>734150Galen frowns and takes a step back. "W-we don't want any trouble with them," he says earnestly. "They get hurt or killed on our turf, it's my people that are gonna pay the price. Not you. I don't really know what your quarrel with them is, but I can't let you bring that storm on us. I just can't."
>>734152He frowns. "We don't normally eat 'em raw. But I suppose you outsiders are a different breed. Hm… Couldn't hurt to try the Razorcrest, I s'pose." He reaches into a fridge and produces a fillet of raw fish, orange in color with intriguing white lines across its surface.
It's salmon."Depends. Some's caught by some of the other fishers. Others I trawl myself. Do it a couple times a week early in the morning. It's a peaceful life."
No.734156
>>734155How about we hit them as they're leaving then? Clears you of any guilt and then we don't have to worry about collateral."
No.734157
>>734155>>734156"Maybe get taken as captives? They'll take us right to their hideout. Wouldn't be my first prison bust."
No.734158
>>734155"Ah. We'll try to find a way that avoids that problem, then. We wouldn't want to cause any trouble here."
>>734157"Could work, yes."
No.734159
>>734157Not the most keen on losing my sword so I might leave that behind but I'd be down for it."
No.734160
>>734155Vandal's tail swishes, mouth watering, "
Fuck I can't remember the last time I had sushi… How much does a filet go for then? Guess I didn't come in the morning when it was the most fresh but I'd be interested."
No.734161
>>734156"That could also work. You'd have to move your ship though. Not exactly subtle leaving it right there on the beach."
>>734157>>734158>>734159"You might not have to follow 'em," he points out. "Depending on if we can find Skippers for y'all, we could provide a map of the Teeth for ya. It still wouldn't be easy, going out there, but it'd save y'all the hassle of having to deal with 'em come tomorrow."
>>734160"100 bits," the fishmonger answers, pre emptively getting ready to chop up a slice for you. "We haven't really made the transition to florins here yet. Sorry."
No.734690
>>734161"If you could, that'd be great. The sooner we can get this handled, the better."
No.734691
>>734161Vandal bites her lip, wanting to make the connection work out, "No worries, I carry both. Would I be taking too much of your time if I called some friends and asked if they wanted anything as well? If you've got a family to get back to I won't take more of your time."
No.734692
>>734161She nodded "Yeah we can do that." she said with a nod as she was down for more of a stealthy approach.
No.734770
>>734161"Fair enough, flashy or stealthy, as long as it happens."
No.734771
>>734690>>734692>>734770"Right." Galen scratches his chin. "It'll take me a bit to ask around, see what I can do to help. If you pull this off, we'll be in your debt, spacers."
After exchanging details and adding him to your commlink contacts, he points out a squat, pointed roofed building in the middle of town. "Over there's our offices. Once I have some news, I'll send y'all a buzz through your commlinks. We can meet up there and I'll show what I've got. Probably later this evening. Till then, you might wanna see about moving the ship. We don't have much in these parts, but feel free to look around, see if you can find something that suits your interests." He tips his hat a little and bids farewell for now, starting to communicate with other officers in town via commlink.
>>734691He pauses and puts the filleting knife away, nodding. "Sure. Was gonna close early till you came along. Take your time."
No.734772
>>734771"I have a feeling this isn't gonna work."
He turns towards the ship
"By the time he figures out how to get to these pirates they're gonna be knocking on our door. Just don't like leaving the mission in another griffons claws."
No.734773
>>734771"Thanks mm..an-" Vandal pauses, not remembering if the fisherpony had told them their name or not, "I really appreciate it, especially ynow me being an offworlder and all."
Vandal walks a short distance, paw to her commlink, "
Ayyy found a cool fisherdude with a boat. We still need a boat right?"
No.734774
>>734771"Thanks. We'll make it as quick as possible." the deer says.
>>734773Fir flicks one of his ears, before saying "Mm. Good timing, then. We're working on some stuff on our end, too."
No.734775
>>734773The fishmonger flicks his ear in annoyance. "Hey. I didn't say I was renting it."
No.734776
>>734771The dragon nodded and decided to just follow after the others as her mind was a bit busy.
No.734777
>>734776Areia decided to start looking around for a bar or somewhere else they might be able to hear rumors of the pirates while they waited.
No.734778
>>734771>>734772>>734776"Where to now, then? Should we meet up with the Felid? We won't have much else to do until they get back to us with information, and it sounds like she secured a boat."
No.734779
>>734778Fir shrugs a little, and figures that if no one's objecting, it's good to go. He clicks on his commlink, and tries to get Vandal's attention.
>>734773"We'll come meet up with you. We could meet at the ship, since we're going to need to move it out of the way anyways."
No.734780
>>734779"
Uhh neat, I haven't asked if we could use it yet. Tryna make friends and stuff yknow."
No.734781
>>734778Yeah that seems like a wise idea." she said with a sigh "She's been pretty on point with getting things done so I have no reason not to trust her now."
No.734782
>>734779"Gotta move the ship. You can drive, right Fir?"
No.734783
>>734780"Ah. I mis-assumed, then. No pressure, we can work our way back to the ship on our own." He says, before looking to Gale.
>>734782"Not the best, but I can pilot it well enough to move it out of the way."
No.734784
>>734777Looking around, there seems to be a bar in town, albeit a rather quiet one. The main gathering point in this backwater town seems to be the market square, where several townsfolk of disparate races are trading for goods or working hard to expand the town. Much of it seems to be under reconstruction after some disaster struck in the recent past. You get a few odd looks from the market goers, but overall, people tend to mind their own business in this sleepy town.
No.734785
>>734784>>734780There's a Bar near the center of the town, I'll be there if you want to meet up with me and I presume the others." she said as she went to go and play a bit of eavesdropping where she could.
{1d10} to listen I suppose
No.734786
>>734785[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.734787
>>734786>>734785You drop the eaves, listening to hints of a passing conversation between two laborers.
"…And another one landed on the beach just now…"
"…Spacers stirring up trouble here, I'd wager. Wish they'd leave us be…"
"…Pirates are gonna be coming around any day now…"
"Hope it's not as bad as last time…"
It seems the sheriff's claims are true. These villagers are being harassed quite regularly by pirates. You get the feeling you're not very welcome here. The townsfolk presumably want as little as possible to do with them.
No.734788
>>734783"Hrm… actually, we don't need to move it." the Elk says, before ringing up Green.
"Could you move the ship somewhere a little more out of sight? Just in case, and all."
No.734789
>>734788>>734785>>734782>>734780You hear a scrambling on the other end. Seems you caught her off guard.
"Whu? Sure, gimme a bit," Green says to Fir.
"How's it going over there? Figured anything out yet?" No.734790
>>734789"We have, yeah. It's a little slow-going by now, but we've got a couple options in mind. Going to try and go with the quicker one, so we just need to get a boat."
No.734791
>>734787She grimaced but kept quiet for now as she overheard Green and debated just taking to the skies herself. But she let it go because it wasn't really gonna help anyone if she did that.
Instead she just decided to keep an eye out for anyone who might look… pirate.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.734792
>>734785>>734779>>734789>>734783Vanda blinks, insure of what to think of the mixed responces, "
Uhhh, I'm gonna order something cause the guy's waiting on me to close and I don't wanna piss him off more. Not sure where y'all want me."
Returning to the vendor, she bows briefly and apologies, fishing out bits from her baggy cargo jeans. "Sorry, assumed they'd be getting settled in but sounds like they're not in the mood to talk fish. I'll buy the filet and make sure it wasn't a complete waste of your time."
She pauses, trying her luck, "You or any folk you know on the docks do rentals if me and my buds wanna do a day fishing trip ourselves?"
No.734793
>>734790"Yeah? Run 'em by me, why don't you," she says casually. You hear coffee brewing in the background. In the distance, you hear the ship's engines start to rev.
>>734791While you do spot a few rather unsavory looking characters around town, no one particularly stands out as being an obvious pirate. Being a fishing village, most folk around look salty and hardened by a lifetime of rough living.
>>734792He looks up from solving a crossword on his datapad. "Three across. Six words. Walking in an attention grabbing manner… Hm? Oh, sure." He quickly puts it away and gets back to work, carving up the fish expertly and wrapping it in brown paper for you. "100 bits."
"Not many rentals around, but I offer trips out to sea. Been sailing these waters since before you were born. If you're interested, the price depends on where, and how long. Got a destination in mind?"
No.734794
>>734789"We've got an in. Sorta." He says into the comm.
No.734795
>>734793"Well, we're trying to get a good idea of where they're staked out. Town's scared of 'em, so it took some work to get that much. If we can't find a boat and get a good idea of where they are, we can wait for them to come by tomorrow, board their ship, and force them to take us back. We're leaning more towards the first option."
No.734796
>>734792Sorry, just let us know what you wanna do."
>>734793She sighed and resigned herself to just looking tough for now.
No.734797
>>734796"
Not really about what I want to do, it's a group thing and all. Just trying to figure out a schedule and the like." Vandal answers quietly on the commlink, though not in an attempt to prevent the fisherman from hearing
>>734793"Sorry about that, I swear I'm the least mature one but I'm trying to get a group trip in order. Do you have a home number where I could get back to you on that question? I've gotta herd some cats."
No.734798
>>734797"Yeah that makes sense, I say we meet here at the bar if we're taking votes." she said lazily.
No.734799
>>734794"Hijacking 'em? Risky, but it could work. I'll be parking the ship about a click inland. Found a clearing up ahead. Lemme know if you guys need anything. And uh, good luck. Sounds like a doozy.">>734794>>734795>>734796A bit of time goes by, until eventually you get a buzz from the sheriff.
"Howdy, spacers. Went by faster than I thought it would. I'm still working on securing something, but I've been asking around and there's a couple cadets here that would be happy to help you subdue the pirates tomorrow and help get to their hideout, if you're going with that plan. What else… Oh yeah. I also dug up a map of the Teeth, where they are. Might come in handy if you're traveling yourself. No word on a boat to secure yet, but if you're forcing them to take you, you probably won't need one. I'll keep looking and see what I can find.">>734797He notices you using a commlink. "You can contact me with one of those. Own one myself from my spacing days."
He exchanges contact details with you. His name is Undertow, apparently.
No.734800
>>734799"Good. Send us over the map, if you could. We might have a boat, so let's hope we can rely on that."
No.734801
>>734799Thanks there sherif, the map is gonna be pretty helpful for us since we aren't really sailors."
No.734802
>>734799"Neato, thanks again fisherdude." Vandal waves, trying to seek out where everyone went after leaving.
No.734803
>>734799"Cadets? How many are we talking? Don't wanna turn this into a blow the doors open type mission."
No.734804
>>734800>>734801"Sure thing. Wiring it through now." Your datapad beeps as a topographical map is downloaded onto it.
>>734802You find most of the others in the center of town, near the market square.
>>734803"Counting these two, that makes… two." No.734805
>>734804"Gotcha. I'll give it a good look, and we'll figure things out from there."
>>734803"Keeping it pretty quiet, then? Works for me."
No.734806
>>734803>>734805>>734801"I speeent 100 bits on getting this guy's commlink information, and that's not even for the trip itself." Vandal skates in, keeping the fish in her backpack unmentioned. "Cool fisherdude, apparently an old spacer. Has no idea about going for pirates, just a fishing trip."
No.734807
>>734804She surveyed the map quietly as she kept listening.
>>734803For once I kind of agree with you there feathers"
No.734808
>>734806"Hmm. I'll pay you back sometime, then. Good job." the elk says, peering down at Vandal.
No.734809
>>734805>>734807The map is comprehensive, and thanks to the miracle of modern technology, you can see your location relative to the rest of the surrounding area, and move the map around on all three axes to see the height of it all. A sidebar displays nautical information, such as coordinates, current wind strength, weather, and tide phases. Some parts of the Teeth are labeled as impassable, others dangerous, and others relatively safe. It seems you could plan a safe trip through the Teeth using this, but it doesn't show where the pirates are patrolling. You'd have to be extra careful not to alert them while going through, unless you'd prefer to storm them to reclaim the mysterious box you were hired for.
No.734810
>>734805>>734807"Would rather not attract the ire of some pirates today."
No.734811
>>734810>>734808>>734807>>734806"So uhh… you all have been doing…?" Vandal sways impatiently.
No.734812
>>734811"Trying to get some more information on where the pirates are. We've got a map of where they'd be, so if we can secure a boat we'll have the route to them."
No.734813
>>734809(Forgot to respond, sorry)
>>734810>>734807>>734811"Speaking of the map… we can probably plot out a few routes through the Teeth to the bandits, but we're not sure where they patrol. We could take a safer route, or a more dangerous one, or even just take a more… wait-and-see approach as we go."
No.734814
>>734810>>734809"It makes sense." she replied casually as she downsized the map for later
>>734811Doing pretty well Whiskers, your self?"
No.734815
>>734813" I doubt they patrol at all, but if they're expecting an attack, they'll expect it from the side this place is on."
No.734816
>>734813>>734812"Hmmnn, only problem is a buncha folks with commlinks giving a very specific path through known bandit teritority's gonna definitely reveal our plans to the guy, and likely won't let us use it. Feel like we'd be better off accidently getting the guy to
run into a patrol and then jack that ship."
>>734814Vandal blinks, letting out a sigh, "Yeah fine, just wondering how serious I should be about this thing. Feelin a bit slugish tryna come up with a way to deal with these pirates."
No.734817
>>734816"Well, we're not sure where they patrol. I'll see if we can figure anything out about where they patrol, if they do. If we could get that, we could just suggest a general direction, and hope to run into one."
No.734818
>>734817"Again, something a former spacer and now fisherpony prolly knows now, just sayin."
No.734819
>>734818"Well… how do you suggest we do it 'accidentally' then?"
No.734820
>>734816Well SO long as your ok. You're easily my favorite person in this group and I'd rather not be stuck alone with the bird." she paused and looked to Fir "You're alright too but… we haven't really talked.
>>734819We could move along the beach in seclusion, they tend to land on it pretty regularly from what I'm guessing."
No.735167
https://pastebin.com/Wwm8qAqW (New Sheet!)
>>734820>>734819>>734818>>734815Fir hums a little bit, and says "Regardless, we need to decide on what we're going to do- we've got a few plans, but we need to narrow it down to one so we can move forward."
>>734820"No offense taken." he says, dipping his head a little.
No.735168
>>735167She nodded in response "I'll make time to have a nice little chat with you but as for strategy, I vote more on a proactive than passive approach here."
No.735169
>>734820>>735167>>734815"Alright since everyone's asking and no one's deciding. I'll call my contact, I'll ask if we can rent the boat ourselves. This is our paw in the door kind of deal, the money for the first mission isn't as important as showing we can get shit done. I think we're fine with paying a bit more just to get rid of complications and shit, right?" Vandal says, clearly put up with the mummering and little candor.
No.735170
>>735167"So it's strange fisherpony or oddly kind sheriff?"
He weighs the options for a moment
"This is why I like working alone…"
>>735169"That works, I'm sick of waiting around for mister gold star."
He says, referring to the sherriff
No.735171
>>735169That sounds fine, its fast and honestly doing this quickly and cleanly is the best we can hope to do here."
No.735172
>>735169>>735170>>735171"Great that's enough for me, I'll make the call."
>>734809Taking to her communicator, she calls up Undertow.
No.735173
>>735172After exactly three ring tones, you hear a gruff
"Aye" from the other end.
No.735174
>>735172"Did you get it, then?" the elk asks, cocking his head to the side.
No.735175
>>735173"Heya, this is the offworlder cat from earlier, just calling again about possibly asking to rent out a fishing charter. They're being just as childish as they were when I tried to ask at the stall. I'd hate to keep the time up in the air, so just wondering if I could rent the boat out for an entire day and pilot it ourself so you don't have to put up with waiting for me to tug these guys by their leashes hours after than when we agreed?" Vandal says, rubbing her forehead, "
Get it'd be pricey, think we're willing to pool something together for it."
She almost lets him speak, before blurting out, "
Also if you can't, do you know of any folks with engined boats that would take payment for a similar day off?"
No.735176
>>735175[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735177
>>735175>>735176There's a moment of silence before he speaks.
"You think I'm an idiot? It's no coincidence that you guys show up right after the last moron gets chased off by the pirates, is it. You'd be taking it right into the Teeth, wouldn't you. And that'd be the end of you, and the end of my livelihood. I can't risk that. I just can't. …Sorry." No.735178
>>735177Overhearing the conversation, Gale chimes in.
"The pirates have to come here on something… The fisher lets us use the boat, we'll come back and give him three more."
Knowing that the fisher hasn't heard him, Gale looks to Vandal.
"Up to you if you wanna say that. It's a promise. A tough one."
No.735179
>>735177>>735178"Shush up i've got this." Vandal says off the mic to Gale.
"
Neat alright, said you're a spacer anyways. Listen, charter trusted an asshat to do a job and they fucked it up. You think they'll gonna send another group of fuckups to screw it up again? We're the cleanup crew, the people they send to guarantee will get the mission done after the first time. You think it's financially viable for them to send more rookies?" She sighs in to the mic, "
Listen I get it, you're probably out here in the middle of nowhere to get out of spacing in the first place, last thing you want to do is get dragged into it. I don't want you to either. Still, your community's getting fucked over by a buncha dickheads who think it's cool to pick on a small fishing town and we've got a job we're getting paid for. Like I said, you don't gotta be present for it. Still, your life, we're not some clowns that'll go in and try and steal a boat and piss off the community in the process, just wanted to compensate someone as if it was getting rented out normally, and get this done swiftly so our boss is happy."
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735181
>>735179"Had it in the first half…" He says under his breath, turning away from Vandal and pacing.
No.735182
>>735179There's a slightly longer silence. For a moment you think he's hung up on you.
"…""…Fine. But you won't be able to do it on your own. I don't care how good you are, you'll get torn to shreds on the rocks if the pirates don't get to you first. You're going to need someone who can actually navigate worth a shit. …We'll leave as soon as you're ready. The pirates won't be able to see us under cover of night, but I've kitted my Skipper with some nav tools from back in the day. My house is right on the beach. Look for the jetty. …Don't make me regret this any more than I already am, kid." No.735183
>>735182"
…Thank you. Sorry for the 'one last heist' sorta trope, know it's cliched as hell."
After hanging up, she looks to the others, gasping for air,
>>735181>>735174>>735171"Please don't make me do that ever again, I am NOT a negotiator. There we are, a captain and a boat, with spacer knowledge."
No.735184
>>735183"It's a good cliche," he says, and hangs up.
No.735185
>>735183"Just ask next time, if it was me on the phone he'd be paying us to take this."
He huffs, begrudging his own praise.
"You did alright."
No.735186
>>735183I mean you volunteered Whiskers."
No.735187
>>735183"I'll try to avoid it from now on. Sorry."
No.735188
>>735187>>735186>>735185"Whatever, someone call Green. Spent my once a day social ability or what not."
No.735189
>>735188The Dragon nodded and rang up the pony "Hey Green, we got a ride to the Pirates base tonight if you wanna move the ship out of sight now."
No.735190
>>735188Fir nods a little bit, before ringing up Green. "We've got the ride sorted out."
No.735191
>>735189>>735190"Shit!" You hear scrambling on the other end, a mug breaking, and what sounds like elecricity shorting out.
"Goddammit… Er, already ahead of you. Moved the ship more inland, shouldn't be easy to find. Lemme know when you get the box, and if you need air support. I've got your location pinged. Good luck." No.735192
>>735191Rodger dodger, just make sure not to shock yourself or some shit."
No.735193
>>735191"Should we start calling her to tell her we're gonna call her so she doesn't freak every time? Seems like a good idea."
No.735194
>>735193I was half expecting to hear some sort of vibrating noise." she joked as she grabbed her blade "So what should we do now? Just head to his house and wait there?"
No.735195
>>735193>>735194"Well, if we have anything else we need to grab, now's likely the time."
No.735196
>>735194"Yeah, let's try to be punctual and actually try to pull off the cleaner crew vibe instead of another set of newbies-
>>735193"-Which means none of your bullshit. Keep your beak shut if you don't have anything that's relevant to the mission."
Vandal skates in place restlessly.
No.735197
>>735196He chuckles. "Whatever you say, Boss."
>>735194"Sounds like he'll be waiting for us."
No.735198
>>735196Yeah lemme just send a quick message to the Sherrif so he isn't gonna try a one man waylay." she said as she rang him up on her comm unit.
No.735199
>>735196"Just relax, then. We'll be ready."
No.735200
>>735198You notify the sheriff of the change of plans.
"Huh. I was talking to some people about it already, but okay. Didn't think old Sandy would ever come out of retirement like that. Godspeed, spacers. You're doing this place a great favor.">>735198>>735197>>735196>>735195You double back and start heading back towards the volcanic beach. It's not hard to spot the jetty, a small, privately owned construct a few minutes walk from where you are. A small path built into the beach leads up towards Undertow's house, a humble little house with some nautical decorations and a corrugated iron roof. Seems he lives alone.
You find him waiting for you. He is a stout old salt of an earth pony with an impressive beard. He's wearing a long coat and hat, prepping the Skipper as you approach. It is a white jet powered vehicle with a teal holographic sail, large enough for the five of you, with a complex HUD near the steering wheel at the back. She's called the
Dauntless.He salutes you as you approach, fiddling with the controls of the Skipper. He pauses to look you all over with light blue, weary eyes. "Don't look like much of a cleanup crew. Guild must be getting desperate." He shrugs and continues his work. "Don't suppose you have much of a plan for when we get there yet," he asks without looking up.
No.735201
Another convenience repost:
Green has acquired the following gear for potential use on the mission:
Six pairs of Nighteyes, with corresponding remote activators.
Two pairs of binoculars and one monocular.
Six pairs of Commlinks, small, near-invisible earpieces that can be linked up on a wireless network to verbally communicate with each other from long distances.
70 feet of climbing cable.
Six pairs of climbing spikes.
A week's worth of astronaut food, water, and oxygen tanks.
Two Carriers, small deployable items that can be tethered to one to carry cargo. They have repulsors built on their underside, and can therefore travel over rough terrain relatively unhindered.
A Crybaby. This is a dubiously legal device that will begin to transmit a distress signal when activated. Sometimes used by raiders to lure wayward ships into an ambush. One use only.
Two Chokies, a colloquial term for a small, hard to detect robot that can be remote controlled. When activated, the Chokie dispenses tear gas. One use each.
Six gas masks.
Two collapsible shotguns, loaded with rubber bullets. Ammo is 6/24.
A collapsible sniper rifle loaded with sleep darts. Ammo is 4/16.
You can say you grabbed any of these before leaving, if you haven't already.
No.735202
>>735201Fir will take some of the climbing cable and climbing spikes, and a Chokie. He's got the commlink and Nighteye already, anyways.
>>735200Fir shrugs a little at the earth pony's assessment, before carefully stepping aboard once it looks like he's ready. "We weren't able to get the most information, so not a lot. We've got a decent mix of talent though, so we should be fine to hit the ground running."
No.735203
>>735201>Taking two gas masks (one for the skipper), monocular, and a Chokie, the latter tied to her backpack haphazardly.>>735202Vandal clears her throat, trying to look like they know what they're doing.
>>735201"We're stocked with gas masks and tear gas, We've got a specialist that deals with any machinery that'll be ignoring the fumes," Vandal looks to Areia, "And other infiltrators to flank once the confusion from the gas gets them running towards the commotion."
No.735204
>>735200Gale keeps his mouth shut, while investigating the HUD.
He thinks to himself: "Fancy setup for a fishing boat…"
>>735201Gale has taken: Nighteye, Commlink, and a Carrier.
No.735205
>>735200I mean I figured we just figure out where the stuff is and I proceed to start melting through walls til we get there. Would save us a ton of time and we wouldn't have to try and sweep every floor of the wrecks out there."
No.735207
>>735204Perception [1d10+2]
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.735208
>>735204>>735207The Dauntless is quite old, but kept extremely well over the years. She's probably a point of pride for Undertow. Her HUD is a custom job, with a bunch of bells and whistles added to it, including a constantly updating map of the surrounding region, a sonar and radar display, a flip up screen with night vision to be able to navigate in dark waters, and even what looks like a suppressing cloak, a type of device that renders an object imperceptible to all non magical sensors, but still visible to sight. In short, it seems very well equipped for sneaking around in night waters.
He notices you looking. "Admiring the handiwork, are ya. Been working on her for a long time. All the custom stuff helps avoid unwanted attention on night trawls, see."
>>735202"Not much to say about 'em," he shrugs. "They've been a pain in the ass for years now. My advice, don't be a hero. Just go in, get what you need then get out. Maybe call that ship of yours for help. You won't be able to get rid of 'em that easily. Bigger than you have tried."
>>735203>>735205He nods. "I think I know where their hideout is. We'll just have to be careful to avoid patrols. Was telling your friend here how I've kitted to do that when I go on night trips. I've seen them out and about. Always steered clear of 'em. Till now."
>>735202>>735203>>735204>>735205He finishes getting the Dauntless up and running. The circular exhaust on the aft end comes to life, and the vessel rises a few inches above the water, humming and sputtering. He flips the map screen up and presses a few buttons, bringing everything online. He looks to you expectantly. "Ready?"
No.735209
>>735208"We won't bite off more than we can chew, but thanks for the advice." the deer says, dipping his head and settling down to sit on the deck with a loud thump.
No.735210
>>735208She nodded as she held the Shotgun in her lap for now "As I'll ever be."
No.735211
>>735209>>735210>>735207>>735203>timeskipYou board the skipper and take off. It's not long before you start getting nauseous; the constant rocking of the vessel on the waves is enough to make anyone seasick. As a veteran, Undertow remains standing, completely unaffected. The journey is relatively uneventful; at one point you see a display of bioluminescent fish follow the Skipper, almost as if showing off, but otherwise it's quiet. Undertow isn't much for conversation either, focusing on staying the course.
In the distance, the Teeth begin to come into view in the light of the moon. A narrow, perilous pass of twisted metal and razor-sharp rocks, it appears to be the remnants of a space battle from long ago, fallen from the sky and making its mark on the landscape. Here and there you recognize bits and pieces of spaceships, all covered in seaweed and barnacles, slowly rusting and being claimed by Mother Ocean. If it were any of you at the helm, you'd probably be dashed to bits on a rock, but Captain Sandy Undertow keeps you out of harm's way.
"Shit." The Skipper jolts abruptly and comes to a complete halt all of a sudden. You soon see what's got him on edge; a blinding white light passes through the hulks of metal sticking out of the waters, and you see the silhouette of another Skipper on patrol. The rowdy yelling and shanties coming from it suggest their identity. "Pirate patrol," Undertow growls. You see him reaching for a blaster under the helm. "Right in the middle of our trajectory too. Either we wait it out and risk being caught or we're gonna have to find a way to draw them away. Don't suppose you've got any bright ideas."
No.735212
>>735211I could fly up and divebomb them with a blast of plasma. Would probably draw them off but I have no idea if I could take the ship out with just one shot."
No.735213
>>735211>>735212"Big burst of light'll be on the horizon for em then. Maybe just drop something heavy into the water aways away? Doesn't put 'em on high alert, but something going sploosh nearby's gonna get their eyes."
No.735214
>>735211Gale is quiet for a bit, following Vandals orders. Until he finally shares:
"We could sing along."
He pauses.
"Sounds crazy, but how do they know we aren't pirates too?"
No.735215
>>735211"Hrm… did anyone bring that distress signal… thing? We had one we could've used to distract them. The only thing I've got for that would be a Chokie."
>>735214"Probably won't work- they're likely not so large that they won't know each other."
No.735216
>>735215I mean I was gonna ask if we just had an empty box on the boat I could fly up and drop from high up."
No.735217
>>735216"That could… work, yes. Might draw some attention, though."
No.735218
>>735217Wasn't that the idea? I drop something away from us and they go looking for it."
No.735219
>>735218(Oh, I misread that. Pretend I didn't say that!)
>>735216"I'm sure there's some sot of box around here. Need any help setting it up?"
No.735220
>>735219I guess if there's any weights or stuff it'd help." she said looking around for either.
>>735213>>735214Might as well help us look you two."
No.735221
>>735220>>735219>>735214>>735213With Undertow's help, you manage to find a tackle box under one of the seats. Undertow empties it with a bit of a grimace, putting everything in a larger crate. "I liked that box."
He holds it out. "Who's gonna do the honors then?"
No.735222
>>735221I can fly with ease and I have some armor so I should be able to take a hit if they think to look up."
No.735223
>>735222Areia would scoop the box up, taking to the skies with a small shake of the boat as she used some cover to get up high enough that they wouldn't look, aiming for a spot off to the west that looked fairly easy to aim at, and then chucking the box that way.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735224
>>735221>>735222"Let me try something…"
[1d10] Distill Life
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735225
>>735222>>735223"Shoulda just sang…"
No.735226
>>735222>>735224Fir's armor whirs to life, and eventually ejects three small syringes filled with green, glowing energy. He passes them over to Areia, before saying "They're not much, but they'll keep you going in a pinch. Take 'em."
No.735227
>>735223You fly up onto a spire jutting out of the water, looking down at the pirate Skipper. It's not dissimilar to Undertow's, only in darker hues, and with some mounted guns. Contrary to Vandal's earlier comment, from what you can see of the pirates they are indeed the one eyed 'arrr' variety of pirate, looking grubby, brutish and extremely rowdy, with nasty looking weaponry and miscellaneous missing body parts. One even has an alien parrot. As you lob the tackle box, the lights from the pirate ship turn in its direction, and with miscellaneous 'avast!'s and 'yarr!'s, the pirate boat starts moving towards it purposefully, out of your way.
"We won't be able to avoid 'em forever," Undertow points out as you return and the ship starts moving again. "Once they realize it's nothing, they'll come back here, and they'll see the wake we left. No hiding that even with all this tech. But it should be able to buy us some time to see if we can find their hideout."
No.735228
>>735227She pocketed the syringes for now and decided to keep following them from above for now, pulling her nighteyes on to keep track of the boat as she went high enough to not worry about hitting a rock or ship piece.
No.735229
>>735228You slip on the Nighteyes. They're essentially contact lenses that form a mental bond with the wearer to be activated at will. Through them, you can see everything around you as if it were daytime, albeit in washed out shades of grey.
You keep an eye on the boat, having to avert your gaze whenever the lights shine towards you; the Nighteyes make you extremely sensitive to light, rendering you blind momentarily if shone upon. You watch as they start moving towards where you threw the box, only to find nothing. "Must've been the wind," you hear one say.
>>735226>>735225>>735213>>735228As Areia causes a distraction and leaves the ship for now, Undertow gets it into motion, moving deeper into the Teeth, following the wake of the pirate patrol in hopes it'll lead you to it.
Areia sees the pirate ship start moving towards your trail, following behind you. They haven't spotted your ship yet, though, since it uses no lights to navigate, but are inadvertently on your case.
Eventually trail goes cold, the wake ripples fading out to a foggy, cramped region of the Teeth. It looks pretty much the same in any direction you look. Undertow curses under his breath. "Well now what? Their hideout could be anywhere." He pulls out an old fashioned telescope and starts trying to look around to see if he can spot anything out of the ordinary.
>roll Perception No.735230
>>735228>Hunter's Eye: automatic instant, once per combat; Your vision, smell and hearing are unparalleled. An enemy targeted by this skill cannot use Stealth, is removed from Stealth if already using it, and you gain a +1 bonus to all attacks against the target until the end of combat. You can also see in the dark without the need for a light source.Using the monocular she brought with him and her ability to see in the dark, she quickly scopes out the area around her.
[1d10] assumed DC reduction for tools used
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735231
>>735229"Gotta be some sort of secret entrance or something…"
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735232
>>735229Arreia cursed under her breath and moved to one of the nearby towering hunks of metal nearby, aiming to try and cut off a hunk of it so it might slam into the boat and take the light out.
[1d10] to attack the ship fragment.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735233
>>735229[1d10] Perception
Without too much else to do, Fir tries to keep an eye out.
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735234
>>735230>>735231>>735233It's near impossible to see anything in the fog, but Fir manages to spot a small opening in one of the wrecks, which seems to lead into the belly of a much larger warship. It seems big enough for you to sail through with extreme caution. Looks viable enough as a hideout for a bunch of pirates.
>>735232You knock a piece of scrap metal loose, but it just plops into the water, drawing their ire towards you. The light flares up, blinding you momentarily. You hear a grunt of surprise. "Intruders!" One of the pirates screeches as he spots you. "Intruders in our waters! Sound the alarm!"
>>735230>>735231>>735233>>735232A loud klaxon siren starts blaring from the patrol Skipper as they spot Areia, scrambling to grab weapons and attack her. "Well shit," Undertow growls. "What do we do?"
No.735235
>>735234"Hrm… that's not good. I'm glad I gave her all three." he says, before narrowing his eyes and leaning in. "I think I see the warship through that small opening, but I'm not sure if it's the best idea to go straight for them with the alarms blaring."
No.735236
>pausan
No.735772
>>735771Prospects are good! On your travels through the galaxy, you have come across whispers of a place ripe for scavenging. In the oceans of the island planet of Faora lies a graveyard of fallen spaceships, known as the Teeth by the locals. Lurking in the bowels of the place is a hideout of nefarious pirates who terrorize the local islanders on the reg. Seems like a perfect place to go picking through.
After "borrowing" a Skipper (see note) from one of the nearby island villages, you have navigated out to sea, reaching the metal reef known as the Teeth. You dock at the edge of one of the wrecks and fly up, getting a good view of the region. The Teeth are aptly named; forsaken by the tides, the Teeth are a vast, impenetrable maze of twisted, razor sharp metal and rocks, jutting out like vicious fangs from the lapping waves below. You feel like you might get tetanus just looking at the place.
For someone with wings like you, physically traversing this place shouldn't be too hard; the problem will lie more in trying not to get lost and disoriented amidst the labyrinth of rusting hulks. Luckily, the skies are on your side; though it is night time, the moons of Faora are full, and the skies are clear. Visibility shouldn't be too much of an issue.
>Note: a Skipper is a watergoing vehicle used throughout the Galactic Realms. Usually only big enough for one or two people, it's essentially a dinghy with hover tech and a propulsion engine on the back. Useful for traveling over large bodies of water. No.735773
>>735234She closed her eyes and let out a snarl of impotent rage as she tried her best to get down to the boat to try and torch it with a plasma blast from her own natural reserve.
[1d10] Dragon Breath (Plasma)
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.735774
>>735234"Ah fuck, they don't know we're here so maybe-"
She gets on comms, "
Areia, can you draw them off course, maybe fly them into some rocks so they beach themselves? As long as you're not going in hot I don't think they'd shoot->>735773-back…"
She turns back to Undertow, "See if we can pull ahead and hide behind some wreckage? We could try and go dark."
No.735775
>>735772Gigi looks out over the fallen ships and smiles. Sure, it would be bad if she got lost, but she could always track Frank if she wanted to get back to the ship. She pulls her black cap off her head, wipes her forehead with the back of her wrist, and slides it back on.
She lifts her wrist to her mouth and speaks into a microphone set into a dark gray watch-like bangle. "Yo, Frank, keep lookout for me and tell me if you see anyone coming," she whispers. "I'm about to dive into an all you-you-can-carry buffet of florins. The wiring in these things alone is probably worth a fortune, let alone all the tech."
She brings one of her headphones to the side of her head. After a second it flares up in a quiet hiss, and a static filled, low quality, overly enthusiastic voice pipes through."You got it, G-Man!" Frank says. "If I see anything I'll screech and maul them like a rabid dog." A loop of barks plays for a moment, and, after a quiet pop, his voice returns to normal. "Then they'll think I'm crazy and leave us alone."
Gigi rubs one of her eyes. "No, Frank, don't let them know you're here. We're looking at some seriously dangerous guys if anyone catches us. If you think you see anyone, hide below deck and
quietly let me know. I really don't think they'll pay too much attention to a little boat, so this should be a quick in and out. The only real issue should be hauling all this back and loading it up."
"You got it, boss! Operation cowardly packrat is a go."
Gigi sighs, raises her headphones all the way over her head, and lifts her hood. "Alright," she says, pulling out her music player. After a quick run through her playlists, she settles on one and hits play. An upbeat trance song flares to life, and she cracks her knuckles. "Showtime."
She takes off into the air and scouts out the ships for a good place to start.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.735776
>>735775[1d10]Frank on lookout
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735777
>>735234"Fuck. Look if we can get close enough I can sneak in and finish this. Don't think we can win a full frontal assault."
Saying this, he preps a cast on his hologram emitter
Summon Clone [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.735778
>>735776>>735775Frank doesn't report anything yet.
You make off a bit deeper into the maze, flying from wreck to broken wreck for signs of anything of interest. Regrettably, your efforts are fruitless, for now. Most of them are far too old and dilapidated to have anything of value.
As you try and get your bearings, having gotten somewhat disoriented, you notice something interesting. There's some beams of light peering through the wrecks, ostensibly some sort of vessel sailing through the waters. You hear yelling, followed by an alarm going off. Whoever they are, something's set them off.
>roll Perception>>735773You swoop down and nuke 'em with a searing blast of plasma breath. Several of the pirates are caught up in it, yelling in pain and diving into the waters. A couple of them are luckier, and hit the deck before they can get blasted. These two respond by pulling out laser pistols, opening fire on you!
[2d10]
From off in the distance, you see lights moving through the wrecks. Looks like reinforcements are on their way.
>>735777Your copy materializes from the feet up, small magitek particles appearing out of thin air, shifting and reconstructing to form a replica of yourself. Undertow does a bit of a double take as he sees you've multiplied, but doesn't comment on it.
>>735235>>735774>>735777Just as Fir says that, you spot some lights coming from within the warship. A couple of one man Skippers come rushing out, each manned by an armed, vicious looking pirate. They don't seem to notice you, hellbent on answering the call of the patrol. "Welp, she's dead," Undertow shrugs.
He follows Vandal's request and starts veering your Skipper away from the entrance, hiding behind a large hunk of rock. "Maybe we could find some other way in," he suggests. "The distraction might be what we need."
>roll PerceptionRoll #1 6, 6 = 12 No.735779
>>735778Gigi groans as she looks over the rusted out husks. These were supposed to be in tact enough to at least find some stuff. Maybe it's just a bad part? There are plenty of ships to go through, so she supposed it made sense if an entire cluster were about the same age. She goes to swoop into one of the ships to at least try and tear out some wires when a light catches her eye.
At first she freezes in place, but she quickly realizes the light isn't headed toward her just yet. Her claw shoots to her bangle, and with the click of a button she shimmers and disappears. Taking an extra measure, she floats down to one of the taller ships and rests on the hull.
Lifting her bangle to her beak, she whispers, "Frank. We've got company. Hop under that tarp and try to look like uninteresting cargo."
The music cuts out and Frank's voice sparks to life. "You got it, Giggles! Looking like unimportant trash is my specialty!"
The music pipes back to life as Frank's voice fades, but she quickly reaches her hand into her pocket and cuts it off.
[1d10]Perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735780
>>735777Correction:
Your emitter glows and reconfigures, coming up with a little holographic display showing a generic griffon. Your clone is prepped for deployment.
No.735784
>>735780"Handsome."
>>735778"Another entrance is exactly what we need, and I got another distraction right here." He says, clinking the emitter. "I'm sure there's some sort of backdoor to this place."
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.735785
>>735778[1d10]
"Another way in'd make sense- if we can find it, at least."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735786
>>735778"The skippers can't hit make it through the wreckage, she'll be fine if she's can dodge 'em. Let's keep our eyes open."
[1d10] can see in dark vision if that helps
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.735787
>>735779You think you spot some movement from behind a large rock, but you can't see anything just yet.
The situation seems to be escalating. You hear blaster fire, and what sounds like dragon breath. You catch a glimpse of the perpetrator's silhouette as they fly around. It's a dragon alright. Not a fully grown one, luckily, but a dragon nonetheless. She's huge, especially compared to you. She seems to be giving the pirates a hell of a time.
>>735784>>735785>>735786You spot an entrance, but it won't be easy to get to. It's not much more than a hole in the roof of the shipwreck. You'd have to dock the ship at one of the wrecks, climb over, then squeeze in and work your way into their base from there. Undertow frowns. "Looks risky, but it could work. Should we keep looking or go for it?
No.735788
>>735778Areia paused and did her best to avoid the shots in the air.
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735789
>>735788You try to do a barrel roll out of the way of the shots, only to take them straight to the chest, sending you spiraling out of control and crashing painfully into the remains of a starfighter's cockpit. You're gonna be picking bits of old glass out of your suit and wings for days.
>Areia takes 4 hitsThe pirates on the skipper start focusing on helping those that fell into the water for now.
No.735790
>>735789She groaned and took the time to climb out and out slowly, aiming to get away before they turned the focus back to her. She went as high as her aching form could take her before trying to find her friends
No.735791
>>735787"Hrm… keep looking, I think- at least for a little longer. If we get caught slipping in, we'd be in a bad spot."
[1d10] Perception again, maybe?
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.735792
>>735787"I can do jumps and climbing easy, I'll rush in, get the tear gas spreading, and go hunting for our object in question."
No.735793
>>735790[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735794
>>735787"I think we're fine," Gigi whispers. "It looks like they're, like, distracted or someone? There's a big ass dragon blasting them or some shit, and it looks like most of their attention is on him."
"Oooooh," Frank says. "Wouldn't that mean it's a good time to slip into the backdoor and rob them blind?"
Gigi chuckles and shakes her head. "Noooo, that- that would be immoral and dangerous. I should really probably just stick with the ships."
"They
are pirates. They did probably steal all their stuff to begin with," Frank reminds her.
Gigi swallows. "Yeah, but- I mean, it would be dangerous. We should just forget about it and load up while they're preoccupied. It's safer." She chuckles and shakes her head. "Break in and steal from a bunch of pirates. Forget about that. That's a joke." She pauses for a long moment as she watches the dragon. "Unless…" She laughs and shakes her head again. "Nah, nah, really, let's just-" She looks down at the rusted out shells she'd failed to find much in so far.
She did have her InvisiBand
[Patent Pending], they
were pirates, and if she could get away with it it
would be way easier looting them under their noses instead of hauling tons of wires and old computer parts. Plus if she could make out with some actual cold hard cash then she could save on shipping costs too. "You really think it'll work out? It's kind of a shot in the dark."
"I know it'll work out. Battle that fear and come out on top, Zelly.
Once you fight the demons that live in your heart, the ones that live outside will never knock you door."
Gigi blinks. "Did you get that out of a book?"
"I did! You should really read it. I think it really spoke to me. It's a book about this guy dealing with-"
"Alright. Later, Frank. Right now, focus." Gigi hums."I-" She pauses. "Let's see if I can find anything here first. If it just seems like I'll be stripping the walls then I'll just keep the idea in the back of my head. You know. As insurance."
She turns toward the wreckage, takes one more look over the hull, then back to the wreckage. With the thought of quick and easy riches in the back of her mind, she returns to searching for promising marks.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.735795
>>735787"Go for it. I can fly over and be in and out without them even noticing."
>>735792"You can play distraction too."
No.735796
>>735790>>735793You spot them nearby and fly over. They're hiding behind a large hunk of coral reef, docked near another part of the main wreck.
>>735791You can't seem to spot any other alternatives right now, though there might be another way in if you keep sailing around…
>>735792>>735795"Sounds like a plan. I'll stay and guard the skipper. I have you all on comms, so I'll let you know if anything starts going wrong."
>>735790>>735791>>735792>>735795Areia rejoins the party, looking a bit scuffed up. Undertow perks up. "Oh hey, you survived. They still on your tail?"
No.735797
>>735796Probably gonna be a bit focused on helping their buddies after I torched them, they think I crashed and burned into one of the spires so we might be clear.
No.735798
>>735794Still nothing. Just lots of space seaweed, space crabs and space barnacles. Looks like the pirates have pretty much picked the place clean over the years. Odds are if you're gonna get anything out of this sojourn, you're going to have to take them on eventually.
No.735799
>>735796Vandal finagles the gas mask around her face, hoping they was one made for her muzzle shape.
No.735800
>>735799Planning a little solo mission of your own there whiskers?"
No.735801
>>735798Gigi groans. "Fuck," she says. "I'm gonna have to call Sykes and get my damn money back. This is bull. The place is picked clean."
"Piiiiraates," Frank says in an attempt at a sing-song.
"Alright," Gigi says. "No way I'm leaving empty clawed. I've invested too much into this stupid shit already. Think you can find a place to pull the boat a little closer through their base? Not completely out of the graveyard. Just close enough so I don't have to fly all the way back if I need to make a quick escape."
"I can try," Frank says. His voice modulator pops and his voice takes on a lower, more somber note. "It's pretty likely I'll mess it up and get you killed, though. Then I'll be all alone and it won't be anyone's fault but mine. Not like I've done anything to deserve you anyway."
Gigi rolls her eyes. "Reassuring," she says. "It was rhetorical. I know you can do it as long as you can find a path. Get in closer and drop anchor as close to one of the wrecks as you can to try to blend in. Shouldn't be more than a quick in and out. Just move north-by-northwest."
Double checking her InvisiBand is still active, she takes to the air and flies in the direction of the base, keeping low to the water.
