03 - Songs in the Key of Aleph

According to Jal's message to Meade Grey the Stag went down on the Moon of Todav, smuggling a set of Aleph Keys. The Stag was part of the Cobalt Syndicate's smuggling fleet, and are offering a reward for it's return, but they are valuable on their own. 

The Crew take the shuttle down and dock with the crashed ship, avoiding the EMF interference by picking a time where they could avoid the worst of it. When they dock with the Stag, they find the crew - gone. All that remains of them are their flight suits, and anything artificial in their bodies left behind - fillings, pins and prosthetics.

From a crew manifest, it seems as if the Stag was affected by a particularly bad patch of EMF and it caused one of the Aleph Keys to react. The casing holding the Artifacts had some microdamage, enough to expose the Artifact and cause it to either function or malfunction. 

The crew vanished in an instant, gone from the ship. And yet, there are lifeform readings on the ship. 

As the crew searched for the Aleph Keys, Frank "Franky" Heather discovered that the Stag's Engine core was badly damaged in the crash, it will go critical and explode soon. He also found the name of one of the Crew members Ken, a Cobalt Syndicate member and avid fisherman. 

Meade Grey's search through the cargo of the ship reveals the Aleph Keys, hidden within a biological container that held Dendripiliphicus, a 15 foot millipede with a many ringed toothy maw. This creature is native to Planet Aketi and extremely aggressive. As it darts out and constricts Meade Grey, trying to bite him with his mouth, Moth (Mevakor Ortcutt) assists him in killing the creature. 

With the Aleph Keys acquired, the crew set off, but there's a wrinkle. The Cobalt Syndicate has sent a shuttle down as well, and that shuttle has been damaged by the EMF. They could leave, but the shuttle and it's parent ship, the Onyx, have sent out a mayday. Do they intervene?

After a brief discussion, the crew return to the surface of the Moon of Todav to rescue the injured crew. After a tense conversation with the uninjured Monk, Moth (Mevakor Ortcutt) quickly stabilizes both Clayton and Euripedes, the two other crew injured in the crash. They transfer the Crew to their shuttle, and dock with the Firedrake. They barely escape the explosion of the Stag, the engine finally overloading. 

With the crew recovered, they contact the Onyx and speak to Keve, the Cobalt Syndicate captain. He explains that they were trying to perform a search and rescue mission on the Stag, asking about any survivors the crew may have found. The crew say they will meet and discuss their findings and transfer the shuttle crew. The Onyx will arrive in a few hours

Aboard the Onyx, Moth (Mevakor Ortcutt) offloads the patients with the help of the Onyx Stitch Ulysees. The crew speak to Keve about the fate of Ken and the other crew members of the Stag. 

Keve shows some emotion here, it seems that he had a relationship with Ken, the two had been married for some time, and enjoyed fishing in one of the few underground lakes that weren't polluted on Planet Aleph.

After a discussion about the Aleph Keys, Keve expresses an anger at the artifacts for taking away his loved one, and wants no part of the artifacts. He rewards the crew for rescuing the crashed shuttle occupants, and they go their separate ways. 

With a little time, Frank "Franky" Heather realizes Meade Grey's wish to include a steam room in the Firedrake. With some elbow grease and a little money, a place of respite and reflection is created. The crew can take time here to relax and reflect on their accomplishments, all while enjoying the hot steam and Planet Nightfall pine paneling. 

On the way to the gate out of the Brekk System, the Firedrake takes on another contract, this time from Tyura. They set off to hunt a pirate ship known as the Skink, part of the Wreckers fleet and predating on relief ships heading to Planet Shimaya to deal with the natural disaster of the fierce storms they experienced. 

The fight goes badly, and the Skink ends up boarding the Firedrake, pinning the crew down in a brutal firefight. In desperation, Frank "Franky" Heather attempts to recreate the events that caused the Aleph Keys to malfunction, knowing that the Keys will respond if the crew reject the mental offer of "Safety" from the keys. 

As the Wreckers get close to getting access to Firedrake engine core, the EMF Pulse is sent out to the unshielded Aleph Keys, and both the boarders and the crew of the Skink vanish, leaving behind their belongings and any prosthetic part. 

The crew sells off the Skink and head to Iota System.