Frank, in the meantime, starts messing around with the ship's controls. Giving the on board compass a quick tap, he begins his attempt at navigating the wreckage.
[1d10]Frank navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735802
>>735801[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735803
>>735796"Easy as that."
Gale follows Vandal, keeping an eye on the air as they approach.
>>735799"I don't have one of those, so keep that stuff away from me. And here, take this." He claws over a hologram emitter. "In case you get lonely."
No.735804
>>735796"Hrm… this might be our only other way in, unless we want to sail around more."
>>735797>>735800"Still have any of those syringes I gave you?"
No.735805
>>735803Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735806
>>735804She nodded and pulled one out "Guess I should stick myself with one now?"
No.735807
>>735803"I brought another along for Undertow, but you can have his." Vandal offers the mask tied to her backpack.
No.735808
>>735806"One or two, yeah. Get the worst of it off."
No.735809
>>735808She nodded and stuck herself with two syringes per his request.
No.735810
>>735797"Good. Plan's for you guys to make for the gap up there and work your way in from the top. I'll be keeping watch here on the Skipper and give you guys a shout if we're found out." He points out a hole in the roof, large enough for you to crawl through. Seems to lead into the wreck.
>>735801>>735802Frank navigates the Skipper towards you, staying out of sight of the pirates. He notices some ripples in the water from other Skippers having passed recently. Eventually, he parks the ship somewhat close by, out of your sight but in flying distance.
Meanwhile, you fly to the base of the giant warship, parking on the roof. You notice something strange: the dragon from before is back, and she has company. Four other spacers are with her. Looks like they're attempting a breakin.
>>735805The surface of the wreck is slippery with space seaweed. As you try and clamber up to the roof, you slip and fall into the shallows, hitting your head hard on a metal pole. Your vision blurs, and you're vaguely aware of Undertow asking if you're okay.
>Gale takes 2 hits>>735807You climb up the side of the wreck with ease, getting to the breach in the roof. It seems to lead to some sort of maintenance area. It starts to dawn on you what you're looking at; the whole ship is upside down. What's normally at the bottom is at the top, and vice versa.
It's dark in there, even for you. The mess of tangled wires, some still sparking, doesn't help either. You'll have to be extra careful squeezing through here.
>>735809You patch yourself up with the syringes, feeling better already.
>Areia is healed back to full No.735811
>>735808[1d10] Can I climb? Maybe not.
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.735812
>>735810"Yeah yeah… I'm.. fine."
With his jacket torn and soaked, he discards his clothing and glasses.
"And just when I thought I'd be done with this kind of shit." He activates his comms "Van, where's the entrance to this place? Wherever I tried to go didn't work."
No.735813
>>735810>>735811I could probably carry you up there friend." she said feeling like repaying the favor from earlier with the syringes.
No.735814
>>735813"Might be good- not really much of a climber."
No.735815
>>735810Gigi runs her hand down her face and resists the urge to scream. Bringing the InvisiBand to her beak, she whispers, as quietly as she can manage, "Looks like they weren't just beefing. I think the dragon is trying to break in too, and he-" She squints. "No.
She has company. Like, four others. Maybe this is a bad idea."
"Oh, yeah," Frank says. "That would explain the ripples in the water from another Skipper. So what if there are more folks breaking in. Tell me this. Are they-" He pauses for dramatic effect. "
Invisible?"
"No," Gigi says. "But this thing isn't foolproof. Anyone with IR goggles, any kind of EMP jammer, or a really good sense of hearing can detect me. If that happens I'm screwed."
"What was it again? 1500 Florins?" Frank asks. "Besides! It'll be exciting! Where's your sense of
adventure, Zelly-Belly!"
"2000," she mumbles. "Alright, well, I'm gonna sit tight until they're in, and then go in behind them. That way the pirates already have their eyes on them when I start snooping around."
No.735816
>>735814>>735810She nodded and did her best to try and scoop him up and carry him to where the others were.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.735817
>>735810Thanking her feline agility and cursing her bulky backpack, Vandal slinks stealthily through the OSHA violation maintenance area.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735818
>>735812"
Figuring it out myself," Vandal responds, "
Found some kinda maintenance room."
No.735819
>>735811>>735813Fir makes it about halfway up before slipping down again. Areia offers to carry him up, but the weight of the massive armored elk is too much for her to bear, and she drops him on the roof. While both of you are unharmed, a panel comes loose, slipping into the breach. It makes a deafening clangor as it bounces off the walls, breaking an unbearable amount of things on the way down before it stops. That's sure to have gotten someone's attention.
>>735815You sit and watch. They seem to be having some technical difficulties climbing up to the top of the wreck. You watch as one, a small, limber Felid, slips into a hole in the hull and disappears. Meanwhile, a huge, armored elk loosens a panel, which falls into the bowels of the ship with a cacophony that could probably be heard from space.
>>735817Navigating the jungle of wires is difficult. You accidentally touch a live wire and get a nasty zap.
>Vandal takes 1 hitReaching the maintenance area, you have to take a moment to adjust to the sight. All the furniture and accessories are on what was formerly the ceiling, now the floor. A few fading red lights illuminate the area. There doesn't seem to be anyone around at the moment, luckily for you. There are miscellaneous bits of junk and tech strewn about carelessly, as well as more than one empty bottle of grog.
You spot a glowing green terminal mounted to one of the tables near the door. Seems to be working still.
No.735820
>>735819Staying low and hiding behind some junk to start, Vandal looks for any cameras she might have to tag over.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.735821
>>735819"Holy shit, most of them are really bad at this. Pretty sure they just let everyone in the building know where we are. Maybe I should find a different way in." She takes her cap off, smooths her feather tuft, and puts her cap back on. "Fuck it. Maybe if the pirates see them up here I can get by. At this point I highly doubt they'd leave any actual entrance unguarded. I'm gonna try to sneak past them. Radio silence until further notice, Frank. Let me know if there's an emergency, but I mean it. Stay quiet."
"You got it boss! Won't hear another word out of me until you let me know I can talk again. Unless I see a group of pirates approaching me, or unless there are any other guys with the four you mentioned, then I'll keep my trap shut. Completely silent. No more talking from Franko, no-siree. Zipped, locked, and-"
"
Frank." Frank falls silent.
Gigi slowly creeps toward the hole the felid dropped into, planning to sneak by the last three members and drop in herself.
[1d10]Sneaky if needed
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735823
>>735819"Hrm… I've never been one for quiet entry." the elk says, letting out a huff. He'll take a chance to look around, and see if anyone's on their way.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.735824
>>735818"Great. Just as lost as me."
>>735819Gale attempts to fly back up
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.735825
>>735823>>735819I can relate on that. I usually just blow a hole in where I wanna go."
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735826
>>735820There's three: One seems broken, one's directly above you, and one's on the other end of the room. You can't see much of a way to get to the last one without being caught on camera, unless you can walk on the ceiling. …On second glance, you could make your way through, but you'd have to stick to the walls and shelves like glue, as well as do a bit of stealthy parkour across and around some crates to stay out of its sight. This seems very tricky and difficult to pull off.
You think you hear someone breathing next to you.
>>735823The reinforcement pirates from before seem to be doing a perimeter sweep in the wake of Areia's little scuffle. Luckily, Undertow's skipper is out of the way enough that they shouldn't be able to spot him.
>>735824You manage to fly up this time, just in time to avoid being detected by some pirates that are going around the perimeter in one man skippers.
>>735825You feel a strange breeze pass by you, like you've been visited by a ghost. Alerted slightly by it, you keep a keen eye out. You spot a very faint ripple near the hole Vandal went down. Could just be a trick of the light.
>>735821You sneak past the dragon and the elk, seemingly undetected, and manage to finagle your way down, avoiding any live wires. See the previous post for a description of the maintenance room.
You also notice that you're only a few feet away from the felid. She doesn't seem to know you're there.
No.735829
>>735826Areia nudged Fir "I duno if I'm seeing things but I think something just went past us into that hole big guy." she said pointing at it "Think we should head in and see if Vandal is okay?"
She paused and hit her comm "Hey Vandal, keep an eye out, I think I might be a bit out of it from being shot, but just watch your back."
No.735831
>>735826Gigi tenses up and takes a single, slow step back away from the felid. Thought she'd have gone deeper in after hopping down. Guess someone was actually doing some due diligence before blindly bum-rushing the door.
No way the door isn't locked, but if the terminal controls it then hacking in would probably be easy. All she had to do was actually
get to it and, most importantly, avoid detection.
No.735832
>>735826Gale drops down into the hole on the roof while summoning a clone"
"Let's get this started."
[1d10] Conjure Minion
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735833
>>735831In the meantime Frank watches over the water, looking for anything of note.
[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.735834
>>735829>>735826"Hrm… they don't see exactly where we are, but it'd pay to get inside quickly. Let's go." the deer says, trying to scrabble down inside as quickly as possible, and at least somewhat quietly.
At the mention of something slipping past them, the Elk's hardlight antlers spring to life and glow a deep red.
No.735835
>>735830You can feel something, or someone, behind you and to your right. Like they followed you down the hole.
No.735836
>>735834She followed after him, taking out her shotgun for now as she didn't think her sword would be viable in these tiny areas.
No.735837
>>735835>>735831Slowly, carefully, Vandal reaches into her backpack, pulling out a cylindrical item and points it towards the presence.
"
I have a gun, I can see in the dark, and I can sense you. Who are you, and what are you doing." The felid whispers.
No.735838
>>735836[1d10] navigation
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735839
>>735837Gigi raises her hands and deactivates her InvisiBand. "Don't shoot," she says. "I'm a scrapper. And I'm scrapping. I got a tip that this place was full of crashed ships, but all of them have been picked clean, so I thought I'd slip in and-" She trails off.
"Wow, Zella-Bella. You got caught already?" Frank asks through her headphones. "That's a new record!"
"Not the time, Frank," she mumbles. Turning her attention back to the Felid, she clears her throat. "So, uh… Just maybe, like, let me go?"
No.735840
>>735834[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.735841
>>735832You conjure up another clone for yourself.
>>735832>>735838>>735840Fir gets a bit of a spark from one of the live wires, interfering with his suit and making his antlers strobe in the dark. The rest of you avoid them, dropping down to find Vandal, seemingly having a conversation with no one.
>>735833Frank sees some really fucking cool luminescent alien fish in the water.
No.735842
>>735839"
Oh." Vandal responds, setting the canister on her lap.
It's a spray can. "
Well uh, don't mind me then, I'm here for something too. By the way there's two-"
>>735826Vandal sprays over the camera directly above them, covering it with hot pink spraypaint. "
There's one camera across the room. Be a peach and take this can and spray over it?" The felid offers the griffon the spray paint can in her paw, pointing to the camera.
No.735843
>>735841The dragon raised her gun aiming at the same vague spot that Vandal was aiming at "We got a problem Vandal?"
No.735844
>>735841>>735843>>735840>>735832Correction: Vandal is speaking to a very small female griffon. She seems friendly.
No.735845
>>735841>>735839"Oh, hey, you should see these fish. They're really neat and glowy. I don't know what you're doing all the way in there. You're really missing out."
>>735842Gigi slowly lowers her hands and laughs. "Oh. Huh. That easy?" Her eyes flit up to the camera and she nods. "Oh. Alright, yeah, sure. Lemme just-" She clicks the button on her cloaking device and shimmers out of sight again. Taking the can, she flies over to the camera and, assuming she isn't stopped, sprays the lens.
No.735846
>>735845[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735847
>>735841>>735844"Huh. Must of messed up the cloning spell." He says towards the small griffon, then turning to his own clone.
"Or I… didn't…" He slowly doubletakes and continues. "Not gonna ask."
Gale looks for a direction to send the clone in to investigate.
Peception [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.735848
>>735844Areia blinks and lowers the gun as she rubs her eyes "Does Gale have a sister or something and we're only just meeting her now?"
No.735849
>>735845>>735846The fish are promptly chased and devoured by a much larger, uglier fish. Such is the circle of life.
You try to fly invisibly through the maintenance area, but your wing catches on a shelf, toppling it over and smashing some surprisingly valuable scrap. The falling shelf has a domino effect, and soon, the whole maintenance area has basically collapsed in on itself. You hear an alarm start going off, and running footsteps in the distance. If the others hadn't raised hell before, you have now.
No.735850
>>735849>>735842"Actually," Frank says. "Nevermind. Sounds like you're having
way more fun than me." Gigi helplessly stares as the entire room collapses, and a hole wells up in the pit of her gut. She was supposed to have this. Just a quick in and out, but not five minutes into the plan she'd already fucked it up. Slowly, she flies up to the camera and sprays the lens. She swallows, turns her head to the felid, and lets out an uncomfortable chuckle. "So, uh… We still cool?"
No.735851
>>735849>>735850>>735848>>735847>>735840"Neat okay, y'all deal with that, I'll get ordinance or what not. Team, this is a random scrapper I ran across. She owes you all now. Scrapper, help these nice folks please."
Vandal salutes, turning to Aeria,
>>735848"Get that door for me?"
No.735852
>>735845>>735841>>735844Fir peers through the opening and looks at the Scrapper, before shrugging.
>>735851"Owes us? Why, exactly?"
No.735853
>>735852"Knocking that shit over. Kinda blew my cover."
No.735854
>>735853"Oh… ah. They might already be on their way, but that makes enough sense. Run into any other problems, or just the griffon?"
No.735855
>>735847You send your clone out to investigate the maintenance room, though it's even harder to traverse now that the whole thing's been knocked over by that other griffon. There's a door, locked by the terminal, and a few other doors that seem to lead to other parts of the base. One of them is jammed, while the other is nigh inaccessible because of the fallen scrap.
No.735856
>>735851She blinked and looked to the door and shrugged as she walked over and decided her breath might be a bit more quiet than blasting it down.
[1d10] Dragon's Breath (Plasma)
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735857
>>735855"This place is a madhouse. How the hell do any of them get around? Any chance we can find a layout? Map? Blueprints of this place?" He says, pacing as the clone inspects whats inside the unlocked doors.
No.735858
>>735851Gigi grimaces and points at the elk. "Hey! Your deer buddy wasn't exactly the paragon of stealth either, and the dragon was actively
trying to draw attention! It doesn't sound like this is going how
any of us planned. What do you even expect me to
do?"
"You could help them fight off the pirates," Frank suggests.
"Fuck no. There's no way I can take down a bunch of pirates. I wasn't even supposed to be caught. I should be
invisible right now."
"You could get the door."
She looks over at the terminal. Oh. Right. Still locked in. She takes a couple of steps toward the door, when-
>>735856She freezes as the dragon breathes on the door. "Uh… I think the dragon has the door under control."
"Well, I got nothin. Good luck!"
No.735859
>>735858"Expect you to chill out, take a breather. Do what you wanna do, just sayin you owe us for that." Vandal shrugs, standing up. She bumps her feet together, a soft humming coming from the pair of rollerskates she's apparently wearing.
No.735860
>>735858"It's not exactly easy for me to be quiet." he shrugs, before saying "You don't have to fight the pirates- we can handle that."
No.735861
>>735856>>735857>>735858>>735853>>735854Areia melts the door down with a blast of molten breath. White hot metal curls and folds in on itself, revealing the hallway beyond. Unfortunately for you, the hallway contains some very angry, pirates. About eight of them, in fact, all cramped together in the narrow metal hallway. The ones in the back can't do much but yell drunken slurs and threats, but the four in front pull out miscellaneous firearms, training them on you. You can hear even more pirates coming in the distance.
The one in the center, a wild looking earth pony with a heart tattoo, a shock of black hair and a massive beard, threatens you with a blaster rifle resembling an old fashioned blunderbuss. Seems to be the big boss. "Knives out and down on yer marrowbones, ye cockroaches!" he demands, shoving the rifle towards you menacingly and taking a step forward with the rest of the gang. "What arre ye doin' on our ship?! Speak!"
No.735862
>>735859>>735860"Yeah, Elly. Trust the felid lady. It'll be fine. Ignore the advancing pirates, the blaring alarm, and the fact that you just embarrassed yourself in front of four people you've never met before within minutes of meeting them. Deep, soothing breaths."
Gigi's eyes flit around at the four and she takes a deep breath, holds it, and lets it out. "Right. Alright, yeah. Sorry." She tosses the paint can back to her. She pulls a pistol-like object with a copper coil surrounding an iron core. Reaching down, she reactivates her cloaking device and shimmers away. "Just- Are you guys looking for something specific, or just here to grab shit like I am? Maybe I can at least help find it or something."
No.735863
>>735861>>735862She tenses up and takes a step back as she sees the pirates on the other side of the door.
No.735864
>>735861"That depends on whether you respond better to threats or bargains. We got both."
He says, stepping forward and gesturing to our resident plasma dragon.
"Now, what's it gonna be?"
No.735865
>>735861Areia was quiet for a moment as she debated on if she should play along and she decided it be best to try something more over the top and showey.
She pulled her giant cleaver blade off her back, set it to Overload, and made a lunge to put it right into the leader.
Cut the head off and what not.
{1d10] Meltdown
No.735866
>>735865[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.735867
>>735862>>735861"Something specific, yeah. We can talk later, though. We've got more problems." the deer says, turning to look at the pirates.
>[1d10] Distill Life>[Instant, Automatic] Counter: Pirate BossRoll #1 7 = 7 No.735868
>>735867Fir tries to get his suit to generate a few more syringes as the dragon lunges for the leader. He loosens his stance a little, and waits to see what else is going to happen.
No.735869
>>735865Vandal gives a thumbs up to Areia with her paw, finagling with the Chokie tied to the back of her backpack.
>>735861"Don't have a time to make a statement of intent. Y'all ever heard of cropdusting though?"
Crouching down low Vandal kicks one of her skates against the floor, her body rocketing forward as she activates the Chokie to start dispensing gas immediately instead of rolling about doing it automatically, skating horizontally on the walls of the hallway giving the pirates a good dose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkskyBQUtPk>Moody's Shuffle: passive/instant automatic, recharge 2; Build up momentum using electromagnetic inline skates and launch forward towards a target. Move to an adjacent zone and gain +2 to any other combat action this turn. Passively, you can use your inline skates to skate and grind against terrain and even glide against walls for brief periods of time.[1d10+2] Dodge
Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9 No.735870
>>735864She snorts, training the blasterbuss on you instead. "Ye be in no position ter be makin' demands of us, ye dullard. Who be ye? Another Guild rat, come to steal our hard earned spoils? We'll burst ye like we burst the last one who came a-knockin'!"
>>735867Your suit reconfigures, dispensing three more syringes. You brace up and wait for him to make a move.
>>735865As he continues to make threats and demands, you make a sudden motion, bringing the energy sword down in one swift motion, severing his foreleg at the elbow. The limb, and weapon to go with it, hit the floor with a thud, and he stumbles backwards with a scream, clutching his smoking stump in agony.
>>735869Taking advantage of Areia's distraction, you jump up and wallride before they can react, dodging their swipes and landing behind the group in one swift motion, touching down in a superhero landing. The tear gas starts dispensing, starting to fill the hallway with pungent, blinding smoke. The corridor is filled with choking, coughing and inarticulate yells as you blind them all with it.
>>735869>>735867>>735865>>735864>>735863"Get them!" the maimed captain yells. "Kill them all! Haaaark!!"
The pirates take blind potshots in your general direction!
>roll to dodgeThe tear gas starts filling the hallway, spilling into the maintenance room!
>those who don't have gas masks roll to resistVandal sees three more pirates bringing up the rear, answering the call. They are armed with melee weapons, and one of them, a mangy Dog with the worst teeth you've ever seen, pulls out a butterfly knife and starts loping towards her with a snarl!
>zone change No.735871
>>735870Areia did her best to dodge and cover her mask as she didn't have the time to pull on her mask as she didn't think that Vandal was gonna pull that trick off.
[1d10] dodge
[1d10] resist
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.735872
>>735870"You're gonna regret that!"
The clone says as the actual Gale slips off into the shadows.
[1d10] Dodge
[1d10] Stealth
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.735873
>>735870Gigi shoots backwards, trying to stay out of range of the gunfire.
[1d10]Dodge
Seeing the gas waft into the room, she holds her breath and takes aim at the captain, not having time to actually fire at him yet.
[1d10]Resist
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.735874
>>735870"Use your words, I can't tell what you want if you're just gonna growl at me, mutt."
Vandal's fur stands on end, ready to eat some blows as she continues to skate onwards.
>Stance of the Bear: Sturdy and forward. This stance increases your Max Hits by half your current wounds, rounded up.[1d10] Getting the hell outta dodge while continuing to hose down the hallway.
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.735875
>>735870>Ignoring tear gas using Passive Armor talent>>735870>>735873Fir flicks his eyes back and steps in front of Gigi, a hardlight shield forming along his side.
[1d10] Brace (Gigi)
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 8 = 8 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.735876
>>735872You manage to find a hiding spot in the shadows, staying out of sight for now.
>>735873>>735871>>735872>>735875You manage to avoid getting affected by the tear gas, and dodge the potshots for the most part. Gigi gets blasted, but Fir conjures a hasty shield at the last second, absorbing the worst of the shot. It still smarts though.
>Gigi takes 3 hitsAs the gas begins to clear, the pirates' vision clears, though their aim is still off. One of them appears to have helped the captain escape, leaving six to deal with. The three in front take hasty shots at you all!
[1d10-1] vs Fir
[1d10-1] vs Areia
[1d10-1] vs Gale's clone
>>735874He swipes at you, but you dodge out of the way and wallride over them before continuing down the corridor. Looking back, you see the Dog still chasing you intently!
[1d10] Catching up
Roll #1 1 - 1 = 0 /
Roll #2 4 - 1 = 3 /
Roll #3 8 - 1 = 7 /
Roll #4 2 = 2 No.735877
>>735873>>735876Fir passes off a syringe to Gigi and offers a bit of a nod, before turning back to the rest of the pirates. He ignores the one firing at him for now, and lowers his head to charge the one going after Areia!
>[1d10] Slam (Crits on 8+ from Martial Defender. -1 Damage from Tribal Training)Roll #1 6 = 6 No.735878
>>735876Areia grunted and readied her blade and aimed at the one who had the gall to shoot at her and aimed to really make him suffer for it. The fact she actually started the fight was carefully ignored.
[1d10] Blast
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.735879
>>735876Gigi's hand shoots to the wound and she cries out in pain. Her cloak falls for the second time for what feels like was as many minutes, and she silently curses herself for thinking this was a good idea. "Fuck," she hisses. "That hurt." She briefly glances up at the deer.
>>735875>>735877"Thanks, man," she says, taking the syringe and pocketing it for now. Not just gonna shoot up some random stuff some random deer gave her without asking what it is first. "Guess I owe you one. Again." Her eyes flit to the pirates that stayed behind and she finally lifts her pistol and pulls the trigger at the one firing on the other griffon.
[Aimed shot, Lightning]
No.735880
>>735876"Let's make sure that captain's still around to chat with."
Gale says to himself as he chases after wherever they went.
[1d10] Navigation, Stay Stealthed
Gales clone fight with the group, taking shots from cover.
[1d10] Shoot
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.735881
>>735876"Careful with running, just gonna get more of this stuff in your lungs." Vandal cuts the Chokie from her backpack, leaving behind a gift for the pirates as she searches for the ordinance.
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.735882
>>735877You raise the hardlight shield, deflecting the shot right back at the pirate. It ricochets off a wall and hits him square in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. You press this advantage, giving no quarter to the pirates as you knock the second gunner off balance, winging him a little.
>>735878You slash at him with your sword, leaving a gash across his chest. He grunts and tries to back away from you, his shot glancing off your heavy armor.
>>735879You give one of them a good zap with your pistol. He winces and flinches as the electricity courses through him, twitching unsettlingly. Once it's over, he shakes it off.
>>735880With the pirates still bleary eyed, you manage to give them the slip in the hallway, rushing past them and going down a fork in the corridor. This takes you to a set of winding stairs that leads further into the ship. You can see the captain being escorted by what seems to be the first mate, a very large pegasus. Seems they're going to the infirmary.
Your clone's shot takes out one of the pirates, shooting him straight in the chest. He falls over, stone dead.
>>735881You manage to give the Dog the slip and climb down a ladder, taking in a view from above of much of the pirate hideout. Seems they're on full alert; grubby looking corsairs are running to and fro, barking orders and dispersing through the ship to deal with the troublesome intruders. You can see a great many paths leading to a great many places; it'd take quite some time to go through them all one by one. It'd be easy to get lost in this place too.
>>735880>>735879>>735878>>735877As one of them falls, the pirates start backing up, trying to split up into the bowels of the base. They open fire on you indiscriminately as they retreat!
[1d10-1] vs Gigi
[1d10-1] vs Gale's clone
[1d10-1] vs Areia
[1d10-1] vs Fir
Roll #1 4 - 1 = 3 /
Roll #2 4 - 1 = 3 /
Roll #3 6 - 1 = 5 /
Roll #4 8 - 1 = 7 No.736358
>>735882"Oh, no. U-uh. Not after you tried to fuckin kill me." She flips a switch just above the grip and holds down the trigger. Instead of firing a zap right away, the coils glow and spark as energy builds up before finally releasing a thunderclap of lightning.
[1d10]Meltdown on the one firing on Fir
"Wooh!" Frank shouts over her com. "Really wish I could be there! I remember what happened while you were working on that feature. Sometimes I still see sparks."
"That was an accident," Gigi mumbles. "It'll be fine this time."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736359
>>735882Fir pursues quickly, trying to smack one of the pirates across the cheek with a hardlight-reinforced foreleg.
>[1d10] Attack (Reduced Counterattack Damage from Guard) Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736360
>>735882"
So good news I'm in. Bad news, there's a good deal of pirates in here and I've not no clue where the device is. Someone take that captainy dude and corner him maybe?"
In the meantime, Vandal skates about, looking for rooms that don't just look like bunks.
[1d10] puzzle hunting
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.736361
>>735882As Gale sneaks through, he follows the captain and searches for any indication of where the item might be stored.
He thinks to himself: "This idiot is gonna lead me right to it, isn't he."
On the other side of the ship, the clone takes another shot, returning fire at the pirate who shot him.
Navigation, Stealth [1d10]
Shoot [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.736362
>>735882Areia let out an annoyed growl and promptly tried to let a burst of her dragons breath out on all the pirates who had made the mistake of trying to get in her way.
[1d10] Dragons Breath: Plasma
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736363
>>736358Your pistol sparks and sputters, vibrating intensely. You hear a loud POP, and smoke starts coming out of the side.
>-1 to rolls with this weapon until you use Tinker on it>>736359As you charge forward, you are blasted with a point blank shot, sending you stumbling backwards into a pipe, which breaks and starts spraying the area with indeterminate mist. Alarms start going off, and your head spins from the impact. Luckily, your armor absorbed the blow, but you are still winded, on the brink of collapse.
>Fir takes 7 hits>>736360There's a bit of a fizzle.
"Sorry, were you talking to me?" Green chimes in. You can hear what sounds like an old corny action movie playing in the background.
Simultaneously, you hear another familiar voice chime in.
"You say something, kid? All clear out here, by the way. No sign of 'em yet. Whatever you did really kicked the hornet's nest." "Wait what? Who's this?" Green asks with confusion.
"I'm Undertow, who the hell are you?""I should ask the same thing!"They both continue to bicker pointlessly as you take a look around, evading a few more pirates by clinging to the walls. The pirate base is a veritable maze; it's almost impossible to get oriented. You find several places that could potentially have the item you're after, but you'd have to pick one and scour it. All in all, it looks like it'd take far too long to do so, and you don't exactly have time to waste.
>>736361You follow them from afar. The infirmary consists of what seems to have been a set of holding cells on the frigate, repurposed into an extremely unsanitary medbay. "Organic!" the captain barks, his face contorted in pain as he struggles into a chair resembling a dentist's. The first mate helps him prop his stump up, as a robot activates in the corner, resembling a tall cylinder with a myriad of spindly arms.
"Injured again, boss?" it asks in a scratchy, static-y female voice as it hovers over, producing a foul looking syringe and dosing the captain with it.
"Shut ye gob and get ter work, tin can," he growls. "I need a new arrum and I need it now. Bleedin' raiders are doin' a number on me crew."
"Yeah yeah, just stand still and try not to talk much. This is gonna take a while, so get comfy." The robot moves over to his stump and starts doing something, blocking your view. You see that a panel on her back reads "ORGANIC MECHANIC".
Your clone is blasted by the pirate, flickering and wavering in and out of existence.
>Clone takes 5 hits, helpless>>736362You are a bit out of breath from the whole ordeal, and your blast of breath is shorter and slightly weaker than usual. The pirates manage to avoid getting hit by it.
>>736362>>736361>>736359>>736358The pirates scatter into the hallways to regroup, giving you a moment of reprieve, for now.
No.736364
>>736363The dragon coughed a bit and felt a mild hint of embarrasment as she wasn't expecting to hit some form of performance impairment but she was quick to turn to Fir and give him the one left over syringe she had from earlier. She figured it'd help him out right now.
"You alright there big guy?"
No.736366
>>736365She turned her comm on "I mean I lopped the captains limb off but I have no idea where he is now."
No.736367
>>736360"He's right here." Gale says quietly into his comms. "Medical ward. Not far from where we were."
As Gale says this, his clone dissipates.
"I'll see how well I can keep them entertained."
Summon Clone [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.736368
>>736363Fir's armor manages to absorb a part of the blow, but he still takes the lion's share of it. He lets out an annoyed, confused grunt, and takes a moment to shake it out. He grabs one of his two remaining syringes, and injects the magic-laced fluid into his side.
>Using one of the two distill life syringes: +3 Hits>Force Redirection: 2/4 >>736364He takes the syringe off of Areia and nods a little, saying "Just a little rattled from the impact. I'll be fine.
>Using this one too: +3 Hits>>736365"We'll try and track him down. Things got… rough, but we're fine."
No.736369
>>736363Gigi nearly drops the pistol as it explodes into sparks. "Mother fuck!" She looks down at it and shakes her head.
"Oh, hey, I know that sound! Don't worry, we all get a little performance anxiety. It happens to me all the time. One second I'm normal happy Frank, and then
bzzzt pop." The com falls silent for a second. "Well, I guess it's more of a
BOOM! but basically the same thing."
"I know, Frank. I've had to fix you enough times." She looks it over a little closer as the pirates retreat and sighs. "Not as bad as it could be. I should be able to get it working pretty quick." She backs up to the back of the room and pulls out some of her tools, trying to do some quick repairs while the pirates are further back and there's a wall of meat and armor between her and them.
[1d10]Tinker
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.736370
>>736369Frank, getting bored with just sitting around and listening to Gigi have all the fun, looks around for something interesting.
[1d10]Perception
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736371
>>736363>>736367"
Well I'll go look for the needle in this haystack in the meantime, it's technically more efficient than standing around waiting."
Vandal takes to a random room of the ones she's chosen, figuring it's better than nothing.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736372
>>736367You pull up another clone. It constructs itself next to you in a flurry of holographic cubes of light, shifting through different color palettes before replicating you exactly.
>+1 to all actions and DC-1The pirates are too distracted tending to the captain to notice you snooping. The conversation seems to have died down, with only the occasional grunt of discomfort from the captain. Organic seems to be grafting a mechanical arm to his stump from what you can see.
>>736368You patch yourself up with the syringes, feeling much better after a few moments.
>Fir is back to full H/W>>736369You manage to fix the gun after a bit of rewiring. It shouldn't happen again. Emphasis on shouldn't.
>>736370Frank watches some starships flying up above. They almost resemble comets, tiny white streaks darting from star to star. Distracted by this, he is broken out of his robotic reverie by the sudden sound of a primed blaster. A pirate patrol consisting of a trio of mean looking unicorns has discovered him, bearing down on him with suspicious scowls and trained weapons. "Grab it," the middle one orders, and the other two oblige, reaching out to him with telekinesis.
>roll to resist>>736371You go into one of the rooms. Seems to be some form of barracks, consisting of shabby beds and meager furniture, along with many empty bottles of rum.
You quickly realize you're not alone; on the top bunk of the beds is an earth pony pirate, completely oblivious to your presence, and indeed, to the general mayhem on board. He seems to have earplugs in, listening to some tunes while reading.
>>736369>>736368>>736367>>736366It seems you're not out of the woods quite yet. Several blast doors begin to remotely close in the hallway, effectively locking you in the narrow corridor for now. You hear running footsteps from the far end, behind the blast door, and the sound of something mechanical being set up.
No.736373
>>736372"SO… should I try to blow us a hole in the floor so we can try to peace out before they try and have us gunned down by a machine gun or something?"
No.736374
>>736372Gigi nods in satisfaction. Shouldn't be a problem. Probably. Hopefully. It's just a temporary workaround, so probably shouldn't overcharge it again for now. Her attention is snapped away when she hears Frank over the com.
>>736372"Hi!" Frank says, giving the unicorns a happy wave. "You guys waiting for your friends too?" He feels the TK and wiggles a little. "Hey, careful. If you drop me in the water I can't swim."
[1d10] resist.
"Frank," he hears Gigi say in his head. "I thought I told you to keep an eye out for patrols and hide at any sign of one! What are you doing?!"
"Don't worry," he assures her. "These guys seem nice enough."
>>736372Shit. Not good. Gigi pinches the bridge of her beak, clicks her InvisiBand, and shimmers away again. Fat lot of good that seems to be doing.
Popping a small magnetic orb off her band, she quickly flits over to the blast door and rigs the microcharge to the wall next to it.
[1d10]Sabotage
Roll #1 3 = 3 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.736375
>>736372Considering that she's not gonna find it in this room, Vandal leans over the top bunk and tugs an earbud* from the pirate's ear, sticking it in her own cat ear and looking to him, "Watcha listening to?"
No.736376
>>736372Gale slips back off to search as the clone, a perfect replica, continues to monitor the situation in the medical room.
He speaks in the comm. "Cap'n isn't going anywhere. Even if he does, he'll probably have to turn around and walk right back into that triage."
The actual Gale continues his search, delving deeper into the ship.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736377
>>736372"Gah… there we go, better." he says, shaking it out. He flicks his ears as he hears something being set up, and lets out a soft hum. "That might be some sort of turret, but it's hard to tell from here. We might want to break out, if we can."
No.736378
>>736373>>736374>>736377Well? Should I make us an exit or what?"
No.736379
>>736378"Yeah, if you can find some place, probably."
No.736380
>>736378"Might be for the best- I'm not sure I want to see what they're setting up."
No.736381
>>736379>>736380She nodded and pulled her sword off her back as she aimed at the floor with her blade, once again overcharging the battery cell. She aimed at an open area of the floor and brought it down
[1d10] Meltdown
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736382
>>736376"
why don't you just ask him where it is, if he's not going anywhere for a while. Wouldn't cap be more knowledgeable than anyone?"
No.736383
>>736374Frank is hoisted up by the back of the neck like a cat and plonked firmly on the pirate skipper. They begin to poke and prod at him, examining what he's made of. "Cor. There's some good pieces on this one," says one of the pirates. "Boss man'll be happy to see it." "Can we shut it up? I don't like bots that talk," another grumbles. The third just takes initiative and manhandles Frank, trying to short circuit him to shut him down.
>roll again to resistYou manage to prime the blast door to explode with the microcharge. It lights up red and beeps a little to confirm.
>>736375He nearly jumps out of his skin, letting out a very unmanly yelp and scrabbling away from you. "Who the hell are you?!"
He appears to have been listening to electronic ambient music.
>>736376The clone continues to watch from afar. Nothing much to report yet.
You try to go deeper into the ship, but the place is a maze, nigh untraversable for those who aren't accustomed to it. It's like going into a cave system without a map; every path seems to loop around, offering a myriad of directions which may or may not lead to somewhere you want to be.
As you progress, a panel on one of the walls starts to reconfigure, and you notice a camera trained on you. A turret pops out, locking on to you and opening fire with a hail of bullets!
>roll to dodge>>736381>>736380>>736379One of the batteries on Areia's sword pops from the exertion, and the swing doesn't do much more than scorch the ground. However, you can see that there are a few loose panels on the floor, seemingly leading to a lower level. It doesn't seem like an intended route, but perhaps with a bit of elbow grease you could go down that way. Or blow the door open as Gigi's been setting up.
It sounds like the pirates are almost ready.
No.736384
>>736383>>736379Areia was annoyed but took the option to make a hole out from the panels "Why don't we make tracks down and you blow the charge when they come inside?" she asked as she got to breaking the floor.
[1d10] to rip panels off?
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736385
>>736384[1d10] reroll
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.736386
>>736384>>736385Fir waits patiently to step in if the dragon can't manage it, but he's pretty sure it'll be fine… probably.
No.736387
>>736383"How do these scum not kill themselves every time they walk around!" Gale thinks as he dives away from the turret fire.
Dodge [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736388
>>736383"Oh sorry, was just looking for the way to carrrgo, got lost and was wondering what you were jamming to. One of the crew was recommending lo-fi sea shanties but I wasn't really feeling it." Vandal bullshits, "Anyways where am I dropping off the latest booty we plundered? I get that I was just invited to join to meet diversity quotas but everyone else arrrrrre kinda being dicks."
[1d10] bullshitting
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.736389
>>736383>>736384Gigi nods at her work and flits back to the party, still invisible. "Yeah," she says. "I was gonna wait for the door to open before I popped it. Give whoever is setting up on the other side a nice surprise."
>>736383"Hey, hey, careful, you're gonna damage something," Frank says. "Then Gigi will have to fix me and I'll be a failure and what if she wants to get rid of me?" He starts thrashing around in a panic. "She'll shut me off and sell my scraps and I wouldn't blame her because I always mess up."
[1d10] resist
Hearing Frank freaking out on the other side of the com, Gigi's stomach drops. "Hey, buddy, calm down. You'll be fine. I'm not doing so hot in here myself. They're just some stupid pirates. Even if you can't take care of them I'll find you and fix you up."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736390
>>736386>>736383>Whoops, forgot to reply to the main post!Fir decides to go ahead and prepare for the worst, shifting the stored energy into creating more syringes.
>Distill Life [1d10+2]>+2 from Force RedirectionRoll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.736391
>>736387You manage to avoid getting riddled with holes, but you still take a glancing shot to the left forearm as you duck around the corner. Not much more than a flesh wound, but it stings awful.
>Gale takes 2 hitsYou hear it making a mechanical pinging sound as it begins to recharge. From somewhere behind you, you hear more pirates approaching.
>>736388"We don't even talk like that," he answers, sounding a bit offended. "Apart from the Captain. Still. Who are you and what do you want from me?" You see him reaching for a blaster pistol mounted on the wall next to his bed.
>>736389Frank manages to kick them away from him and make a break for the boat. Angered, one of the pirates charges up a taser, trying to zap him with it!
[1d10]
>>736385>>736386>>736389Areia manages to pry the rusted panels loose, revealing a way down. Looks like a rough, bumpy drop to unknown regions, but at least it's a way out.
The blast door at the far end reopens, revealing more pirates armed with guns, accompanied by some sort of makeshift turret robot. It's not much more than a tripod mounted blaster. At one's command, they open fire on you!
>roll to dodge, instantRoll #1 6 = 6 No.736392
>>736390"Yo, as long as we're waiting around, to see if we get ventilated, can you tell me what that needle you gave me is?"
No.736393
>>736390Your syringe producing systems seem to have jammed, and nothing pops out. Needs a bit of handiwork done.
No.736394
>>736391Areia yelped and tried her damndest to dodge into the open hole in the floor.
[1d10] DODGE!
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736395
>>736393>>736392Fir looks at the dispenser with a frown, before letting out a loud huff. Making a note of it for later, the elk turns to look at Gigi and says "Healing potion, basically."
>>736391"Speaking of ventilated-" he flicks his ears as he hears the turret whir up, and waits for the others to slip in before dropping in himself
>[1d10] Dodge!Roll #1 2 = 2 No.736396
>>736391Frank turns toward the pirate trying to hit him with a tazer, and, playing a loop of a pack of barking dogs, charges at him full speed.
[1d10]Ram
>>736391As soon as the dragon tears the floor open, Gigi hops down, trying to make sure she glides to keep from touching the floor right away.
[1d10]Dodge
On her way down, once it's obvious the others are on their way, she presses a button on her band twice, then holds it.
[1d10]Detonate Sabotage
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 /
Roll #3 10 = 10 No.736397
"Fuck fuck fuck. Okay, bad idea."
Gale rushes back towards the medical bay, hoping to take Vandals advice.
>>736382"Yeah, yeah you were right. Gonna chat with him now."
Gale returns, brandishing his pistol as he walks in.
"Hey there, cap. I wanna be out of here as much as you want me out of here. You willing to talk business while getting sliced up?"
No.736398
>>736391"Nahnahnah, bad Chekhooves. Not every element described in the story has to be neccisary." Vandal says, spraying the bookreader directly in the eyes with her spraypaint, "I was asking nicely, I just wanna know where cargo is.
>Hunter's Eye>Blind: recharge 1 after effect ends; Temporarily blinds an enemy, giving a +2 bonus to all actions targeting it for 2 turns. Can also be used to block sight of cameras, guards, and other visual reliant objects. On Crit the target’s senses are blocked completely, causing all their non-Crit attacks to miss next turn.[1d10+1]
Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5 No.736399
>>736391(responding to main post)
>>736397[1d10] Persuasion
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.736400
>>736394>>736395>>736396You all struggle to fit down the path, but not before taking a volley of blaster fire from the pirates, including the walking turret. You're wounded, but not down; except for Gigi, who takes a nasty blow to the gut, leaving a gruesome smoking wound that hurts like nothing else.
>Fir takes 2 hits>Areia takes 2 hits>Gigi takes 5 hits, helplessAs she escapes, though, Gigi manages to trigger the detonator. The room shakes as the bomb goes off, blowing several of the pirates off their feet and destroying the turret where it stands. With a yawning groan, the already flimsy infrastructure of the hallway collapses, burying the area above you in metal rubble.
After squirming down, you find yourselves now in pitch darkness. You seem to be in the walls of the ship itself, surrounded by pipes and wiring. You can't make out anything, at least not without a light source.
>roll Perception>>736396Frank kicks defensively, bucking the pirate in the chest. He falls into the water with a scream. The other two rush forward to restrain him, trying to deactivate Frank by brute force!
[2d10]
>>736397>>736399You double back, lurching with your clone into the infirmary, making your presence known. The captain's chair swivels like a movie villain as he turns to face you, lip curled in disdain. He brandishes his rifle with his free hoof, while Organic works on attaching a janky looking prosthetic. His first mate steps forward defensively, brandishing electrified knuckledusters.
He spits at you, landing mere inches away from your face and splatting to the ground. "Blaggard! I know what ye be after, same as the other knave what tried to plunder us. 'Twas but by a hair that he escaped our clutches, and believe ye me, we shan't be making the same mistakes again. Hark, cur: I shall never talk! 'Tis a matter of principle. I shan't be parlayin' with fancy spacefarin' dogs such as ye. Now give us a good reason not ter paint the walls with yer organs."
"Yeah nah, fuck off mate,", Organic chimes in, flipping you an obscene gesture with one appendage as she works.
"We're not giving you the time of day. Jog on.">>736398"Bah! What the fuck!" He shields his eyes and sputters as you spray him, scrambling away from you. "I'm not telling you nothing. …Wait, how'd you know my name?"
Roll #1 4, 7 = 11 No.736401
>>736396>>736400Addition: Frank gets a bit of a zap before kicking the pirate in the chest, not enough to take down his systems but still enough to impair him somewhat.
>-1 to Frank rolls for the next 3 rounds No.736402
>>736400Areia groaned and popped on her nighteyes and flipped on the heat sensor on her wrist as she aimed to see if there was anyone on the other side of the wall from them.
"Everybody ok?"
[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.736403
>>736400"Uhhh, would you take an 'I am your father'?"
Vandal says snatching at the gun herself.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736404
>>736400>>736403"Also would you look at that, it did have a purpose."
No.736405
>>736400Gigi groans and clutches her stomach. Fuck, that hurt. "I just knocked one of them overboard! I think I can take- I can take- I can take *
pop* I can take the other two guys too!"
"Well," Gigi says, pulling herself to her paws. "You're doing better than I am, then." Not sure if it'll even be enough in this darkness, she digs a small flashlight out of her tools and clicks it on.
[1d10]Recovery if needed
[1d10]Perception
>>736400Frank sparks and spins in place, thrashing out to hit whatever he happens to come in contact with. A distinctly not-Frank voice sample plays, "I'll rock em, I'll sock- I'll sock- I'll sock 'em," followed by more barking.
[1d10-1]
Roll #1 5 = 5 /
Roll #2 3 = 3 /
Roll #3 8 - 1 = 7 No.736406
>>736400"Hold up. Whaddya mean "other knave"? How the hell was somepony else here?"
He says, trying to bait out more information.
As he does, the clone enters stealth.
Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.736407
>>736402"I'm god. Just got a little toasted is all."
No.736409
>>736400>>736396Fir passes down into the tunnel with a wince, and lets out an annoyed huff. He'll try to take a look around in the dark, flicking his antlers on to aid a little bit.
>Perception [1d10]>>736405Fir frowns a bit, and gives Gigi a jab with the last syringe on him.
>Distill Life: +3 Hits>Gigi also has oneRoll #1 8 = 8 No.736410
>>736409>>736407Well so long as you two are good, we should be fine." she muttered.
No.736411
>>736402>>736405>>736409Areia can see a narrow path ahead. It seems to lead even further downward into the bowels of the pirate hideout. No telling where you'll exit to, but you can hear some mechanical hissing coming from there.
With the heat sensor, you can see some pirates running past, presumably to help those caught in the blast. Pointing downwards towards the source of the hissing noise, though, you can see an immense heat signature. Seems like some sort of boiler room.
Fir can make out an alternate path that seems to lead into the ship's ventilation system. A tight crawl, but it seems to exit out into another part of the ship eventually. He also manages to fix up Gigi somewhat, though it won't do much in the long run.
>Gigi heals 3 hits>>736403"Doubt that," Chekhooves grunts as he tries to stop you in vain from grabbing the gun. He puts his hooves up as you do so. "Look, I-I'm just a deckhand, I don't know anything. What do you want from me?"
>>736405Frank kicks away one of the ones trying to pummel him, but the other gets a good clout on the robot, knocking loose some of his chassis.
>Frank takes 2 hitsThe pirates keep trying to subdue him!
[2d10]
The other pirate tries to haul himself out of the water!
[1d10]
>>736406"Don't be coy, ye bilge-rat," he sneers. "Yer with them guild spacers. Bound and gagged by the promise a' coin fer yer handiwork. Ye gutless dolt. Avast!"
He tries to blow you away with his blunderbuss blaster!
[1d10]
The first mate cracks his knuckles and advances on you with raised knuckledusters!
Roll #1 9, 2 = 11 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 /
Roll #3 3 = 3 No.736412
>>736406>>736411Also your clone manages to hide while you keep the captain distracted.
No.736413
>>736411"Guess we're gonna dance then!"
Gale ducks for cover as he takes a shot at the captain, with his clone emerging from the shadows to attack the first mate.
Gale shoots [1d10]
Clone backstabs [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.736414
>>736411"Well I asked twice already, you really shouldn't be listening to music that loud as you're gonna lose most your hearing by time your 30. I mean, I walked in here without you noticing, now you're missing the thing I'm asking for. They don't make peg legs for ears you know!"
Vandal snickers, "Man that'd look pretty silly though, peg ears. Anyways, cargo, where do you keep the precious booty that you're not already using to sit with."
No.736415
>>736411"Well I can take a guess where either their heat or their power comes from if you guys really wanna try and screw these guys over."
No.736416
>>736410"I'll try to make some, but it might be a little difficult- I think it glitched out a little. It ought to be fine in a moment.
>Force Redirection: 1/4 (Adjusted along with H/W from last damage)>>736411"Mm. Tight fit, but I can make it. Keep moving ahead, then?"
No.736417
>>736411"Hey, wait, I-" A faint chill rund through her body as the deer jaba her with the needle. "Oh, hey, that's way better. Thanks."
>>736411[Frank, 1/3]
Frank backs away a little as he barely manages to keep his small body upright. "Call it a draw, then?"
Turning aroun, he makes a break for it, trying to get back to his skipper, even if he has to try to ramp the side of the boat to do it.
[1d10-1] dodge
Roll #1 9 - 1 = 8 No.736418
>>736415"Oh. Man. Yeah, I can get behind that."
No.736419
>>736418>>736416>>736411Areia nodded and motioned for the others to start following her towards the hissing noise.
No.736420
>>736413The captain whirls his chair around to avoid getting shot, Organic floating around and continuing the procedure like nothing's wrong. "How much longer?"
"Not much, just stay still and try not to die."You duck and avoid his shot, which peppers the walls behind you. The first mate whirls around and backhands the clone as it pops out at him, knocking it off balance.
>Clone takes 1 hitThe captain reloads with one arm!
The first mate swings one electrified fist!
[1d10+1]
[1d2] You or clone
>>736414"You talk a lot," Chekhooves remarks. "Uhh, it's kind of hard to explain where things are around here, 'less you've been here a while. I mean I've been here a while and I don't even know half the rooms in this place. Not that that's a good thing. I thought being a pirate would be fun, but I'm over it. It's shit. …Uh, if you're looking for loot and stuff, I think it'd be better if I showed you? But it's gonna be hard to get past people without calling attention. So…" He shrugs.
>>736417Frank manages to get away, but gets clobbered in the process, faceplanting gracefully onto the skipper.
>Frank takes 1 hit, helplessThe pirates help their comrade out of the water and move their skipper closer to his!
>>736419>>736416>>736417You move towards the source of the hissing. It grows louder and louder as you push your way through the winding tunnels. Eventually, looking down through a grate, you see it; a large, steam-filled room, dominated by the presence of a giant boiler with several lights, cranks and valves. The machine is operated regularly by a unicorn, unaware of the goings on up above. He is single mindedly devoted to taking care of the machine. Pipes run from it up the walls and ceiling. Seems to provide heating to the rest of the ship.
Roll #1 10 + 1 = 11 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.736421
Areia paused and looked to see if there was a way she could finagle the shotgun through the grate and fire a round at the back of his head. She figured a bean bag round would be enough to put him down fast.
No.736422
>>736420>>736421"If you can't reach it, maybe we can work the grate open slightly?"
No.736423
>>736420"Not the right fight to take at all." Gale says, attempting to retreat from this, while his clone attempts to claw at the first mate.
Dodge/Escape [1d10]
Clone Attack [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 4 = 4 No.736424
>>736422Yeah that might be wiser." she said as she tried to move the grate with him.
No.736425
>>736420"Oh sure. I kinda imagine it, y'know? Like food options must not be really great, nor dating, unless you're into like, guys with a bit of a belly that don't shower often. And like-" Vandal cuts herself off, "Yeah sorry, better then getting your head blown off I guess though. Do you want a ride off this place after this? Don't think you'll be especially popular after helping, and we do have an extra room on our ship. I'll even split my paycheck with you for this lil mission thing we're doing, make sure you have some florins to get by if the talking gets annoying."
"Go pack your backpack or whatnot, take your book along. When you're good to go we can take the express route." Vandal says, skating around the room at high speeds and showing off, taking grab of a nearby dolly, "You don't mind going for a ride right?"
No.736426
>>736420Frank faceplants onto the ship. Panicing, he tries to right himself.
[1d10]
Gigi sits back while the other two mess witb the grate.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736427
>>736421>>736422You manage to open the grate slightly and poke the shotgun through. The boiler man notices some movement and puts his operations on hold for a minute, looking up with a frown.
[1d10] Perception
>>736423You take a sucker punch right to the face, hitting the deck hard. You can't move your body for a moment, paralyzed by the jolt of electricity. The captain cackles. "Ye fight like a mewlin' lamb! Stand up, dog! Die like a real man!"
Your clone tries to attack, only to get parried by the first mate, taking a glancing blow to the jaw.
>Clone takes 1 hitThe first mate tries to grab you by the scruff!
[1d10]
>>736425He looks around to make sure there's no one to eavesdrop. "I mean, if you're offering, I'd appreciate it. Thanks. …Wait, what are you planning?" He looks at the dolly with trepidation.
>>736426He tries to get up, only to get met by a hoof to the back as one of the pirates boards. A jolt of electricity overloads Frank's systems, and all goes black.
>Frank is deactivated
>pausingRoll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.736782
>>736427For what it's worth, Fir tries to duck out of sight. Hopefully, the pipe helps some.
>[1d10] Hide!Roll #1 2 = 2 No.736783
>>736427"These-" Vandal gestures to her skates, "-Make me go real fast. I'm sure you're good on your hooves, but I was gonna offer a ride. If you were just following me, you'd look like were in cahoots with me and likely get shot just as much. This way I get to '
kidnap' you and also make it fast. That way, if I get my head blown off, least you don't get yours too. '
I could've broken my neck if I tried to jump off from that crazy cat's invention' or something like that."
She turns around, looking over his bedspace and helping him pack if needed, "I don't want you to get fucked over in case shit goes south after all. You just met me after all- Oh, I will hold onto the gun though, mostly for the whole appearance of you being taken as a hostage again and all."
Once done, she spins about in a circle with dolly being pushed in tow, "Beep beep."
No.736785
>>736427"Wait, am I a lamb or a dog? Get your insults straight."
He says, staying cheeky in the face of danger.
As he does, Gale continues to try to escape.
Run Away! [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736791
>>736427Areia decided to shoot now before he could potentially blow their cover.
[1d10] Shoot him
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736795
>>736427Gigi swallows hard and takes a step back as the other two pull the grate to the side. Slowly, she lifts her tesla pistol, aims it at the grate, and waits.
>>736427Frank thrashes and tries to get away from the pirate, but it's no use. As the taser slams into his back his entire body falls limp, and his voice module crackles. A static filled sports broadcast of some kind cycles to some weird old time romance radio play, followed by faint whispers in a foreign language. Then, finally, cuts out completely.
"Hey," Gigi whispers. "Frank, you alright?" For what felt like the first time all night, silence on the other end.
No.736800
>>736782>>736791>>736795It does not go as planned. Fir loosens a panel on the ceiling, almost falling straight through, dangling from it and holding on by his forelegs. Areia misses her shot, frying a monitor. The unicorn curses in a language you don't recognize, blinking over to a control panel and hitting a giant red button. Lights start flashing erratically and a blaring, high pitched alarm starts going off, echoing through the bowels of the pirate hideout, alerting everyone to your whereabouts.
>>736783Chekhooves blinks. "That's… really stupid," he says bluntly. "Stupid enough to actually work. Maybe. …Fine, I'll indulge you. Er, what was your name again?"
He reluctantly hops down and gets on the dolly. You're about to put your plan into action, when-
>>736785You try to get up, but the first mate grabs you by the scruff, shaking you like a disobedient pup. "All of the above, and many more besides," the captain retorts. "A whole menagerie ye be, a walking circus a' cravens and wretches!"
The procedure is complete. He flexes his new mechanical arm with admiration. "A fine job, miss Organic. Thankin' ye kindly."
"Yeah, yeah, bill's in the mail, love." The robot retires deeper into the infirmary.
"As fer ye…" The captain gets out of the chair, extending a wickedly sharp blade from his new prosthetic. "We shan't be making this one a quick death, nay," he says with a lopsided grin. "Be ye a god fearing creature, cur?"
He doesn't wait for an answer, raising the blade to plunge through your eyeball-
>>736785>>736783https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEtUiSqmxtYAn alarm starts blaring all of a sudden, and wall mounted lights start flashing.
>>736783"That's, uh, not a good sign," says Chekhooves fearfully.
>>736782The captain pauses and frowns, checking a datapad quickly with a snort. "Ha. Well now, we'll be takin' ye fer a little trip. Yer friends will be wantin' ter see yer last moments." He starts exiting the infirmary, the first mate dragging you along carelessly.
No.736803
>>736800Areia cursed loudly and climbed out and hit the floor as fast as she could as she looked at the unicorn and did her best to try and torch him with a blast of her dragon breath immediately.
[1d10] Dragon Breath: Plasma
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.736805
>>736800Last one is meant for
>>736785 No.736807
>>736800Vandal's ears twitch at the alarms, "All the more reason to get a move on eh? Come on, you're the one who signed up to be a pirate, it's not like you joined for the dental plan- let's have some fun with this."
Vandal revs up, scooting the dolly ridden by the pony along, "Name's Vandal, keep your hooves inside the ride at all time and be a deer and play GPS for me? While I'd love for it just be be the full tour I think we've only got time for one stop."
No.736809
>>736800"Frank?" Gigi whispers again. "Frank?!" Still no reply. Not good. She sighs and moves to pull a small blue screen out of her bag, but nearly drops it when first the shotgun blast and then the alarm ring in her ears. "Shit." She lifts her InvisiBand, activates cloaking device, shimmers away, and takes another step away from the other two, hiding near the wall. With both her hands on her gun, she waits for a good time to slip past the dragon.
No.736811
>>736800Gale grunts through the pain. "They're not gonna be impressed when you kill a clone in front of them." He bluffs. "Just make sure you're plenty far when you kill this one. The magical void can be pretty vicious."
He winces, then continues.
"Ah, but don't let me stop you. You're the captain, right?"
Bluff [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736812
>>736800Fir lets out a soft huff as he's left dangling over the edge, and decides to free himself and drop to the ground. No sense in trying to do otherwise.
>Do I need to roll? No.736813
>>736811 bluff isnt a thing you can roll (totally not a reroll) Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736821
>>736803>>736809>>736812Fir drops down a bit roughly, while Gigi goes invisible. He's a bit too far to hit right off the bat, but Areia manages to scorch some of his equipment, rendering the boiler inoperable. He teleports away towards the door, trying to make a break for it.
It occurs to you that it might not be the best idea to use firearms in a boiler room.>>736811"Clone?" he spits. "Parlor tricks and mummery. Leave him be." The first mate throws you to the floor.
"We take no prisoners, cur. If a clone ye be, then ye'll have no qualms with stayin' put." He whips out the datapad again, remotely closing all the doors. They slide shut with a heavy thud, getting reinforced by further blast doors. You're effectively locked in the infirmary, without recourse.
"So, come here often?" you hear Organic ask dryly from somewhere in the wing.
>>736807"Vandal. Hi. I'm Antimony Chekhooves, but you knew that already. Somehow."
You start wheeling him through the corridors. He points out a few routes here and there to avoid attention; you can see most pirates rushing to the source of the ongoing alarm, too distracted to pay much attention to you. You travel quickly from corridor to twisted corridor, going deep into the bowels of the hideout.
"Shit."
You are forced to stop dead in your tracks, as you see a turret poking out of the ceiling up ahead, scanning from side to side. "Place is on full alert now, and they're coded to blast anyone that isn't recognized as part of Cap's crew. How are we going to tackle this then?"
No.736823
>>736821Areia seemed to be fine with this as she was just shooting beanbags nothing particularly explosive. She turned and tried to down him with another shot as the last thing she wanted was him trying to get out of here.
"Oh no you don't you pirate scum!" she said trying for a headshot.
[1d10] Boomstick shooting
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.736824
>>736821Gigi just continues quietly waiting. No sense firing off sparks, and right now there doesn't really seem to be enough room. At the same time she considers breaking off entirely in hopes the pirates who caught Frank bring him back to their base. For now at least she decides to wait.
No.736826
>>736821Fir lands with a heavy doesn't waste any time in scrabbling after the unicorn. He picks himself back up and charges after him! The faster, the better.
>[1d10] Charge!Roll #1 9 = 9 No.736828
>>736821"Can't believe that worked." He says to himself.
After hearing Organic he sighs. "No, I don't. Don't plan on staying long too."
He looks around the room, searching for anything that could aid his escape.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.736831
>>736821"Uhhh you'd like to walk separately go ahead, again I've got this whole skate-really-fast shtick goin on sooo I'm just gonna let it put a few holes in the hull as I skate by. Go ahead and walk on the other side of the hallway so you don't get peppered, don't want your flank getting hurt on my behalf."
Vandal skates down the hallway stylishly.
>Moody's Shuffle, Zone change down the hall>other action dodge roll[1d10+2]
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5 No.736833
>>736823>>736824>>736826The pirate is bowled over by Fir, getting knocked into the wall with a soft grunt. He tries to get back up, but is promptly downed by a rubber shotgun blast to the face. He falls flat on his back, slowly trying to recover, nursing his right eye with a moan.
You can hear more pirates coming.
"Wh… What do you want from us?" the boiler unicorn manages to say, cradling his head. "Why are you here anyway?"
>>736828It seems you're locked in here pretty tight. At first glance at least, you can't see any obvious ways out.
"You might as well give up," Organic comments, emerging from one of the back rooms.
"This place is airtight. And I know you're not a fake. What's even got you and your mates so riled up anyway? Why come all this way?">>736831"Yeah, I'm just gonna go…" He gets off the dolly and strolls to the other side, waiting for you to catch up.
You're quick, but it's hard to beat automated systems. The turret opens fire, winging you in the arm. As you make it to the other side, Chekhooves rushes in front of you, forcing the turret not to shoot. "You okay?" he asks with a bit of genuine concern. "Not too much further, it's just down that ladder. Might have to ditch the dolly."
>Vandal takes 1 hit No.736834
>>736833Areia crossed the room and lifted him up "Kill the alarm before I run you through." she said as she quickly grabbed his horn with her spare hand "Or I break this off." she added as she glared at him.
"We just came to retrieve some stolen property and I really didn't like getting shot down for my troubles." she added with an annoyed scowl.
No.736836
>>736833Alright. Taking the lull in action as a chance to check on Frank, she pulls the blue screen out and turns it on. Not having any kind of map of the place, the only thing that pops up is a solid white dot showing Frank's direction and distance.
No.736840
>>736833>Ninja FlipVandal rolls up her sleeve to show the bullet only passed through her hoodie, the damage prevented by her feline reflexes, "Yeah you're no pirate alright. Didn't even touch my fur, though do you know any sewing by chance?"
Vandal nods, "I think the crew's preoccupied with my friends anywho, they're faaar noisier than me." She stifles a giggle, "And I'm the one who's been talking your ear off. Glad you had your earbuds in earlier. Also who says I can't skate with the dolly up and down? You just actually use the ladder proper."
No.736841
>>736833>>736834Fir lets out a soft huff after he bowls the unicorn over, and bears down over him as intimidatingly as possible. "Just here on work. Do what we ask."
No.736842
>>736833"Heh. Was worried the robot could figure me out." He says, walking towards the door to inspect it.
"Eh, just some repossession gig. Pirates steal something, we steal it back. Bit below my usual cut, but what are you gonna do. Any chance you know about what we're looking for? An idiot came by and tried to get it before, so whatever they were after."
He says, as he casts into his remaining device.
Hologram Emitter [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.736846
>>736834He winces as you grab him by the horn. "Hey, don't manhandle me," he protests. "I can't shut it off anyway, even if I wanted to."
>>736836He seems to be south of you, about 1km away. Moving quick at that. Seems the pirates that captured him were alerted too.
>>736834>>736836>>736841"Ah, makes sense. You're the ones they sent after we chased off that other guy then. Good to know. Sounds like you're out of time but."
You can hear the captain from before yelling something, and a bunch of other pirates along with him. They don't seem happy about your shenanigans. Sounds like they'll be here in a few seconds.
>>736842The door is magnetically sealed. It'd take either some advanced hacking or a small explosion to unseal it. Surely there must be another way out…
It seems getting roughed up damaged your emitter somewhat. A clone sputters in and out of existence.
"Having trouble getting it up? Can't say I'm surprised," Organic snarks.
"I might, but I don't really have motivation to talk to you about it. And my programming wouldn't allow it anyway. So, yeah.">>736840"Can't help you there, sorry."
He practically facepalms at the suggestion. "Oh, of course. Hadn't really, uh, factored those in yet. Just this way and we'll be at the treasury. Might need to find a way in though, it's usually kept locked tight."
>>736834>>736836>>736841>>736840>>736842You start getting a sudden transmission. It's from Undertow. He sounds pressured.
"Hey, you lot. Uh, you're gonna have to find another way back, maybe. I think they found me. I'm trying to give them the sl-"Gunfire; then, the transmission cuts out.
>>736834>>736836>>736841The boiler unicorn takes advantage of the distraction to try and teleport away again.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.736848
>>736846She frowned and looked to the other two and then to Gigi specifically "You wouldn't happen to have a boat around here would you? Cause if not I think I'm gonna have to ferry Fir back to short and I won't be much use in a fight there." she said as she pondered setting a trap.
Actually, do you have any more of those explosives? We could probably set another trap."
No.736849
>>736846Well. Shit. At least if they're coming back here they're bringing Frank back too. Hopefully not in too many pieces. Gigi puts the tablet away and shakes her head.
>>736848"Actually," Gigi says, still invisible. "I do, and I do. It's not a huge boat, but I think it'll fit all of you. I have a couple more microcharges and a couple EMP charges. Did you have something in mind, or just wanna keep moving and see what happens?"
No.736850
>>736849I was gonna say coat the door in them and then we funnel them in and get back into the vents so we cave the room in around them. Maybe more with the boilers."
No.736852
>>736846"Hrm. We need to check on that Undertow when we're done here- Vandal already didn't feel good about that part, and he did stick his neck out." the elk says, before looking over towards the yelling. He'll try to get a few of his vials ready, just in case.
>[1d10] Distill LifeRoll #1 10 = 10 No.736853
>>736846"Suppose you're also programmed for that to not bother you. Shame."
He looks down at the busted emitter.
"Gonna cost a fortune to get that fixed, but works for now."
Gale looks around for any small holes in the room, windows or any way to get this emitter out of here.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.736855
>>736850"Yeah. I was actually thinking of blowing the bloiler room, myself. Especially if they're already on their way here. Pop one on a boiler, funnel them in, hope we can get enough distance to not kill ourselves, and blow it."
No.736857
>>736855That works too. I was kind of annoyed I didn't take the captain out in one strike so exploding him would be damn nice."
No.736858
>>736846"
Don't you dare pull off last-day-before-retirement Undertow." Vandal says into her commlink before returning attention to Chekhooves. "Well no sense just talking about, let's go looking about."
[1d10] alternate routes or ways to enter perception
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.736859
>>736850>>736852"So, uh, you guys don't have to help me or anything, but I'll have to split off from you to go save my buddy before we leave. The pirates kinda found and captured him."
No.736860
>>736859"We can make a detour. Shouldn't be long, right?"
No.736862
>>736857"Welp. I'll go ahead and plant one, then." She slips into the room, pops one of the small magnetic charges out of her band, sticks it to a boiler, and primes it.
[1d10]Sabotage
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736863
>>736859Might as well help you out after you helped us out there feathers."
No.736864
>>736860"Nah. They're bringing him back here, so it shouldn't be too hard to find him. I can at least check his general location. On the plus side they might toss him wherever they keep the stuff they steal, so I might not be leaving this empty clawed after all."
No.736865
>>736864>>736860>>736863"Well, shit. Alright. Neat. Thanks."
No.736868
>>736850>>736852>>736849The unicorn poofs out of existence.
>>736852You manage to get the syringe ejectors working properly again, putting out three of them for general use. They seem to be extra potent.
>heal 1 wound on use>>736853"Not really, no."You spot an air conditioning unit on the ceiling. It's a bit out of your reach, but it looks shabby enough that you could pull it free with some elbow grease and see about going up the ventilation shaft.
"Oh look, a way out," Organic deadpans.
"How terrible for us." No.736870
>>736858"Right. Yeah. Let's go."
He leads you down a set of stairs into a deep, musty part of the base inhabited by space spiders. In the rusting hulk, you come to a long, wide hallways filled with broken robots, culminating in a threatening looking iron door with a glowing green console next to it. "Well, that's it," Chekhooves shrugs. "No idea how you plan on getting in though. I don't even know the password myself."
Nothing is immediately obvious to you as far as a way in goes.
>>736862>>736863>>736860Gigi plants a charge on the nearest boiler to the door, just as a handful of pirates swarm in, armed to the teeth with miscellaneous weaponry - all non-firearms, in case of setting off the boiler. They look around a bit before focusing on you. They open fire with crossbows made of scrap!
[2d10] vs Fir and Areia
Roll #1 4, 7 = 11 No.736871
>>736870Areia did her best to hit the deck before they got too close to hitting her. Or at least she tried to.
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736873
>>736870Gigi sticks to the side, staying out of sight. Lining up a shot with the pirate firing on the dragon, she takes a slow breath in, pauses, and pulls the trigger. A bolt of electricity streaks from the barrel directly at him.
[Aimed shot, Lightning element]
After firing the shot she shifts her position, moving closer to the vent they came in.
No.736875
>>736870"Know what's the deal with all the robots? Seems like a weird place to ditch them." Vandal says, walking amongst the broken bots and searching more.
[1d10] sleuthing
She flips on comms, seeing if the others have something that'll help,
>>736871>>736870>>736860>>736853"
Hey I made another friend and we're figuring out the vault now, y'all run into passwords on the way in?"
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736876
>>736875Kind of busy drawing all the pirates to us so not really. Heads up probably gonna a giant explosion soon."
No.736877
>>736868"Us? Are you coming with or something?" He says, climbing up to the vent and trying to pry it off.
"I'm not against it, but I hope you aren't against getting rewired if you're gonna tag along."
Pry [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.736878
>>736868The elk growls when the unicorn poofs away, stamping a hoof on the ground. He'll pass a vial to both Areia and Gigi, before readying his Hardlight suit.
>>736870Fir tries to focus the energy in his suit, getting the defensive matrix online early.
>[1d10] Fortify Flesh (DC -1 from Arcane Conductor)Roll #1 7 = 7 No.736879
>>736875"I don't think I saw one, no. Be careful."
>>736876>>736873>Remember! 1 Distill Life vial each! No.736882
>>736878She took the vial and left it in her pouch for now as she didn't need to down it immediately.
No.736883
>>736878She swaps the one she has with the improved one.
No.736884
>>736871>>736873>>736878Gigi manages to get a shot off on the pirate, knocking her backwards and making her take a knee, and flies closer to the hole in the ceiling. Areia takes a shot to the rib, but her armor cushions the worst of it.
>Areia takes 2 hitsFir rearranges the hardlight components of his suit, which shift about its surface like liquid light. Healing magic courses through his body from the conductor.
The pirates start spilling in, the captain pulling up the rear, spreading out and training miscellaneous weapons on you, from the aforementioned crossbows to nail guns, mining lasers, and even just a slingshot. The captain makes his grand entrance by firing a blast of energy into the ceiling. It came from a swanky new prosthetic arm he had installed. "Enough boondoggling, ye jackanapes!" he barks. "Weapons down. We have ye outnumbered, and ye haven't done nothin' unfergivable. Yet. Ye won't be firing on us, lest we all be sent ter Davy Jones' locker by yon contraption." He gestures at the boiler. "So. Shall we parlay?"
>>736877"What? Pft. No. Why would I? I meant us pirates. It's a tragedy our prized possession is getting away. Why won't anyone stop him." She proceeds to do absolutely nothing to stop you as you fly up and pull the aircon unit aside, revealing a path through the ventilation. It's dark, cramped, dangerous and uncomfortable, but it beats being locked in a room with a mouthy robot. Maybe.
>>736875"They were part of a haul we - they - got from a raid. We meant to set them up as security guards, but it didn't work out. And no one bothered hauling them off, so…" He shrugs and kicks one idly.
While most of the bots aren't terribly useful, you do find an interesting component in one; it is outfitted with a magical energy emitter which seems to be malfunctioning, slowly spewing large amounts of energy that is going to waste. In a vacuum, it's not terribly useful, but perhaps you could use it for something here?…
Chekhooves goes over to the console and starts messing around with it, trying a whole slew of pirate themed passwords, none of which work.
No.736886
>>736884Still up by the vent, Gale responds. "Seems like whatever program writes your bluffs needs updating. And even if this is a trap, I ain't going in." He says, tossing the emitter up into the vent.
Dropping back down, he trots over to the door, standing to the side. Meanwhile his clone activates and tries to find a way to drop out of the vents and back into the halls.
Clone Searching [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736887
>>736884She cried out in annoyance as she moved back to the vent along with Gigi and motioned for Fir to join her near the vent opening so they could make tracks if they need to.
No.736888
>>736884"Watcha think would happen if I just jammed this doohicky in the console? That's how it works in the movies right? Shit maybe I should try shooting it… that always either unlocks or locks doors depending on what you need in the situation."
Vandal heads over to the Chekhooves where he's been pressing, "Darn, you know if I had thought about it when I walked in, we could've done that crime show thing and dust for hoof prints. Bit moot now."
[1d10] more dice thinking cause brain thinking hard at bedtime
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.736889
>>736884>>736887Gigi moves deeper into the vents and checks her tablet for Frank's location again. "Just say when!"
No.736890
>Fortify Flesh: +1 Hit (2 Turns remaining)>>736884>>736887>>736889"Getting back into that vent might be hard for me- should we just try and talk to them? Run?"
No.736891
>>736886You send your clone up to explore. It seems you're in for an uncomfortable crawl, and there's lots of twists and turns through the ventilation system. One turn takes you right into a fan, threatening to dice your clone to bits. Best not to go that way.
Eventually, the clone exits into another part of the ship. The alarm is still blaring, but it doesn't look like there's many pirates around. You're on a balcony overlooking much of the hideout's inner workings. You can see some activity near the lowest levels of the ship.
Back in the infirmary, Organic gives you a side eye with her singular photoreceptor.
"Oh I'm not bluffing, I just don't give a shit about any of this. Long as I can keep practicing my craft I'm happy. You aren't in the market for a new eye, are you?">>736888"Huh? Well that'd just cause a power surge, and then… Hm. Might actually work. Or it might just fuck the whole thing over. Still. We might as well give it a go, right? What other choice do we have?" He stands aside to let you do the honors.
>>736889Frank is about 600 metres away now.
>>736887>>736889>>736890Areia helps Fir back into the vent, then Gigi flies up. The captain looks outraged, and the pirates spill into the room, opening fire up to where you're hiding. "Come down and fight, ye bloomin' cockroaches!"
[5d10] vs everyone!
Roll #1 10, 2, 4, 4, 8 = 28 No.736892
>>736891Ari did her best to try and dodge the fire as she made her way through the vents but it wasn't really gonna work much but dammit she was gonna try.
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.736893
>>736891Gigi tries to dodge the incoming attacks.
[1d10]Falcon Burst dodge
Hitting the deck and still invisible for now, shouts, "Fire in the hole!" She hits a button on her band.
[1d10]Sabotage
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 1 = 1 No.736894
>>736891"Eh fuck it, worst thing that could happen I gotta call down my friend to pry it open." Vandal shrugs, jamming the thing in.
No.736895
>>736893[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.736896
>>736891"I'll think about it. But hey, you get me out of here and I think I can supply you with enough hurt idiots to last you an entire lifeti- uh, until your circuitry burns out."
Gale's clone tries to make their way back to outside the infirmary.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.736897
>Fortify Flesh: +1 Hit (1 Turn remaining)>>736891>[1d10] Brace to block some of the incoming damage, hopefully!>Reduced Damage from Fortify"I'd rather be a coward than dead." he responds with, huffing a little as he's dragged into the duct. He'll try to call up a hardlight shield to deflect some of the fire from him and the others.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.736898
>>736896Persuasion [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.736899
>>736892You feel a sudden dull impact, followed by an intense burning pain. It's too cramped to check where you were shot, but you feel it coming from somewhere in your chest. You feel weak.
>Areia takes 5 hits, helpless>>736893You manage to scramble and avoid most of the incoming fire, but you take a bit of shrapnel to the left back leg. It burns like nothing else.
>Gigi takes 2 hits>>736894You jam the emitter in. The magical energy starts surging through the console, causing it to spark and strobe dangerously, making a high pitched fizzing noise before finally blowing with a loud pop. Acrid smoke starts pouring from it. The vault door makes some ominous grinding noises; then, the lock turns and deactivates, allowing entrance into the pirates' trove.
"Huh. Was about a coin flip chance, I'd say," Chekhooves comments. "Good thing everything here's as janky as it looks."
>>736897You shift to protect Areia from a fatal crossbow shot, absorbing heavy damage from the burst of shots.
>Fir takes 3 hits>>736896>>736898Your clone manages to find a route right outside the blast door. There doesn't seem to be a way to open them from here; looks to be remotely operated.
Organic rolls her photoreceptor.
"You're not the brightest, are you. I'm not programmed to be able to help you, but I don't really care about the captain or his thugs much either. So I can't really do much here except drop some heavy hints. Besides, these morons do a good enough job beating each other up that they give me plenty of room to practice.">>736895>>736893>>736892Gigi hits the trigger.
A monstrous twofold explosion threatens to rattle the stars out of the sky itself. You are thrown about inside the vent like ragdolls, hitting your heads violently. When you come to, you find yourselves hurt, but not fatally so. The same cannot be said for what's left of the boiler room; it's a barely recognizable pile of twisted metal and rubble. No sign of any pirates; they seem to have been either blown to smithereens or buried under it all. Either way, seems like that's the last you'll be seeing of them.
>>736896>>736894You feel the ground quake as a deafening explosion rings out from the lowest layers of the ship. You are almost thrown to the ground by it, causing essentially a tiny earthquake. When it finishes, you hear the whole base creaking and groaning around you. Whatever happened, the hideout has been rattled to its core. And considering how flimsy it was to begin with, there's no telling how much longer it'll stay in one piece.
>>736896Organic's photoreceptor darts around.
"What the fuck did you do?" she says bluntly.
>>736893Chekhooves is thrown to the floor by the explosion, picking himself up and looking around hurriedly. Bits of debris start to fall from the ceiling. He looks at you, frozen in panic for a moment. "…We should probably grab the thing and go."
>pausing No.737452
Gigi stumbles and nearly goes to the ground, but manages to catch herself and only take a knee. Her claw shoots to her leg and she lets out a quiet hiss. "Fuck. Fuck. Fu-" She's cut off as she's thrown off her paws and slammed into the ductwork, only able to let out a loud squak.
When it's over she's lying face down seven feet from where she'd been standing. For a moment she stays face down, trying to decide if she regrets not just taking the bullets. After a second, though, she rolls onto her back, groaning with the effort. Yeah. Yeah, the bullets probably would've been better.
Pulling herself back to her paws, she shakes herself out, ruffling her feathers a little. After some digging, she grabs the syringe and jabs it into her thigh.
"You two alright?"
No.737453
>>736899The dragon cried out and then was promptly battered and slammed around the small hidey hole before groaning and leaning on Fir as she tried to get her bearings and forget the pain radiating throughout her form.
>>737452"I'll live. Can't speak for the pirates or presumably this place if we don't hurry out."
[1d10] to Stand up
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.737454
>>736899"Look at you already having plans and packed ready to go before your job went under, literally. Your mom'd be proud." Vandal says, preparing the dolly again, "Err, about the stopping-being-a-pirate thing I mean. Let's get going big guy."
>Heading down with Chekhooves in tow. No.737455
>>736899"Your loss, robo." Gale says before the explosion.
After the explosion, Gale retorts at Organic "I didn't do anything! Probably your genius pirate crew fucking something up."
Gales clone searches in the chaos for any nearby pirates to get the attention of.
Perception/Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737456
>Fortify Flesh: +1 Hit (0 turns remaining)>Force Redirection: 2/4 >>736899Fir grunts a little bit as he absorbs the worst of it, before looking to Areia to check on her. He'll use the leftover syringe from the last round on himself
>Distill Life: +3 Hits>Areia and Gigi still both have a Crit Distill Life, along with… someone else? I forget ._. No.737458
>>737456"Thanks for the save by the way big guy. You're A-okay by me."
No.737459
>>737453>>737452>>737456You manage to recover. It seems like all's quiet down below, but it seems like your hiding spot is about to give way. The vents were already unstable, but the explosion seems to have loosened them. You feel it begin to sag, and an ominous metallic creaking rings out.
>Gigi heals back up>Fir heals 3 hits>>737452Somewhere outside, Frank starts to reboot, systems slowly coming back online. Auditory and visual sensors seem to be malfunctioning; everything for him sounds muffled, like he's underwater, while his vision is warped by pixelated distortion. He's also vaguely aware of not being able to move his limbs.
He appears to still be captive; the pirates are speaking indistinctly very close by.
>>737454"I don't know about that, she wanted me to be a sorcerer."
You head down the stairs to the pirates' trove. You can see a plethora of goodies stockpiled here, everything from preserved food to weapons and armor to proper valuables, all heaped together carelessly in large piles. The lights struggle to turn on in the aftermath of the explosion, flickering on and off. Dust fills the air amidst disorganized, rusting shelves. Seems like it might take a bit to find the cube you're after. And with what just happened, you might be short on time. Chekhooves crosses his forelegs. "Right. So what are we after exactly?"
>>737455"They're fuckups, but not on this level. This was your mates' doing." She trundles over to a console and extends an appendage to plug in.
"Holy fuck. Whole bloody lower level's up in flames. This place is going down. …I think my inhibitors are offline. …Fuck, they are."Her disc-shaped head swivels like an owl to face you.
"I can get us out of here," she says bluntly.
"I'd rather not stay here and rust for the next few decades at the bottom of the ocean. You?"Most of the pirates seem to have gone to the lower levels where the explosion happened, but you spot a few stragglers dashing there in the aftermath. They don't seem to be paying you much attention, all things considered.
>>737458>>737457>>737455>>737454You get a sudden commlink buzz from Green.
"How's the sneaking mission going?" she asks sarcastically.
"You find the thing yet?" No.737460
>>737459"Well aside from us probably ruining the pirate industry and getting shot several times, pretty well. Feel like doing us a favor and flying in? We might need a rapid pick up…. and someone to see if our ride is ok. Think he might have gotten shot at."
Areia quickly did her best to start moving through the vents looking for a safe place to exit out into.
No.737461
>>737458Fir nods.
>>737459"We got… sidetracked. Vandal should be on the way to get it. We'll need a fast pickup- might need to check on another person in the area, too."
>>737454"You alright? Found what we're looking for?" he asks.
No.737462
>>737459"And I had such an elaborate plan to get out of here… Shame." He says, sighing as he deactivates the clone. "Alright, lets get a move on before you change your mind. Or uh, circuitboard. Not a robotics guy."
No.737463
>>737459>>737461"
I have avoided detection and am now in the loot room- how bad did you fuck the ship up by the way?" She says, asking after hearing Fir's voice before adding, "
Err not saying you specifically Fir, I'm sure it's Gale's fault or something."
>>737459Vandal towards Chekhooves, "I mean this is likely your last time you'll see this place whether you're gonna stick with the pirates or not so grab whatever you'd like, but if you could look for this lil wooden puzzle box before looting that'd be swell. Liiiikely a condition of whether you're getting a ride off the planet since we're not leaving without it."
Vandal goes looking herself, using her feline eyesight to look into every dark nook and cranny.
[1d10] Hunter's Eye passive in effect
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.737464
>>737463"Mmm. Pretty, ah… pretty bad, but I can't be sure. We'll probably want to get off of here soon, regardless."
No.737465
>>737457>>737453Gigi's breath catches in her throat a little, and she shakes off again. "Yeah. Yep. I'm good."
>>737459"Oh. Fuck me. Doesn't seem like this place will be much longer, though." She scoots back in the vent a little. Looking back the way they came in, she also tries to find a good spot to get out.
>>737459Grainy artifacts dance across Frank's vision as he powers back up. As his voice module comes online he moves to threaten the pirates he can't really see or hear. His voice is grainy and full of static as he says, "
Sí, sí, me gustaría hablar con la señorita Savi Blanc. Mi identificación de crédito de Florin es seis uno cinco cuatro-"
"Frank," Gigi says over her com link. "Thank fuck you're- Wait. Why are you speaking- Damn it Frank, I told you not to call that number anymore!"
"Shoot," Frank mumbles. "Guess I got my voice module mixed up when Frank Junior Jr suddenly came back online. Hey, they're my florins!"
"How did you even get Florins? And that was my Florin credit ID you were using."
"By helping old Mr.Vermicelli move some stuff around his shop," Frank answers, now completely ignoring the pirates.
Gigi pauses for a second. "Helping wh- You know what. We'll talk about this later. I don't have time right now."
"Well, it probably doesn't matter now. I'm pretty sure they blacklisted our number. If I just said that part to you then I just told them I'd blow up their HQ."
No.737467
>>737460[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.737468
>>737465[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737469
>>737460>>737461>>737463"Not much of a sneaking mission then is it. Felt the shockwave from up here. I'll do a sweep of the perimeter, see if I can't pick your guy up. Hang in there.">>737462"Well if you want to put some convoluted scheme into action, by all means, roll out the red carpet. We've got all the time in the world. No? Good. Now move."She rolls past you and starts interacting with the blast doors, eventually unlocking all three of them and finally letting you out of the infirmary.
"…That's, er, about as far as my plan goes. Maybe we can still do your elaborate plan, in a roundabout way. Yeah? Nah?">>737463"Cool. Let's see what we can grab then." Chekhooves joins you in your search.
[1d10]
>>737465As Frank starts talking again, he feels himself get struck roughly by one of the pirates. "Shut up," he hears her growl.
Auditory sensors are coming back online now, though visuals are still dodgy. Gigi can hear most of it by proxy:
"Shit! What the hell happened?!"
"Must've been the boiler going off. Probably whoever this tin can belongs to. I told Cap it would blow any day now."
"Well what do we do? Go back to the mainland? This place is finished, look at it."
"Shit… I don't… I don't know. We could try looking for other patrols that weren't down there. Maybe meet up with Rydjerd's gang, tell 'em the news…"
"What about survivors?"
"There's no survivors."
"But-"
"Forget it."
"…Aye, sir."
>>737466>>737467>>737468After a bit more uncomfortable crawling, Fir finds a way out. Just in time too; the vent gives way and collapses behind you, barring retreat. Only one way out now.
You pry the grate loose and pop out, finding yourselves on one of the many railing paths. The whole hideout is in chaos; you can see pirates on some of the lower levels running to and fro like confused ants. Turrets are deactivated, systems malfunctioning, alarms blaring. Overall, it's bedlam. You feel a shudder as the whole base shifts dangerously. It seems like the whole place is going to sink. You'll need to meet up with the others and get out. And fast.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.737470
>>737469"My plan ended at leaving this room. Time we improvise." He trots into the hallway, looks around and thinks outloud. "Our ship out of here already bailed on us. This place got lifeboats? Anything we can steal and drive out of here?" He says, trying to hide his minor panic.
No.737471
>>737469>>737463>>737470"How about we meet on the roof? At this point its probably the safest place since everything on the ground floor is currently a fireball." she suggested over the comm links as she started looking for ways to get to the top of the wreck as soon as possible.
[1d10] Perception.
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737472
>>737469"Shit. I didn't even get to loot the place!" Gigi squawks. "What is this place made of, paper?" She groans and frantically looks around for any clue where the hell to get out. "This is bullshit. 2000 fucking Florins down the toilet. Frank, where are you?"
>>737469"Still outside," he says. "Might go meet with Richard's gang with these guys. Dang, Giggles, you did a number on that place."
Still outside. That was good. That meant they could get out and she could grab him then. "Fuck," Gigi mumbles again.
[1d10]Nav/Perception
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.737473
>>737463>>737469It takes a good few minutes of sorting through the miscellaneous junk and treasures to find what you think you're after: a wooden box, about the size of your paw, made of black wood, with several moving parts and protrusions, implying a puzzle to be solved. It seems rather innocuous. "That's what was causing all the fuss?" Chekhooves says skeptically, then shrugs and keeps looting the place.
You find some special energy cells for a blaster; seems to be of the pirates' own design. They're not lethal rounds, but seem designed to temporarily overload the nervous system, causing paralysis. No blaster to go with it. Luckily, Chekhooves is here to help, as he finds one for you. "Here, catch! Don't worry, it's not loaded."
He tosses the gun at you, missing by a wide margin. It goes over your head and as it hits the wall, leaving a scorching hole in the ceiling. "It's not loaded now."
>Standard issue blaster pistol: Firearm, Energy (2 shots)>Scorpion Energy Cell: passive; DC-1 while using this cell, but cannot deal lethal damage and does not have an Elementalist effect. Instead, targets rendered helpless by this cell cannot recover for 2 rounds, or 3 on a crit. No.737474
>>737469>Naviation: [1d10]"Hrm. We need to keep moving. Hopefully, they're too panicked to stop us. We'll need to find Gale, too."
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.737475
>>737473and fires off as it hits the wall*
No.737476
>>737471Vandal responds to Areia but addresses her message to all,
>>737474>>737470 "
I'll see about it, I nabbed the thingy so mission cleared. We could stick around and see if the captain floats and see if we wanna cash in that bounty too."
>>737473"No clue, it's just what we're getting paid for. Anyways nab anything else you want and let's get out of here, don't wanna be fishfood."
Vandal jumps up from the gun going off as her fur stands on end, but she quickly regains composure and smiles, "Neat, also since we're like, way over our heads at this point and there really isn't gonna be a ship for you to return to if you backed out now so you should probably at least take your gun back." Vandal says, swapping firearms with Chekhooves, "Not like you'd get much out of shooting me at this point anyways."
She prepares the dolly again, "When you're ready, next stop is 'anywhere but here'. Also if you'd play GPS again I wooould suuuper appreciate it for your sake and mine."
No.737477
>>737476"
I'm gonna be blunt I am pretty sure the captain is in pieces or buried under what was the boiler room of this place. But if you wanna wait I guess we could chill in the ship or something." she fired back on the comm
No.737478
>>737470"I can sense your panic, you know," she says bluntly.
"Just calm down. …Calm the fuck down." She's not doing too hot either.
"Um… Let's see… Shit, of course my FUCKING navbanks go now. …There are lifeboats, uh… I don't know. God dammit. Let's just keep improvising.">roll Navigation>>737471>>737472>>737474You find a way that seems to lead to the roof; a precarious, half broken metal stairwell that leads up to a trap door. It doesn't look very stable, but there's not many other ways up, unless you were to-
"MAGGOTS!"
Behind you, limping up a flight of stairs, is the pirate captain, his bloodied face contorted with rage. He is grievously wounded, but determined for revenge, lurching towards you with a laser blunderbuss in his left hand. His right prosthetic is charging up with energy. He is bleeding profusely from his left leg, which has a piece of shrapnel sticking straight through it. He seems to be blind to the pain. "Thought ye could put me down that easily, eh? If we're goin' to the Locker, ye'll be joinin' us all! Blaggards no more, but a nothing for the harpies and the souls of dead sailors to feast on!"
He fires a deafening blast from the blunderbuss at you!
[1d10+4]
>>737476He takes the gun back. "Yeah, that was the idea. Found me some cool antigrav prevention duds as well. Be useful if I end up doing some asteroid work after this." He holds up a pair of boots with heavy metal soles, then scavenges a bit more. "Here, found some dosh."
>+60 florinsHe starts leading you out of the vault room and steadily upwards through the base. "Don't think we'll be needing the dolly, there's bigger fish to fry for everyone else at the moment. Uh, let's see… I think it's this way to the roof from here? I don't usually come this way, so holler if you see an exit."
>roll Navigation Roll #1 9 + 4 = 13 No.737479
>>737478"Fantastic. A robot capable of fear and anxiety. Remind me to shoot your programmer." He takes a deep breath, and tries to remember the way he came and anything he saw through the clone.
[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.737480
>>737478The Dragon went wide eyed and decided to try and get rid of the stubborn bastard as she focused her energy into herself before she rushed at him aiming at the neck.
>Empower Weapon: automatic instant[1d10+3] Basic attack
Roll #1 1 + 3 = 4 No.737481
>>737478Gigi stops lamenting and grins as she sees the captain. "Oh, fuck yeah, potential bounty is still on the table!" Her smile quickly falls as he aims at her and pulls the trigger.
[1d10]Falcon Burst dodge
[1d10]Second dodge roll if the first fails/if allowed. Aimed shot with tesla pistol if not.
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 No.737482
>>737478Fir whips around as he hears the captain call out, and narrows his eyes as he sees him level a blunderbuss at the group. He readies his suit, getting ready to interrupt as much of the incoming blast as he can.
>>737481>Brace: [1d10+2]>Spending 2 points from the Force Redirection pool: 0/4 remaining.Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 No.737483
>>737477"
Ah well, some Florins lost but least we're alive and got the proper job done." Vandal responds, blissfully unaware.
>>737478"Cheers," Vandal says, pocketing the florins, "Dolly was just so you'd be goin' as fast as me, but fair enough."
Vandal keeps a look out as asked.
[1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737485
>>737479"You should do standup. I wasn't always like this, you know. Blame it on the pirates, they wanted to make me more relatable."You spot a path on the other side of the ship that leads upwards to a railing, and from there, a nasty looking stairwell. Seems like a way out. On second glance, you notice something: Fir, Gigi and Areia are over there, and they're not alone either. The captain's back with a vengeance, opening fire on them mercilessly.
"Oh look, a path," Organic comments.
"Hey bird, I found a path. Over there.">>737480>>737481>>737482The laser blunderbuss rings out, and you are peppered with shots from it. You feel faint, toppling over from the wound and from the sheer force of the blast. Life begins to ebb.
>Fir and Areia take 11 hits>Gigi takes 10 hits>everyone helpless at 0/3The captain drags himself toward you triumphantly, reloading his blunderbuss with one hand, sporting a bloodied, lopsided grin. "Not even yer bones will remain," he taunts, raising his glowing prosthetic before bringing it down on Areia. "An arm fer an arm, lass!"
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.737486
>>737483"Just don't go too fast and it should be fine."
You don't manage to find a way out just yet, but you do hear the roar of a blunderbuss coming from a few levels up. Chekhooves frowns. "Sounds like someone kicked the hornet's nest. Let's try another way."
No.737487
>>737485Areia Groaned and did her best to try and get up as she was in no mood to let some pissed off privateer amputate her arm.
[1d10] Recovery
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.737488
>>737485Gigi topples to the ground as the lasers singe her feathers and sear her flesh. This really wasn't worth the trip. At this rate she wasn't even going to make it out. Her paws tremble as she tries to stand.
[1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.737489
>>737486"I'm also betting whoever kicked it also likely has the keys to to our ship out of here." Vandal lies, concerned for her friends, "Detour towards that noise so we don't have to swim our way back to shore."
[1d10] nav towards sound
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.737490
>>737485Watching their struggle, Gale hesitates. "Y-yeah… give me uh, five minutes." He says, sneaking towards the captain. As he does a clone forms by him which dashes towards the captain, shouting: "Get away from them, scumbag!"
[1d10] Stealth
[1d10] Summon Clone
Roll #1 10 = 10 /
Roll #2 7 = 7 No.737491
>>737485Fir lets out a grunt as he's blasted with the blunderbuss and crumples to the ground. He flicks his ear as he hears the captain drag himself closer, and tries to pull himself back up.
>Recover: [1d10+1]>+1 from Force Redirection: 0/4 remaining.Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.737492
>>737491>>737485>Counter: If they make a single target attack, you cancel the attack and any effects it would have had and gain a Bonus Action for Slam that turn against that target, allowing you to use Slam even if you do not know it.Fir staggers to all fours and lets out a strained huff, before ramming the captain with his hardlight antlers.
>Slam: [1d10] (Crits on 8+)Roll #1 4 = 4 No.737494
>>737490"You're not going to leave me here!" she says in a demanding, slightly fearful tone as you give her the slip. She hovers in place anxiously, head spinning about as she keeps a watchful photoreceptor on her surroundings.
>>737489"You're the boss," Chekhooves shrugs, and follows you upwards.
>>737487>>737488>>737490>>737489>>737491Everything happens in an instant. The captain swings down, then is immediately tackled by Fir and a clone of Gale, pinned by the hulking elk. Vandal rolls onto the scene with Chekhooves (a young, weedy looking stallion), and all of a sudden, everyone is confronting him at once. The damage is done, though; while he didn't sever Areia's arm, he left a deep, burning wound all the way down from the shoulder to the start of the forearm, cutting through almost to the bone. It hurts like nothing else, and it won't heal quickly, even with Fir's tech. It's sure to leave a memorable scar.
The captain struggles, kicking and biting at Fir in an attempt to get free. "Gerroffme! Gerroffme!"
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.737495
>>737494I trail my pistol on him and give him a good shock to keep him from fighting back too much harder. "Sorry, buddy. Looks like you're fucked."
>[Aimed shot, Lightning. -1 to next action] No.737496
>>737494Areia jammed her self with the syringe as she let out a scream that dropped her gruff tone as she writhed around on the ground trying to keep some form of composure but it was hard to not scream bloody murder. She was happy that syringe was there because it took a lot of the immediate pain away.
She tried to force herself up because she was gonna breath molten plasma down his throat for that.
[1d10] Recovery
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.737497
>>737494"Oh shit, Aeria-"
Vandal bares her claws, rushing at the the captain with anger in her eyes, going for the jugular.
>Moody's Shuffle>Dual Wielding[1d10+2]
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3 /
Roll #2 10 + 2 = 12 No.737498
>>737494Seeing the opportunity, Gale slips close enough to the captain to take him out once and for all, while his clone just tries to keep him in one place.
[1d10] Backstab
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.737499
>>737494>Hold down [1d10] Fir tries to keep the captain pinned down underneath his bulk- hopefully, it won't be too hard.
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.737500
>>737496Cradling your wounded arm, you pull yourself back up and give yourself a jab with the needle. The magitech solution gets to work quickly, beginning to ease the pain and cauterize the wound, but it won't be enough to heal it completely, nor will it take away the burning ache that's consuming your arm.
>-2 to all rolls involving that arm until Areia gets proper medical attention>>737498>>737499>>737497>>737496>>737495Fir holds the captain down as Gigi zaps him with a lightning shot, causing him to struggle even more. Vandal rushes in to deliver a slash of her claws, but he kicks out in his frantic writhing, hitting her straight in the jaw. She rolls with the blow and staggers, remaining upright for now. With a burst of strength, he pushes Fir away and hobbles upright, grabbing the blunderbuss and pointing it at you. He spits out blood and snarls.
"G-"
Two soft
pews silence him. Without a sound, he topples over, stone dead. Standing behind him is Gale with his silencer. There's a prolonged silence.
"…So, uh, I guess you guys are all friends here then?" says Chekhooves awkwardly. "I'm Chekhooves, by the way. Hi. Vandal offered me a lift off. It's Vandal, right?"
Gale sees Organic down below staring up at him and the others. While she can't change expression, she looks annoyed at being ditched.
No.737501
>>737500>>737498Areia just leaned on the wall "Pissed as I am that you killed him…. Gale you're cool by me for now." she said as she closed her eyes and just tried to not let the pain take her off her feet.
"Nice to meet you Checkhooves. You wouldn't happen to be a medic would you?"
No.737502
>>737500"…That's that, then. Let's see to the wounded and get out." he says, picking himself back up. He looks to Chekhooves, and nods a little before saying "Fir. Welcome aboard."
>>737501"Rest on my back if you need it. That looks bad." the elk says, lowering himself down a little.
No.737503
>>737502She groaned and obliged as she fell onto him a bit as she tried to relax "You are the best Fir. I'm gonna buy you a drink or something." she groaned.
No.737504
>>737500Gale is quiet for a long time. Once he speaks up it's short.
"Can't let a loose end stay." he says, cryptically.
The clone fades out as Gale yells to Organic. "Hey, sorry about that. Look, can you come up here and patch this dragon up?" He turning back to everyone, he quiets down. "Then we can all get out of here." He sighs, and puts his pistol away.
No.737505
>>737500>>737501Gigi knits her brow and hooks a thumb over her shoulder. "So, uh, I'd love to play meet and greet, but she needs a doctor pretty bad and my robot is still on the boat with some pirates who are probably about to dip, so…" She trails off.
No.737506
>>737500>down to 5/5>swapping Stances to Stance of the Tiger>>737501"Holy fuck Areia I thought you said he was dead. More importantly, holy fuck are you okay?" Vandal skates over to help her but sees Fir take care of her. "Shit, let's get you out of here asap."
>>737500"
Hey Green, shit's gone awry in the fuck Aeria is injured bad way, but also the way where you're not gonna get shot at if you fly by. Fly by and make sure our boat friend is doing okay up there?"
She takes a pictures of the dead pirate with her phone, looking to the others,
"Uh yeah, Vandal. We should bounce. I'd say sorry about your boss but we already kinda discussed the whole not-your-boss anymore."
No.737507
>>737503>>737506"Don't mention it." he says to Areia, getting back up to all fours. He flicks his hardlight antlers off and looks over to Vandal, before saying "She'll live- arm needs better treatment than I've got, though."
No.737508
>>737504"Now you're speaking my language!" she calls out, sounding uncharacteristically enthusiastic about getting to apply her programming.
"Just… Give me a minute. I'm not the best with stairs. And I can't do ladders. …And this place is nothing but stairs and ladders. Point is, there's a reason I was programmed not to leave the infirmary.">>737505"Hm. Yeah, I don't know how much longer this place is gonna last. We should dip," says Chekhooves. shifting on the spot uneasily.
>>737506"Already one step ahead of you, kid," she replies.
"Just have that cube ready for me. That's all that matters."Chekhooves shrugs, trying not to look at the body. "He was an ass. Never much liked him."
>>737501>>737502>>737503>>737504>>737505One slow clunk at a time, a robot wheels up the stairs. She is a seven foot tall cylindrical unit, with a disc for a head possessing single cracked red photoreceptor and a bent antenna. Several spindly appendages are folded at irregular intervals across her midsection, while her "foot" consists of a wide base, with small wheels and a small hover booster. On the back of her head are sloppily painted the words "ORGANIC MECHANIC".
"Alright, show me the patient," Organic says sarcastically, wheeling over to Areia without waiting for anyone to actually do so.
"I don't have all my equipment with me, so try not to yell, yeah? This is going to hurt, but it's better than dying of shock, innit." She produces an appendage ending in a small spray can.
>>737505Frank's sensors begin to come back online properly. The pirates seem to be in the middle of an argument over what to do from here. From the looks of things, they're right outside. Shouldn't be hard to find them at all.
They pause, however, as a bulky six-finned cruiser ship flies overhead, scouring the Teeth. From here, it flies back and starts circling above the pirate hideout. Seems like evac's here.
No.737509
>>737508>>737507>>737506She was going to respond but the second she saw the medibot her good arm started reaching for her blade with a manic look in her eye "Oh no fucking way!" she barked.
She might need to be restrained or otherwise persuaded.
No.737510
>>737500>>737507>>737508"Yeah I'll pitch in half my cut of this job to getting it fixed up. Already kinda promised half to Chekhooves here but it'll be fine, this was just our paws in the door anyways."
Vandal looks uncomfortable, skating in a circle,
>>737508>>737509"She's cauterized, what are you doing bot?"
No.737511
>>737508"Oh, hey!" Frank says. "I'm right outside! Can you see me?"
"No, Frank. Still iside the sinking steel tomb." Gigi says, walking over to the captain to pat him down for anything good. "If you're still out there then hang tight. It shouldn't be much longer. Just keep quiet and let them argu-"
"Push them all into the water and take the boat?" Frank asks.
"No, don't do
anything"
"I think I should take them from behind while they're distracted with the giant cruiser." Revving himself up, he makes an attempt to try and move enpough to run the one who tazed him over.
[1d10]Taking back control of his body and also this boat
Gigi looks around at everyone. "Uh, I think your guy is here, and I
really need to go stop Frank from fucking himself over too hard. I'll be on a boat. We can talk then."
Instead of waiting around like everyone else, Gigi bolts, looking for a way out.
[1d10]navigation
[1d10+2] Looting captain
Roll #1 9 = 9 /
Roll #2 2 = 2 /
Roll #3 4 + 2 = 6 No.737513
>>737508>>737509Fir blinks in surprise, looking over Organic to gauge exactly what it is. After some hesitation, he says "Might be best to avoid doing anything until she's calmed down. But… the sooner the better. Your arm's pretty badly hurt, Areia."
No.737514
>>737513It's a robot, why would I let one of those…. soulless things touch me?"
No.737516
>>737508>>737514"At least it's got a sense of humor." Gale remarks. "Look I didn't really trust it either, but we have to leave, and you need your arm reattached."
No.737517
>>737516"It's still attached it's more… almost in half." she said a bit weakly "I… do you trust it not to hurt me?"
No.737518
>>737517"I trust it to put your arm back together, that's about it."
No.737519
>>737514>>737517"It won't hurt you. If it does, I'll take care of it. Just… relax." he says, in a softer-than-usual tone.
No.737520
>>737518>>737519She grit her teeth and sighed as she really really didn't want to move more than she needed to "Fine, let it at me."
No.737521
>>737509"Uh, yes fucking way, love," Organic retorts condescendingly.
"Unless you're actually looking to die, in which case there are much better ways to go about committing suicide. Like an exit mask. Do you need an exit mask?" A bag pops out of one of her compartments.
>>737510"Making a smoothie," she says sarcastically.
>>737511He doesn't seem to have had much on his person, but the blunderbuss seems a powerful, if unstable weapon. Looks like a custom job. His arm might be worth something too, if only it weren't attached to him.
You head up the stairwell onto the roof. You can see that the base is much, much lower than it was before, and it's only going to get lower as it keeps taking water. Above, the cruiser Frank saw is idling a good few feet above the ground. Whoever's inside sees you, and the underside opens, revealing a green unicorn with a blue robot eye. She frowns, not knowing who you are. She reaches for a blaster by her side.
Frank slaps the taser pirate off the skipper for a second time. The other two turn their attention to him, trying to restrain him from escaping!
[2d10]
>>737513Organic appears to be a medic robot, but not like any you've seen before. Must be a custom job the pirates put together.
>>737516Her head spins 180 and gives you a withering look. Somehow.
"'It.' Very funny. I'm as alive as any of you, thank you very much. You'd do well to remember that next time your guts are hanging out.">>737513>>737514>>737510>>737516Organic begins to spray Areia's wound with a colorless mist. Whatever it is, it seems to help; the pain subsides to a dull, ignorable throb, and Areia feels herself calming down almost completely. The wound is healed, at least as best as Organic can on limited time. She sticks a comically small, colorful bandaid on it.
"There. You're fucking welcome." She retracts the appendage.
"Now, are we getting out of here or what? This place is going to collapse any minute now, and you'll be the lucky ones if it comes to that. You'll die. I won't." She jabs a needle appendage at the stairwell.
"And someone give me a boost. I hate stairs!">Areia heals 1 woundRoll #1 3, 1 = 4 No.737522
>>737521>>737511>>737520"Any other pickups we need to make before we leave? The, uh, Frank?" he asks, loading Areia back on to his back once the robot's finished working on her. He nods a bit to the robot, and begins to head for the exit.
>Do I need to roll Navigation? No.737523
>>737521>>737522Give it time robot, I don't need many reasons to make a fresh pile of scrap." she muttered as she just clung to Fir for now.
No.737524
>>737521Gigi raises her hands. "Allies!" She shouts. "I'm not with the pirates! The others are still inside trying to patch the dragon up. She's hurt pretty bad." She glances over to try to find where Frank is. "Some of them have one of my friends, so, uh… can I go help him without you blasting me in the back?"
Frank blasts a static filled, overcompressed rendition of Ride of Valkyries as he spins in place, trying to headbut [the one that rolled a 3] and hoping to catch the other with his momentum.
[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.737525
>>737521>>737522"We're good, we got the loot I got a pic of the dead bounty we're more than fine. Let's get our asses out of here."
Vandal says, waiting for the others and pulling up the rear instead of rushing ahead.
No.737526
>>737521"Sorry. We didn't get the best of introductions." He says towards Organic.
>>737522"You all have a plan? Heard that the fisherpony ditched us."
No.737527
>>737526>>737525>>737523"Green's coming to pick us up. We'll check on the fisherman on our way out."
No.737528
>>737523"What is your major malfunction?" she says indignantly.
"I just saved your life. Why is it so hard to get a thank you from you people! These pirate pricks are the same. I spend all day tending their boo-boos and installing new bits and bobs, and what do I get? Captain's the only one that showed even a bit of fucking gratitude.">>737522The pony doesn't seem to trust you much, but stays her hand, continuing to watch and wait for the others.
Frank headbutts one, bowling him into the other, knocking them both on their butts. He takes advantage of it to jump to the nearby sinking base, where both he and you can see each other now. You're on higher ground than him.
>>737522>>737523>>737525>>737526You head up the stairwell and up to the roof. Organic complains every step of the way. Eventually, you get to the rooftop, where Gigi is. You can see Green in the party boat. She's currently standing in the open loading ramp, the ship idling a few feet off the ground. She waves you over and reaches out. "The cube!" she calls. "Show me the cube!"
No.737529
>>737526"More he got chased away by a patrol boat." she said with a groan as she tried to move as little as possible.
>>737528"It's not personal. I just really, really, really hate robots." she said bluntly "But thanks you whiny sack of scrap. Now kindly get over yourself." she said as she climbed off and moved to get onto the ship on her own two feet.
No.737530
>>737528>>737525"Vandal- you've got it, right?" he asks, looking to Vandal once Green's in sight.
"Did you see the fisherpony, by chance? We've got a couple extra we're bringing along, as well." he says, gesturing to Chekhooves and Gigi.
No.737531
>>737528>>737530"I'm not pulling it out and accidently dropping it the ocean, let's get on board first- Right, did you see our skipper?"
No.737532
>>737528"Oh shit, I forgot we were there to get something." He says geniunely. "Ah well at least I made us a new friend." He says, gesturing at Organic and flying up onto the ship.
No.737533
>>737528"Oh, thank fuck," Gigi says as she sees Frank. "Dang. You're not even banged up
that bad."
"You should see the other guys!" Frank says. "They're right behind me. Well, two of them are right behind me. One of them is in the water."
Gigi blinks. "Damn, dude. That kinda makes me wish I'd brought you inside with me. I didn't manage to pull a whole hell of a lot. The captain had some cyberware but I didn't have enough time to sit and take it off. Probably could've made some decent cash on that. Really wish I had, but I thought you were about to eat shit, so I rushed out here."
"Awe, you
do care, Macaroni and Gs."
Gigi deadpans. "Alright, that was pretty fuckin bad, even by your standards."
"Eh. They can't all be gems, G-dawg."
>>737530>>737532>>737531"Wait, I'm supposed to be going with you guys?" She supposed she didn't have any way of proving she contributed to the bounty, so it made sense.
"What about the boat?" Frank asks.
Gigi shrugs. "What about the boat?"
"It'd be rude not to return it."
Gigi just glances from the boat to the sinking base and back to Frank. "Yeah, I think I have more important shit to worry about right now. Like how the hell I'm supposed to get off this rock with basically no extra cash. I'll just figure out who I borrowed it from and send him an anonymous tip that some pirates stole it. Maybe drop the cords or some shit."
No.737534
>>737533"You don't need to come with us- feel free to return your boat, if you want."
No.737535
>>737533"We got an extra bedroom on the ship. Feel free to hop on and join us." she said as she looked ready to take off onto the ship.
No.737536
>>737529"Sounds like you have some real issues that you could work through and eventually overcome with proper help. But I'm not a psychologist robot. Now let's get out of here, yeah?">>737530>>737531"Did a few laps, didn't see anyone," she calls. "Come on, let's get out of here before something else blows up."
>>737529>>737530>>737531>>737532>>737533Green seems almost to hesitate for a moment, but she lets you up one at a time, shutting the loading ramp. "Guess introductions are in order," she says to the newcomers. "I'm Fiddler's Green, but you can call me Green. Don't know who you, you, or you are."
"Organic," says Organic.
"I don't even know how I got here, I was following this idiot." She points at Gale.
"Yeah, I kind of got roped into this. Somehow. I'm Chekhooves. Not really sure what I'm doing here either, but I think it worked out? Kind of?"
"Yeah, well, we'll see about that." She notices Areia's wound and grimaces, but doesn't comment, focusing solely on Vandal. "The cube?" she insists.
No.737537
>pausing
No.737538
>>737536"I was just here to scrap some shit before realizing the ships were all picked through," Gigi says. She opens Frank's chest chassis and pulls out some bungee cables she connects to his back, and then around her waist. "So yeah. Outta cash and outta luck right now. I can use a room and a job, at least for a bit." Taking a deep breath, she flaps her wings, struggling a little to carry Frank into the air. "Giselle Goldenheart," she adds. "You can call me Gigi." She gestures down at the crude, boxy, very vaguely pony shaped robot tied to her. "This is Frank."
No.737969
>>737536"Before what blows up? We're above the water, we can stay a distance away while we skim the area for a bit. Who knows if some salvage'll float up while we wait" Vandal seems unimpressed, "We're not pressed for time, mission complete."
Vandal fetches the puzzle box from her backpack, holding it in two paws and restraining the urge not to try playing with it, "It's here. We got pics of the dead captain too, so can cash in a bounty too. Chekhooves helped get me to cube in the first place, so I promised him a ride off the planet - we've got the beds for it."
No.737970
>>737968>Ignore that>>737536"Fair enough. We might want to check on the way back- his boat should be pretty recognizable, I'd think." he says, before looking to Vandal. "You tried getting ahold of him?"
No.737971
>>737536After being mentioned by Organic, Gale winks. "Yeah, was a bit of a situation, I had a way out but robot decided to turncoat us out of there." After this, he walks closer to Green and whispers, hopefully out of Organic's range "And that's why I don't trust them one bit. But we'll see."
No.737972
>>737536The dragon remained sluggish and just leaned on her companions for now as she looked to Chekhooves "You can bum my room for now, pretty sure I'm not gonna be able to lay in there comfortably right now." she muttered just exhausted and mentally frazzled at letting a robot touch her willingly.
No.737973
>>737538"Gigi. Frank. Hi." She doesn't seem too interested in hearing your backstory, more vaguely irritated at having more people on board.
>>737969For a minute you think she's going to snatch it out of your hand, but then she nods. "Good, good. Should be able to add a little extra for him. I did some research while you guy were away. That guy, "Handsome" Harras Hale, he's got the death sentence on Nerub. Worth 500 alone. 150 for any of his crewmen." She shoots a glance at the newcomers. Chekhooves puts his hooves up defensively. "I'm just the janitor."
"And I was the ship AI before they repurposed me. Try anything and I'll break your legs." >>737971Green glances over at Organic. "Real charmer you've got there," she whispers back. "Long as she doesn't try to murder us in our sleep, I think we'll be fine."
"You know my audioreceptors are enhanced, right." She gives you both a judgmental glance.
"I'm hardcorded to not use lethal force. Unfortunately. Hopefully I'll be able to find a smith to change that.">>737972"Oh, thanks. 'ppreciated." He shuffles off to see which rooms haven't been claimed.
"Ugh, get over it you overgrown gecko. Next time I'll just let you die so I don't have to hear it.">>737972>>737971>>737970>>737969>>737538"Suppose Fir's right," Green shrugs. "I'll get the ship in gear and start circling to try and find this guy of yours. Holler if you see anything." She heads up to the cockpit, and after a bit the ship starts circling the Teeth. The loading ramp is open to allow a better view of the sea, with a safety forcefield having shot up in the opening to prevent anyone from falling out. From this vantage point, it shouldn't be hard to spot him if you see him.
>roll Perception No.737974
>>737973"Keep it up and I swear to god your AI chip will be in my personal fucking vibrator you overgrown toaster." she grimaced before slowly dragging herself to look out a viewport.
[1d10] perception
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.737975
>>737973Fir tries to keep his eyes peeled as they circle around. "Won't take long, I think. A few passes should be fine…"
>Perception [1d10]Roll #1 8 = 8 No.737976
>>737973"It's a bit morbid, but snap a picture if you see any bodies float up from the ship - any unique pirate you see down there is a bonus paycheck."
Vandal watches outsides, for bodies of enemies and friends, but hopes not to see the later.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.737977
>>737973"Don't take it personally, I don't trust anyone." He says toward Organic.
He searches for the fisherman with the rest
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.737978
>>737976"I mean we can probably just point to the smoldering wreckage of their base and get a decent payday along with the picture of the captain."
No.737979
>>737973Not really totally sure what she should be doing, Gigi awkwardly stands a bit behind everyone else. Frank, on the other hand, excitedly rushes up to everyone and introduces himself in a static filled, poor quality, but still incredibly chipper sounding voice.
>>737974"Hi! I'm Frank! I'm Gigi's best friend! Wow. You're big. How tall are you? I haven't seen a dragon in a long time. What's your element? You a tea or a coffee kinda gal?" Before giving her a chance to answer, he rushes over to the next member.
>>737975"Hi! I'm Frank! I'm Gigi's best friend! Neat armor! You're really big too. Not as big as the dragon, though. You think you could take her?" Spinning around, he continues down the line.
>>737976"Hi, I'm Frank! Gigi's best friend. You're not as big as the other two. I like your clothes! You strike me as an artist. What do you do? Paint? Sculpt? Weave? Interpritive dance? A big fan of the performance arts, myself." Finally, he moves to Gale.
>>737977"Hi! I'm Frank! Gigi's best friend! Ooooh, another griffin. I bet you're just like giggles. Rough and tumble on the outside, but a real sweetheart. Neat feathers. Do you dye them or are they natural? Rocking the au naturel look, too. Respect."
No.737980
>>737978"That place was wreckage, crew could've mutanied, sunk it themselves, and cashed for every person in on the job. Sorry A."
No.737981
>>737979>NameGigi just quietly shuffles in the back, feeling more and more awkward the more Frank talks.
No.737982
>>737981She looked at Gigi "Does he have an off switch?"
>>737980The fact we went out and things went to shit makes things a bit too convenient for that to be the case Whiskers."
No.737983
>>737979"I was the one Gigi there was chatting with first, I held her up with a spray can. I like doing murals, but when I don't have the time I tag." Vandal says to the energetic robot, "Name's Vandal, by the way."
>>737982 "I'm the optimist, but which do you think the people giving out the money'll think first." Vandal shrugs, " All I'm saying is, if they have an excuse not to pay, they will. I'll snap a few pictures if I can just to play it safe."
No.737984
>>737982Gigi blushes, clears her throat, and looks away. "Not technically? He's useful, so I don't really shut him off. You get used to him… eventually."
"Hey! I'm just trying to be polite," Frank says. "I read that it's important to make direct, but casual introductions with new friends to make a positive first impression and kindle a new relationship. I'm guessing coffee."
No.737985
>>737983"Fair enough. Guess thats why your the brains to my brawn."
>>737984"I just… I wanna break you. You are my worst nightmare personified." she said to Frank. "You're a robot I can't smash because I actually like the owner and would hate to upset her."
No.737986
>>737985Vandal snorts, tail swishing, "Don't be a dork."
No.737987
>>737979Fir cocks an eyebrow at Frank, before looking to Gigi. Deciding not to make the griffon feel anymore awkward than they already do, he looks back to the robot and shrugs a bit. "Dunno. Maybe."
No.737988
>>737983"Oooh, Vandal. I like it. Murals are really nice. If you're gonna do something why not do it big, right? Can I see some of your art? Oh! Have you painted any in the ship? Or maybe
on the ship. A giant mural on the outside would be really neat."
>>737985"I'm sure you won't feel that way forever. Is it just because I'm a robot? Because if that's the only reason just pretend I'm not! I'm sure we'll be best buds by the end of the week."
>>737987"I think it'd be pretty close. What's your job? Looking at you seems like it could go either way between "smashing skulls" and "electronic maintenance". I used to be in maintenance, you know. It's a neat and incredibly important-"
Finally Gigi awkwardly shuffles over to try to herd the tiny robot away. "Alright, Frank. We should really save this for later. They're busy right now."
No.737989
>>737988"If we owned it, maybe. Think I'll doodle something in a corner they won't look over though, do some pencilwork or something."
No.737990
>>737988"Smashing skulls, and preventing skulls from being smashed. Not much of a techie aside from that."
>>737988"Didn't expect such a… vocal, robot. Peculiar, to say the least."
No.737991
>>737974"Pft. And you tell ME
to get over myself. That's rich.">>737979"Uh, hi," says Chekhooves, looking as awkward as you right now. Organic watches with slight revulsion as Frank introduces himself like an excited puppy.
"Is he meant to be like this, or…?">>737974>>737975>>737976>>737977>>737979After a few circles, you spot the skipper you came on, stranded on one of the rocks. You can see Undertow (a stout earth pony with a large beard) in it face up, but it's not clear from up above if he's alive or not. Next to his skipper is a pirate one with a couple of smoking corpses in it.
No.737992
>>737991"I'm going to end you and do that now. I swear to god I will because its the only thing that is keeping me from hurting you." she said though a bit of the anger had faded.
Perhaps she liked the banter on some level.
"Damn, old guy got a body count of his own." she said impressed as she looked down at him.
No.737993
>>737991"What are you waiting for, get us down there. Could be bleeding out in these missed seconds." Vandal says, guilt in her voice.
No.737994
>>737991>>737990"Uh, yeah…" Gigi says. "It's his AI. Without going into too much detail, he gets really excitable. Especially when meeting new people."
Frank locks his sights on Organic, who clearly isn't busy like everybody else is. "Hi! I'm Frank! Gigi-"
"Everyone heard that part already, Frank."
"Yeah," Frank replies without looking back. "But repeating it makes it more personal. I'm Frank," he repeats. "I saw you help dragon lady. A medbot? Where'd they get you from? Are you happy to be free? You're new here like I am! What are your interests and hobbies? How old are you? Do you have any specializations in psychology? How strongly do you feel about Sullivan's interpersonal theory?"
No.737995
>>737979"Sw-" He nearly interjects before he stops himself. " I don't dye them." He asserts, then adding "Least not yet."
>>737991"I'm betting at least something is dead down there."
No.737996
>>737994"I see." the elk says, deciding to leave it at that for now.
>>737993>>737991"Let's swing by and check it out. We'll want to bring him back, either way." he says, readying some medicinal syringes.
>Distill Life [1d10]Roll #1 8 = 8 No.737997
>>737992"No it's not. Even if you were to try, your left arm is crippled, and your heart rate is dangerously high. Not to mention your general weakened state due to physical trauma, and the lingering effects of shock. I'd kick your ass.">>737993"He's not. I'm not detecting any blood from up here.">>737994"I might have to take Areia up on the offer of dismantling me," she deadpans. Nevertheless, she answers his questions rapid fire.
"Yes, a medbot. The pirate hideout. No. Yes. I'm not allowed to. I've been active for eight years. No. Never heard of it.">>737995"You think?" Organic comments, dripping with sarcasm.
>>737996You produce three more syringes.
>>737993>>737992>>737994>>737995>>737996The Party Boat is flown down to sea level, coming near the skipper.
"Guess I'm needed," Organic comments, and trundles over to Undertow. Her photoreceptor lights up as she scans him.
"…Hm. He's not dead. Comatose though. And wounded. What do you want to do with him? Should we feed him to the gris-sharks? It's spawning season this time of year.""…Why would we do that?" Chekhooves asks, sounding a bit mortified.
"Isn't he one of the pirates? Or am I misinterpreting the situation? I swear I've seen him around before." No.737998
>>737997>>737997"I'm not gonna fight you as is. I wanna break you with both hands." she said before taking a sharp inhale as she forced herself onto both feet.
"And no, he brought us to the ship. He's just a fisherman I think." she added with a groan of mild discomfort.
No.737999
>>737997"He's a friend of the cat. He got us here, so I suppose we gotta get him back." Gale surveys the wreckage. "Put up a hell of a fight. Hope none of those pirates stand up." He says, keeping his distance from the corpses.
No.738000
>>737997Fir steps off and stops next to Undertow, before humming a little and pulling out the syringes. "No, this one's with us. These might help, a little."
No.738001
>>737997Seeing everyone busy, Gigi just hangs back and keeps Frank out of the way for now. "Don't think I forgot that you were about to give my Florin Credit ID to a shady sex hotline."
"It wasn't a sex hotline," Frank assures her. "It was a 'línea directa de chat para adultos'. For mature conversations. I've spoken to Siñoria Sauvignon Blanc several times, and she's a fine mare. I was bored! I was shut off, and you told me not to talk to anyone online until you got back. I had to improvise."
Gigi drags her claw down her face. "Fine," she says. "You can go online. Just no. Spending. Money. I don't care how much you need a new trampoline, it won't fit in the apartment and we can't afford it."
Frank sags in dejection, but mumbles a quiet, "Okay…"
No.738002
>>737999>>737997>>737998"The dude didn't even charge us for this trip, he's a retired spacer himself. He came here to get away from this lifestyle, not gonna let him die just cause he came out of retirement for us."
No.738003
>>737997Despite her body screaming at her, Areia did her best to try and help him.
[1d10-1] Strength
Roll #1 9 - 1 = 8 No.738004
>>738003Fir waits patiently, in case Areia needs any help with the body.
No.738006
>>738001"Think you know how to tinker with boats by the way? I'd hate to have the guy lose the thing making him money cause he did a favor for us. Maybe Frank can captain the thing back to shore."
No.738007
>>737998"I think I could take you anyway. Had worse from better.">>737998>>737999>>738000>>738001>>738002>>738003"If it puts you at ease," she says,
"the other ones are dead. Blasted right in the chest." She turns one over to show.
"All in the same spot too. Old fart has good aim."Fir gives him a healing injection.
"Didn't do much," says Organic,
"but he's stable at least." Areia manages to hoist him up and bring him back on board safely.
Once that's done, Green pokes her head out of the cockpit. "So, where to now then? Back to the village? Or should we turn in for the night?"
No.738008
>>738006"I mean that was pretty much his entire purpose when I picked him up. I'm sure he could-"
Frank rushes over and looks straight up and Vandal. "I'll do it. For Mr.Undertow. Anyone wanna come with? Not sure how banged up the boat is. You'll definitely make it to shore before me."
No.738009
>>738007https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf_luOSqOtQAreia let out something akin to a war cry as the pain and pride surged through her at the same time. SHe could do this even with an arm she felt was gonna slip off her entire frame soon.
"Oh shut up and learn some pillow talk aready claptrap." she said as she walked Undertow in and set him on a bed before just falling back and laying there.
No.738010
>>738007>>738008"I could go either way- bringing the boat back'll be important."
No.738011
>>738007"Woulda chose headshots. Never know what part of these bastards are 'augs anyways." He says, mockingly finger gunning towards the corpses. Responding to Green he continues "Turn in, I want the local's opinion on all this." He says.
No.738012
>>738008>>738010"Well, if we're splitting up anyway I have a skipper I borrowed that I should probably return too. I don't mind doing that alone, though. Did you leave it close by, Frank?"
"As long as the pirates didn't destroy it, then it should be-" He points in the direction of the boat. "That way."
Gigi nods. "Alright. Guess I'll catch you guys at port?"
No.738013
>>738012"Mm. If you're returning that one, I'll take care of Undertow's boat. I can pilot it… probably." he says, somewhat uncertain.
No.738014
>>738007>>738012>>738008>>738013"I mean, I could stick around just to make sure it got back in one piece. Just in case you need an extra set of paws."
>>738009Vandal looks to Aeria, handing her the puzzlebox. "So it's with the main crew while we're bringing the ship back."
No.738015
>>738014"Could be good, honestly. Not… really sure what I'm doing with a boat."
No.738016
>>738009"Is that an admission of some repressed feelings?" she teases. As she sees you in pain, a little slot opens with a syringe for you.
"Here. It's morphine. You need it.">>738011"Chest is a bigger target," she points out.
"They didn't die from it. They drowned.">>738013>>738012"Hold on," says Chekhooves. "You'll need someone to help you out of this place. You know how much of a maze the Teeth are. I know some routes, and I've helped pilot skippers before. I should come with you and lead the way out." He steps forward to join Fir on Undertow's skipper.
>>738009>>738012>>738008>>738013>>738014"Good idea," Green nods to Vandal. "So Gigi, Frank, Vandal, Fir and Chekhooves take the boats, and Areia, Gale, the bot and I will fly in and meet you on the beach. That the plan?"
"The bot has a name," says Organic, sounding genuinely offended.
"Whatever."
No.738017
>>738016"Sounds right. See you at the beach, Green." he says, stepping on to Undertow's skipper and fiddling with the controls to adjust them to someone a little larger, if possible.
No.738018
>>738014>>738016She gave a thumbs up and pocketed the cube and slowly held her arm out for the bot as she really needed something to take the edge off right now. She just laid there panting as she couldn't find the words or energy to get our a snappy reply for the robot.
No.738019
>>738016"Alright! Boat buddies!" Frank exclaims. "Let's heckin gooo!" He drops onto Undertow's boat and starts looking around for issues.
[1d10]
Gigi jumps into the air. "You guys take the lead. I'll follow you."
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.738020
>>738018"Take some time to recover, you've got time to now." Vandal returns the thumbs up, joining the others to head off on the skipper.
>>738016Taking a few photos of the dead pirates with her smart device, she chills out by the ocean, looking over to Chekhooves. "Hell of a day huh?"
No.738021
>>738016"How're you two gonna fly without wi-" He stops himself and sighs. "Let's just get going."
No.738022
>>738020"Rodger… dodger."
No.738024
>>738018Organic gives you the morphine injection. The flare of burning pain begins to ebb, and you feel much better, and more relaxed.
"Easy, dragon. You should've left the heavy lifting to the stag back there. Try and get some rest. Only so much I can do. I'm not having you die on me. Never lost a patient before, and I'm not letting it happen today." You get the feeling she does care, despite her crabby attitude.
>>738020"Hell of a day," he echoes with a heavy sigh. The events of the day seem to have taken their toll on him.
>>738017>>738018>>738019>>738020>>738021"See you on the other side," says Green, and the ship flies off, leaving the rest of the group to make their way by sea.
>>738019>>738023>>738023Fir and Frank manage to reconfigure the controls of the skipper to better suit the stag. "Alright, let's get a move on," says Chekhooves, straining his eyes to see in the moonlight. "Should be, uh, this way…"
>roll Navigation, +3 due to Chekhooves>>738018>>738021Green seems to have put the ship on autopilot for now; it begins to fly back towards the island as she comes down to check on the others. "How's the arm?" she asks Areia. Organic backs away from her, looking suspicious for some reason. For the first time, the robot is silent.
No.738025
>>738024Areai had remained on the floor near Undertow because morphine was a hell of a drug and she was mentally swimming a bit as she slowly turned her gaze to the mare.
"Well aside from almost losing my arm I can't complain too much." she said with a small laugh as she looked to the ceiling "May make a charge for some hazard pay or something she added with another small laugh as she seemed content to just lay on the ground.
"Just between you and me though, I think this robot has the hots for me or something, shes so tsundere its cute~." she said as that inner nerd was really coming out "I'm not really into robots too much but I dunno. I could ship us~." she added as she just let the dam go a bit more "Or maybe her and Fred."
No.738026
>>738024Gigi finds the skipper she stole and lands. "Alright," she tells Frank over their com. "Ready when you guys are."
[1d10+3]Frank
[1d10+3]Gigi if applicable
>>738020"You guys should totally add us to your com link! We'll need to keep in contact if we're gonna be pals, especially since Gigi sorta goes off on her little sneak missions alone a bunch."
Roll #1 7 + 3 = 10 /
Roll #2 9 + 3 = 12 No.738027
>>738024Gale sits in the ship, fiddling with his transmitter until Areia speaks up.
>>738025"…I don't know what any of those words meant, and I don't need to." He says, confused as he could be.
No.738028
>>738026Oh yeah, sure thing." Vandal passes off her contact information, "Way better having friends than making enemies."
>>738024Vandal pats Chekhooves back, but quickly brings her paw back if he looks uncomfortable, "Speaking of, got a commlink of your own?"
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 9 + 3 = 12 No.738029
>>738024>>738026"We can do that, I think. Were the two of you coming along, or just for this?" He says as he settles into the seat, and tries to figure out how to work it.
>Navigation? [1d10+3]Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 No.738030
>>738028"Wooh! Yo, Gigi, I got Vandal's com info. I'm gonna link us up." Frank puts her info into thier com and Gigi tests it out.
"Yo," Gigi says. "Am I coming through?"
>>738029"Gigi says she wants to stick around for a little bit because we got shafted on faulty info. This was supposed to be the motherlode of a haul but we didn't get anything at all besides this sweet shotgun!" Frank picks up the shotgun and in the process flags Fir with the barrel.
No.738031
>>738030Vandal rolls her eyes, "
Sounds fine on my end."
No.738032
>>738025>>738027"I can hear you," Organic comments from off screen.
Green smirks and takes another step forward. "Really? That's great." You get the impression she wasn't really lis-
It takes a moment to process what happens next. You hear a blaster go off, and feel a dull impact on your left side. You smell burning. You're vaguely aware that it's coming from you. Looking down, you see a charred hole in your side, and Green holding a smoking blaster. Your ears are ringing, and your vision blurs. You're dimly aware of her rifling through your pocket with telekinesis, eventually grabbing the box.
"Sorry," you hear her say. "I told you, there's no strings attached in this line of business. I can't risk splitting the bill with the rest of this lot, especially with all the new faces on board."
Organic trundles over.
"Oi! That's my pati-"Another blast shuts her up. You hear Green run off to the cockpit, leaving you to waste away.
>Areia is at 0/1>>738027You sit in your room. Everything seems to be going just fine, until you hear two blaster shots ring out from below, where Areia is. No response from Green on the commlink either.
No.738033
>>738030Fir lightly shoves the barrel down as it's pointed at him, letting out a soft huff. "I see… shouldn't be too much more. At the least, we can get you back to the station."
No.738034
>>738032>>738031>>738029>>738027She felt the air in her lungs rush out as she felt herself barely conscious through the sudden blaster shot and the morphine.
She moved as fast as her form could to hit her comm
Green… is trying to kill me… she weakly commed to Vandal and the rest as she laid there and held her wound and laid there not daring to make it worse for herself.
She figured Green might try and kill her but best to spread the word so they might get the bitch for the deed.
No.738035
>>738028He shakes his head. "Looked in the trove, but couldn't find one. Hopefully I'll be able to grab one once we get off this rock."
>>738026>>738028>>738029With Chekhooves' guidance, you manage to make your way out of the Teeth and into open waters. You see the ship fly overhead towards the mainland. Seems you have your heading, for now. Gigi manages to pilot the Skipper to go alongside them.
"So," says Chekhooves, trying to make conversation. "You guys are Guild spacers, right? Which one are you with? …Y-you're not Yellow Hand, are you?" He looks a bit apprehensive.
No.738036
>>738032"Oh great, Areia managed to get herself hurt again." Gale stands up, and starts to head downstairs when he hears
>>738034"Fuck." Gale says out loud. He speaks into the comm. "Coming."
Gale starts to rush towards Areia's location, while casting a clone to start heading towards the cockpit.
Summon Clone [1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.738037
>>738034>>738036Fir blinks, and flicks his ears a couple of times before responding over the comms (sans Green) with "Try to ground the ship. We'll find you."
No.738039
>>738036You head towards Areia. She looks to be on death's door, bearing a smoking black wound from a point blank shot to the gut. Nearby is Organic, her head blown clean off by the second shot. She seems to still be functional, albeit barely.
Your summoned clone heads to the cockpit, where Green is hurriedly redirecting the ship's coordinates to blast off into space. She looks behind her, spotting it, and quickly moves to close the doors to the cockpit and seal herself in. The doors are closing fast, but if your clone is quick enough it could make it…
>>738036>>738034A tray pops open on Organic with a tiny spray can, similar to what she used before to heal Areia; then, her limbs go limp.
No.738040
>>738035>>738034"Gggahh Fuck. FUCK." Vandal hisses as she looks up at the ship, "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck all of the fucking winged folk are already up there." Vandal swings a claw at the side of the ship, scraping metal before she pulls back her claw remember the boat's Undertow's.
No.738041
>>738037"I have a few new holes in my side. I can't really move…" she wheezed as she stared at the ceiling barely conscious.
>>738038"If you wanna try be my guest.">>738040"I'll probably be good Whsikers." she said trying to calm her but she didn't mean it too much.>>738039"I could use some help… and maybe some new armor at this point…" she said trying to keep a brave face but she was legitimately terrified of Dying right now.
No.738042
>>738040"Uh… I'll take that as a yes." After anchoring the skipper, Gigi shoots into the air and darts after the ship.
No.738043
>>738041"Wasn't for you. Don't push yourself any."
No.738044
>>738037"Ship won't be the only thing going in the ground." He says vaguely.
>>738040"She's clever, I'll give her that."
No.738045
>>738040Fir sets a hoof on Vandal's shoulder, letting out an annoyed huff of his own. "It'll be fine. We just wait, and get ready."
No.738046
>>738037>>738038>>738040"Wh-what? What's going on?" Chekhooves looks confused and fearful all of a sudden.
>>738042You fly up; the ship seems to have come to a midair halt as the course is corrected. You manage to catch up with it, but if it starts moving there's basically no chance you'll be able to keep up with it. There doesn't seem to be much of a way in you can see, at least not on initial glance.
No.738047
>>738041>>738044Meant to ask Gale for help not Organic since she's not really… available.))
No.738048
>paused
No.738759
>Force Redirection: 0/4>>738758>Fuck>>738046"Doublecross. We need to get up and help, or wait for someone to ground it." he says, trying to ready some syringes- for now, it's all he can do.
>Distill Life [1d10]Roll #1 3 = 3 No.738760
>>738046Areia just remains quietly laying on the ground and tries to keep herself composed despite the smoking wound in her side.
No.738761
>>738046"Shit," Gigi mumbles. "Hey, I'll look around but I'm not sure of a way in that won't damage the ship. Any of you have any idea?" She slows and lands on top of the ship before it takes off. "Quickly. Don't think I can keep up if it gets moving again."
[1d10]Perception
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 /
Roll #2 6 = 6 No.738762
>>738045Vandal reflexively shudders, hairs on end, "We can't do shit now, not like the fuckin boat can fly."
>>738046"That mare Green couldn't go one mission together with this group without backstabbing us. You wanna know who's
really Yellow Hand? Probably that bitch."
No.738763
>>738039Gale quickly kneels next to Areia, looking over her wounds. "Hey O, can you hear me? Look she's hurting bad. Any chance you can talk me through this?" He says, hopeful the robot is still functioning.
As he does, his clone attempts to dash into the cockpit room with Green. Shouting: "You crossed the wrong griffon!"
>>738040"You've still got one of my Holograms, right? Turn it on. I'll get the clone up in the sky and see if I can freak Green out." He says, trying to keep it together.
No.738764
>>738762"One of the others can ground the ship, then we'll get on. Just wait, and get ready."
No.738765
>>738763forgot the roll
Clone dashing in [1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.738766
>>738763"
Ship's way too out of reach for wings, but fuck it whatever." Vandal says, tossing the thing out onto the floor of the ship and activating it.
No.738767
>>738759Your suit dispenses three more syringes.
>>738761You circle the perimeter and size up the ship real quick. Doesn't seem like there'd be a way in without damaging the hull. You could try busting the cockpit open to get directly to Green, but that'd cause issues down the line when you leave the planet. …If you leave the planet. Luckily, there's other options. Both the airlock and the escape pod look like you could unlock them with a bit of finagling, but that could also prove a problem down the line, especially if you end up launching the pod.
>>738762He grimaces and frets. "Gods. What are we gonna do? I mean, they're up there and we're down here… Maybe we could shoot the ship down? Ugh, no, bad idea. Hmm…"
>>738763Organic's completely shut down. The device she dispensed as a last ditch effort seems straightforward, though; it's not unlike an aerosol can Vandal would use, though instead of paint it contains some sort of magitek healing mist.
>>738765Your clone manages to dash in, distracting Green from putting the ship into motion. "Fucking…" She pulls out her blaster and fires a volley of shots carelessly at your clone. She doesn't seem to care about damaging the ship at this point.
>Rushed Shot: weapon, recharge 1; Fire your weapon quickly to make an opening. DC+1 to hit with this attack, but on hit, Rushed Shot counts as a free action.[1d10]
>>738766You activate the emitter. A perfect clone of Gale appears, and you feel a subconscious neural link form between you and the copy; effectively, you can control this clone however you wish. "Well that's… weird," Chekhooves comments.
>>738766>>738759You notice something is beginning to disturb the ocean; it's as if something underwater is shifting. The skipper is rocked by a wave or two.
>roll PerceptionRoll #1 6 = 6 No.738768
>>738766Gigi sighs and crawls along the hull to the escape pod. "Alright," she says, pulling a small magnetic EMP charge from her bangle. Sticking it to the outside of the escape pod lock, she primes it and slides back a little.
"So, uh, let's hope we don't need the escape pod for a while." [1d10]Sabotage
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738769
>>738767Fir looks around, letting out a somewhat unsettled hum. He'll try to look for… whatever it is that seems off right now.
>[1d10] PerceptionRoll #1 2 = 2 No.738770
>>738767Feeling the link with the emitter, Vandal shudders again, this time in disgust, "Ewggh, I'm linked up with a hologram of an asshole." Vandal quickly gets to work having the hologram extend it's hardlight wings and shoot towards the cockpit, intending on ensuring the ship can't leave if Green wants to be able to survive.
[1d10]
In the meantime, Vandal looks over the side of the ship, hissing, "Oh don't you fucking start, I don't need to deal with a kaiju or something as well."
>Hunter's Eye: automatic instant, once per combat; Your vision, smell and hearing are unparalleled. An enemy targeted by this skill cannot use Stealth, is removed from Stealth if already using it, and you gain a +1 bonus to all attacks against the target until the end of combat. You can also see in the dark without the need for a light source.
>Used on whatever's under the water so I can tell where it is.If noticed to be hostile, pulling out ranged weapon (Modified Fire Extinguisher: Energy Weapon, Ice, Ranged [Charges: 4])
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.738771
>>738767Gale reaches over for the can, almost dropping it in this stressful situation. Wordlessly, he sprays the contents over Areia's more burnt parts.
"Look…" The actual Gale says over comms. "If it comes down to it, shoot this thing out of the sky. I'll try to take Areia and Organic and make a jump for it. I'm not trying to be a hero, but I don't want this bitch to get away with this."
Meanwhile, the clone yells to Green. "Hey! Let's talk this out for a second. You're gonna get burned doing this the way you are." He says, hoping she listens to reason or at least just stops shooting him.
No.738772
>>738767>>738763Areia just looked over at Gale with a slight pleading in her eyes that he do something to help her.
No.738773
>>738767>>738770Frank turns and looks over the edge. "Oh, more fish? You should see these things. They're really neat!"
No.738774
>>738769>>738770Luckily, you seem to be out of the woods; at least, for the time being. What's disturbing the water isn't some ill-timed monster, but the pirate hideout shifting, beginning to sink under the waves. You hear the muffled groaning of metal twisting and buckling as the whole frigate the base is built into begins to sink. Chekhooves salutes the sinking warship grimly. "We, uh, we should probably move the skipper," he points out. "That's gonna cause some serious waves. Not to mention the whole thing might react badly and explode…"
>>738770You fly up towards the cockpit. You can see through to the other side; another Gale is talking to Green, her back turned to you. Seems you have the surprise advantage, at least.
>>738771>>738772Gale begins to heal Areia as best he can with Organic's parting gift. It seems to work; the wound closes, and the burning pain in Areia's side subsides. It won't fix the hole in the armor, nor will it completely heal the grievous wound, but it's enough to get Areia in somewhat of a good shape at least.
>Areia heals full hits and 1 wound>>738768You start tinkering with the lock, setting off a small EMP. It seems to have disabled power to that section of the ship, but not much else.
>>738771Your clone dodges the shots, and they hit the door behind you, leaving black scorch marks. Green shifts in place, her cybernetic eye glowing red. At first, she trains the blaster on you with telekinesis; then, she gets a second thought, grabbing the small wooden box that started this whole affair and pointing the blaster at it instead. She backs up. "I'm not sharing the spoils with anyone," she says firmly. "Why should I? Either I get all of it or no one gets anything. Capiche?"
You notice one of your clones fly past outside. Vandal's doing. A button starts flashing on the console, indicating a power loss in a section of the ship. Green backs up, glancing at it frantically, still keeping the gun pointed at the prize.
No.738775
>>738774Alright. Gigi nods and digs around, pulling out a small prybar. Probably a maglock. With the power off it shouldn't be too hard to break. She tries to find a good place to jimmy it in. If she sees one, she gives it a good, solid twist.
[1d10]
>>738770Frank looks up from the ship and a quiet whistle clip entirely unlike his voice plays. He robotic claw pops out of his chest and he copies Chechooves's salute. "Dang. Too bad about the ship we stole. That guy is gonna be so mad! Hope he didn't see us."
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.738776
>>738774>>738772"Feeling any better?" Gale says, still unsure what to say. "Sorry, I'm not good with situations like this. Not a doctor." He then looks over at Organic. "Hope theirs a personality chip or something we can loot from her. She was kinda funny, right" He says with a chuckle to try and lighten the mood. "If it comes down to it, do you think you could fly?" He asks.
Meanwhile, in the cockpit:
"You blow that box up and we have no reason not to kill you." The clone says, not a twinge of uncertainty in his voice. "You're outnumbered, outgunned, and by the looks of it, out of ideas. So let's just land this ship and sort this all out." He reaches for his own pistol. "Or if you'd like, I can kill you and steal the idea."
No.738777
>>738776"
What do you want me to do with this thing, blow a hole in the cockpit to spook her? Still glass seperating her and this clone."
No.738778
>>738774"Right- let's start this thing up and get it moving. Won't do to let everyone come back to a sunk ship." he says, nodding to Chekhooves. "You… said you could help drive it, right?"
No.738779
>>738777"Whatever you did, it seems like it's working." The real Gale says. "I'm just looking to distract her until I can either get Areia and O out of here or convince her to back down."
No.738780
>>738774>>738776She nodded "Not gonna blame you for poor bedside manner, though this is honestly the most pleasant you've been to me." she said as she slowly dragged herself over to the remains of Organic and tried to find her personality chip or anything worth salvaging.
No.738781
>>738779"
I haven't done shit Gale. You can add in a line about blowing the cockpit open and ensuring the ship isn't going anywhere."
>>738774>>738775"Hey robot, you're the one captaining this thing, less saluting, more getting us away from that ensuing tidal wave please."
Vandal has the clone thunk it's hardlight weapon against the viewing port of the cockpit, not intending on it being a proper attack but to threaten Green with the idea of having the cockpit be a lot less airtight.
No.738782
>>738780[1d10] Salvaging
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738783
>>738781Frank turns and salutes Vandal. "Yes sir!" Turning his attention back to the skipper, he shifts the speed higher to get away from the wave faster. An obvious solution
[1d10]Navigation/Race thr wave
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738784
>>738783Vandal cringes especially hard at Frank's reply, sulking off to a corner.
No.738785
>>738775You pull out a portable crowbar and manage to find a magnetic seal along the rim. While it's looser than it would be if the power were on, it'll still take a significant effort to break the seal. It comes a bit loose, but not enough to bust it open just yet.
"…You stole a ship?" Chekhooves parrots in slight disbelief.
>>738778"I can… I can try… I mean I was just a swab back with the pirates, not really a navigator. But I picked up the gist of it when I got patrol duty. Lemme see…"
>roll to try and commandeer the skipper, DC-2 due to Chekhooves helping>>738782You find her neural core, a complex component found in more advanced AI. It's not much more than a white sphere with two handles hooked up to her primary photoreceptor. The rest of her "brain" was mostly blown to slag by the shot.
>>738781>>738776The clone controlled by Vandal knocks on the glass, getting Green's attention. She jumps and glares back, her mind racing at what to do.
"Outnumbered, maybe. One out of three isn't so bad. I like those odds."
Her cybernetic eye begins to glow all of a sudden. Without further warning, a red hot beam fires from it right at the first Gale clone!
[1d10+2] Autocrit
>>738783>>738784>>738778Frank tries to take control of the skipper and steer it away from the rough waters, only to find it… temperamental. The boat rocks dramatically, threatening to capsize due to Frank's interference. "Shit!" Chekhooves grunts, clinging to the seat for dear life. "Don't tell me you're in cahoots with that bitch up there…!"
Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12 No.738786
>>738785>>738776She groaned and gently place it in her pack as she wobbled as she stood "I can probably fly but not too well. As is I kinda wanna grab Green and breath molten plasma down her windpipe." she said leaning on the wall.
She grabbed her blade "For now though lets just get the ship back."
No.738787
>>738785>Try to right the ship (DC -2) [1d10]"Let's just focus on keeping it steady, first." he says, grunting a little bit.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.738788
>>738785Gigi takes a deep breath, braces herself on the hull, and forces the crowbar forward with all her weight.
[1d10]
>>738785Frank stumbles, but keeps himself upright. "I'm just doing what I'm told!" Frank assures Chechooves. "It'll be fine. It'll be
minutes before anything really disasterous happens. And did I say stole? Gigi told me to say borrow, since we were gonna bring it back after hitting it big on the scrap from the ship graveyard."
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738789
>>738788[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738790
>>738785Angry at all the environmental factors going on, Vandal begins to blast open the cockpit glass with the clone.
[1d10+1]
"You like ultimatums? No one's leaving this planet Green. Fuck your whore-ass backstabbing self." Vandal's voice speaks through the Gale clone.
Roll #1 8 + 1 = 9 No.738791
>>738785"You're cornered! Stop being irrational!" He says, diving for cover.
>>738786"You've earned that." He says, still a bit worried about her health. "She's in the cockpit. Hopefully once you're in there too she'll listen to us." He says, walking uneasily towards the cockpit.
No.738792
>>738791She nodded as she leaned on him a bit but had her arm on her blade "I'll either get this ship back or die taking her out."
No.738793
>>738787You manage to avert disaster, and with Chekhooves' help you maneuver the skipper away from the choppy waves.
>>738787>>738790>>738788Fir isn't a minute too soon either; Green's prediction comes true, and a massive pulse from underwater rocks the foundations of the Teeth. Something in the sunken ship has detonated, causing a massive marine explosion. It's deep enough that it doesn't hit you full on, but the incoming tidal wave is sure to cause a problem. You'll either have to maneuver away from it or try to ride it out.
>>738788The crowbar slips from the exertion and tumbles into the choppy waters below. You might have to find some other way in. The blaster fire coming from the cockpit tells you one of your newfound friend has other ideas.
>>738790"Kid?" she says in disbelief, flinching as you blast the cockpit. You crack it heavily, setting off an alarm inside, but nothing else happens yet. "You really don't wanna do that. There's nothing around for miles. We're all gonna die here if you break that glass!"
>>738791Your clone gets blasted into the wall from the eye beam, toppling to the ground and flickering in and out of existence.
>Gale Clone 1 takes 7 hits, helpless at 0/1She puts two and two together. "Neither of you are the real deal. Which means… Fuck. FUCK." She throws the door open and walks right over you, ignoring Vandal's attempts to get in and sealing the door behind her, essentially blocking you and Vandal from following her. She's heading in your direction, tapping the side of her head to try and get her eye beam back online.
No.738794
>>738793"Fuck. She knows. What's the plan A, ambush? Ahg, she must know we're here and I'm not gonna leave you to get shot again." He says, sticking close to the walls just in case.
Meanwhile the clone struggles to get up. [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.738795
>>738793Gigi watches her crowbar tumble into the waves and sighs. "Welp…" she mumbles. Taking back to the air, she activates her cloaking device and flies toward the shots.
>>738793Frank peeks over the edge again, holding himself as firmly as he can manage to whatever he can. "Ooooh, guess I was a little off."
No.738796
>>738793>>738794>>738792>>738787"
Breaking the glass won't crash the ship, just make it uncomfortable to drive in atmosphere. We've got time to find somewhere on this planet to repair the thing, she doesn't. I'm fucking up this cockpit glass." Vandal announces to all.
>>738794"
Since she was so kind to leave the cockpit, get your other clone to bring the ship down for us to board and really overpower her."
No.738797
>>738794That sounds good. I'll try to light her up when she comes out and then we rush her." she said as she looked for an alcove to duck into.
No.738798
>>738793"Hrm. Let's just… try to get out of the way of this." the elk says, trying to keep the boat as steady as possible as the explosion rocks the waters.
>Navigation (DC-2)[1d10]Roll #1 10 = 10 No.738799
>>738797[1d10] Perception
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.738800
>>738794Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.738801
>>738794You can hear her walking around nearby. She seems to be doubling back looking for you.
Your clone fails to recover. Seems to have been critically damaged by the beam. You're struggling to even keep it online.
>>738796>>738795Gigi joins Vandal near the cockpit.
>>738798You manage to steer well clear of the tidal wave, riding up one of the slopes before it gets too unmanageable. Eventually, it passes, and everything seems to be going smoothly. To an extent.
>>738799>>738800You hear Green stop; then, the familiar sound of datapad inputs. She seems to be trying to get in touch with something, or someone. Areia figures out she's directly above the two of you, on the catwalk.
No.738802
>>738801She took a breath and aimed up at the catwalk as she fired a blast of her breath up at the catwalk to bring it and her down.
[1d10] Dragon's Breath (Plasma)
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.738803
>>738801"Fuck." he says over comm. "I'm not gonna be able to do anything from inside the cockpit. Any other way you guys can board? We might be busy for a bit." He says, pulling out his pistol and slipping into the shadows. Stealth [1d10]
The clone just lies dormant, serving as a pair of eyes just in case.
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.738804
>>738796>>738801"Find a way in?" Gigi asks. "I shut the power down on the side the escape pod is on but I still couldn't break the lock."
No.738806
>>738801>>738804The clone nods looking for a way to get in [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.738807
>>738802>>738803Areia collapses the catwalk with a blast of plasma breath, but Green isn't there. Looking around, you see her perched on the opposite side of the ship, looking down at both of you. The swirl of magic around her tells you she teleported to safety. "I thought you were done for," she says to Areia. "Should've double tapped."
She finishes typing into her datapad. "Contingency done. Now, we doing this or what?" Her robot eye begins to glow red.
>>738806You find the two options Gigi found: A) Keep trying to break in through the escape pod, or B) rewire the airlock to let yourselves in. Neither seem like particularly great options to you.
>>738805You remember some basics of piloting that you could relay to them; enough to land the ship safely amidst the waters, at least. It shouldn't be that hard, assuming they can get to the cockpit.
No.738808
>>738807The dragon coughed a bit "Yeah, always go for the head." she said as she groaned and kicked her wings up and prepared some magic.
>Empower WeaponShe quickly followed up by trying to shout the pony into botching her attack.
"Just give up!"
[1d10] Word of Power
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738809
>>738807"Can't believe you're really trying this Green." He says, moving towards cover and shooting towards her.
Shoot [1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.738810
>>738807>>738806"I lost my prybar but I have some other tools. Needless to say keeping a kit designed to break ships apart is coming in handy right now. I just don't really wanna, you know, completely cut it open with a plasma cutter or something. Maybe a hammer? If Frank was up here he could probably mess with the wires. He's better at that kind of thing than I am, but I'm no slouch, but I still say it'd be easier busting the pod dock open with your help. Up to you."
No.738812
>>738810"i've got a crowbar and bolt cutter in my backpack back on the boat, meant for breaking and entering so.." Vandal speaks through the Gale clone, "You're probably faster than me."
No.738813
>>738812Gigi nods. "Good. I was really dreading using the claw of my hammer to try and open it up. I'll be right back." Gigi takes flight toward the skipper.
No.738814
>>738809"Like you wouldn't do the same," she retorts. "1600 florins is a lot of money. I did tell you there were no strings attached in the Guild."
>>738808"Yeah, not gonna make the same mistake again."
>>738808>>738809She vanishes again, reappearing on another part of the catwalk and unleashing her eye beam at Areia's head!
[1d10+2]
>>738810>>738812Gigi flies down to the skipper (now having moved after the undersea explosion) and grabs Vandal's tools, returning to the latter's side with them.
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.738815
>>738814As Gigi lands Frank says, "Gigi! Hey. Can I come with you? It's getting bo-" Gigi takes off as Frank finishes. "-ring. That's okay! I'll keep these three company!" He pats chechooves on the shoulder.
>>738814Gigi's chest heaves as she returns to the ship, making her way back to the escape pod dock. Waiting a sec on the clone, she jams the prybar in, holds tight, and pulls.
[1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.738816
>>738814"Oh I didn't say I wouldn't do it, I just can't believe you've fucked it up this badly." He shouts back at her.
Gale slips into stealth as she shoots, but stays close to Areia just in case.
No.738817
>>738816Stealth [1d10]
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.738818
>>738814>>738815Vandal watches through the clone
No.738819
>>738814Areia hissed in annoyance and simply turned and redirected her flight path to rush at her, grabbing her sword and taking a swing.
[1d10+3]
Roll #1 5 + 3 = 8 No.738820
>>738815"Y-yeah, hi," says Chekhooves, trying not to get too weirded out by Frank.
>>738815>>738818Gigi's prior handiwork pays off; the already loosened magnetic seal breaks after some significant elbow grease, allowing access to the escape pod, and in turn, the rest of the ship.
>>738817"I think I'm doing alright so far." She keeps one robot eye on you as you try to slip away.
>>738819Green tries to teleport away, but you swoop in before she can react, giving her a good slice across the arm. She hisses and blinks away, nursing the wound. "Motherf…!"
>>738819>>738816Green blasts Areia point blank in the face… and nothing happens, other than the dragon getting knocked back slightly.
>Areia takes 1 hitHer eyes widen as she realizes her mistake, fumbling for her gun!
[1d10] Rushed Shot
>>738811>>738815Chekhooves looks around the surrounding area, eventually pointing out a nearby spire of twisted metal. "Hey, check it out," he says. "Long shot, but we could try and get to high ground and onto the ship from there. If we can get them to move it closer, I mean. Sounds like they're gonna need all the help they can get, y'know? Should we signal them?"
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.738821
>>738820[1d10] Followup shot
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.738822
>>738820The Dragon went wide eyed and did her best to try and evade that one as the last thing she wanted was another smoking hole in her torso.
[1d10] Dodge
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.738823
>>738820"Oh I think you've messed up a few parts. Why don't you come down here and I can give you a full performance review?" He remarks, taking a shot up towards her.
Shoot [1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738824
>>738820"Not a bad idea, Chekhooves. Let me see what I can do." he says, firing up his comms again.
"See if you can get it near that spire. We'll try to climb it and get closer like that." No.738825
>>738820The clone rushes in.
No.738826
>>738820Gigi drags her claw over her forehead and sighs. "Fucking finally," sne says. Putting the crowbar away, she activates her cloaking device and rushes in behind the Gale.
>>738820"Oh, yeah!" Frank says. "That's a real good idea! Let me just-" His chassis pops open and he starts messing around with some scrap.
[1d10]Gadget magnet boots
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.738827
>>738822You shift your bulk, taking a painful shot to the chest, but dampened by the angle and the armor.
>Areia takes 3 hits>>738823You shoot thin air.
>>738822>>738823Green disappears and reappears right behind Gale, grabbing him in a chokehold. "Yeah, I'll take you up on that," she hisses in his ear, starting to charge up another optic blast. She fires the gun off at Areia again!
[1d10]
>>738825>>738826You both enter the ship. You can hear Green fighting both Areia and Gale. She seems to be holding her own quite well at that.
>>738826Frank doesn't manage to make much. "Whatcha doing there?" Chekhooves asks with a slight frown.
>>738826>>738824"Hey, uh… Sorry, forgot your name. Big deer guy. You think you could move the skipper a bit closer so we can scale the spike then?" Chekhooves looks a bit anxious to help the others.
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.738828
>>738827"Fir." The elk says, trying to guide the ship a little closer to the spire.
>Is a roll needed? (DC-2) [1d10]Roll #1 1 = 1 No.738829
>>738827>>738827Once again the dragon did her best to get in closer as she tried again to shout her into a botch.
[1d10] Word of Power
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.738830
>>738827Vandal coldly fires at Green, aiming to kill using Gale's clone.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.738831
>>738827Gigi pulls out her tesla pistol and flies up to the edge of the wall. Just in case those crazy cyberware eyes can actually see her, she keeps cover behind the wall. Briefly she peeks her head out to see if she's able to draw a bead on her. If she can, she peeks back out, fires an aimed shot, cranks her tesla pistol up, and fires a lightning bolt followed by a rumbling thunderclap.
[Falcon Burst:Aimed shot]
[1d10]Meltdown
Both lightning element
>>738827Frank hums and fiddles with the scrap a little more. He briefly looks up to make eye contact with Chechooves and says, "I'm making magnet boots!" before getting back to work.
[1d10]Gadget
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 9 = 9 No.738832
>>738827"Fucker…" he struggles out as he digs his talons into her arm.
Try to Escape [1d10]
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.738833
>>738828"Fir. Right. Yeah."
You manage to move a little closer to the spire; close enough, at least, that you can hop off and climb up. It won't be easy to climb a tower of twisted, rusting metal, but with some care you should be able to manage.
>>738831Frank manages to make something that vaguely resembles a pair of metal socks. They are magnetized, so on some rudimentary level they should be able to help with scaling the spire. Emphasis on should. …Heavy emphasis on should.
>Magnet Boots: +1 to traversing metal surfaces>>738829>>738830>>738831>>738832Areia dives at her, forcing her to jerk to the side and miss her shot to avoid getting skewered. She takes Gale with her, using him as a meat shield.
Vandal and Gigi sneak up behind her and fire, hitting her in the leg. This causes her to buckle and let go of Gale. "Gah! Fuck!" She spins around and fires a wild optic blast, which misses and burns a hole in the hull. She collapses and nurses her wounded leg, the whole thing below the knee charred to a black crisp. Grunting and shuddering from the pain, she tries to teleport herself away again.
[1d10]
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.738834
>>738833"Alright- up we go, then." he says, beginning to carefully scrabble up the side of the metal spire. "Say something if you lose your footing."
No.738835
>>738833Vandal continues to fire using Gale's clone, wanting Green's death.
[1d10+1]
Roll #1 7 + 1 = 8 No.738836
>>738833"Great timing." Gale says to Gigi and Vandal. "I mean that." He says, getting up.
"What's the next move in this genius plan?" He taunts at Green. "I'm sure this was all accounted for." He laughs in triumph.
No.738837
>>738833Areia growled and similarly aimed to put the pony down with a hard swing at the neck.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 3 + 2 = 5 No.738839
>>738833Frank lifts the boots. "Magnet boots!" he triumphantly cries. "Who wants 'em? Get em while they're hot!"
>>738836"No prob! Sorry it took so long. Had some technical dificulties."
>>738833Gigi puts her tesla gun away and sprints out of cover, and pulls out the crowbar. Pulling it back, she swings it at the back of Green's head to try and knock her out.
No.738841
>>738839[1d10]bonk
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.738842
>>738840"Hmm? Oh- thanks." he says, pulling them on before climbing up.
No.738843
>>738840"I'm not a huge fan of taking these girls off," Vandal says speculatively, "As long as I can get a ramp, I could boost my way up there if we're close enough."
No.738844
>>738838With the help of the boots, you manage to climb up the spire about halfway, waiting for the ship to get moved to pick you up.
>>738835You shoot her in the horn, effectively denying her any more teleporting. She gasps and looks upwards in alarm.
>>738836"Alright, yeah, I wasn't expecting the cavalry," she concedes between labored breaths.
>>738837She manages to roll out of the way of your attack.
>>738839You smack her in the back of the head with the crowbar, knocking the treacherous pony flat on her face. She grunts from the blow, dazed and reeling, but not quite down for the count yet.
>>738835>>738836>>738837>>738839Green struggles to get back up, reaching for the datapad. "Hold up," she manages to say after spitting out a tooth. "Hold… hold up. You kill me now… and you're all fucked. …I've got… I've got connections. I've always got a contingency. See?…"
She skids the pad across the ground to show you what she was working on. From what you can see, it looks like a filled out notification for a bounty. Several, in fact. With your names and pictures on them, taken from security footage from the ship. The charges she's placed on you are all lies, of course. Not that it'll matter to anyone who comes after you.
"I've got connections that'll make this happen, but I can make it disappear 'fore word gets out," she breathes, trying and failing to get up. "Shoot me, though, and everyone this side of the 'verse is gonna want you dead. And you'll never get your mitts on the cube thing. So what's it gonna be, 'spacers'?" She looks at you all with glazed, unfocused eyes, still maintaining an air of confidence.
pausing
No.739225
>>738844I say we just kill her and get it over with. The ships gotta be filled with cameras we can use to shut any claims up. Plus we can just tell the boss she tried to take the score for herself, not like she can say she didn't."
No.739226
>>738843>>739225"Yeah," The hologram nods to Aeria in Vandal's voice, before turning to Green "Fuck off asshat." The lone fires a blast of energy again at the prone mare.
No.739228
>>739226"Oh like Hell I'm not getting this!" she said as she aimed to take the killing blow with her sword first.
No.739229
>>738844Fir waits patiently at the top of the metal spire, waiting for the ship to draw closer. He turns to check on Chekhooves, just to make sure everything's alright with him.
No.739230
>>739228[1d10]
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.739231
>>738844Gigi shrugs. "Not like I have any stake in this. Any footage you got of me I'm either invisible or covered with a hood anyway. All I know is you just tried to fuck me out of a way off the planet, so I'm not gonna do anything else, but I'm not stopping anyone either."
No.739232
>>738844"ATV mode, baby!" Frank shouts. Without any kind of indication he's actually switched any kind of modes, he attempts to scale the scrap.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.739233
>>739229>>739232Frank manages to climb up behind Fir. Chekhooves seems to be struggling to climb up, but makes it up to the top in one piece. He looks up at the ship with a bit of worry. "You think they'll be alright up there?" he says, sounding genuinely concerned.
>>739231"…Who are you again?"
>>739225"Yeah? And who's gonna pilot the ship, jackass, you? You got a ship AI in that suit of yours? Face it, there's no scenario where I die and you g-"
>>739230>>739226>>739231Areia shuts her up mid sentence with a swing of her cleaver, beheading Green in a single stroke. It hits the floor, followed by her body slumping over. There's a prolonged silence as the threat is dealt with, leaving you all standing around a headless corpse.
No.739621
>>739620>God fucking dammit>>739233"I suppose the most we can do for now is check and make sure. Give me a moment." He says, before getting his commlink online. "Maybe… one of us ought to stay down at the boat, with Vandal. I could do it."
"How's it going up there? Green dealt with?" No.739622
>>739233>>739621"Her heads currently on the floor rolling away from her body. So yeah, she's not a problem anymore."She sighed and looked to the others "Strip her for whatever parts you want, I need to… lay down and cry in pain for a bit."
No.739623
>>739233"Gross." Gale says, turning away from the corpse.
"But I would have done the same. Even if she wasn't bluffing, wouldn't be my first time as a fugitive." He pauses, and doesn't look back when he says
"So what are we doing with the body?"
No.739624
>>739233>>739229>>739232"
She's like, double dead, guys. Hop back on the boat. Everyone's alright." Vandal says from her position on the boat, still pressed into the corner upset.
>>739233>>739230>>738839>>738832The Gale hologram shoots the headless corpse a couple times, the exasperated voice of Vandal sighing from the older griffon illusion, "Fucking- We all agree we're not gonna do some dipshit backstabbing like that, right? Sorry Gigi by the way, to be fair we didn't know her for that long either. Literally our first mission together and the bitch tried to pull this. Proof in why I fucking hate this mentality of
me me me I'm the only one who matters."
She fires at the corpse again, "Fuck."
No.739625
>>739624Fir flicks his ears a couple of times, before setting back down the spire to the boat. He makes sure to descend carefully, as he wouldn't want to slip on the way down.
The elk settles back into the boat, taking the magnetic shoes off.
No.739626
>>739233Gigi's eyes widen a little as Areia decapitates the unicorn. "Oh," she says. "Shit. She actually killed her." She swallows, and her beak crinkles a little. "Ew."
>>739624"No way! They actually killed her? Gigi, you cold blooded murderer, I'm impresssed!" He descends the scrap back to the boat and with Vandal.
"Hey," Gigi says. "To be fair I just hit her with the crowbar. The decapitation part was Areia." She looks down at it. "Uh, sorry about that, Vandal. Might've gotten a little blood on it."
>>739624Gigi shrugs. "Not like I've never been double crossed before. Not on you. Just, uh… just know if you backstab me like that I'll blow your ship up. Nothing personal."
>>739623"Oh!" Gigi suddenly shouts. "Oh, shit, don't pitch it yet." She crouches down and starts looting it. "Do you know how much these eyes are probably worth?"
[1d10]appraise on the cybereyes
[1d10+2]Looting
Roll #1 2 = 2 /
Roll #2 1 + 2 = 3 No.739627
>>739626You examine her eye implant. It looks like it was originally just a prosthetic to replace an injury, but she made some modifications to it. Eyes that can shoot laser beams aren't exactly sold over the counter. It wouldn't surprise you if it had other modifications you didn't get to see. Doesn't look like you'll be able to take it out without getting your hands dirty.
You go through her pockets. You find some spare change and a photo of another mare, but nothing noteworthy.
>+25 florins No.739628
>>739233Areia Paused and decided to loot the body as well. Maybe she'd find something as a keepsake.
[1d10] Looting
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.739629
>>739627>>739628>>739623"Huh." Gigi drops the photo and pockets the florins. "Yeah, gonna need to-" She rummages around in her tools. "Any of you guys squeamish? Because this is gonna be really gross."
No.739630
>>739628Seems Gigi already got everything. Well, not everything. You do find a set of all purpose batteries in her pocket. Might come in handy for restoring power to something.
No.739631
>>739630She took them and slowly dragged herself off to her quarters to laydown for a bit. She felt like shit in a multitude of ways.
No.739632
>>739631>>739629She pauses and walks back to take the photo before she goes. She felt a need to hold onto it.
No.739633
>>739626>>739629"Smart idea. Just was wondering if we're gonna throw it into the sea or something." Gale says, a bit off put by Gigi's forward attitude towards the corpse
No.739634
>>739633"Yeah," Gigi says, getting to work. "I figured. That's why I wanted to do this before you did. Missed the captain's leg. Not missing this when it's right here."
[1d10]Work on remomoving eye
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.739635
>>739634It comes out. Kind of. You manage to jimmy it free and hear some cords unplug. s soon as it does, the eye lights up in your hands and starts flashing red, emitting a high pitched whistle like a kettle and starting to heat up rapidly.
No.739636
>>739632You take another look at the photo. The mare looks about Green's age, and not unlike her. Probably a relative.
No.739637
>>739635>>739633"Shit, shit, shit-" Gigi drops the eye and stumbles backwards, having an idea of what's going on with it. "Really? A fucking security protocol? Might wanna get back just in case."
No.739638
>>739636He'd look up more info on the mare later. Maybe they'd be nicer then the scumbag who tried to shoot her.
No.739640
>>739634>>739637"Invasive copy protection? Look like it has a manufacturer?"
No.739641
>>739638>>739637>>739624>>739623Gigi drops the eye. It continues to whistle, flash and heat up before unleashing an almighty laser blast, scorching the ceiling of the ship and leaving a smoking hole. There's not much left of it by the time it stops but a little lump of charred, twisted metal.
No.739642
>>739640>>739641Gigi groans and dropa onto her back. "Fuck," she says. "Maybe. It looked like a custom job, so I thought I'd be able to pull it and deactivate it without any issues. Still gonna bolt that shotgun to the inside of Frank's chassis, but other than that this entire trip was fucking worthless."
No.739643
>>739641The Dragon paused, raised an eye, and then continued on her way, entering her room and laying down for a bit, looking at the photo and then the core of the robot who had saved her earlier.
No.739644
>>739642"She seemed like the paranoid enough type to have it blow when someone took it. I'm not terribly suprised."
No.739645
>>739643You lay down and nurse your injuries, contemplating the current situation. You have essentially salvaged Organic's brain; if you feel like it, you could try to rebuild her using it as a base. Or just sell it for scrap.
>>739642Your attention is drawn to the chassis of Organic still smoldering in the corner where she was blasted by Green.
>>739643>>739642>>739625>>739633>>739624After a bit of a back and forth, Fir gets on board the ship and pilots it back to shore. Chekhooves, Vandal and Frank are left on the skipper, and manage to steer it through the Teeth and to shore in due time.
The ship lands on the beach just outside of town, near Undertow's shack. Those piloting the boat manage to bring it up to the jetty, and all of you can reconvene outside of town when you're ready. The night's events are starting to catch up to you; it's about three in the morning right now, and you're all exhausted. On board, it doesn't look like Undertow is waking up either, but he is stable, as far as you can tell.
No.739646
>>739645Areia slowly sat up "SO… who wants to go with me to try and get as many bounties as we can?"
No.739647
>>739646"Cat need sleep." Vandal says, yawning and unable to sleep on the boat due to mild seasickness,
>>739645>>739646>>739644>>739642>>739625 "Can we just crash here for the night, see of Undertow wakes up? It'd be nice to get him something for what he did too. I'd leave behind some bits, but between buying some stuff from him to get his contact in the first place, chipping in half my cut of this job to Chekhooves, and the other half to Aeria's bill, I'm not gonna have anything left."
No.739648
>>739645Fir doesn't grumble any when told to go back up and pilot the ship- he's probably used to to tedium from other jobs he's worked before. His piloting is a little… unsteady, but he seems to have enough knowledge to get the ship where they need it.
>>739647"Staying here sounds good. You can have part of my cut. Good to wait, anyways- he's stable, but might need help when he wakes."
No.739649
>>739645"Hell. This isn't the ease back into work I expected." He sighs, and sits near the party. "Just glad I- We are all alive. Just worried about that whole putting a bounty on us thing." He says, his eyes looking uneasily into the distance.
No.739650
>>739645>>739644"Yeah. True. Still a pain in the ass." She stands up, ruffles her feathers, and walks over to what's left of the other robot. Lifting her headphone to her ear, she presses a button on her band and speaks into it.
[b]"Yo. We doing anything with the robot's chassis? Want me to try to fix it up, or can I have it? If you still have her personality core I might be able to grab a couple parts and put her back together."
No.739653
>>739652"I'll take that as a 'you can have the chassis'. Thanks. She gets to work looking it over for useful pieces that might still be worth something.
[1d10+2]
Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11 No.739654
>>739650>>739652>>739653"Do what you want with it, I don't have an interest in robotics."
No.739655
>>739653Upon a better look, it's evident that Organic's body is in pretty good shape all things considered. It's really just the head that got blown to smithereens, which is where most of the vital components are. If you could rebuild that, her original body could be restored, though it's not exactly a practical one. Otherwise, the miscellaneous medical equipment could be fitted to a new body with some elbow grease, or sold on the black market.
No.739658
>>739656>>739652>>739654>>739649>>739647"I mean, if there's some good parts on that you could just sell them once we're out of here," Chekhooves chimes in. "They built her to be sturdy, not to be able to do much except what she's meant for. She could barely climb stairs."
You all spend the night on board the ship. It's a bit cramped, but better than sleeping out in the open. You fall asleep almost immediately, exhausted from everything that's happened.
You wake up feeling well rested, albeit stiff and aching a bit from last night's events, and the uncomfortable sleeping conditions. You soon notice that Undertow is missing; he must have woken up before you and left quietly. In the distance, you can hear the usual sounds of chatter and work coming from the nearby beach town.
No.739659
>>739658Areia groaned as while the pain had dulled it was still there in force. She started off earlyish.
>>739647"Wanna join me in cashing in some pirate bounties? We can throw some to your boat friend whiskers."
No.739660
>>739658"Hrm… I guess he's gone back to his own place, then. We ought to go check up on him, I'd think."
No.739661
>>739659>>739658"Yeah. You holding up okay?" Vandal says as stumbles out of her room, gently patting the larger dragon's back. "Let's go make sure he gets compensated for risking his life for some strangers."
No.739662
>>739661I'm not dead, so it's fine. Plus I managed to actually kill the one who did it so I'd say I got some clodure. what about you Whiskers? You seemed pretty out of it last night."
No.739663
>>739661"Offer from yesterday still stands."
No.739664
>>739660>>739661>>739658In the morning Gigi gets to worm removing the medical equipment from the chassis and sets it to the side. After, she takes everything else apart and breaks it down as mych as she can manage, storing what she can inside Frank's chest.
>>739659"I'd go, but me and Frank are gonna go see what we can get out of these parts. I have a friend I can pitch them at back on my home planet, but fat lot of fucking good that does me here."
>>739662Frank crashes in behind her. "Gooood mooorning Faaaaaora!" he yells. "Hope we're having a lovely day after a night filled with espionage, betrayal, decapitation, and wonton destruction of personal property!"
No.739665
>>739664Areia had to genuinely resist turn and making the robot a pile of slag if only because she owed Gigi for before.
"Have you ever considered taking a flying leap into a plasma reactor?"
No.739666
>>739662Vandal huffs, puffing out what fur she's got exposed, "I'm fine. Was a nasty day after the ship, but job's done and everyone who matters is alive. Still really pissed about Green though- the money wasn't even that good, why would you risk your life for something like that? She's dead now cause she wanted a few more florins." She sighs, deflating, "Whatever. What's done is done, just glad you're able to take it in stride."
>>739663"We'll see how much we get from all this and divvy it up after, let's not commit to anything right now." Vandal replies, not wanting to take from the kind stag, "I appreciate it, big guy."
No.739667
>>739666She threw an arm around the cat and pulled her into her side in a bit of a one armed hug. "You're a golden one Whiskers. Try and stay that way."
No.739668
>>739666"Few florins can be a lot at times, never know. That, or she found a good offer somewhere else." He says with a shrug.
No.739669
>>739665"I have! It's a nightmare to fix. Poor Gigi had to make an entire body from-"
Gigi deadpans. "You didn't leap," she reminds him. "You fell because you were more focused on scrutinizing the catwalk's lack of safety than actually staying safe, and it wasn't a plasma reactor, it was a slag crucible."
"Same effect. But I can forgive you for not realizing it might destroy my body, Ms.Areia. Sometimes I forget ponies can't do a lot of the things I can do too! You're so big and strong I imagine a plasma reactor would only tickle."
No.739670
>>739666"Speaking of Florins," Gigi chimes in. "Make sure you hang on to my share of the bounty."
No.739671
>>739669"Not a pony and not at all. Plasma does nothing to me. Would melt my armor though." She paused "One wonders why she rebuilt you though."
No.739672
>>739671"I rebuilt him because-"
"Because we're besties, and I have a winning charm you just can't replicate!"
"Because having three robots on the same AI is convenient, he's useful, and yeah. We're friends."
"I'm often told you eventually get used to me! So it's just a matter of time before we're best friends."
No.739673
>>739661"Cat's got the right idea. I don't wanna spend another minute on this planet. If Green really did put bounties on us, they'll know here first."
No.739674
>>739670"Of course, you helped, you get a cut. Maybe Green's cut."
No.739675
>>739674Gigi chuckles. "Well. Shit. Guess that works out."
No.739676
>>739674"She already got her cut. It was so big it made her head roll." she said with a dark laugh.
No.739677
>>739676"Oh fuck offf Areia, you killed her like, under 24 hours ago." Vandal says, scowling as she stifles her own giggle.
No.739678
>>739677Look I got shot in the ribs point blank and nearly lost an arm. I need a coping mechanism."
No.739679
>>739677Frank does a little hop. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Does this mean the ship is yours now? Are you gonna paint it? Are you gonna paint me on it? I think I'd make a good mascot, don't yo"
No.739680
>>739676"That's actually funny." He chuckles.
No.739681
>>739676>>739679>>739677>>739673>>739668"Er, if you don't mind, I'll stay on board here," says Chekhooves. "Probably not a good idea for me to be showing myself to the villagers, having been one of their lot and all."
You head back to the village. It's a little quieter than it was before, with only a handful of citizens going about their daily business, accompanied by crudely constructed labor robots.
>>739679Reposting description for convenience:
This town, nestled amidst the tropical trees, seems to have been built from repurposed ship parts and scrap metal, being a hodgepodge of oddly shaped shacks and square buildings. Other structures are made of adobe. Much of the village's economy seems to revolve around fishing, woodcutting and metal forging. The locals are of varied races, though ponies seem to be predominant, and most of them seem to be well adjusted to life here. You get curious looks from them as you enter.
You can hear the chatter of locals, the whirring of simple robots carrying out tasks, and laborers hard at work nearby. Overall, it's a humble but lively little village, well removed from the concerns of the galaxy at large.
>>739676>>739679>>739677>>739673>>739668It doesn't take too long to track down Galen, the sheriff in town. He seems to be discussing something with some other town guards in grave tones. He looks over as you approach, and his grizzly countenance lightens some. "I'm guessing you were the ones responsible for that hoopla out on the Teeth last night," he smiles. "Is it… is it over, then? Are the pirates really gone?"
No.739682
>>739681Gigi grins. "I blew 'em up, so I'd hope so. Their base is at the bottom of the sea. Unless you guys end up with a pirate ghost problem, that's probably about as solved as it can get."
No.739683
>>739681Yeah we blew their base and made sure their captain and quite a few others were fish food by the end of the night. Of course if you could find it in your heart for some monetary compensation, we certainly wouldn't mind…"
She paused "Also the fisherman Undertow was instrumental to this working, he deserves a slice of the pie too. and some recognition for his work."
No.739684
>>739681"Dead and." He responds. " 'Been a pleasure doing business with you. Anytime you need something less than legal done for less than expensive prices, you know where to find us." He says, accidentally trying to advertise himself.
No.739685
>>739681"Mhmm. Dealt with pretty fully. Sorry for the mess." he says, tilting his head to the side a little.
No.739686
>>739683>>739681"Yeah, guy sailed us through the teeth, took on fire, we didn't even talk pay. He was passed out when we found him but he left our ship before we could thank him." Vandal speaks to the sheriff, far more than she did the previous day.
No.739687
>>739684>>739682>>739683>>739685>>739686He blinks, smiling in relief. "I'll be," he says softly. "End of an era, huh. Never thought the day'd come when we didn't have to hear from Hale and his boys. Ain't surprised Undertow got in on the action too. You don't survive as long as he has without being a tough sumbitch. We'll be sure to thank him. Town owes him and all of you a huge debt. Really."
"We put some money aside for if you came back successful. We don't have much, but here." He pulls out a wad of money and offers it to you. "You all deserve it for what you've done for us. We'll never forget this."
>+250 florins"If you're ever in the system again, stop by, why don't you. We'll be happy to have you around. You can't imagine the service you've done this place," he says sincerely.
No.739688
>>739687"We might be here for a bit, depending. Need to make sure the ship wasn't damaged, and clear up other problems. Glad we could help."
No.739689
>>739687"It's been an absolute pleasure, sir." He says with a wink as he turns to leave.
No.739690
>>739687She frowned lightly but figured she shouldn't expect a massive payoff from this.
"Thanks."
No.739691
>>739687Gigi's face curls a little when she hears the reward was only 250 florins, but gives a dismissive wave. "Yeah, don't worry about it. Glad to help." Relatively sure she isn't getting much for the parts at this point, she decides to ask, "So do you guys have someone who deals in electronics? Or maybe, like, a scrapyard or something?" Besides the whole village, she mentally adds.
"Ooooh," Frank says. "250 Florins! That'll pay for over a tenth of the trip here!" Gigi tenses up and opens her beak, but Frank continues. "Oh, wait. Split five ways. So that's-" He pauses and makes a loud whirring sound. "Good news, Giggles! You're over 2% of the way to breaking even!"
No.739692
>>739687"Thanks, we'll send him some love as well."
>>739691>>739690>>739689>>739688Once the group is out of earshot of the Sheriff and back on the way to Undertow's place, Vandal speaks up. "We'll get a proper paycheck when we actually cash in the real bounty. Every picture I took'll be extra florins too. Can we go get him a cake or something as well as most of this little bounty?"
No.739693
>>739692"I mean I guess that'd be nice. Have it say 'Sorry we almost killed you' or something."
No.739694
>>739692"Not sure if that's his taste, cat. He seems like more of a cookie kind of guy." He says, joking at the concept.
No.739695
>>739694>>739693"This is like a quarter of what we'll get from the pics alone, think we owe it to 'em anyways."
No.739696
>>739690He notices your frown. "We don't have much," he says apologetically. "We only set up a few years ago, and with those pirates around it's been hard to get a foothold. It's all we could afford. Sorry."
>>739691He looks weirded out by Frank's chipper attitude, but answers your question. "We've got plenty of scrappers in town, yeah. All the remains that fell to earth from the war make for some good looting. Not like anyone else is gonna be needing it." As if on cue, a custom made load lifting robot marches past stoically, not much more than a platform on legs carrying bags of cement. "The main scrap processing and trading yard is that way." He points towards the far end of town, where you can see a gated off area where the robot is heading. Several other labor robots and workers seem to be busy working a scrapyard there.
>>739695>>739694>>739688>>739693You head out of the village and make your way back towards Undertow's home. You find him out and about, already back at work. He's bandaged his blaster wound, and is currently sitting on the jetty doing some early morning fishing. He looks over to you with a weary eye, but a slight smile underneath his bushy beard. "…Hell of a night, huh."
No.739697
>>739692"Works for me. " the deer says, stretching a little bit and looking around. "Where… do we get a cake."
No.739698
>>739696"Yup, if you wanna compare wounds I think I got ya beat, But it's good to see you're ok."
No.739699
>>739696"And you just get up and keep going. Something else…" He says, a twinge of admiration in his voice
No.739700
>>739696"A bit more than expected, but yeah. Hope the boat's alright."
No.739701
>>739696On the way to visit Undertow, you pick up a chocolate almond cake from the local bakery.
>-10 bits No.739702
>>739696>>739701"I said I didn't like the cliche asshat." Vandal holds the white box containing the cake under her arm, "Here, we got you a cake and the bounty the sheriff gave us for helping. Thank you for the help. Still though, you miss the action that much or something?"
No.739703
>>739696"Oh, alright. Sweet. Thanks. Guess I know where I'm headed next." She gives him a wave, turns, and follows the robit.
No.739704
>>739699>>739698>>739700"I've had worse from better," he shrugs. "Still. Wouldn't be here if you hadn't fished me out. So, thanks. And thanks for bringing the
Dauntless back in one piece. She's a good little skipper." He looks over at the vessel fondly.
>>739702"Yeah, I'm not about to indulge in tropes," he grumbles. "Too old for that."
He grunts and shifts in place, grimacing a little at his injury. "Didn't particularly miss it. But it had to be done. My adventuring days are behind me, but you and your friends, you've got all the potential in the 'verse." He holds up one hoof to stop you as you bring up the money. "You helped everyone here. Without you, we'd still be having to deal with those bastards. That's payment enough for me. You keep that. And spend it well." He looks at you earnestly.
"…Won't turn down a cake though," he grins.
>>739703The robot heads into the scrapyard, which seems more lively than the rest of the village. It seems to be delivering materials to an adjacent construction site, which you decide not to go to in favor of the yard itself. You can see several rows of metal and mechanical components being sorted through by robots and villagers, categorizing all the hauls brought in from across the island. You are approached by a tall, skinny Dog with brass goggles, who looks like he works here. "Need something, stranger?" he asks.
No.739705
>>739704"Just take the money buddy, gonna make the poor girl cry after the night we had if you don't." she said patting Vandal's shoulder.
No.739706
>>739704"We'll get more money. She's probably not going to let it drop until you take the florins and the cake."
No.739707
>>739704Gigi smiles as the dog greets her, and she walks up to her. "Yeah," she says. "Got some real good quality parts I'm looking to unload. From a top of the line medbot." On cue, Frank's front door pops open revealing the deconsructed pieces. "Basically everything but the finer electronics and medical equipment. Know who I can talk to?"
No.739708
>>739705>>739706"Oh shut up." Vandal huffs at her comrades,
>>739704"You sure? Could get you some painkillers at the very least."
No.739709
>>739708Fir looks at Vandal, but doesn't say anything.
No.739710
>>739704"You're not taking the payment? Huh." Gale stops for a bit. "Suppose this guy's already got all he wants. Simple life. Don't blame him really."
No.739711
>>739708She makes she Undertow has the cake before scooping up Vandal and moving her so Undertow and Vandal were face to face "You can't tell this cute face no."
No.739712
>>739707The Dog scratches his chin idly as you talk. "Talking to the right person for that sort of thing. Name's Otto. I'm in charge of BST here. Let's see what you've got here…"
He fiddles with the goggles, and they extend forward like a telescope as he inspects the pieces closely. "Cor. This isn't bad at all. Worth quite a bit, this. Too much, given what we've got to work with around here." The goggles retract and he looks down to you. "Sorry, love. Can't help you here. You'd be better off trading it in offworld. We'd be losing money if we bought these parts."
>>739708>>739705>>739706>>739710>>739711Undertow backs up a bit as Areia quite literally shoves Vandal in his face, smirking a bit at her antics. "Alright, alright, you win," he says, giving in to the pressure. "But I'm not happy about it." He takes the money reluctantly. "…Thanks. For everything. You've probably heard it already, but this means so much to everyone. You did good."
No.739713
>>739712>>739711"H-Hey!" Vandal squirms out of Aeria's grasp, landing on all four after Undertow accepts. "I'm not your pet Aeria jeesh." Pulling herself back up, she nods to Undertow, "That means get some rest instead of just heading right back out for fishing. Thanks again."
No.739714
>>739712>>739713She snickered at how it worked "I know Whiskers but I had to play dirty to get the guy to take the money."
No.739715
>>739712"Ain't about doing whats good, just doing what keeps your head above water." He glances over at the ocean. "Not literally."
No.739716
>>739712Gigi laughs. "Well. Shit. Yeah, I was afraid of that. Figured it was worth a shot trying to unload it now. But fuck, at least you're honest about it. That's a new one." She shuts Frank's front door. "Well, alright. Thanks anyway, man." She scratches the side of her beak. "Well, not sure how long I'll be onworld, but if I have to stick around a couple days you got any work? I hear there are some good shipyard clusters from the war. I already checked out the one over around the teeth and didn't find squat. If I'm here longer maybe you know some other hotspots or something."
No.739717
>>739712"Glad things turned out for the best. Only made sense to take care of them while we were there."
>>739713>>739712"I'd add in, but you probably know well enough she's right. You earned the rest, anyways."
No.739718
>>739715>>739713>>739714>>739717"I'll take it easy for a while," he nods. "Won't be doing any expeditions till this heals. Only working inland from hereon out."
He starts to get a bite on his fishing rod, and reels it in expertly, landing a massive alien fish. He adds it to his bucket with satisfaction.
"You heading off now then?" he asks. "Going back wherever you came from? Or will you stick around a while?"
>>739716"Yeah, look, we'd just be bleeding money if we bought any scrap that gets brought our way. Economy's hard enough as it is, we can't afford to splurge."
"We might have jobs around, but really, this place isn't the best for all that. If you have a way to get offworld, I'd do that. But if you really have to work, we do have some scrapping expeditions coming up going further inland, picking through shipwrecks, that sort of thing."
He snorts as you mention the Teeth. "Yeah. Pirates have already picked the Teeth clean. Not really worth going out there anymore."
No.739719
>>739718"Personally I'd love to head home but I suppose it's something of a group choice."
No.739720
>>739718"We've got loose ends elsewhere. Stay safe, fisherman."
No.739721
>>739718Gigi sighs. "Yeah. Shit seems pretty rough around here. Alright. Thanks again." She turns and leaves, heading back in the direction of the ship.
No.739722
>>739718"I'd enjoy a barbeque or something, but yeah, we picked up some folks that need a lift. I'd hate to force them to stay here any longer. I'll call you if we're nearby the system, maybe see about a real fishing trip some time?" Vandal offers, tapping her communicator.
No.739723
>>739718"I think we're good enough travel- the ship didn't seem to be in a bad condition when I piloted it." he says, before offering a bit of a nod. "Hopefully, the rest of this will be smooth."
No.739724
>>739722He nods. "Aye, that'd be good," he says quietly.
>>739719>>739720>>739722>>739723"Hey," he says as you depart. "Don't die over nothing. You're better than that." With that, he sits back down and goes back to his fishing.
>>739719>>739720>>739722>>739723>>739721You all reconvene back on board the Party Boat. You find Chekhooves in the cockpit, fiddling with the PA system. "Did you know the radio system's broken?" he comments after greeting you. "It only accepts signals from the local cluster. I'm trying to rig it to have a wider range so you can listen to tunes from all over the 'verse. Er, unless you don't want me to that is." He steps away hurriedly, already assuming he was doing something wrong.
No.739725
>>739724Vandal doubletakes, "Wouldn't that mean what Green's claim of sending out a message wouldn't of done shit anyways? We didn't have the ability to send out that message anyways. Though I wonder-"
She looks to Chekhooves, "She wouldn't be able to have that queued to send out once we got in range of a bigger system would she? In that case maybe no upgrades to the ship we don't own."
No.739726
>>739724>>739725Areia paused and then nodded "Good point, keep that thing on minimum power, we can just rely on our own stuff to keep entertained."
No.739727
>>739726>>739724"Yeah. I know I got plenty of shit queued up. Not much of a radio bird, anyway."
"Oh!" Frank adds. "And if we get too bored we can play games together!"
No.739728
>>739724"We won't. Promise."
>>739724"Broken? I… don't think I checked, no. Nothing wrong with fixing it up if you think it's best to do so." the massive elk says, shrugging his shoulders. "Any other problems?"
No.739729
>>739727I know this great game called Robot Hides in the Airlock."
No.739730
>>739724"Let's try to keep it one way, Doctor. Don't want to get tracked."
>>739725"That girl just couldn't hold her bluffs together, huh. But would be a good idea to search for any messages ready to send."
No.739731
>>739728>>739726>>739725>>739727>>739730"I'm not too much of a gearhead," he admits, "but she sent that message from her own datapad, yeah? I don't think it'd be affected by the limited reception this place has. So, um, I'm pretty sure she sent the message out anyway. Sorry. Hope you can get that cleared up."
"So, um, we gonna leave then? I don't really know how to pilot a ship, I was kind of assuming you guys did." He stands around awkwardly waiting for something to happen.
No.739732
>>739729"Ooooh, look at you. Opening up to a bonding experience. how do you play?"
No.739733
>>739731Frank spins around. "I can do it! I'll pilot the ship! I have years of theoretical experience, so that makes me the best fit for the job."
No.739734
>>739732Well you go and hide in the airlocks, and when we get into space, I try to find you. By hitting the buttons to empty them."
>>739731"She said she did… but I'm pretty sure I took her head off before she did."
No.739735
>>739731>>739733"If Frank isn't up for it, I've got passing skill with a ship. Either or, I suppose."
No.739736
>>739734"Spacewalk hide and seek! It's brilliant! Do you have a space suit? I wouldn't want you getting hurt."
No.739737
>>739736Oh no no, I just send you out. I stay inside the whole time.
No.739738
>>739731"This scrapheap doesn't even have autopilot? I'm starting to think free was too expensive."
>>739732>>739734>>739736>>739737Gale laughs at the exchange.
No.739739
>>739735"Or we can do it together, buddy. My know-how, brawn, and good looks, combined with your antlers and… uh…" He pauses and stares at Fir for a long moment. "Neat armor, we'll be unstoppable ship-driving machines!"
No.739740
>>739731"Huh. Aite." Vandal shrugs, "Still, ship's a rental, shouldn't go poking around in it. I stopped myself from drawing a bit on the walls earlier."
No.739741
>>739739"…Sure. That works. Copilot, Pilot."
No.739742
>>739734"Oh." He looks a bit intimidated.
>>739733>>739735"Yeah, probably for the best then. Sorry I can't be more help. Uh, good luck with it, I guess." He moves out of the cockpit to let the two of you go for it.
>>739738"It's not that bad. I mean it could be better, but it's a decent little ship, I reckon. It gets you from A to B, at least."
>>739740He does a double take. "Oh shit it is? Fuck. Never mind then." He scrambles to undo what he was doing. "Hope the owner won't get too angry over the scorch marks and stuff from whatshername."
No.740219
>>739742Fir hums a little bit and takes a seat, before taking a few minutes to get everything adjusted for his larger frame. Once he's done, he (very carefully) attempts to get the craft on and in the air.
No.740220
>>739742Vandal peers down at what Chekhooves is doing, "You just mean the shooty stuff right? Or were there scorches and sabotage-y stuff down there as well?"
No.740221
>>739742"Not like it couldn't use some remodeling. Maybe once we cash out back with the guild. If we aren't wanted criminals already, that is." He says, sitting down and picking at his various wounds.
No.740222
>>739741>>739742"Wooh!" Frank speeds past the group, freezes like he forgot something, and looks around. "Where's the wheel?"
Gigi sighs, pulls her hat off, and smooths the tall tuft on top of her head down. "Well," she says. "Anyone needs me I'm gonna go fuck off. Probably just finally take a look at this shotgun and chill after. Thanks again for the lift."
No.740224
>>739742She yawned lightly and moved to her room finally as she really needed to lay down and rest.
No.740225
>>740222"No problem. Thanks for the help." the elk says, trying to stretch out as well as he can in the cockpit.
No.740226
>>740220"Hm? Oh no, just the blast marks and whatnot. It doesn't really look like she tampered with the security …Wait, no, everything from the past day or so is missing. Hm. Which means that the griffon chick and I are off the hook when it comes to that bounty thing. I think. Not so much you lot. Guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it."
>>740221Chekhooves nods. "It's not a bad ship. Maybe if you saved up you could even buy it for yourselves."
>>740222You examine the shotgun. It seems pretty standard issue, though it's been customized to have a small industrial shredder inside it, essentially allowing anything at all to be used as ammo for it.
>Corsair Shredder>Firearm, crits on 8+>Magazine: 2>Special: Ammo can be replenished from any source of scrap>>740219>>740220>>740221>>740222>>740224Frank and Fir take the wheel, the former plugging in coordinates from the ship's history, heading back to Delphi. The journey will take about 36 hours, so you get comfortable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suvoI-kG4zIThe flight is peaceful and relatively uneventful. The alien rat-pigs that seem to have taken residence on the ship make themselves a bit more scarce than usual. Food supplies are bland as usual, but better than nothing. Chekhooves spends most of the flight examining the ship, watching movies on his datapad, or hooking it up to the announcement to play some tunes.
Early next morning, as you near Delphi's space quadrant, you notice something happening out the cockpit window. Many small two-man vessels are engaged in a dramatic fight against what can best be described as a space leviathan. It is a behemoth of a creature resembling a whale, but with rows of jagged, shark-like teeth, whiskers like a catfish, several rows of powerful tentacles, and a long, snake-like tail ending in a sharp barb that makes up about two thirds of its total length. The monster is even larger than your own ship.
The small fighter ships seem to be trying to kill it, opening fire with turrets and trying to hit weak points on it. The leviathan retaliates with surprisingly nimble twists and turns in the vacuum of space, batting them away and knocking them into spinouts with its tentacles. Overall, it's a dramatic scene.
"What is that thing?" Chekhooves wonders, looking on in slight awe. "…Should we get involved? Doesn't look like those guys have this covered."
No.740227
>>740226"I don't think this thing has weapons, and I don't think that it would be wise to waste our rental vehicle on something like that."
No.740228
>>740226"We could just play battlefield medic and slash or looter? If things go poorly for the fighters, we just try and scoop em up and make sure they don't die of oxygen loss. And if they happen to all be dead, we can make sure stuff doesn't go to waste." Vandal shrugs.
No.740229
>>740226"The ship's got weapons, but I'm not sure how much of a beating something like that could take. My old crew stuck clear of those things when we could, and this is a rental…" he hums a little, before adjusting himself in the cockpit and trying to get comfortable. He can't, but the attempt is made. "We can try, if everyone wants."
No.740230
>>740228That kinda counts on that thing not deciding to eat us if we wander into the field of debris."
No.740231
>>740226"I wouldn't complain if it was part of the payment." He says.
>>740226"Anyone here a cryptozoologist? What the hell are we looking at?"
No.740232
>>740230"I meannn, I feel like it'd fuck off after, or eat the ship worst case scenario. It doesn't harm us any to wait any see does it?"
No.740233
>>740226"Holy shit," Gigi says, lowering her headphones. "I've heard about those but this is the first time I've seen one in person. Not sure we can handle it. Maybe we should-"
A loud shanty blares from Frank's voice modulator, and, in the middle of it, his grainy, static-y voice bellows, "Split your lungs with blood and thunder! Strap in laddies!" He tries to turn the ship toward the fight.
No.740234
>>740233[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.740235
>>740231"A myth or a drunken hallucination, depending on who you talk to."
>>740233Fir grunts a little bit, and tries to keep the ship flying steady. "Hold on now, not just yet."
No.740237
>>740233>>740232>>740235The dragon quietly sighed and debated looking for an escape pod she could toss her and Vandal into if things went south.
No.740238
>>740235"I can't name a single drink that's gonna make you see that. Legal ones, at least."
No.740239
>>740238"Mmm." the deer says in agreement, before checking the bottle he's been drinking out of for the past couple of hours. Is it… water?
No.740240
>>740237You find an escape pod, but it seems to have been damaged at some point. You recall Gigi mentioning something about that.
>>740239Not just any water. Space Water™.
>>740236>>740234>>740231>>740230>>740228"Wait hold on, can we like think this through before we- Ah. Welp. Nice knowing you guys." Chekhooves quietly resigns himself to his fate as Frank assumes direct control.
As you approach, you start getting garbled transmissions from the fighters through your open comms system. It's too fuzzy to make anything out, but it sounds like typical battle chatter. The battle rages as you get closer to the leviathan, both parties seeming to be on equal footing.
As you draw close enough to be in firing range, something strange happens. The ships start retreating, and the leviathan seems to just… freeze, all of a sudden. As if suddenly completely paralyzed. Before you can process this, the monster begins to fade away from the tail up, disintegrating into glowing blue pixels.
"What the fuck?…"
The cockpit's comms panel lights up and starts beeping insistently. Seems you have an incoming transmission from… someone.
No.740241
>>740240"Did we just wander into a Holovid filming?" she asked curiously as she moved up to the cockpit to investigate.
[1d10] Perception?
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740242
>>740240Fir sets his bottle down and lets out an annoyed snort, before trying (and failing) to wrest the controls back. His tense demeanor fades once the creatures seems to freeze suddenly, and disintegrate away. He processes it for a little, before flicking his ears and clicking at the comm panel.
No.740243
>>740240"We just interfered in some corporate paramilitary's training, didn't we." He says, walking towards the comm.
No.740244
>>740243>>740240"That or the next blockbuster." Vandal says, more interested than before.
No.740245
>>740240"Ready your spears, men!" Frank shouts, taking aim at the whale. "Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake-" He stops as the leviathan slowly starts to disintigrate. "Awe. No way. I was just getting into character."
Gigi, on the other hand, hyperventilates as she hangs onto whatever is closest for dear life. "Is it over already?" she asks. "What happened?"
No.740246
>>740244"Think we should audition?" He says with a small chuckle.
No.740247
>>740245"It wasn't real, it seems."
No.740248
>>740247Gigi's poofed feathers smooth back out a little as she relaxes some. "No way, seriously? And they didn't have some kind of transmition letting folks know to stay away?" She takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "Well," she says. "That's a good thing, right? We're not gonna be eaten by a space leviathan?"
No.740249
>>740241>>740242>>740243>>740244>>740245An angry female voice blares abruptly from the panel. Chekhooves almost falls out of his seat.
"Would you KINDLY fuck off our set?! We've been prepping for this shoot for eight hours! Eight hours of rehearsal, gear testing, filming, all ruined! Whatever happened to keeping sets off limits!""Calm down, we can just do another take." The second voice is a much calmer male.
"'Sides, I kind of like it. Mysterious ship flies past, sees our heroes in danger, joins the fight, then leaves, never to be seen again. Very old fashioned.""Are… You're not seriously considering giving them a part? You're kidding, right?""Yeah, why not. Could use an extra in the shoot. We don't even have to change the script that much. The boys are good at improv. Hell, they don't even need lines.""Unbelievable. You've lost your mind, Jaster. I did NOT spend the last six weeks writing this sequence for you to change things at the last minute!""Hey, let's just try a take with it, and if it doesn't work, we don't have to use it. Come on, Cyn. Live a little.""I… Ugh. Fine. Don't blame me if they fuck everything up. This is already going to absolutely ruin our schedule."Jaster addresses you.
"How about it spacers? Wanna be in the next season of Nebula Sojourn?"You've heard of this series. It's a fairly popular adventure show that's been on the air for about four seasons now. A sort of villain of the week setup.
"Course, we won't be able to give you any lines, seeing as this is improv and all. Plus we'd have to pay you extra. But we can try a take of the sequence where you come in and join the hunt. Interested?" No.740250
>>740249"I… hrm. What do all of you think?" Fir asks, turning to look at the others.
No.740251
>>740249"I thought that show got cancelled… Then again I haven't watched it in like 4 years so for all I know it wasn.'t" she muttered "Er sure, more cash is never a bad thing. Might even get our names out there."
No.740252
>>740249>>740250>>740251"I'm not gonna fuck with an acting union, and this isn't even our ship. I don't think we should like, get in a film with a rental." Vandal's whiskers twitch.
No.740253
>>740249"No way, Nebula Sojourn?" Gigi asks. "Let's do it! I didn't even realize-" She seems to catch herself getting a little overexcited, and clears her throat. "Seems like it could be pretty cool," she adds nonchalantly.
"As captain of this ship, I hereby volunteer all of us as extras!" Frank says. "Ready your spears once more, lads, for me leg of ivory tingles with the call of the whale!"
No.740254
>>740252"AAnd yet you seemed fine rushing into an active battle?"
No.740255
>>740249"Not a great idea to show our heads." He says to the rest. "Sorry folks, you can't afford my royalties." He says with his usual too-smug-for-his-own-good demeanor.
No.740256
>>740254"But I didn't say that at all, I said hang back until it was decided.." Vandal squints at her dragon friend.
No.740257
>>740252>>740255"Considering we might have a bounty on our heads, it's probably best we avoid this."
No.740258
>>740256"Point stands. This is markedly safer."
No.740259
>>740256>>740255"Easy!" Frank says. "You guys can hide under a tarp so nobody sees you until the shoot is over. I do it all the time. It's surprisingly effective. That way nobody will know we're wanted criminals-" His voice modulator sparks and he repeats, "We're wanted criminals- We're wanted criminals."
No.740260
>>740259>>740258>>740257>>740256>>740255There's a disappointed sigh.
"Alright, fair enough. I won't pry what you've been getting into. Just uh, try and stay out of the way. We've already lost quite a bit of time. Alright, places everyone! Take… 8? 9? I lost count. Gromit, how long till we get the holowhale back online? …An hour? Shit."You watch the fighters get back into position, and a shimmer start to materialize to create the holowhale. Chekhooves looks on. "…Well. That was something. Probably for the best we don't call attention to ourselves. Let's get a move on, yeah?"
No.740261
>>740260Fir offers a soft nod, before looking at the bottle in the cupholder again and shaking his head. "At least this time it wasn't a hallucination."
No.740262
>>740260The shanty music slows to a crawl before stopping completely, and Frank's entire body seems to sag. "Okay," he says. "I guess let's just go turn this job in. I probably would've just messed things up anyway." He falls completely silent as he steers the ship back on path.
Gigi knits her brow, but lets him go for now.
No.740263
>>740260"Sorry about it, but keep us in mind. We'll be onworld. Who knows, us here at the wrong time and the right place could make all the difference." He says, stepping away from the comm.
No.740264
>>740260The dragon shrugged and part of her regretted not doing it but perhaps there would be future endeavors she could join into.
"Suppose I should get paid and get my arm fixed completely anyway." she said as she felt the dull pain throb through it.
No.740265
>>740263>>740260She paused and chimed in "Yeah if you need a badass dragon girl, just hit me up, I would love to show my stuff." she said putting on the haughty voice.
No.740266
>>740260"Lesss gettamove on." Vandal kicks back in her bed.
No.740267
>>740261>>740262>>740263>>740264>>740266"Yeah. If we run into each other again, maybe. Good luck out there, spacers."Frank and Fir get the ship back into gear, blasting off towards Delphi. A few more uneventful hours go by, until you start to reach the sprawling spaceport.
>Reposting description for Gigi/Frank: Orbiting a white star, Delphi is a vast megastructure resembling a large central pillar with two rings around its center. Your ship approaches one of these rings steadily, and you begin to see other space traffic in the surrounding area.
As the ship draws closer, the ring starts to loom closer, and you begin to take in the sheer scale of the station. It must be the size of a small moon, and from the looks of it, construction has begun on making it even larger. Now dominating your view, a series of panels open up on its surface in an aperture pattern, allowing your shuttle entrance to one of the docking bays. You pass through a force field of some sort, common in such bays, protecting the station from the vacuum of space.
The rest of you know this docking bay from the coordinates: it's the same place you picked up the ship from. It's a wide open hangar with a few low tier workers and robots tending to other ships.
It's not long after landing before you see someone approach the ship. She is a lilac kirin with a straight, well kept red mane, wearing sunglasses and a red jacket. She looks up at the cockpit quizzically and gives you all a little wave, beckoning you to come down. She seems to know why you're here.
No.740268
>>740267Areia stepped off and immediately went looking for a proper med center "Just wire me my cut, I need to get this taken care of before I get nerve damage or something."
No.740269
>>740267>>740267>>740268>>740266>>740263>>740261Frank sighs, turns around, and walks back into the ship with his head hanging. "I'll be here if anyone needs me. I really don't feel up to dealing with socializing right now."
Gigi looks back at him and turns to the others. "Is, uh… is that okay with everyone? You guys said this is a rental, right? Is this where we're dropping it off?"
No.740270
>>740269I guess?" she shrugged "Our contact to this guy is fish food on the last planet, just trying to go through the motions right now to be fair."
No.740271
>>740267"Right then." Gale says, hopping up and slyly tucking his pistol into it's holster. "Who's coming with me to turn this cube in?"
No.740272
>>740269"A lot of things are… messed up right now, so stay here if you need to."
>>740267Fir steps off of the ship, keeping his hardlight antlers off for the time being. He'll walk up to the kirin that beckoned him from the cockpit, and clears his throat a little as he waits for her to start.
No.740273
>>740271>>740267"I'm just wondering how we'll properly explain how stuff went down. Figure we should have a way of explaining things before we show up." Vandal says, looking at the scorch stains, "Otherwise they might all try to take us in when we get there."
No.740274
>>740273"Simple, Green tried to go into business for herself, we stopped her."
No.740275
>>740272Gigi shrugs. "Alright, bud," she says. "They say it's alright for you to stay here. I'll be back in a bit."
"Sure," Frank mumbles. "If you actually come back that'd make you a better person than me. I'd just leave me to rust after all I put you through."
Gigi sighs. "We'll talk when I get back. Just don't mess with anything, alright?"
No.740276
>>740273"Sure, sure. But we don't answer if they don't ask. Got it?"
No.740277
>>740268>>740271>>740272>>740273>>740269The kirin approaches you all as you disembark. You notice she's not alone; a robot is hovering behind her, little more than a floating black box with a single red photoreceptor.
She looks you all up and down, then smiles warmly. "You're the ones Ochi sent on the Faora job, yeah? He couldn't be here, so he sent me to come and check it out. He's watching though." She nods at the floating robot and extends a hoof. "I'm Luv."
She does a quick head count and frowns a little. "Hm. I don't recognize you, or you," she says quizzically, glancing at Gigi and Chekhooves. "Where's Green? Did you manage to get the box back?"
She does a bit of a double take as she sees Areia. "Geez. You look rough. Need a patch job? Ochi can pull some strings to get free care here. He's kind of a big deal here, y'know."
No.740278
>>740277Green tried to kill me and take the box for herself after I nearly got my arm lopped off by a pirate. She shows the ruined chest plate and the blast mark in her ribs as evidence.
"I did not take kindly to that nor did my friends. She was punished for trying to go into business for herself." she sighed "But free care sounds great." she said holding out the box with her good arm. before pulling it back warily
"You're legit right? I don't need another hole in my torso."
No.740279
>>740278"What did I just say…"
>>740277"Green isn't here. We have your cube. The other two can introduce themselves."
No.740280
>>740277Gigi awkwardly shuffles as attention is brought to her, and she steps back a little, trying to hide herself in the party. "Gigi," she mumbles, not making eye contact. "Was around when they started the job. Ended up sorta helping out a little."
No.740281
>>740279She shot him a quick text message
Look at this way, its a free pass to throw Green under the bus, take it and run with it. No.740282
>>740277"Green tried to reduce how much she'd have to split the reward. We picked up some new faces, and we've got the box."
The buck reaches out with one of his hooves, and shakes Luv's.
No.740283
>>740277"Yeah, Green tried to kill Areia for the cube and then tried to put bounties on stuff we literally couldn't have had time to do so." Vandal says, hissing discontently, "I'm pissed."
No.740284
>>740278"Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I be. Think of it as part of the reward."
>>740280The kirin looks you and Chekhooves up and down as the latter introduces himself in a similarly awkward fashion. "Huh. Well, the more the merrier," she shrugs. "You looking for Guild work with these guys, or just passing through?"
>>740278>>740279>>740280>>740282>>740283Luv's lip curls in distaste as you recount your experience with her. She seems to get the implication. "Never much liked her," she comments, and doesn't pry.
She takes the cube eagerly, showing it off to Ochi, beaming excitedly. "Phew. You can't imagine how hard Ochi's been pushed to get this back. You did the Guild a solid. And to the victors, go the spoils. Eh?"
She reaches down to a floating carrier she has with her, producing a container. She opens it, revealing many gleaming stacks of florins. "2000 florins, as agreed. Do with them what you will, spacers. Welcome to the Guild."
"Now then. How's about we get your friend here patched up first, hm? Ochi'll take a gander at the ship, see the shape it's in, and we can talk future business from there." She opens the docking bay doors, looking back at you expectantly.
No.740285
>>740284She nodded as she took her 400 for now and groaned "Yeah a doctor sounds nice. Aside from his use of a robot, this Ochi guy seems decent."
No.740286
>>740284"You all weren't kidding around when you said no questions. What's the history of this Guild? And why's Ochi so busy all the time?" He says, as he walks back towards the ship, gesturing Luv to enter.
No.740287
>>740284Fir shrugs a bit, and says "I suppose it's split less ways now, so she got what she wanted."
At the mention of patching up, the elk's ears flick a couple of times and he nods. "Right. The dragon needs… a lot of work. What we gave her was glorified first aid." he says, taking his cut and heading for the doors.
"Sounds like a deal. Will you call us when Ochi's ready to talk?"
No.740288
>>740287"You gave me more than that before Fir, you're A-okay in my book bud."
No.740289
>>740284Frank lazily lumbers around the ship, poking and prodding things, finding himself completely disinterested in anything.
>>740284Gigi smiles as she sees the Florins. "Definitely looking for work," she says. That's 22% of the way so far! At this rate she'd break even and then some! She takes her share.
No.740290
She paused and put some of her cash back to pay for Chekhooves because she felt she'd get some kind of dirty glare from Vandal if she didn't. She didn't need that right now.
No.740291
>>740284"Right uhh… where would I turn in those bounties on the pirates? I snapped a few pictures while I was out there."
No.740292
>>740286"Well, we're still trying to get a foothold in the 'verse, you know. Ochi's one of the ones trying to really get it off the ground. Build a reputation, make connections, that sort of thing. It's part of why he was desperate enough to let a bunch of new faces like you take the Faora job. He's what they call an Ear for the guild. Issues jobs, manages finances, keeps touch with all our contacts, all that jazz. So you can imagine he takes his job very seriously. Don't get offended if he can't show up. That's what he has people like me for. I mean I haven't even met him myself."
>>740287>>740285"Yeah, I can see that," she says, looking at Areia again with a bit of a grimace. "Come on. Let's get that patched up. Can't have you bleeding everywhere."
>>740287"Oh, I'll be coming along. The injuries may look bad, but nothing we can't patch up in a few minutes. We've got some real good med tech here on Delphi. Prolly some of the best this wing of the 'verse."
>>740289Frank sees the Ochi drone float in, starting to take silent survey of the surroundings, scanning all the damage done to the ship. When it comes to Frank, it starts scanning him profusely, seemingly identifying an anomaly.
>>740289She grins. "Good. Ochi's sent me a list of jobs we can hand out to you guys. Let's just deal with the dragon first and then talk business."
>>740291"Bounties, huh? You'd have to talk to the local lawmen for that. …Well, actually, hold on." She checks a datapad. "Never mind. Ochi's got a contact with them too. So uh, talk to me I guess."
>>740291>>740289>>740287>>740286>>740285You all take your share of the money, Chekhooves scarcely able to believe his fortune. He tucks it away and keeps it close and safe.
Luv is about to lead the way when she gets a notification on her datapad. She frowns and takes a look. "Uh, did you guys bring a 'bot back from the mission? Ochi wants to know what's up with that."
No.740293
>>740292Areia was gonna make some remark about him being some kind of stowaway but she decided to stay quiet for now.
No.740294
>>740292"Talk to you, alright, I think I was doing that." Vandal says confused, tail swishing, "You mean show you the pictures orr?"
No.740295
>>740292"Hi," Frank mumbles to the robot. "Another day another florin living the dream of mindlessly slaving away for our masters, yeah? My name is Frank."
>>740292Gigi sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "Damn it Frank," she grumbles. "Yeah, he's mine. Did he do something?"
No.740296
>>740288Fir shrugs a little in response, but he looks a little more relieved than he let's on.
>>740292"Part of one, and one that belongs to one of the new faces. Which one?" He asks, following along to see Areia to somewhere that can patch her back up.
No.740297
>>740292"Shadowy bossman. Huh." He says until Luv asks about Organic "Riight, we uh stole/requisitioned/liberated/unwittingly had come with us a medical robot from the pirates. They're alright, but a bit beat up right now."
No.740298
>>740296She was genuinely happy to have the company for now.
No.740299
>>740294"Yeah, right, do that." She looks about as confused as you. "I'll be honest, I dunno how to do this properly, but I'll figure it out. Let's see what you got…"
You show her the pictures and she fiddles with her datapad for a bit. It seems to take her a bit to figure it out. "Ah. There we go. All signed and sealed. Good bit of haul you brought in, those guys were worth quite a bit."
>+1100 florins>>740295No response from the Ochi drone.
"Not really. You might want to get him off board though, this ship's gonna be going out for repairs. Don't worry, you guys aren't in trouble or anything. I mean you would be, but really, you guys saved our necks, so you're off the hook this time. Just be a bit more careful with rentals next time. Or something." She shrugs.
>>740296"Part of one?" Luv echoes with a bit of confusion. "Did you scrap one on the way or something?"
>>740297"Huh. Well, maybe I could have a look. I'm something of a roboticist myself, you know."
>>740293>>740294>>740295>>740296>>740297Gigi retrieves Frank from the ship, and with the party gathered, you venture forth.
Reposting description:
The streets of the spaceport of Delphi are bustling with life, all manner of spacers from all corners of the Realms congregating on the one space station. You can see several shops and office buildings lining either side of the streets, and street vendors and performers can be spotted on every corner trying to eke out a living. Giant holograms in a plethora of forms walk the streets freely alongside real people, going mostly ignored by those accustomed to the sight, acting as walking billboards. The occasional robot flies past overhead or trundles past, on some private business.
Luv leads you to a more secluded place, where white plastic film curtains flank some sort of laboratory in a corner of the space station. It seems like some sort of medical center; robots and workers alike are tending to injured or sickly spacers, many wearing full scrubs and face masks. You give them a wide berth as Luv asks around for a bit.
Eventually, she leads you to a back room, where a medical station with a plethora of supplies is set. A much more professional medical robot than Organic is present there, serving as assistant to a unicorn dressed as a medic. She seems to be a magical healer, judging from the insignia and the long, beak-like mask. He nods to you silently and gestures for Areia to lie down on the bed.
"Are any of you guys hurt?" Luv asks the rest of you. "The healers here can have you patched in a matter of minutes."
No.740300
>>740299Areia showed off her damaged arm and the blaster burn in her ribs as she let the medics take their time to work on her.
No.740301
>>740299"Yeah," Frank says. "I'd ignore me if I could too." He quietly follows Gigi out after she picks him up.
Gigi shakes her head. "Managed to get out without getting dinged up too bad, thank you."
No.740302
>>740299"I got knocked around, but not as much as the rest. Take care of them first. I'll wait." He says, taking a seat.
No.740303
>>740299"Scrap of one, yeah. I'm sure you meant that one, though." he points out Frank.
He follows Luv to the back room, ducking his head and stepping inside to take a look around. "Aside from Areia? Not sure who else got terribly hurt."
No.740304
>>740299"I think all I need is a sewing kit, only thing that got damaged was my hoodie."
She looks to Aeria getting healed up, continuing to speak to Luv, "How much will that cost? I can cover it."
No.740305
>>740303Frank's chassis pops open, revealing what's left of Organic, but he doesn't say anything.
No.740306
>>740304"Beats me. Guild isn't really into fixing hoodies," she says with a bit of a grin. "I'm sure you can find someone to fix that around here somewhere."
>>740300>>740301>>740302>>740303>>740304The medics get to work, eerily silent as they begin to cast healing spells on Areia's arm and torso. It feels like a thousand pinpricks, but eventually, the uncomfortable feeling fades, and Areia's wounds are fully mended. It's as if nothing had happened, save for some temporary stiffness, and some scarring which will probably stay forever.
>Areia is fully healed!"Hey, welcome back to the world of the living," says Luv cheerily. "You look great."
"Now, are you guys gonna hang around here for a bit? Or are you ready to take on another job? I were you I'd take a bit of downtime, lick your wounds, see what you can get for your hard earned money. But I can rattle off the jobs now if you want."
No.740307
>>740306"Downtime might be good- we'd have time to gear up and gt ready. Though, either way, it might be good to have at least an idea of what sort of jobs are up. Harder to prepare for the unknown."
No.740308
>>740306Downtime sounds nice." she said as she got up and stretched out a bit feeling much better "I gotta go browse a few shops anyway. Get my armor fixed and maybe upgraded."
No.740309
>>740306"I need to do a bit of shopping. Nearly out of bullets. Any sort of armory or weapons dealer out here?" He asks Luv.
No.740310
>>740307>>740306"Yeah, I kinda wanna make sure we at least have a job lined up before we go shopping for anything."
No.740311
>>740306"Yeah, I can do with some downtime. Might take Frank to go do something fu-"
At the mention of getting out and doing something Frank perks up. "Yeah! A good wind-down after a hard couple of days work! What do you guys have to do in this station? Arcades? Oh! Do you have skee ball? I love skee ball!"
No.740314
>>740311She takes a step back, raising her eyebrows at Frank's sudden outburst. "Whoa, easy there, bot. I don't know about arcades, but there's a casino over in Gamma District, I guess. I mean I'm sure there's one somewhere here. This place is huge."
>>740309>>740308"Well, there's Chopper's chop shop. He's a scrapper. One of ours. Brings in stray bits and bobs from all over the 'verse and tinkers with 'em. If you're in the market for upgrades and such, you should talk to him."
"Otherwise, you could try going to the Sommelier. He's, uh, kind of hard to reach. Don't even know his proper name. But he's got all kinds of weapons and armor for sale. Kind of an eccentric. Runs a restaurant around here. Pretty sure he's in with Yellow Hand. Don't trust him myself, but he has a good selection for when you really want to deal some damage. Or protect yourself. Either or."
"If you want something more conventional, there's plenty of traditional gun stores and such around here. Too many to name, really. You could try any of them."
>>740308>>740307>>740309>>740310>>740311"Alright, let's see here…" She pushes a button on the side of her sunglasses, and the tints fade to become regular reading glasses. She peers down her snout at the listing.
"Hm. There's these religious fanatics that have been mobilizing a few systems from here. Dragon cultists, calling themselves Sons of the Golden Claw. They've been harassing the settlers over on planet Kaluth for a while now. They want a gang of ours to scare 'em off planet. Peacefully," she emphasizes. "These guys have warlocks on their side. You don't want to mess with them too much. 1500 bits for the job. …Since the ship's out for repairs though, you'd have to find a transport yourselves by hitching a ride."
What else… Hm. Something a bit more local. Small job, but it'll pay well. There's a bounty out for this guy who crossed a local crime boss. Something about not paying a debt, or whatever, I dunno. We don't ask questions. They want someone to find the guy and bring him in. …At Ochi's. Huh. Must be a middleman then. Er, the guy you'd be looking for is called Rinzler. Diamond Dog, gold fur, missing an ear. He was last seen in Delta District. Dunno how keen you are on detective work." She shrugs. "He's worth 900."
"Anything else? Oh yup, here we go. …Hm. Another offworld job. There's a science station that wants a hand investigating this new dwarf planet. They need a group to go with their science team and scout it out. Help investigate the planet itself. Might be interesting. Transport's provided by the client too. Another 2000 bits in it for you guys if you take it."
"That's all I've got for now. If you stick around I might be able to pull up more later."
No.740315
>>740314"The latter two both sound like decent picks, in my opinion." the elk says, humming a little.
No.740316
>>740314"The Dragon Cultists sounds kind of weird. But I also might wanna check it out. Also I'll swing by that choppers place. He might have some stuff I can use." she said stretching out a bit "Anybody wanna join me or should I fly solo here?"
No.740317
>>740314"The ones with the fake names always sell the best stuff." He says, smiling. "I'd go for the local gig. Wanna get to know this place better. But it's up to you guys." He says, heading off to search for Sommelier.
No.740318
>>740314>>740315>>740316>>740317"I don't like the middle one, guy could just be down on his luck. I don't feel like roughing him up cause he took a loan to send his kid to college or something. One and three sound alright." Vandal asserts.
No.740319
>>740314>>740316"I think I'll go with you to Chopper's," Gigi says. She rolls her eyes. "And then if they let bots play I'll give you a cut so you can hit up the casino, Frank. If not then I guess we'll look for an arcade, but I wouldn't hold your breath on that one."
Frank spins in a circle. "Woohoo! Hookers and blackjack here I come, baby!" he says. "Minus the hookers. And I'm not really a blackjack kinda guy. More of roulette. So roulette and skee ball, here I come, baby!"
Gigi shakes her head, but chuckles. "Anyway, either of the last two sound good. Don't like the idea of hitch-hiking, so probably put a hold on the first and see if it's still there later."
No.740320
>>740319>>740318"Guess I'll throw my vote to three and then we can see if the cults still there." she said as she motioned for Gigi to follow. If nothing else this was good chance to socialize.
No.740321
>>740318>>740317>>740316>>740315>>740319"Well, you don't have to decide on anything now," says Luv as you walk. "None of these jobs are moving much yet. Think it over, why don't you."
"That reminds me. Ochi said to give you this. Here." She offers a small, black disc shaped device with a few buttons on the perimeter - a Portavox. Kind of an alternative to the earpieces you've received so far, a Portavox can get in touch with any other Portavox it's been synced to, allowing for hologram calls between both of them. She holds up her own Portavox. "Ping me when you've decided on something," she says with a wink. "For now, I've got some other fish to fry. Catch you around, spacers."
With that, Luv takes her leave, trotting off into the crowd and soon vanishing into it, leaving you all to your own devices.
>pausing No.740765
>>740321Areia continued on her way to the scrap shop presumably being tailed by Gigi as she did so.
No.740766
>>740321"Well, alright- I think I'm going to take some time to look for a bit of gear. Need the break, anyways." the elk says, stretching out and letting out a small huff.
No.740767
>>740321"Fancy gear." He says, taking a Portavox and continuing his trot towards Sommelier's.
No.740768
>>740767Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740769
>>740766[1d10]
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.740770
>>740765[1d10] Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.740771
>>740320Gigi and Frank both follow Areia.
[1d10]Navigation
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.740772
>>740771So aside from having a sidekick who makes me want to jump into a star, what can you tell me about yourself Gigi."
No.740773
>>740321Vandal nods to Luv, "Thanks, you have a nice night."
>>740320"You mind if I don't tag along this time A? I wanna do some graffiti to get some stress out, prefer it to be in some richer d-bag neighborhoods though." Vandal leans on Areia for a bit, "Glad you were able to get fixed up so quickly."
>>740769Given Gigi is following Aeria and Gale's a dickhead, Vandal decides to follow the elk on his journey. "Hey! Wait up big guy- no reason to go by ourselves just after getting paid. Don't want you getting jumped."
[1d10] nav
Roll #1 4 = 4 No.740774
>>740773Fir slows down a little and turns to look at Vandal, before shrugging a bit. "Fair enough. I don't mind the company, honestly."
No.740775
>>740773"Yeah go ahead Whiskers. I got Gigi and the walking ad for voluntary lobotomies with me."
No.740776
>>740765>>740771You make your way through the streets of Delphi together, looking for the chop shop Luv mentioned. It doesn't take too long to find it; after asking for directions, you come across the place.
Reposting description:
Moving past a mothbitten curtain in the doorway of a hovel in a dead end alley, you enter Chopper's shop. It's about what you expected: Bits and pieces of machinery are scattered everywhere carelessly, robots half stripped for parts strewn over metal benches like they're being operated on. Rickety, rusted shelves host all manner of mechanical bits and bobs. Annoying alien reggae music warbles over an unseen speaker.
"Someone there?"
Knocking some robot parts over carelessly, a filthy looking Dog emerges from one of the back rooms of the workshop; at least, half of one. This Dog appears to have been in a grievous accident at some point in the past, as his legs have been replaced by a metal prosthetic, allowing him to hover a few feet off the ground. He wears enormous brass goggles, making his eyes appear enormous, and his long, shaggy fur and whiskers give him the impression of having a great big bushy beard.
Chopper floats over to you, looking you up and down, adjusting his goggles to get a good look. "Hrm. New faces," he grunts. "What can I do ya for?"
>>740766>>740773You head to a port district, keeping an eye out for shipyards as you traverse Delphi's many sectors. It doesn't take long to find one; a small scrap shop like any other is positioned in front of what appears to be a large hangar bay, with a variety of ships on display, guarded by security robots. The assumed proprietor approaches as you look around, a scrappy looking saurian in a ripped up sleeveless jacket. He has heterochromia. "Heya," he says cordially, tucking away a screwdriver he was holding. "Can I help you?"
>>740767You go off on your own, making your way to a more ritzy part of town. Well, there's less street rabble and dilapidated infrastructure, at least. The denizens of this district look a bit more upper class. You happen across the rather tacky looking restaurant fairly quickly: Café Salmonella. It's fish themed.
A fancy looking Felid waiter with a fish shaped badge is stationed at the entrance. He looks you up and down as you approach. "Good day. Do you have a reservation?"
No.740777
>>740776I'm looking to get my armor patched up and maybe some improvements to it while I'm here/" she said as she took off her armor. She did keep a basic bodysuit underneath for comfort as she slid it over the counter "Think that's possible?"
No.740778
>>740776"Window-shopping for a small ship. Can't buy right away, but we're wanting something to start saving for." the elk says, glancing to the displayed ships for a moment.
No.740779
>>740776"I would like to make one. Table for zero." He says, lowering his voice as he continues. "I've got quite a bit more florins than I need, and would like to exchange them for some more practical… problem solving equipment." He says, trying to keep the conversation looking as natural as possible.
No.740780
>>740776>what species?>>740778Holding back from spray painting stuff in another scrapyard, Vandal nods at Fir's response, "Something for half a dozen or so spacers. It's good to visualize your goals and all."
No.740781
>>740775Frank gives a little excited bounce at the complement. "Oh, I don't know. Do you really think I'm a good enough actor to act in an ad? Was it the line delivery at the whale? It was the line delivery at the whale, wasn't it? That was entirely spontaneous, you know. Didn't reherse it at all."
>>740772Gigi shifts a little as Areia's attention focuses on her. "Well," she says. "I, uh… I've been-" Her voice cracks, and she blushes and clears her throat, unable to make eye contact. "-been into electronics and gadgets for a long time. It's how I got into scrapping." She falls silent for several moments before adding, "Was there something specific you wanted to know or something? I'm not good at this."
"Hey, you got one good step, giggles!" Frank says, patting Gigi on the shoulder. "A good rule of thumb to keep small-talk going is to use the FORM! Family, Occupation, Recreation, Motivation. A lot of the books I've read about connecting with other people reccomend it."
Gigi deadpans and rolls her eyes. "Yeah," she says. "Thanks, bud. Anyway," she turns her attention back to Areia. "You?"
No.740782
>>740781I made a name for myself in scrapping too though that was more for breaking robots down for it. Then I turned to the hired muscle game to try and put all the muscles I have to work. Kinda how I ended up here. And you can tell me anything you want there Gigi, just want to get to know ya a bit."
No.740783
>>740776"Well," Gigi says, taking a step forward. "Don't know about her, but I'm here to unload some bot scrap. Basically everything off a medbot besides the medical tools and its personality core." Gigi steps to the side, letting Frank step up beside her and pop his chassis.
No.740784
>>740783"Well I've got the core in my belongings so shouldn't worry about that too much Gigi." she said doing her best to tune out Frank for now.
No.740785
>>740782"Yeah, I've done a lot of robot deconstruction. That's actually how I found Frank."
"I was a maintenance bot at a factory! They tried to destroy me. It was horrifying!"
"Anyway, whoever was supposed to wipe him did a piss poor job of it and that let me tinker with him. He had some really simple AI before, but I sorta jurry rigged the code and mixed it with some AI firmware I'd been working on to give him a more sophisticated AI so he could help me out. A little bootleg but it-" She clears her throat, trying to decide what to say about it. "Worked?"
"I can comprehend my own mortality!"
"Anyway, yeah. Mostly raiding junkyards and ship graveyards. Pretty pissed about the teeth. Place was supposed to be a fucking goldmine."
No.740786
>>740784"Well, yeah, but I figured you wouldn't wanna sell that so I excluded it."
No.740788
>>740786I get it, just clarifying for both our sakes." she stretched a bit "I can somewhat see why you saved the tin can back there but I would have given him a better personality personally." she said as she waited for the shopkeeps answer.
No.740789
>>740777Chopper grabs the armor and examines it with his giant goggles. "It is," he says plainly. "Could make it stronger overall, or give it an infusion to protect against stuff. Fire, dark magic, cold, you name it. 400 florins per upgrade. Interested?"
>>740778>>740780"Aha. Right this way then."
He unlocks the gate to the hangar, displaying the four different ships he has for sale:
There is a Dragonfly, the same model as the Party Boat you used in your last mission. It's practical and cheap, if rather cramped. 4000 florins.
The one next to it is a Weta. Much larger and more roomy, but quite basic. 6000 florins.
On the right of that is an Albatross. Heavier fare, with several turrets, spacious room, and a module for an AI unit to help pilot. 9000 florins.
Finally, there's the Perentie. Equipped with four deployable cannons, room enough for a dozen crew, a cargo hold, a full AI pilot and security system to prevent ship hijacking, and even a maintenance robot thrown in to sweeten the deal. 14000 florins.
>>740779He nods. "I see. Just a moment, please."
The waiter vanishes into the restaurant, coming out a few minutes later. "The Sommelier will see you now." He motions to escort you onward, keeping the door open.
>>740783"Hm. Well, let's see what you've got then." He folds his arms as Frank unloads the remains, raising an eyebrow.
"Huh. There's some good components in this thing. I were you I'd hold on to em and try and build yourself another bot. But if you wanna be rid of 'em, I'll give you, say, 350 for the lot?"
No.740790
>>740789She winced a bit at the price IS it 400 just to make it stronger?" she asked "I might wanna give the helmet the ability to seal off for space too if that's not too much."
She paused and went rummaging in her pack "Oh wait I got something I can sell too." she pulled out the loot "I got a brain module or two from some mining bots I had to deal with."
No.740791
>>740789"Hrm… Weta might be good to aim for. Not being cramped, or… being less cramped, at least, would be pretty nice."
No.740792
>>740789>>740778"Y'know, with our first gig doing pretty okay despite complications, these don't seem that far off, huh Fir? I can imagine us saving for these."
Vandal turns back to the proprietor. "Can we take a look inside? I kinda wanna see living space and whatnot, what comes default."
No.740793
>>740792"Definitely don't seem too far off, you're right. I'm less used to smaller ships, honestly, so we'll probably want to check with the others. We're just mulling things over right now, anyways."
No.740794
>>740789Gigi shrugs. "I'd considered it, honestly." She looks the parts over and hums. It'd be a pain to hook Frank up to a fourth bot, but as the parts are right now they're a little impractical, and actually modifying them would be way more work than it was worth. "Nah," she says. "If I build a robot I'd want something a little different. Good lookin out, though, man. I'll take the 350."
>>740788"Hey, rude," Frank says. Gigi, on the other hand, puts the conversation on hold.
No.740796
>>740793"Yeah, Weta's on my mind, no reason to bust the bank, especially with the Green situation before. Not saying any of us'll betray eachother again, but no reason to make a big ol' investment super early."
No.740797
>>740790"That'd be an extra 200," he says plainly. "Them's the charges for the work that goes into it."
"Hm." He grabs it and takes a closer look. "This isn't bad. Can rework this into wiring for your suit. Tell you what. I'll do a job for 250 plus the module. What do you reckon?"
>>740794"Righto." He rummages around a rusty desk and transfers the money over to you before rummaging around in Frank carelessly for the robot parts, taking them all.
>+350 florins No.740798
>>740797Deal" She said grabbing the Florins to pay him for his work.
"Kind of a weird follow up question but do you have something… vaguely phallic I can put a personality core into? I need to let the robot inside it know I was serious about what I said."
No.740799
>>740796" I won't. Not sure about the others, though."
No.740800
>>740797"Cool, cool." She takes and pockets the Florins. "Just one more question. Know where the nearest PA terminal is? I wanna grab a map of the place so I don't get lost trying to find places."
No.740801
>>740789"Many thanks." Gale says, following the kind waiter.
No.740802
>>740792>>740791"Sure, take a look."
He pulls out a remote and clicks it, opening the Weta class ship. Inside, it's not unlike the Party Boat:
The loading ramp opens to a spacious interior full of empty plastic storage crates is flanked by ladders, catwalks and scaffolding, granting access to other parts of the ship.
Directly above the cargo hold is the galley, with a dining table and a full kitchen.
Towards the front of the ship are the crew quarters: ten separate empty rooms all in all, accessed by ladders. An escape pod is located here.
Past this is the cockpit/bridge, armory, and a second escape pod.
Doubling back, towards the back of the ship is the medical bay, stationed on the lower level adjacent to the cargo hold.
On the upper level at the back is turret access: it comes with one dorsal turret with comprehensive controls. There's also a third escape pod here.
Finally, there's the workshop/engine room/oxygen supply, at the very back of the ship.
No.740803
>>740802>>740799"Yeah like, unless we're warring with pirates or something, why shoot for something bigger? This is comfy." Vandal nods affirmatively, "Maybe two or three jobs away I think, more if we're spending a good deal on gear. We could have this in under a month."
No.740804
>>740803"Hrm… optimistic, but not a bad idea. The AI could help with piloting, since I haven't done much of that in a while."
No.740805
>>740801You follow him onward, into the gaudily decorated Cafe Salmonella. It's quiet inside, with no customers as of yet. The waiter unlocks and opens a double door at the back which leads down a flight of stairs, coming to a room lit with bright white lights. The walls are lined with all manner of firearms and other such weapons, with a door at the back promising even more in stock.
At a central table, a fancily dressed unicorn with a thin mustache is currently disassembling a blaster pistol. He looks up and gives you a white toothed grin as the waiter takes his leave quietly. "Ah, the new client. Welcome, welcome. I'm assuming you're with a guild, to know how to find me so easily. What's on the menu for today, sir?"
No.740806
>>740802>>740804"Oh hey, while we're here I guess, might as well hustle. You need the help of spacers any?" Vandal asks the saurian, "Sidejobs are always nice, and if we're planning to make a purchase anyways, maybe you could pay is in a discount if you have any work."
No.740807
>>740805"Fancy place." Gale says as he walks through the resturant, taking note of his surroundings once he enters the weapon room.
Responding to the dealer, he speaks "Nothing too complicated. I've just started working the guild, so my florins are a bit tight, but I am very sure my patronage will find itself here often." Fancy introduction done, Gale digresses. "For now I am just looking for a butterfly knife. Something quiet, subtle. Sick of wasting bullets on executions. While I think that will be all for today, I do have an interest in any silenced pistols or high quality shotguns." He says in verbosity, still observing the weapons around him, noting prices in his head.
Weapon Perception [1d10+2]
Roll #1 2 + 2 = 4 No.740808
>>740803>>740804The saurian ship trader clears his throat. "Ahem. I can't exactly guarantee it's going to be here forever. Wetas are a popular model after all. Just saying."
He thinks. "Hmm. I can't think of much I don't have covered. Sorry. If you can find ship upgrade parts out there though, I could make good use of them in exchange for a discount."
No.740809
>>740808>>740806"Worth a shot." he mentions to Vandal. "I'm sure we'll swing by in time to buy some sort of ship, at least." the elk says, shrugging his shoulders an heading for the door.
>>740806"So- anything you need to grab? I've got a couple things I'm looking for."
No.740810
>>740798"Ta." He takes the florins and the armor, starting to hover off with it.
>lmk in chat what you're actually getting and I'll post the florin totalHe stops in mid-hover as you ask him, looking at you nonplussed. "Whuh? This some kind of weird fetish thing? We don't do that here. …Come back in an hour or so, I'll have your armor ready by then."
>>740800"Sure, just outside. Can't miss it." He jabs a thumb outside, pointing just out of the alley to a graffitied console on the sidewalk.
No.740811
>>740810Not really a fetish thing more winning a bet with the robot but fine. Bet there's someone willing to do it around here or something."
No.740812
>>740808"Darned economics and it's supply and demand." Vandal crosses their arms, "Hope you'll have one then too anyways, thanks."
>>740809"I kinda wanna save for something a bit expensive. I'm content to just follow around, keep you company." Vandal says, sticking close to the big deer, "Watcha thinking on picking up?"
No.740813
>>740810"Oh. Alright. Sweet, thanks." She looks up at Areia. "Yo, I'm gonna go ahead and do that. Meet you outside." She rummages around in her things for her datapad, pulls it out, and heads out to the console.
No.740814
>>740813"Yeah yeah, be there when I get my stuff back."
No.740815
>>740807You notice one wall is lined with just blades of all conceivable shapes and sizes. Butterfly knives, switchblades, karambits, boot knives, Bowie knives, stilettos, machetes, swords, katanas, even a zweihander. Nothing is price tagged.
The Sommelier nods with a knowing smile. "Most excellent. We might just have a specialty item for you. Might I inquire about your, er, dinner plans?"
No.740816
>>740812"Company's nice." he says, nodding a little. "And, a bit more protective gear. Last couple encounters got closer than I'd like."
No.740817
>>740815"Simple, concealable, and maybe with a pretty design on the side." He says, walking a bit towards a butterfly knife. "Consider this more of a taste test than anything else. I like your style."
On mention of a specialty item, Gale perks up. "And what would that be?"
No.740818
>>740816[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740819
>>740811He shrugs. "I wouldn't know. Remember, back here in an hour. I'll get 'er done."
>Armor upgrade and space vacuum resistance, minus the module cost: total: -450 florins No.740820
>>740814>>740819She turned and followed Gigi out of the place.
No.740821
>>740816"Yeah, imagine it's tough being that big of a target." Vandal muses, swishing her tail as they set out again, "Rest of your family as big as you? Never met many elk before."
>>740810[1d10 nav]
No.740822
>>740820>>740813You wanna try and find that Sommelier's place? He might have something that might fit ya better than the scrap heap here."
No.740823
>>740820Gigi glances over her shoulder as Areia walks out. "You know I can probably make you a giant metal dick to put her in if you can get me the parts, right?"
No.740824
>>740813You head over to the battered console, plugging in your own datapad. A little holographic display pops up, and a data transfer bar begins to load. Before long, you have downloaded a copy of a comprehensive map of this whole region of Delphi; other further sections of the spaceport will require additional data downloads.
No.740825
>>740822"Yeah, that might not be a bad idea. If I'm sticking with you guys I could use some better insurance. Didn't have too many scraps doing what I was doing before so I'm not super prepared."
No.740826
>>740825>>740823I'll take you up on that offer, and sure lemme try and figure out how to get there.
[1d10] Nav
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.740827
>>740824>>740826"Cool. Guess they don't have a map of the whole place set up, but I at least have this region. Anyway, like I was gonna say before, it's a little more complicated than just giving him a personality." She glances over her shoulder, counts out 100 Florins and hands them to Frank along with her datapad. "Here, bud. There's a map on there. Download it and go nuts."
"For me?" Frank says. His voice fluctuates a little, almost, but not quite giving the impression he's acting like he's tearing up. "Wooh!" He spins in a circle. "Arcade slash casino, here I come!" He speeds off, not looking back.
"Meet us back here in an hour!" Gigi calls after him. "I don't want to have to hunt you down ag-" and he's gone. "ain… anyway."
[1d10]Frank navigation to the nearest place with games and totally not getting distracted by the first thing he sees
Roll #1 2 = 2 No.740828
>>740817"A robust choice," he says with a small nod, turning his attention to the butterfly knife. "Concealable, sturdy, reliable. Patterned Boletarian steel. A ridged handle for extra grip, should your hands get wet. Just 80 florins."
He answers your query with the push of a button. A panel on the table opens, revealing even more miscellaneous combat gear within. He picks out a specific pair of black, sleek gloves with wiring across them. "You favor subtlety. Do you not? These specially made Kafrene T300s will provide all your needs in regards to that. Flexible. Unassuming. Loaded with an electric current, for more discrete activities and less… consequential takedowns. They can be yours for 300 florins. Unless… Is the world quiet here?" You're not quite sure what he means by that last question. Sounds like some sort of code.
No.740829
>>740821Fir flicks his ears a little and hums, before responding with "I can take the punishment. You and the others can't. And… more or less. Elk tend to be on the large side, though I'm a little unusual."
No.740830
>>740828Gale eyes over the knife for a bit, but lifts his head when Sommelier says his last question.
"I've learned not to guess at passphrases. Got thrown out of quite a few places that way." His eyes go back to the knife, then towards Sommelier again. "Always interested in a new contact however."
No.740831
>>740816>>740821You wander for a bit, traveling through an industrial district full of half finished buildings and loud construction work. After asking for directions, you come across one of Delphi's many, many stores. This one, uncreatively named "Bob's Discount Spacer Gear", seems to cater to spacers especially, dealing with all manner of travel equipment. It seems they do custom upgrades as well. There's a lazy looking donkey in overalls and a wide brimmed hat nearby, just chilling atop what looks like a salvaged escape pod. He looks you up and down as you approach, nodding in greeting.
No.740832
>>740826>>740825It doesn't end up being too hard to find the place; you simply look for where it's not completely grubby and run down. You wander into a fancy looking street in a district, where the main attraction is a kitsch looking restaurant called Cafe Salmonella. Seems like the right place. There's a stiff looking waiter at the main door, waiting for someone to approach.
>>740827Frank wanders off on his own, sticking with a crowd and eventually getting completely turned around. He has no idea where he is at the moment; certainly nowhere near an arcade or casino. There are, however, a few points of interest:
There seems to be a crowd drawn to some sort of street magician performance.
There's a procession of odd looking ponies, all clad in purple robes, all trudging solemnly in the same direction. They look like genuine wizards.
You see some shady looking individuals conversing near some sort of electronics shop before turning around and entering. They look like crooks to you.
Finally, there's a giant pony shaped hologram walking the streets. Its featureless glowing body displays a variety of ads that run across it. Right now, it seems to be advertising some sort of festival coming up soon.
No.740833
>>740829"Yeah, trust me when I say I understand being being the odd one out. One in three thousand chance of being born." Vandal shrugs, looking about,
>>740831"Ooh, thrift store! I love these." Vandal says, looking up to the donkey, "You Bob?"
No.740834
>>740830He clicks his tongue. "Pity."
"Well, esteemed guest, it will be a mere 380 florins for the Kafrenes and the, er, cutlery. Will you be taking them?"
No.740835
>>740831Fir offers a short nod, and looks around at what's on offer before asking "Looking for protective gear- more for protecting others than myself."
>>740833Fir quirks a brow, and looks Vandal over. "How's that, exactly?"
No.740836
>>740832Hey do you know where this um… Somellier's place is around here?" she asked approaching the waiter.
No.740837
>>740834"Not interested in the gloves. I do have an associate who might be, but the hand shape wouldn't work. Just the knife." He says, reaching to bring out his florins.
No.740838
>>740832Gigi lags behind a little, feeling more and more out of place the closer they get. By the time they're at the restaurant, she's practically hiding behind the much larger dragon.
>>740832Frank's eyes lock onto the robed figures and he lets out an, "Oooh, what's this?" Pulling out some tools and electronic components, he starts to follow them. On the way, he removes one of his occular sensors and attempts to attach it to a propeller, wiring a remote link to it.
[1d10]Go go Gadget flying eye
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.740839
>>740838She looked back and silently put an arm around her to let her know she had her back.
No.740840
>>740835"I don't like chatting about it, just saving up for some medical things. Got used to dodging a fair bit, my bones break easily, among other things." Vandal says, her fur puffing up reflexively as her tail swishes, "It's not a fun topic."
No.740841
>>740840"I can… understand that. I won't push it." the elk says, his voice softening a little.
No.740842
>>740839Gigi gives her a small, appreciative smile and eases up just a little, still not getting much less awkward.
No.740843
>>740833"No one called Bob's ever worked here," he answers with a dry smirk, hopping off the pod to greet you. "I don't think at least. It's just the name of the place. Name's Jemaine. Looking for something in particular, or just perusing the goods?"
>>740835He blinks. "Yeah, I reckon I can do that. Got a good haul in from some spacers last week. Raided an old military base that was abandoned after the war, don'tcha know. Take a look."
He shows you some surprisingly high grade gear he has stashed in the store, most of which looks like it could be used as an upgrade for your armor:
He has a shock absorbent unit for 200 bits.
>Grants +2 max hits at the start of combat, removed when you go helpless. Does not recharge until the end of combat.A fire retardant underarmor mesh for 150 bits.
>passive; -1 hit taken from fire damage attacksA hard light disc shield for 400 bits.
>passive; acts as per Shield rules, but can be thrown as a Ranged weapon. Doing so removes the bonus hit and has a recharge of 2 before it reactivates.And an amplification gauntlet for 500 bits.
>passive; -2 crit range to Strength checks and unarmed attacks No.740844
>>740837"I see." He presses the button again, and the gloves retract into the compartment.
"A wise purchase. Do treat it well, Mister Gale." He takes the florins and passes you the knife.
>Single weapon>-80 bits No.740845
>>740844Gale takes the knife, and nods to the dealer. After turning away, he speaks without facing him. "I never did tell you my name." He pauses. "Pleasure doing business with you." He concludes as he walks out.
No.740846
>>740843"Hrm… not a bad selection. I think I'll take… that." he says, gesturing to the shock-absorbent unit.
>-200 Bits No.740847
>>740841Vandal smiles, giving a one arm hug to the elk, "Thanks Fir."
>>740843"I'm mostly just here with my friend, tell me about some of the weirdest finds you've had brought in. Or uh, any collectibles?"
No.740848
>>740836"The Sommelier is in," says the waiter. "I have never known him not to be. However, he is busy with another client at the moment. Would you like to be put on the waiting list for a reservation?"
>>740838The propeller eye sputters and fails to follow the strange wizards as they go around a corner. By the time Frank manages to fix it, they've seemingly vanished.
Inspection reveals the corner ends in a solid brick wall.>>740845The Sommelier ignores your first statement. "Do enjoy your party," he says with a slightly unctuous tone as you depart.
>>740845>>740842>>740839You run into each other as Gale exits the tacky restaurant. The waiter gives Areia and Gigi a meaningful look before loping off through the doors, presumably to speak with the Sommelier.
No.740849
>>740848>>740845Uh sure…" she said before looking to Gale as he exited "Oh hey Gale, guess I should have figured one of us would end up in there, find anything good?"
No.740850
>>740848Frank's body sags as he fails to make his fleye and he pops his occular sensor back into his head. As he turns the corner he tilts his head, lets out a mechanical hum, and speeds over to the wall to inspect it. Leaning forward, he tries to tap out the first part of the 'shave and a haircut' musical call.
[1d10]Perception
>>740848>>740849>>740845Gigi gives gale a short wave.
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.740851
>>740846"Sure thing, hoss." He takes the money and passes you the unit. It's a rectangular dark grey piece of armor made of a peculiar malleable material, allowing it to be attached to any surface with ease.
>>740847"Huh. Don't usually get to regale people." Jemaine thinks. "There was this Kreelian weirdo the other day that tried to sell me a box full of live Mawmites. Really wanted to get rid of 'em too."
"If it's collectibles you're after, well, I've got all kinds actually." He gestures at an aisle with pegs lined with action figures and other cool merchandise from movies, comics and TV shows. Some of them are expensive imports too.
No.740852
>>740850Nothing happens. It's like they vanished into thin air. For some reason, Frank can't help the feeling that he's being watched.
No.740853
>>740848"I'm presuming you all aren't here for the food." Gale says, in a deadpan voice.
>>740849"Just a butterfly knife. Used to have one before I went broke, nice to have something to practice on again."
>>740850"Ah, Gigi. Adapting to life with our group well enough?"
>>740849>>740850"By the way…" Gale says, quietly enough so that just the two can hear him. "Have either of you heard the phrase 'Is the world quiet here' ?"
No.740854
>>740851Fir takes the unit and looks at the action figures, before cocking his head to the side in confusion. "Mawmites? Not familiar."
>>740847Fir blinks, before slowly returning the hug. He'll try to be relatively soft about it. After he lets Vandal out of the hug, he gently passes her the shock-absorbent unit, and says "Here. If you're fragile, you should keep yourself safe."
No.740855
>>740852Oh no. They have their own fleyes. Frank spins around, looks for anyone who might be there, spins back around and does shave and a haircut again, fully expecting different results.
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.740856
>>740853"I can't say that I have."
No.740857
>>740856>>740853Gigi shakes her head. "Yeah, me neither."
No.740858
>>740856>>740857"Hmm…" He says. "Just be careful in there. That unicorn just seems… formal. Eerily formal."
No.740859
>>740851"Woah, Moonhollow merch. I thought that was only aired on my homeworld. It didn't even make it through a full season, surprising to see the limited stock." Vandal inhales through gritted teeth, "Gawwddd I don't wanna spend my money… I guess I can always rely on buying pins, they're usually the cheapest.."
Vandal does in fact look for a commemorative pin to stick on to her already well-decorated backpack.
>>740854Vandal steps back, pushing the tech back and giggling, "Fir don't be a fuckin dork, I got my own paycheck. If I want it, I would've got it. You don't have any reason to coddle me."
No.740860
>>740859Fir frowns a little bit, before letting out a snort. "I've got plenty of reason- I don't want anyone getting too hurt. Besides, think of it like… payback for helping with Undertow." the Elk says. His voice is still soft, but his eyes seem to be… unfocused, or wandering, like he's thinking of something (or someone) else.
No.740861
>>740854"Should be glad you aren't," he says wryly. "Awful things. All mouth and legs, no brains at all. Literally. Took one look at 'em and told him to take his business somewhere else. What am I gonna do with a box full of killer bugs. Crazy git."
>>740859"Oh you're a Moonhollow fan," Jemaine comments. "Shame it got canceled. Least it set up that business in the later seasons of Echoes though. Pretty cool how they're all connected like that."
You find a Moonhollow pin depicting a knightly unicorn mare. She looks determined.
No.740862
>>740855You spot them: three - no, four scrappy looking Dogs watching you from afar, seemingly whispering between themselves. They don't look friendly at all. As they see you staring back, they start closing in on you.
No.740863
>>740861"Hrm. Hopefully he didn't let them out in the station… unless there's some sort of animal dealer here, he might've been better off saving himself the time and spacing them."
No.740864
>>740862Frank gives them a big, happy wave. "Hey fellas! Hows it hanging? What are your names? My name is Frank. What are your hobbies?"
No.740865
>>740856>>740857Eventually, the waiter returns, ignoring Gale still being there. He clears his throat. "The Sommelier is ready for your appointment. This way, please."
No.740866
>>740865>>740857She nodded and made sure she kept Gigi close as she headed into the store with her, mildly wary of this place but more curious.
No.740867
>>740865>>740866Gigi quietly follows.
No.740868
>>740866>>740867You enter the restaurant, going past the ugly fish themed decor and down a flight of stairs.
Reposting description:
The Sommelier's room is lit with bright white lights. The walls are lined with all manner of firearms and other such weapons, in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colors, with a door at the back promising even more in stock.
A central rectangular table with many panels hosts a sharply dressed unicorn, who seems to be bent over a holographic display as you enter. He presses a few buttons and nods deeply in greeting as the waiter retreats. "Welcome, new clients. It seems today is a day for making new acquaintances. What piques your tastes from the menu? Anything special you're after?" He gestures to the weapon racks.
No.740869
>>740868She decided to look for anything she could use to augment her cleaver sword for now. Xiphos could use an extra edge to it. She let Gigi go for now figuring she could find what she was looking for on her own.
No.740870
>>740860"You okay big guy?" Vandal offers him another hug, "Well thank you bud, I'll be safe though. I'll take it if it makes you feel better though."
>>740861Prying away for a moment, Vandal turns back to Jemaine, "How much for the pin then?"
No.740871
>>740864No response, save for producing electroshock batons. They're not just scrappy looking. They're scrappers. Keen on disassembling you for parts. They spread out a bit to flank you and box you in the alley, speaking to each other in a regional language.
No.740872
>>740865"Surprised this place does tables for two." Gale says to himself, searching for a somewhat high end clothing store in this area.
Navigation [1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.740873
>>740868Gigi splits off from Areia and smiles as she looks around. "Oh, nice." She goes to reach around behind her, but pauses. "About to pull out a revolver," she says. "I'll immediately pop the cyllinder and eject the rounds, so don't shoot me please." She reaches under her hoodie and pulls out her little .38 J frame snubby. Keeping her finger off the trigger, she quickly flips the barrel toward the ceiling, pops the cylinder open, and ejects all five rounds into her claw. Snapping the cylinder shut, she points the barrel back toward the ground.
"This is a little weak for situations I've been finding myself in recently. I was wondering if you had somethin that packed more of a punch but I could hide just as easy. Not holding my breath, but it'd be neat if you did."
No.740874
>>740870Fir blinks a couple of times, and says "I'm fine, yeah. Anything you want to do next? We could grab some food and find somewhere to relax."
No.740875
>>740871"Oh. That's not good." Frank's voice module lets out a high pitch, feedback screech as he pops his chassis open, revealing the scrap shotgun inside. Keeping his head low, he tries to barrel past them and out of the alley.
[1d10]Bulldoze
[1d10]Intimidate if allowed
Roll #1 1 = 1 /
Roll #2 10 = 10 No.740876
>>740874"That sounds nice yeah. I'll finish making this purchase and we can grab a bite to eat. Just chill for a bit."
No.740877
>>740873The Sommelier waits patiently with slight amusement. "Something with a bit more bite to it, perhaps," he says politely before reaching for one of the mounted pistols. He presents it to you for inspection; it is a tiny, sleek, black pistol with a scope, and an attached mechanism on the handle that seems to be made to attach to a wrist. "A vintage model, but I can guarantee, it has not aged a single day. Precision plasma energy hits, with an improved fission chamber to allow for less… vexing intermissions. The mechanism allows for an easier time passing without arousing suspicion…" He demonstrates, sliding the gun back and forth on the wrist mounted mechanism. It's essentially made to be hidden up one's sleeve. "150 florins for this particular model."
>>740869The Sommelier approaches you as you look over the close quarters weapons. "Would I be wrong in presuming you favor something with more panache, madam?" he asks quietly. "Might I suggest the Circlont-6 Energy Conductor Nodule." He produces a small black cartridge that's meant to be affixed to powered weapons like yours. "For a properly electrifying sting to your swing." He smiles. "If you prefer something even bolder, well, it does come in red." He produces an identical nodule, which seems to produce flames instead of lightning. "250 florins for either."
No.740878
>>740876Fir nods a little bit, giving her the space she needs to finish her own purchase.
No.740879
>>740875The scrappers yell and vamoose almost instantly as Frank reveals a shotgun in his chassis. He just charges thin air as they seemingly vanish into the cracks of Delphi.
No.740880
>>740877Not bad, got anything that would put some more power behind the swing though, like a mini rocket you can attatch to the back of the blade? Those are nice but I like to swing hard for now, I might get one of those later though."
No.740881
>>740872You eventually find it in that same district; a boutique dedicated to mens' clothing, part of a larger shopping mall. All manner of fancy suits are on display here. They won't offer much in the way of protection, but at least you'll look good. A gangly teenage store employee pony approaches you. "Can I help you?" he asks, his voice cracking slightly.
No.740882
>>740877Gigi grins as she sees the sleak black gun. "Oh, daaamn. Yeah, that's beautiful. Got any place set up I can test it? Some kind of range or something?"
No.740883
>>740863He shrugs. "Dunno. Not really my business now anyway. Wouldn't be caught dead trading live animals."
>>740870"Hm. How's 20 florins sound?" he offers. It's pricey; he seems to be looking to haggle, not sell on the spot.
No.740884
>>740879Frank nods, more than a little satisfied with himself. Closing his chassis, he gets back to the business at hand. Checking out when that festival is supposed to be! He goes back to the square where he'd seen the pony hologram.
No.740885
>>740881"Just direct me towards the blazers." He says, trying to be easy with the clearly inexperienced employee.
No.740886
>>740880He nods, pressing a button on the table to produce an attachment that does just that. "A self welding piece. Nigh impossible to remove once affixed. Full nanomachine integration to your tool of choice. Activated on command to provide some extra bite to accompany the main course," he says, smiling to himself. He seems to enjoy his euphemisms. "300 bits."
>>740882In lieu of replying, he opens the nearby door with telekinesis, opening to a firing range. It seems to be enchanted to absorb all sound while inside. "A taste test for you, madam."
No.740887
>>740883"Oh uhh.." Vandal tries to remember information from the fan forums she's frequented, "I think that's not the going rate? If I remember correctly, the merch is harder to find but the pins only sold for 20 florins when they were misprints. This one looks fine."
[1d10]
Roll #1 8 = 8 No.740888
>>740886Very nice, Can I have that set aside for the next time I come here, I'm a bit short on Florins right now but I can guarantee I will be back to purchase that bad boy."
No.740889
>>740884It doesn't take long to get to the hologram, as it walks the streets inexorably, its surface advertising all manner of things. The festival seems to be commemorating the upcoming five year anniversary of the end of the war, and the foundation of the Republic of Selen. Other advertisements include private ads such as job postings, wanted/missing posters, things for sale, personals, and so forth.
No.740890
>>740883>>740887Fir waits patiently for the transaction to finish.
No.740891
>>740886Gigi excitedly tucks her revolver and ammo into her hoodie pocket and takes the gun. Stepping into the range. Pulling her sleeve up, she makes like she's going to conceal it, thinking she has an idea of how it works.
[1d10]plus any modifiers. Conceal
Roll #1 6 = 6 No.740892
>>740885He does so, leading you to a rack of a great variety of blazers, coats and jackets for you to choose from.
>for simplicity's sake assume they have whatever Gale's looking for No.740893
>>740889"Ooooh." Frank continues following the hologram, particularly keeping an eye on the job postings and things for sale.
No.740894
>>740887He purses his lips, looking down at it then back at you. "Hm. How's 12 bits sound then?" he offers.
No.740895
>>740891The mechanism seems to be spring loaded; you manually slide it up and lock it into place, and a button near the wrist releases it, allowing the revolver to spring out and into your hand. Ingenious.
No.740896
>>740888"I could make a reservation, in exchange for a deposit of one third up front." He takes on a slightly more businesslike tone. "100 florins, please."
No.740897
>>740893Most of the job listings are for menial low wage jobs, such as retail and hospitality. As for the things for sale, they are also un-noteworthy; vehicles, furniture, electronics, antiques, collectables, etcetera. Surely nothing that you could make much use of. Right?
No.740898
>>740894>>740890Vandal looks back at Fir, worried about making him wait by going into the rarity of each pin and how the non-holographic pins are worth even less, "Oh sure yeah, to be honest I wouldn't have minded the 20, it's not too big of a deal. Just trying to remember stuff I learned about the merch and all." Vandal blushes, rubbing the back of her neck with one paw and paying the man with her other.
No.740899
>>740892Gale think to himself. 'It's no
Vêtements Oiseaux but it'll do. As for color… back to black for a bit. Sufficient pockets, decent price. Not a twenty thousand florin
plumes but it'll work.'
He takes the blazer to checkout. "Just this."
No.740900
>>740898"Take your time. I've got nowhere to be, and I don't mind hanging around."
No.740901
>>740898"Righto. I don't know much about it myself, I never got too big into collecting." He hands you the pin in exchange for the money.
>-12 bits>>740899"Sure thing." The teen scans the blazer. "That'll be 120 florins please."
No.740903
>>740901>>740898"This pin's from a… show, right? I didn't really watch many shows myself."
No.741302
>>740895Letting her hands fall to her side, Gigi takes aim at the target in her mind. Keeping her limbs loose, she swings her right claw forward, activating the mechanism and hip-firing like a cowboy.
[1d10]
>>740897Retail? He'd do a great job working in retail! There was no doubt about him being a pony person. He mentally notes the addresses for the retail positions. Ooooh, maybe there would be a management position open. He was good at management. It was practically in his name! A Floor Runner is definitely a kind of manager.
His optical sensors studied the screen, looking at the different furnature for sale. He
did have 100 Florins, and the ship could definitely use something to make it more homey. Some art decor, maybe? Oh, what about a sofa? A sofa woulf look nice bolted down on the bridge. And everyone could get so comfy while they were cruising through space.
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.741305
>>740901She nodded and slipped him the florins but she was gonna be pretty cleaned out for a bit.
No.741311
>>740903>>740901"Yeah uh, it wasn't popular or anything, only got a few episodes before it got taken off the air- it wasn't because of the show itself, just weird scheduling problems on the network. There's a whole urban legend about that time slot on that network being cursed, shows that run on that hour tend to run into weird production problems. There's a whole forum online about trying to preserve the lost media as they never got around to selling-"
Vandal cuts herself off, realizing she's been rambling. Her ears fold back in embarrassment. "Sorry.. dinner then?"
No.741314
>>741311Fir quirks an eyebrow when Vandal apologizes, before shrugging a bit. "Relax, I don't mind the talking. But, dinner, yes. What do you want to get?"
No.741316
>>741314"Uhh.. maybe kirin cuisine? Either get some takeout or find a ramen shop to dine in." Vandal suggests
No.741317
>>740901"Steep price, but that's what this place is here for."
He claws over the 120 bits with no further comments, dawning his new clothing as he exits.
No.741328
>>741316>>741320You head to a bustling part of town after following some directions from a helpful guard. It seems to have several foreign shops, with supermarkets, stores and especially diners with a wide variety of clientele. You approach one such diner that's opening for the evening, an unassuming little hole in the wall that sells kirin cuisine. As you are seated, you are handed menus by a young kirin mare, who stands poised to take your orders when you're ready. They have the typical menu you'd expect: fried rice, chow mein, honeyed chicken, sweet and sour pork, etcetera.
>assume they have whatever you're craving>>741302You take a moment to focus, concentrate, then go for it. You draw and shoot in one swift motion, hitting the center of the target almost dead on. The target board lights up and flashes, playing a shitty little trumpet fanfare. Holographic confetti falls on you.
It's mostly low end jobs for grabs; flipping burgers, delivering pizzas, working at supermarkets, etcetera. The more specific ones are beyond his abilities, requiring more specific skills, such as aged care worker or construction site foreman. As for the second hand furniture for sale, there's only a handful: a wardrobe for 75 florins, a bedside table for 50, a set of wooden chairs for the same, and - glory be. A manky old couch for 100 florins.
>>741305"Excellent. What name should we put the reservation under?" He whips out a datapad.
>-100 florins>roll Perception>>741317"Thank you sir," the shop assistant says with a voice crack.
You exit and start wandering through the mall, eventually exiting and going across the road where you can see a bar being advertised. It's fairly lively now that it's getting on in the day, with a variety of Delphi denizens congregating to eat and drink. The bartender, a heavyset crystal pony stallion with a floating spidery robot companion, looks up at you. You look a bit out of place in your fancy clothing, and you sense you'll draw attention this way. "What can I getcha, spacer?" he asks cordially as the robot prepares to serve up drinks.
No.741330
>>741328Areia." she said as she glanced around without thinking.
[1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.741333
>>741328Fir might find himself feeling a little cramped, but the smell is more than enough to bring him inside. He looks over the menu a couple of times, before looking to Vandal and humming.
>>741316>>741328"What would you suggest? I don't, ah, eat much Kirin food."
No.741334
>>741328"Manehatten. Nothing special." He says, pulling out a few more florins than necessary. "Popular place you've got here."
No.741335
>>741328"Chow mein, beef and brocoli, and orange chicken please. Xièxiè." Vandal says, breaking apart the disposable chopsticks at their seating area.
>>741333"Oh get some fried rice and dumplings, it's what my herbivore friends would always get."
No.741338
>>741335"Mmm." the stallion says, repeating Vandal's suggestion to the mare taking their order.
No.741341
>>741328Gigi tries to retract the gun and turns to the Sommellier with a broad grin. "Alright," she says. "It's perfect. I'll take it." Stepping back off the range, she pulls her snubby back out of her pocket, reloads it, and reholstiers it in the back of her jeans.
>>741328Frank would be perfect for flipping burgers! He even had, like, four appendages he could attach spatulers to! As he sees the sofa, his face would light up if he could emote. Score! He quickly takes down the address and starts plotting ways to move it. A flat platform on his back with a wheel in back and a wheel in front seems like it would be the best bet.
No.741344
>>741341[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.741346
>>741330You don't notice anything out of the ordinary.
"Areia," he repeats, entering it. "There we are. All booked for you. You should know, we have a ninety Galactic Standard Day holding period on orders, after which the money will be refunded and the reservation canceled automatically. But I trust you'll be back before then." He gives a fake smile.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?"
>>741333>>741335She smiles and writes down your orders.
>-30 florinsIt doesn't take long for the food to get brought out at all; steaming plates are brought to your table with your orders, along with a pitcher of cold water. It looks and smells delicious.
>>741334"Sure thing." He enters something on a datapad and the robot gets to work preparing your drink on the spot.
"Yeah, it's not bad. Usually busier than this. Get all sorts coming through here nowadays. Delphi's thriving more than ever since the war ended. Definitely more than when I was a kid. Heh." The robot passes you your drink.
>-10 florins>>741341"Most excellent," he grins.
>-150 bitsFrank makes a note of the address and starts heading out to the address. It's not too far; he manages to find a shortcut through some alleys. And someone's backyard. he rocks up to the house eventually though. It's a pretty unassuming place; dome shaped, with a small garden in front, and a couple of antennae on the roof. The couch is right outside, kept from being pilfered by a force field mechanism. There's a large hippogriff in the garden tending to some flowers.
No.741349
>>741346You wouldn't happen to be able to find somebody from a picture would you?"
No.741353
>>741346>>741330Gigi handa over the florins and walks back over to stand by the door, tucks her claws into her hoodie pouch, and glances over at Areia. "Alright, ready when you are."
>>741346Frank walks up to the fence and stares at the hippogriff for a moment. "Hi there neighbor! My name is Frank. I like your garden. What's the PH of your soil? I've never seen those kind of flowers before. They GMods? Off world space flowers? I like to keep my azelias at about a healthy 7. Or at least I would if I had any azelias. No room to put them right now. I saw your ad for the couch! I'm here to buy it!" He extends an appendage to shake the hippogrif's claw.
No.741354
>>741346Vandal digs in right away, shoveling the food in her face with her chopsticks with only the tiniest bit of modesty.
>>741338Vandal eyes Fir's reaction once he's started eating, speaking with her mouth half full, "So what do you like to eat then?"
No.741355
>>741346"War? Sorry, not a local." He says, shortly before taking the drink from the robot.
"Thanks, uh.. does the bot have a name?" He says after his first sip.
No.741357
>>741346"Looks good, thanks." the deer says, before looking at the chopsticks in confusion. He pokes them once or twice, and eventually resolves to eat the rice and dumplings about how you'd expect a quadruped to.
>>741354"Hmm? Uh… varies, really. I can cook a little, so elk food from time to time. I'm not the best at it, so I've normally just eaten whatever the crew's cook made."
Fir's expressions are a little muted, but Vandal can see a soft smile spread over his face as he eats.
No.741362
>>741357"Oh neat, I've had meatballs at a cervine furniture store once. I think that counts?"
No.741363
>>741362"Hmm? I… think so." he says, thinking if he's ever been to a furniture store. "Were they good?"
No.741368
>>741349"I might do. But it wouldn't be very professional to discuss my other… customers. I do hope we understand each other."
>>741355He blinks. "What, you been in cryostasis the last decade or something? The civil war. Helian Empire, Republic of Selen, none of that ringing a bell? Things are stable now sure, but it's only a matter of time before the Imperials start rebranding I reckon. Already split off into warring factions now that they've been toppled. How long till they start launching raids on the colonies?"
>read the lore nerd: https://pastebin.com/bM7PSv1tThe drink is expertly made. A true spacer's drink for true spacers.
The bartender glances up at the robot as you mention it. "Don't thank me, thank him. His name's Rupert." Rupert whistles mechanically.
>>741353She does a bit of a double take, looking at you with apprehension. Reluctantly, she shakes your
hand hoof claw appendage. "Uh, hi. I'm Gina. Yeah, the couch is up for grabs, we're moving out soonish. Your owner send you or somethin'?"
No.741370
>>741368>>741353Oh well I have no idea if they're a customer or not but alright then." she said as she turned and headed back to the door "Alrighty Gi, let's get going, get what ya wanted?"
No.741372
>>741355"Yeah. During the whole schism we stuck with the Selenese. Worked out for the better after the Helians fell. We're part of something bigger than ourselves, and trade is thriving. Only gonna last so long though, I reckon. Peace never lasts." He looks a bit grim.
No.741373
>>741368Frank puts his appendage to where his mouth would be and lets out a soft hiss supposed to sound like "shhhh", but probably sounding more like a static-y glitch. Leaning in conspiratorially, he whispers "she said to do what I wanted with the money so I'm gonna surprise her. She's gonna love it."
He backs back up. "Oh! Moving? Need any help moving other furnature and stuff? I'm pretty good at that. Well, my bigger bodies are pretty good at that, but this body-" He bangs on his hollow chassis a few times. "Is still pretty sturdy!"
No.741375
>>741363>>741368"They were pretty alright, they were like, vegetarian so they weren't proper meatballs, but they were nice."
Vandal swings her feet back and forth, fidgeting a bit as she slows down with food, "So you don't watch TV, don't really care what's to eat… what
do you like?"
No.741377
>>741368>>741372"Makes sense, I don't really need an affiliation. My job was uh… it had pretty solid security to it." He pauses, takes a sip, and continues. "Though guess since I don't have it no more I need to keep up on politics. They all look like fascists to me though."
After learning the robots name he nods. "Cute bot."
No.741378
>>741370"Yeah," Gigi says. "This thing is pretty damn cool. Easy handling. Easy to hide. Powerful enough to matter in a firefight. It was supposed to be a backup but I might even end up using it in place of my custom job sometimes. What about you?"
No.741381
>>741378Setting aside something for later when I got the money to buy it. Might sideline my contributions for the ship for a bit but we can scrounge a bit longer. Or steal one."
No.741383
>>741375"Hmm? Music, mostly. I can't really make any, but I like listening to it. Games with the crew- stuff like cards, board games, the like."
The elk flicks his ears, before humming a little bit. "Ah… I might be rather boring person, I suppose. Sorry."
No.741384
>>741373She looks conflicted, and more than a little weirded out. On the one hand, it's Frank. On the other, money is money. "…Yeah, sure, 100 florins for the couch then. Uh, we're not moving anything else right now, I think we'll be good. Thanks." She pulls out a little remote and deactivates the field around the couch.
>>741377"Hm? What job, if you don't mind me asking?" The bartender seems bored enough to strike up a conversation.
Rupert salutes, somehow looking flattered. "You like him? Built him myself. Was just about yea big when I started." He holds up a shot glass.
>roll Perception No.741385
>>741383"Nonono, I love both those things, we should have a game night with the crew!" Vandal says, her eyes widening especially at the mention of music, "What genres?"
No.741389
>>741385"Mmm. That'd be nice, I think." the elk says, picking himself up a little. "And, uh… I've listened to a little bit of everything, but I like guitars, and folk music a lot. Reminds me of home, I suppose." he says, thinking it over a little. "The last ship I worked on had a pretty varied background, so you'd hear an awful lot."
No.741393
>>741384"Okay! Thank you so much, Ms.Gina! Pretty name, by the way. Here's the money!" He forks over the florins and gets to work preparing his back to carry the couch.
[1d10]Go go gadget platform back
Roll #1 5 = 5 No.741394
>>741389"Oh neat, I know one of my forum friends plays the bass. I'm a bit varied myself, I like jungle, hip hop, breakbeat… uh… that same friend has been trying to get me into electro and disco, but I think they're not really my thing. Future funk can be fun though. As for really guitar-y pieces, I guess I haven't really been around people who listen to that sorta stuff. You come from somewhere more rural then?"
No.741395
>>741384"Less than legal work as they say. Was a smuggler. Statute of limitations is out though so, don't mind telling you. Wish I did something a bit more virtuous, like bartending."
"Really now," he comments at the bot. "Seems like everyones a tinkerer. Except you're actually good at it." He laughs as he finishes his drink.
Perception [1d10]
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.741396
>>741381Gigi shrugs. "I guess I can pitch in too if I end up staying with you guys a bit. I made a decent bit off that little trip." She sighs. "Not as much as I put in, annoyingly enough, but a decent bit."
No.741398
>>741394"I think I've heard of some of those, but not… Future Punk. What is it?" the stag asks, cocking his head to the side.
At the mention of home, he nods a little. "Mhmm. Old mining colony, actually. Haven't been home in a while, though."
No.741400
>>741396Well we could always use more cuteness on this team. Gale kinda drags us down like 5 points on a 1 to 10 scale and cuteness generally gets better jobs." she joked. "Course Franks is like the antithesis of cute or even tolerable but thats another story."
No.741401
>>741400Gigi's cheeks grow red and she about chokes on her tongue. "I'm not-" she sputters. "You- I mean I'm not-" She clears her throat and looks away. "Not really that cute. Thanks, though." She briefly glances back up at her. "You should give Frank a chance," she adds. "He's a little much sometimes, but he grows on you, and he's really sweet. Which is a little weird, because I didn't program him that way."
No.741403
>>741393"Uh, thanks. You need a hand with that or… Guess not." She watches as you reconfigure to haul the couch away. It's cumbersome, but you should be able to manage if you just take it one step at a time.
>-100 florins>>741395He doesn't bat an eye. "Figured as much. This isn't as exciting as all that, but it pays the bills. Used to be a spacer myself, working for a freight company, but then there was an accident at work…" He trails off, and when you shift around you hear metal on metal.
"Yeah, it's a hobby," he says humbly. "Meant to learn to do it proper but never got around to it. He works well enough."
You think you see someone watching you, but when you turn around it seems they're minding their own business. Might just be paranoia. Hopefully it is. Any good bounty hunter wouldn't dare try something in public.
No.741405
>>741398"Future
Funk," Vandal corrects in a friendly tone, "It's like, electro and house looked over at disco and said 'hey this stuff isn't that bad' and took aspects of that into their music."
Vandal nods, pouring more water into her glass, "I can't imagine it, only ever lived in megacities. It nice in places like that?"
No.741406
>>741403"Have a great day!" Keeping a literal mental map handy, he starts making his way back to the scrapper.
No.741407
>>741401"1 you are cute, and you're acting cute now, 2, Frank is everything I hate rolled into one being so it is very hard to believe that statement."
No.741409
>>741407"Huh. No shit? I get that he's annoying, but he isn't actively malicuous or anything. I noticed you were kinda weird with Organic too. It a bot thing or something?"
No.741410
>>741409Let's just say I… very genuinely do not like robots."
No.741411
>>741403"Heh, I wasn't waiting for some accident to kick me out. Got that done a bit more directly but, money was always good, y'know? Do sorta miss it. Any chance a word of work has drifted through here? Haven't been out in the field in a while." He says, a bit rambly as he tries to locate the ominous noises.
"Name's Gin by the way. Like the drink. Not a fan of the drink though."
No.741412
>>741405"Ah, Future Funk." the stag says, nodding a little. "You should… show me sometime. I'd be willing to listen.
"As for how it was, uh… it varied. When times were good, it could be pretty nice. When a mine dried up, things got kind of tight."
No.741413
>>741410"Ah. Yeah. I guess that'd do it. Probably doesn't help that he barely has any concept of personal space."
No.741417
>>741413That is not a plus no."
No.741418
>>741412Vandal pats the the big elk, grinning, "I'd love to just chill out and listen to some music with you sometime. You've just been big and quiet since we've met each other, I'm glad to get to know you a bit more. Aeria and me kinda latched onto each other right away and the opposite for Gale, but you were a mystery. You're nice to hang around though Fir."
No.741420
>>741411"Aye, plenty of work nowadays. Local stuff, offworld, you name it. All these guilds that are starting to form are good for organized business. You should join one yourself if you haven't by now."
"Gin, huh." He looks you up and down. "Dolomite," he simply says.
He looks behind you. Another customer. "If you'll excuse me mate. Should get back to work, heh." He waves the newcomer over to take their order.
No.741421
>>741417"I'll, uh… I'll try talking to him. Sorry.'
No.741422
>>741418Fir rumbles a little bit, before patting Vandal on the head. "I'm… glad. Thank you, Vandal. You're pretty good, too. A little rowdy, but rowdy is… nice. Reminds me of some of my old crewmembers."
No.741424
>>741421She sighed and put an arm around her "Not your fault there Gigi, you're a sweet one. I'll probably just have to learn to tolerate it." she said keeping up her gruff voice to try and sound wise.
No.741425
>>741420"I'll keep this guild in mind. Be seeing you then Dolomite." He says, leaving five florins as a parting tip.
"Should throw off any would be assassins for a while." He thinks to himself as he exits.
No.741728
>>741424You eventually head back to Chopper's chop shop, reclaiming your armor. It's been reforged back to tip top condition, with some new features: magical kinetic dampeners, an integrated oxygen tank and a collapsible astronaut helmet.
>New feature: +1 temporary max hits (not restored on helpless recovery, recharged after a long rest)>New feature: Immune to the vacuum of space"Don't go ruining my handiwork, y'hear," Chopper grunts. "I mean getting shot at or hacked up isn't really avoidable, but try not to damage it, yeah? Hate seeing me work ruined by some spacer punks."
>everyoneAfter doing your miscellaneous shopping, you all reconvene outside the docking bay where the party boat is being repaired, getting in touch with Luv via the Portavox. You all make your way there, finding Chekhooves hanging out there too. He seems to have spent his share on new clothes and engineering tools. He's holding a bucket of tiny cinnamon donuts. "Oh hey, you guys got new duds too. Cool." He offers you all some donuts.
Eventually, the kirin Luv shows up, still flanked by the eyebot Ochi's monitoring. "Hey. Looks like you all did pretty well for yourselves. Nice gear. Guessing you met the Sommelier then. He's kind of a freak, but a useful one."
"So. Have you decided which job you guys are taking? A new one came in if you wanna hear."
No.741729
>>741728Vandal partakes in said donuts, somehow having space for them after the succulent chinese meal.
"Thanks Chek, how you holding up after everything?"
No.741730
>>741728Fir ate enough rice to choke a pony- but not a deer! He'll take one of the donuts as well, before humming a little and saying "Yup. Doing alright?"
>>741728"I think we have one in mind, but go ahead and tell us the new one."
No.741746
>>741728Frank waves at everyone as best as he can with the heavy sofa on his back like some huge rectangular snail shell. "Heeey!" he yells. "I have a surprise for everyone! Guess what it is!"
Gigi's beak locks as she sees the sofa and she pinches the bridge of her nose, takes a deep breath, and slowly breates out. "Is that what you spent the Florins on, Frank? A so-"
Frank, giddy and rattling with excitement, interrupts, "A big, comfy sofa for the bridge! And it was only 100 florins exactly. Imagine that kind of luck!"
Gigi sighs and turns back to Luv. "Anyway, yeah. Got a pretty neat gun."
No.741980
>>741728Areia quickly threw it on and grinned "Yo do good work there Chopper. I'll get more upgrades later." she said heading back to meet the rest.
Areia stretched out a bit and relaxed "I'm down to hear about this new one for now."
No.741987
>>741728Taking a donut and taking a bite off of it on a singular claw, Gale stands to the side of the rest, until Luv mentions the new job. "New work? Better be good if it's coming up on such short notice."
No.742068
>>741729>>741730"I'm… doing alright," he says between bites of tiny donuts. "Better than I thought I would be, all things considered. Like I'm still kind of at a loss as to where to go, what to do. Maybe I'll go back home and study to be an actor like my mom wanted."
>>741746Chekhooves doesn't even flinch at the sofa. He's more or less used to Frank shenanigans by now. "So what, you're just gonna carry that thing everywhere till we- till you get a ship?"
"Uh…" Luv looks bewildered. "I don't think that's allowed, but I don't see who can stop you. Hm. Whatever, not my problem I guess."
"Ooh, a gun. Lemme see." She looks excited.
>>741980"Right on." He gives you a thumbs up and a crook-toothed grin as you leave the chop shop.
>>741730>>741729>>741746>>741980>>741987"Right. Sounds like you're set on that science one already, but lemme see what I've got…" She pulls out the ole datapad.
"Pretty unusual one, this. It's a bounty job, but not like most we get. It's from this guy working for PanGal*, called B.. Gek…" She frowns. "I'm not even gonna try and pronounce that. Uh. So the job is to take out a robot that's gone haywire. It's off on this jungle planet called Dylath-Leen. Never heard of it. Uh, something something sensitive info that has to be destroyed, transport provided, reward of 2000 florins… Sounds pretty good to me, honestly."
"Oh yeah, 'fore you choose. Given what I'm assuming happened with Green, boss man wants me to go with you and record everything." She shrugs. "I don't think it's necessary myself, but, you know, I don't make the rules. Cool? Cool."
No.742072
>>742068"I think we all know what mission we must do for the sake of the galaxy." she said "We need to scrap us a soulless machine and make a profit off it."
No.742073
>>742068"Any info on what this robot was built to do? Don't wanna charge headlong into a suped-up murderbot in the middle of nowhere." He says, finishing his donut. "Hope you coming with isn't the second time we get backstabbed by a coworker."
>>742072"…And nobody was surprised."
No.742074
>>742068Vandal nods to Chekhooves, "We've swapped contact info right? If you're really struggling you could always tag along with us for a bit."
Vandal shrugs to Luv, "I mean, you work directly for the guy, so whatever. I'd take you over some stranger looking to cash in on six people's paychecks any day."
>>742072Vandal's ears flick, "Not sure I'd like a jungle, hard to skate."
No.742075
>>742068"I didn't think that far ahead. I'm sure we'll have a ship soon, but for now whoever we borrow a ship from will probably let me strap it down in exchange for comfort and relaxation during non-turbulent cruise time. Plus it'd just make the whole place feel more homey, you know? And a comfortable body is the first step to a comfortable mind!"
Gigi rolls her eyes and smiles. "Sure bud. Just hope it doesn't get scrapped before we can get it properly set into our own ship."
At first she's a little apprehensive of showing the gun off -after all, consealed weapons are consealed for a reason- but if she's gonna be joining anyway she figires it couldn't hurt. Holding her hand toward the floor, she flicks her wrist and the plasma pistol shoots from her forearm into her hand. As it does, she rolls her thumb around the grip and holds it, but keeps her finger off the trigger. Flipping the barrel to the ceiling, she shows it off. "Plasma," she says. "Probably not the best for sneaking after the fact, but by the time I have to pull it out I don't guess that's much of a problem."
No.742076
>>742068"Deal doesn't sound too bad, honestly." the elk says, stroking his chin in thought. "I could go either way, personally."
No.742077
>>742074>>742073>>742072"Already gave you guys my opinion earlier. I'm good with pretty much whatevs. Probably more suited to deal with robots than anything else, but-" She shrugs. "I'd like to think I'm pretty adaptable."
No.742079
>>742074"Couldn't skate on an ocean either yet we took that job."
No.742080
>>742079"We've got choices now dork. Besides, Chekhooves can attest there was plenty of space to skate in that ship."
No.742081
"You could probably grind on giant vines and tree trunks if you really wanted to ya know."
No.742082
>>742081"But I can't taggg them, that'd just be a shitty thing to do to trees."
No.742083
>>742082Pretty sure whatever this robot is doing would be worse. Besides there's bound to be buildings somewhere."
No.742084
>>742083Vandal shrugs, skating around in a circle, "Fine fine, we can sate your cog and bot torture kink. I won't fight ya A."
No.742086
>>742084"Look if the group decides against it I'll let them but I know what I'm good at and what makes me happy ya little 'artist'."
No.742087
>>742072Luv blinks. "Uh, sure. If you want." Chekhooves looks a bit intimidated by your conviction.
>>742073"Lessee… Enter secure password… Beep boppity boop…Ah, here we go. It's a WEDL-74 recon bot. Exploration, data collection, capable of self defense. Big bulky sucker. Not meant to fight, but it can if it has to. This one apparently just… developed a taste for it. Broke into the research outpost it was tied to, killed a couple of people and crippled even more, and… Huh. Made off with important data on the development project on the planet. PanGal don't want it falling into the wrong hands, so Wendell's core's going to have to be cashed in. …'Wendell'. Hm."
>>742074He blinks. "Really? That'd be okay with you? I mean I'd hate to get in the way, but I'll do what I can. Thanks!"
>>742074>>742073Luv waves off your concerns. "I'm not Green. I'm not in this for the money, I'm just here cause the boss said to. Plus,you seem alright. I wouldn't stab any of you in the back. Seems like a good way to get myself killed anyway."
>>742075"Um… okay." Chekhooves doesn't look very sure about it, but it's not like he can stop it from happening.
Luv whistles in approval. "Fancy. Looks like one of the Sommelier's trick weapons. Had one myself, but I lost it in a mission. Good choice!"
>>742084>>742083>>742077>>742076>>742073"So, what's it gonna be then?" Luv asks, datapad at the ready to process the order.
"The robot hunting job?"
"The dragon cult job?"
"The bounty job?"
"Or the scouting job?"
>reposting for a reminder:
>"Alright, let's see here…" She pushes a button on the side of her sunglasses, and the tints fade to become regular reading glasses. She peers down her snout at the listing.
>"Hm. There's these religious fanatics that have been mobilizing a few systems from here. Dragon cultists, calling themselves Sons of the Golden Claw. They've been harassing the settlers over on planet Kaluth for a while now. They want a gang of ours to scare 'em off planet. Peacefully," she emphasizes. "These guys have warlocks on their side. You don't want to mess with them too much. 1500 bits for the job. …Since the ship's out for repairs though, you'd have to find a transport yourselves by hitching a ride."
>What else… Hm. Something a bit more local. Small job, but it'll pay well. There's a bounty out for this guy who crossed a local crime boss. Something about not paying a debt, or whatever, I dunno. We don't ask questions. They want someone to find the guy and bring him in. …At Ochi's. Huh. Must be a middleman then. Er, the guy you'd be looking for is called Rinzler. Diamond Dog, gold fur, missing an ear. He was last seen in Delta District. Dunno how keen you are on detective work." She shrugs. "He's worth 900."
>"Anything else? Oh yup, here we go. …Hm. Another offworld job. There's a science station that wants a hand investigating this new dwarf planet. They need a group to go with their science team and scout it out. Help investigate the planet itself. Might be interesting. Transport's provided by the client too. Another 2000 bits in it for you guys if you take it." No.742089
>>742087"Hmm.. compared to the others, the rogue robo doesn't sound too bad. If we're lucky by the time we get there the conditions will have rusted it's parts together and we can just push it over." Gale says.
"Parts'll sell well too. Maybe more." He vaguely concludes.
No.742090
>>742087"Robo or science for me works, and seems like robo's the popular vote."
No.742094
>>742090>>742087"Same here- Robot, or the Scouting job. Leaning a little more towards the latter."
No.742095
>>742087"Sounds like the robot is more likely a hack job than the robo just 'going rogue', honestly. Can't imagine a survey bot just all of a sudden deciding "hey, I wanna kill a couple guys and steal some secure data". Weird a corporation like PanGal would let something like that happen, but it's not like it's impossible. Not to make more work for myself but if I had to make a wager I'd say the bot is the least of the problem there."
Frank just stares up at Chechooves for a second before finally deciding, "It'll be fine!"
No.742097
>>742087If you don't know where my desires lay apparently you haven't been listening."
No.742102
>>742097"Oh I meant more as a question to the group. You're uh, really hung up on robots, huh."
>>742089>>742090>>742094>>742095>>742097"I actually wanted to do the bounty job," Chekhooves comments quietly, going mostly unheard.
"Alright, robot job it is then." She enters something on the datapad to make it official. "You are hereby entered into a contract with the Spacers' Guild."
"Now, the ship we're being given by PanGal isn't anywhere near here. And, you know, it's getting late. I were you, I'd sleep on it, and we head off to get started tomorrow morning. How's that sound?"
No.742103
>>742102Sounds good." she said as she looked to Chekhooves and rolled her eyes before moving over and petting his head a bit
"Eh relax there bud, you'll get your day. Besides maybe you'll get some nice ass loot after we make the universe a slightly more robot free place." She gave him a sudden one armed hug as she tried to be tough and nice figuring cheering him up would be good.
No.742105
>>742102"Hm? Why's that?" the elk asks, quirking a brow.
No.742107
>>742102"Yeah. Works for me. I
would like to point out that killing the robot might not solve the problem again, though."
No.742111
>>742102"Where's a place you'd suggest to bunk, then? Any Spacer sponsored places? Or y'all too new for brand deals?"
No.742115
>>742107But it also might, and thats a risk we have to take."
No.742117
>>742102"It was my second option Chek. Just seems like the extra profit and ease of this one outweighs." Gale says. "Plus I think Areia's esepcially motivated by this one."
No.742120
>>742103He yelps a little as you drag him into a hug, looking a bit uncomfortable and intimidated.
>>742105He shrugs. "Seemed like the easiest one."
>>742107"What makes you say that?" Luv asks. "Not like it's our problem anyways, we're just hired to do the deed and dip."
>>742111"Well, apart from Ochi's, I know a cheap motel. It's not far, and they're in with the Guild too. Should be able to get some free lodging there. C'mon, I'll show you."
>>742103>>742105>>742107>>742111>>742117You follow Luv to a mediocre motel a few blocks away. It's well and truly night by the time you get there, and the day's events catch up with you. Luv pulls a few strings and manages to get you all free rooms. They're rather unremarkable, but better than nothing. The remains of the day are spent acclimating to the rooms and getting ready for bed. Before you know it, you're out like a light.
>everyone regains full H/WThe following morning, you wake up to find Luv outside the motel, sitting on a bench and working on her datapad. Chekhooves seems to be sleeping in at the moment, but soon stirs groggily to get ready for the trip. Luv looks up as you approach. "Good morning," she says cheerily. "Ready to get a move on? There's no rush, we could grab some breakfast or something before we do."
No.742123
>>742120"Yeah! We should get a good breakfast, do something nice together. I want our own ship so I can do pancakes for ya guys. Hate to just get something from a fast food joint or something."
She looks to Chekhooves, who's still waking up, "Where'd you get the donuts yesterday?"
No.742125
>>742120Gale yawns as he walks up to the rest. "Preferably a coffee for the road. Don't want to be falling asleep in wherever we end up." He yawns again, still clearly tired.
No.742126
>>742120She frowned a bit "Err… sorry bud I uh… I didn't mean to scare ya." she muttered deflating a bit.
The next morning she still seems a bit bothered by upsetting Chek as she just silently munched on some of the gem donuts she had gotten before they left for the ocean world.
No.742128
>>742120Gigi stretches her back and lets out a quiet sqeak as it cracks. "I could go for some breakfast," she says.
"Ooooh, a local greasy spoon? Do you think they have goetta? I love goetta!"
"What do you mean you love goetta? You can't even eat."
"I love the idea of goetta," he corrects himself. "And the atmosphere. They always have the most rustic, homey atmospheres."
No.742130
>>742120"Fair enough."
>>742120Fir is up and ready to go rather early, looking over to Luv after stepping out of the motel. "Breakfast wouldn't be bad. Good to go aside from that."
No.742137
>>742128>>742126>>742123>>742125>>742130"Sure. I know a place." She seems to know a lot of places. "Come on, my shout."
She takes you all to a small hole-in-the-wall cafe, where you enjoy a hearty, well-cooked breakfast. The coffee is especially good. Chekhooves orders himself some eggs Benedict, while Luv just goes for a slice of space fruit pie.
After a hard earned breakfast, you head off to the docking bay, where you find the ship you'll be working with for a while. It's a Peregrine class cruiser; nice and roomy, but easily maneuverable. It has a white paint job, with the logo of PanGal plastered across it. It has an overall sleek design, and you notice a pair of port and starboard turrets, as well as three escape pods.
As you approach, a purple light turns on on the side of the ship, and a holographic figure projects out from near the cockpit. It manifests into the form of a pony of indeterminate gender wearing a business suit.
"Good morning, spacers," the hologram says politely.
"My name is Ash. I'm the PanGal AI in charge of the ship. You must be the ones sent by the Guild for the mission. Pleased to meet you!"Chekhooves gives Areia a slightly worried look.
No.742139
>>742137"Quite the up-to-the-minute model. A little to sleek for my tastes but J bet she runs pretty smoothly." He says, walking towards the ship, always wanting to be the first to board. "Pleasure to meet you." He says while passing the hologram.
No.742141
>>742137She tensed but went back to a slack form for now as she looked for a room to sit in and wait for a bit as she needed to think for a bit. That and thumb over the AI disk of her own friend as she pondered upon finding her a ship to be put in.
No.742143
>>742137"Hiya, Ash! My name is Frank! I'm with the guild. We'll be working together for a bit. How long have you been acting AI for this vessel?" Frank shifts a little, keeping the sofa balanced on his back while he waves.
Gigi gives her a brief wave. "Yo."
No.742145
>>742137"Uhh nice to meet you too." Vandal responds distractedly, following after Aeria,
>>742141"Gonna be alright Aeria? Pretty sure we could ask it not to show itself while you're in a room."
No.742146
>>742145"I'll be fine Whiskers. Just… a bunch on my mind right now."
No.742147
>>742137Fir goes for something leafy, along with some eggs. The coffee's a nice touch, too!
>>742137"Mmm, we are. My name's Fir." the elk says, taking a look around. "Nice ship, by the way."
No.742155
>>742146"Sorry sorry, want me to leave you alone?"
No.742156
>>742155"Nah, if you wanna come bother me I honestly wouldn't mind the company."
No.742158
>>742156"Neatorino, shame I don't have a deck of cards or anything. Watcha wanna do on the ride over?"
No.742159
>>742158Fir flicks an ear, before saying "I've got one I can lend you, if you want."
No.742160
>>742139>>742147"Thank you." Ash appreciates the compliment.
>>742143"Hello Frank. I've only been active for about two months now. I haven't seen much action yet, but I'm eager to learn.">>742139>>742141>>742143>>742145>>742147Luv steps up and starts sorting out some business with Ash, while the rest of you go ahead and explore the ship. Unlike your last ride, this one is nice and crisp. There are more than enough rooms to go around, all the same uniform setup; a clean room with a double decker bed, and all the essentials. Nothing glamorous, but it's very… corporate.
Ash manifests near the cockpit.
"PanGal have assigned me the role of pilot, but if you prefer to take a hold of the ship yourselves you can deactivate me if you like. And, if my name and appearance don't suit you, there's a panel on the wall here for other presets." She gestures at a wall mounted screen with a render of Ash and several buttons. It's labeled 'AshAI - everything you want to see and hear'. Luv looks at you and shrugs noncommittally, as if to say it's your choice what you want to do in that department.
Ash continues the tour.
"Music and entertainment are available in the cockpit, galley, and individual cabins, as well as food and drinks for the flight. In the event of a firefight, the turret hatches will unlock, and they can be manually or automatically fired depending on your preferences. Escape pods are available here in the cockpit, and below in the cargo hold.""Shall we depart?" No.742161
>>742158There was a pause "You like cartoons? I just reupped my GalactFlix."
No.742162
>>742160"I've been in a few corporate ships but this is… well small by those standards but still pretty upstanding." Gale says, admiring various features. "Do we have music preferences? Don't wanna ride in silence."
No.742163
>>742161"Oh totally, what're you watching currently?"
No.742164
>>742160Gigi whistles as she explores the ship. "Dang. This is nice. Surprised they'd just loan this out to a bunch of spacers."
Frank splits off, heads straight to the bridge and pops his chassis open. Pulling out a water soluble epoxy, he places a dab on the bottom of each of the sofa's legs and unloads it in a corner. "Hey, Ash," he says. "Play something upbeat and dancy! Like, uh… techno…polka? Ash, play Technopolka!" Hopping up on the sofa, he squishes each leg down a little to help set the epoxy.
No.742165
>>742163"Couple different things. Mainly the more action focused stuff they have."
No.742166
>>742160Fir takes a bit of time to slip out of his armor, now that he's got a room to set it in more safely. He takes a seat on the bed, before getting up, pacing around awkwardly, and stepping back out of the room to find someone else.
>>742162"No real preferences- though, music with guitars is always nice." he says, settling back in.
No.742170
>>742166Areia and Vandal were in one of the other bedrooms if he felt like taking a look.
No.742172
>>742165"Put your show of choice on, I spend time on animation forums so I've seen a bit of everything."
No.742173
>>742170>>742163Fir flicks his ears a bit as he paces around, before knocking on the door softly.
No.742174
>>742172She threw on an old show about a wandering samurai trying to atone for his crimes.
>>742173She blinked at the knock and answered the door "Oh heya Fir, you wanna come in? Me and Vandal were just hanging out."
No.742178
>>742174"Would be nice, yeah. Don't have much to do today."
No.742181
>>742160>>742178>>742174"Neat, I'll go grab some snacks and then we can all settle in." Vandal says, hunting down some popcorn.
No.742182
>>742178She nodded and stepped inside to wave him in "I was putting on some cartoons for me and Vandal but if you got anything you wanna add I'm game." she said much more chipper now that she had friends and fun abound.
No.742183
>>742164Ash spontaneously manifests near Frank as he starts setting up the sofa. You notice that most of the walls and ceilings have tracks running across them, to which a small black projector is mounted. This allows Ash to move to any part of the ship unhindered.
"That's not allowed," Ash says politely but sternly.
"This ship belongs to PanGal. Please move the sofa into the cargo hold." Your request is ignored as a consequence.
>>742166>>742164>>742162>>742161The ship smoothly takes off, blasting into outer space and traveling to the nearest Jump Point to make for Dylath-Leen's star system.
>Reminder: Interstellar travel is achieved through a twofold process; while conventional FTL flight is possible through the development of magitek engines, many distances are simply too vast to cover in a reasonable amount of time. Thus, magical portals are also used in transportation, colloquially known as Jump Points or Jumps. Jumps are present in the majority of populated star systems throughout the Realms, allowing for near instantaneous travel from one system to the other."Now traveling to Dylath Leen," Ash announces calmly.
"Please make yourselves comfortable. We will have to make several Jump Points to reach our destination. Estimated travel time: two and a half days."At the mention of music with guitars, Ash puts something on that might suit Fir's request as the ship flies through space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfZ9Lktl8M0The Jump is more or less what you'd expect, and nothing most of you haven't experienced before. It appears almost as a door frame in space, a vast, rectangular form pulsing and strobing with every conceivable colour. Many other spaceships can be seen entering and exiting the Jump, blinking in and out of existence. The shape gets larger and larger as you pilot towards it, and the ship is soon engulfed by color and rocketed forward.
This lasts for a good half a minute; when you are spat out on the other side, you find yourselves in another region of space, similar yet subtly different to where you just were. Ash continues on calmly, firing the ship into FTL travel as you surge on towards the next Jump.
After about five hours of uneventful travel, Ash speaks up again.
"Anomaly detected ahead."Luv perks up from playing a mobile game on her datapad. "What do you mean, anomaly?"
"An uncharted object is in our vicinity. It seems too large to be a ship. It would be marked on the charts, but it just… isn't."Chekhooves frowns. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Shall we attempt to make contact?" Ash asks you all.
No.742185
>>742183"Do you think we wandered into another movie set?" she asked curiously.
No.742186
>>742183"Why does this always happen…" Gale says, getting up from his seat and approaching the front of the ship. "Sure. Lets see what it has to say."
No.742188
>>742183"Awe, but I even made sure to use the water soluble epoxy! I can remove it when we're done borrowing the ship. You sure there isn't anything I can do? Sign a waiver or something?"
[1d10]Persuasion on something that is probably programmed to enforce these specific rules
>>742183If there wasn't aything Frank could do, he solemnly removed the sofa and lugged it to the cargo hold.
He quietly sulks in the corner with Gigi, who leans back with her headphones on and her eyes closed. Noticing something actually happening, she cracks an eye and removes one of the muffs from the side of her head. "Something up?"
Roll #1 9 = 9 No.742189
>>742183>>742185"Two in one week, that'd be neat." Vandal shrugs, "Why not, we're better equipped this time."
No.742191
>>742189>>742183"Yeah alright, say hello, maybe it's friendly."
No.742192
>>742181>>742182"Not too much- I've got cards, at least." he says, before shrugging. "Don't really watch many cartoons, but I don't mind."
>>742183Fir hums a little bit, and begins to get up and pull his gear on. "Can't hurt to be ready, just in case."
No.742195
>>742192>>742191"Oh, something there." She taps Frank on the back. "Yo, Frank, look alive. We got company."
Frank sighs, slowly stands, turns around to face the front, hangs his head, and lets his body crash back to the floor again.
No.742196
>>742185"Unlikely," says Ash.
"We're in deep space.""'Another'?" Luv asks nonplussed.
>>742188"No.">>742189>>742191>>742192>>742188>>742186"Acknowledged."The ship starts moving towards the uncharted object. You start to see what the anomaly is through the cockpit; it's a small space station, just floating through the void untouched. It looks abandoned.
The monitor lights up as Ash transmits a wordless greeting message outwards. Nothing happens at first; then, you see some pinpoints of light start moving towards you from the station. You can't really tell what they are at first; then:
"Incoming missiles. Brace for evasive maneuvers."Luv's eyes widen. "Incoming what?!"
"Missiles. Brace for evasive maneuvers." Ash talks about them as if she were discussing the weather. The ship suddenly jolts as Ash tries to avoid the enemy fire!
[1d10+3]
>roll to brace[2d10] Luv, Chekhooves
Roll #1 2 + 3 = 5 /
Roll #2 5, 8 = 13 No.742197
>>742196Areia went bug eyed and hit the deck as she tried to brace.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.742199
>>742196"Oh you have to be fu-" Gale is cut off by the impact.
Brace [1d10]
Roll #1 1 = 1 No.742200
>>742196Vandal jumps up and yowls, fur on end as she tries to right herself.
[1d10]
Roll #1 7 = 7 No.742201
>>742196"Hrm. I don't like that." the elk says, trying to steady himself.
[1d10]
Roll #1 10 = 10 No.742202
>>742196"Oh, shit. Seriously? Missiles?" Gigi plants her paws and tries to hang tight to her seat as the ship takes evasive action. Frank, on the other hand, just lays there. Looking around, he sighs, does some tinkering, and tries to put together something for someone else to help brace themselves instead, attaching a chain to two strong magnets like a handle that can, hopefully, be attached to a nearby surface to hold them steady. After, he tosses it to the nearest person who looks like they're struggling.
[1d10]Brace
[1d10]Gadget insta-handle.
Roll #1 6 = 6 /
Roll #2 5 = 5 No.742205
>>742199"I am not.">>742202Frank's invention works in theory, but most of the ship's interior is made of concrete and plastic, not metal. He fails to find a metal panel to attach the magnet to in time.
>>742197>>742199>>742200>>742201>>742202The ship does a double barrel roll, but it isn't enough. The whole vessel is rammed and sent spinning out of control through space as one of the missiles hits its left wing. Thankfully, it doesn't cause any severe damage, but it it is enough for Ash to lose control momentarily. Chekhooves, Areia, Vandal and Fir manage to brace themselves in time, avoiding any real injury. Gigi and Luv are knocked about, bumping their heads on the concrete wall, but aren't seriously injured. Gale, on the other hand, is sent flying, slamming into the opposite wall painfully, almost sticking to it like a cartoon character.
>Gale takes 4 hits"Performing enemy analysis and self diagnostics," says Ash.
"Requesting status report. Is anyone injured?" The station doesn't seem to be firing again yet.
No.742208
>>742205"Yeah… you weren't." Gale creaks out as he struggles to get up. "Fuck." After successfully getting up, then realizing how much pain hes in, gale elects to stay laying on the floor where he was. "I'm good guys, don't worry about me. Oww."
No.742209
>>742205Everybody in here seems to be good." Areia called back as she slowly grabbed her blade and shook her head "Think we should probably man the guns to stop any more of those."
No.742210
>>742205"Well if it's abandoned, surely they've got a finite amount of missiles, right? Could we dodge all of them till there's an abandoned station to check out?"
No.742213
>>742205Frank just pulls his gadget back into his body and dismantles it, letting himself get tossed about like a metal ragdoll.
Gigi squaks and tries to hang tight. When the ship settles, she rubs the back of her head and groans. "Fuck, man. Automated security systems? Or do you think it's manned?" She lifts a hand. "Yeah," she calls to Ash. "I'm good."
No.742215
>>742205>>742208>Distill Life [1d10]Fir frowns a little bit, checking on Gale, Gigi, and Luv. "Any serious injuries? I'll do what I can to patch everyone up."
>>742210"That is… a plan. Though, I'm not so sure about waiting it out, and it doesn't take too many missiles to take out a ship."
Roll #1 3 = 3 No.742217
>>742213>>742209>>742208>>742210"Analysis complete. Ship diagnostics pending. There don't seem to be any signs of life. Missiles were possibly automated, or fired by an AI. …They don't seem to be attacking, despite us being in range. Possibly a warning shot.""This is weird. Let's just get out of here, I say." Luv seems a bit disturbed by the whole thing.
"A suggestion. This ship is outfitted with cloaking devices for avoiding unwanted attention. If we are willing to risk exploring this station, we could slip by their defenses that way. Shall I activate it?" No.742218
>>742217"Hell yeah! Worst comes to worst we can scrap some shit on it for a profit!"
No.742220
>>742217"Sure, we could even see about disabling those missiles once we're in there."
No.742221
>>742217"Yeah, fuck it. I say we drop in and loot the place. Entirely possible it has some valuble shit. Hell, those missiles alone probably weren't cheap."
No.742222
>>742218"Fuck yeah, that's what's up. At the very least there's probably shit folks didn't even think to strip."
No.742223
>>742217"Smart idea, I think. If they can't see us, we probably won't have to worry about ducking missiles." the elk says, before thinking. "Unless the station's got good scanning systems and could see through cloaking tech." he finishes, more humming in thought than talking loudly.
No.742225
>>742217"Would have been smart to use those beforehand, but sure."
>>742215"Thanks, hun."
No.742229
>>742225"I'm not authorized to make the decision on my own. The crew have authority over the ship, and, above them, my manufacturers.">>742223>>742221>>742220>>742218>>742225"Understood. Activating cloaking device. Scanning for entry routes. …Entry located. Stand by."The ship jolts into motion, drawing closer and flying around to the back of the station. While you can't see or feel a change in the ship now that cloaking is activated, the missiles don't fire on you again, so it must be working.
Ash takes you to the back of the station, where an open docking bay is.
"Scanning. …Multiple AI signals detected within the docking bay. Most likely robots. Be prepared for possible hostiles once we're inside.""Last chance to turn back I guess," Luv remarks. "…I really think we should get out of here and stay on mission. I'll just add this to the report and someone bigger than us can clean shop. We already took a hit from the missiles. I don't think we should risk it all."
No.742230
>>742229Areia walked right by love as she beelined to the exit of the ship. If she had to do a space jump she was gonna do it. Loot and robocide were on the menu and she was gonna claim them.
No.742231
>>742229"I mean, you're representing our employer though, so is that an
official 'don't think we should risk it all' or a 'could be a bad idea'?"
No.742232
>>742229"They do seem to be minding their business now after that little stunt. Maybe Luvs right. This could be not worth it."
No.742234
>>742229"I can probably just cloak, go in, and pop an EMP. Take care of a bunch of the bots at onc-"
>>742230She deadpans. "Well, there goes that plan. Yo, Ash, you guys have any spare suits in here? Not super keen on opening a door, the hull being breached somewhere the safeties are down, and having my lungs explode."
No.742237
>>742229>>742230"Hold up- it'd be a good idea to figure this out. More gear's nice, but it might be better to hang back and mull it over."
No.742241
>>742230"Where are you going?" Ash asks, manifesting right next to you out of nowhere.
"I haven't docked the ship yet. If you're planning on jumping through the airlock to the docking bay, that is extremely dangerous given the angle. There's a high risk you'll miss your landing and float off into space.">>742231"…Will it change your mind if I say it's official? I mean not like there's any real rules in the Guild, remember."
>>742234"There are six spacer suits in the airlock, including different forms for different races.It would be unfortunate if your lungs were to explode.">>742232>>742237"As you wish. Hanging back.">>742237>>742234>>742232>>742231>>742230The ship comes to a half a good 20 feet from the docking bay, giving you time to really talk it over.
"I reckon we should just go in and try to take it one step at a time," says Chekhooves. "If it gets ugly, we bail. Can keep the engines running in case we need to take off in a hurry. This is probably a bad idea overall, but we're here now, so we might as well."
"Well," says Luv, "you know where I stand on all this. What about you?"
"I'm not entitled to an opinion," Ash remarks matter-of-factly.
No.742922
>>742241"I mean yeah like, we're not assholes. If you think this is a really bad call, we could call it off. We don't even own a ship proper yet so, just trying to make a few more credits is all." Vandal responds to Luv shrugging, leaning against a wall.
No.742923
>>742241"No comms and automated missle fire suggests this things been abandoned. Only have to wonder why."
No.742924
>>742241"Hrm… I'm not so sure about it, but if the crew's going, I'll be going."
No.742925
>>742241>>742922"If you guys want I can cloak, pop in, and scout it out a little. Frank can pop one of his optical sensors out and fiddle with it too. Makes sort of a flying camera." She knits her brow and looks down at the sulking bot. "If I can pull him out of this little funk long enough to actually do it."
Frank hasn't moved since the hit from the missile and still lies slumped over, face down on the floor.
No.742926
>>742241"I am very much down to raid this place for a payday, If shit goes south we bail, but otherwise there's no point in not giving it a proper try."
